Tag Archives: journey in writing

Contest Final

Posted on January 4, 2010 | 7 comments

I am so thrilled.  Word just came through that Dragon’s Mark has finaled in the Beacon Unpublished Contest hosted by First Coast Romance Writers a chapter of RWA.

It is the third book I’ve written.  This is the second contest I’ve entered.  Last year I entered the Beacon with a Contemporary Suspense manuscript.  This year I wrote Dragon’s Mark and entered it into the Beacon contest as well as the Golden Heart.

I am doing the happy dance and squeee like a fan girl.

Fingers and toes and eyes crossed for the final round to be announced in Feb, 2010.  Not to mention how much I hope it will do well in the Golden Heart.
Squeeee!!!

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Being a Survivor

Posted on December 15, 2009 | 1 comment

Being a survivor is a process.   Similar to our writing we continually edit and re edit toward a finished product.

As a Cancer survivor  I am an evolution without end.  The end would be bing bing bing, game over.  I’m not rushing toward a final destination.  Even the word survivor indicates a continuation, an endurance of all things.

So, my trek continues, thankfully.

November/December has brought the blessing of beginning reconstructive surgery to begin another phase of healing from the impact of the big C.

I prepared for the surgery over the past couple of years.  I began weight watchers to learn to eat nutritiously.  I didn’t care about losing weight or thinking about a DIET mode.  I just wanted to control food for a change.  The added benefit was I did loose about 40 pounds.

I realized the scar from the cancer surgery was a continual reminder of all the awful stuff that had happened to me during that time.  Now the scar is gone.  I am beginning to feel whole again on the outside.  Perhaps that will allow me to heal and feel whole on the inside as well.

In the mean time I thought I would accomplish so much writing while being off work on medical leave.  That hasn’t proved to be the case.  However, my CP and I are moving through edits on our individual finished manuscripts from last year.  My WIP with the working title of Dragon’s Mark is getting my attention for editorial overhaul and polish.  At the same time I am plotting and sketching notes for the next in the series, Dragon’s Soul.

Much like my fictional heroines I am strong, resiliant and in search of my own path, my own destiny, my own happily ever after, one day at a time.

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The Beacon Contest Calls to Me.

Posted on October 4, 2009 | 7 comments

Like the Aztec gold on “Pirates of the Carribean”.  The Beacon contest calls to me.  It is sponsored by my home chapter of Romance Writers of America, the First Coast Romance Writers.  http://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com/

I entered the contest the first time last year and had a ball.  My writing sucked big time and the judges let me know that in the kindest, most constructive way imaginable.  Don’t look at me like that, I’m serious!

The contest organizers did a great job of selecting and training judges to score fairly and say meaningful things, picking their battles and not overwhelming this rookie writer with EVERYTHING that SUCKED about my writing.  They managed to do a wonderful job of focusing on what SUCKED the most, concentrating on the GRAND SUCK of the contest piece if you will.  Their positive comments gave me hope and their realistic suggestions of how I could suck less were an inspiration that guided my self education this past year.   Truthfully, I really don’t think they said sucked even once.

A few weeks ago, I went back and looked at the piece I submitted last year, to help me think about preparing for this year.  I had to laugh.  Were the judges BLIND.  OMG  they gave me a FOUR for THAT?  Did they think it was freaking CHRISTMAS?  I wouldn’t have given that a two!

Now another year has passed.  I have a new Work in Progress that I have just finished the draft on.  I’ve polished the first 30 pages as much as I possibly can given my level of expertise, or in moments, my lack there of.

There is good and bad with that.  Every other day the WIP is utter brilliance, the likes of which rival . . . well everyone, anyone you would ever want to rival.

I am so ready to submit this new baby in the contest.

Which means, every other day from brilliance/dazzling/ wow I’m so Cool, my WIP is utter bull cookies, cracker, chips. . .  Can this woman write a grocery list?  She probably dictates her shopping needs into her phone!  well you get the idea.

I’m so not ready to submit this new baby in the contest.

Hope springs eternal. Wouldn’t it be cool to finale or. . . squeeee!!! WIN?

Despair is forever. Wouldn’t it be cool to get comments that aren’t embarrassing, even if the embarrassing ones are actually true.

Each fledgling manuscript leaves my hands a hatchling baby trying to spread its wings and become a soaring eagle instead of a dirt bag suckyopolis with lousy conflict, unbelievable plot,  flat one dimensional characters, and confusing meaningless dialog that drops a goose egg in the cosmic karma of the universe.

*big sigh*

I’m not leaving my day job anytime soon.100_1178

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Frozen Dinners Again?

Posted on July 10, 2009 | 2 comments

100_2218Writing takes considerable investment of emotions and time.

I’m like a little chirping bird when I’m happy I want to tell everyone “I’m so happy” (musical notes suspended in the air).  I want to share why!  “My work in progress WIP is going to well!” (More la la la musical notes winging through the air)

That is usually followed by a massive information dump about why I am so happy and exactly why my WIP is going so well.  This conversation is usually punctuated by a lot of: ” and then…. and then they….after that, this thing happens, and I say this….. and it is so funny, sexy, exciting,. . .” (you supply the adjective).

I’m like the freaking glowing happy bug bit me and I need smacked with a fly swatter.

As a very dear friend pointed out.  I’m posting intricacies of my story, plot and characters in explicit detail on the FREAKING WORLD WIDE WEB, don’t you know.  You dumb guppie,  sharks be out thar!

(That’s why April, May and June Blog posts disappeared in a flury of post damage clean up)

We had a friend who had their plot and story stolen by a published author. No it is not an urban legend.  Know it happened.  I will go on record here and now.  If a published author has to steal plots and stories from un-pub aspiring authors, or plagerize other author’s work!  Shame Shame Shame on you.  There are a bazillion stories out there in the naked city. (cliche’ intended)  Get your juices flowing with a newspaper or something and stop being a vampire.

At the same time.  I have published friends who give tirelessly in helping the unpub and pre-pub authors grow and develop into the craft.  So take the good over the bad.

Rant finished for now.

So for now I’ll keep cherping happily and perhaps sometimes not so happily.

However, for the explicit details. . . well. . . keep reading, My books should become available through amazon at some future yet to be revealed date.  I just need an agent, an editor, a publishing contract.  OH, and I’ll need to write a kick ass query letter, synopsis! ummm should think about a really high concept tag line.  Damn got to fix all those huge holes in my plot.

And just perhaps, hummmm, a random thought flashing by here. . .

I should actually finish writing the damn book!

Awww Mom, T.V. Dinners AGAIN!

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