Just got home from a vacation in Jamaica. White sands and warm ocean, what could be better? We really enjoyed ourselves. We swam with the dolphins, did a zip line over jungle canopy, flew down a metal bob sled ride, and climbed a 1000 foot waterfall, in addition to snorkeling and just laying in the sun on the beach. The only thing that would have made it better was if we were twenty years younger and all that fun didn't come with aches and pain afterward.
Even though we enjoyed the time away, we couldn't wait to get home. I missed our dog, my own bed, home cooked food and laying around watching TV in my robe.
When we got home we discovered that the pool drains had clogged with leaves while we were gone and since the water couldn't circulate, we had brown scummy water. We cleaned the pool filters and I dosed it with lots of pool shock, but it's still not back to blue. I'm afraid we may have to call the pool guy to drain and clean it. Another bill we don't need especially since we haven't paid off the vacation yet.
Good news is that Double Down made the quarterfinals in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. Now back to writing, cleaning house, and paying bills.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
I Made The Cut
My pitch for Double Down made the first cut in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. They took 5000 entries in two categories and selected 1000 in each category, so the odds were good. Next they will read an excerpt and whittle it down to 250 in each category. They won't announce that until March 20th. I told myself that I would feel good just to get this far, but I want more.
In the meantime, I need to edit Jealousy. If anyone out there is an English teacher or just an excellent proofreader, I could use your help. It's really hard to proof your own writing.
My next project is another young adult sci-fi, completely different from The Crystal's Curse. My granddaughter, Katherine, wanted me to write something using her name as one of the main characters. This one is for her and all my other grandchildren whose names I'll be using in it. I wrote the first two chapters over a year ago thinking I could work on it and Jealousy at the same time. I found out I had a hard enough time disciplining myself to work on one book, let alone two. So it has been languishing in my computer for a while. Somehow I deleted the outline. Fortunately, I printed out a copy and stuck it in a folder.
Now butt in seat, fingers on keys and write.
In the meantime, I need to edit Jealousy. If anyone out there is an English teacher or just an excellent proofreader, I could use your help. It's really hard to proof your own writing.
My next project is another young adult sci-fi, completely different from The Crystal's Curse. My granddaughter, Katherine, wanted me to write something using her name as one of the main characters. This one is for her and all my other grandchildren whose names I'll be using in it. I wrote the first two chapters over a year ago thinking I could work on it and Jealousy at the same time. I found out I had a hard enough time disciplining myself to work on one book, let alone two. So it has been languishing in my computer for a while. Somehow I deleted the outline. Fortunately, I printed out a copy and stuck it in a folder.
Now butt in seat, fingers on keys and write.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Jealousy - Coming soon
I finished the first draft of Jealousy tonight. A new mystery featuring Valerie and Detective Delgado coming soon to a web site near you. I've been working on this book for over a year and a half and now that it's done, I feel lost. I don't remember feeling this way at the completion of the other two. Maybe it's because I've worked on this one longer. Of course, it's not ready for publication yet. The ending still needs work. I need to write a jacket cover synopsis and think about what image to use as a cover. I'm sure it will need a few revisions before I'm ready to upload it. But the essential story is now down on paper.
I should feel elated. Instead, I'm still worrying about it. Should I keep the beginning? Does it start too slowly? Does the plot hang together? Have I wrapped up all the essential elements? Are there too many characters? Will the reader get lost? I guess I won't have the answers to any of those questions until someone other than me reads it.
In the last couple of days, I've read it through from the beginning to the end and I love it. After I test it out on my family, I'll post an excerpt here and hope you'll give me some feedback.
I should feel elated. Instead, I'm still worrying about it. Should I keep the beginning? Does it start too slowly? Does the plot hang together? Have I wrapped up all the essential elements? Are there too many characters? Will the reader get lost? I guess I won't have the answers to any of those questions until someone other than me reads it.
In the last couple of days, I've read it through from the beginning to the end and I love it. After I test it out on my family, I'll post an excerpt here and hope you'll give me some feedback.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Rewarding Risks
All though my life I've taken chances. Not the gambling kind, and not stupid ones like getting involved with drugs or anything illegal. Just small risks. Like going white water rafting or taking up in line skating in my fifties. I had to give up the skating when I discovered that falling down at that stage of life hurt a lot more than it did as a child.
The most satisfying risks involved learning something new. In my career, I often volunteered for projects I'd never done before. Then I'd panic. Unwilling to fail, I'd learn what I needed to make the project a success. This boldness often led to promotion and reinforced my desire to seek out and conquer other challenges.
