Before You Hit Send

Last year, Angela James, Executive Editor at Carina Press, spoke at an OCC RWA meeting. She was dynamic, informative and very approachable. When she mentioned that she taught an online self-editing class, I knew I wanted to take it. I was hoping to learn to tighten up my manuscript and make it my best work, but this class went beyond my expectations.

The class is titled “Before You Hit Send.” It’s three weeks of intensive editing training at an unbelievable price.  (For a class description click here.)

But let me tell you what I learned.

First, I learned how to use my Word program more efficiently. (If you use Mac, don’t worry. She’s got you covered). That software does things I had no idea it could do. I might have been able to find the information online, but honestly, I wouldn’t have known to look. I am finally glad that my computer crashed last December and that I had to get a new version of Word. (I actually believe it was my Word 97 that crashed the computer.)

I learned the truth about colons and semi-colons…and let me tell you it made me very happy. I will no longer go crazy over these little points of punctuation.

As many of you know, one of my main obsessions has been POV and head hopping. I learned which point of view changes were head hopping, and that some of my point of view changes that had been critiqued as head hopping—but that I still loved—might not actually be head hopping, and I may want to keep them. Yay! Yay! Yay! I will no longer waste time obsessing over this issue.

I learned that there is a time to quit editing. I’m not sure that I’ll know when that is, but I have deadlines to get this work out, so at that point I’ll have to quit editing.

If you write, if you edit, this class is for you. It could be a semester long class at a college, and you could pay several hundred dollars for this class. Angela is sharing all of her expertise in a mini- course that is unbelievable. Her next session of “Before You Hit Send” is scheduled for October.

I will be taking it again. I haven’t decided whether I’ll be taking the October session or waiting until February to take it again. Maybe I’ll see you there!

Have you taken any fabulous writing or editing classes that really bumped your writing to the next level? I’d love to know. Please share…

Tari

Shoes, Romance & the 2012 RITA AWARDS

Hunky Hubby arrived in a suit and tie and shiny black dress shoes to pick me up. I can’t tell you how handsome he looked. He did have to have Middle Son help him with tying the tie…which I find mildly amusing, but I won’t say that to my Hunky Hubby…well, unless he happens to read it here of course. It was the final night of the 2012 RWA Conference here in Anaheim, and my own prince charming had arrived to take me to the ball…well, to the RITA Awards Ceremony, anyway. I was wearing his favorite shoes, well, my favorite too, but the least comfortable pair of shoes that I own. A pair of three-inch high stiletto (Can they be stilettos at three inches high?) Coach shoes that Hunky Hubby bought for me for Christmas last year…I might have even begged for them.

I rarely wear heels since the “train” accident that resulted in a third-degree sprain to my right ankle many years ago. (Okay, it had something to do with a toy Thomas the Tank Engine Train that was left in my hallway…but doesn’t it sound better if I just say “train” accident?) I still buy them, but I rarely wear them, so Hunky Hubby is always thrilled when I slip on a sexy pair of heels…and strut (read hobble) out with him. It didn’t matter if the shoes killed my feet, we were mostly sitting anyway.

I felt like we were live at the Academy Awards. The RITA production…and it truly was a production…was amazing. When the lights dimmed and scenes from some of the most romantic movies of all time flashed across the screen over the stage, it was magical.

And it all started with shoes. The glass slipper from the movie Ever After, Jennifer Lopez rescued by Matthew McConaughy when her heel gets caught in a street grate in The Wedding Planner, and there were more, but I didn’t write them down! The point is…shoes were very much the theme.

Shoes, and of course, happily ever after. After all, it was the Romance Writers of America conference.

Two writers from our local Orange County Chapter of RWA were nominated for awards. Kara Lennox was a double nominee in the category Contemporary Series Romance; Suspense/Adventure, and Tess Dare was nominated and won the Rita in the category, Regency Historical Romance. I can’t tell you how excited I was for both of these very talented ladies.

So is there a connection between shoes and romance? I can’t prove it, but I believe there is. The right shoe for writing romance, the right shoe for attending writing workshops, the right shoe for pitching romance…and of course…the right shoe for making romance, and making that happily ever after.

