Category Archives: Writing

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

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 you!

In a TV show about many relationships, SCANDAL’s primary one (Olivia and Fritz) is the most problematic – morality wise. The heroine’s lover and soul mate is MARRIED, and his wife although a dark and twisty child herself, is NOT the villain of the story.

So as a writer (or reader of romance) – what are your thoughts about a contemporary romance that pushes this particular envelope? I’m sure there have been fabulous romances written with infidelity as a storyline that work as a romance – tell me about them? Would you read it? Would you write it?

I know. How’d I get from SCANDAL to contemporary romance? Blame the chirping birds and the geese. Anyway, here goes my SCANDAL photo blitz (the real reason I wrote this post:). Because good romance and true love can be SCANDALOUS, and dark and twisty and pull at the strings of your heart, right?

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Author Lynne Silver Swims with the Mermaids: Momma Always Said…

 

Please join the Mermaids in welcoming Romance Author Lynne Silver!  Take it away, Lynne…

Lynne Silver

We all know the adage if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. And generally that’s a good thing. What about when it comes to book reviews on Amazon or Goodreads? Should authors give their honest opinion about books written by fellow authors?

As much as I am a published author, I might be more of a reader. I’m addicted to romance novels and read 2-3 per week. I often want to discuss them, possibly in a public forum, but the day I was published was the day I stopped giving my public opinion about a book if I think it’s anything less than stellar.

I retweet and Facebook share tons of links to good reviews and any promo for fellow writer friends, but it’s been a long time since I’ve had a good discussion about a book. Do I write Amazon reviews? Yes, for members of my RWA chapter, and when I can honestly recommend the book.

I’m not alone in this practice. It’s the dirty little secret that romance authors are stacking review sites and Twitter feeds with promo for their friends. But we rarely go negative.

Why? Because it feels unprofessional to criticize a fellow author in a public forum.

Maybe we should. If I’ve written a sucky book, I’d want to know. Who better to tell me the whys of it then a fellow romance author? I’m still scared though. It feels as though I’d be opening myself up as the terrible person who criticized a colleague on the internet.

What do you think? If you’re an author do you write negative honest reviews? Why or why not? Would you think less of an author who did?

Thank you for hosting me!

Lynne

It was our pleasure, Lynne, and you raised some great questions!  Thank you so much for being our guest today.  

 

Check out the latest release in Lynne’s Coded for Love series with Ellora’s Cave, False Match:falsematch_9781419944956_msr

Genetically enhanced soldier Chase Stanton has two jobs in life. One, he must kick ass on all missions for the Program and, two, breed with his DNA breed mate, whoever and wherever she may be. Two problems. Chase learns he isn’t genetically enhanced after all and Doctor Samara Jones, the woman he craves beyond all reason, is likely an enemy of his team and not his true match. Too bad they can’t keep their hands off each other.

 

 

 

A Killer Beginning

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I cut my bangs with some rusty kitchen scissors…”

Those are the very first words of the Miranda Lambert song, Mama’s Broken Heart.  Every single time I hear it, I’m like, “I can totally see that girl.  I know who that is.  I know what she’s feeling, where she’s probably going, and who she’s after.”  And it’s not because I’ve ever been there or done that.

It’s one of my favorite openings ever because less than ten words in and you have to know the rest of the story.

And then I sit there, awestruck, and try to come up with my own attention grabbing openings.  It’s really tough, y’all.  😉

I think to accomplish a great opening line, it helps to identify your strength.  What do you feel most confident about in your writing?  What gives you that thrill inside when you’re in your zone?  Are you great at Dialogue, Characters, Emotion, Action, Grief, Humor, Mystery?  Whatever it is, make that the primary focus of the first words on your page.  Or  answer this question: What is something you’ve seen in your lifetime that you’ve never ever forgotten?  Something that you can close your eyes and even though it may have happened when you were a kid, it’s still very familiar and still means something to you?

My strength, for example, is dark emotion.  Usually, the first bits I get of stories are these little emotional hits.  Here are a couple rough openings I’ve come up with and keep in my files for upcoming stories:

“Death had coddled my babies and nursed my gram and pops.”

“He saves his tears for his brothers.”

