While Jess, Angie, and Ann are tripping the light fantastic at RWA, and Casey is curled up with a bowl of popcorn, lusting after Stewart Granger, (I don't know what Lori's up to this week), what am I doing?? Not much! Pretty much write and work, work and write. (Okay, I did go out with my girlfriends last weekend, and yes, tequila was involved. Had a great time, btw! 9) ) But other than the occasional night out, it's been pretty much same-o, same-o this summer.
Not that I'm grousing, but hearing how much fun everyone else is having got me thinking...where would I be right now if I could pick anywhere in the world??? Not a place hot and humid...we've been having plenty of that here in Iowa. No, some place warm, but not steamy. Maybe Colorado or Minnesota? Paris, London, Vienna, Rome? What would be the perfect summer vacation?
For me it would be a tour of Scandinavia. My father's family came from Denmark, and I've always wanted visit the parish where my grandparents were born. Just think...Tivoli, runes, Vikings...and all the aebleskiver I can eat!! (I'll pass on the herring, though!) Then after I'm done eating my way across Denmark, I might as well visit Sweden and Norway, too.
Unfortunately, I don't see the above vacation happening anytime soon, so I'll just have to be content dreaming about it. How about you? If you had the time, the money, and the energy, where would you spend your summer???
Got to fly for now-it's back to the keyboard! See you next week!!
Best,
Shirley
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
At RWA
So yesterday I did the sightseeing. Lots of walking. I cried quite a lot because most of it was touching and/or crushing. We went to the Holocaust museum. I'm not going to write about that because my feelings are too much in turmoil.
Instead I'm going to focus on the awesome time I had hanging out last night. I didn't get back to my room until 1am. The sisterhood is really my favorite part of RWA. There's a particular kind of energy that is hard to articulate, but when you have so many women gathered together who share a common love and a common goal, it can be a wonderful thing. I had a mad good time last night, and I'm sure whatever rumors you hear will be exaggerated. No, I did not make out with Lauren Dane. Not exactly, anyway...
Today is super full. I really only have the morning free. After noon things heat up to constant activity.
What are you guys up to if you're not at RWA?
Instead I'm going to focus on the awesome time I had hanging out last night. I didn't get back to my room until 1am. The sisterhood is really my favorite part of RWA. There's a particular kind of energy that is hard to articulate, but when you have so many women gathered together who share a common love and a common goal, it can be a wonderful thing. I had a mad good time last night, and I'm sure whatever rumors you hear will be exaggerated. No, I did not make out with Lauren Dane. Not exactly, anyway...
Today is super full. I really only have the morning free. After noon things heat up to constant activity.
What are you guys up to if you're not at RWA?
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The plot thickens
Writers, for the most part, are keen observers of the world around them. It's something that's so natural that I think we forget that we're doing it. I've been out at lunch before with friends from Sisters in Crime or RWA and we'll stop talking to listen to the couple on the blind date behind us or the guys across the aisle debating the need for side dishes when all you need is meat to be full.
And I've observed something interesting this past week as I watch my fellow writers get ready for the big RWA conference in Washington D.C. - you can tell the pantsers from the plotters.
Now in writing terms, pantsers are those that start a book and then just see where it takes them. They let the action and the characters unfold on the page. Plotters, on the other hand, tend to go into a book with a road map of what they'd like to see happen. It can (and often does) change, but they have a plot going in.
So I'm seeing the plotters in my writing groups do the same thing with trip packing. These are the people who were trying on outfits last week and deciding what to wear on each day of the conference. I know at least four of them who are already packed for a flight that doesn't leave until tomorrow. And I know one who emailed me this weekend to remind me to run off my boarding pass 24-hours before the flight. Megan has also emailed again today to make sure I did it. That's organization.
And while Megan Kelly is fricking awesome because, no, I have not run off my boarding pass yet. She's also a hard core plotter. She writes with an eye for detail and she likes to know exactly where a book is going. My pantser friends, on the other hand, are going to think I'm smart if I remember to email them later tonight about those boarding passes. And forget about packing - they've got tomorrow morning before that afternoon flight.