So, what do you think? How important are shoes to a writer? How many pairs will you be taking to the conference next year? What will you be wearing to the RITA Awards? You are going aren’t you?

Tari

Pointy Uncomfortable Shoes, Perfect New York Editors and Pitching at RWA12

So we’ve established that the average number of shoes an attendee took to the Romance Writers of America 2012 Conference in Anaheim (I told you I wasn’t done talking about it) was five pairs. Five pairs… I took five pairs, but I’m starting to suspect that number is a little conservative. Several of the women who told me they took five pairs said things like, “I took five pairs, plus a couple pairs of flip flops,” or “I took five pairs of shoes…and my tennis shoes.” These statements sound to me suspiciously like undercounting. Undercounting is not fair. Some of us take these things seriously, and what I want to know is how many pairs of shoes you ACTUALLY took.

This is important, because shoes seemed to be the theme of the conference. The most consistent advice that I received before the conference was, “Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be running from one event to the next all day long, every day,” and this was proven to be true.

So, Friday was my big “pitch” day. I was lucky enough to schedule two pitches with editors, and two with agents. Three of those were Friday. I left my comfortable shoes in my hotel room and put on my favorite business shoes. They are generally comfortable for several hours, but I know they aren’t all day shoes.

I wore them all day.

Although a continental breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt, boiled eggs, and muffins was provided in the lobby, right outside of the ballroom where pitches were to be held, I didn’t eat. I was afraid to….the thought of sitting across a table from an editor or agent with egg breath, a blueberry in my teeth, and yogurt on my blouse made me lose my appetite, so I skipped the continental breakfast and started my morning by arriving well before my appointment time in the grand ballroom where the pitches were to be conducted.

I have to say that RWA was incredible. They know what they are doing. Not just in the pitch room, where aspiring authors nervously connect with agents or editors that they might never get a chance to meet under other circumstances, but the entire conference ran smoothly and professionally, making the experience just amazing.

The pitch session was orchestrated to a fine symphony, each section following direction from beginning to end. We entered the ballroom, gave our name, and were seated to wait for our appointment. Pitches were 10 minutes long. You were to arrive twenty to thirty minutes before your appointment…I showed up an hour ahead for the first. They called each group of writers for their pitch time and lined us up in alphabetical order by the first name of the agent or editor we were pitching to, then took us to the other side of the ballroom, which had been discretely divided for privacy. Small cocktail tables were set up with agents and editors organized alphabetically, of course, in rows on one side of the table, a chair for writers on the other. You were taken to the row where your editor or agent was seated just before the appointment, then precisely at the appointed time…sent to the tables.

My first pitch was a nightmare. I did everything I was taught to do. I had put together a lovely little three line pitch. I memorized it, along with other important details…and when I opened my mouth I froze. Luckily I had my notes in front of me, but the story didn’t flow out of me, it kind of stumbled out in little chunks. IT WAS BAD. Luckily, the editor I spoke with was incredibly patient and kind, listened, and seemed to get the story. She kindly told me, “Don’t worry. Some people can’t pitch at all, but they are amazing writers, and others can give great pitches, but they can’t write a word.” Hmmm… but she did ask to see my full manuscript. I think this may have been a pity request, but I’ll be sending it to her anyway. I kind of wish I’d used a pen name instead of my real name, but alas, I did not.

My second pitch immediately followed. This time I was talking to an agent. I threw out all of the advice I’d been given…shredded my notes, and sat down and talked to her. I felt an instant connection and was so thrilled to know I wasn’t totally inept. She asked me questions related to my story, and when she asked to see three chapters and a synopsis, I didn’t feel like it was out of pity, I felt like she actually wanted to read my story.

I had one more pitch late that afternoon. Another agent. The one I’d really pinned my hopes on when I did my research. My toes were now pinched in my pointy business shoes, and my feet were starting to ache. Still I left my business shoes on my feet. The pitch went well, and she asked for my full manuscript, but now I wasn’t sure which agent I really wanted. Well, I can only hope that one of them really wants me!

