An Author's Life, Part Two

Last week I did #AuthorLife where every day in February, an author posts about a given topic. This week I'm wrapping it up with Days 15-29:

Day 15 - Prized Bookish Possession:

My Lord of the Rings Collector's Edition. Best. Book. Ever.

Day 16 - Research:

Blonde OPS, for those of you who haven't gotten around to reading it (please do, ASAP, it makes this even funnier), is a novel about a 16-year-old named Bec who gets expelled for hacking her grades. Busy mom sends her to stay with a family friend, a magazine editor, who is on location in Rome. The First Lady is coming for a photo shoot, and 'accidents' start happening, so Bec uses her hacker skills to solve the mystery. The research for this book included First Lady, Secret Service, guns, hacking locks, hacking cars, etc. (You see where I'm going with this?). So the FBI sent me a little note...

A screen shot of the "hi there!" from the FBI- after they shut down my browser... numerous times

Day 17 - Dream Event/Retreat:

What could be greater than chatting up my books with Jimmy Fallon?

Day 18 - Teaser Tuesday:

I've already given you the first paragraph of my current work in progress, so what about a snippet from Sirenz 3- A New Trend? (I hope to set this up as an ebook- it's on the List of Things To Do)

            This is how I DIE?? Hit by a dirty black Scion Cube, in the red-light district?
            WHAT will my mother think?
           How much is this going to hurt?

            As time slowed, the driver’s eye glanced up, probably from his cellphone. Just before he killed me, he’d know it. There wasn’t time for shock or regret or surprise to set in.

            I closed my eyes.
            If only I still had Hades’ picture, I could call out for help. But no, I had to spite him. I resigned myself to my pathetic fate.
            Annnnnd.... nothing. Was death instantaneous, and I was already a corpse? Well, that answered one question- we kept our consciousness. Fabuloso; I can spend eternity regretting my hubris. The Fates are probably smiling at that. Just think how cheerful my death will make Persephone. The bitch.

Day 19 - Background Noise:




That's right- NOTHING. I need silence when I write because otherwise I will sing along, or think about what the song means, or recall memories. Silence is golden...

Day 20 - Reader Love:

This was made by Melissa, when Sirenz debuted. So clever!

Day 21 - My Team:

Well, this changes as people move in and out of my life. Currently, it's my agent Sue, my friend Patti Petrone-Miller, my family, my critique group, the fabulous Kidlit Authors Club, and some SCBWI colleagues I always reconnect with. (I'd like to add Steven Spielberg, so call me Steven, 'k?)

Day 22 - Greatest Strength:

I'm rarely at a loss for words, which is good because I don't get writer's block, but has its drawbacks because sometimes I should just keep quiet...

Day 23 - Biggest Distraction:

Social media. It's a necessary evil for authors because we basically have to do all our own marketing (unless you're a celeb which, sadly, I'm not.) It's too easy to get pulled in too many directions with all the content out there.

Day 24 - Non-bookish Hobby:

Gardening.

My meditation garden; it helps me solve plot twists & gives me space from people.

Day 25 - Motivation:

Soooo many things give me motivation; simply going through life creates so many story ideas. I won't live long enough to write all the books I want. Too bad.

Day 26 - Prized Non-bookish Possession:

Without going into all the family drama, I love these pearls. Not very trendy now, but they were a gift from my mother-in-law, a wonderful woman whom I cherished. Now that she's gone, just wearing them makes me feel like she's nearby, listening to me.

Day 27 - Bookstore/Library Love:

This is a hard one; I have found that unless you're an instant bestseller or someone famous, bookstores and libraries don't really support author visits. I've had a few, but even my hometown library wouldn't host me, so... yeah. Book festivals (and some libraries host festivals) which aren't exclusionary are where it's at for most authors.

Day 28 - Acknowledgments:

This, too, changes with time. People come and go, not always under ideal circumstances. I have a different acknowledgment in each book for those people who at the time deserved a shout-out. The one constant has been my family, a perpetual source of not only material for my books, but 'motivation' for me to make us 'rich'. They have their Lamborghinis all picked out.

