Learning to Write

Writer's conference opportunity

2008-07-20T11:02:20Z

Just wanted to pass along the info...

If, like me, you're not going to be at RWA's annual conference in San Fran at the end of the month, despair not! Romance Divas is hosting their annual Not Going To Conference Conference. Check out the awesome schedule of events! There are loads of fabulous door prizes, too. You do have to register for the Romance Divas forum to participate, but registration is free.

http://romancedivas.com/

Wednesday, July 30

Paula Guran, Editor, Juno Books
Q&A on Creating Kick a** Heroines

Laurie Rauch, Editor, Samhain Publishing
Workshop on What Happens After the Contract (aka Editors are People Too!)*

Thursday July 31

Joyce Hart, Hartline Literary
Q&A on Inspirational Romance Stories and the Inspy Market

Sandra Schwab, Historical Romance Author
Workshop on Historical Accuracy and Anachronisms

Friday, August 1

Yolanda Sfetsos, Author of Guarded by Stone
Q&A on Paranormal and Urban Fantasy World Building

Katie MacIver, KatieDidDesign
Workshop on Website Design and Color Selection

Saturday, August 2

Joey W. Hill, Erotica Author
Workshop on Plotting Erotica and Erotic Romance

Rhonda Stapleton, Editor and Author
Workshop on Style and Voice

Who

2008-06-24T14:23:11Z

From underpope

When you see this post, quote from Doctor Who on your LJ.

"Oh, look--rocks."

Be awesome today

2008-05-06T16:57:56Z

From May 5 - May 19, you can join the National Marrow Donor Program for free (there is usually a fee for tissue typing). The first 10,000 people who sign up online get the kit for free. There is also a link to find a donation center, where 36,000 people can register for free.

http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Join_the_Donor_Registry/index.html

I signed up in honor of my friend Kim, who learned during her pregnancy that she has leukemia. She left today to receive her marrow transplant, so she can hopefully watch her little girl grow up. She's busy kicking cancer's ass, and if I can help someone else do it, too, I will.

New book squee

2008-04-08T13:24:31Z

My husband--being the bestest spouse evah--surprised me yesterday with The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed.

I love the explanation of gerunds: "A gerund is the -ing form of a verb, and it gets to live the unpredictable life of a noun, buffeted about by caprices and verbs."

Memey McMeme

2008-04-07T21:28:51Z

I saw it on underpope's LJ

Your Score: Pure Nerd

91 % Nerd, 34% Geek, 39% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.

A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.

The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.

Congratulations!

Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professional Wrestling

Love & Sexuality

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test
View My Profile(donathos)

outlining shakeup

2008-02-26T13:54:13Z

Since I haven't posted anything in weeks--again--I thought I'd just post a writing update. I'm still plugging along on the first draft for Reconciliation. I'm in my usual middle of the book slump, when anxieties run high and I wonder why I even bothered to start the bloody book to begin with. As always at this point, I've convinced myself that I can't write worth a damn, anyway, as evidenced by the way my chapters are rambling around all over the freaking place.

So, to appease the inner ~~heckler~~ editor, I've adopted a new outlining technique for at least the next several chapters to try to keep myself on point. I am handwriting a page per chapter, with notes under the headings: POV, Goal, Motivation, Conflict (both internal and external), and Outcome. So far... ok. I still feel like I'm banging my head against the wall, but at least I know at which wall to aim my cranium.

Sounds of laughter shades of life

2008-02-04T19:57:12Z

News borrowed from kady42.

NASA to broadcast "Across the Universe" into deep space tonight:

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/nasa-says-hello-universe-meet-the-beatles/?hp

Limitless undying love. Let's hope.

Rejection!

2008-01-25T00:19:15Z

On paper, even.

Today I got the first rejection letter for Hearthstone since I mailed three out a couple weeks ago. It has been a loooooong time since I got a rejection letter on actual paper. It's a nice one, too: letterhead, heavy weight paper, with my name, address, and title of my book included--a real letter.

