August 17, 2006 | 2 Comments

My last blog was about the commitment to writing, published and unpublished writers need to make to become successful. Toward my goal of becoming a better writer and being published, I set up a work writing schedule. Since I’m my husband’s and son’s personal assistants, I mapped out my work hours. Returning from RWA’s Atlanta conference, I was focused. I even found a way to include tennis in my work day. My boss doesn’t have a problem with my exercising, she also plays tennis and is on my women’s team.

My work-writing schedule worked well for a week and a half. I even got a committment from Molly, my change coach partner from a class we took together, to do the same. I think she’s upset with me, because not only do we email each other with what we’re working on for the week, I made her give me specific times for her writing. Misery and success love company, Molly.

Anyway, back to the work schedule, which ends at 3pm, CST. I made one error, I forgot my schedule when I made appointments for things like, dentist, school registration, errands for my husband, JMan, my son ,and JGirl, my daughter. Not good. When I scheduled my dentist appointment, I forgot to ask for a late afternoon one. I did this several times and guess what happened? Yep, I got thrown off schedule, and I’m not a very pleasant person when my schedule is disrrupted. So, one day last week, I had an appointment and blew off the rest of the day. My boss was not pleased. Hey, it was a beautiful day, not too hot. My boss didn’t care. So I gave myself a verbal warning, made a note on my desk calendar to not make any appointments, unless absolutely necessary, during writing working hours.

See, this is the part I’ve been talking about, commitment and accountability. We have to make ourselves accountable to our set goals. When I tell my husband I can’t go to the cleaners until 4pm or 5pm, I add it’s because I’m working. Just because my writing space is the living room, doesn’t mean I’m not working when I’m in here. I no longer play Solitaire on the computer (I have a color version on my Blackberry). I’m working and when my boss sees me at the coffee pot, well she understands. I even take lunch at my desk. Sometimes, I even take a short walk around my block, with my dog. Except for the walk with my dog, this is the same routine I had when I worked at a large financial institution. It’s really no different, and I have a better view than that danged cubicle I worked in. AND, most important for me, I turn off the Internet, checking my email three times during work writing hours. After work, all bets are off.

There were times when I worked overtime and weekends at my city job. Well, that won’t change. Best part is I can get up, brush teeth and shower, and go straight into the office. No getting dressed, driving to the train or downtown, paying thirty dollars for parking, and then back home. Financially speaking, I’ve saved over three hundred dollars by working from home, if I was getting royalties.

This is a career choice, the color of my parachute and we as writers must treat our writing as a job. Plus, I don’t have twelve pairs of shoes in the bottom desk drawer, but we won’t talk about how many are in my closet.

Inspiration for the day: The trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more. Erica Jong

August 8, 2006 | 3 Comments

I’ve been away for a little while. Summer can get very busy. I just returned from my second Romance Writers of America Annual Conference. This year it was held in Atlanta. I had a great time. Not only were the workshops I attended fantastic, but I met new and old friends. I belong to the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of RWA and we have an online critique group. We met up in Atlanta and were finally able to put faces to names. There was so much information to absorb and many of my fellow writers have blogged about their experiences. I came away with renewed enthusiasm for writing and even reset my goals. I’m sure other authors, both published and unpublished did the same. I also came back with a reality gut check.

I thought I’d share one thought that keeps echoing in my head. “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” We hear that saying over and over. What does it really mean? Listening to Nora Roberts, Christine Dodd, Meg Cabot and Susan Elizabeth Phillips speak, I can sum it all up in the saying. Rome wasn’t built in a day. The Roman Colosseum was built between AD 72 to AD 90.

First there was the grand design plan, then the grueling manual physical labor. It was built brick by brick, stone by stone, column by column. It exist today. Tourists flock to Rome to see it, walk through it, take pictures . Yes, it’s crumbling, but its decline only adds to its beauty. The movie, The Gladiator, with Russell Crowe, recreated thru computer magic the Colosseum in all its glory.