Day 29 - Weirdest Thing to Happen to Me:

I added this because this year is a Leap Year and I didn't want Day 29 to be left out. When my oldest sons were about 4 and 5, I took them to the Game Farm in Riverhead, NY. My mom had one stroller and I had the other. We toured the place, and stopped by the monkey cage where a worker was feeding the monkey orange soda. After chatting with him, not only did I learn that they fed junk food to the monkey (who was in too small a cage, it made me sad), but that the owner gave the animal cigarettes, and regularly beat and tormented the poor thing. Disgusted, I walked away. Not more than a few minutes later, we heard screaming; the worker had forgotten to close the cage and the two monkeys escaped, going on a rampage. People panicked and ran. My mother and I ran as fast as we could, heading for the nearest exit, rather than the cafeteria the park urged us to go to over the loudspeaker. A man with a rifle ran by, followed by others with those rope nooses they use to restrain animals. A woman started screaming because the monkey was attacking her son, then her. Then the shots rang out. My mother and I made it to the exit, shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't speed away fast enough. To my knowledge, the owner was never fined, although the game farm is gone.

So, that's an author's life for you. Sorry it's not more exciting, but there's always hope!

Char

Excuses and Thankfulness

I didn't realize how few posts I've done lately. As usual, I have several good excuses:

1- My husband retired so there were dinners and such to attend.
2- Spent 8 days in Los Angeles visiting our son.
3- Getting ready for Thanksgiving i.e. volunteering to clean up church grounds, practicing bell music for Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas Eve services.
4- Working to finish a novel overhaul
5- Working on selling stuff out of garage so I can put my car in there before the snow (anyone need some great toys or bedroom furniture, check out Craig's List or comment me....)
6- Spending time with family because tomorrow is not guaranteed.

I'm taking the easy way out here and am just going to say:

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Photo courtesy of Fauxels, Pixels.

I'll sign off for at least a week by giving you 5 things I'm grateful for:

1- Family and friends.

2- To live in a country where there are opportunities for self, for others, for the world.

3- For health.

4- For the ability to make a difference, however small, in the lives of people, animals, the environment, the nation.

5- For my talents/skills either natural, limited, or learned that I can use on my life journey.

Wishing you all health, contentment, and peace.

Char

Reality vs. Fantasy

The fantasy was to complete everything on my list for January. The items on my list were:

1. Do the critique for my group.
2. Do two revisions for Sirenz 3: A New Trend.
3. Revise my Island Girl manuscript.
4. Outline the third book in my twisted classics series.
5. Outline a new romance.
6. Set up some advertising for the Evolution Revolution series.

I knew it was ambitious, and I didn't really expect to get everything done. 

The reality: I didn't even get half done. But to be fair, I got other things done.

This is what I accomplished in my writing:

1. The critique for my group.
2. One revision for Sirenz 3.
3. Made notes for a 4th book in the Evolution Revolution series.

Here's what I accomplished elsewhere:

Um... 

1. Time with family and friends.
2. Resting up after the holidays.
3. Cleaning up after the holidays.

I know, not very impressive. And I won't finish the list in February either. (But I have a good excuse! Actually, several.) I hosted a Super Bowl party, with my mom I cleaned out and organized every closet and most of the drawers in the house (except for my sons', they can do their own), I spent a week at my parent's house, helping with my stepdad who had knee replacement surgery, and worked on preparing my sci fi for my agent to send on submission (which required a great deal of swearing at Microsoft for glitches). 

Phew!

There are still a few days left, but I'm working on another manuscript revision (my Faery tale) so it can get sent out. I've booked two book events, wrote a few blogs, and did some book research. 

Sometimes, a list is a good reminder, and other times it's a pain in the butt because it shows how much I haven't accomplished. But, as my example above showed, tasks get accomplished which aren't on the list. And most importantly, some things take priority- like taking care of family, spending quality time with them, and sometimes, just getting away from the grind of writing to do mundane things to give the brain a break. 

