Deadline Writing - Finding the Love

My son once told me that a Chick-fil-A Biscuit would “change my life.” So, I traveled twenty miles to the nearest Chick-fil-A in time for breakfast and ordered up a chicken biscuit. It was good. Yummy, even. But it wasn’t life-changing.

Not like Candace Havens’ Fast Draft Method.

If you read my post here last month, you know I’ve hit a new stage in my writing—writing to tight deadlines. I have to admit, at first, I wasn’t all that thrilled with this new challenge. Oh, I was beyond happy with a two-book contract. I was super excited that my editor had so much faith in me. I’d already fallen in love with the characters. I knew their stories and really, really wanted to bring them to life on the page. But writing a book in two months? Ooooh, scary stuff for an author who labors over each manuscript for a minimum of half a year.

That was before I met Harlequin Blaze author Candace Havens who introduced me to her concept of Fast Draft writing.

Believe me when I say that, for an author, this method will “change your life.” And I’m not the only one who feels that way. My good friend, Roxanne St. Claire, experienced true epiphany when Candace spoke to our local RWA chapter last month. The author of thirty books, Roxanne put the Fast Draft method to work for her. Much better than I ever could, she talked about the experience yesterday on Murder She Writes.

If you write and are looking for a way to do it better, faster, check Roxanne's column at: http://www.murdershewrites.com/2011/10/11/standing-on-my-skyscraper-sampling-some-crow out

My Progress Box

Shortly after I quit my day job to write full time, several of us would-be authors started holding weekly get-togethers where we’d look over each other’s work and bemoan the state of our yet-to-be-discovered talent. These meetings usually involved plenty of wine along with our whine, but—amazingly—I almost always walked away with at least one piece of useful information. One night, in particular, the take-away was an invaluable hint for keeping track of my writing progress: Use the printer.

Such a simple idea, really. At the beginning of each book, I place an empty wire basket on one corner of my desk. And, at the end of every writing day, before I check my email one final time and start fixing dinner, I print out the pages I’ve written that day. I don’t read them, not necessarily. Instead, I pile them in the wire basket. And as I watch the pile grow, I remind myself that I’m moving forward.

By the end of the third chapter, the basket usually overflows, so I transfer the growing stack to an empty cardboard box. Which I leave in plain sight. On the days when my writing goes well, I rarely look at it. On the days when the writing feels more like slogging through quicksand (and believe me, we all have those days), the box serves as a reminder that I’m moving closer and closer to giving my characters the happily-ever-after moment they deserve.

I have to admit, as the writing progresses, the box gets messy. By the time the manuscript is finished, the carton is full. It overflows during revisions, and guests start questioning my housekeeping skills. Edits and polishing can require a second box. But at last the time comes when the final edits have been completed, the characters I love have fallen in love with each other, and it’s time to say good-bye.

Then, and only then, is it time to empty the box and prepare for the next story. And that’s what I did last week after turning in the final edits for my June release, The Daddy Catch. I emptied the box, bagged up the papers for recycling, and placed a new, empty basket on the corner of my desk. Soon, I'll start filling it with pages for my next Harlequin American Romance.

Writing Advice

I'm posting writing advice on my author page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Chancellor . Please stop by if you use Facebook and "Like" my page. Click on "Notes" to see what I have posted so far. I've included information about query letters, getting published, research, etc. and I'll continue to post more workshops and writing "goodies" from my files and experiences.

Happy holidays!

Missing the RWA Conference Already

Next week is the Romance Writers of America's annual conference. It was supposed to be held in Nashville, TN, but the terrible flood there forced a move to Orlando, FL. I sure hope the "tropical wave" off the east coast of Florida, which is supposed to turn into a tropical storm or hurricane, doesn't cancel or delay the travel plans of attendees. That would be a terrible double-whammy!

