Mel Speaks About Writing

Book Review: The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

2011-07-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book kept my attention all the way through with much intrigue (a serial killer in 1400's Florence + twisty plotting about church/state fighting)plus romance and education (in a nice way) about the Masters and art in general. I would not say that this book is for people who love romances, or people who love art, or people who are interested in church/state squabbles of various centuries. Instead, I would recommend it to everyone. I felt the author blended it all so well into a story that I wanted to read! There were good guys and very bad villain types, and the main character is flawed in such a way that she seems real and we root for her. She is an emancipated woman, of a sort, in a time where those types of females were frowned upon.

What does this writer do that others don't? She paints such a real scene, such real "people," and such a clear picture of the time period, that you know she is not just a fiction writer but also an historian. I've read books by such authors before that were dry, that were over-historical/research so obvious I felt it stopped the story (ala Da Vinci Code)but this author deserves accolades because she is a true storyteller. I loved feeling I was there, in that century, in her main character's dresses, feeling her love for her artist, and her pain as she grows up and learns that life hurts even the strongest deeply at times.

Read it! You won't be disappointed. : )

View all my reviews

What Makes a Writer

2009-10-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

My gynecologist found out I was a writer and said, "My husband thinks I should write a book. I read a lot." I thought, "Hey, go for it," the way I always do. "And let me know when you finish the manuscript."

But I'm being harsh. She was just voicing something she had thought about. Happily considered, probably. Or maybe she wasn't just thinking she might. Maybe she *will* write a book. And truly, if she does, I'll be excited to know she had accomplished her dream. But I'm skeptical. I think having the title of "Writer" after one's name is very appealing to a lot of people, but since I *am* a writer, I also think if they knew the work involved, they would quickly banish that dream from their hearts and minds. I know *I* would have, if I'd had any inkling as to what was in store for me for years to come.

But who ever really considers all the consequences of pursuing a dream? And if we did, would anyone ever accomplish anything really great? Doubtful.

As for me, now that I'm selling my house and buying one, I've thought about going into real estate. It's really appealing to me to get to check out houses (I LOVE looking at them!) or to work with people to make their home dreams come true. I love visualizing how a house can be, and I really enjoy the thrill of open houses, of checking out prices and comps and viewing photos of properties, or driving by them. But do I want to take courses and pass tests to get my license? Write up reams of paperwork? Troll for clients? Sell my services to people? Network like crazy in the industry? Be current on property laws, neighborhood analyses, homeowners' associations, the MLS, etc,...?

Nah. Sounds hard. Sounds boring, in parts. And it sounds like a lot of time involved.

Welcome to the world of writing. In order to be called "Writer," first things first: you have to write! In order to be called "Published Author," you have to:

--Write often (which involves the three S's: solitude, silence, and sitting)

--Rewrite often

--Probably join a critique group and get your writing analyzed by your peers, and do the same for them. This can involve hurt feelings. In fact, it generally does on a regular basis.

--Submit your work, which is tough even for pretty secure writers. Thinking that someone of authority will review your work and then have something negative to say, or worse, nothing at all to say, can break a writer out in hives and send us into hiding for months or years!

--Promote yourself. This is SO hard for some writers. Writers tend to be loners in disguise (or not,) sensitive people who are very insecure at times around large groups of overachieving peers. Imagine how *not* good it feels to be at a conference where all the editors are clamoring to lunch or dine with So-and-So Author and it isn't you. A major blow to one's confidence. And yet, you must go to the conferences and the local groups, and enters the contests, if you want to grow, to be known, to improve to the point where someone goes, "Hey, I've met her and she seems on-the-ball. I asked for her partial manuscript and she sent it right away. I'm looking forward to reading it."

OR, you can write for fun. It's like painting for fun. You can take a local writing class, or don't, and just do it on your own. And you can call yourself a writer, because you are writing.

This brings up the difference in *levels* of writing. There are those who we in the industry say "are serious about writing," and those who play at it. Those who play never really crank out much material. Or they never submit it to an editor. Or they go to all the conferences just to hang with pals.

There's nothing wrong with that. The world is full of all sorts of people. But one mustn't confuse them with others who sit in their homes or coffee shops or bookstores, or at their paying jobs, typing up fiction on their keyboards day after day. THOSE are serious writers (and I don't include myself in them right now because I'm too distracted and disillusioned to write much lately.) Those are people who are passionate about their craft.

And maybe that's the difference. You have to have passion for writing, just as you have to have enough passion as a realtor to get you thru all the grunt work, all the paperwork, all the crabby clients, and the working during weekends and holidays and while your kids are sick or your significant other is depressed.

If I really, really wanted to walk the high wire, I'd practice. I'd fall and get bruised, but get back up and set my jaw and my sights on that danged wire again. Let it wobble. Let it throw me off some more. I'm a circus performer and this is my schtick. I'll do it or die, and I'll do it til I'm perfect at it, or as damned near perfect as I'll ever be.

THAT is the type of writer I always aspire to be. But it's so much easier not to write and to whine, and I do fall into that from time to time.

Next topic: Running With The Tide, or What To Do When the Writing Passion Ebbs

I'm Obsessed with "Obsessed!"

2009-08-04T10:55:00.001-07:00

Okay. Now, *this* reality show is really worth watching. It's called "Obsessed" and I've caught the bug, I'm well and truly obsessed with it. Have you ever seen "Intervention," where they follow a substance abuser on a downward spiral all the way to their intervention and beyond, after rehab? Well, this is along those lines, only instead of being substance abusers, the participants have anxiety and/or OCD.

As with "Intervention," "Obsessed" helps people live better, and I'm for anything that does that. I like the "feel good" leap of energy I get, watching the cognitive behavioral therapists work with the hoarder, the skin or hair picker, and the woman terrified of earthquakes + imagined creatures under her bed.

I think the reason "Obsessed" fascinates me is, none of these people are as different from the definition of normal as they think they are. I see us as all on this ledge of life, and we can teeter off so easily into being one of them, or at least come very close. They just fell, sometimes for decades, into debilitating ways of living. But really, how different is someone who hoards things from one we refer to as a packrat? It's just that we gasp over the extremes. It makes me think of that actor, Mark-something, who emceed the green goo show on Nickelodeon. He now emcees a show on the Food Network. Maybe it's Unwrapped. Anyway, he has OCD. He once admitted that he combs the fringe on his rugs in his house and won't stop straightening them out until they are just right. Now, I would LOVE for someone to always keep my carpet fringe looking fab. But to HAVE to do it, to be so compelled that you lie awake at night worrying about that fringe, well, I want to see that person get some relief from that. Because I've lain awake at night, worrying over things. I can empathize.

On the first episode I watched of "Obsessed," a woman with some serious anxieties had a 5- or 6-year-old son with autism. She desperately wanted to get him several miles away to a place where he could ride horses. Horse therapy has been known to bring autistic children out of their fugues (not sure that's the right term.) Anyway, it is a great help, and the children really respond. Well, the woman couldn't drive on the interstate. So the therapist gradually exposed her to different levels of that, by first driving her, and then riding along with her, and finally, riding behind her a short distance. By the end of the 12-week period that the show follows, the woman patient could drive all the way to the horse ring to let her little boy ride. How great is that?!

One thing I know for certain. If I weren't a writer, I would be a cognitive behavioral therapist. Those people really are my definition of heroes. They rock. They change lives. It's not that I have this need to rock or change lives. I don't. I would just love to help people in that way. I feel so bad for them, because anxiety is no fun on any level. And I can't imagine not being able to drive my autistic child to horseback riding lessons if there were even the slightest chance that he might enjoy it.

Oh, and the patients on this show! They're heroes, too. Can you imagine a therapist saying to you, "Okay, on a scale of one to ten, what level of anxiety are you having during this exposure?" and your answering, "A ten," or even, "a six or seven?" These patients work SO hard and, really, unselfishly. Yes, they would like to get better. But often, they're doing it so they can have easier and deeper relationships with their family and friends. Because they care. Which makes me care for them.

So catch "Obsessed." Set your OnDemand and tape it. You may have to watch it in reruns, though, because the season-ending show (a hoarder) is next week. And if you don't trust MY review, check out New York Times, Wash Post and such. Appears I'm not the only one watching and raving.

Michael Jackson and Farrah in One Day

2009-06-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson figured in to a huge part of my life! My first record (a 45 rpm) was something obscure called "Toast and Marmalade for Tea" by a British group, a one-hit wonder. But around the same time, I got Michael Jackson singing "Rockin' Robin." We were both ten years old!! Can you imagine? There I was in Cincinnati, still playing in a refrigerator box on my neighbor's driveway that we made up to look like our very own "house." We had Tiger Beat Magazine with Michael, Bobby Sherman and Donny Osmond in it! And we had transister radios.

When I was in college, Michael's "Off the Wall" album came out. my hubby (who was dating me at the time) copied some of his album onto a cassette for me to play.

I must admit he dropped way down in my estimation with the child abuse scandals. When that came out, my kids were wondering what was going on, and I had to explain it to them. They knew him from "Man in The Mirror." But I always said, "He may have some personal issues, but there is no one who can touch him in a lot of ways with his talent."

I also heard his father was very abusive, which made me feel sorry for the whole Jackson crew.

Rest in peace, Michael.

P.S. I should've worked for People Magazine. I've enjoyed following the stars for 30 years! Yeah, I know, it's mind candy. But it's also entertaining. After all, they're entertainers, like us. I think we have a lot in common with actors.

Oh, and guess what? I still *have* Rockin' Robin, in my psychedelic record case, down in the basement (along with Donny O singing "Puppy Love," Captain&Tennille singing "Muskrat Love," The Carpenters and the GREAT Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke." Now, if only I still had a stereo or record player! LOLOL

I miss the snap, crackle, pop! of a record. You just can't simulate that on an iPod.

I have a funny Farrah Fawcett story, too. Sprained my ankle, taking a bunch of mag photos and her poster (the famous one) off my hubby-to-be's fishnet wall in college. He was SO mad that I took them! I think he's *still* mad, even though I gave them back the next day. I think I wrinkled a few...

Life at Seventeen and Twenty-One

2009-06-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

I can't remember doing a lot socially when I was a teenager, but my daughter sure does manage to move her car all over Atlanta with her friends! I didn't have a car. Didn't have one through college, either. I only got one when I got a job and had to drive there, and that was well into my employment when I guess my dad got tired of using my mom's Chrysler and wanted his Datsun that I'd been using back. Anyway, he bought me my own Datsun and I made my loan payments directly to him. I paid the car off after I was married. I thnk I'd had it about six months, and I guess we paid it off within a year or two. (Here is where my daughter rolls her eyes and goes, "Yeah, and you walked four miles to school in the snow. I *know*, Mom.")

I also recall, as a teen, sitting on the edge of the porch, having a TAB and yogurt or PBJ sandwich for lunch (with my cat unofficially invited) and reading. And reading. Thinking, "This is nice and boring. I wish I had something exciting to do. But since I don't, this isn't bad." And when I did get tired of that, I'd get on my bike, my tennis racket laid across the handlebars and balls in my shorts pockets, and head for the high school. I'd hit a ball against the practice wall for a while. Then I'd ride home. Hot times in Cincinnati!

My twenty-one year old hangs out in my basement now. He has a bunch of guys over and they play those addictive online video games all night long. They eat a lot of junk food, like, McDonald's at 11 or 12. Waffle House at 2 or 3am. They drink beer. They joke around. Occasionally, they go to a Braves game, or fishing, or if I'm lucky, to someone else's house for the night!

The kids both have very part-time jobs. In between jobs and having friends in to our basement, they go to their friends' pools. They eat out a lot. But to be honest, they don't spend a ton of money. They aren't big shoppers. None of us are, which is a very good thing right now.