So what I didn't accomplish in January and February will go on the list of To Do for March, no doubt with several other tasks added onto the list. And I know I won't get them all done (I still foolishly hope I will, but I'm not holding my breath or taking bets that I will.) I've learned not to get frustrated (well, mostly). Eventually everything gets done. As the saying goes, "Don't sweat the small stuff." 

Photo courtesy of Pixaby

And I can be happy all my closets look this neat. :) 

Char

Take a Damn Break...

My stepdad was having knee replacement surgery. That meant a lot of time in hospital waiting rooms and night hours after my mom went to bed. Lots of time to finish a revision, do a critique, write blog posts, and network on social media.

Unless of course, you forget your laptop power cord which is a unique size that has to be specially ordered and wouldn't arrive until after you went home, and home was almost two hours away- too far for a quick retrieval.

Damn.

With all my notes and material on the laptop or at home, no way could I work on anything.

I was forced to take a break.

Photo Courtesy of Pexels, Alexander Dummer

So I read a book. Played Scrabble and Dominoes with my parents. Watched TV I had no interest in with them. Walked their dog. Cooked their favorite dishes. 

It made me slow down, appreciate blessings like precious time with family, reconnect with my love of reading for pleasure, enjoy a walk in springlike weather and notice that hyacinths and daffodils would soon be here.

I need to remind myself more often to just 'take a damn break.' An energized and refreshed writer is a better writer than one who is stressed and harried, looking to simply get something done. 

With the non-productive week behind me, I'm going to be even more busy, but that's okay. My mind is sharper and I'm happier. 

So take a damn break!

Char

It's Time to Talk Turkey!

I'm a little behind in my NaNoWriMo words (about 3,000 and it only looks to get worse with the holidays coming). I have to clean and cook for family coming both on Thanksgiving Day and the 3 days after. I have meetings and bell practice, then there's the Thanksgiving service at our church on Wednesday night when I'm playing bells (and one piece is a real doozy). Plus I want to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade. Phew!

So I'm going to cheat and just post a cute pic:

I wish you all a day of peace, family, friends, or other loved ones, and bountiful blessings.

Char

Sprint to the Finish...

You're almost there!

To the end of the month. How's the novel revision going? Not quite as far as you thought you'd be?

Now's the time to dig down deep, as athletes say, and find that last bit of energy and determination to finish the job.

We all get a little sidetracked. Family happenings. life events, work, health, etc. I was derailed for over a week with the sickness, then death of a beloved aunt out of state. For two days afterward, I was still numb. When I tried to go back to my story, I remembered that I named a character after my aunt- and it was like a sign that I should go on, finish it not only for myself, but for her. Use any justification but get the work done.

You can do this. Even if you've only done a few chapters, keep going. This is your race, so you set the clock. Can't be done this month? Then take next month, and even the one after, but get it done! It won't ever go out on submission to an editor or agent sitting there unrevised on your desk.

I've finished one story, started then gave up on another, and now am working on a third. I had hoped to do four stories, but life happens. So it'll keep for next month. Always working on something is the key to achieving success because it won't just happen.

So put on your glasses, load up on tea or coffee and sit your butt in the chair.

I believe in you- you can do this!

Char  
Clip art courtesy of Bing/Microsoft

Detour Bumpy Road Ahead

I missed a new post on two Mondays. My beloved Aunt Kay, like a second mother to me, was on life support and we said goodbye. The wake was Monday, the funeral Tuesday, so I'm posting this today.

Sometimes there are detours to your perfect plans. Your life gets sent down an unfamiliar road and it's dark, you don't know what's ahead. But you have to reach your destination so you press on, there's no turning back.

I used the detour: reconnected with family, appreciated what I have now, and will work harder now that it's time to accept what is and that life goes on.

Don't fret over your own detours. Even if they are major ones that force you to put aside or strictly limit your novel revision, keep your novel close both physically and mentally.

Giving up is not an option.

Wishing you all success, motivation, and good edits.

Char

Picture courtesy of Microsoft/Bing