I had planned a road trip with some writer friends to Nashville, but opted not to go to Orlando for the RWA conference there since I'm going in September with my husband for a vacation. Now as I think about all my friends and associates heading to Orlando, I have mixed feelings. Yes, the conference costs a lot of money. On the other hand, it's fun and sometimes advantageous to network with others. You get very tired, but also very exhilarated. You wish you had a book in the RITA awards, but you also cheer for your friends who do.

In the end, you have to balance family, career, money and opportunity. But really, isn't that what we always do?

If you are an aspiring writer, often it's good to start by going to a local or regional conference first. The RWA national conference can be overwhelming, especially if you are still unsure about what you want to write, which publisher you want to target, or whether or not you need an agent. At a local or regional conference, you can meet published authors in a more relaxed setting and listen to them talk about their experiences. You can ask questions, and if the conference is at a hotel, the bar/lounge is the place to meet up. You have a better chance of getting an appointment with an editor or agent who is actively seeking new clients. The volume and variety of workshops isn't always so overwhelming. (Sometimes when I get my RWA national conference schedule, I can't decide which workshop is best for me, which ones I want to buy as recordings, and which ones I can skip to go shopping with friends!)

One of the best things about the RWA national conference is the booksigning, which benefits adult literacy groups. Publishers donate books as requested by authors who are attending. The room is huge, filled with all kinds of authors and books, from Nora Roberts to the newest member who just saw her first e-book published. Of course, the Harlequin American authors always have a good presence there and it's a wonderful opportunity to catch up with titles you might have missed. At the end of the evening, the author can either purchase her left-over books (with that money going to literacy also) or sign and donate them to local entities, such as women's shelters. If you get the chance to attend one of these booksignings, please come and buy books.

Next year I may see you in New York City. The conference starts June 28th at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. I'll be there! Until then, happy reading and writing.

P.S. Don't forget to check out my favorite recipes here on the Harlequin American Authors blog on the 4th of every month. On August 4th, I'll be on a road trip with my friend Rebecca Russell, who wrote for Silhouette Romance, but I'll still have the recipes up for you to enjoy.

Writing While Fuzzy Brained

Good morning from the lake house in cold, foggy, Mineola, Texas! While it is below freezing (sorry, plants I forgot to take inside) with light snow at our home in Richardson, about 90 miles away, on Saturday we had cold rain and blustery winds - until this Sunday morning.

Just about an hour ago, before dawn, it began to snow. Right now, soft flakes are drifting down on the deck, the bird feeders, the grass, and our car. We've never been here before when it snowed and it's very exciting to see. I can't wait for the sun to come up to see the lake and trees! (Sorry for the blurry image - I think my hand was shaking from the cold temperature outside.)

I've also included a photo from our absolutely gorgeous day on Friday, when we were out working in the yard and garage in our shirt sleeves. This is facing west over the lake with the rising sun reflected in the water. Mist was rising from the lake because of the warm weather. Many of the trees are budding out and blooming, although you can't see them in the photo. Much more springlike than the actual first day of spring!

One of my goals for the weekend was to get my next release almost finished. My understanding editor gave me another month after my three weeks of absolutely fuzzy-brained non-production from the middle of February to the first week in March. I had a bad sinus infection, then strep throat. I took lots of medication which left me goofy and sleepy until I finished all the doses. I then had about four days of clear, energy-filled, fired-up creativity and dedication.

Then I got a cold. The sniffles have just about departed, depending on how much time I spend outdoors in all the pollen. I'm not coughing very much. We even went out to dinner last night at Kitchens restaurant and I could taste my food!

