HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013, 2013, 2013

I'm starting off the New Year with more responsibilities and this leaves me terrified.

What if I can't find time for writing? What if I'm too tired and my brain won't function at lightning speed through my rough draft stage?

I am used to change, though change can be frightening, it's a useful tool for restructuring.

It turns out that I'm the type of person who works well will a lot of plates spinning. I find pockets of time to read CP's work, or study writing craft, and read in my genre and out of my genre. Fifteen minutes, here...ten there. I complain to my kids, and ask why they can't make a little "pocket" for reading. I have two reluctant tween readers, who are also delightful, wildly surprising sons. They do occasionally surprise me, like when I found one of them hiding in a corner with THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE and a look of guilt, as if he was caught with a plate of cookies, and didn't want to share. He finally got his own copy of this book--because no one at his school was giving over theirs.

I think I'm going to change my vocabulary. Instead of this uncertainty painting a bleak, worse case probability, I will say:  challenge, excitement, challenge...okay, I need other positive reinforcing words to compete against -- terrified, nervous, anxious.  After all it's only what I love. My passion. The one thing that makes time disappear. WRITING is the only life for me. (to the Green Acres tune)

How do you, busy writers with more than one job, make time for writing?  
I am going to write, no matter WHAT!  -even if it takes the place of eating.

 2013 May you find the time for all you LOVE...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

This is how I feel when making time for writing. This applies for revisions as well--right?

"And You Are...?" Blog Hop

Swinging into the Blog Hop. Hope I'm not too late for the Par-tay!

hosted by Tammy Theriant  http://tammybr2.blogspot.com/
and Emily R. King http://getbusywriting.blogspot.com/2012/12/and-you-are.html

I'm hoping for some goodies from Santa. Click Dave, over there and read the other participant's Blog interviews. They're hilarious! Eeps--Davis is broken. To read the other Blogs click on Emily R. King's link above--that'll take you to the hub.

1. How many tickets have you gotten?  One, when speeding home from the Catskills in my Robo Cop car that didn't have a catalytic converter. Think I was racing home to my dog. I don't drive very often living in NYC. And when I do, I prefer to watch the scene pass, you never know where an idea may stem from.

2. Can you pitch a tent? Of course, I can read, can't I?

3. What was your worst vacation ever? I don't think I've ever had a "bad" vacation. There have been challenging ones. Like when I traveled the islands of Greece, only expecting good food, and it was Lent and the coldest Spring ever. Even the fishermen weren't out.

4. What was the last thing you ever bought over $100? Um? maybe a pair of boots? But it could of been the electric company? Oh no- it was definitely the grocery.

5. We're handing you the keys to what? A Beach house! Yay! Thank you SO much. Or a solar power Volkswagon Karmann Ghia. I hate choosing!

6. What was the last meal you cooked that made even you sick?  Sick? I burn everything. I cook a lot of goood food, but I don't eat it if it's been too burned.

7. Fill in the blank: Oh my gosh! Becky, look at her butt! It is so big. She looks like a
backwards Kangaroo.

8. What was your first car?  A 1985 red Nissan Sentra. In college, my dorm buddies and I called it the KIT car, not sure exactly why, though.We had many adventures in this baby, across state lines. 
Almost forgot all about her. Here's what she looked like --spittin' image. 

9. Your best friend falls and gets hurt. Do you ask if he/she's okay or laugh first?  I'd check my besties condition and how she feels--was it a cool acrobatic descent, or is she crying...

10.  What's the worst song ever?  Dude Looks like a Lady--think I heard that one this morning. That's drop everything and turn the channel kind of song. There are MANY these days.


Dear Santa, I've been a Very good girl, most of the time. 

Here is where I am today.

Thanks to Agent Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst Literary Management for this gem and Yoda, of course. 

Sometimes an arrow shows you, you're pointing in the right direction. 

Yoda on Revisions

On many long journeys have I gone. And waited, too, for others to return from journeys of their own. Some return; some are broken; some come back so different only their names remain.  

http://navigatingtheslushpile.blogspot.com/2012/11/fortune-cookie-friday-yoda-on-revisions.html#links

From the Belly of Darkness there is Light.

Last Monday night, downtown New York City went dark.

We clung to our am radio waiting to hear when the storm surge would end, and if our family would need to escape from our west side cellar apt and into our neighbor's third-floor building.

We kept one bag each at the neighbors, in case we lost all everything from the storm surge.

I hand write my WIPs, and I made sure that was included.

My years of Artwork were left behind--and the rest, I didn't care so much for. My family was together and that was all I needed.

It was midnight before the radio informed us that the water was receding. I took an immense breath of relief and eventually went to sleep.

But, when we awoke the next morning to the news--no photographs, yet, my phone wouldn't hold a charge, and the Internet was impossible; my entire being gripped in fear for those still suffering.

My family wandered by day around downtown Manhattan, hunting and gathering food, and came home and cooked it. We were one of the lucky ones, we had a stove to cook with and water.