Still, life is good. Life is pretty easy. We fill their gas tanks.

I watch them and think about when I was their ages. I didn't have many worries. Boyfriends used their gas to drive me around. I worked and had some money, and didn't have to worry about that. What *were* my worries? The occasional hurt feelings due to some silly disagreement with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Grades, a little. Weight a little, mainly because every girl was thinking about diets and stuff. The Scarsdale Diet was big in college.

We always harp on our kids to care more about certain things. To think about the economy, be responsible, get good grades, brush their teeth, eat right and use sunscreen. But I guess when they have to, they will. The time will come when they have plenty to think about, more responsibility than they can imagine, teeth that are softer, things to be zapped off their skin and doctors reminding them about the cholesterol and fat in burgers and fries. They'll find out that Mom was right when she said, "Eat in. It's better for you." But that time isn't here yet. Their gas tanks are full, their friends are calling, and Mom and Dad are just voices going, "Blah blah blah."

The biggest responsibility of all is parenthood. One day, they'll get that, too. That's when they say parents' "Blah blah blahs" suddenly, strangely, turn into intelligible words that float out from their memories. Thankfully, shut back in there with the admonishments will be the wonderful reminiscences of driving around Atlanta with their friends, chillin' in our basement and worrying about very little.

I don't wish I were seventeen or twenty-one again. I've been there. I'm a forward-moving kind of person. But I have to admit, watching these kids gives me a little nostalgic lump in my throat. It puts me back on the cool concrete porch in my shorts on a humid June day and reading an RF Delderfield saga. I'm sipping TAB and going, "I wish I had something exciting to do. But since I don't, this isn't bad."

The Daddy Issue is now available

2009-06-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

The Daddy Issue is now available thru amazon.com and www.thewildrosepress.com. Exciting! I think the official release date is 6/19 but they may be taking preorders.

It's been a long process, getting this book out. I had a contract on it a few years ago, but that fell through on the publisher's end. So this is a happy ending, getting the story out there. I hope people enjoy it.

I'm working on a manuscript that has been slow going this year. The *new* working title is "A Father At Heart." It's sorta another daddy issue! But each story is its own characters and dilemmas, and love tale, of course.

Hm. What else? Well, I had lunch with my friend, Denise, whom I met thru Georgia Romance Writers. We ate at the World Peace Cafe, which is run by Buddhists. It's supposed to be a place that really supports peace, but I have to tell you, it is NOT peaceful for me to have to stand on line to order our lunches, and then decide we want to split a piece of cake and have to stand *back* in line while there are four or five peace-filled volunteer workers *standing there looking at us* because you always have to order on line. Even if they serve you your orders, you must get back in line to add anything! And be run up all over again, on another ticket. sigh

Okay. Enough crabbing. I'm getting back to writing love stuff. grin

What I'm Up To

2009-03-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

What am I up to?

On the writing scene, I'm working on my manuscript titled, "What Makes a Man." It's a story of a man and woman who had an oops pregnancy in high school. Twelve years later, they reconnect because of their daughter, and must decide what's best for her. Each brings his or her own life experiences since school to the table, though. And each brings their past hurt over their breakup. Can they forgive and forget? Can the heroine let the hero have a say in raising this child he never met until now? That's the gist of it. Can't say too much, cuz I don't want to spoil it. Plus, I make it up as I go. Ssh. That's supposed to be a secret.

I'm also anxiously awaiting college admissions day, April 1. That's when Torie will find out which schools she got into. And we're waiting to hear if she gets any corporate scholarship money. That happens between March and May.

I'm training my dog! He now knows how to jump onto my back on command, and then sit there. The first time we tried it, he bounced around and around me, unsure of what I wanted from him, and ended up whacking the bridge of my nose with his concrete-hard cranium!! OWWWW!! I just about had a broken nose AND toe.

Oh, and I'm dealing with a broken toe, too, in case you haven't heard my whining via Facebook (which is something else occupying my time lately.)

I'm finishing up Disciple 3 Bible study. Ends in May. We're in Paul. We study every week for nine months. I love my little group and will miss it when we finish. Am wondering if we'll all continue into Disciple 4 together.

I'm packing up my extensive doll collection. Have about 15 boxes done and inventoried so far. I am planning on selling them at auction in coming months. I can't wait to get rid of all this stuff taking up space and gathering dust! More packing up to do. We're not moving. It's just an organizing thing.

I'm filet crocheting a table runner with a farm scene on both edges. It's tedious work. It's basically lacemaking. And I'm braiding a wool rug. And knitting a spring sweater. And learning bead crochet.

That's not all, but can't think of other things right now. Lunching with friends a few times a week. Weight-lifting twice a week. And wishing my toe wasn't broken, cuz I seem to have gained 3 lbs and *surely* it isn't from eating out too often!

Things I Couldn't Care Less About

2009-01-05T10:13:00.001-08:00

1) Body lotion. I have bottles and bottles of it. It makes me feel bad, seeing all those wasted bottles. I have nice Bath and Body Works ones, Victoria's Secret ones, and tons from hotels, too. My hubby brings home all the hotel shampoos and lotions. I use the shampoos and conditioners. The lotions sit there. Is there an expiration on lotion? Not really. But have you ever tried to use some lotion that used to smell like hyacinths and now it smells like dirty wax? Yeah. 'nuf said.

2) Whether or not coffee is good or bad for me. I like it and I'm drinking it, anyway. One year it causes cancer, the next it's harmless and in fact good for the brain. If anyone ever gets a real clue and gives me hard evidence about its ill effects (and I don't believe the stuff on it being bad for breasts or anxiety, either) then maybe I'll quit drinking it. But I have liked the taste of coffee all my life, ever since I drank the dregs from my mom's or dad's coffee cups when they asked me to tote them into the kitchen. And so far, I'm healthy as an ox. Enjoy coffee!!

3) Football. Pumped-up males making too much money to run a ball around a field. Huge muscles and huge egos, it seems. I just read where one NFL dude punched a **teammate** in the eye and broke his eye socket a few years back. And Punch-out Dude lives on, out in Hollywood, taking small TV roles. OJ Simpson was a football player. UGH. I don't have much respect for the sport. JMHO. Sorry.

4) Politics. I don't trust anyone in it. Maybe I would find some nice politicians out there if I were really interested in government and laws and such. But that stuff makes my eyes cross and I'm not afraid to admit it. To me, it all seems it's a bunch of egos again, wasting taxpayers' dollars by holding too many meetings and pontificating on either their own personal opinions or the opionions of people who support them--many with money they illegally received. Now, if I could, I might go back and study more on government in the early days. HOW it began IS interesting to me. I do enjoy government history, how court rulings changed laws, etc,... It's just that I didn't take a lot of it in school. I'll admit to a lack of knowledge and experience here. Maybe I should get "Politics for Dummies." Maybe I will.

5) Manicures and pedicures. Well, it's not that I don't care about them. I think they're great. I just don't wish to spend either the time or the money on them. I would rather buy yarn, or read, or knit, or write. Or spend that time with my family. Or a friend. If I need a mani or pedi, I'll do my own, thank you, and pocket the money and be in my own home while the fingers and toes are drying. And I won't have to worry about catching nail fungus, or being talked into getting an entire body wax for MORE $$$ by a tiny, fast-talking woman who wants to tack more $$$ onto her fee. AND I can use my own OPI polish, which I *know* will last a long time, and I don't have to worry that they ripped me off by using watered-down polish that will peel off in a matter of two days.

6) The Local News. It's ALL gloom and doom. The water supply is ridiculously low. The economy has gone to hell in a handbasket. Someone has burned up his family in an apartment fire. Someone got caught in a drug-related crossfire. Someone's body was found in a field. Someone took illegal campaign contributions. And have you noticed how, as with politics, people are always trying to pull you into the latest junk, just the stuff you're trying to avoid? For instance, someone'll ask me if I heard about the murder of the six-year-old who was found in the dumpster. "No," I reply, looking down, turning my shoulder away from them. "I don't like to watch the news. It depresses me." But the person continues on with, "Well, her parents were on Oprah. They said she was abused. Her head was cut off, they put her body in ten bags, and..." And on and on! You can imagine how I retreat from that conversation. I just SAID I don't like to watch the news because it's awful. It gives me nightmares. I already have a vivid imagination and I know when I can watch a 48 Hours mystery and when I really can't. At least with the profiled mysteries, there is usually a suspect and a trail and subsequent comeuppance. So, HELLO??? Would you *please* let me choose when I can and can't take the gory details? LOL

7) Whether or not people like my dog. **I** like my dog. If you don't like him, fine. I'm not asking you to live with him. And if you live here and you don't like him, then I'll help you pack. Fortunately, the blowhards living here who complain about my dog do in fact like him. They just enjoy complaining loudly and trying to jerk my chain. Most of the time I ignore them. But I'll admit I enjoy it when the dog clearly likes me better than them. He's not stupid. He knows who *really* loves him. Whenever I hear someone say they had to get rid of their cat or dog because their fiance or spouse or whatever didn't want the pet, unless they're allergic to the pet I say get rid of the fiance or spouse. What kind of person asks you to abandon an animal? Probably the same kind who wants to control when you have kids, what you wear and who you spend your time with. Run away!

Gee. This has been a fun exercise. I can see that I'm quite opinionated on several things. I try to keep my opinions to myself and be mostly pleasant to get along with. But this is freeing. I'm sure you won't agree on all this and I don't expect you to. It's a free world! So send me your comments and complaints. I can deal.

Next installment: Things I Really Really Like!

A new year, and some new thoughts

2009-01-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

Did you make New Year's resolutions? I did. I look forward to the few days before a new year, after the Christmas rush when I can sit down and happily ponder a new beginning to my little world. New plans, new thoughts, new hopes. So imagine my surprise when I asked others if they'd made their resolutions and they said they don't do them. They say if they made them, it'd just be a great reason to break them. Hunh? To me, that *really* shows a person isn't too disciplined. They don't like rules because if they are aware of them, they surely won't follow them? Dang. That's rather sad.

I also think it's a very easy way out. If I don't resolve to do better, I can just keep maintaining status quo (or less.) I don't have to make any plans. I don't have to aspire to any point higher than the plane I'm on right now.

I know I sound harsh, and I feel badly about it. I guess I'm just not cut from that sort of cloth, so it makes it really hard for me to put myself in someone's place and feel ho-hum about new beginnings. But maybe they think New Year's resolutions always have to be about losing weight, or some other decision like "get married" or "buy a house" or "exercise more." All of those top the resolutions lists annually. They also set many, many people up for failure. So maybe what those people who said they didn't make New Year's resolutions really mean is, they don't want to feel bad about themselves if they fail to follow through with their desires or plans. Fear of failure. Now THAT is definitely something I can relate to.

Still, with New Year's resolutions, I think it's key to think positively about them in the first place. Let them be fun things to do, things you want to do, things with steps that are easy to achieve. Then you won't be setting yourself up for failure. Also, have them be markers, stones you want to step on, upbeat stops along your life path that even if you don't achieve them are still good ideas and you'll be proud of at least making the attempt. So you fail. So what? At least you're a dreamer, a schemer, a forward-mover. That's how I see them and I think that's why they work for me.

Summary:

Glass half empty? New Year's resolutions are another chore, another thing you can fail at. Glass half full? They're something to look forward to and strive for, a positive motivator.

So here are my resolutions:

1) Try to stay motivated with my writing. This involves several steps I'm set on taking, such as: a new critique partner, better daily schedule involving less Googling and TV, etc,...

2) Read Pulitzer Prize winning fiction that I've missed, starting with The Shipping News, since someone loaned it to me a while back and it was on my bookshelf. I've printed out a list of prizewinners from 1917 to now. I believe there were 87 titles, most of which I haven't read. Some, I read the author but not that particular book. If you're subtracting 1917 from 2009 right now and coming up with more than 87 books, keep in mind that they didn't give out the award to *any* book in some years. And I'm not counting 2008 yet. Have they given the award for 2008? I don't know.

