The Novelty Girls

Most people I know ask for 25 hours a day. Maybe 26, so they can make sure they get everything they want to get done. Me, I’m going for twenty eight. Sure, maybe that sounds greedy, but think of all the things you could do with an extra four hours.

Sleep a little longer. Read a few more pages. *Write* a few more pages, for that matter. Watch an extra tv show. Clean an extra room in the house. Get out and have coffee and a muffin somewhere.

Pick up one of the hobbies you’ve abandoned along the way.

I have a massive collection of cross-stitch patterns and supplies. I used to stitch all the time. Now? I haven’t picked anything up in months. I have yarn and half finished crochet patterns all over the place. I have beads from my jewelry making. Have I touched any of it since I dove headfirst into this writing gig? I have not.

I feel guilty about that. I think of all the things I bought claiming ‘one day, I will give this to X’ and just … never really got started. I have a pattern that’s been collecting dust for ten-plus years, because it’s for me and there’s always something else to do.

So I’d like another four hours in the day to do the things I want to do and just don’t seem to ever manage to get done.

What about you? What would you do with another four hours?

I need to make the confession now. I’m an addict. I can’t live without it. I’m irritable, I’m on the edge, I’m fidgety. I haven’t even gone twelve hours without it, and I’m already at breaking point. I need it… I. Need. My. Laptop.

Seriously, I don’t think we ever realize how attached we get to those things. At least, in my case anyway. I used to be a desktop girl. I’d faithfully jump in the chair, sit up straight, and type away for two hours on my story. But since I became a laptop girl, everything’s changed. I can’t commit. I can’t sit in one chair for such a long period of time. I need to be able to scoop it up and move from the couch, to the table, to my bed. To curl up in the oversized recliner with my laptop on my lap while I watch the news. And I can’t do any of this now.

As I type this now, I sit behind a desk and I find myself squirming in the chair. Annoyed by the loud clicking of the keys, and having to reach over and–the horror of it all–use a mouse! But here I am. Because my laptop has once again decided to keel over on me. Literally. I need viagra for my monitor. It’s gone limp, just kind of falls flat and doesn’t stay up no matter how dirty I type on it. I sent it off this morning, because thank God it’s still under warranty.

But how long? How long can I live like this? Waiting for Emma to fall asleep, so I can sneak out off to the cold, isolated room with the desktop. Where my butt is wedged into the cracks of the plastic lawn chair I’m sitting on, and my legs are forced straight out in front of me. How in the heck am I supposed to be creative like this? I have a very bad feeling I’ll not be writing very much this week.

So is anyone else like this? Have this laptop addiction? Or are there some of you still out there who are sitting happily in front of a desktop?

*Warning* This will undoubtedly be my most scattered, random post ever…continue at your own risk.

I had a rocking weekend writing-wise. I finished my first full length novel and now I have to pimp the crap out of myself to some New York publishers and agents.

I have a list. Doesn’t everyone have a list. Or maybe I’m the only OCD freak list maker out there. Ah, well. I go with what works, really.

Here’s where we get to the meh. I finished, right? I should be totally ecstatic. Like roll me over I’m giving my O face kind of happy. But I’m not. I’m so let down here. I expected to be bouncing off the walls about this, but no. What a crock. I got totally gypped here!

I blame Shelli. Why? Because I can. And I’m a mean, nasty, vicious writer-diva that way. She’ll thank me someday. I’m just not sure for what. She’ll come up with something though. She’s a writer; she’s creative.

So, to drag myself out of the non-high depression, I sucked down about a quart of Rocky Road ice cream and four frosted sugar cookies (the really soft ones that you know have enough preservatives in them to keep you minty fresh fifty years after you croak off). Then I started three new books last night. One is super short, so I should finish today or tomorrow. The other two are going to be parts of different series.

*Update* My sad, sorry backside decided it wanted to be even more chair-butt shaped because I started a FOURTH story today. Yeah. I’m crazy.

We have a lot going on this month around TNG. Lots of writing going on and many new releases! Here’s a few of them.

Twice in a Blue Moon by Crystal Jordan
Releases: January 29, 2007
Forbidden Publishing

When Lena walks into the Blue Moon bar on Valentine’s Day, she turns Rachel’s world inside out. She’s a werewolf who scents her mate, and nothing will stop her from claiming what’s hers.

Rachel has always assumed that when she mated with Jerrod she’d never know another lover, despite her longing for both men and women. No werewolf would be unfaithful. Ever. She’s terrified of how the man she loves will react when he finds out the instincts that drew her to him two years ago now pull her to another woman.

