First, let me say that my hands are still trembling and my heart is still racing. I received a call from a lovely RWA person about one hour ago, and she said that MIDNIGHT PROMISES is a 2008 Golden Heart Finalist!
I wish I could have been a little more graceful and composed on the phone with her. I wish my kids weren't seriously concerned about my sanity after witnessing the screaming and tears. I wish I could lose 10 pounds before having my publicity photo taken. But I feel incredibly lucky and honored to be a finalist. More later...
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
What I have in common with Noah
Sometimes, I feel like I'm building an ark. Let's face it, writing novels takes a lot of time. Time I could be spending with my family, cleaning my house (ha!), or even exercising (HA!!). Besides my manuscripts, I have nothing to show for all my hours in front of the computer - unless you count the weird muscle spasm below my right eye.
Fortunately, I haven't had to deal with any ridicule from family or friends. And of course, the fact that I don't have a gigantic boat in the backyard is a bonus. But writing is a huge time commitment, and there's no assurance my work will ever be published. I enjoy the process, though. Completing a scene, a chapter, and finally, a story is so satisfying. And I have to believe that if I work hard enough and long enough, eventually a "flood" of requests will come my way (sorry!).
If you're a writer, do you ever feel guilty about all the time you spend writing? (Or, sometimes, guilty about the time you don't spend writing?) How do you balance it with the rest of your life?
Fortunately, I haven't had to deal with any ridicule from family or friends. And of course, the fact that I don't have a gigantic boat in the backyard is a bonus. But writing is a huge time commitment, and there's no assurance my work will ever be published. I enjoy the process, though. Completing a scene, a chapter, and finally, a story is so satisfying. And I have to believe that if I work hard enough and long enough, eventually a "flood" of requests will come my way (sorry!).
If you're a writer, do you ever feel guilty about all the time you spend writing? (Or, sometimes, guilty about the time you don't spend writing?) How do you balance it with the rest of your life?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Anyone know the name of a good therapist?
I've noticed something about the love scenes I write. I find it easier to write them from my hero's point of view than my heroine's. This has been true for all three of my stories, even though the characterization is quite different in each. So I started wondering, WHY?
Maybe it's an opportunity to explore the mysterious inner-workings of mens' minds? No? I didn't think so either. Could it be that it's easier, in some ways, to write love scenes from the male point of view because men tend to be more, shall we say, graphic? (i.e., no need to use euphemisms for various body parts, etc.)
I'm not sure. So... I'm curious if other romance writers out there find it easier to write love scenes from one POV or the other. I'd also like to hear from readers. Do you favor one POV or the other for the steamy stuff? As a reader, I don't think I have a preference -- as long as the scene seems real and the characters are true to themselves throughout. What do you think?
Maybe it's an opportunity to explore the mysterious inner-workings of mens' minds? No? I didn't think so either. Could it be that it's easier, in some ways, to write love scenes from the male point of view because men tend to be more, shall we say, graphic? (i.e., no need to use euphemisms for various body parts, etc.)
I'm not sure. So... I'm curious if other romance writers out there find it easier to write love scenes from one POV or the other. I'd also like to hear from readers. Do you favor one POV or the other for the steamy stuff? As a reader, I don't think I have a preference -- as long as the scene seems real and the characters are true to themselves throughout. What do you think?
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Acronyms for Romance Writers, or "Blogging 101"
Have you seen the TV ad where the daughter, Beth Ann, is using textspeak (much to her mother's dismay) and there are subtitles for those of us who require translation? I LOVE that commerical!
As I've started reading and enjoying other author's blogs I've noticed there are lots of acronyms that seem to be created especially for romance writers. Sometimes I see one, and I have NO idea what it means, but I'm too embarrassed to ask. So, I thought I'd try to create a list of frequently used ones here.
CP = critique partner
GH = Golden Heart
GMC = goal, motivation, conflict
POV = point of view
WIP = work in progress
Can you think of others I should add? (I'm sure there are lots.) Want to make up a brand new one? (The funnier the better.) C'mon, help a newbie out!
As I've started reading and enjoying other author's blogs I've noticed there are lots of acronyms that seem to be created especially for romance writers. Sometimes I see one, and I have NO idea what it means, but I'm too embarrassed to ask. So, I thought I'd try to create a list of frequently used ones here.
CP = critique partner
GH = Golden Heart
GMC = goal, motivation, conflict
POV = point of view
WIP = work in progress
Can you think of others I should add? (I'm sure there are lots.) Want to make up a brand new one? (The funnier the better.) C'mon, help a newbie out!
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