Motivation

30 Jul 2013 9 Comments

Who You Calling Crazy?

by Avery Flynn in Avery Flynn, Motivation, Writing

My love for Mary Jo Putney grew exponentially this month when I heard her speak at RWA Nationals. She received the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award and gave one of the best speeches about the writing life that I’ve ever heard. My favorite line? This one:

You don’t have to be crazy to be a writer, but it sure helps.

*Cue lots of knowing laughter.*

Ah, the writing life. It makes us all a bit batty even if we weren’t before. Why? Well for us planners it’s because we work things out in our heads (or our forrest-killing line of Post-It notes) and then this happens:

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If you’re a freak like me that makes you do this:

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But that never gets the job done, so I suck it up and make a new plan. This is what I tell…
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09 Jul 2013 29 Comments

RWA Nationals Road Trip: Are You Prepared for Awesomeness!

by Denny S. Bryce in Denny S. Bryce, mermaids, Motivation, Writing

Denny's MermaidsI’m taking off for Atlanta this weekend to attend the RWA National Conference and I’m super excited. I’m going to spend a week with 2,000 other romance writers – sounds like heaven, right? In a hotel with an entire floor/lobby dedicated to mingling (okay, there is a really big bar at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis), and I guarantee I will be informed, inspired, surprised and exhausted within 30 minutes of checking in. And no, I’m not trying to make anyone who is not going jealous – but I’m excited and want to share.

Speaking of sharing, I volunteered (two years in a row:) to serve as the official Waterworld Mermaid reporter blogging LIVE daily from Hot-Lanta! But expect some of the other Mermaids to pop in, too. A bunch of us will be in town, and will either post here or on our own blogs – so stay tuned.

But I said ROAD TRIP in the headline  – so yeah, I’m…
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26 Jun 2013 5 Comments

My Quirky Inspiration

by Loni Lynne in Loni Lynne, mermaids, Motivation

Sometimes I am amazed by how entertaining and fascinating my family can be. They are a constant source of amusement and even give me ideas for stories that don’t necessarily make sense–but are fun!

One of those inspirations I want to celebrate today. My youngest. 

She is unique in many ways which makes her stand out in a crowd.  She never had a lack of friends in school because of her sense of humor, openness and diversity. Her creativity shown in her writing but mainly her art projects. She’s a ‘gamer’ from “Womb to Tomb” as a sign on her bedroom door reads. She even lets me watch her play some of her RPG (role playing games) with her. Her commentary is uniquely her and can have me in stitches while she’s playing. A few years ago she taught me (a non-gamer) how to play Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls. She’s a fan of Dr. Who and Mystery Science Theater–she’s more of a tomboy at times then I could imagine. But…
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17 Jun 2013 6 Comments

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

by Susan Jeffery in Draft, Health, mermaids, Motivation, Susan Andrews, Writing

Susan MermaidThe joy of being a school librarian:  I’ve made it all the way to summer!  Yippee!  Twelve weeks of nothing!  No commute, no kids, no bells, no bag lunches!  Nothing! What could be better?

What could be worse?  I have twelve weeks of nothing, and I know exactly what can go wrong:

Summer  can be wasted.  On Twitter, Facebook, shopping (especially shopping!), lazing by the pool, etc. Friends call it “the time to relax that you need/want/yearn for.”  I call it “time wasted.” Time can be stolen, even though I agreed to the theft.  I will fly to Saint Louis next week and listen to several days of educational conference material.  But I want to learn something, so that’s good.  And I am happy for the bridal showers, baby showers, weddings, and other celebrations.  Still, it is theft. I will need additional time, once I return, to recover my writing mojo.  So far, I’ve started well, but I’m aware…
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08 Apr 2013 16 Comments

ROMANCE? What if the Hero is Married and in Love with Another Woman (the Heroine)…

by Denny S. Bryce in Denny S. Bryce, mermaids, Motivation, Writing

by Denny S. Bryce

Denny's MermaidsI got up this morning to the sound of chirping birds, geese doing shout outs to other geese, and sunshine bouncing over my lake (okay, it’s the community’s lake, but since I live here now, it’s mine!), but my thoughts kept drifting to SCANDAL.

No, nothing about my personal life here (sadly) – I’m talking about a TV show. Yes, some of you may know my obsession with the ABC series (SCANDAL) from the mind of Sondra Rhimes starring Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn (yes, the actor who killed Patrick Swayze in Ghost).