Writing novels has been one of those challenges. At the beginning I was convinced that I was not a creative person and I had no stories inside struggling to be told. However, I was bored, so I sat down at my computer and a whole new world opened up to me. As the story evolved and the characters came to life, I found the excitement I'd been looking for.Within six months I'd finished my first novel.
It was only after that I read books on writing, joined writers groups, and went to seminars.
The best part of writing is that it necessitates continual learning. I've researched anatomy and Mayan mythology, mastered new formatting techniques and computer shortcuts. I've joined facebook and learn to blog. Tweeting may be next.
The world I grew up in is nothing like the world of today, but instead of feeling like an outsider looking in, writing has been my key to keeping tuned in, turned on and feeling young.
The most satisfying risks involved learning something new. In my career, I often volunteered for projects I'd never done before. Then I'd panic. Unwilling to fail, I'd learn what I needed to make the project a success. This boldness often led to promotion and reinforced my desire to seek out and conquer other challenges.
Writing novels has been one of those challenges. At the beginning I was convinced that I was not a creative person and I had no stories inside struggling to be told. However, I was bored, so I sat down at my computer and a whole new world opened up to me. As the story evolved and the characters came to life, I found the excitement I'd been looking for.Within six months I'd finished my first novel.
It was only after that I read books on writing, joined writers groups, and went to seminars.
The best part of writing is that it necessitates continual learning. I've researched anatomy and Mayan mythology, mastered new formatting techniques and computer shortcuts. I've joined facebook and learn to blog. Tweeting may be next.
The world I grew up in is nothing like the world of today, but instead of feeling like an outsider looking in, writing has been my key to keeping tuned in, turned on and feeling young.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Writing Contests
Amazon is holding a contest for new authors. There's only two categories, general and young adult and you can only have one entry. I considered entering Double Down, but one of the judging criteria is originality. Double Down is a murder mystery. Yes, the plot is original but essentially follows the same pattern as most mysteries. The Crystal's Curse on the other hand has a completely original plot line. However, it's my first attempt at writing and as such not a polished.
The first step is to write a 300 work pitch. You can't imagine how difficult it is to compress a plot that takes 70,000 words to unfold in to 300 word teaser. However, I have learned and can probably spruce up the one I have into something that might intrigue the judges.
If you pass that stage, they'll read the first 5000 words. Now I've written a killer prologue. Generally if you hook the reader in the first few pages, they'll stick with you while you set the stage and give them enough background so that they can identify and care about the characters. Then you carefully unwind the plot until they're hooked and can't stop reading until the end. But if your book is being judged on the first 5000 words, you don't have that leeway.
So before submitting my entry, I'm editing The Crystal's Curse for the thousandth time, trying to make it as tight and compelling as possible. If I leave out some of the background to make it more exciting in the beginning, then its hard to identify with the characters. At one point, I gave up and wondered why I was bothering. The chances of winning were probably as astronomical as winning the lottery. Why put myself through it? I haven't answered that question yet. I only have until the end of January to decide.
The first step is to write a 300 work pitch. You can't imagine how difficult it is to compress a plot that takes 70,000 words to unfold in to 300 word teaser. However, I have learned and can probably spruce up the one I have into something that might intrigue the judges.
If you pass that stage, they'll read the first 5000 words. Now I've written a killer prologue. Generally if you hook the reader in the first few pages, they'll stick with you while you set the stage and give them enough background so that they can identify and care about the characters. Then you carefully unwind the plot until they're hooked and can't stop reading until the end. But if your book is being judged on the first 5000 words, you don't have that leeway.
So before submitting my entry, I'm editing The Crystal's Curse for the thousandth time, trying to make it as tight and compelling as possible. If I leave out some of the background to make it more exciting in the beginning, then its hard to identify with the characters. At one point, I gave up and wondered why I was bothering. The chances of winning were probably as astronomical as winning the lottery. Why put myself through it? I haven't answered that question yet. I only have until the end of January to decide.
Friday, January 6, 2012
DOUBLE DOWN Now available
If you love me, or even if you just call me friend, please go to Amazon or Smashwords and at the very least hit the like button next to my books.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Christmas Stress
I'm feeling a little Christmas stress. No not the shopping. I've got that done. Every year it gets a little easier. When my kids were little, I used to stress over just the right gift. Did each child have exactly the same number? Then there were stocking stuffers and wrapping everything on Christmas Eve and wondering again if I'd managed to get the one thing they were hoping for.
Then they grew up and had kids of their own. Each of the grandchildren used to send us a list. Al would have a great time picking out the noisiest toys for the boys and I'd shop for frilly dresses for the girls. Then when they reached about ten or eleven, we discovered we could no longer afford anything on the boy's lists and the girls didn't want anything picked out by an adult, so we went to money or gift cards instead. Their parents said they liked the change. Now that most of my grandchildren are older, we only get to buy a few presents.