A book is not written in a day. Nora Roberts said it plainly. Writing is a career. It is the best career in the world. You can work from home. You don’t even have to get dressed and face freeway traffic, extreme cold or sweltering hot weather. But, you must develop your career. You must work on writing every day, if you want to be published. How many of us have the stamina, the determination to learn the craft and write every day, regardless of whether we feel like it or not. Roberts said in an interview in the August issue of RWR, the ‘muse is fickle and a wimp.’ She said if she waited to be inspired she’s be unemployed. If she’s got a blank page, she finds a way to fill it. It may be crap, POS she calls it, but she can fix it. You can’t fix a blank page, you can fix a crappy one.

Christine Dodd compared writing success to walking on a sidewalk, being knocked off by family issues, manuscripts being rejected, but you keep on walking. I wonder how many got the point of you keep on walking. Period. You may be tired, keep walking. You get rejected eight times. Keep walking. You finally get your first book published. Keep walking. A fellow author gets a three book deal, you don’t. Keep walking. You write a second book, it doesn’t do well and you think your publisher is going to drop you. Keep walking. A writer, unknown, writes her first book and it hits the NY best sellers list. Damn! Keep. Walking.
We dream of writing a book that captures a top agents’ attention, gets published, puts our name in the spotlight. Oops, just fell off the sidewalk. Why? Because we were dreaming and not looking where we were walking. We may even sit along side the sidewalk and watch others pass us by. Can you get up and keep walking? Or do you tell yourself, you can’t catch up so why bother, and the flowers where you’re sitting are very pretty. It’s too late for you. Only if you don’t get back on the sidewalk and …. Well, you know.

I’m always inspired by listening to successful authors speak. It motivates me. But now I see past the inspiration and see the dedication, determination and the passion for writing. Do Phillips and Roberts have personal emergencies that crop up? Of course they do, they’re human and that’s life. We’re human. Does it stop them from writing? No. They handle the problems and they keep walking.

June 2, 2006 | 7 Comments

Yesterday was an awesome day for my critique partner, Sloane Taylor. Her first book, Teddi Turns On, was released from Triskelion Publishing. Sloane is an awesome woman, writer, and friend. It’s said you can’t pick your relatives, but you can pick your friends. Luckily, Sloane and I were picked by our mentor, the woman with the two by four, the woman who said we could write, and proceeded to show us how. I really hope her medication doesn’t run out, she’s been so patience with us. Insistent too.

Sloane found her voice in erotica, and she’s damn methodical and good at writing this genre. She’s also highly, annoyingly so, detailed and neat. Therefore, she will never step foot in my writing space, unless I have a week’s notice.

The most valuable lesson I think any writer can learn from Ms Taylor, is when you find what you want to write, LEARN IT!! Sloane read, researched, diagrammed, maybe even practiced on Studly, until she had every word, every scene, every moment in her book right. It was awesome to watch, tiring to for those who are pantsers.

I’m watching every move, Sloane makes. Learning from her and enjoying having her as a friend and writing partner.

You can find Sloane at http://www.SloaneTaylor.com

March 27, 2006 | Comments

I’m publishing today, a message from my local RWA Chapter, Chicago North. We’ve got a really great contest, and I know you’ve got at least 25 pages of a manuscript you’re dying to find out what it needs, or doesn’t need. In order to be published, writers must test the waters and this is the contest. So, the deadline is approaching. I’m coordinating the Chicklit category.

!!!! Only one week left !!!!Chicago North RWA chapter is now accepting entries for 2006 Fire and Ice Contest.

Enter your first twenty five pages or less. No synopsis is required! Fee: $25 for RWA members

Deadline: April 1, 2006Eligibility: unpublished in past 5 years.
Members of Chicago North RWA excluded.

First round judges: trained writers.

Final round judges:
Single Title Contemporary Romance— Kate Duffy, KensingtonSeries
Romance (long and short)—Patience Smith, Silhouette
Historical Romance— Michalyn Whitt, Bantam/Dell
Chick Lit - Leah Hultenschmidt, Dorchester
Paranormal Romance—Selena James, Pocket FMI,

entry form, and rules:visit http://www.chicagonorthrwa.org/contest2006home.htm