Well, I’ve come to the conclusion that Sondra Rhimes reads romance novels. Hot, spicy, romance novels, but she reads them and then she twists them into decadent juicy unbelievable (but totally believable) melodrama. And yes, it’s over the top and if you enjoy situations that just don’t fit in the realm of reason but then kind of do, then the show is for…
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20 Feb 2013 11 Comments

Help! My Tush is Getting Bigger–But I Have Deadlines!

by Loni Lynne in Health, Loni Lynne, mermaids, Motivation

Yes–goofy title but I shoot from the hip–which is part of my problem lately *sigh*. My hips have always been in trouble of causing conflicts–I could never do the ‘Bump’ without sending my dance partner into the next county.

And it hasn’t been getting any better sitting at my laptop on a daily basis trying to ‘bump’ out my next novel. 

I’ve read all the ideas from other authors in similar situations–let me see if you’ve heard of them, too:

Get up and move around every 15-20 minutes or so  (great idea if I wasn’t in a 1k1h frame of mind–so I try for after every session). Keep healthy nibbles on hand to curb appetite  (this one from Weight Watchers meetings) –does baked tortilla chips and fresh salsa constitute healthy nibbles, as I sit at my laptop? Go for a walk to clear mind and work out the kinks.  (This I do love to do but dealing with 20 mile an hour wind and cold days makes it difficult to…
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08 Feb 2013 40 Comments

Tawny Weber (aka Hot Sassy Romance Author) dips a toe in the water!

by Susan Jeffery in Interview, mermaids, Motivation, Publishing, Susan Andrews, Writing

From Mermaid Susan:  The Mermaids are delighted to welcome author Tawny Weber to talk about her titles A SEAL’s Seduction, and its equally hot companion, A SEAL’s Surrender, both from Harlequin  Blaze.

Welcome to the lagoon, Tawny!  Tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to embrace the writing life.

Thank you for the lovely welcome! And what a nice lagoon you have here!  Can I get a frothy drink in a coconut shell?  I’m a fan of froth.  🙂

I love the writing life. But I wasn’t one of those gifted writers born to it, or even one who discovered it in their early years.  Growing up, though, while so many friends worshipped actors or rock stars, my pedestals were all saved for authors.  I love books.  But it wasn’t until my husband asked me what I’d do if I could have any dream career that I even considered writing.  Once he’d prodded me in the right direction, I embraced the idea.  It took me 4 years and 6 books…
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05 Feb 2013 24 Comments

Today? You’re Dead To Me

by Avery Flynn in Avery Flynn, mermaids, Motivation

I don’t know about you, but this is how I try to start my day. At least after the first twelve cups of coffee.

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But there are days that pick me up by the red highlights and tosses me around like a mouse being thrashed to death by an alley cat.

And I want to do this to the day:

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Then, someone does something that normally would make me giggle – or at worst roll my eyes – and I overreact like this (sorry Denny):

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As we all know, a good friend will call you on your bullshit. And when she does (thank you Denny) I’m as embarrassed as if…
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30 Jan 2013 6 Comments

So, I had a little chat with myself . . .

by Robin Covington in Motivation, Robin Covington

It’s 2013 and I’ve got so much on my plate as a new author who is still learningfrom the door the ropes and making plenty of mistakes. I delivered two books to my editor in late 2012 that are slated for April and July release and they taught me so much about managing my time and juggling writing new words, editing old words and doing promo on current releases. I met my deadlines and I was happy with my product but I knew that I needed to go into 2013 with a better plan to accomplish my goals or I’d be worse for the wear by summertime.

As the big ball dropped on Times Square I had a few questions for me, myself, and I:

How badly did I want to write?

What would I give up to do it?

How could I use my time more efficiently?

What…
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25 Jan 2013 44 Comments

I Heart Sherrilyn Kenyon & Super Fabulous Dark-Hunter Giveaway!

by Carlene in Carlene Love Flores, Giveaway, mermaids, Motivation

Happy Friday Fishy Friends!  I’m completely excited about today’s post because I’m giving away one very special Sherrilyn Kenyon Dark-Hunter novels collection set.  *Giveaway info at the end of this post*Mermaid Carlene

But first I’d like to share a fun story with you.  So, I firmly believe that if you love something, you should love it well.  Just always remember that love is respectful.

So, a few years ago, I was still relatively new to the DC area, settling into my home and continuing to quietly work on writing.  I was so new to it back then that I had no idea about writers groups, contests, or conferences.  But I was VERY familiar with Sherrilyn Kenyon’s books and had become a huge fan since being given “Seize the Night” at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con.   During a regular check of her upcoming appearances in my area, I saw that she was going to be doing a…
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