3) Be open to various avenues of romance publishing. By that I mean, seek out different markets if needs be. This one I'm *always* resolving to do. That's how people get published. Don't be narrow when it comes to marketing.

4) Be a nicer person. That's always on my list, too.

5) Train my dog. Heavy sigh here. My dog always needs training, but I've resolved to do weeks of obedience at a nearby training place. It'll be something new.

6) Further contemplate other things I may want to do if we move to the mountains. These are big pipedreams, so I won't go into detail. I mull over things, things I love doing and could make into a business, but have yet to make up real business plans, or buy any product, or even consider starting small online first. I'm afraid of failure in this area, so unless I change next year's resolution to "Make up my mind about a business" it still won't get done. So you see I'm not always Pollyanna.

That's all. Not a lot, and nothing really new and different except for the reading of Pulitzer books. I've already started the one, and I like it.

How about you? I'll bet you have resolutions, too. Maybe you don't want to label them as such, but they're there. And maybe mine aren't *really* New Year's resolutions, but just goals I'm reminded of in the days before the big ball drops in Times Square. What's the real difference between a goal and a resolution, anyway? The date? I think it's just, having a deadline. And January 1 works for me!

Come back in a year and I'll let you know how well the resolutions went.

Working with a Professional Organizer...and beyond

2008-10-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

In deep frustration over all the crap I've brought into my home, and the resulting stress-inducing piles that seemed to be taking over, I did it! I hired a professional organizer. It cost me $$, but hopefully that was just added incentive to toe the line now that the funds have run out, the organizing is over and I'm on my own again.

Paying hourly had me so money conscious that I talked really fast, like Joe Isuzu in those old TV commercials. It was rather funny. And weird. I think I had Organizer Deb's head spinning. Let's just say that after only three or four trips to my house, she knew me really well!

Deb taught me how to reassess the way I do things. In fact, I'm already changing two behaviors that I think will be a big help in keeping order around here. First, I haven't been putting things away as soon as I'm finished with them. I'm not the only one in this house who does that, but I'm a big offender. I have a lot of stuff and I tend to keep whatever I've been working on around me like little scouts at a campfire. But now that I've asked someone into my home and she has noted the problem, I'm committed to working on it. Secondly, Deb helped me see that all my little piles are a result of indecision. I could tell she has this 5 second rule with things she gets her hands on, ya know? She must really be able to fly through her daily chores.

In case you're curious, here's how we worked together:

Deb picks up one of my key chains: "What is this?"

Mel: "Well, see, I had this thing for key chains a few years back. And then my friends found out, and started giving me some, and suddenly I had a collection. I don't want them anymore, but--"

Deb: So, you're no longer collecting them?

Mel: "No, but--"

Deb: "Get rid of them."

Mel: "Well, I was thinking I could sell them on eBay. But I really hate doing eBay lately. It's such a hassle, so I--"

Deb: "So get rid of them."

Mel (looking dubious): "I guess I *could.*"

Deb: "Give them to me. I'll take them away for you."

Mel (eyeing the tiny Barbie, the ant farm, the mini barrel containing Yahtzee dice and even a little pad and pencil)

Deb picks up two handfuls of key chains and deposits them in her purse

Mel wonders briefly if Deb is going to give them out as party favors or a birthday gift, but then tells herself that's crazy. Deb has already had them 5 seconds longer than she would like to have them

Deb (turning, brow arched): "And what is in that chair?"

Mel: "Sweaters. I got them at the thrift store."

Deb (nodding knowingly, after having already heard "thrift store" from Mel at least 50 times): "Of course you did."

Mel: "See, I thought I'd felt them and make them into purses. I already washed them, and then I have to cut them out, and I don't have the handles for them yet. So--"

Deb: "You don't need another project." (hairy eyeball) "Get rid of them."

Mel: "Okay." Looks a little worried, but puts the sweaters into a "Giveaway" pile.

Deb: "Good girl."

Mel smiles over the praise and is totally okay with letting go of her crap

And *that* is how it goes, people. Things have been flying out the door, thanks to Deb my wonderful organizer. You, too, can purchase clutter-freeing hours with her, from her website at organizerdeb@charter.net. I've made a little parody of Deb's and my working together here, but the bottom line is, she helped me tremendously in just 12 short hours. She rocks!

The Daddy Issue is Contracted!

2008-08-13T04:39:00.000-07:00

Yea! I have a new contract on The Daddy Issue. It'll be a Champagne Rose selection from The Wild Rose Press.

I'm enjoying learning about all the marketing opportunities with my new publisher. For one thing, they send our titles out to several review sites. That's great for getting the readers' attention.

They also create some eye-catching cover art.

If you'd like to check out some of the books available right now, just click on their blog that appears under my new "Blog List" section on this blog.

I hope to have a cover to share with you soon. Can't wait!

Meanwhile, back to the current work-in-progress...

Creating Emotion

2008-08-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been searching for ways to imbue the writing with emotion. I want that feeling that the reader can't put down the book, the sense that the characters are real people, and that you want to know their lives, their hopes, their dreams.

I found a few online articles on the topic. It seems I'm not the only writer worrying over this tidbit.

When you can't put down a book, when you read for hours, the author has hooked into YOUR emotions by putting a lot of himself/herself into the writing.

Just ordered Margie Lawson's Empowering Characters' Emotions. She's a psychologist, and a good observer of human nature. I think that's something that benefits everyone. The ability to read body language is a huge plus when it comes to understanding people, or characters from a writer's perspective.

I'm kinda drained today, so not as chatty. Been trying to lose the "he nodded" and "she sighed" usual stuff and come up with real, honest descriptions.

One thing I've discovered: writing with emotion takes a lot out of me!

Happy writing! (and reading)

Writing Romance (and devotionals)

2008-07-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back to romances again. I'm in Ch1 of a new manuscript. Let's hope this one goes better than the mystery I started, and I can actually make it on to more chapters! I needed a break and I hope it has helped me to better concentrate on the emotional stuff I need to get into my story. After all, I've learned what I know about writing thru the romance industry, so I feel I should stick to my roots and not veer off in other directions. Some people can do that and do it well. I've tried, and each time, I just lose all my momentum.

Risk. Stakes. Upping the ante for the hero and heroine. It's starting to sink in, after all these years. This is what Harlequin is looking for. The lack of it results in rejections. I don't want another rejection. <>

Anyway, just thought I'd tell everyone that I'm back to romance writing. Two people have said, "Yea!" That's uplifting! I hope I don't disappoint my two fans (Marsha and Torie.) LOLOL

And I wrote a devotional this week for our church. It reminded me of some of the entries I did for the Comfort Ministry manual. This one was on seeking perfection. There was a time when I wanted to be perfect in just about everything I did. But I learned my lesson, and now I do not believe God expects us to be perfect. He knows we're all sinners. We're supposed to seek perfection though, according to both the Old and New Testaments. But it ain't easy. As usual, we're mere humans, trying to walk the straight path. Sounds so simple, yet only one ever achieved it--the One and Only. That's why I love the 1Corinthians:12-13 passages, 12"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Our Bible study lesson was on faith and unfaith. I think if we have hope, and especially if we have love, then it leads to faith. The two, love and hope, make us want to be faithful. When you love someone or something, you will do things you would never do. You'll take leaps of faith, based on that love.

So, does love+hope+faith=perfect? Maybe so. Food for thought, anyway.

End of sermon! Just practicing devotional stuff on *you.*

On a lighter note, after much floor wrestling with both Buddy the sheltie and me, the cattle dog is sleeping. SSSSSSHHHHHH!!!

Continuation of Last Post and Breakthrough!

2008-07-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Hey! While I was in the shower, something struck me. The answer to all my worries lately. Ready for it?

BE HAPPY

Simple and true. Here is what I just emailed a friend, concerning this light bulb moment:

I just wrote on my blog about how anal I am. I was angsting about my dog's poor manners and how I was searching out the best trainer around, how I am obsessing about just starting this new story, and worrying over whether I should be knitting or sewing goofy stuff or heirlooms. Suddenly it dawned on me what the answer to all of my troubles is: be happy.

Be happy w/my dog, whom I love no matter what he does. Be happy with my story and just enjoy the heck out of writing. Be happy with my needlework. Who gives a crap if all I ever crochet is rosary bag booties? There's a story behind that last one. I'll tell it in a second.

Anyway, I have decided to quit being so hard on myself. For today. Remind me of this decision tomorrow. I am terrible this way. I go in definite cycles, but yesterday and this morning were doozies of the downward spiral type.

As for rosary bag booties, I'm not Catholic and only know the bare basics about rosaries. It's just that when my niece was a baby, my sister had this Great Aunt Katherine on her husband's side who gave her several sets of these odd-looking, square-toed baby booties. Seems Aunt Katherine was always crocheting rosary bags for her church bazaar, and we surmised that one day when someone had a baby, Aunt Katherine realized she could make two matching rosary bags and they'd pass as booties! After all, they were about the size of a little foot, and tied off at the top to stay on nicely (or contain a bunch of beads.)

I need to be more like Aunt Katherine. I didn't ever meet her, but I can imagine that she just took great joy in her craft.

I am tired of.....

2008-07-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

...eating Zone Perfect bars!! Ugh. Especially the Fudge Graham ones. Those are Frank's. I like the Peanut Butter. But mine are gone so I've started in on his. They're too sweet. The only reason I eat them is because I have a sweet tooth and somehow feel they're better for me than a candy bar. And I can control how many I eat cuz they're in individual packaging.

...trying to figure out how to train a cattle dog. I've finally found the experts who can help me, though. This guy has trained national champs in obedience and agility. He has received awards with his own dogs, and many of his staff members have won awards with dogs. He provides feedback in law enforcement trials concerning dogs (ie police dog biting a fleeing suspect, etc,...) and he's been at this for several years. I think he can probably tackle Shadow and me, so we have enrolled in a day of assessment and training. Meanwhile, Shadow is bored. Last night, he "tackled" an empty Coke case and really enjoyed ripping it into a million tiny pieces. This annoyed Frank no end, but I was just happy that the dog found something entertaining and rather innocuous to do with himself for a few happy minutes.

...plotting a new story. This story is not coming easily. I have a hard time pre-planning a book, and I'm about to quit on this one. I'd rather do it seat-of-my-pants and I'm going to revert to that method as soon as I get frustrated enough with working on this synopsis. It stinks trying to come up with stuff before I know my characters. I've done enough work on character sheets to start and not work myself into a hole. I think I may get busy and let the story flow from them.

...worrying over what I should be doing with my needlework. My latest thoughts are, should I be doing needlework the Napoleon Dynamite way, as in, "Whatever I feel like doing! Gosh!" or should I be creating the best I can create, in the way of heirlooms? What is the answer to this??? It's driving me nuts! Heirlooms can take a while. They take years of practice, or hours of tedious sewing, knitting, embroidery. Some things are just fun because you don't have to sweat them. Pincushions. Altoids sewing kits. Bookmarks. They satisfy the need to complete things faster. What to do, what to do. And needlework was always the one thing I didn't sweat so much. Now I've decided to pour my perfectionism into that, too. As Frank said, "It's not enough that each piece must be perfect in your eyes? Now you're putting your perfecting into even deciding what to work on?"

...worrying about what to have in each room of my house, and what to throw out. It bugs me that I can't make decisions. I would like to just know what I liked and what I was hanging on to out of fear, guilt, concern. You know. I just would rather be a little more satisfied and less of a worrywart.

I hate worrywarts!! And look! I'm the worst!

Okay. Back to work on a manuscript that has me worried from the start, about *starting* it!

