Trick or Treat

We are approaching the spookiest time of the year. In preparation, Second Wind Publishing is having a contest. One clue can be found the following excerpt from Loving Lydia:

Her first instinct was to throw her head back, to try and dislodge her attacker. But he gripped her tighter and forced a rag into her mouth. Lydia gagged. A scarf was wrapped around the lower portion of her face and tied behind her head as the attacker held onto her wrists with one hand, tying the knot at her hair with another. He must have used his teeth as well because she could feel his hot breath on her neck.

More information to follow as we get closer to Halloween.

It Happened Again

I tend to take notes while listening to the sermon. Sometimes it is because I want to go back and look it up later and meditate on it more. Other times, it is because I want to use it in a novel. I know my mind should not wander to my stories while sitting in church. I really am working on that problem. I had gotten better, I really had and then it happened again. One simple verse sent my imagination going.

Matthew 5:48
Be prefect, therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Before I left the sanctuary I knew who my hero was, where he came from, where he was in his life.

I apologize, Pastor Miller. I will really work on this problem in the future, and pay close attention to what is said after a verse inspires me. Clearly I have not reached perfection, but I will keep working on it.

Does anyone else have this problem? Something is said and your mind goes to your story, or a potential story, when you really should remain focused on where you are and what is being said?

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

Free ebooks! Just mention the name of one of my books, and you might win an ecopy at our Labor Day Giveaway. http://wp.me/ pljtd-yM

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.

WIP Jumping

Do you ever have two separate WIPs demanding your attention? This is happening to me. The first one that I am writing is intended to be a sequel to a manuscript I recently finished. That manuscript is sitting, waiting for edits. It is a rule of mine that after a story is written and the critiques received, I don't look at it for two to five months. This used to be hard because I wanted to keep working and get the story submitted. But, in time I have learned that I need to be away from it so it is no longer fresh in my mind when I edit. I find a lot of mistakes that way.

So, while one WIP is resting, I move onto another. However, right now I have two others. I have two sets of characters, in two totally different settings, clamoring for my attention like two jealous children with a parent. When I pause in one, to think about which direction I want the story to take (I don't outline), the other child (set of characters) steps into the temporary vacant spot as if to say "my turn now". So, I let the first one stew in the back of my mind while I play with the second story. I know the best thing would be to permanently put one away until the other is complete. But that would be like locking one beloved child in a room so you can lavish attention on the other. It seems so unfair.

I am sure by now I am also driving my critique partners crazy. I am about to post chapters from my second story when they have been critiquing the first. Thank goodness they are an understanding group. Though I believe a former critique partner did mention ADD and my name in the same sentence. I am sure I don't know what they mean - lol.

Has this ever happened to you, or is it happening now? Do you have two or more sets of characters insisting you pay attention to them and ignore the others? Do you work on only one story and ignore the second?

Away from My Blog

Today I am blogging at http://secondwindpub.wordpress.com/. Stop by and let me know if you have ever written a book with a partner.

Birthday Celebration

My publisher is celebrating a birthday. I hope you will join us in celebrating one year in business and thirty published books:

Ten Lessons I Learned (The Hard Way): A Publisher’s Reflections on the First Year http://wp.me/pljtd-wX

Win free ebooks! Receive epresents.
What Second Wind Book Do You Wish to Read? You Might Get Your Wish! http://wp.me/pljtd-vI

In the event my shortcuts don't transfer, because they haven't so far, both blog posts can be found at http://secondwindpub.wordpress.com.

Good luck if you plan to enter to win an ebook.

Movies as Inspiration

One of my critique partners recently referenced an author she loves and compared her writing style and comedy to one of her favorite movies – It Happened One Night. I love this movie and I find that I am drawn to the movies made prior to my birth, or shortly thereafter, as opposed to some more recent offerings. Our discussion took a new path to favorite actors and movies. Personally, I don’t think Cary Grant has ever made a movie I did not like.

This in turn reminded me of a book I had read. It was maybe three years ago, or longer, and for the life of me I cannot remember the name of the author or the title. I loaned the book and never got it back. This was a historical romance, medieval period, but as I was reading it, all I could think of was that the story was Arsenic and Old Lace, though the book wasn’t called that. It was a wonderful read and I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed watching one my favorite Cary Grant movies. And, at the back of the book, this author gave complete credit to Arsenic and Old Lace.

What about you? Has a movie, or perhaps series of movies, ever influenced your story? Do you find yourself using a tone or a style from a beloved movie?

Also, if anyone knows the book I referenced or the author, please let me know. It is driving me nuts that I can’t remember.

Blogs and Interviews

I've had computer issues at home, which is why I have not been able to post blogs or follow blogs. This message is being sent from my work computer because I wanted to let you know that today I am interviewed on http://romancewritersonthejourney.wordpress.com/. Please stop by when you get a chance.

Hopefully my home computer issues will be resolved today (cross your fingers).

Have a great day all.

Characters

If you write any type of fiction you know there are specfic characters you need. For romance (my favorite) you need the Hero and Heroine. Then there are the secondary characters, or the supporting cast, with whom our main characters interact with as the story unfolds. Sometimes, and more often than not, there is a villian. This could be a truely bad person set out to do harm - such as a murderer in a mystery. Or, it could simply be a person who is so selfish that they don't care who they trample on in reaching their goal. We know there are several types of characters and ways to use those characters in a story, but this is more about the good guy/gal, even if they aren't in the lead role in your novel.

The Sunday School lesson this past weekend was The Good Samaritan and thankfully none of the students asked me an impossible question. As I was driving home from church I started to think about the lesson and wondered if I have written a Good Samaritan into my novels. It turns out I have, but I never consciously thought of them with that specfic title.

As a Christian or Inspirational author, do you have a character who is your Good Samaritan? And, if you do, was this something you consciously did, or did the character simply evolve into someone who stops to help those in need, loves their neighbor and is without prejudice?