 

And here are a couple of my favorite book openings:

My brother, Orrin Sackett, was big enough to fight bears with a switch.  Opening line from Louis L’Amour’s The Daybreakers.

(Y’all, I’m not kidding, “Mama’s Broken Heart” just started playing on the radio as I’m typing this.)

“But mother is always dying.” Opening line from Lauraine Snelling’s On Hummingbird Wings.

 

What are some of your favorite first lines, whether from a song or a book or a poem?

For the writers out there, do you have a particular opening of your own you’d like to share with us?  How do you decide the very first words to your stories?

Were you by chance curious to know how that Miranda song ends?

Well, this ain’t my mama’s broken heart...

Mermaid Carlene

 

 

Fishy Kisses,

Mermaid Carlene

 

 

 

 

 

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

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.  🙂

Here ya go!

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 to get a strong enough handle on the craft, my style and find the right story to sell.

  • A SEAL’s Seduction is part of a series.  What is already out and WHAT COMES NEXT?

 A SEAL’s Seduction and A SEAL’s Surrender are a very sexy pair of Uniformly Hot Blaze novels.  A SEAL’s Seduction is Blake’s story – a good boy with a penchant for following the rules.  Until he meets a woman who makes them all worth tossing away.  He’s debuting on bookshelves this month (2/13). His best friend and fellow SEAL, Cade, will be on the shelves next month (3/13).  Unlike Blake, Cade is a lady’s man.  He’s got that slick, sleek appeal that makes women swoon.  Which becomes a problem when one of the swooning women turns out to be his favorite girl next door.

  • One of your recent blog posts discussed the use of theme in your story, and how you consciously used it in planning A SEAL’s Seduction.  Can you explain some of that thought process to our readers?

This was actually a different process for me, as I’m not an analytical reader or writer by nature.  I’m never strategic and don’t tend to see that big picture that theme usually embodies.  But A SEAL’s Seduction was one of those blessing stories.  The kind that just arrive in your head, fully formed with the scenes all crystal clear and the characters alive and dancing.  Because I could see the story so clearly, the contrasts were just as clear to me.  Hot and cold.  By simply keeping that contrast in my mind while I wrote, I was able to mirror a lot of the story elements between the first and second halves of the book.  In the first, she eats chocolate ice cream, in the second, it’s hot chocolate, for instance.  In the opening, Alexia welcome the concept of a hot, exciting relationship. She’s warm and caring, while Blake is hurt and closed off.  That switches in the second half of the story, while the setting changes from sunny San Diego to frozen Alaska.

The theme and contrasts aren’t overt or major forces in the story, but they were fascinating to weave into the elements as a supporting thread.

  • Most of us know nearly nothing about the world of Navy SEALs.  How did you do your research?

My husband is ex-military, so I relied on his expertise and research capabilities a lot.  And I spent a lot of time online staring at hunky pictures of military heroes *g*.  Yes, that is research!!

  • Plotter or pantser?

Plotter!  I need a solid direction when I write.  A map, if you will.  I never know exactly what the scenery or sights will be on the trip, but I have to know the destination, who’s driving the car and where the major stops will be.

And I love plotting boards.  The colored sticky notes appeals to my office-supply addiction *g *

  • Hot writing.  WOW.  Do you have a secret weapon for getting women to fan themselves?  Discuss.

We like looking at hot guys, too!

LOL –well thank you!  I’m glad you found it WOW-worthy.  I wish I did have a secret weapon!  And if I did, I wish I’d always remember to keep it in the same place so I could find it again next time.

But, sadly, no.  I write the love scenes the same as I write the humor and the suspense elements of my stories.  By focusing on the main characters and trying to stay true to their personalities, their issues and their fantasies.  Hopefully, that translates into characters that readers can connect with, ones they empathize with.  If a reader can see and feel the story through the characters’ eyes, then they will see and feel the same things that character is going through.  Which means if the love scene is hot enough to get the character all worked up, then the reader is on board, too.  🙂

At least, that’s the hope.

  • A little about your writing day?  What’s the weirdest thing in your writing space?  The most important to your writing karma?  (thanks to CTRWA’s February newsletter for this idea)

Oh wow, cool question.  I love the idea of writing karma.

