Reading and Writing and Mondays

Today I got my nails done. Why blog about nails? I'm not. I'm blogging about what it takes to keep focused. A lot of distractions. Seriously. The more you plug into a day - as long as it doesn't become too random - the better. Here's how it works. Establish a ritual. Stick to it, and whoa -- you're writing 2000 words a day.

Or not.

I'm recommending a book - J. D. Robb's first book in the 'Death" series. Believe me. I know how far behind I am (published in 1995), but I'm enjoying the shit out of Ms. Eve Dallas. I also am still figuring out the difference between series (length?) and single title (longer?). I think there's more to it, and I'll have to nail it down before my next trip to RWA Nationals. Why? Because by then I'll finally be in the PAN group (is that the one that has been rejected?)

Still waiting to hear from the agent and the publisher...by the end of this month, it will be three months since I submitted...

Yes, It's Shemar Day!

Yes. It's time for the pointless Wednesday post - it's all about Shemar.

There is nothing more fun then relaxing on a Wednesday by writing my semi-monthly Shemar Moore Post! Ah. Glorious. After a long two days of travel (went to Baltimore for 'da job') and numerous meetings all about 'da job' related stuff, I am now reclining in the home, getting ready for three days of NaNoWriMo writing and further polishing of 'The Manuscript'(this should be uttered in reverence and with creepy deep voice for effect).

But tomorrow, I will also get in some spa time. I'll start by working out - but then I intend to indulge in at least two  hours of sauna, whirlpool and steam - and not in that order. Writing is lovely, but there are times when you have to kick back and relax. For me, that time will be tomorrow.

As for my helpful tip for today - there's just so much information out there I don't know where to begin for us pre-published guys and gals (and yeah, there was a recent uproar about the word 'pre-published'. I don't really care - bottom line is no one has written me a check yet saying - your writing/storytelling/whatever - on the fiction front -  just put a few dollars in your pocket. Hoo-rah!

Frankly, I've added a few new blogs I'll be following that I suggest you check out.  I'm gravitating lately toward those writers who are in my boat - writing away but not getting paid...okay, they haven't been published yet, but are on course to getting it done!

The point? Today's rec is Patricia Woodside's blog. She's unpublished and has a great blog - so check her out.

NaNoWriMo, Critique Group and Daylight Savings

Taken by me, Denny S. Bryce,  during a recent trip to New Orleans. A very cool street vendor.


I'm in a writing frenzy people. I got out 1800 words for NaNoWriMo, and am about to finish up the stories I'm judging for a contest. Then I'm going to go back and write a new scene for my current manuscript. My critique group was unanimous in their recommendation that I need a new scene. It's actually something I've been thinking about - but hadn't really formulated in my mind - or should I say came to the decision to just do it.


All in all writing is getting better and better - or I should say my approach to writing is improving. I literally wrote without editing today. Stayed within a certain area of story and just let it flow. We'll see how I feel after a day or so, when no matter how much flow I've got I can't get a word out:)...lol!


Great article I must recommend about books and publishing. It's called, Good Books Don't Have to Be Hard. It's an article in the Wall Street Journal.


I'm also reading Nora Roberts, or J.D. Robb's Naked in the Death. The first of the Eve Dallas books. I really like the economy of her storytelling. It clips along, smart, while providing the right bangs for your buck so to speak when they should arrive. I like that style.


Lastly, learned something I didn't know (okay, lots I don't know, but I enjoyed learning this tidbit from my critique partner about MICE.  It's from a book by Orson Scott Card.

M = Millieu -- about the world (including Alice in Wondeland and Gullivers Travels); beginnig of the story should be as close to the new place as possible; pov character is often not from this world and the story will end the character returns home

I = Idea -- story about the bits of information disovered in the process of the story by the characters who did not previously know the information (e.g., most mysteries); the question (e.g., whodunit?) shapes the action of the story

C = character -- something is wrong in the character's role in life and the story goes on until the character changes or accepts the way they are. In a character story, we need to see the character before so we know why they want to change.

