July 30, 2007 | Uncategorized

So it’s the middle of the night. 1:19 to be precise. I’m sleeping as all sensible writers should be at that time, when something wakes me. It’s a sound, raspy. Close. A scratch on my elbow. I open my eyes and there’s a BIG HONKING HUGE UGLY HUGE BLACK BEETLE ON MY BED ABOUT TWO INCHES FROM MY FACE!

I was out of the bed so damn fast I think I broke the land speed record. I did what all self-respecting freaked out people would do and immediately woke my husband. He, being a true gentleman and hero, got up from his sound sleep and went to capture the beetle. I’m telling you it was HUGE. BLACK. And it made RASPY NOISES! It totally freaked him out, too. His Whoa! and assorted curses were confirmation that this was A BEETLE FROM HELL who came to deliver NIGHTMARES FOREVER.

I made him look under every pillow and check the entire bed, and then I actually had to get back in the bed because he wouldn’t move to a new house, although that seemed like the only logical thing to do.

I kept waking up all during the night, certain there were more beetles coming after me, and I’m serious, if it happens again, we’re moving. Have I mentioned this thing was HUGE and that it was TWO INCHES FROM MY FACE?

Oh, and it’s our anniversary today – three years! My sweetie, in addition to saving me from the BEETLE FROM HELL surprised me with the most wonderful piano music box. It’s really charming and it sounds beautiful and it’s even got me to dust in my office so it won’t be embarrassed to be seen there.

Now I must go shudder for another hour or so.

July 24, 2007 | Uncategorized

You guys remember Jack? The wonderful puppy that had been starved and abandoned? Well, we got pictures from Jack’s new Mom (thanks, Peggy!) and I wanted to show all of you how happy he is in his new home!

This is Jack and his BFF Buddy

If this isn’t a dog smiling, I don’t know what is:

Posted by Jo Leigh @ 10:01 am | 6 Comments  

July 22, 2007 | 70 Days of Sweat

Has everyone posted their word counts on Alison’s blog?

Have you gone to Larissa’s blog to talk about rejection?

Are you still sweating with the same enthusiasm? If not, now’s the time to get a big old hairy hit of sharing and caring with your fellow Sweaters. My recommendation? Find a post where the writer is having trouble, then brainstorm with them how to get past it. Giving in that way is an excellent motivator and a great way to get yourself back in gear.

For those of you who are still waiting for the call – this is an extraordinary way to learn what it’s like to be under a deadline. If you are looking to be a professional writer, then you can do no bigger favor for yourself than keeping up with your word commitments. Deadlines are so much a part of this gig that you simply can’t afford to take six months to polish your first three chapters. Writing is a passion, that’s true, but it’s also a business. The real trick is to learn great habits now, while there’s not an angry editor breathing down your neck.

So GO SWEATERS!

July 19, 2007 | Uncategorized

I’m going away for a few days with the DH and we’re staying where there is no internet available and I think that’s going to work out fine. I’ll probably curse my lack of connectivity when I start jonesing for a blog hit (hmmm, that sounds naughty) but I am taking the Neo and I will be doing my pages. But, and this is so, so fun, we’re going to see movies! Like real people who go to movies! Live Free and Die Hard. Transformers. Harry Potter. Waitress. Not sure we’ll make it to all of them, but we’re gonna try.

Now, all of you be good while I’m gone. Well, not too good cause that would be boring, but mostly good.

July 16, 2007 | Uncategorized

Thanks, everyone for the feedback. It’s invaluable. I have another question - do you guys see (when making a comment) a box for your name, email, web site above the comment box? What browser are you using? And can everyone now see the cursor in the comment box?

Thanks for your help!

July 15, 2007 | 70 Days of Sweat

UPDATE: The winner of the writing basket is: Susan B! Congratulations, Susan!

Hello fellow travelers! I hope your writing is going swimmingly well, and that you’re finding new habits, new commitment and a new sense of yourself as a writer.