So, lets, see. My writing day is really the middle of the night.  I started writing when my youngest was only 2, which meant my days were very busy and night was the only time I had to focus.  Most nights, I start writing around 10pm, after everyone has gone to bed.  I keep going until about 3am, unless I’m against the deadline wall or the story is flowing like crazy.  Those days are usually the ones that my husband finds me at my desk when he leaves for work in the morning *g

The weirdest thing about my writing space.  I’m looking around, but it all looks normal to me LOL.  I guess the weirdest would be that my office opens up from two doors – one has a view of the long hallway and loft area above the living room.  The other is to my bedroom.  And I never shut doors, so there is no such thing as privacy in my writing space.

Like these? Yum.

And oh wow –Writing Karma.  I think the most important thing for me, personally, is to remember that beyond any writing or career goals, it’s all about writing the story for the readers.  To bring them joy, satisfaction, happiness or just a good time for a few hours.  If that intention is in place with every story, then I believe that karma will find a way to return the same joy, satisfaction and happiness in return.

  • What is the best writing advice you ever received?  The worst?

The best writing advice I ever heard was to write what you love to read.  We spend an awful lot of time with a story, we should try to find a way to enjoy every second of it.    The worst, I think, was to accept realistic limits.  While I’m all for keeping it real, I’m not a fan of limits.

  •  Are there any teachers, books or courses that helped you refine your craft?

I love Romance Writers of America.  I’ve taken so many workshops and classes and met so many amazing writers through that organization.   In the beginning of my writing adventures, RWA provided the most instruction opportunities.

  • Do you or did you have a life beyond writing?  Crafts or hobbies?  Do they distract you now or offer a chance to unwind?

What’s this thing of which you speak?  Life?  Beyond writing?  LOL.  Actually, I try to keep life pretty balanced.  I don’t actually do it well, but I try.  My favorite hobby and other life-obsession is scrapbooking.  I do card making, too, but the scrapbooking of memories is my favorite thing.  I like to have a project going while I write, so when I get stuck on a page or scene, I can leave my desk and go play with paper and embellishments.  The act of creating in a different medium, especially such a visual one, always seems to shake loose whatever is stuck.  So after a ten, twenty minutes I’m able to go right back to writing with the scene unstuck and my scrapbook project closer to finished.

  • Last, but not least, please tell us about your path to publication.   Especially for our unpublished readers, how long had you been writing  before The Call, and did you ever wonder how it would take for the editors to wake up and see your brilliant talent? (heh heh heh)
I was always focused on writing for Harlequin, first for Temptation, and then when the line closed shifting my attention to Blaze.  It took me 4 years, 5 manuscripts and 3 Golden Heart finals from starting to write to my first sale.
                                                   
This entry isn’t complete without a sincere note of gratitude to
the Navy SEALs
and all the men and women serving in the Armed Forces of the United States.
Your work keeps us free.  Thank you.
                                                                                                       
         Just one more!  (So much fun!  Thank you Tawny, for stopping by!)
  

Tawny Weber has been writing sassy, sexy romances since her first Harlequin Blaze hit the shelves in 2007.  A fan of Johnny Depp, cupcakes and color coordination, she spends a lot of her time shopping for cute shoes, scrapbooking and hanging out on Facebook.

Tawny Weber & dogs 2012

Readers can check out Tawny’s books at her website or join her Red Hot Readers Club for goodies like free reads, complete first chapter excerpts, recipes, insider story info and much more.  And for a limited time, she has a few open spots on her Street Team!

A SEAL's Seduction cover

 

 

 

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

Ticking Clock

Good morning fishy friends!  I’m actually going to blog about “writing” today on my group writers blog and not cute boys or cute boys or cute boys.  And that is because it’s contest judging time for my local writing chapter’s annual unpublished writing contest, WRW’s Marlenes.  This is my second year judging and the entries I received this year were very impressive.  There wasn’t a single head hop which stood out to me because I can admit that was my biggest mistake when I first entered my own submission.  More positives were that the characters were all well written and likeable.  The premises were all genuinely unique and interesting.  And there were some really good synopsis’ included at the end.

If the stories I read lacked anything, it was a clear understanding of the Ticking Clock.  I pulled this definition from Mary Buckham and Dianna Love’s power plotting book, Break Into Fiction.  The Ticking Clock is “an internal or external element in the story that creates a limit to how much time the character has to complete his or her immediate external goal.”