That evening I heard that a couple of agents were taking pitches in the lobby. I decided I was there, they were there, and I wasn’t missing any opportunities. I wore my now quite uncomfortable shoes to the lobby and became part of a mob waiting to see these agents. (I still don’t even know what they looked like!) A young woman walked up to me and started talking. She asked if I was a writer, told me SHE was an agent, and asked if I wanted to pitch my story to her. I did of course, and I’m happy to say she asked to see the manuscript.

My final pitch was Saturday morning. I wore my ugly but oh so comfortable shoes and decided that hopefully the editor I was meeting with wouldn’t even notice them under the table…and if she saw them, maybe she’d just think “smart girl.” I had worn my favorite business blouse the day before because most of my appointments were Friday, so between the shoes and my less than perfect blouse, oh and the fact I gave up on my hot rollers, I was not feeling as professional as I’d have liked.

When the RWA coordinators took my group of writers to the other side of the ballroom, I looked at the back of the heads of a sea of editors and agents. I spotted the one perfect head. Her hair was beautifully colored, cut and styled. She wore a stylish business suit and perfect shoes. Somehow they looked both professional and comfortable.  She looked very “New York.” I was very intimidated.

Please don’t let it be her. Please don’t let it be her. Please don’t let it be her. I whispered to myself.

It was her.

But, she was approachable, easy to talk to, and when I left there…with another request for my manuscript…I felt really good about the pitch. I should be so lucky as to work with this editor.

So now that I’ve gone on and on about the pitches. You can see that I need to get back to work on my story.

If you have any “pitch” stories to share, we’d love to hear them. If you have any questions about pitching, please feel free to ask. I am not an expert, but I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned.

Of course, we won’t know what worked until I get a contract!

By the way, I am already on a quest for comfortable business shoes for the next conference!

Oh, and if you didn’t make it to the conference, many of the workshops were recorded and can be ordered at http://www.rwa.org/cs/conference_recordings.

Tari

Five Pairs of Shoes and Counting (Tari’s RWA12 Recap)

So, I took my comfortable shoes…to the Romance Writers of America 2012 National Conference of course. They are ugly shoes, sandals that look like tennis shoes, grey with purple accents, truly ugly, but oh so comfortable…and I wore them all day Thursday.

Thursday was filled with workshops, beginning with the Pro Retreat where intellectual rights attorney, Jon Tandler, enlightened a room full of hopeful writers on the ins and outs of book contracts, pen names, publishers who file bankruptcy, and much, much more. He was followed by a panel of editors including Michelle Biddlespach of Grand Central, Mary Chen of Avon , Debra Dixon from Belle Books and Lindsey Faber of Samhain. These editors’ inboxes are filled with unsolicited manuscripts every week, but they request more from less than five percent of the writers that they hear from. Why do they reject manuscripts? They were overall in agreement. It wasn’t typos or lack of experience on the part of the writer that made them hit “send” on that rejection letter, it was about the story. The writer couldn’t tell a story from beginning to end, there was no conflict, the writer didn’t have a voice. I scribbled away in my spiral notebook, writing down everything they said…I was there to learn. Oh, and I won lunch with author, Susan Gee Heino in the Pro Retreat drawing. The conference was off to a wonderful start.

The Pro Retreat was followed by the Keynote Luncheon with speaker NYT Bestselling author Stephanie Laurens. After lunch my roommates Joyce, Julia (hi ladies! had so much fun!!) and I returned to our room to gather our things for the afternoon workshops…well, eventually, after we got lost, circled the Starbucks in the hotel looking for the elevator to our room, went back to the lobby, circled Starbucks again, stopped in the Goodie Room for lots of swag, circled Starbucks once more and… Finally found our elevator, we made it to our room, then repeated much the same process after gathering our things and heading to the workshops.

The number of workshops and publisher spotlights was overwhelming. How do you choose between hearing your favorite author speak or going to see a panel of editors from the publisher of your dreams? Session after session we had to make these choices. Do I see my favorite regency author speak or my favorite contemporary author? Do I go to a publisher spotlight or a book signing? How do I pick? Sometimes I picked just because I was swept up in the flow of ladies and ended up in the room with “this” speaker. Truly it didn’t matter, they were all amazing.