I'd forgotten that holding a rejection in my hand stings a little more than the e-mail I can quickly close and ignore. This one is sitting on the table, folded up but looking at me.

Still, I rallied and got together a submission packet for another agent, which will go in the mail tomorrow, to meet my self-inflicted standard of keeping three queries out until I have a contract or I run out of agents.

Empress of my domain...

2008-01-16T14:26:43Z

Funners taken from several on my flist...

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Empress Betsy the Elephantine of Much Moulding upon Carpet
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Back on the sub train

2008-01-07T15:07:49Z

After taking November off for NaNo, and December off for the holidays, I've revamped my query letter, tweaked my one-page syno, and sent off three sub packets for S&J. I'm going to try to keep three subs out at all times, until that special, magic offer of representation comes along.

I just recently learned (like, this past weekend) about a workshop called Viable Paradise, which is just for spec fic writers.

http://www.sff.net/paradise/

I won't be applying this year, but it looks fabulous.

December catch-up

2007-12-28T13:38:56Z

The month flew by and I hardly noticed it going.

One of my friends came all the way from the Internet to visit while she and her family were passing through our area. It was fun to finally get to sit down with someone I've known for a couple years now.

Christmas was good. The kiddos had a happy time. I got stressed out making too much food. Again. My family came over for the annual rib roast and Yorkshire pudding feast, and everyone loved it. Again. I swore next year it's on someone else, but I'm sure in the end I'll do it. Again. What can I say? It's a fabulous dinner and I have control issues when it comes to food.

The husband gave me a freaking awesome boxed, hardbound volume of Sandman (issues 1-20). I lurve it so very very much.

I wrote not a word all month. Oddly, I hardly even thought about either of my WIP's, other than, "Gee, I haven't written anything in a while." But with the hectic holiday stuff over with, I feel the compulsion starting to tickle at my fingers.

2007 turned out to be Not Too Shabby. We got a beautiful daughter out of it (who has somehow managed to turn 8 months -- !!!). I got a nibble on Sev and Jalia, which was great, even though it didn't result in a big bite. Even taking into account the various, normal crises that arose, it was definitely a Not Too Shabby year.

Holiday cheer

2007-12-03T12:24:16Z

As seen on hookedoncoffee's page:

O Flying Spaghetti Monster of wonder, Flying Spaghetti Monster of might,
Flying Spaghetti Monster of royal beauty bright.

We Three Kings Of Orient Are
from the Christmas Song Generator.

A carol for his Noodliness!

I win!

2007-11-30T19:56:47Z

Phew! It came down to the last day, but I did it!

I'm nowhere near close to finishing my novel. I'm at about the halfway mark. But, I hit my 50k NaNo goal, and it feels AWESOME!!!

Flashback!

2007-11-20T03:17:56Z

Last night, the mister and I spent too long on YouTube digging for childhood memories. We found the Capital I song, and the Pinball song ("1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 678910, 11, 12 do do doo, do do doo..." remember that one?). We also found my very favorite Sesame Street segment, Teeny Little Super Guy.

I love this line:

"There was a melancholy air about him, with a touch of the ol' ennui as he approached me."

I don't think they use words like 'melancholy' and 'ennui' on Sesame Street anymore.

More's the pity.

Halfway

2007-11-12T13:26:45Z

Yesterday, I hit the halfway mark with this year's NaNo. Current word count is 25, 495. Woohoo!

Friday Meme

2007-11-09T16:35:18Z

I think it's been a while since I've seen a D&D related meme.

What is your Alignment?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Neutral Good

A Neutral Good person tries to do the 'goodest' thing possible. These people are willing to work with the law to accomplish their goal, but if the law is corrupt they are just as willing to tear it down. To these people, doing what's right is the most important thing, regardless of rules, customs, or laws.

Neutral Good

65%

True Neutral

60%

Chaotic Good

50%

Lawful Evil

50%

Lawful Neutral

50%

Chaotic Neutral

45%

Lawful Good

45%

Chaotic Evil

40%

Neutral Evil

20%

NaNupdate

2007-11-05T12:41:49Z

Current word count is 11,574. I'm hoping to finish before Thanksgiving, as the holiday will likely derail me for the rest of the month.

