Dirty Little Secrets...and a new obsession

I don't like holidays much. I mean, I'm not a humbug, but holidays as an adult are far more different than holidays as a kid. I don't know how mom did it, with three of us brats, a full time job and a house to run....she still had time to tie little hankerchief ghosts to the dogwood tree in our yard in the fall and plastic easter eggs on it in the spring. Everything was decorated and we had some type of acknowledgment of the holiday passing by on the calendar.

As an adult, I only see holidays=work. Yes, even Christmas. Especially Christmas.

But I digress.

I'm not all that crazy about Halloween. Doesn't do much for me, really. Candy..I can buy that any time as an adult. Trick or treat...yeah, the first cute kid in a puppy costume who comes up to get candy is ok but when the dad comes up and puts a pillowcase out for candy, not so good. Pumpkins, bats, witches...don't really get me wound up.

The one thing Halloween does well is gets out the ghost stories.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm afraid of the dark. Petrified. At summer camp I sleep with a light on in my room. At home I have night lights and carry my cellphone or iPod with me at night to illuminate everything. Always have been scared of the dark.

Dirty little secret: Funny enough, I'm obsessed with ghost & paranormal stories. Especially after having my own little encounter at Dauphin Island in Alabama a few years back. Not those crappy urban legends about the date night hook or Mary Jane's grave (although I HAVE been to the one just outside of Danville...) that every town seems to have, but the real paranormal stuff. Haunted houses, haunted graveyards, evil cellars, Gates of Hell (been there, too, at Kenyon College). I've seen at least one episode of almost every ghost show known to mankind and can't get enough. I have my doubts about the reality of some of them (the hubby doubts the reality of all of them...party pooper), but I am drawn to watching and reading about real hauntings with an unnatural obsession.

Last year, I was really into Paranormal State. You know, the A&E series featuring the group of kids from Penn State who research all things paranormal. I still like the show, but the more I watched, the more I realized that other than Dead Time (which I would love to be a part of sometime but would most likely wet myself during), there's not much real ghostly excitement going on. Hard to do with 30 minutes (however, it's a great show to watch on on-demand after school when Oprah has something terrible on, like Dr. Oz or a Kindle giveaway that I'm not a part of).

I wasn't expecting much this year in terms of ghost shows, and I don't know if they launched this one last week because of the proxemity to Halloween, but I now have a new (obsession) favorite paranormal show that I can't get enough of: Ghost Adventures. It's on the Travel Channel, 9pm on Fridays, and I'm telling you, this one scared me worse than any other.

Last night's episode visited the Houghton Mansion in Massachusettes and was pretty darn scary, especially the footsteps on the stairs when the boys went up to the old electric chair. I made the hubby turn on the kitchen light and family room light when he went up to bed. (I really should watch this stuff during the day and save on electric). But last week's episode is still messing with my brain. I'd never heard of Bobby Mackey's in Kentucky, but my brain won't let me forget it. The episode was so freaking scary I literally almost threw up. The hub and son were at a football game and I was alone with the dog (not much protection, she just wags). When Jason the boy genius came in the door, he said, "Mom must be watching ghost shows again. All the lights are on in the house," and he was right. The whole scratching thing had me completely freaked out, not to mention all the other little tidbits (the well...don't get me started). If you're remotely interested in being scared out of your pants, you should check it out: Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel

Scary stories are the one saving grace for Halloween. I suppose I could like the holiday for that reason alone, especially with this new series. The good news is that it's another beautifully sunny day here (thank goodness). Just the perfect day for a night football game at beautiful Ohio Stadium, which I'm on my way to in another hour. But believe me, I won't go near Orton Hall on my way back from the game. You haven't heard about the ghost who walks the hall there? I'll save that for another day...lol.

Woohoo...A Contest...for a Sony eReader!

And what a prize this time!

This isn't my own contest, mind you. This is a biggie from The Wild Rose Press.

How big, you ask? How about a Sony e-Reader? Here are the details...

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Sony eReader Giveaway!