Now I'm in between. I kind of know what I'm going to pack and I'll do it tonight. Was going to do it this afternoon, but it felt right to write a blog post and so that's what I'm doing. I'm more of a plantser when I write. I have a loose plot, and then I let a lot evolve on the page too.
A lot of new writers will say that they're not sure how to approach their writing - if they should outline and plot heavily first or just jump in. My advice? Look at how you pack for your next trip. It'll tell you a lot.
And I've observed something interesting this past week as I watch my fellow writers get ready for the big RWA conference in Washington D.C. - you can tell the pantsers from the plotters.
Now in writing terms, pantsers are those that start a book and then just see where it takes them. They let the action and the characters unfold on the page. Plotters, on the other hand, tend to go into a book with a road map of what they'd like to see happen. It can (and often does) change, but they have a plot going in.
So I'm seeing the plotters in my writing groups do the same thing with trip packing. These are the people who were trying on outfits last week and deciding what to wear on each day of the conference. I know at least four of them who are already packed for a flight that doesn't leave until tomorrow. And I know one who emailed me this weekend to remind me to run off my boarding pass 24-hours before the flight. Megan has also emailed again today to make sure I did it. That's organization.
And while Megan Kelly is fricking awesome because, no, I have not run off my boarding pass yet. She's also a hard core plotter. She writes with an eye for detail and she likes to know exactly where a book is going. My pantser friends, on the other hand, are going to think I'm smart if I remember to email them later tonight about those boarding passes. And forget about packing - they've got tomorrow morning before that afternoon flight.
Now I'm in between. I kind of know what I'm going to pack and I'll do it tonight. Was going to do it this afternoon, but it felt right to write a blog post and so that's what I'm doing. I'm more of a plantser when I write. I have a loose plot, and then I let a lot evolve on the page too.
A lot of new writers will say that they're not sure how to approach their writing - if they should outline and plot heavily first or just jump in. My advice? Look at how you pack for your next trip. It'll tell you a lot.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Nerve of Nerves
Hi everyone,
I've been excited to leave for the RWA National writing conference for about three years. This is my first big conference, and I know I'm going to have a great time.
So why am I so nervous?
I can't tell you what I'm even really nervous about. I'm an outgoing person. I like meeting new people. I certainly like talking, and I don't mind doing it in front of a crowd. I'm a seasoned traveler, with several major world cities under my belt. I like hotels, and I certainly love books, which is what this convention is all about.
But I think part of what has always bolstered my social bravery has been an idea in my head that if I manage to do anything silly or awkward, no one is going to remember me.
And this time around I want people to remember me.
That puts me in a little bit of a catch 22.
Because here's the problem. When I get around big groups of people, I always do or say something that is a little goofy. I can't help it. I'm goofy. I'll sing bad karaoke at the drop of a hat. I'll dance, even though I've never been gifted with good coordination or rhythm. I tell some awful jokes, I mean really awful. I smile too much, and when I do I scrunch up my nose. I just was never created to be elegant or graceful.
So now I've got a challenge, be myself while at the same time be conscious of myself. That's a difficult thing to do. I feel confident, but my heart is stuttering just a little every time I think about packing.
I've decided my best defense is a good offense. I'm going to pay close attention to others. I'm going to ask them about them. I'll smile, listen, and try to hold back my impulse to jump in with some corny story I've told a million times.
I think that will help. Now I just have to pray I don't trip over my heels and tumble down a staircase, or into a fountain.
If I want people to remember me from this conference, I want them to remember warmth, humor, creativity and graciousness. If I can pull that off, I'm golden.
Jess
I've been excited to leave for the RWA National writing conference for about three years. This is my first big conference, and I know I'm going to have a great time.
So why am I so nervous?
I can't tell you what I'm even really nervous about. I'm an outgoing person. I like meeting new people. I certainly like talking, and I don't mind doing it in front of a crowd. I'm a seasoned traveler, with several major world cities under my belt. I like hotels, and I certainly love books, which is what this convention is all about.
But I think part of what has always bolstered my social bravery has been an idea in my head that if I manage to do anything silly or awkward, no one is going to remember me.