Progress so far

2007-11-01T21:29:47Z

I hit the end of the prologue, and stopped for the day, 2878 words. The NaNo site is being ridonkulously slow, so I haven't updated there yet.

Happy NaNoween!

2007-11-01T14:32:45Z

Best wishes to everyone participating in NaNoWriMo! I'm off to get going on my Regency novel, The Reconciliation.

Get it, gang!

Ah, well

2007-10-17T18:55:37Z

I just got the rejection for the S&J partial. Onward!

Rejections

2007-10-17T01:46:51Z

So far, the tally for my e-queries is one request for a partial, and two rejections. This makes me wonder if the partial was requested not because of the strength of my query, but because of the apology I sent the second time around. Maybe I should I screw up every submission accidentally on purpose, and then apologize for it?

I hate submitting. It makes me ill.

Quote of the day

2007-10-14T18:09:21Z

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

-Albert Camus

Oh My FS FREAKING M!

2007-10-08T01:50:58Z

OK, I was just coming here to tell you all about a really stupid thing I did, but the story has a happy ending. But I'll tell you my stupid story anyway:

Aug 21--I sent a query for Hearthstone to an agency. Agent's site indicates 5-10 day turnaround. I never got a response, so I just assumed she wasn't interested.

Today, I noticed as I was trying to muck out Thunderbird that I had inadvertently sent the query from my old, defunct addy, so her reply would have bounced back. *headdesk*

That's what I came here to say. But this just happened:

I re-sent my query this evening, with the addition of a brief note apologizing for the mess-up. I sent it at 8:10. 9:36, I get a request for a partial!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And then some!

Procrastinating... must be time for a meme!

2007-09-30T01:29:44Z

I meant to post this for bonniers several days ago. Now that I'm trying to do some research (why oh WHY is the British system of heraldry so complicated???) I remembered and it suddenly became very important to post.

I'd like to know 27 things about you. Just copy and hit reply and paste in the comments section with answers. Thanks! You'll be surprised how much you didn't know about your friends after this! Then copy the meme and see if anyone answers you.

1. Do you have a tattoo?
2. How old are you?
3. Are you single or taken?
4. Fish?
5. Do you dream in colour?
6. Ever seen a corpse?
7. How about them hipsters?
8. How did we meet?
9. What's your philosophy on life and death?
10. If you could do anything with me, and have no one know, what would it be?
11. Do you trust the police?
12. Do you like musicals?
13. What is your fondest memory of me?
14. If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?
15. Would you cheat?
16. What are you wearing?
17. Have you ever peed in a pool?
18. Would you hide evidence for me if I asked you to?
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
20. Which do you prefer - short or long hair?
21. What's your favorite day of the week?
22. What's your favorite color?
23. If you could bring back anyone that has passed, who would it be?
24. Tell me one interesting/odd fact about you?
25. What was your first impression of me?
26. Have you ever done drugs?
27. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you?

Checking in

2007-09-20T14:16:34Z

Just because I haven't posted in a while. Not too much happening. It's going to rain today; I can feel it in my sinuses. Ow.

Yesterday, I started an online writing course in writing romance. First lesson was pretty much just a general overview--nothing new for me. Starting with Friday's lesson, the course will delve more into the nitty-gritty dissection of romance novels, so I'm looking forward to that. I always say that, as a whole, romance writers do dialogue better than the writers of any other genre. I'm definitely interested in writing romance, but also in taking what I learn in this class and carrying it into my speculative fic.

Anno Domina is progressing along. Over 15k now. Yesterday, I finally got around to taking a whack at the synopsis for Hearthstone. I'm absolute rubbish at synopses. I really may need some help pulling that thing into something coherent.

My favorite weekend of the year has arrived: Greek Fest! Tomorrow I'm heading over to the Greek Orthodox church to gorge on gyros, souvlaki, and baklava. Mmmm...