Sheesh. It's a wonder I ever complete *any* project, and it's an even bigger wonder that I'm ever satisfied with it once I do.

My dog is snoring. That's a satisfying sound. Oh, to just be a sleeping dog.

How Not to Write a Manuscript

2008-05-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well, there are many ways to not be writing. I've discovered a few lately that might be considered the ultimate in procrastination. We've already discussed the huge error of rescuing a dog from animal control and then finding out he's part Aussie Cattle Dog, ie he has dingo blood in him. BIG mistake for writers to own this type of demanding dog. Next, I took improv comedy class. It was fun. It was mentally stimulating, and physical, and all those things that you would think would make me want to write. It didn't. It was just a great way not to write. Plus, I could check it off my "bucket list."

Here are my current procrastinating ways:

1) Taking a beginner's quilting class for 5 weeks
2) Crocheting a rug

3) Selling items on Craig's List
4) Still thrift shopping

5) Joined a pin cushion enthusiasts Yahoo group!!

6) Looking at just about any/every free needlework tutorial

I can find online, and saving them so I can make things like

the Altoids case (above) as small projects between my big ones

like the 10-year bedspread project I'm knitting out of thread on needles the width of toothpicks

I think I have a small problem with overloading my schedule and overworking my poor hands and eyes. I think a large part of it is a way to fill up my time while I lay off creating stories, trying to consider which market is right for my characters and what I want to tell people thru fiction.

If you can offer any help, it would be appreciated. Is there a Procrastinators Anonymous already, or should I start one? LOLOLOL

Tossed Out Treasures

2008-04-03T04:18:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. I have an addiction to buying other people's cast-offs. It's getting me into trouble in my own home because there is too much "stuff" in here.

Maybe people get rid of their things for a *reason,* and that reason is NOT supposed to be to clutter up *my* house!

I think I need a 12-step program.

I bought a set of these flour, sugar and coffee (?) canisters this week. But I already own two other canisters sets. And I notice there are several of these currently on eBay and they're not selling that well. <>

Also bought one framed print and one framed watercolor that I can put in the renovated bathrooms.

Trouble is, I'm attending this big sale tonight here called "Tossed Out Treasures," and boy, is it full of goodies! I usually come home with plenty of goodies for the house and the cabin. But if I don't rehabilitate myself soon, I'm gonna need another place to put all this stuff.

I need an intervention. If anyone has any words of wisdom or is willing to send me regular reminders to quit bargain shopping, I could really use your help!

Ponderings on Elevators and War

2008-04-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

Today is Wednesday. Hump Day. What's going on in my life today? Well...

I'm pretty proud of myself because I've been somewhat consistent with blogging. Ooh, and another thing I'm proud of is, yesterday I made it all the way to the 19th floor of the Westin Hotel in the elevator! A friend had told me about a jewelry showing there, so I ventured out to look for graduation and birthday gifts. She *hadn't* said the show was on that floor, so I was immediately disappointed when I saw the sign that read, "Jewelry Show--Suite 1921." For years, I've been deathly afraid of elevators. I got really panicky/claustrophobic in an elevator that stopped on me in my 20's, so since then I've had trouble going in them. I resorted to climbing lots of stairs (in some very smarmy stairwells at times) and also asking for low floors when we stayed in rooms in hotels. But thanks to some anti-anxiety medication I took a few years ago, I started back into elevators panic-free. Once off the meds, I forced myself to continue my behavioral therapy by not resorting to stairs. Wow. Now I can really appreciate elevators again. They're fast and efficient. Thank you, Otis the Elevator Man!

The maids are here. Two of them. And there are two men cutting a hole in my bathroom wall. My *new* (as of last year) wall. Apparently there was a cast iron plumbing pipe in there, and when they realized the drywall went right up against it, they cut out the drywall plaster all the way to the paper and let that rest on the pipe. Well, when the pipe gets condensation on it, it wets the drywall, and we'd noticed the wall cracking and being wet. Now they're going to put plastic on it.

It's always *something,* isn't it?

I have to write another scene today. I'm forcing myself to get busy. I really like how this mystery I'm writing is going, but I'm very slow with it at the moment. Not presenting it to anyone for critique, so that means I don't have any real deadlines. Hm, could be a problem!

What else? Dinner at church tonight. We go to a small church, so we're all like family. After that is Bible study. Our teacher, Arnold Schumacher, was in Hitler's youth army. He was pressed into service when he was 14. But he refused to sign the Nazi papers, and I believe he said he refused twice. At that time, my dad was 17 and he lied about his age and joined up to fight for the U.S. When Arnold heard that Dad had been a medic's aide in the war, he said, "Tell your father thank you. If it weren't for the American hospital, I wouldn't be here. They saved my life." Just a little war tidbit that's so interesting to me. We're so trained to think that all the Germans were against us, and we were against all of them. There's always more to a story.

That's it for now, kids! Back to writing. Okay, I'll tell the truth. I've been doing more talking with Silvana, my maid, than writing. Bad Mel. But she's an interesting topic, too. She's from Uruguay. She cleans four or five houses a day, and she's too tired at night to learn English. She wants to, but she can't concentrate. All her friends here speak Spanish. So after five years, she hasn't learned enough English to feel comfortable. I told her if she wants to come over on Saturdays, I can work with her on it. But I suspect she probably won't. I think she needs the down time, anyway. She works very, very hard.

Now I'm really signing off!

A Finished Project--Farmhouse Rug (wall hanging)

2008-03-31T04:47:00.000-07:00

This was NOT easy, but I'm happy with the results. I did a lot of over the 2 weeks that Mom was in the hospital two falls back, having an emergency surgery.

Each color required two bobbins of yarn. I cut my "bobbins" from cardboard, because you have to have plenty of yarn on them. The small plastic manufactured ones wouldn't be sufficient. At one point, I think I was carrying 22 bobbins across the rows. It was around the area of the various fields + the small outbuilding.

I'll never forget sitting there in Mom's room with Dad, and glancing up when I heard him snickering. "You spend more time untangling the bobbins than you do knitting," he said. That was a very true statement. So if you decide to do this project, beware! Oh, and it's from the book, Knitter's Stash. It's the farmhouse rug, made with Cascade 220, 100% wool. Since I once hooked a rug where I hand cut all the 1/4" wide strips of wool, only to have my cat pee on it, this "rug" will always be on a wall.

What Should I Do With My Life?

2008-03-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book called "What Should I Do With My Life?" by Po Bronson and I'm getting a lot out of it. I'm not trying to answer that question. This book won't answer that. It's not a "What Color is Your Parachute." It's more of a series of 50 two-page vignettes about people who either found their calling, or didn't find it, or are still seeking it. Ooh, and there are photos of many of them, so you can "see' them, too.

This book is really cool cuz it makes you think about yourself and where you are in life, what you're contributing, if you really *do* love what you're doing, how you found your niche, etc,... Like, I enjoy knowing that there are people out there who believed with all their hearts that they were doctors, only to practice medicine for years before suddenly realizing it wasn't what they were meant to do. I'm very hard on myself, so knowing people are allowed to make big mistakes, or to go down the wrong path for a while, makes me feel better. I guess it's because I have yet to feel that big sense of accomplishment. Fulfillment is something I'm still seeking, and there are those people in this book who are definitely still on that path with me.

I suppose you could call it a Weight Watchers type mentality that makes me like this book. When I want to really work on losing weight, I go to WW. Why? Because of who is also there: the leader and the weigh-in helpers, who have all earned their jobs by losing their weight and keeping it off are , other WWers who have been around longer than me and call tell me all their weight-loss tips, the joiners who start on the path with me and sort of become my teammates, and the ones who come in after. It's the community effect that spurs me on in other areas of my life, and I think it's why I liked this book. "You're not in this alone" is so inspiring for people.

This is THE coolest!!

2008-03-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

I saw this and thought it was the coolest thing I've seen in a while. I hope I don't get in trouble for copying it, but it's so neat, I wanted to share:

What a great example of how books can make us feel. Especially romances.

Phyllis A. Whitney Dead at 104

2008-02-16T07:08:00.000-08:00

Honestly I had no idea if she was living or not. All I know is that when I was in 6th grade, I read ALL of her young adult books and probably some adult mystery type books, too. She had a great influence on me, she and author Dorothy Eden. I'd graduated from reading all the dog books in the school library, and I just remember the gothic, sort of cozy mystery feel of these YA authors' writings.

So according to her obit, Ms. Whitney was indeed 104 years old when she passed away recently. She had written for over 50 years. When she was 79, she said she'd always thought when she "was old" she would read her books over again. But she never felt old!

I think that's the secret to longevity, don't you? If you never *feel* old, or act old, then maybe you fool your body into believing it's still young and you keep on going! LOL

Anyway, I'm just in awe of people like Ms. Whitney. The obit said she and her first husband divorced after I think 5 years, and it implied that he did not support her writing and that was a cause of their parting ways. I'm glad my hubby supports my writing. I can't imagine living with someone who didn't believe in me. What kind of love is that? Fortunately for her, Phyllis Whitney remarried and that one must've been a good guy cuz they were married until his death in the 1970's. She outlived him by a lot!!

Well, two great influences on my writing have passed away lately, the other being Kathleen Woodiwiss. She turned so many of us on to romance novels, and got us involved in the industry. She made a writer want to put the passion behind the prose. Man, was she good at it.

Kathleen and Phyllis, I'm sure you're entertaining the crowds up there in heaven!

Tag, You're IT!

2008-02-14T13:20:00.001-08:00

Okay. I just *lost* the entire post I'd just written! GRRR. If anyone reading this knows how to copy a post or save it so it doesn't disappear, please let me know. I can't seem to keep rough drafts. It *said* it autosaved, but it didn't.

Writer Cat Schield "tagged" my blog as one that she enjoys. Thanks, Cat! Apparently tagging is a way to connect to other writers and share thoughts and supports and updates, so I'm all for that. There are rules to the game of tag here. I'm supposed to share 6 unimportant things about myself, and then link back to Cat's blog and others' and to post the rules on here. So here goes:

6 Unimportant Things about Mel:

1) I'm addicted to reality shows. I started with "Survivor" and "The Mole." Got bored with Survivor years ago, and The Mole has been off for forever, but I now watch "Intervention," "Mission:Organization," "Rock of Love" and "Project Runway," to name a few! Never got into "The Great Race" but can't wait for each "Big Brother" or "American Idol." Love "First 48," where detectives work on the first 48 hours of a real homicide case. If you want to know what makes me love these shows, read Unimportant Thing about Me #6.

2) Roses aren't my favorite flowers. Roses are so...popular. I like the fresh-picked look of a wildflower arrangement, as long as it doesn't contain mums and other hothouse-looking stuff. I like to garden, so maybe that explains my preference.

3) I love to sing. I'm not very good at it, but I know a LOT of songs and have a knack for remembering lyrics. I can just enjoy singing to myself or unfortunate family members, but I have no pressing need to really perform for others. Sadly, I don't feel that way about writing. It pains me to not have a book out there that people believe in. It makes me feel inadequate. I would love to be writing and selling. Writing is different from singing in that a book proves you can do it! At least, it proves it to the author. It doesn't really matter how many people say it's cool that I can even put sentences together. I just want the publishing industry to believe in me! Correction: it *does* help when people compliment me for being a writer. It helps a lot. The way I feel about not having a big publishing contract is just me being hard on myself, and I know that.

4) I was sick a lot when I was a kid, bouncing back and forth between sore throats and bladder infections. I only became healthy when, at 10, I had surgeries to correct their causes. So I had to spend a lot of time alone. That's when I learned to entertain myself with needlework and reading. And imagining. I feel that's what made me able to be happily alone most days, which is quite conducive to writing.