I’ll talk a bit about what it’s like to have written 40+ books. Each stage of writing presents its own challenges and triumphs. I remember incredibly well when I sold my first book. Then my second. Thrilling. Everything was new. I had to learn how to work with an editor. A lot of my expectations had to be shifted – writing category romance, while wonderful, wasn’t going to make me wealthy. But if I wrote a lot of them, I could make a pretty decent living. So that’s what I did, learned to write a lot of them.

First, it was tremendously helpful to have connections with people who had been through what I was going through in addition to the connections I’d made with people who were experiencing these challenges at the same time I was.

I had to learn to wait. And wait. Because I was very new, my manuscripts weren’t jumped on by my then editor. In fact, at the beginning even though I was ready to write a bunch of books a year, they weren’t willing to buy. Which meant that I had to learn to write even when I didn’t know the outcome. I’m not good with waiting, but hey, I was trying to become a full time writer! Send one out, take off a couple of days, start the next. An incredible discipline to learn.

All the while, I was in a critique group, taking writing classes, taking psychology classes, reading every how-to book, going to RWA meetings and networking. I had to learn to write novels, not screenplays, so that meant learning description from scratch. (I’m still not great at it). And of course, do my day job.

The learning has never stopped. Should never stop.

But here’s what happened as I kept doing this. As I kept putting one word in front of another. I became a writer. Not just because I got paid for my work (which is great) but because the writing became a part of me.

I lost all perspective on my current work years ago. Seriously, I truly, honestly have no objectivity. In fact, when I’m writing it, I’m convinced it’s crap. Horrible. I’m convinced my editor is going to throw the book back at me. (Which, by the way, has happened. It was about 8 years ago, and I wrote a real stinker. My editor, lovely wonderful woman that she is didn’t tell me to get a day job. She kindly said we might not want that particular book to come out, but would I like to transfer my contract to writing for this new line called Blaze?) Anyway, the point is, I have no idea as I’m writing if I’m writing well or if I’ve missed the mark. .

But, and here’s the incredible, wonderful part – the writer part of me has taken over. The writer part knows about pacing, about dialog, about plot, about all of it. I’m not saying it can’t use some editorial help, but the bones are there. Every time. Even when I’m trying something new.
All that writing, studying, doing it every, every day has paid off. The subconscious writer can write!

That’s why, as a professional writer, I must write. I must read. I must continue my education, because what I’m really doing is feeding the writer inside. The one who’s going to save my ass yet again.

This challenge isn’t just about getting words on a page. It’s about feeding that part of you who, if you treat it well, will pay you back in spades.

There’s no shortcut to this process, and you don’t even really get to see this part until you’ve written a lot. Not just written, but developed a discipline.

Now, there’s no right or wrong way to develop your own discipline. The only constant is consistency. Diligence.

I would like to suggest that you take a look at your goal in taking this challenge. Expand the goal to include not just finishing the book, but feeding the inner writer.

If you’re new to this writing thing, you probably won’t start to reap the benefits of feeding the inner writer for awhile, but trust me – it will happen.

If you’re like me, and have written oodles of books, this challenge is a chance to create a new relationship with the inner writer. Let her (or him) have some fun! Make this an all dessert buffet. 70 days of treats for that consistent life-saver. The one who lets you know you’ve made a wrong turn by crossing its arms and refusing to budge until you fix things. The one who makes the words coherent when you have the flu.

70 days is enough time to gain a brand new habit. And it’s enough time to nourish a stalwart (inner) friend. I can’t think of a better reason to keep putting those words on the page.

Comment below, and let us all know how you’re doing! The good, the bad, the wonderful – remember those connections I talked about? We can make them right here!

Then make sure and comment on Alison Kent’s blog with your current numbers! Everyone who comments will be part of the very first prize – a gift basket that not only has books (oh, yeah) but a wonderful little tea cup/tea brewer combo, a notebook, a fountain pen, and more! The winner will be chosen at random by Tuesday at 10 PM Central Time. Yay!