I thought I'd share some techniques I've been using to try to keep writing while on medication that made me less than cognizant. (For example, I stared at my computer for a full two minutes the other day and couldn't remember a major character's name! ) Ever since I started writing series for Harlequin American - first Ranger Springs and now Brody's Crossing - I've maintained a separate Word file titled "People and Places." I add to this file with each book, listing the most current hero and heroine at the top of the list with their ages in the year of publication, their status, description, family situations, etc. I then list any new characters I've introduced in that book with their physical descriptions, ages, etc. Near the bottom of the list I have various places around town where my "regulars" work and congregate, such as Clarissa's House of Style, the Cafe, Dewey's Saloon and Steakhouse, etc. I include descriptions and any relevant history of the establishment in these listings. I save this file under the folder "Brody's Crossing" in my Harlequin American folder so I can find it easily when I can't remember who the police chief is or what month and year someone got pregnant. It's so much easier than trying to remember what book I mentioned that factoid in and trying to find it by doing a text search in Word. I also created a Word file with a map of fictional Brody's Crossing so I know street names, locations of places in relation to blocks of the downtown, etc. I don't think I can upload that image, but if you'd like a copy, I'll be glad to email it to you.

The second thing I've been doing in this book, tentatively titled Texan in Her Heart, is create another word document for "What Leo knows about Amanda" based on what she's told him in conversation., This is where the fuzzy-brained condition really played out; I couldn't remember if he'd assumed something, she'd mentioned it in introspection to the reader, or they actually had a conversation. So when they talk about her mysterious (from Leo's perspective) reasons for being in Brody's Crossing, I copy and paste relevant parts of their dialogue into a file. I also note the page number where the conversation took place. Although this might change later, it probably won't be too far off because I write the book front to back. (Many authors write scenes and place them later, or write out of order when they visualize a scene farther back in the book.)

I also sometimes create a document for "Go back and add" things. These are notes to myself to check on things I'd written, or add something like a motivation or description. In other books, when I used to print out the manuscript as I went, I used Post-It notes to tell myself where things happened or where I wanted to go back and add something. In the interest of saving money and not cutting down so many trees, I've stopped printing out as I go along. I've had to learn new techniques to keep up with the story.

I hope this might help aspiring authors who are having the same fuzzy-brained moments as I sometimes have. Also, it might give readers some insight into how we keep up with characters and events in our books, especially series where it has to make sense over a longer period of time. Brody's Crossing originated in 2006 and will go on through 2011 at least, so that's five years of characters, places and descriptions to keep up with in my mind. That's a lot of details!

Have a great springtime. I hope yours is less cold and rainy than mine!

Writing Advice Day

Okay, I noticed that today was open for writing advice, so I have just one short piece of advice, mostly to myself. Stop getting online to Facebook, email, and the blog and get to writing. Write your required number of pages per day (mine is 7 to 10) and then goof off.

I swear, I have the self-discipline of a four year old! I thought when I got older I'd (1) Wake up early, and (2) Do things on schedule. After all, that's what all the "old" people (back then, almost any adult) I knew did. Apparently they learned something in life that I missed. I'm still planning projects I'll never finish and I sleep as late as I can. I wait to the last minute to do everything. Yes, I know I have some psychological issues, but nothing real serious. :-) If anyone has any advice on changing my slovenly work ethic, I'd be glad to hear it!

Writing Advice

Here's September's Writing Advice tip from Roxann Delaney.

I can think of a dozen writing tips, but the one that jumps out at me the most is to KEEP WRITING, especially during the tough times in life. It's often hard to do that when life is throwing curve balls, but immersing yourself in your characters and your story will often save your sanity and give you the break from a crisis that's needed to see things more clearly.

Has anyone turned to writing--stories, diaries, poetry--during a difficult time in their life and found the experience helpful?

Roxann Delaney
http://roxanndelaney.com

Writing Advice--Daily Goals

Writing tip

Don't get overwhelmed by the big picture. Writing an entire book is daunting.

Set a daily goal that is small enough not to overwhelm you. Today I'll write one page. Today I'll write this scene. Today I'll write this conversation. All these small steps will get you to your goal.

Do you set daily, weekly or monthly writing goals? If so, what works or doesn't work for you?

Cindi Myers
www.cindimyers.com

Who Me? Interviewed?

It’s such a pleasure to be among all the wonderful HAR authors here on the blog. I’ve gotten to “know” so many more of them than I would have without it. Reading their blog posts and especially their interviews is always a delight, and I wish I had more time to comment. As Rascal Flatts sings, “Life is a highway” and some days I feel like I’m going 80 mph.