And this time around I want people to remember me.
That puts me in a little bit of a catch 22.
Because here's the problem. When I get around big groups of people, I always do or say something that is a little goofy. I can't help it. I'm goofy. I'll sing bad karaoke at the drop of a hat. I'll dance, even though I've never been gifted with good coordination or rhythm. I tell some awful jokes, I mean really awful. I smile too much, and when I do I scrunch up my nose. I just was never created to be elegant or graceful.
So now I've got a challenge, be myself while at the same time be conscious of myself. That's a difficult thing to do. I feel confident, but my heart is stuttering just a little every time I think about packing.
I've decided my best defense is a good offense. I'm going to pay close attention to others. I'm going to ask them about them. I'll smile, listen, and try to hold back my impulse to jump in with some corny story I've told a million times.
I think that will help. Now I just have to pray I don't trip over my heels and tumble down a staircase, or into a fountain.
If I want people to remember me from this conference, I want them to remember warmth, humor, creativity and graciousness. If I can pull that off, I'm golden.
Jess
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Blame it on Stewart Granger
I always thought I was a born anglophile. I love British history, British accents, books set in Britain. Offer me the world, but give me the British isles any day! I even had a theory for a while that it was all tied up with reincarnation, that we're naturally attracted to places and time periods in which we once lived.
Crazy? Think about it. I know one woman who's interested in Napoleonic France. To me, that time period is a big ho-hum. I know others who can't get enough of American Civil War history. Interesting, yes. But it doesn't fascinate me the way all things British do. My time periods? Well, I'm a sucker for the Victorians. And historical (not legendary) King Arthur, which means somewhere around the 5th Century AD.
All this reincarnation mumbo-jumbo actually makes perfect sense to me. After all, it explains everything.
Or I should say explained everything.
Because just this week I realized that my love of British accents and British history has nothing at all to do with past lives--and everything to do with Stewart Granger.
I can't remember a time I haven't been in love with the British actor. He was handsome. He was dashing. He was adventurous. And if you've never heard of him, don't feel bad. He was a big star back in the 50s and 60s.
That being said, I'm not nearly as old as you think! I remember watching his movies in endless re-runs on Saturday afternoon TV back when I was a kid. Movies like "King Solomon's Mine" where he played an intrepid explorer in Africa. And "Scaramouche" in which he's a swashbuckling French revoluionary. And then there's "Prisoner of Zenda," my very favorite (which also happens to feature a young, handsome and very evil James Mason).
I was reminded of all this just this week as the TMC channel began a month-long salute to Stewart Granger. I haven't caught all his movies, but I'm hoping to see a few more before July is over.
And as I sat there and watched him make his way across an African desert with Deborah Kerr, it finally all made sense.
I'm an anglophile, all right.
And it's all Stewart Granger's fault!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Animals and books...
I did a panel a few months back about animals in fiction...or something like that. It was a surprisingly full room with surprisingly lively interaction between panel and attendees.
But then again, maybe it wasn't surprising. We humans as a rule are quite geeky about our animals. And animals are a very popular theme in books. It starts when we are kids...classics like Black Beauty, The Call of the Wild and Misty to more modern tales like Hoot, The Tale of Despereaux and the Geronimo Stilton series. But animals aren't just in kids' fiction. We adults love them too. Look at the success of Marley and Me. How about Lillian Jackson Braun's Cat Who series? Or even the George R.R. Martin books with his dire wolves?
Let's face it we love animals, especially animals the characters in the book love, and frequently are willing to risk a lot to save.
Why is it? On the panel I argued it was the love we feel and have felt for our own animals that attracts us to these books. We understand the emotions the characters feel, the desperation they go through when the animal is threatened. It's primal and universal. We get it.
We also frequently see animals we have loved and lost in these fictional creatures. I for one ADORE Susan Conant's malamute mystery series, because I owned and adored my own malamute. Reading her stories reminds me of him, takes me back to the time I had him. What more can I ask for?
What about you? Do you love books with animals? What are some of your favorites? Why do you think they speak to you?