5) I LOVE St. Pattie's Day!! We like to celebrate it. It's a great time of the year to have a party cuz it's after the big holidays and before Spring break. We love to fix Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread and have Irish beer. I love green! It's my fave color.

6) I'm constantly amazed by people. I think something that fascinates me most is the dichotomy of all the wonderful, big-hearted people, and all the selfish people. But really, everything about people is interesting to me. I'd be happy for the rest of my life if I could just talk to people, observe them and think, "Why are they that way?"

Now I'm supposed to post the "Tag" rules, so here they are:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.
5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.

The six people are: Cat, Mary, Chelle, Carla, Angi, Cynthia.

Write on!

On submissions, Improv Comedy and one Crazy Dog

2008-02-07T22:11:00.000-08:00

Current mood: upbeat

I *should* be tired since it's 1:12 am and I'm not in bed. Gotta get up at 7 am, but oh, well. I haven't blogged in a while, and I can always sleep!

I'm feeling encouraged because I've got The Daddy Issue out for review and I just now emailed Mending Rafe's Heart out to a publisher. So will be waiting to hear on those two manuscripts. Meanwhile, I dropped the idea of writing something for the Harlequin Presents contest. It was a good idea until I actually tried it. I don't think I have the voice for that line. But at least I made an attempt that I canned *before* I wrote a 50,000-word manuscript.

I've decided to try writing an amateur sleuth mystery. There may be a dash of romance in it, and then again, maybe not. I'm thinking that with my love of fleshing out the main characters by showing their interactions with those around them, cozy mysteries may be the better way to go. That gives me a cast of suspects with motives! Sounds like fun! And God knows we writers have to have fun with the process. If not, we dig in our heels and do things like, well, anything but write.

Meanwhile, improv comedy is sooo cool! It's HARD. It's fun. It's frustrating. Imagine coming up with jokes about corn at 10:30 at night. Or if that's not up your alley, how about acting out a scene with another player where every line has to start with the next letter of the alphabet?That's improv!

Dog agility training, on the other hand, is not fun when you have the class clown dog. My dog wants to bark, to play, to lunge. He thinks running thru tunnels and walking up and down A-frames is tame compared to what HE can do, which reminds me of that white bear in the Dr. Seuss book, Put Me in The Zoo. When I think about my dog Shadow, I'm always playing this rhyme from that book over in my head: "They would put me in the zoo if they could see what *I* can do!" But alas, this Aussie cattle dog must live (boringly) at home with us, in our once peaceful home. Arrgh. He'd be a halfway decent dog if he wouldn't seek out entertainment like chewing the feet off my 100-year-old doll! And that's just one of his many feats around here. Shadow also reminds me of the movie "Napoleon Dynamite." Remember the scene where Napoleon is on the bus and the younger kid goes, "What're you gonna do today, Napoleon?" And he answers, "Whatever I *feel* like doing. GOSH." That's the cattle dog mentality. Today my friend Emily said Shadow looks like the Blue Dog. I agree. He has that same intense gaze. Too bad I can't sell Shadow for $22,000, which is what Rodrigue is getting for his original Blue Dog paintings these days! Guess I'm stuck with my practically free pound pup. Good thing I love him.

Time To Write

2008-01-22T04:25:00.001-08:00

Sure wish I had more of it!
Yesterday was dance aerobics starting at 8:30 am and I didn't finish my day until improv comedy class ended at 10:30. In between I attended Weight Watchers, a doctor's appointment for T and held an animated phone discussion with an educational consultant to decide if I want to shell out $$$ for help with T's college placement.

Meanwhile, Jacques Renault and Margaret Kestle waited for me to get on with their story, Margaret with crossed arms, tapping her fingers and Jacques pacing and with a scowl contorting his dark, rugged features.

The Harlequin Presents contest deadline looms and my characters shout, "Get on with it!" while I count calories, try to firm up the bod, angst over my kids, train/contain our cattle dog and try to improve my punch lines, eye contact and storytelling with a band of other fools late at night! (jk--love you guys!)

Two Posts in One Evening

2008-01-17T20:23:00.001-08:00

This is to prove that when I'm not typing, I'm still moving my fingers.

Okay, so I'm also a knitter. Been at it since I was about 8 years old.

Over Christmas, I made a few ornaments, as usual. Also am almost finished with a sweater I started for myself back in August. But a quick, fun project was a Dark Mark (Harry Potter ) Illusion Scarf that I did for my 16-year-old daughter. She saw the free pattern on another knitter's blog and said she would like it. Illusion, or shadow knitting, is a cool way of knitting to a chart (like counted cross-stitch) where your purl stitches in contrast with the knitted ones create a "shadow" of something in what at most angles appears to be a simple striped scarf. The far left photo is of the scarf from most angles, looking like it's just striped. The second photo shows the snake-through-the-skull that it knitted in on both ends. Pretty cool, hunh?

Oookay, I feel bad about not blogging for four months

2008-01-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

I just went to one of my critique partner's websites and saw that she blogs all the time. Now I feel bad or not writing anything on here in months. So, thanks to Anne, I'm back!

Much has happened since August when I last wrote a message. Here's a rundown:

1) I entered Mending Rafe's Heart in a synopsis contest on eHarlequin and finaled, along with four other finalists. We then pitched our manuscripts in a chat room, to Senior Editor Wanda Ottewell of Harlequin Superromance. That was SCARY!! And we had to type really fast and think fast. In the end, Wanda asked to see our partials (3 chapters.)

2) Sent the partial in to Harl Canada on 9/5. Received a very nice rejection letter (as rejection letters go) from Wanda. It contained two full paragraphs on what I'd done right and what she felt needed work. She said I'd created strong characters and both were credible and contemporary. She said my heroine was determined and independent and the type they looked for. She liked the hero's balance of business-like attitude and personal vulnerability. But she felt the romantic conflict was not as strong and the hero didn't have enough at stake. She offered precise suggestions on how to fix those issues, such as having the heroine and hero not know each other previously. But she did not offer to look at the manuscript again, and that means there is no way I can apply her suggestions and fix the manuscript for her review again. I did discover that all five of us pitch winners received rejection letters, so I'm not alone. Still, it's painful.

3) Decided to try the Harlequin Presents contest. They require a chapter and synopsis by Feb. 14. I'll have to work hard and fast in order to get my entry in. But this is a line that is expanding to 12 books/month. So they *do* need new authors, or at least more manuscripts.

4) Sent The Daddy Issue out to two other publishers, in hopes that they will see the merit in Daniel's and Gretchen's romance.

5) Preparing to send Mending Rafe's Heart out to another publisher.

What I need to do now is work, work, work on my Presents contest entry. It's a chance, and chances are always appreciated.

On Finishing the Book!!

2007-08-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

This'll be a quick blog about finishing the manuscript, cuz I'm in the midst of finishing the manuscript and I can barely stop long enough to blog. It's weird how, at the end, it suddenly all comes rolling out of the brain. It's the characters talking and trying to get their roles wrapped up, I guess.

So, how am I feeling about it? Happy. Sad. Worried. The usual!

First, I'm very excited to be finishing. Then I'm sad to be ending my relationship with these characters. And finally, I'm worried that it won't be good enough.

It's always a great feeling to finish a manuscript. Its' like dancing on air. Writing a whole book, a full story centered around these people's lives is just such a huge undertaking for me. It took me a year to write this book. A year's worth of sitting on the sofa, thinking and typing, hoping what I created was the perfect little scene for each moment in the characters' lives.

I'm sad because Rafe was so hurt. Then he was so into Jolie. Then he was so set on leaving her. And *then* he was so wrong about it, and had to make amends in a big way. And it was sad leaving Jolie because she was fun-loving, gentle and looked at the world with a glass-half-full attitude. Though she'd been through some tough moments in her life, she recognized others' troubles and felt they were worse than hers. Both really cared about their families. I like family people.

And finally, I'm worried because even though I think this is the best story I've written, maybe I'm the only one who'll think that. I so want an editor to read this and go, "Wow. These seem like real people, and I'm rooting for them to get what they want."

Okay. Now I have to run because the *other* characters in my life are becoming loud and demanding attention. That would be my husband and kids.

I'll blog when I'm really totally finished! Then the fun part starts: the tightening. Actually, I love revisions because I've got more than a blank page to work with, as they say.

Talk atcha latah!

Mel

Why are Category Romances so Hard To Write?

2007-06-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Good question! And when I Googled it, I discovered I wasn't the first to ponder the dilemma. I hope it's okay to copy and paste from this website. I could put the url, but I really wanted this little discussion from the Barnes&Noble Romance Book Writing Club on here "live and in person." I don't know who started the discussion, but here it is. And they refer (in this part or another) about an article Jenny Crusie wrote on the topic, for which I *will* put the url: http://www.jennycrusie.com/essays/sobill.php

So anyway, I just round this author Jenny Haddon's reply about what makes category so difficult to write spot-on and wanted to share it with you.

So here is the discussion:

Unknown questioner writes: Thanks, Sophie. I found the article (of Jenny Crusie's.) It made me understand why a talented author wouldn't want to write category romance.

Author Jenny Haddon replies:
Hey, I DON'T think talented authors have an aversion to category romance. Some people who want Reviews in the New York Times or Credibility with the Sisterhood can get a bit sniffy about it but I think people who write for a living recognize quality writing. And you have one of the best here, in Leigh Michaels. I've loved her books for years and still think that 'With No Reservations' is an absolute model of the genre - pushes at the 'rules' but delivers the absolutely perfect and utterly believable happy ending.Also, don't forget that writing category romance for Harlequin Mills and Boon is one of the few ways that you can get to communicate round the world. I'm in 25 languages and more than "100 international outlets" - what bout you, Leigh?I DO think that some writers find category romance very difficult. I said I would think about why and the best I can come up with is this; Category Romance is what I call a single experience read. That means it has to be very tightly woven. The author has to give the reader all the usual elements of a novel - a sense that the characters lived before the book started and will go on when it finishes; a sense of their world; a sense that they have normal lives and work and relationships. BUT you have almost no room to spend any time on it. A category romance novel is 55,000 words tops. That means that, in order to get in all the usual layers, you have to make sure that every incident on comment carries the story forward AND tells you something about the character AND helps paint a picture of the life the characters normally live. And you've got to get all the passion and hope and fear and risks and humour of a serious love affair as well. That is very economical writing indeed. It's like playing three dimensional chess, if you like. You can only do it well, if that's how you think. Some lovely writers DON'T think like that and never feel comfortable trying to.Just a theory - what do you think, Leigh?

News on The Daddy Issue

2007-05-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I've had to cut ties with my publiser, Premium Press America. Things did not pan out as promised. I'm very disappointed. But I'm also happy that I have my rights back and can now begin the marketing of the manuscript again.

Today I sent it out, and will see what I hear on it. I'll keep you posted. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

What is the lesson to be learned here? Well, I guess I could say you can't trust people, but that's not true. You can't go through life not trusting that things will turn out right, or good. I was skeptical. But then, I'm always guarded, since I've seen so much happen in the romance publishing industry in the years I've been around. But I was also hopeful. You have to keep up your hopes, or you'll quit. It's that simple.

I'm a little off my game right now, but I hope to get a chapter completed on my work-in-progress while I'm at the beach next week. Some people go to the beach to vacation. I'm looking forward to working. See, the other people I live with don't get up 'til around 11 in the morning, so I have from 7 to 11 to write. I'll take advantage of that, and then still have plenty of time to bike, walk the beach, shop and eat. It's our family vacation, and we all just want to chill as much as possible.

I hope your writing is going well, all you other writers. I know you're busy, busy, with summer here and with all that you do, too. It's so easy not to write. But know that I'm here doing it, too. Let's keep each other motivated!!

Write on!