What inspired you to write your first book?

Reading. I hadn’t read romance for several years, and then my best friend steered me to Susan Elizabeth Phillips after reading the first few pages of It Had to Be You to me over the phone. I was hooked. After that, I consumed books, both single title and category. One Christmas I went out and bought as many Christmas themed category books that I could find. Of course I had to try writing one, and that led to another and another and another…


How did you make your first sale?

My short contemporary entry won The Maggie contest, and Mary-Theresa Hussey requested the full manuscript. To my surprise, she liked it enough to buy it for Silhouette Romance.


How long have you been published?

Rachel’s Rescuer was a March 2001 Silhouette Romance, so eight years total, although it doesn’t seem like it was that long ago. I had five books with Silhouette Romance before the line closed. My first HAR was published in 2008, so I’m a relative newbie here. I have to admit that I love writing for HAR even more than I did for SR. I think it’s the small town feel of HAR that makes writing them so enjoyable.


What helps inspire you when you write? Do you have any ‘rituals’ (like music, candles, a favorite scent) that helps you find your writing zone?

Music. Lots of music! I have 612 songs on my playlist of which 169 are designated as “writing” music (those romantic love songs), 134 are “walking” or upbeat dance music for when I need some pep, and the rest are Beach Boys, 50’s and 60’s oldies and a few Christmas songs. (Yes, I'm a music junkie.) If those aren’t enough, I listen to Pandora and have set up my own stations. If you haven’t tried Pandora, it’s free! And then there are all those candles…


Tell us about your family and where you live

I was born in and have returned to live in the biggest city in Kansas. No, not Kansas City. ;) Between then and now, I’ve lived in a small Kansas town and on a Kansas farm. My four daughters also live here. The two youngest live with me, the oldest of the four lives three blocks away, while the next oldest lives a little over a mile away. The two oldest have 5 children between them, now that my youngest granddaughter was born August 10. I also have a step-granddaughter. Every Saturday night we have Family Night and get together to talk and sometimes play board games. You’d think we see enough of each other during the week, but Saturdays are when we’re all in one place. It can get crazy with all the little ones, hubbies and an occasional friend or two.


Do you have any talents readers might find interesting?

Web design, although I don’t consider it a talent. I began playing around with it years ago and ended up enjoying it so much that I do it for real now. Drawing has never been one of my talents, but web design gives me the opportunity to work with colors and shapes, a real break from working with words, but still "creative."


What were you doing at midnight last night?

I was particpating in one of my newest guilting pleasures: Playing on Facebook. I dragged my feet about joining and now can’t stay away. Shameful, isn’t it?


If someone gave you a million dollars what would you do with the money?

I’d give a portion of it to charities, pay off my daughters’ houses (if their hubbies would let me), and buy myself a modest but roomy house. One never knows when family will return, or so I’ve learned--the hard way. Then there’s the dream of taking a Mediterranean cruise…


What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten?

Cactus. I spent tens day during the summer before my senior year in high school with 20 other teens on a working trip into Mexico. We stayed on a garlic farm that was used as a school in the winter months, and we painted the dormitories, both inside and outside. Because there was no refrigeration, we went into the nearby small village for food each day. Our adult “chaperones” insisted we try some of the more exoctic offerings. I’m usually not brave enough to try something new, but the cactus was great!


What are you reading now?

Honestly? Nothing, although I really enjoyed Susan Wiggs' Just Breathe about a month or so ago. I recently bought Barefoot, a women’s fiction book by Elin Hilderbrand and Judy Blume’s Smart Women. I read at night, but since I’ve been working on deadlines, reading has taken a back seat. Soon, though. Very soon.


Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? If so, which do you prefer?

Yes, in the blink of an eye! I took a taste test at the State Fair a few years ago and passed it. I don’t drink coffee, so Pepsi is my caffeine fix.


If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?

Greece, hence the dream of a Mediterranean Cruise. Ireland is my second choice. I’d probably like either one so much that I’d want to stay.