And did I mention the books? The books were EVERYWHERE!! Free books in the hallways, on your seat at lunch, in the Goodie Room and in the giant tote bag they gave you when you first registered for the conference. It was the fulfillment of a million childhood fantasies and many adult reveries where I met face-to-face with my favorite authors, learned how they wrote the stories I loved and was surrounded by books with beautiful covers that enticed you to read the beautiful stories within…only in my fantasies, I’m wearing a long flowing gown and gorgeous shoes that somehow manage to be comfortable…oh well, the most important parts of my fantasy were true…and real. Maybe next year I’ll wear the flowing dress and gorgeous shoes as well.

There is so much more to tell you, and I promise I will. Some of you were there and already know! I was lucky enough to get to meet Janet Nye *waves dramatically,* and Libby Mercer *waving more.* So if you were there, please share your stories. I’ll continue to share mine…it will take me weeks to tell you all that happened.

And by the way, according to my fabulous friend, author Louisa Bacio, in an informal survey she performed the average number of pairs of shoes attendees brought was five. Five pairs of shoes…some with pointy toes, some with stiletto heels…and always one pair of comfortable shoes no matter how ugly they are.

Tari

Packing My Suitcase for RWA 2012!

Last year (2011) I attended the Romantic Times Convention (RT 2011) in Los Angeles…well, I attended one day of the convention. After years of writing non-fiction, I had just begun to work on fiction. I hadn’t even joined RWA yet, From Fact to Fiction was only a few weeks old. I didn’t find out about RT 2011 until it was already in progress, which is why I was only there for one day. Even though RT was geared more toward the reader, there were special workshops for writers, and I was excited to attend even one day. In fact, I wrote about it here at From Fact to Fiction, and in a post titled Shoes, Underwear, Beard Stubble and Marcia Brady over at my blog, Tari’s Thread.

So, this week I’m preparing for the Romance Writers of America 2012 National Conference, which happens to be right here in Anaheim. Yay!! *happy dancing in my room* I’ve got my brand new business cards—a birthday gift from middle son, designed with some special inspiration from oldest son. I’ve been polishing my WIP (okay, I’ve spent about a year on this). I’m working on my pitch. My appointments are set, and my clothes are laid out on the bed in my office…this year I intend to pack spare underwear rather than to store them in a pant leg. (This explains part of the title to my previous RT blog…and in case you’re wondering, No, I DON’T have beard stubble…really, I don’t.)

So, my underwear is packed and going into a suitcase rather than a pant leg, and I am more excited than I can begin to tell you.

I’ve carefully planned my agenda. I have two appointments with editors and two with agents. I’ve planned an intensive schedule of workshops, primarily on craft. Although, Hunky Hubby says my writing is brilliant, and I could teach all of the workshops, the truth is that I’ve learned so much this year, that I realize how much more I need to learn, and I’m going to this conference to learn.

So, I’m planning on taking workshops on dialogue, plotting (yes, I am a pantster, but maybe I’m teachable…who knows…) setting, and one of the things I find most challenging, synopsis writing. Although I live about 30 miles from the convention, I’m staying in the hotel so I can be there early and stay late. I don’t plan on missing a minute, I’ll sleep next week! Don’t worry, Hunky Hubby and Middle Son won’t starve. I’ve made them dinners and put them in the freezer, so they’ll be sure to go out and get tacos or have pizza delivered.

Are you sick of hearing my talk about RWA 2012 yet? If you’re going, drop me a line. Maybe we can meet up! If you have attended a conference please pass along your best tips here! If you have any questions, ask away. I’ll try to get answers while I’m there.

And, if I don’t get to see you at conference, I’ll see you all right back here next week with news from RWA 2012! For all of you flying, driving, or taking a train in (Elley and Nicole, it’s not too late) have a safe trip, and hope to see you there.

Tari

Comfortable Shoes: The Key to RWA 2012?

I have two pairs of my favorite shoes. They aren’t my cutest shoes, they’re just the most comfortable…I wish I’d purchased five pairs. Hunky Hubby told me to go back and buy more, but I only bought the two. One pink and one purple, the only colors they had in my size. They’re sandals…sort of, almost tennis shoes, but a sandal, and I could walk in them for hours…maybe days. I’ll be wearing them all day each day at the RWA 2012 Conference in about a week in a half, so hopefully I can walk in them for at least four days.