July 14, 2007 | Uncategorized

As those of you who’ve been to the site before can tell, I’m getting a new design for both the blog and the web site. I’d love comments and suggestions now, while we’re still fiddling! Thank you.

July 12, 2007 | Uncategorized

Two things happened that put a kink in my progress, and I thought I’d talk about roadblocks. What happens when stuff happens.

First, I realized that even though I knew I had to change the ending of my Blaze, I hadn’t worked out the details of the change, thinking I could do that later in the process. I was wrong. I had to know everything now, and oops, I had no resolution to the mystery. My brain works in ways that really pisses me off sometimes. If I have something that’s unresolved, then I’m pretty much useless. Despite preparing everything in my space to write, I couldn’t. I HAD to know everything about the story. I’m one of those odd folks who can write like the wind as long as I know what I’m writing. It’s death for me to plot while writing. I just sit there and stare at the screen, and before you know it, I’m at Zappos buying another pair of shoes. So I did what I needed to do. I got my notebook and went through a bazillion possibilities, then when I was doing something completely unrelated, the answer hit. Tada! But my word count! Oh, my. But, that was okay because I could catch up today.

Only today I woke up to a headache the size of Baltimore. So bad, I couldn’t even see properly. Every movement hurt like hell, and while I consider myself a tough broad, the headache had me down for the count. I took a sinus pill and went back to bed. Ouch.

So I’m finally feeling better, but my glorious morning has gone. It’s now 100 degrees outside, the plants didn’t get watered, and I’m pretty cranky. I guess it’s time to write!

Yep, even when crappy things like headaches come up, the first priority is to write. I know, some people do write when they have headaches, bless their hearts, but I’m not one of them. Well, not this kind of headache at least. It used to be that when I was felled by a pain or a ache I’d write off the day. First half to feel better, second half to feel really better.

Now, no. Write. Get the pages in. Even though I’m a morning type gal, I’ll write until I have my page count. That’s ten. I know I can get it done because I’ve committed to the process.

I believe that every time we reach a roadblock and find a way to go around it, or over it, or under it, we have just put a mighty big block of solid commitment into our professional foundation. Every victory counts. Every time we do the thing that needs to be done, we’ve won, and that winning matters.

Roadblocks? They’re just an opportunity to get creative.

July 11, 2007 | Uncategorized

Don’t forget to go to Alison’s blog to do your check in! There’s word count, and she’s asking for us to report if we’ve had any a-ha! moments.

My count: Since the 8th, I’ve written 3,056 words. My a-ha! was more of an o-no! when I remembered I hadn’t done my art fact sheet, and had to stop everything to do that. To-do lists, people! To-do lists!

July 9, 2007 | Uncategorized

First, the winner of Kidnapped! Now, I don’t have my copies yet, but as soon as I do, that book will go out to…

Julie S!
Please send me your snail mail at Joleigh AT Joleigh DOT com

Yay!

Okay, now on to THE CHALLENGE!

I got 6 pages done yesterday, and I did them early. It was great because I felt accomplished and happy for the rest of the day. I’m working hard at getting my pages in the first part of the day, not waiting and waiting and feeling guilty about not writing while doing other things and then promising myself I’d do them in a half hour, then another half hour. Yes. This is much better. But it’s STILL hard to get my act together, and I have to do little tricks to get myself there. Like not spending time on email and reading every blog in the known universe first. Like preparing my head to get into the work by reading what I finished yesterday to start today. I’ve been putting eucalyptus oil in a burner so it smells wonderful in the office. Listening to a focus tape (just music) that I’m using to condition my brain, like Pavlov’s dogs, to become creative when the headphones are put on.

Now, I know each of us doing the Seventy Days have different life situations to face, and writing our words will come in different forms. But I want to throw out that routine, discipline and habit are the most useful tools in the writer’s toolbox.

I’d like to hear from you guys – what habits work for you? What tricks to get yourself into the swing of your pages? Are you willing to try something new? What one change would make the most difference?
Let’s shout out and support each other.

if you haven’t already, go to Alison’s site for her Writing Tip of the Day