Friday, October 28, 2005
Gack!
It sure would be nice if real people would respond to the blog and not these obvious ones who are on phishing expeditions.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Determination
Determination...such an innocent word.
It's also a hard word...like rock or stone or even steel. It's what gets you past the hardships and hurtles of accomplishing your goal. That's what I'm writing about today. Determination.
And the drive to become published.
One has to have both the drive and the determination. They won't work alone. That may sound over simplified but, for many of us, it isn't. Some of us are lucky to get our projects in front of the right editor at the right time. And for them, that's instant success. But for others of us, the vast majority I think, well, we need that drive and determination combo to get past the endless wait-for-response times, the rejections that, even if good, hurt and the parade of published books that we 'know' isn't as good as ours (and that's another subject.)
On one of my email loops, another author wrote: Ten years seems to be the magic number. This was brought to my attention by a (large) chapter celebrating its 10th anniversary, saying that the last of their original members who were still active members had gotten published that year. I don't know of any romance writer who has been writing and submitting stories for ten years who isn't published. There are plenty who have been "writing" a book for ten years or more. Or who try it for a few years, and either get lucky right off the bat, or quit. But if you can keep up your enthusiasm and improving your craft for 10 years, you're pretty much guaranteed to catch one of the periodic buying cycles in whatever subgenre you write in.
I don't know how true the above it and I cringe at the idea of ten years but I have been writing novel length fiction for five years so...maybe my period of apprenticeship is halfway complete. One can hope, can't one?
It's also a hard word...like rock or stone or even steel. It's what gets you past the hardships and hurtles of accomplishing your goal. That's what I'm writing about today. Determination.
And the drive to become published.
One has to have both the drive and the determination. They won't work alone. That may sound over simplified but, for many of us, it isn't. Some of us are lucky to get our projects in front of the right editor at the right time. And for them, that's instant success. But for others of us, the vast majority I think, well, we need that drive and determination combo to get past the endless wait-for-response times, the rejections that, even if good, hurt and the parade of published books that we 'know' isn't as good as ours (and that's another subject.)
On one of my email loops, another author wrote: Ten years seems to be the magic number. This was brought to my attention by a (large) chapter celebrating its 10th anniversary, saying that the last of their original members who were still active members had gotten published that year. I don't know of any romance writer who has been writing and submitting stories for ten years who isn't published. There are plenty who have been "writing" a book for ten years or more. Or who try it for a few years, and either get lucky right off the bat, or quit. But if you can keep up your enthusiasm and improving your craft for 10 years, you're pretty much guaranteed to catch one of the periodic buying cycles in whatever subgenre you write in.
I don't know how true the above it and I cringe at the idea of ten years but I have been writing novel length fiction for five years so...maybe my period of apprenticeship is halfway complete. One can hope, can't one?
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Heart Attack!
I always send a copy of my wip to myself every day. Once in the morning, it goes from home to work, then in the afternoon, it goes from work to home. Well, this morning I worked a little on a 'follow up' love scene and then emailed it. When I got here, I downloaded it then opened it up. There were 700+ pages!!!!!
Now that wouldn't be so bad if the darn thing was done (yeah, a bit long but...) but apparently what happened was a three chapter section in the middle had decided that every 2-3 words needed its own page! That was NOT a good thing so I checked the download, tried again and now I'm back to a normal 300+ pages.
My heart is slowly returning to normal :-)
Now that wouldn't be so bad if the darn thing was done (yeah, a bit long but...) but apparently what happened was a three chapter section in the middle had decided that every 2-3 words needed its own page! That was NOT a good thing so I checked the download, tried again and now I'm back to a normal 300+ pages.
My heart is slowly returning to normal :-)
Monday, October 17, 2005
What a business...
In high school, I studied to be a homemaker or social worker (truly, there wasn't that much difference in the curriculums). In college, I started out as an engineering student then changed my field over to computer systems.
What I should have done was become a lawyer.
Last year, I had an accident. A moron, and I use the term accurately, ran a red light and sheared off the front 8 inches of my Explorer. Now, my Explorer was 9 years old so I didn't carry collision insurance on it. I figured, rightly so, the insurance company would total it. The vehicle, even at its advanced years, is worth more than what they would have given me. It still is for that matter.