The days rolled into one. The first couple days the kids had friends over. We would make big oven cooked meals to warm the place and the adults drank wine to ease the night.

 My favorite, and greatest surprise, (but not really), were the people we met along the way, every day--with their giving nature and wanting to help in every possible way--that was beautiful, and heartwarming.

This gave me hope for our collective future--regardless of the outcome of the Elections around the corner. We had each other's backs! The wine helped me feel fuzzy, but the love gave me warmth.

Four days later, the light returned and the work began, and maybe, we could help others feel the same.

My family spent time delivering relief donations with our tween boys, and they got some valuable life experience—in taking nothing for granted. <<< That's what my twelve-year-old said. O.O 

They needed to be without electricity, so they could understand what’s most important in life: family, neighbors, and friends. Not Xbox.

We made many new friends! 

And together we can weather any storm, like the Nor'easter I just trampled through. Here we go again...

That's my lad in training. He begrudgingly came, but soon realized as with most things, it made him feel good to do so.

Writing Therapy

I can tell you first off that writing is my therapy. I knew this at a very early age when I needed to write. And I still do, of course. This little post is for the Writing Therapy Blog Hop http://www.writertherapy.com/blog/2012/10/03/blog-hop/

When I must get into my writer's brain, after spending time promoting my music or singing, etc—I force myself to write any kind of crazy garbage-- anything that dribbles out. I discovered a great exercise, where I set a timer for ten, or twenty minutes, and just lay it out on paper. Yes, writing by hand. When I slow down I can doodle until my subconscious thoughts catch up—or I catch up with them.

But my completely, most favorite, and foolproof way to write, particularly a rough draft, is to go for a 5k run. Oh my god, if I could get all the writers running, they’d see the effortlessness at which their words flow. While this is my most favorite technique for writing flow. I find it a little different for revisions, where I need to be alert, curt, and critical of my work--those are pure coffee days.

It is essential for writers, sitting for long hours, to move before, or after writing. 

Think of yourself as stagnant energy, and moving your body creates movement--right? This works for the entire being—the mind and the imagination in my experience.

So in Michelle Obama’s words: Get Moving!

Or is it Let’s Move? In any case, go and write, or write, and then get moving.  

Pitch Live

                                  #PITCHLIVE EVENT 

           A Very Special Thank You goes out to Brenda Drake and her band of elves for creating this fun opportunity.
                                                                                                         

                                       
  

                                            Title: ABEGALE FORCE

                        Genre: Upper MG Magical Realism Adventure

                                        word count: 75k

        

                                        

Thirteen year-old Abegale must discover how a medicine book, magic cards, and a grim old lady are going to help bring a grandmother home she thought was dead.

The Writing Contest Season

It sure seems like it. And everybody's winning!

Whether getting a request from an agent, critiques on their work, or making new writing connections--It's happening--everywhere.

I'm trying to keep all organized using my fancy phone--my organizing buddy. After passing through #Pitmad and sending my pitch to an agent, and then another first page/tagline contest, where I was a first page finalist, I can't get enough now, and, well, it just keeps getting better, because the contests keep rolling in. Best part--meeting the writers along the way, who lend their fresh, eyes O.O to  something your working on. Love it! Need it!

Now, there's the Hook, Line and Sinker contest, where you can find more info on Dee Romito's Blog,
I WRITE FOR APPLES and Trick or Treat with Agents contest:
http://www.writeforapples.com/2012/10/trick-or-treat-agents-wish-lists.html
Oh, and she has some inspiring "How I got my agent stories" And today features Jennifer Malone, one of our MG betareaders. YAY!! Jennifer! Can't wait to hear more Marnie adventures.

You may be interested in the PitchLive contest happening on Brenda Drake's Blog,
http://brenleedrake.blogspot.com/2012/09/pitch-live-elevator-pitch.html
Something a little different, but familiar--Videotape a 2 min. pitch to an agent and post it! Ahhh! Yeap. Those Pitches go live on Oct. 15th. Get to it. I found it helpful recording the video on my iphone--where I could control the lighting by moving to a bright -light-flattering window. Just need to have the video set to public on the day of. Should be fun. More info on Brenda's Blog.


Oooh. And we will NOT forget The Baker's Dozen Contest on Authoresses Blog, no we won't. Because, I am real excited to participate this year. Here's the low-down:
http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-2012-bakers-dozen-all-star-agent.html
Fifteen top-notch agents will participate in being hooked.
Check out the YA/MG and Adult submission schedules for Baker's Dozen:
http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2012/10/14-agents-are-ready-to-outbid-each.html

And Good Luck!

Just got word of this one the other day: Spooktacluar Pitch Extravaganza on Jamie Corrigan's beautiful Blog: Oct 13th Folks. Three sentence pitch. No more, no less. Get Busy!
http://thiswritersworldplotbunnies.blogspot.com/2012/10/spooktacular-pitch-extravaganza.html