Is that right? Is it just a week and a half until the conference? Wait…yes, ten days. JUST TEN DAYS, and the only thing I’ve picked out to take is my shoes! Okay, my netbook is going, my cell phone too, the business cards middle son made for my birthday…that are oh so cool, and believe me they are cool…are already packed. But I don’t know what I’m wearing besides my shoes.

I’ll take my black strappy sandals that I love, but they aren’t as comfortable. They may just stay in my suitcase the whole time…they do make me a little taller though, so maybe I’ll wear them anyway. I’ll take a nice pair of heels for Saturday night’s RITA awards, although I’m still not sure what dress I’m wearing. I hope I don’t have to stand too much…I’m really not very good at heels. I do know what suit Hunky Hubby is wearing, and I’ve picked his shirt and tie…just not my dress.

My manuscript is almost ready. I’m working on my pitches for editors and agents, but right now I’m going to go try on all of the dresses that I own, then I may end up at The Mall looking for something new, who knows. Oh, and I need a new sweater too, it can get cold in those hotel conference rooms.

Ah, well, I don’t want to think about what I’m wearing anymore. I’m going to get back to work on my manuscript…and my pitches. I’ve been practicing when I walk on the beach, grocery shop or clean the kitchen. So if you see me talking to myself around town…I’m not some crazy person talking to the voices in my head…oh wait, scratch that, I could be talking to the voices in my head, but if you’re a writer, you’ll understand that. And if you’re not…well, just smile and wave. I’m harmless. No really, I am.

So I’m taking my two pairs of comfortable shoes to the conference. When I ask veteran attendees what I should bring, that’s the one thing they all say. Comfortable shoes. Mine are packed. What are you taking? And if you’re not going, don’t worry; when I get back I’ll share it all. No really, I’m taking lots of notes!

Written in Stone?

Like most of the writers I know, I started writing when I was a little girl…okay, some of you were little boys, but the point really is that in general a passion for writing starts at an early age.  When I was young I would sharpen my pencils and write; poetry in steno book and short stories on yellow legal pads. I always wrote in pencil. If I wrote in pencil I could erase when I edited, and no one would see the mistakes. So my pages were smudged with all of my editing and rewriting, and I had a million half used pencils with erasers rubbed down to the metal rim. I was a perfectionist, and I wanted to look at my work as though it were perfect from the beginning.

But, as I got older, (well into my twenties!) I looked back on all of those pages…some fading and so greatly smudged they were hard to read, many the handwritten originals gone because I only kept my perfect (okay, sometimes not so perfect) typed versions…and I wished I’d used pen so that I could see the evolution of my work. I learned it was okay to cross things out, write between the lines and in the margins. I learned that I liked to see what I started with…sometimes what I started with was better, and I learned that I liked seeing what I was capable of doing with my raw work.

So I began to write with ten-cent blue pens, which were probably like two cents back then! I think I switched to spiral notebooks when the boys started school, and I would stock up on spiral notebooks at the beginning of the school year when they went on sale so cheap. I always had a good supply available or at least started with a good supply. There may have been times during the school year when a boy would look in the closet for a new notebook…and uh mom had used them all. (Sorry boys.)

Anyway, you all know that I write my draft by hand, but even after I type my work, I edit by hand on a hard copy that I’ve hole punched and put into a notebook, and keep plenty of lined notebook paper for adding new passages that get inserted into the notebook…which I save…then I retype my revisions and reprint (did I mention I save the new draft on the computer in an entirely different file so that I don’t lose my old draft?) I know, I’m killing a lot of trees (and using a lot of space on my hard drive) and writing a lot of run-on sentences this way, and  it wasn’t so bad with 2,000-word articles, but with a novel…. Maybe I’ll have to get rid of some of this paper, but I like seeing the evolution of my story.

I like it a lot.

