Gratitude

A couple days before Christmas, I received spot-on advice for revisions on my current work in progress. The reviewer was very complementary, but he also gracefully pointed out the story’s weaknesses. So, I’ve been diligently working on revisions since Christmas Eve and I’m now less than two weeks out from my goal of finishing the last of the edits.

It’s taken this long because I’ve been scouring the entire manuscript. I have no idea if the person offering feedback will ever realize it, but he did an amazing thing: he challenged me to be a better writer. Not that he said I wasn’t good – quite the contrary. He handed me some of the best compliments I have ever received. It was those compliments, coupled with a few examples, that made me see that I could be even better. I’m always trying to take that next step in my craft, and this person gave me a map. Regardless of what becomes of this manuscript, I’ll always be thankful.

It’s been a lot of hard work, but I’m pleased with how things turned out. The story is so much the better for the changes I’ve made. I’ve also learned so much from the experience.

Is there someone who has helped you reach your goal of becoming a better writer? Here’s your chance to give them a shout-out.

Thanks, J.M. My shout-out goes to you.

Seven Things You Didn’t Know…

Last week, Julie tagged me for the always fun Seven Things post. In turn I tagged author D.B. Reynolds and I’m also tagging author Angela Adams.

Okay. You sure you really want to know more about me? Here goes:

1. I’m social. Except when not. Like my father, I’m the outgoing type. I like people. But, I’m also a private person who doesn’t like to discuss more private details. And, I like some alone time and space. If I don’t know you well, I’m not hugging you. It’s just weird.

2. Tea, please! No coffee for me. Loose leaf instead of bag, honey instead of sugar, and always with half & half or milk. I’m part Irish and come from a long line of tea drinkers. It’s really odd how servers at restaurants will pause and blink when I ask for tea and they’ve offered coffee. And why is it that coffee refills are free and tea isn’t? Ugh! Tea rant: Starbucks is the only place I know who doesn’t understand what English Breakfast tea is. I don’t want passion fruit sunflower guacamole green tea grande! And despite my attempts at telling them otherwise, they insist that Earl Grey is exactly the same thing as Lipton.

3. A long time ago, I wanted to be a vet. But, back then, veterinary science and protocols weren’t what they are today. I was dead set against several common practices back then. I’d have made an excellent vet, though. Who else could eat Christmas cookies while watching their dog get snipped?

4. Jeans over Gems. Jewelry doesn’t do it for me. At all. I prefer jeans to dresses, hiking boots to heels. No fancy hairdos either. Long and straight or in a pony tail for me. And, despite my mother’s attempts at painting my room pink and putting frilly chiffon curtains at the window, I didn’t turn out to be the girly-girl she’d hoped for. I have pink aversion. I didn’t like to shop, and instead of playing with dolls, I helped Dad work on cars – usually in whatever nice outfit Mom bought for me. I’m more excited about geek stuff than gowns. Way more. I wore black to my own wedding and we had our pictures taken next to the county courthouse sign for mental health. Good thing hubby has a warped sense of humor, too. If he’d had his choice, we would have dressed as pirates and walked the plank. Just sayin’.

5. Some like it cool. I can’t stand hot weather. I don’t like sweat running down my back, frizzy hair, sunburns, or having my thighs stick to leather seats. I don’t like mosquito swarms or the invasion of flies. I’m lethargic in summer. Summer is my least favorite season. My theory? Society can always layer, but there’s only so much you can remove. Think about your current physical condition along with that of your friends, family members, co-workers, and the plumber down the street…Yeah. See what I mean?

6. I’m an insomniac. I’m frequently up from 1 am to 3 am. I’m convinced that all my characters are night owls. “What ifs” and “Here’s what happened” run through my mind despite my body’s pleas for the brain to give it a rest until morning. Amazing how 70% of my midnight ideas turn to utter crap the next morning. You’d think I’d learn. But, nope. Since the other 30% are some of my very best ideas, I do it every time there’s a new project.

7. I really, really don’t like spiders. Could have something to do with their name. Notice how the p and the d are almost like legs? It’s not normal for something to have eight spindly legs and all those eyes. Okay, it really has to do with the fact that my brother used to put spiders in my hair as a kid. Live or dead, it didn’t matter. Cruel, I know. But, I don’t think he was ever right after my older sister made him eat mud pies out of the sandbox…

And there you have it. Just remember folks: be careful what you ask for. You just might get it.

Geek Stuff for Writers

It’s been months since I last posted something techie. I found a few things which might be of interest or use to other writers.

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT. First up are two apps from the Apple App Store: Library List (99 cents), and Local Books (free). Library List keeps records of books you have by author, or you could just enter the books on your wish list. You’ll always have a list of what you own/want to read with you. Local Books is different in that it uses your device’s GPS to locate book stores and book events near you. It’s an app put out by the LibraryThing website. I confess, I haven’t downloaded either of these yet, although I’m seriously eyeing the free Local Books app.

COUPONS! Sign up for emails over at B&N and receive weekly coupons for both in-store and on-line. Okay, so this one isn’t really geeky, unless you consider email geeky.