But it ain't that easy

2007-04-29T07:13:00.001-07:00

I did it six years ago, with an epublishing company. I wrote and sold a romance. But that doesn’t count. It wasn’t a print book, which is my real goal. I sold about 200 copies, and that was cool. But now I have my rights back. Now I’m revising that manuscript, and I’m shuddering. Those poor readers. I owe them their money back. This book is terrible. What was the editor thinking?

I contacted an editor of a book publishing company. He says to send it. He’ll read it and consider putting it in their romance line. But UGH I have to make a lot of revisions first, because it’s truly awful. I’ve learned a few things from my wonderful critique group. I’ve grown. I know how to pace the story better, create tighter tension, paint the scenes with more succinctness.

But that doesn’t mean I’ll achieve my goal. The business is fickle. I may be writing stuff they no longer care about. I know erotic and paranormal are the hot market items. But I don’t care about people making love with ghosts or vampires. Not to diss anyone who loves them. That’s fine. They’re just not for me. And I don’t really want to read a book that’s all about gratuitous sex. But you can, if you want to. I don’t mind at all.

I have to fix this story, this little romantic suspense that drags often, that veers off the romance with too much 2ndary char interaction. At least when I’m finished, I’ll know I made it better. That’s some comfort, even if I don’t achieve my goal immediately.

It’s nice to state the goal in a public forum. Not that I need motivation. What I need is more talent, and a brain that clicks faster. Maybe I need to visit the wizard. Maybe he’d tell me, “You have a brain, but it’s an abusive one. It’s telling you you’re not good enough, you’re slow. Ignore it and listen to your heart. It’s saying you are good enough. You’ve learned. You’ve grown. You’ve got the courage others don’t. Who are you trying to prove yourself to? Those who matter already like you and think you’re talented.

Yeah, yeah. I can sit around and not write with a happy heart, a happy life. Or I can write and angst about all those other romance authors getting ahead, getting agents and contracts and being feted at the conferences.

Guess which one I choose, and have chosen for over a decade?

See more progress on: Write and Sell A Romance

Stuffing Square Characters into Round Actions/Reactions

2007-03-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Writing a book (in my case a romance) is sometimes fun and often hair-pulling-out frustrating. It's a wonder I didn't go completely bald years ago!

My current work-in-progress (WIP) is finally to the point where the characters want to tell their own story. And they want to be together and stay that way. I'm actually having trouble keeping them off each other. I think I finally realized that all that peripheral stuff is cool, but what Jolie and Rafe really want is to follow their animal instincts. Well, of course what they really want is love, but right now it's physical attraction they're fighting. The emotional stuff will come later, though they kick and scream to avoid it. And all that other stuff that they do from chapter to chapter and scene to scene, the part that isn't about love and sex, had better be leading them through an up and down, great romantic ride. Gosh, I hope I have enough of all that to occupy them so that I don't turn this into an erotic romance! This is supposed to be another Home and Family type story.

I wonder why it seems to take me about 90 pages, and one 90-page rewrite, before I understand that the romantic conflict (why these two characters can't be together) should always be obvious and up front in the story. Hopefully it got ingrained in my brain this time, so I won't work for so long on the next story.

I like it when the characters finally start to mold themselves (with my help, and my critique partners') into what they should be. That's the magic of writing. We writers manipulate and manipulate. Quite often, I catch myself trying to squeeze a square character into a round action or reaction, or so it seems, and they just won't fit. Someone reads it and goes, "What the heck? Why is he so mean?" or "When did she decide to be wimpy?" Then I know it's because I'm trying too hard to accomplish what doesn't need to be done. All that *needs* to be there are characters who love, who dream, who are passionate about their feelings, who are endearingly obstinate, and who are right for each other in ways they don't even know yet.

Sounds soooo easy. Trust me, it's much easier to synopsize the process than it is to work through it.

Well, that's it for now. Back to Rafe and Jolie. They're wanting me to hurry up and get to the fun stuff.

That 4 Things About Me Thing Going Around

2007-03-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

Okay. I fell for it. So here it is:

Four jobs you may not have known I have had in my life:

1. department floater/fill-in at Federated department store
2. cocktail waitress (Victoria Station)
3. food service amusement park (Kings Island, OH)
4. credit card collections (as part of bank mgmt training)

Four movies I could watch over and over.

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's (just saw it the other day...again)
2. Pride & Prejudice
3. The Quiet Man
4. Groundhog Day

Four places I have lived.

I think I'll pass on this, in case I have a stalker (Eek!)

If you know me, you know where I've lived. Let's just say I haven't lived in the Dakotas, CA, Alaska, and a bunch of other states on the left side of the map.

Four TV shows I love to watch:

1. American Idol
2. Medium
3. Forensic Files or Snapped
4. Cash in The Attic

Four places I have been on vacation

1. Bermuda
2. Hawaii
3. The Caribbean
4. Europe

Four favorite foods

1. Sushi (cooked only)
2. seafood
3. Thai food
4. sugary food! Prefer homemade

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. With my parents or sisters
2. With Aunt Dot in Memphis
3. in Europe with Frank
4 . at our cabin

Four of my favorite candy

1. 3 Musketeers bar (I just ate one--yum!)
2. Bassetts Licorice All Sorts (I'm the only one in the world who likes these)
3. jelly beans
4. Peeps

New Print Date for The Daddy Issue

2007-03-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

In case anyone is wondering when The Daddy Issue will be released, I'm being told it's now April. Sorry for the confusion. I'm told it has to do with distributor contracts and printing schedules.

I'm very excited about the book. I've been writing for fifteen years, and all I can say is, "It's about time." This is actually my second published romance, as I sold a manuscript to an ebook publisher in 2000. That book is now my option book with Premium Press. I'm hoping they'll be able to put it in the 20007 publishing schedule as well.

To everyone who has asked me when The Daddy Issue is coming out. Thanks so much for your interest and patience. Hopefully I'll get my author copies soon, and once I do, then the book will be in the stores shortly thereafter.

Family, friends, fellow writers and fans rock!!

What Inspires You? What Makes You Tick?

2007-02-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

Thought maybe it would be nice to write about something for everyone for a change, and not just writers. So, what to write about? Hm. I'm not sure. I'm not so sure I don't wax redundant all the time on here, anyway. I know I think about motivation a lot, and along with that, inspiration.

Maybe inspiration could be the topic. Everyone is inspired in life. Everyone has goals.

What are your goals? I'd be interested to know. But I'd be even *more* interested to know what is behind them, what inspired them.

Today a nice lady from my exercise class, Lynn, was asking about how to sell greeting cards. At least, I think that's what she asked me. She started out by saying, "You've published a book, right? Well, I'm working on these greeting cards, and I had some questions about it."

That, of course, led to my diarrhea-of-the-mouth speech about the publishing industry. I think by the end of our 3o- or 40-minute discussion, I'd probably just succeeded in thoroughly confusing her! I'm still not sure what she expected from the conversation, but now that I've thought about it a while, I think I know what *I* meant by it!

There are so many aspects of "greeting card writing." She had had a successful salsa (and cookie and chips) business, where she had to do a great deal of marketing. She told me that she really didn't want to go that "full bore" into marketing the greeting cards. At that point, I must admit I wondered if she was driven enough to stick with her new dream. On the other hand, there are plenty of us who would rather write than market. That's what agents are for, we think. But just get a publishing contract and you'll find yourself doing a lot of marketing, anyway!

I guess what I was trying to get a feel for as we spoke was, what were Lynn's goals with the card business? Did she want to reach for the stars and knock on Hallmark's door? Or would she be happy soliciting to several contacts she had made in the gift store market while she sold her salsa?

She said she was enjoying her retirement. So if she is enjoying her retirement and she doesn't want to do that much marketing, then maybe placement of her wares in local stores is the way to go. And again, "enjoying my retirement" makes me wonder just how long she'll stick with her new goal of selling greeting cards. Gosh, I'm such a skeptic! But I've seen people come and go in the writing business. It can be grueling. You can feel at times very alone, and at times like a very bad writer. It's hard to get the positive vibes you need, to keep the creative juices flowing. Will Lynn be able to keep herself pumped up? I hope so. I like to see people follow their dreams. That's inspiring for me.

Then we talked a little about why I write, and why my buddy Marlean creates and sells her calligraphy (commissioned through a fine stationery store.) We both told our new creative friend that we pursue our goals mainly because we love doing what we're doing. We don't do it for the money. Marlean's calligraphy is a very slow process. I'm a slow writer. We couldn't ever be properly compensated for our time, unless maybe she was Donald Trump's personal calligrapher, and I was the next Nora Roberts.

Uh oh. I'm back on my favorite topic, writing. But I really think you can learn a lot about life just by comparison. In any job you do, if you don't love it, will you do your best? Will you do it for peanuts? Will you keep doing it day after day, hour after hour, and be contented?

What inspires you?

Some people are inspired by money, and there's nothing wrong with that. Some people are inspired by fame. That's cool, too. Others are inspired by learning, by a need to fill a hole in their lives, by the success of others, by the *greatness* of others, by music, by beauty, by good weather, by the need to prove to themselves they can do it, and the list goes on and on.

I probably confused the Lynn the greeting card writer by throwing out all the options to consider, like whether or not to join a critique group of her peers, or license her work before putting it on a website, or if she should send it out to editors before she gets too much feedback.But I think what I was trying to say was, "This is what the business is like. Now, what are YOU like? Can you handle criticism? Can you take rejection? Are you willing to be in it for the long haul? Would you do it for free, forever, if you never got paid? Do you love it? Are you doing it for your relatives and friends, or for Hallmark, and does *that* even matter?"

It all boils down to, what inspires you? What are your motives? What is the carrot that's dangling in front of you?

I love people. I love to try and figure out if I can answer those questions about them. It fascinates me to the extent that I spend a lot of time watching dippy reality shows, gorey murder tell-alls and reading People Magazine. I want to see reactions. I want the blurted feelings. I want to know the real you. Scary,right?

What makes you tick? Is it obvious? Could I figure it out right away? Probably not. We're layers and layers of feeling, memory, emotion, upbringing, opinion, hormones, chemical balances and imbalances, genes.

Fascinating stuff, eh?

Well, back to trying to at least figure out my characters. I'll work on *you* tomorrow!

Reworking a sweater and reknitting a scene

2007-02-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

Just a quick blog about what I've been up to lately. The *really* quick version is, too much Goodwill-diving! I've developed a thing for running up to my new Goodwill store and bringing back "orphans." This is sometimes good and sometimes not. I recently found a wonderful vintage sweater, all furry with mohair, and so cute, with its little rows of bobbles up the front plackets. It had some slipped stitches that I figured I could easily pull back up with a crochet hook. I'm pretty good at fixing things like that. Unfortunately, once I got it fixed, I realized one sleeve was really threadbare. What a shame.

I just couldn't give up right away. I kept that sweater lying around in a basket while I contemplated how to fix it. I was thinking maybe if I took the sleeves out, I could somehow re-knit them with the good yarn and eliminate the threadbare part. But that would probably mean short sleeves. What good is a short-sleeved winter cardigan?

Still, I started taking out the sleeves. But see, you can't really do it just like that. Sweaters are assembled in parts that interlock like a jigsaw puzzle. Once I began taking the sleeve seams out, it messed up the collar and the front a little. Soon I'd *really* created a lot of work for myself.

I gave up. I threw it in the trash atop some gooey stuff, so I wouldn't be tempted to take it back out. I knew I had enough projects around here without having to worry over that pesky one. I would list them, but let's just list the really important one: finishing the manuscript I'm working on! The others are mostly needlework, which takes a back seat to writing.

I don't know what it is that makes me want to fix things like that sweater instead of going out and buying one, but I think the fix-the-orphan urge helps me a lot with my writing. It allows me to rewrite and rewrite until I get things straight. You can pull the stitches out of a sweater, or toss out the batter and start the cake over, or you can hit the delete button on a scene.