Have you ever been reading a book or a contest entry and everything is going just fine.  You’re enjoying the story well enough, but pretty soon, you start to wonder why is it so important that this is happening?  The material is good, but it’s not exciting you to keep turning the pages.  It could be because of that missing ticking clock.  I’m going to go ahead and refer to this little guy as Tik Tok (Return to Oz).

What Tik Tok does for your story:

-Gives your story purpose, urgency & excitement

-Assures good pacing, making it a page turner

-It doesn’t have to be “in your reader’s face”

That last point is important because I got to thinking that for a contemporary genre writer, you may not have exploding bombs to diffuse or kidnapped victims to rescue before time runs out.  Maybe your Tik Tok is a high school reunion the heroine has to be ready for or maybe your heroes are rockstars and you have a band about to go out on the road and tour.  My current WIP’s Tik Tok is the pending birth of a baby–the hero and heroine want to be free of their demons before this new life enters the world in two weeks. See, completely normal life events but important enough to get one’s butt in gear!

Whatever the element creating that time limit for your story is, it MUST be essential to your character’s pending goal.  It has to be detrimental enough to ignite them to do whatever they have to do to meet that end.

Often I think the author probably has this in their head but fails to weave it into their story early on.  Most contest entry lenghts I read this past week took me to about the third or fourth chapter.  As the reader, I should feel the pressure urging your characters on by that point.  The earlier the better in fact.

To find your Ticking Clock, ask yourself why it’s so important for the characters to be accomplishing whatever it is they are doing in a timely manner.  The Tik Tok is the motivator to this happening.  They have a goal.  It’s essential that they accomplish it.  Now what candle are you going to light under their butt to move them to action?

Fishy kisses signed, sealed and delivered, on time!Mermaid Carlene

 

 

 

Writing Through the Angst

I am the first to admit the winter months (after the holidays) do me in.  DSCF0313

But how can I feel this way when the first week of the new year is like a new start for me?

We all have times, whether it is the first of the calendar year, school year or just sometime we decide on a “fresh start” to things, that things are going to change for the better.  Well, I’ve gone and done it again!

Here it is, half way through the month of a ‘new start’ and I can’t get the motivation I need to do what I know I need to do.  And because of that I tend to go into a slump, emotionally at times (and trust me, the wonderful rainy, dreary weather that I’ve been faced with does not help at all).

Years ago when I was just a pup, I went through the normal pre-teen angst we sometimes face growing up (anyone remember the awkward middle school/jr. high days), family issues that arose at times, etc. During one of my lowest moments I had a wonderful teacher who noticed my troubles and sat down to talk with me. She happened to be my English teacher.  I loved to read and had pretty good grades but she realized that term I was struggling.  I poured out my woes to her.  She gave me a valuable lesson for life right then.  She said keep a journal. It didn’t have to be some pink frilly locked book  but just something that I could write down my emotions, thoughts, worries, whatever happened to be troubling me.  She told me it helps her though the tough moments but also gave her inspiration into how to handle things.

So I took her advice. But the snippets of journaling seemed much too personal to me (I know-weird). I did something a bit different with my woes and joys.  I created imaginary characters to deal with the issues. These characters started telling their own story (though at times it was mine–just through someone else’s eyes). One of these ‘stories’ I entered in a contest my English teacher told us about. She read all of the entries and called me to stay after class.  I thought I was in trouble! Instead, she was amazed with my writing. She loved my characters, the storyline and told me she’d help me polish the grammar mistakes to make it pop. (Sound familiar?) 😉

My story was a ghost story for a Halloween contest through our local newspaper. I took first prize out of a range of 12-17 year olds!  I was so excited! How could something so much fun and so easy for me get first prize?  Next thing I knew, she had me enter other contests. I didn’t always place first but I did have my share of wins and finals-county and state levels included.  I had found my joy! And the best thing…it gave me an outlet (though I didn’t know it at the time–for me it was just fun).

Now, I look back on those beginnings and feel that same angst (a bit different–probably seasonal :P) and I turn to my writing. My characters become my sounding board to bounce emotion off of, they in turn take it and run with it on their own story . Believe it or not, in the moments of danger and disaster ending hooks, there is joy and uplifting moments of excitement. Like a reader, it gives me that adrenaline boost to go further, to explore deeper to feel more–and to create what I hope to be wonderful stories to share with others.