What’s a werewolf to do when she finds her soulmate–twice in a blue moon?

Big Girls Don’t Die by Crystal Jordan
Releases: February 14, 2007
Cobblestone Press

Six months ago, Andre St. James turned Cynthiana’s life upside down by turning her into a vampire. He insists they’re meant to be together forever–literally–but Cyn has her doubts. When she’s stranded on the side of the road for Valentine’s Day, will Andre be able to come to the rescue–and convince her they can make an undead life together?

Be Mine by Loribelle Hunt
Releases: January 29, 2007
Forbidden Publishing

After escaping an unhappy marriage, Jana just wants to be left alone to find herself again and pursue her own interests. A peaceful life sounds like her idea of heaven. So what if it’s alone? But her friends decide enough is enough and she finds herself suckered into participating in the Be Mine Valentine Auction.

Rule is happy that Jana appears to be ready to re-enter the dating world, but he’s less than thrilled when she puts herself on the auction block. Winning her there is no big deal. Winning her for life will be the real trick because standing between them is her former husband, his brother, and her own fears.

Cabin Fever by Shelli Stevens
Releases: January 29, 2007
Forbidden Publishing

When her roommate, needing a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, bribes her out of the house with use of an isolated cabin, Nikki reluctantly agrees. She didn’t realize the cabin came fully equipped with an uptight, yet incredibly sexy, man.

Chase is looking forward to a quiet weekend alone at his cabin. When he tackles someone who he believes to be an intruder, he’s surprised to find the unusual and sensual woman was given a key to his place.

Stuck together during a snowstorm, the heat from the fire isn’t the only thing heating up the cabin.

Love For Sale by Shelli Stevens
Releases: February 14, 2007
Cobblestone Press

After her oversexed grandma talks her into signing up for the ‘Buy a Dame’ fundraiser, Jessica Davis gets a makeover and goes on the auction block. She never expected the roughly sexy man who’d buy her, or the plans he had in store.

Josh Thomas came to Leaf Island after his grandpa died to do some hard core thinking. He hadn’t planned on buying a woman for the weekend and then falling hard for her. She seems equally enamored, but will she still want him when she finds out the one thing he’s been hiding?

Wings of Love by Dayna Hart
Releases: January 29, 2007
Forbidden Publishing

Aimée not only grew up without her father, she doesn’t even know his name. The mere mention of him is enough to send her mother into hysterics. Or at least it was, until her mother discovered pharmaceutical mood-enhancement and paralyzed her face with botulism toxins. Her mother has become the poster-woman for calm.

Until Aimée starts seeing faeries.

Wasting the Dawn by Elisabeth Drake
Releases: January 29, 2007
Forbidden Publishing

Five years after Irina’s death in a tragic accident, Gareth and Rhiannon still grieve for the loss of the woman they both loved. Every year, they stand vigil upon the anniversary of her death.

But when a freak occurrence brings Irina back from the grave for one night only, all three must face their regrets and unspoken passions–before darkness claims her forever.

Aren’t those just the best three little words in the world? Maybe? Well, they were for me last night because I got some.

I just love sleep overs. Especially when they’re NOT at my house. Both my daughters went to a birthday party sleep over last night, which left me with a pretty quiet house. The hubby went to work. The baby was sleep by 8:45p, which means by 9:00p I was knee deep in writing and it was wonderful! For three uninterrupted hours, I wrote. It just poured out of me.

I put a serious dent in the 3000+ words I need to finish my latest story that I hopefully I can complete by Monday.

Of course, I had to go pick them up from the party this morning, which means no more quiet house. But I still plan to write, it’ll just be in spurts when the baby takes a nap.

So, how about you? When was the last time you got some uninterrupted writing time? What were you working on? Have you finished it?

I hope you have a great Saturday.

Lyric

Do you know where that quote comes from? Alice in Wonderland, sure. How about “Luke, I am your father”, or “Frankly, Scarlet, I dont give a damn”?

Yep, each one of these lines has become famous, because of the book (or usually movie) it comes from. Which brings me to a thought I’ve never really had about my own work.

What if it became a movie?

I was watching the Ant Bully last night with my kids (so good, btw!) and they had a ‘making of’ section. Basically, this lucky writer, Jon Nickle, got a call from Tom Hanks’ company. Tom read Jon’s picture-book to his son, and loved it. Did he want to make it into a movie. Um…yeah?!