Anyway, I digress.
I suffered a whiplash. Went to chiropractic care for 6 months, had physical therapy for 3 months. X-rays. Pain meds. Now, none of this was totally dibilitating but still--none of it, the pain, the suffering or the expense of repairing my truck was my fault.
So I went to a lawyer.
He took my case, told me to send him documentation about my treatments. And I did. Right through December. The last letter I sent told him that the treatments were all done. I waited for some kind of response. And waited. And truly spent a lot of time forgetting about it--I do have other things going on after all. But finally I thought--sheesh, it's been 10 months since I contacted him or vice versa. So I called him.
Imagine my surprise when his legal assistant told me they'd decided to drop the case. That they'd sent me a letter, no TWO letters! last October. That they'd even called and talked to me.
Now...I might be getting old, unless you die there isn't much of an alternative. But I never received any letters or received any phone calls and I told the gal that. I asked for a copy of the letter but, oh my, it's been packed away with the other 2004 files so she didn't have it. She did--oh so helpfully--suggest that if anything had changed (ie my condition had worsened) they'd consider taking the case.
AS IF!
When you're in a business, you have to take care of your clients. I don't blame them if they feel I don't have a huge case. I do blame them for not contacting me as they should have in the interest of lawyer-client arrangements. And I certainly would not return to a lawyer who couldn't send/call/contact me about our business arrangement.
So I trained to be a homemake/social worker. Then I trained to be an engineer or computer programmer. And I've elected to be a professional writer.
I should have trained to be a lawyer.
No wonder there are so many lawyer jokes floating around.
What I should have done was become a lawyer.
Last year, I had an accident. A moron, and I use the term accurately, ran a red light and sheared off the front 8 inches of my Explorer. Now, my Explorer was 9 years old so I didn't carry collision insurance on it. I figured, rightly so, the insurance company would total it. The vehicle, even at its advanced years, is worth more than what they would have given me. It still is for that matter.
Anyway, I digress.
I suffered a whiplash. Went to chiropractic care for 6 months, had physical therapy for 3 months. X-rays. Pain meds. Now, none of this was totally dibilitating but still--none of it, the pain, the suffering or the expense of repairing my truck was my fault.
So I went to a lawyer.
He took my case, told me to send him documentation about my treatments. And I did. Right through December. The last letter I sent told him that the treatments were all done. I waited for some kind of response. And waited. And truly spent a lot of time forgetting about it--I do have other things going on after all. But finally I thought--sheesh, it's been 10 months since I contacted him or vice versa. So I called him.
Imagine my surprise when his legal assistant told me they'd decided to drop the case. That they'd sent me a letter, no TWO letters! last October. That they'd even called and talked to me.
Now...I might be getting old, unless you die there isn't much of an alternative. But I never received any letters or received any phone calls and I told the gal that. I asked for a copy of the letter but, oh my, it's been packed away with the other 2004 files so she didn't have it. She did--oh so helpfully--suggest that if anything had changed (ie my condition had worsened) they'd consider taking the case.
AS IF!
When you're in a business, you have to take care of your clients. I don't blame them if they feel I don't have a huge case. I do blame them for not contacting me as they should have in the interest of lawyer-client arrangements. And I certainly would not return to a lawyer who couldn't send/call/contact me about our business arrangement.
So I trained to be a homemake/social worker. Then I trained to be an engineer or computer programmer. And I've elected to be a professional writer.
I should have trained to be a lawyer.
No wonder there are so many lawyer jokes floating around.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
The Flu Season
Picked up this bug from my dh and it's still holding on.
I'd rather him give me roses--not viruses.
I'd rather him give me roses--not viruses.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
It begins...
Last week my dh (and right at this moment, it isn't dear husband) had a head cold. With his true generosity, he passed it on to me. Of course, my cold isn't as bad as his. Never is. When he gets a cold, it's practically life or death.
He moans.
He groans.
He can't do the simplest household chore.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm entirely sympathetic. I know head colds can be miserable sob's but...when I get a cold, I'm still expected to go to work.