Are you working on anything at the present you'd like to share?

The Rodeo Rider is the first in a series of books set in the fictional town of Desperation, Oklahoma. The second book, Bachelor Cowboy will be out in January next year. I recently sold two more books, so I’m currently working on book #4 of that series and learning everything I can about Native Americans in Oklahoma. The heroine of the book is half Cherokee, and the research is proving to be more interesting than I’d ever imagined. Oh, and that heroine? She’s a surprise relative of one of the characters in The Rodeo Rider.


Describe your writing space.

My desk is neat and tidy, with only a pen, a paper, and my computer monitor. I can look out my window and see the ocean pounding against the rocks on the shore. Wait a minute. That’s my dream writing space. In the real world, my desk is covered with just about everything imaginable, including two fish and a cat. During the day I work on websites and chase grandkids. Writing is done at night. There are always snippets of notes from both littering my desk and sticky notes hanging on my monitor. My two-year-old grandson (he’ll be two on the 24th), likes to climb on my desk and steal M&Ms from the jar that resides on my desk and is rarely empty…unless he eats all of them. There are books everywhere, along with piles of paper that always need sorting. The window looks out onto the side of the house next door. My daughters and I switched rooms a couple of months ago, so there are still boxes to be sorted that wait patiently for me to find the time. There never seems to be time.


What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?

For a long time, I had a sign that hung above my desk that said, "Nobody is born published," so my advice is to read, read, read. And never, ever, ever give up on your writing. If you give up, you’ll never know if the next book or article or short story might have been The One. As far as selling that first, it always happens when you least expect it.

Writing Advice

Here's a writing tip from Jacqueline Diamond:

Analyze books that you love, particularly those that were published recently (rather than classics). Diagram a couple of plots chapter by chapter. Retype a few passages that you find particularly effective—openings, in particular. This is tedious and time consuming, but you'll be amazed how much you learn.

If you're an author or aspiring writer--have you ever tried to diagram a book or break down a plot? If so, what method did you use and was it helpful?

Jacqueline Diamond
www.jacquelinediamond.com
Next book: Doctor Daddy, HAR, September

Writing Advice

This month's tidbit of writing advice comes from Trish Milburn:

1. Break larger projects, such as heavy revisions, into segments so they don't seem so overwhelming. You can do this by either saying you'll work an hour and then reward yourself with 15 minutes of whatever you want to do, then work another hour and so on, or you can divide it up by a set number of pages or chapters per session.

2. It's good to get feedback from others, but you also need to know when to trust yourself. Finding the balance is the key.

3. If you really want to be an author, don’t let anything derail you or make you give up. The only sure way you’ll fail is if you quit.

Trish

Heartbreak River (as Tricia Mills), Razorbill (4/09)
Her Very Own Family, Harlequin American (5/09)
www.trishmilburn.com

Writing Advice

Once a month Harlequin American authors will post a snippet of writing advice. Many of our blog readers are aspiring writers and since all of us authors have experienced the ups and downs along the road to publication we thought we'd share what has helped us in our quest to be the best writers we can be. We hope you'll find these "snippets" helpful and we encourage you to share any "tips" you have with us.

Thanks to Laura Braford...here's May's writing tip-o-the-month!

While sitting with a writing buddy at lunch one day, I found myself making excuses for why I hadn’t written as much as I’d hoped since our previous get together (work, kids, housecleaning, laundry, etc.). She looked at me and said, “thirty minutes. That’s all.”

We batted her idea around for a few minutes and came up with a thirty minutes/thirty days writing plan. We figured that we could always find thirty minutes in any given day. And if that’s all we got…it was better than nothing.

We tried it, and it worked! Sure, there are some days thirty minutes is all I get. But more often than not those thirty minutes have a way of stretching into an hour, two hours, and sometimes even longer.

Of all the tips I’ve tried over the years, this has been—by far—the best thing I’ve done for my writing.

Laura Bradford
www.laurabradford.com