Putting Yourself Out There

I’ll admit it. There are a few Reality TV shows I like. At the moment they happen to be Top Chef and Project Runway. When it airs, I don’t miss American Idol either. Each of these contestants have a passion for their art, whether it is an incredibly delicious dish, gown for the red carpet, or a voice that should be signed by a record label. I cannot imagine what it must be like to have such a dream and your one chance comes down to standing before the judges, cameras, and be criticized and praised in front of an audience of thousands.

As writers, I believe we can relate in some part to what these contestants put themselves through. We love our stories, our own voice. Our friends and family think we are great. We polish until we think we have found perfection. We hand it over to a critique group – the first round of judging. The results are not always pleasant. We brush ourselves off, and if we paid attention, make those revisions. Once again, we think we have it, and send out queries to agents. Then the rejections come. Your one consolation is that you opened the envelope or the e-mail in the privacy of your own home instead of being told to go home while a good portion of America is watching.

Despite these rejections, and after consuming consoling chocolate, we once again put our fingers to the keyboard and submit some more.

Eventually an agent, editor or publisher comes along and says “we want to publish you”. Finally, your story can be told. You sign that contract, make the edits requested, review your cover art and finally, proof the final product before it goes to print. Have you made it? Yes and no. Your publisher may believe in you, but there is an entire audience out there who doesn’t have a clue as to who you are. No different than those contestants with numbers on their chests singing for the judges during auditions.

So, what do you do next? You make yourself known! I am still trying to figure out the best way to do that.

Did you watch reality TV? If so, which are your favorites?

Your WIP as a Musical?

I've blogged about Little Women, Man of La Mancha and Suessical. All wonderful musicals. Right now am busy with makeup for South Pacific. This is a 1949 musical, music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan. The story is taken from James A. Michener’s 1948 novel, Tales of the South Pacific. Do you think Michener was envisioning a musical when he wrote this Pulitzer Prize novel? I’ve read blogs and articles where authors discuss possible movie rights for their novels, but I don’t think I’ve read where they have considered the story being adapted for the stage. So, thinking big, I tried to envision my characters from Loving Lydia breaking into song. I can see my heroine, Lady Lydia Demains, being moved at particular times, but as for my hero, Lord Alexander Wake, not so much. Okay, to be honest - never. As for the other characters, maybe a few have it in them, but not enough to carry a show.

So, I guess this novel won’t make it to Broadway, nor do I think my next release, Pure is the Heart, is a good candidate either. I suppose if I want to see my show in lights I need to develop characters who have a song in their heart.

What about you? Have you ever envisioned your novel on the silver screen, as a stage play or entertaining musical? Try to picture your novel or WIP as a musical. What is your first reaction?

Holiday Giveaway

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Weekend Blogger

I am always amazed and impressed by the number of blogs any one person can post in a week. Where do you come up with ideas for such great articles so often? I do not fit into this category, unfortnately, and have made a decision for myself. I am going to become a weekend blogger. This simply means that I will only post something on the weekend. However, I will still visit blogs daily. It is almost an addiction and I find I must keep up with the blogs I am following or I will miss something really important, though I can't always keep up.

With a wonderful husband, three kids, a full-time job outside the home, Church activities, writing and a current theater committment, I find I am doing little bits of things and not accomplishing a great deal. This week I was really into the groove of writing my current WIP, but at the back of my mind I kept thinking that I needed to blog. I don't like being pulled in two separate directions. My characters do that enough - lol. Where it is okay for them, it is not okay in everything else in my life. So, I made a list of all the things I needed to do on a weekly basis and set a schedule of what I hope will work. One of my decisions is to post a blog only on the weekend.

Have you had to reduce the amount of time you spend on one activity so you can devote more time to others? Do you have a specific blog schedule you go by, or do you post when an interesting thought comes to mind? I would really like to know how everyone else manages to organize their time to be with family, participate in outside activites, write and blog. Do you have a weekly schedule you go by and stick to? I am sure your blog isn't the only place you visit either. I also like to visit Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Shelfari, Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers, and Romance Book Junction, none of which I think I visited this week. I would love to hear from you and any tips you can offer.