I still clean house.
I still cook.
I still wash dishes, make beds, do laundry, etc, etc.
How come I can't rate a few days of coddling? That's all I want to know as I sit here on my break at the day job, sniffling, aching, and sucking on Zicam. I need coddling. Yes, I do.
He moans.
He groans.
He can't do the simplest household chore.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm entirely sympathetic. I know head colds can be miserable sob's but...when I get a cold, I'm still expected to go to work.
I still clean house.
I still cook.
I still wash dishes, make beds, do laundry, etc, etc.
How come I can't rate a few days of coddling? That's all I want to know as I sit here on my break at the day job, sniffling, aching, and sucking on Zicam. I need coddling. Yes, I do.
Monday, October 03, 2005
It just breaks my heart
The decision was long overdue and it's like losing an old friend...or two or three...hundred.
I'm talking about the boxes, yes boxes, of books I have stored in my basement. We've lived in this house nearly 30 years now and I do believe we haven't thrown anything out. We're pack rats pure and simple. But this year we're turning over a new leaf (I believe I mentioned in an earlier post about FlyLady.com--if you're a pack rat or your house work has gotten the best of you, go take a look at her site.) We're trying to de-clutter our home and lives.
Unfortunately, the basement rec room has been the recipient of all the things that didn't really have a place to be. When my lovely daughter cleaned out her room, you guessed it, she put her stuff in the basement. Then both my parents and my husband's parents died and there was a mass migration of more stuff. Into...my...basment.
Sigh.
Seriously, it was so bad there wasn't even a path. But I want to upgrade my cable, get a cablemodem for my computer and, darn it, I want to be able to use that rec room the way it was intended to be used! So my dh and I have been working on it--there's now a section of clear floor :-) and he's as committed to cleaning it up as I am (I suspect he's more committed to helping me get rid of any of 'my' stuff but this won't work until he removes all the tools he inherited from his father, goes through the stack of newspapers he saved for the articles and, don't ask me why we have this, a garbage bag of paper clutter from his poor deceased mom, bless her heart.
I just have to be patient and nag him until that's gone...and that brings me back to my books.
I just don't have anyplace to store them so I'm sorting through keeping obvious reference books and fiction books that I dearly loved. I've already entered over 460 into a database, identified a little over 100 of them as keepers, but the others...I'm donating to a good home at the library. True, they won't be shelved but will go into the libraries used book sale. That's fine. They'll help support the library and that's a very good thing.
Still. I'll miss all those wonderful books.
I'm talking about the boxes, yes boxes, of books I have stored in my basement. We've lived in this house nearly 30 years now and I do believe we haven't thrown anything out. We're pack rats pure and simple. But this year we're turning over a new leaf (I believe I mentioned in an earlier post about FlyLady.com--if you're a pack rat or your house work has gotten the best of you, go take a look at her site.) We're trying to de-clutter our home and lives.
Unfortunately, the basement rec room has been the recipient of all the things that didn't really have a place to be. When my lovely daughter cleaned out her room, you guessed it, she put her stuff in the basement. Then both my parents and my husband's parents died and there was a mass migration of more stuff. Into...my...basment.
Sigh.
Seriously, it was so bad there wasn't even a path. But I want to upgrade my cable, get a cablemodem for my computer and, darn it, I want to be able to use that rec room the way it was intended to be used! So my dh and I have been working on it--there's now a section of clear floor :-) and he's as committed to cleaning it up as I am (I suspect he's more committed to helping me get rid of any of 'my' stuff but this won't work until he removes all the tools he inherited from his father, goes through the stack of newspapers he saved for the articles and, don't ask me why we have this, a garbage bag of paper clutter from his poor deceased mom, bless her heart.
I just have to be patient and nag him until that's gone...and that brings me back to my books.
I just don't have anyplace to store them so I'm sorting through keeping obvious reference books and fiction books that I dearly loved. I've already entered over 460 into a database, identified a little over 100 of them as keepers, but the others...I'm donating to a good home at the library. True, they won't be shelved but will go into the libraries used book sale. That's fine. They'll help support the library and that's a very good thing.
Still. I'll miss all those wonderful books.
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