Here is to you ‘angst’–I raise a cup of vanilla bean latte to you (in times of creativity)  🙂  .

Hugs to all!

The Salon Incident

Dana MermaidYesterday, I went to the salon to have my hair done—it looks fabulous, by the way—but while I was there I had the most bizarre thing happen. A middle-aged woman came in and asked about having her hair done although she didn’t have an appointment. One of the owners, a very nice woman I have known for years, politely explained that they were completely booked for that day but that she would be happy to schedule an appointment for her.

Instead of scheduling the appointment like any sane person, the lady went berserk in a manner any Viking conquerer would admire. In a loud, demanding voice she went on a tirade about her boss letting her off from work early for this and that they simply must squeeze her in. As you can imagine, all eyes were glued to the drama unfolding. I was shocked a grown woman would act like that. Continue reading

Writers or Cooks: What Are You Willing to Do?

Denny's MermaidsI don’t know what it is about me and cops, detectives, private eyes, lawyers, or could it be the entire judicial system, but no matter what I write, there is always, always, always, a crime, suspense, weapons, a moustache-twirling villain, and a dead body.

I’m not a cop who writes books. I’m a PR and marketing person, who writes. But PR divas, we don’t do. We strategize ways for our clients to influence human behavior – in other words we help our clients’ customers buy or think the way our clients want the public to buy or think (I love PR:).

So what does this mean to my storytelling? Lots of research, research, research.

I know. Research is required of any project you decide must be done, and that doesn’t only apply to writing a book. You routinely  gather facts before diving into any pool blind. If you’re planning a special meal for the family or friends, or just for tonight’s dinner for the hubby and the kids, what do you do? Research. Gather your materials, and you deliver a meal. Many of us cooks will readily admit that FoodNetwork.com is our best friend, except for you foodies. You are like lawyers or doctors or cops writing books about lawyers or doctors or cops. You have the expertise right there in front of you and I’m just…well, jealous.

Okay, baby rant over.

Well, if one of those dishes you decided to cook was an exotic African dish, made of goat and curry spices and something you’ve never considered eating before (like goat, which I love). Would you try and make it? Or would you leave that delicious dish a fanciful thought never acted upon?

So that’s why I do research. I can’t shove a story aside just because I don’t know anything about being a cop (and having dated a cop doesn’t count…well, maybe it doesn’t count for the cop scenes…hehehe:).

But how far will I go to learn? Would you travel to Nairobi, Kenya (if money and time weren’t a factor) to meet with the chef at the Tamambo Karen Blixen Coffee Garden to discuss how to make the special of the day  for dinner that night?

Well, I’m willing to go pretty far for my books, I think. So, I’ve actually acted upon one of my New Year’s resolutions – I’ve signed up to do a Ride-Along with the local Metro Police in Washington, D.C. Yep. I’m going to do it. Right? Sound fun?

But just in case you are more Food Network.com than classes at the Culinary Institute or stalking Bobby Flay, here are some of my favorite legal links that help make my justice system characters come to life:

Crime Scene Investigator

White Collar Crime Blog

FBI

PC World Article on Net Crime

Information Week Article on CIA Website Hacker

Police Ride Along Program (in every major city btw)

And of course a member of Washington Romance Writers (WRW-DC), Author Allison Leotta (Books: Law of Attraction and Discretion) has a website ranked among the top in the nation called The Prime Time Crime Review, an excellent source of information where a lot of lawyers hang out and chat, too. (PS, Allison will conduct a workshop for WRW-DC on February 9 all about writing and research and she’ll have special guests from the world of justice, too).

Anyway, what research tips (or recipes) are you willing to share?

Happy New Year!

Starting at The End

Sometimes to know where to start, it helps to look at the end.  Mermaid Carlene

My first book is coming out this Friday and although the story is told in chronological order, it didn’t start out that way.

When I began writing Sidewalk Flower, the first scene that came to me was gut wrenching and dark.  It was so powerful and for a long time, I thought because of that, it had to be the book’s opening.  My thinking was that with such a powerful opening scene, it would be hard to put down.  In the business, it was the hook I was sure I needed.