So, I no longer write with a chisel in stone. I’ve graduated to blue pens and spiral notebooks, and I’m working my way up to computers…and even coffee houses, and I’m sure that when I learn to write comments and cross things out in Word…yes, I am aware that this is possible…technology will have advanced to a new level that I will initially resist, but maybe by then I’ll be drinking coffee and it won’t matter.

So how do you write? Do you save your original drafts? Do you like to see your edits? Do you use the computer, blue pens, or a chisel and stone? Heck I’d love to know… AM I THE ONLY ONE OUT THERE WHO STILL KEEPS HARD COPIES?

I apologize right now to Save the Trees, and I may lose my California citizenship for admitting to the environmental damage I’ve caused, but I promise to plant a tree for each book I sell…don’t let me forget.

Tari

Coffee Houses

I’m not a coffee drinker. There, I said it. I don’t like coffee, I never have. No lattes, cappuccinos macchiatos , espressos, or any other version of the roasted, brewed, poured bean no matter what list of ingredients it’s whisked, whipped or blended with. Now, I like the smell, but can’t deal with the taste…it’s just not for me. I would eat just about anything covered in See’s Chocolate, but I won’t even eat the mocha flavored See’s Chocolate, that’s how great my aversion to coffee.

So, unlike many writers I know, when I’m looking for a place to write, I don’t head to a coffee house. I generally head to a library…there are several that I frequent. Although they don’t offer a warm beverage, they do have wifi, air conditioning, comfortable seating, and of course the inspiration of thousands of books filled with words on shelves all around.

So anyway, Thursday evening I wanted to write, and my house was a little crazy. I mean, I live with two guys and a big, furry lovable mutt (also male) and it’s loud, and they all need attention…so I left. The library however was closed, and my fall back is the fabulous Carl’s Jr. on Western Blvd. where I can sit and write for hours and nobody bothers me, but it was dinner time, and the parking lot was busy…so I just kept driving.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit, I ended up down at the beach, at a little coffee house called Coffee Cartel. I really didn’t know what to do when I got there. I mean, I’m just not the kind of girl that hangs out in these places…you know…coffee houses. I mean, they sell …well, coffee, and uh the type of people who hang out there tend to be coffee drinkers. But I was there, with my manuscript, and I’d heard they had what I needed, comfortable seating, cozy quiet corners away from prying eyes, and even plenty of outlets…and wifi…if you go that way. I had my notebook and a stash in my purse…my blue pen stash.

So, I took a deep breath and went inside. It smelled like coffee. It was true what I’d heard, but some of you may know this, it was quiet inside, no rowdy guys cheering at the sports channel, not a television in sight. There were sofas, chairs and tables…and even walls lined with books. People were sitting here and there, scattered all willy nilly, some with headphones working at laptops and ipads, others in pairs having quiet conversations…and even a few reading from *gasp* print books. Yes, I have to admit it, they had me.

But, what would I do? I mean, I saw a great place to sit with my printed manuscript and my stash of blue ink pens, but I still had to order something…I mean, I was there…I had to order SOMETHING. So my feet began to move toward the counter area, almost against my will. My eyes darted here and there to see if anybody was watching…no one was…and then I saw the menu board.

There they were, the café mochas, lattes, espressos…all taunting me, “Go ahead.Try me. You have to order something.” My heart began to pound, my palms were clammy, I almost darted for the exit, but then something caught my eye, another menu board, and on it, a list of lovely soothing teas and even a selection of cool fruity smoothies. I COULD STAY. I could order a drink and hole up in this little den of…well, mostly coffee drinkers, and work.

So, I ordered a strawberry smoothie and headed to a quiet corner where I worked uninterrupted until I’d finished rewrites on another chapter.

Who knew…a coffee house, and I didn’t even have to drink coffee. Well, I suppose that most of you knew. Or did you?

Now this doesn’t mean that I’m giving up the library…or my little Carl’s Jr., but I may occasionally, frequent a little coffee house…just now and then. How many of you write at coffee houses? You can admit it, we’re all friends here. Where do you go to write when you can’t work at home?

Tari

Focus or Diversify?