E = Event -- something is wrong in the fabric of the universe; story ends when order is restored or a new order is stablished; story ends when the struggle ends; most SF/F are event stories

E stories don't have prologs, but begin where the charcter who will bring about the change first becomes involved (think Frodo or Luke Skywalker); OSC especially recommends avoiding prologs that show the 'world situation' -- readers won't care until they have a hero (again, think Luke); he recommends showing the hero first in a small setting and gradually pulling back to show the world situation.

And finally, I took some medicine for my aching hip, and viola! It feels better. I guess I should just take the pill when I supposed to take the pill:). My only problem here is now is time.  I didn't remember how much I dislike time changes. If I'm traveling someplace it's one thing, but just because? It's going to take me a week to feel like I'm over what time is it anyway? Okay, being a complainer for no reason...

My Mother Wants to Visit My Blog

And No, this is not my mother! Photo taken by me in London at Thames River Festival 2007.

My seventy-five year old mother wants to visit my blog, but she's afraid. She claims that I am a wild woman (people, I'm not wild, I just like pretty men and I write paranormal, near-future, urban fantasies that can border on the erotic and features pretty men). I don't think she's opposed to the pretty men part - I certainly doubt it since she's on marriage number four and snagged her latest cutie eight years ago and swears she left the best for last:) But her real fear - or two fears - is that in some way shape or form I'm blaspheming (okay, maybe I am, can't really tell, don't totally know what it means) or I'm writing about her. Why or why would she think I'm writing about her? Could it be fear? Guilt? Lack of trust? Or simply that she realizes she'd make a damn good scary character? lol! No, I know why. But I'm not going to go into here - I'll leave it as a big reveal for one of my character's in my next book...

Also, if she does drop by: I had to post this in order to move my last post, featuring Shemar, down a spot - his bare torso scares some people, you know?

It Must Be Wednesday and That Means...

Yes, it's Wednesday and that means it's time for another pointless post about my favorite Shapeshifter - Shemar Moore.

This week he's about to venture into a new dimension, or maybe just a parallel plane where he is not the only one of his breed. There, he meets a woman from Earth who must navigate the perils of this new time zone, while controlling her desire for this freak of nature...

Okay, I found this photo and just said 'WHY?' I mean come on, yeah, you know you got it, but seriously, let's not take flaunting it to such a obvious level (except you know I love it!).

Anyway, seriously. Yes. I did write seriously. Shemar is still in the lead as the main contender for my bad boy anti-hero who will be the bone of contention in my next urban fantasy.

The heroine has yet to be fleshed out, but I've got time before National Novel Writing Month kicks off November 1. Yes, I'm doing it again. Hopefully, I won't fail again (this is year three), but with my polishing of the current manuscript about to swing into even higher gear - I'm anxious to start a new story (desperate in fact). I've been working on this current book almost daily since the end of June. But keep in mind that means I've been polishing and fixing and fixing and polishing since then. I'm up to 53,000 total words, knowing it will be 80,000 at least. So maybe the game plan should be ti finish it in November? Okay, that could be the goal...

Okay it's almost time for So You Think You Can Dance - which thankfully airs an hour before Criminal Minds - where you can find said ShapeShifter (photo shown above) at 9:00 p.m. Eastern...:)...

Are You Watching Flashforward or Three Rivers?

Cast photo from Flashforward on ABC Thursday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Are you watching Flashforward on ABC? If not, do it, and do it now. It’s based on a novel, loosely based, according to Wikipidia, on Flashforward written by Robert J. Sawyer, a Canadian science fiction writer, in 1999. I won’t recap the synopsis of the book, but instead of following the scientists, the TV show follows the common man, or as common as TV likes to make man. A cop, a doctor, lawyer, FBI agents, ambulance drivers, children, etc. So far, in its first two fabulous episodes, we are mesmerized, at least I am, by two FBI agents played by Joseph Fiennes and John Cho. We're also intrigued by the premise, which uses a disaster to pull in the audience to the characters' plight. And although there is some grumbling about it's similarity to  ABC's Lost, it appeals to me much more than Lost ever did (I couldn't get through the first season). I don't think Lost ever knew the identity of its bad guy, and this show knows exactly who the villain is...and that makes a difference in how you write characters and create conflict, I think. (Anyway, this blog post is not about the reasons I couldn't watch Lost.)