Al and I still exchange gifts and he is the hardest person to buy for. It's a struggle to find something he hasn't already bought for himself. I especially like to buy trips because then I get to share the gift, but they're hard to wrap. This year I think he'll be surprised by at least one gift under the tree.
We got in the habit a long time ago of not using credit except for each other and then just to be able to hide the amount spent. There were years when there wasn't much money and the kids were little that nothing under the tree cost over $5, and then we had years where we spent a great deal. As long as there were presents to open, it didn't seem to matter, so we learned to stay within out budget.
It's the decorating that makes me crazy. I have no talent when it comes to handicrafts and that includes flower arrangements and decorating. I don't mind decorating the tree, even though when I'm finished it looks pretty thrown together. I tell myself all the twinkling lights make it pretty. I have a village and a collection of Santa Clauses that get set wherever there is space. We hang lights outside only because everyone on our street does and we don't want to be the black hole of the street. It makes me crazy to see Al teetering on a ladder. I can't help remembering the time he fell off and we had to rush him to emergency. I don't know how people can put decorations up before Thanksgiving and leave them there until after New Years. We don't even start until the middle of December and by the day after Christmas, I'm feeling claustrophobic from all the clutter and tired of the lights blinking on and off all night through my bedroom window. I know your probably thinking that I have no holiday spirit and you might be right.
However, instead of taking Christ out of Christmas, I wish there was a way to make it more about Him. I have small nativity sets that I treasure. I wish I could find a large one that I could afford to put on my lawn. In place of all the blinking lights, I'd have just one lighted star over the manager. I wish when I walked in the mall or turned on the radio, I'd hear Christmas carols celebrating His birth instead of jingles. I respect all religions and don't wish to offend anyone. Why is it socially unacceptable to expect others to respect mine? I don't want to take Santa Claus or any of the fun out of the Christmas season. I'm all for anything that fosters love and caring. I just want to feel more of the peace that comes when I let myself remember that Christmas is supposed to be a celebration of Christ's birth and not about whether my home qualifies for a page in Good Housekeeping.
Then they grew up and had kids of their own. Each of the grandchildren used to send us a list. Al would have a great time picking out the noisiest toys for the boys and I'd shop for frilly dresses for the girls. Then when they reached about ten or eleven, we discovered we could no longer afford anything on the boy's lists and the girls didn't want anything picked out by an adult, so we went to money or gift cards instead. Their parents said they liked the change. Now that most of my grandchildren are older, we only get to buy a few presents.
Al and I still exchange gifts and he is the hardest person to buy for. It's a struggle to find something he hasn't already bought for himself. I especially like to buy trips because then I get to share the gift, but they're hard to wrap. This year I think he'll be surprised by at least one gift under the tree.
We got in the habit a long time ago of not using credit except for each other and then just to be able to hide the amount spent. There were years when there wasn't much money and the kids were little that nothing under the tree cost over $5, and then we had years where we spent a great deal. As long as there were presents to open, it didn't seem to matter, so we learned to stay within out budget.
It's the decorating that makes me crazy. I have no talent when it comes to handicrafts and that includes flower arrangements and decorating. I don't mind decorating the tree, even though when I'm finished it looks pretty thrown together. I tell myself all the twinkling lights make it pretty. I have a village and a collection of Santa Clauses that get set wherever there is space. We hang lights outside only because everyone on our street does and we don't want to be the black hole of the street. It makes me crazy to see Al teetering on a ladder. I can't help remembering the time he fell off and we had to rush him to emergency. I don't know how people can put decorations up before Thanksgiving and leave them there until after New Years. We don't even start until the middle of December and by the day after Christmas, I'm feeling claustrophobic from all the clutter and tired of the lights blinking on and off all night through my bedroom window. I know your probably thinking that I have no holiday spirit and you might be right.
However, instead of taking Christ out of Christmas, I wish there was a way to make it more about Him. I have small nativity sets that I treasure. I wish I could find a large one that I could afford to put on my lawn. In place of all the blinking lights, I'd have just one lighted star over the manager. I wish when I walked in the mall or turned on the radio, I'd hear Christmas carols celebrating His birth instead of jingles. I respect all religions and don't wish to offend anyone. Why is it socially unacceptable to expect others to respect mine? I don't want to take Santa Claus or any of the fun out of the Christmas season. I'm all for anything that fosters love and caring. I just want to feel more of the peace that comes when I let myself remember that Christmas is supposed to be a celebration of Christ's birth and not about whether my home qualifies for a page in Good Housekeeping.
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