For more than a year I’ve been focused on one project, the novel that I’m writing, the one I thought was romance but has since been classified as women’s fiction, the piece that has consumed most of my waking time and occasionally my sleep. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m never distracted. I’ve even told you about it here. There’s a manuscript I have written that I’d like to rewrite and get out there, and I’m excited about the next story I want to tell. I’ve thought about maybe doing some short stories or even writing some magazine articles, something I haven’t done in years. But I haven’t strayed from my WIP. I’m afraid to. I’m afraid that if I separate from my current work I’ll lose my characters’ voices, that if I allow myself to be distracted, I’ll never come back and finish the work I’m doing now.

This novel is definitely the longest piece of writing I’ve ever done. It’s both challenging and exciting, and I’m learning so much along the way. I’m finally nearing the end of my personal rewrites, and tweaking my synopsis and my query, and looking ahead more seriously to new projects.

So do I want to diversify? Can I do more than writing a novel at one time? Will I lose my focus if I start writing magazine articles again…or lose my characters’ voices if I write a short story here and there?

I hear other writers who are writing short stories or writing magazine articles  while they work on their novels, but I panic at the thought. Maybe if I’m organized about it, set aside a certain time just for those other projects? I’ve always worked on one piece at a time…well, except when I wrote advertising copy and did resumes, but when I freelance wrote articles and columns, I’d make a file for each project, put them on my desk in order of deadline and start with the first piece that was due, working my way to the next. But of course, a newspaper column is a few hundred words, and a magazine article is a few thousand words…and a novel is MANY thousand words. So maybe I don’t have to wait to write other things?

Yes, I know that I’m talking to myself out loud…but if you have some ideas here, I’d like to hear them.

**********

And so, Hunky Hubby just called from work and let me read the first section of my blog to him.

“Honey, uh, I don’t know how to tell you this…” he said quietly. (Have I ever told you how much I love his voice over the phone?) “Honey, you’re already diversified…you’re writing something else right now.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Uh, baby, literally…right now…you’re writing a blog. You set aside time to work on your blogs and they get you started in the morning…ready to work on your book.”

Hmmm, well he could have told me that before I started writing this post.

So maybe I can work on something else. Maybe I can write some articles…even try a short story. I’ll let you know. How about you? Do you diversify? Or are you obsessed with one project? Can you work on two fiction projects at one time, or does it have to be something totally different…? Tell me how you work. I’d like to know!

Tari

Give Me Some History

Although I wanted to do nothing but write, I did very little writing last week. No, that’s wrong. I did NO writing last week. My little job at the sewing store, where I usually work seven to twelve hours, suddenly became full time, when my boss broke her hand and her number one girl was gone for the week. The hours were all over the place. Some days I opened, some I closed, and I actually worked seven days in a row, Sunday through Saturday. It was a week that made me appreciate how hard my hunky hubby always works, and I think it was a week that made him appreciate how hard I usually work at home.

Susanne came into the store to look at sewing machines, and as I always do, I asked her what kind of sewing she would be doing…it makes a difference in the machines I show the customer. Susanne begins to tell me about the Victorian costumes she makes, primarily for herself, but also for a few customers. Susanne and her husband have been involved in Civil War reenactments for about thirty years, and over the years she’s learned a lot about Victorian fashion and other details of Victorian life. We talked for nearly an hour, then they were off to finish their errands and I had some other work to do in the store. Just before time for me to leave, Susanne returned with a turn of the century ladies jacket she had made, and a thick book that she uses for presentations on the Victorian lifestyle.

 

She talked about the layers of garments ladies had to wear during the Victorian time period, the difference in fashion from hoop skirts to bustles. She talked about the etiquette of fashion, yes, there was an etiquette that we no longer deal with, and even some very tragic fashion stories. And, did you know that women had a whole language they used to talk to men with their fans?

Now if I wasn’t a writer I’d have been fascinated, but as a writer…and someone who sews, Susanne was an exciting person to have walk into the store.

 

My current work in progress has a 1920’s element to it and a strong fashion element as well. The heroine is a fashion designer. But, Susanne’s visit has me considering a Victorian romance for my next manuscript. What a valuable resource she could be.

I’ve always been fascinated with history, and love to read historical romance. How many of you read historical? How many of you write historical? Where do you find your research? I hope you’ll share…

Tari