Maybe what drives me is the need to get things right. "Do your best," we're told. Maybe that's what it is.

Sometimes, just as you end up ripping out part of the neck edging as you try to rework that sleeve, changing a few paragraphs will change the direction of the written scene to such an extent that you're actually rewriting the whole scene. Or maybe the whole chapter. But that's a good thing, right? In my experience, it's a rare revision that isn't a *better* revision.

When would I toss out a whole chapter? Ha! Usually if it's the FIRST chapter, which always gives me a run for my money. Sometimes that thing gets morphed two or three times into something entirely different than what I first dreamed it would be like. But what's the most important chapter in a book? The first one, I do believe.

Lately, as I've worked on revisions on this partial that were recommended by a Harlequin editor, I keep reading other Superromances and trying to see what they're doing right. I think I need to cut out some of my hero/heroine's yammering about other people, places and situations, and cut to the meat: the romance. For some reason (my mainstream storytelling nature?) I like to layer and layer the story. And really, what is the reader picking the book up for? The *love story,* Melissa. The love story.

Sooo....back to cutting out what the grass looks like, and how the house needs paint! <>

Mel: "But, that was a *great* descriptive passage!"

Critique partner Jen: "Mel, what does the *reader* want?"

Thanks for getting me back on track, Jen!

Thoughts On Characterization

2007-01-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to go deeper into my character's thoughts and feelings. So what I want to blog about is what makes people tick. There are so many factors to why we do what we do. Brings to mind Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs chart. You know the drill, how you start with your basic needs like food and shelter (at the bottom of the pyramid,) and then move on up to more emotional things like "need to be loved," "need to be accepted," etc,...

I'm thinking my heroine has a need to pull people together, to nurture, to "get things straight" for people. She really wants her family to be as "whole" as their rather disfunctional group can be. She wants Mayberry. Hey, it strikes me, suddenly, that even Andy had a sort of strange little family. He had Aunt Bea, his aunt, instead of his wife, who was dead or something. And wasn't Barney sort of like a family member? What about Otis? He lived with them in the jail, and Aunt Bea brought him lunch, and he was allowed to come and go with the jail key, as if he were the errant teenager in the family. So that begs the deeper question, "Are we striving for things that don't really even exist?" If Mayberry wasn't even utopia, what is? Is there really such a thing as a perfect family? Some might say, "Only in fiction." But shouldn't fiction reflect reality, if it is to be believed? Even in fantasy fiction, for us to love Luke Skywalker, we have to read or see him as someone like us.

My hero is an easier character to draw. He's the tortured soul, hurting from losing a child, his marriage, his home, his life as he knew it. Knocked down to his knees, he has to pull himself back up.The heroine can't do that for him. Isn't that strange how we have to help ourselves a lot of the time? We won't listen to others. We have to fall down and then pull ourselves back up. Reminds me of Dr. Phil's recent shows, where he had people on who wanted their spouses to lose weight, or be better parents this year, or be sexier, or whatever. Dr. Phil's very important advice? "You can't make someone else's resolutions for them."

AHA! Epiphany!! We have to grow ourselves. Characters have to grow themselves. And the more stubborn they are about it, I'm betting the better story is. Those are the ones where the reader goes, "Come on! Figure it out, you boob! She loves you! You love her! Get to that happily ever after."

"In due time," the characters say, glaring back at the reader. "Read on."

Ooh. I sure hope I can remember this as I go on with this manuscript. I really want these characters to pull my reader through the story.

I just got *another* reference book for my permanent shelves. Concerning beginnings of stories, the author says you must really pull the reader in in the first 100 pages. Give them something that makes it hard to put the book down. Keep them reading.

I'm keeping that in mind while I revise this beginning. The first chapter is the most important chapter, I think. It sets up the entire story. It's the hook, it's the intro of the characters and their goals, and it's the beginning of the plot. It's the taste for the writer's style, flare, voice. Will you like it? Will you want to read this author again? You decide that so quickly, it's scary.

I read M.C.Beaton over Christmas. The author lives in the Cotswalds in England and writes cozy mysteries. Her main character in this books I read is Hamish Macbeth, a likable, laid-back Scottish Highlands detective. I like her Agatha Raisin mystery series, too. Anyway, murders happen around Detective Macbeth. He solves them with an air of ease. The author has a way of making even the drawn-out parts (what writers refer to as the "sagging middle") interesting. I love the way you get to know quite a cast of characters rather well. I like to write that way, to play the people off each other so the interactions show glimpses of all of them.

To sum up my thoughts for the day on characters, I think the more complex they are, the more the author must work at laying out a simple story with clear goals. Things can get convoluted, which confuses the reader. What makes a good character? Well, what makes a good person? Someone who has goals and desires, is spiritual, kind, willing, trusting, a survivor, one who pitches in and rolls up his/her sleeves, and on and on. That's what makes a good character. Well-rounded, but definable.

Isn't that one of the most basic needs? Doesn't creating a character boil down to knowing who they are? Doesn't life boil down to knowing who *we* are? What kid hasn't said, "When I grow up, I want to be..." and what adult hasn't asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" We're all asking, "Who am I?" are we not?

Another epiphany!! In life, you may not know who your are until the end of your life, when someone (hopefully a good writer)pens your obituary, giving tender glimpses of your heart and soul, and you're still alive to read it. LOL But with characters, we HAVE TO show who they are, in a thousand words, or 80K or 100K.

Dang. Why didn't I take up dog grooming? I'm pretty good with scissors.

New Year, New Resolutions

2007-01-08T04:52:00.000-08:00

No! I'm not making any resolutions this year. I usually make a few earnest ones and try to stick to them, and I'd actually thought of a few this year, before the ball fell. But I believe it was on New Year's Day that I heard someone say they were a bad idea. Why? Because most people can't keep them, or don't keep them. They say a better way to make resolutions is just to resolve, daily, to do certain things differently.

I guess there isn't really a big difference between that and the NY resolutions, except that with them, there's maybe a bigger letdown if you break them. Well, who wants to go around feeling bad? So here are my resolutions that really aren't resolutions at all. Hey, what do you call things you decide just about every day to do, and sometimes you do them and sometimes you don't? Are they mantras, or goals, or just to-do list things? Well, here they are:

1) Walk more. I'm trying for 10,000 steps each walk, which is 5 miles. I'm not there yet, but if that's my goal, it keeps me going longer.
2) Work on my writing and improve all the time. Create well-motivated characters, and don't come up with convoluted plots.
3) Be nicer and less demanding with the spouse. And don't allow spouse to over-schedule social activities or out-of-town fun. Too much play time makes Mel a frustrated woman.
4) Don't be so hard on myself.

That's it. I work on this all the time. What are your things you're always resolving to do?

Great Forbes Article on What Makes People Excel

2006-12-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my buddy Carla for telling me about this article. I was very intrigued when she mentioned it because lately I've been trying to figure out why some people are motivated and others aren't. Having teenagers does tend to make one ponder such issues. Anyway, this article is applicable to all sorts of things in which one may excel. I was pleased that it validated what I've said about writing. Many times when I've sat down to write, I don't really want to do it. It seems like I'm not getting anywhere, or I don't understand what the plot needs, or why the character comes off as sort of flat. Well, this article says, "Quit complaining and keep at it. The more you do it, the more you'll learn. Push yourself! Reach for higher achievement, and guess what? You can be great!" It also says people weren't *born* to greatness. They worked for it. Even Tiger Woods. Wow. Even Tiger?

I like knowing things are "do-able" for all of us.

It *is* funny, though, how in the end of the article the writer confirms what I feared: even though the experts have figured out that working hard will get you to great places, they haven't figured out why some are motivated and others aren't.

Dang. I guess I'll have to research that some more.

So in order to constantly get better at this writing business, I'll keep trying to learn more, to practice more. I've seen the process work, as I have a friend who has a highly successful family. Every single one of them has achieved great things. They practice what this article says to do, and I'm convinced it's worked for them.

Anyway, here's the link:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391794/index.htm?postversion=2006101915

My New Website!

2006-12-11T12:58:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted. Sorry about that. I've been a little snowed under, with Mom sick this fall (she's fine now,) remodeling the master bath, Christmas decorating and shopping, etc,...

Now the bath is nearing completion and so is the shopping. And *my new website* is up! You'll find it at: www.melissabeck.com Please check out what my website designer created for me. I think Heidi is a genious, a goddess, a...what else was I supposed to say, Heidi? Just kidding! The truth is, I love what she did for me, and I love working with her. Visit her webspace at www.xuni.com and you'll see why I chose her to do my site. She truly is special.

What else is banging around in my head? Oh, yeah. My editor tells me our publishing house's site will be up very soon. Can't wait!

I hope you are having a fun holiday season. I know this time of year can be very stressful. I confess I've had a few meltdowns. Just this a.m. I was holed up in a downstairs bathroom, trying to shinny into my exercise outfit. Suddenly I hear the upstairs bathroom tile guy in the hall right outside my door going, "Hello? Miss?" Now, I know it's his job to finish *our* job for which we hired him, but I'm more than ready for this renovating to be finished. After all, it started the day after Halloween. We had a brown paper "path" taped with blue painter's tape in our front hallway for Thanksgiving, and now we'll have a white Christmas thanks to sheetrock dust!

And the final thing on my mind today is, why am I so behind with my writing goals? I know I've been discombobulated with all the stuff going on around here. But that's not a good excuse. All over the world, people are busy and they're still grabbing writing hours. So I'm just vowing to get my writing in every day and get back on schedule. Are you having difficulty writing lately? If so, please post and maybe we can start a discussion on ways to rev up our creativity engines. I'll take any suggestions you'd like to toss my way.

2006-09-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

I have a bunch of stuff in my office that shows who I am. One of my recent additions is a tissue box that I bought at Goodwill. It's in the shape of three stacked books--War and Peace, Tom Sawyer and Moby Dick. How cool is that? I love it!

I also have a little metal grinning gat, about three inches high. He sits on the desk and his tail is a spring that you're supposed to stick a pencil in. He's a pencil holder, but I have a skinny makeup brush in there for his tail. It's lightweight, and if you put anything much heavier in there, he'll tip over. I paid 10 cents for him at an estate sale. What a deal.

My friend Denise gave me a cool notepad holder. It's ceramic and it's the Eiffel Tower. She knows I enjoyed Frank's and my trip to France a few years ago. The tower holds two pencils, and the sides hold two square erasers. There's a notepad on the front and one on the back. The notepad covers have miniscule maps of Paris on them. The pencils are also wrapped in that map paper. I won't ever use my Eiffel Tower supplies. Who'd want to ruin them? Too cute!

And I'll leave you with this newspaper clipping off my desk. I like to clip neat sayings and quotes, life lessons. This one was from a graduation speech. Apparently I clipped the author's name off it!

"Expect everything of yourself; there is no limit to what you achieve if you put no limits. Do not ever put any achievement out of your purview if it is something you might want. Keep your childhood dreams with you as an adult. They are a reflection of how your soul is trying to guide you in life. Failing is OK. If you try 10 times, you mail fail nine of them, but it is only the one success that counts. Use outward goals to direct your progress, but remember that ultimately, the path you take is more important than the end you reach."

Talent Versus Mediocrity

2006-09-02T06:19:00.002-07:00

Procrastinating from finishing up Ch5 of my new manuscript. That involves working a few Dell Pencil Puzzles. My faves are the anacrostics. They're hard, though. Do you do puzzles? Do you do them in pen? I do. Sometimes, especially with the anacrostics, I have to write really dark over my mistakes!

I just finished a quotation puzzle with a great quote by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes.) Here it is: "Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius."

Have you ever recognized genius in your field of pursuit? I have. I've picked up a book to read and gone, "Wow. This writer is great. What the heck am I doing, calling myself a writer? There's no way I can ever be this good."