Then I learned from a Savvy Authors Editpalooza workshop that sometimes it’s best to let the scenes happen organically.  That way the reader has a chance to build up to that powerful event and experience it as it was meant to happen.

Once I let go of the place I’d originally envisioned for that knock-out scene in Sidewalk Flower and put it where it belonged in the time line, I realized it was absolutely the way things were meant to be.

But, I also learned that by writing that last scene first, it allowed me to get to know my characters more deeply and the rest of the story as well.  I believe it was one of the biggest strengths of writing my first book that would become published.  Knowing where I was going because I’d already been to the end.  So I don’t believe I would change the order in which I wrote the story.

 I just finished re-watching one of my favorite movies, Neo Ned, starring Jeremy Renner and Gabrielle Union.  (I love the tag line: Love is not a Race) My Neo Ned DVD Continue reading

How a Mermaid got Entangled and Lived to Tell the Tale

The Savvy Authors Entangled NaNoWriMo Smackdown is winding down, and I am one of the lucky writers who participated.  I had an entire month to achieve a book, just for the Entangled Line!  How exciting is that?

Entangled Smackdown

I confess, I didn’t take this challenge seriously until I had an email telling me (surprise!) that my badge was waiting to be claimed.  Once I understood, I spend a couple of days being just plain scared.  I even ordered a workbook, Susan Alderson’s The Plot Whisperer Workbook (worth every penny, imho).  I splurged and went to Staples for a new paper notebook.

Then I got to work.  Then a hurricane came and took away my power for four days.  But I kept working, charging up (and showering) at a friend’s house, and working some more.  In fact, I worked even harder.  I was determined not to let a measly power outage stop me from writing!  I also knew a terrible truth:   These days off were my only chance to write full time! I also knew I have a tendency to panic.  Perfection, procrastination, panic, paralysis. 

Yes, spending a month with the NaNo challenge for Entangled was exciting.  Until I realized I have a habit of doing those four P’s mentioned above, and probably wouldn’t make my personal goal.  So I had to start getting a grip on some home truths, and the month wasn’t all about writing 50,000 words any more.

Friends, I did not make 50,000 words.  My personal goal was just to finish the story.  At forty thousand words.  Okay, maybe thirty thousand.

My final tally, as of 10:00 p.m., November 28?  18,260 words.  That’s right.  I didn’t even break 20,000 words. 

And it really sucks that I couldn’t keep up the pace with all those other fabulously prolific writers (Hi, Pin! *waves*).  There.  I feel better just saying it.  I am not prolific.  Still, it’s valuable  to look back at the mistakes I made, celebrate what I did accomplish, and acknowledge the reality of my life and commitments. Admit some truths about myself.  About my writing.  About my own temperament and tolerance for pressure.  And maybe, possibly, someone out there will see some reason in my ramblings about this past month.  Maybe there’s someone just as crazy as I am.

The most important lesson is one I have resisted for years.  But, let it be said, now and forever, once and for all.  It’s hard to say, and I have hated learning this:

I AM NOT A PANTSER.

There.  I’ve said it.  I can’t write by the seat of my pants.  Somehow, I was behind the door when that gift was being handed out. 

I am more intimately acquainted with my writing personality than ever before.   With Act One of my work planned (thank you again, Martha Alderson), I achieved a thousand words a day. Sometimes I made the full 1667 word the Entangled gods were asking for. When I tried to double that output in response to a promise of double points, though, I burned out.

Worse,  not having planned Act Two brought my output to a measly three to five hundred words a day.  Or none.  I needed two weeks to finally see the center of the story.  One evening last week, it finally clicked while I was eating sushi at a new restaurant in town (note to self: sushi is an effective writing tool).  I rushed home and blocked out the action for the rest of the book that evening.

So, now I can tell the truth.  If I have a clear idea of my story and what needs to be written, I can spit out five hundred words a day.  If there’s more time and I’m more motivated, a thousand.  I don’t want to do NaNo again.  I like taking my notebook with me when I go out to dinner with my sweetie, and calling it a “business dinner.”  I like online chat with other authors.  And I really, really like Martha Alderson’s books.

Not a bad set of lessons to learn in a month, huh?