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Just the Facts
Jess posted about her computer problems this week, and I feel her pain!! I hate it when my computer gets all hinky on me, especially when it comes to the Internet.
Lest you think I spend an inordinate amount of time online, let me explain. I do tons of research online. In fact only this morning as I was working on a chapter in the new book, I needed information that would pertain to my protagonist. She's suffered head trauma as part of the backstory and I needed to know: 1. Would someone who got cracked in the head with a tire iron undergo brain surgery? And if so what kind? (there's three used to relieve pressure on the brain and none of them sound like much fun!) 2. How fast does hair grow? (1 centimeter a month), and last, but not least, (and I don't have the answer to this one yet) 3. Would the surgeons shave her entire head, or just where they were going to make the incision?
Why do these things matter? It's getting the details wrong that'll screw you up every time! I can't very well describe my main character as having shoulder length hair if half her head's been shaved due to surgery! It's important to get it right.
I don't mind the research...it's kind of fun...and I've learned many interesting things with each book. Some of them are as follows:
1. A medium and a psychic are not the same thing. (WITCH WAY TO MURDER)
2. Antifreeze is very poisonous. So are daffodil bulbs and lily of the valley. (CHARMED TO DEATH)
3. The water temperature of a lake affects the rate of a body's decomposition. (THE TROUBLE WITH WITCHES)
4. A knife wound to the femoral artery is one of the fastest ways to bleed to death. (WITCH HUNT)
5. The sum of a dead person's body parts is worth more than their whole body on the black market. (THE WITCH IS DEAD)
6. Drivers in Occupied Paris during World War II used blue cellophane on their headlights to dim them during the blackouts. (THE WITCH'S GRAVE)
7. Andrew Jackson is credited for giving "red-eye" gravy its name. (THE SEVENTH WITCH-on sale next January.)
Now the above mentioned facts don't exactly lead to scintillating dinner conversation! And the truth is...a few of my friends think it quite strange that I know these things! But hey, you never know, someday, someone might want to hear about body snatchers, or psychic talents, or poisons, and if they do, I'll be ready!! 9)
Have a great week and I'll catch you next Thursday!
Best,
Shirley
Lest you think I spend an inordinate amount of time online, let me explain. I do tons of research online. In fact only this morning as I was working on a chapter in the new book, I needed information that would pertain to my protagonist. She's suffered head trauma as part of the backstory and I needed to know: 1. Would someone who got cracked in the head with a tire iron undergo brain surgery? And if so what kind? (there's three used to relieve pressure on the brain and none of them sound like much fun!) 2. How fast does hair grow? (1 centimeter a month), and last, but not least, (and I don't have the answer to this one yet) 3. Would the surgeons shave her entire head, or just where they were going to make the incision?
Why do these things matter? It's getting the details wrong that'll screw you up every time! I can't very well describe my main character as having shoulder length hair if half her head's been shaved due to surgery! It's important to get it right.
I don't mind the research...it's kind of fun...and I've learned many interesting things with each book. Some of them are as follows:
1. A medium and a psychic are not the same thing. (WITCH WAY TO MURDER)
2. Antifreeze is very poisonous. So are daffodil bulbs and lily of the valley. (CHARMED TO DEATH)
3. The water temperature of a lake affects the rate of a body's decomposition. (THE TROUBLE WITH WITCHES)
4. A knife wound to the femoral artery is one of the fastest ways to bleed to death. (WITCH HUNT)
5. The sum of a dead person's body parts is worth more than their whole body on the black market. (THE WITCH IS DEAD)
6. Drivers in Occupied Paris during World War II used blue cellophane on their headlights to dim them during the blackouts. (THE WITCH'S GRAVE)
7. Andrew Jackson is credited for giving "red-eye" gravy its name. (THE SEVENTH WITCH-on sale next January.)
Now the above mentioned facts don't exactly lead to scintillating dinner conversation! And the truth is...a few of my friends think it quite strange that I know these things! But hey, you never know, someday, someone might want to hear about body snatchers, or psychic talents, or poisons, and if they do, I'll be ready!! 9)
Have a great week and I'll catch you next Thursday!
Best,
Shirley
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