And so my brain started churning. I mean, I’ve never really wanted to write a movie, or a TV show. I just want to write books. But I do think about what it’d be like to cast my book-as-movie. Our own Sara Dennis has some TV-related writing on the go, and I just keep thinking “Better you than me!” because I wouldn’t know where to begin.

So. My hidden question in all of this rambling is this:
What is the most memorable line ever from a movie or book you’ve seen/read?
And if someone read your book, what line would you want them to take from it?

It’s finally happened. I’ve lost all objectivity with my own work. Since I’m one of those rare breed–a writer without cp’s–this is just a little bit of a problem. I’m dealing with two projects right now. One, is a wip and realistically I know it doesn’t completely suck. It’s a forest for the trees problem and I know I’ll start to like it again in 10k words or so.

Project two though, is another issue entirely. It’s the dreaded revision I’ve been putting off for like a year and a half. And man, does it suck! Not just the revising part, but the book itself. And that sucks. This is the third book I wrote, and the first I wrote after a long hiatus from fiction writing. I love this book (despite the suckage factor). I poured a lot of myself into it. But rereading it now, I just don’t know if I can fix the problems without literally rewriting it from word one. I’m not quite ready to give up on yet, but I’m close. I mean, how much work should I put into something that just is never going to be good enough?

So here’s a question for y’all. How do know when it’s just time to put a manuscript away (and yourself out of misery)? Do you have something you’ve tried to go back to and just can’t make work? Is there some kind of secret burial ceremony I’m unaware of lol? Please tell.

So I’m doing something new now. Writing a new genre that I haven’t tried before. And seriously, for awhile I was thinking it was the best stuff I’ve written. And I had some of my crit partners–who I posted excerpts to–telling me it was the best I’ve written.

I mean it’s really different for me. It’s not funny…like anywhere. I think I have to search to find a funny line. My heroine could be deemed a bit of a no no. But…I’m having a blast.

But then I hit that moment. And I know I’m not the only one who this happens to. You start out and you’re all excited. You’re writing, showing your crit partners snippets. They’re all excited for you, you’re all excited for you. You agree that this could possibly be the best thing you’ve written. You go to bed one night, after having pumped out another 2k in one day, and when you wake up, everything’s changed.

You have that little voice in the back of your head. The one that’s whispering, “Maybe it’s not as good as you think. Maybe you’ve got two or three great scenes, but the rest is shit.” And so you voice these fears to your critique partner. They immediately ask what you smoked last night, and if they can hop a plane to come beat your ass up.

Anyway, I usually work through it. I note it for what it is, complete self doubt and the fear of success (K I pulled that out my ass, but who knows.) I get back on the horse/laptop and keep going. I finish the damn book. Because a book half written is like being halfway pregnant. You just gonna hold onto that sucker, or push it out already?

Am I the only one who gets like this? That halfway point of “Are you sure this doesn’t suck?”

So, I missed my goals last weekend. I’m trying to finish my first single title and totally wiped out on them. In a major way. I got less than half of my minimum goals met. Don’t I feel like a slacker.

This, of course, lead to a serious crisi of faith in my ability to finish anything and I had a minor sensitive-author-who-sucks meltdown. It happens.

Couple that with the annual self-evaluation I have to do at work this week and I’m having a don’t-I-stink week. And guess what day it is? Oh, yeah. That’d be Monday.

Now I’m thinking about all the ways in which we evaluate ourselves. And how all those ways can be twisted to make ourselves fell like doggy dookie. We are, on the whole, our worst critics. It’s a well documented fact.

How do we measure our accomplishments in any career, or hobby, or just life in general? Is everyone the same or are we all different. Ideally, we should all be different, but are we really all reaching for the same brass ring?

Then I took an hour and explained to someone what it was like to write romance and the different fun there is to be had at RT and RWA and I felt all warm and fuzzy and happy inside. This too shall pass.

What are your thoughts? How often do you have to say I rock at this in order to love doing something. Or is it all just a throw back to Puritanical self-flagellation?

…..sick! That’s right. Runny noise. Headache. Achy joints. I haven’t been out of bed all day…which has really put a damper on the writing I’d planned to do today. I’m only about 4000 words away from finishing a story I really wanted to finish by Monday. It might not happen. The only thing I’ve wanted to do today is sleep. And that’s not easy with a 8 month old. Thank goodness he has big sisters who love to play with him.

I finally dragged by rump out of bed to put some food in my body, take a bath and do this post. As soon as I’m finished…I’m headed back to the rack and maybe I’ll let a movie watch me, instead of me watching it. LOL

I hope your Saturday has faired better than mine.

Lyric