In a nutshell, Flashforward is about the world’s population going unconscious at the same time for two minutes, but they dream, or see, their futures – six months in the future to be exact, in fact I think it's April 29 (isn't that sweeps?). The glitch for some is that they see nothing, while others see life-altering scenes, or then there’s the guy who was in the toilet, which just cracks me up. 

            

Anyway, I'm going to keep watching because it started out so good, so expect me to write about it again (whether it continues to thrill or disappoint). And speaking of disappointment? My biggest disappointment – Three Rivers with Alex O’Loughlin. 

I’ve had a thing for Alex O’Loughlin since Moonlight. I was/am one of his rabid fangirls as some like to call us, and absolutely adored Moonlight (even if it was mediocre vampire fare). But as rabid as I am, I won’t be watching Three Rivers much longer, not unless it gets a complete overhaul. No decent characters to care about – they look pretty in their tight bright blue stretchy, pull-over doctor uniform tops (yes, seriously).

But I could have endured all sorts of nonsense if Alex was acting his ass off, which he isn't. He looks bored, his acting is boring, and the script is without passion. The reason people watch medical shows has nothing to do with procedures (yes, CBS, you can’t make a procedural doctor show, why?)…it’s because everyone gets sick and what the viewer cares about is the conflict of the doctors – between the doctors, their families, their lives, their goals, their loves and hates, and folks, it’s clear, CBS has no clue how to put together a character driven show! So I hope this one dies fast, so Alex can find another show. Oh! I just read that Alex could have been on NCIS-LA? That show is damn decent, but I’m not sure he would get along with L.L. Cool J, you know what I mean? lol.

            

Finally, I had an absolutely amazing weekend, which I needed desperately, for reasons too self-indulgent to list here. However, having a blog already crosses a few self-indulgent lines, wouldn’t you say? Nonetheless, I did have a superior time in Philadelphia, and am settling in – mentally and physically – for a few changes in the way I approach doing the things I do – but that’s not the point here. I want to write about how lucky I’ve been. By making a commitment to writing, I’ve been able to meet in person and on-line some of the most generous writers on the planet. I believe it’s the nature of our demon – having to write – that makes interpersonal connections so important.  

On the other hand, when I mentioned my weekend to a friend, he made the point that the successful writers – book or TV - I've met, in particular, don’t need to be critical, snippy or unkind in general.  Success is their friend and their enemy, and just as I appreciate a weekend away from the day-to-day, they appreciate an opportunity to meet people who are as in love with what they do as they are. Okay, I get that. Common ground helps fuel relationships. But I’d like to think the women and men I’ve met who write are so much in love with what they do that they can’t help but give off the most positive energy and good vibes possible. And I like that!

My Immortal: Shapeshifter Part II

Yes, I'm providing you with a glimpse into the world of my next hero (after I finish the current WIP). The inspiration for the hero of this marvelous new paranormal romantic suspense is the one and only Shemar Moore. If you don't understand or know what I'm talking about - you'd better ask somebody! Okay?

This man's beauty is mesmerizing. I mean, seriously? How does this happen? Yes, I know the deal in terms of procreation, but this man's looks are just - well, I'm convinced, he's a shapeshifter.

I've posted a little on this theory in an earlier post, but it keeps coming back to haunt me. I also recently visited another author's website and she had an entire page devoted to the men, all actors, who inspire her male heroes. I loved it. So I decided to start one of my own, but currently I'm stuck on Shemar - the Shapeshifter.

In other news! I'm excited beyond belief. This weekend I'm attending Phauxcon and the special guest for the weekend is the marvelous, best-selling author, L.A. Banks.

This is the cover art for L.A. Banks' latest addition to her The Vampire Huntress series.

I haven't read all of the books, I'm actually starting with the first one - but did read a lot of The Hunted - book three - but since I write in this genre I haven't read that many vampire stories - do you think that's odd?

Okay, I'm off to dinner, but first to the bookstore so I can get her to sign copies of her books!!!!!