On the flipside, have you ever known a very mediocre writer who thinks he or she is great? She typically either doesn't listen to critiques or makes excuses for why she isn't going to change her chapter (ex: "Everyone but one critiquer loved that little plot twist.") This type generally doesn't understand her rejection letters, either, and brushes them off with "Well, obviously the editor didn't get what I was trying to do." Instead, if she'd only listen to the editor's advice, she would improve her writing.

Egos are pretty powerful things. What is yours like? Are you talented but you feel mediocre next to genius, so you tell yourself, "I'll never be at that level" and don't bother to push yourself? Or are you mediocre, and happy with that? Whichever you are--talented or mediocre--what if we went to the next level? What if the talented writers pushed for genius level work, and the mediocre for talented? Man, could we ever put some powerful books out there!

How long did it take Edison to invent the light bulb? It took me fifteen years to sell a print book. Who knows what all I'll have learned in the next fifteen? Gee, I sure hope I've improved fifteen years' worth by then. ; )

My Newspaper Article

2006-08-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the newspaper article about my book. Double click on the newspaper to enlarge it to readable size (I think. It may or may not enlarge from here.)

I'M IN THE NEWS!

2006-08-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today I made the local newspaper. My photo and an article about my upcoming book appeared in the Neighbor Newspapers. I'm a teensy celeb around here! LOL

Yesterday, the husband of one of my BFFs had his obituary in the paper.

I was thinking about the dichotomy there, with the "birth" of my book and the death of this really great man. Both were unexpected events, in a way. Well, we were both working toward those conclusions, in a way. I'd wanted to sell sooner, and I'm sure Bob wanted to live longer!

Life is crazy, isn't it? Crazy and amazing and wonderful and scary and a wild ride at times.

The thing about Bob was, he always seemed upbeat. I didn't want to look at him in the casket, because I wanted to remember him with that teasing light in his eyes. It's too bad more people can't be like that. Now, maybe Bob had his darker moments. But if I didn't know it, I'm sure a lot of other people didn't, either. There's something special about a person who brightens peoples' days just with a "Hello, Melissa" and a friendly, open expression.

A book is coming out. It'll be around a while. Well, probably a lot longer than many, since I'm getting *tons* of author copies. Bob will be around a long time, too. He touched too many lives not to be remembered fondly.

Hug your family members. They're far more important than the business of writing. I do it because I hope to touch people with my words. But real relationships that involve laughter, compassion, friendship--now, *that's* da bomb.

Synopses, sucknopses, stinknopses!

2006-08-11T15:24:00.001-07:00

UGHUGHUGH!!
I do not enjoy writing synopses. They sound so "canned." So sterile.
So why am I tearing my hair out over one at the moment? Well, because I went to the Romance Writers of America conference and met with the Harlequin editor I'm courting. She asked me to send her all that I have right now of my work-in-progress. I came home all excited about that invitation and began making the revisions to Ch1-Ch4 that my great critique group had suggested. That went fast. Certain that my synopsis was in awesome shape, I opened it and began to read. Gross. Bad. Writing.

I don't think I've mentioned what I'm writing, since I said I was writing The Perfect Wife. Well, that didn't get past Ch1 before I decided to write something else. The manuscript I'm writing now is called His New Family. The hero lost his son last year to a sudden illness, and his way of grieving is to pull up the tent posts, move and start fresh. The heroine is a spoiled rich girl with a mission: to show everyone she's worth more than the family name. But her *current* mission is to help an accident-impaired friend keep his bar afloat. She just doesn't realize the hero actually owns that bar and it's part of his "healing mission" to close it.

You'd think it'd be easy to just list the hero's and heroine's goals, motivations and conflicts, filling in emotional growth and finding great plot points to ratchet up the whole deal. But sadly, it's not. It's just as frustrating as the first time I tried to write a synopsis. It has taken me all week and I'm still not there. It's holding up my progress, and stopping my partial from being sent to the editor.

Tomorrow. I'll finish it tomorrow, or else. I really want to get back into the story. I'll let you know how it goes. I guess the key to a great synopsis is to know when it's great. I hope I have that epiphany tomorrow. Do you hear that, writing gods?

A Great Writing Article

2006-07-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

Just read a great article that someone sent (via a writers' loop) on writing. It's about writing for yourself and writing or publication. The article's author explains that writing isn't just about sitting down and writing a story from your heart, free-flowing, if you really want to sell. I guess some people get lucky and do that right off the bat. But I do believe the majority who sell do so by studying the marketplace and providing what's needed/wanted at the moment. The article writer goes on to say that you *can* write for yourself, but do it with journals, little stories, letter-writing, etc,.. If you want to play in the sandbox with the big boys, though, she says you have to bring out your big shovel and dig hard. Hm. Let's explore the sandbox analogy (not hers but mine) for a moment. Picture yourself climbing into a playground sandbox. There are other kids there, digging away. Some are building sandcastles outside of the box, with the sand that's over there, and they're on their own. In their own little world. It's a nice castle, but who cares? Nobody in the sandbox cares, and as soon as they leave, it'll get kicked down. I see those "players" as the ones who dabble at writing, who never really study the market because it's "art" they're creating. Or it's just something they're into so they can hang with the other kids on the playground. Then there's the aggressive guy in the box, having a great time bombing everyone else's creations and just building away. Flinging sand. That's the author who is soaring, who doesn't seem to have any trouble at all, with sales or with ego. Everyone admires his confidence and his great, innovative creations as they quietly dig around him. One of them copies his methods, or tries to "apprentice" alongside him to pick up on his success vibes, and soon others do, too, and they're succeeding with their sand, with their own castles and motes, and even filling some sand holes, to make ponds and rivers. They smile. They've caught on.

Be the one who catches on. Watch the big guys. But go at a pace of digging that's comfortable for you, and created things of your own design, but *similar* to what's needed out there. Don't build a sand goat if nobody in the box likes farm animals. You'll catch on sooner or later. Better sooner than later, but hey, I was a slow digger. I believe it's more about staying in the sandbox. The ones outside aren't getting it. I've seen them drift away from writing. Don't do that. You'll have more fun if you stay in the box, and eventually, you'll get the chance to fling the sand, to really play and have fun, without being called out by the playground monitor!

Anyway, here's the link:

http://www.burningvoid.com/write/2002/self.php

I Sold The Daddy Issue!!

2006-07-04T04:36:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I haven't posted this! Been busy writing, though, between vacations.
Anyway, I sold The Daddy Issue to Premium Press America.

It's so exciting!! And I have a cover already! Here's a photo of it:

Isn't it the coolest?!

Many thanks to my editor, publisher and the marketing department at PPA for such a great cover.

Well, it's back to writing for me. I hope I have people looking at my blogs. Hmm. If you do look, please post a comment so I know someone is reading.

Thanks!
Mel

P.S. I'm really into promo and marketing right now. Look for my ad in Romantic Times Magazine in October, along with a review of my book. And I'll be interviewed on www.romancejunkies.com in October, too! Looking forward to it.

Monday Update

2006-04-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Today is a new day for me!
My crit partner Paula has directed me to screenwriting expert Michael Hauge's worksheets.
I'm hoping they'll help me figure out my GMC's for my new manuscript, The Perfect Wife.

I also got a rejection from an agent today. Racking those up. One of these days, I keep telling myself, they'll come asking for *me!*

Then I received my scores from the national romance writing contest, the Golden Heart. Soulmates didn't do all that well. Bottom 50%. Well, I only had a rough draft of it when I entered. Now I feel much more content with the first 1/3 of it that has been rewritten. But still, it needs work and thought. I stopped on it to pursue this new idea. Daddy Issue, on the other hand, scored in the top 25%. I'm happy with that! That's pretty darned good, and shows my writing is competitive.

On the non-writing end, I'm very sore today from gardening for 7 straight hours. I went to aerobics, did a kick and almost landed on the floor, it hurt so bad! I wish I was in my 30's again. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just turn the clock around?

I'm watching Dr. Phil now. The guests are a man and wife who are haveing marital issues. The husband hasn't worn his ring in two years because he says the marriage isn't the way it should be, feelings-wise, for him. He's a country singer. His wife gets mad at him for having girls flirt w/him in the bars, and she slaps him! Nice relationship. He says he knew at the altar that he'd made a mistake, but afterwards, he'd never felt so in love. These people are confused! Dr. Phil is telling them the wife's jealousy is a power thing. Well, duh! Of course she's trying to control him. Dr. Phil: "If he's gonna cheat on you and leave you, he'll do it." How true. He says you can't keep a fence and keep him in. Right. It's LOVE that keeps the jealousy out of the relationship. Love and mutual respect. I wonder if they'll get it right or if they'll keep fighting and end up divorced, with a two-year-old to split their time with. I'm thinking it might be the latter. Too bad. Marriage takes work...lots of it!

Well, off to make a meal for my hubby. Why is he ALWAYS hungry?!! The way to a man's heart really IS his stomach around this house.

What It's Like to Be Me

2006-04-18T04:28:00.000-07:00

First of all, to be me, you have to be sleepy most of the time. I drink a lot of coffee to combat the drowsies. I don't know why I'm sleepy a lot, because I'm usually out like a lightbulb and dreaming each night. I think I should go to bed earlier. Getting up at 7 doesn't cut it, either.

It's almost time for Body Pump, which is a class where you lift weights to some good music. In other words, it's choreographed weightlifting. I've been doing it twice a week for about 10 years.

I just discovered, though, by taking my sister's boot camp in Boca, that I need to do more cardio. Writing involves a lot of sitting. So does needlework, which I really enjoy. So it's important to get out and stretch the legs pretty often.

Tonight I teach Disciple Bible study, which is a program for reading the Bible, developed by the Methodists. It's very good and the workbooks and discussions push you to think beyond the obvious. It's also very time-consuming, requiring reading, taking notes and in my case, teaching from 7 to 9pm on Tuesdays. We will finish up in about 5 more weeks, and WOO HOO, I'll be glad for the break.

This is a typical day for me. Frank is out of town again, this time M-W in Orlando, to meet with advertising customers Disney and Harcourt.

Seems lately we're either on the road together w/the kids, or he's on the road alone. I'd like for things to settle into something of a routine around here!

Better run! Time to make the lunches for the kids and then get ready for Body Pump.

Trying to Post Photo

2006-04-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

Hi, again,
Trying to figure out how to post a photo on here. May take a minute!

Yea! It worked. Here I am with my hubby about two summers ago. I tried to upload another photo, but it didn't work. Will do one more recent the next time. I like this photo, though.

Back from Florida Sunshine

2006-04-09T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'm back from the sunshine and heat of Florida and ready to get back to my writing. The only good thing about the 14-hour trip home was that I had plenty of time to work on the skeleton of my new manuscript. Gonna hit the keyboard soon and tap out Ch1, since I now know where I'm headed and with whom!

I'm waiting to hear how Soulmates fared in the San Antonio Romance Authors' Merritt Contest. I finaled in it, and now Johanna Raisanen of Superromance has judged it and given it a placement. Eek! She rejected a sub in November, so I'm really interested to see how she liked Soulmates. I've stopped on that ms at Ch5 because I was concerned that it wasn't an emotional enough story for Super. Anxious to get busy with this new idea, which a Super author pal helped me brainstorm. She felt I needed more of a sense of desperation in my setups, which would make it more emotional. That was just the advice I needed, and I ran with it for creating the new ms idea, tentatively titled "Ain't That Lonely Yet."

The title comes from my latest fave Ipod download, Dwight Yoakum's song by the same title. Great angsty ex-lover song. Great lyrics.

Also waiting to hear from Premium Press America on The Daddy Issue. I hope they like it! They got it on 3/28, and said it takes 4 to 6 weeks to review. Cross your fingers for me. : )

Okay. Off to write.