DROPBOX. I downloaded this free app right before the holidays to share a Christmas video with friends and family that was too large to email. I didn’t want to put it on YouTube because I’m just a bit more private than that. But, I also discovered it’s a great place to store other documents as well. Consider it off-site storage, a backup, or a place to put documents from one computer that you want to share with another computer (yes, even cross-platform). You can share a folder with a crit partner, too. It’s realtime, so whatever you put in your Dropbox folder on your desktop is instantly updated on-line. Now, the disclaimer: you’re storing things in the cloud, and while we may not be a NYT best selling author, some would argue that anything stored in the cloud has risks. I did my homework and found that Dropbox uses best security practices. Besides, if you email your MS to anyone, then it’s really the same thing. How much space do you get for free? 2GB. If you need more space, it’ll cost you a monthly fee. OR, use this URL to get the 2GB free, plus an extra 250MB free: by using my referral link. I get 250MB free, too.

DELICIOUS LIBRARY: Last, but not least (for those that can afford to shell out the $40), is Delicious Library. While it could be said this app is more for readers than writers, we all love books, right? What is Delicious Library? It’s a visual database that uses the UPC label to keep track of all your books, DVDs, etc. If it has a UPC, you can track it. For this example, I’m going to use books as the example. Just hold up the UPC label to your Mac’s built-in camera and viola! It uses the UPC to tell you the current going price of the book, and puts it in a visual bookshelf. You can access it away from your computer, or by your iTouch/iPhone to see what you have or for the insurance company should something happen to your collection. And, sorry PC users: I couldn’t find a like app for the PC. Visit the website for more information.

Happy New Year! Resolution, Smesholution!

With a new year ahead, some people find it tempting to make a list of resolutions. Lists have never worked for me. In fact, nothing overly specific and measurable usually work as New Year resolutions. We drown in those with our business lives.

I hesitate to call what I do an actual resolution at all. Maybe it’s more of a personal challenge – to better myself and my life in some way. So, I tend to make more general statements. This year is the same as last year and many years before that: Make this year better than last year. It’s that simple. It’s the only resolution I’ll ever make.

Last year, I became a better writer, better dog owner, better wife, better sister, better friend. I think I succeeded. At least, I’m happy with the results. I learned more things about how the Mac OS works, extended my knowledge on applications, and a slew of little things ranging from science and nature to business and health. I became more environmentally aware. I managed our budget better. I became less cluttered and more organized. Lots of little things that I think made a big difference.

How about you? Do you think as a writer that you tend to be more list orientated or non-specific when it comes to what you want for yourself during the year? Are there things you’d like to accomplish this year?

Books as Gifts

It’s hard to believe Christmas is next week. Luckily, I finished my shopping some time ago. As with every year, there’s always someone on my list that has asked for books (besides me).

I know the numbers are down for retail sales, but that’s not the reason there are books on mine and my family’s list. And, it isn’t just because I want to support my craft and other writers in the hopes they’ll do the same if I’m ever lucky enough to have a book sitting on the shelf. I do it because I’ve always done it. To my delight, my mother gave me books as a child. I’ve always loved them so it’s no surprise that they’ve always made it to my wish list. My sister is the same way, as is my husband.

How about you? Have you asked for books this year? Are you giving anyone else books?

When Downtime Isn’t Downtime

Confession: I finished my latest book the last week of October. Forgive me Nano’er, but I didn’t participate.

May not sound like a lot to some writers, but for me, NOT writing something new is, well, something. Instead, I decided to ‘take the rest of the year off’ from writing.

Yeah. Right. And I’m secretly related to Bill Gates and he’s left me all his fortune.

While I haven’t actually plotted the next book out on screen yet, I have been toying with a sequel AND another totally different book. I’ve also been putting little tweaks on the last book, critiquing my writing partner’s works, and catching up on some well-earned reading.

Which, as any writer will tell you, it’s not really downtime at all. The brain still relishes in new words, new ways to describe something, new ideas. Like anything else I love doing, the lack of downtime isn’t a problem. Of course, the dogs or hubby might feel slightly different. But, I can’t help it. The time away from one story idea and set of characters allows me to see other things in new light. In turn, that always starts new ‘what if’s’?

How about you? Is downtime from writing really downtime? Can you effectively shut off the writer brain 7×24 for days, much less weeks on end?

Break Down Big Projects

After finishing my last novel, I decided to not start the next project until after the first of the year. Instead, I revisited my someday list of household projects. While going through my list I realized how much I’d put my best practices of GTD (Getting Things Done) into my writing projects. For those familiar with the masters of productivity (David Allen, Franklin Covey, and Merlin Mann to name a few), then you’ll understand how any task that requires more than one step becomes a project when adding it to your task list. It’s easier to complete large, time consuming projects if you break them down into easily accomplished steps.

How does this help writing a novel? Break down goals into small chunks. Chapters, scenes, word count. Don’t go by telling yourself you’ll finish a whole chapter in a day. If it’s too much, choose to write 1,000 words, or just a scene. Maybe the goal is to sit and write for two hours before bedtime. Finish that small step and then go for the next. When I was writing the last book, every time I sat down, I took a look at where I was in the story and what needed to come next. Then, I picked an obtainable goal. One of my writing friends thinks that I’m a fast writer. Maybe. Or maybe it’s because I look at finishing a writing project as if it were a job that I love.