The Wild Rose Press wants you to have a SONY eReader!

Between September 22 and December 15, 2008 - purchase any title from any of the following sponsoring authors and you can enter to win a free SONY eReader from The Wild Rose Press.

It's easy to enter: once you purchase a book or short story from any of the participating authors email your order number to sonyreader@thewildrosepress.com.

We will verify your order and enter you into the drawing. If you purchase more than one tiitle, you can enter more than one time.For questions on this contest, please contact Rhonda Penders at rpenders@thewildrosepress.com.

Please put the words SONY eReader contest in the subject line. No purchase necessary.

Winners will be announced on December 16 in our chat, and on our web site the next morning.

Jean Adams (Champagne - Book due out in October)
Kim Amburn (Crimson Rose)
Clare Austin (book due out soon)
Clover Autrey (Faery Rose)
Carol Braswell (Crimson Rose)
Sharon Buchbinder (Champagne Rose, Last Rose of Summer)
Anne Carrole
Lynda Coker (Yellow Rose)
Wendy Davy (White Rose)
Tabitha Gibson (Sweetheart Rose, Champagne Rose, Crimson Rose)
Devon Gray (Scarlet Rose)
D.K. Harper (Champagne Rose, Last Rose of Summer)
Cierra James (Crimson Rose)
Paty Jager (Cactus Rose, Yellow Rose)
Jennifer Johnson (Champagne Rose)
Sylvia Kaye (Scarlet Rose, Yellow Rose)
Dayana Knight (Black Rose)
Renee Knowles (English Tea Rose)
Sharon Lanergan (English Tea Rose)
Liana Laverentz (Champagne Rose)
Hywela Lyn (Faery Rose)
Cara Marsi (Crimson Rose)
Bess McBride (Faery Rose, Last Rose of Summer, Vintage Rose, Champagne Rose)
Lily Rose Moon (Faery)
Skyhe Moncrief (Black Rose, Faery Rose)
Beth Morrow (Champagne Rose)
E.G. Parsons (Faery Rose)
Victoria Pitts-Caine (American Rose, White Rose)
Amber Polo (Champagne Rose, Faery Rose, Sweetheart Rose)
Sky Purington (Faery Rose)
Rynne Raines (Faery Rose)
Judith Rochelle (Yellow Rose, Crimson Rose)
Jocelyn Saint James (Last Rose of Summer, Champagne)
Jan Scarbrough (Faery Rose)
Tarah Scott (English Tea Rose)
Susan Shay (Yellow Rose)
Patti Shenberger (Champagne Rose, Faery Rose)
Robin Shope (book due out soon)
Linda Swift (book due out soon)
Margaret Tanner (Vintage Rose, Champagne Rose)
Sara Thacker (Crimson)
Pam Thibodeaux (White Rose)
Deborah Tompkins (Last Rose of Summer)
M.K. Trent (Champagne Rose)
Beth Trissel (American Rose)
Shereen Vedam (Faery Rose, English Tea Rose)
Lisa Wells (Champagne Rose)
Anne Whitfield (Vintage, Last Rose of Summer, Champagne)
Sandy Wickersham-McWhorter (White Rose, Faery Rose)
Patrice Wilton (Faery Rose)
Michelle Witvliet (Champagne)


You may also enter the contest by mailing a postcard to The Wild Rose Press, P.O. Box 708, Adams Basin, NY 14410. Write down the titles of three books or short stories by three different participating authors and we will put your postcard in the general drawing.

So what are you waiting for? I made it easy by linking right to Mandi's Lucky Day :)

Be sure to check out the other awesome authors on the list and good luck! Feel free to pass this along to any reader you know who'd be interested.

Happy Reading!

Beth

feels so good....

...to have set writing goals that I finally achieved.

The Serious Writer girls are meeting today and, for the first time in a long time, I actually don't have to fork over my five bucks in defeat for not meeting the goals I set three weeks ago.

I was on a destructive path toward emptying my retirement account to contribute to the kitty because I couldn't get my act together on the writing front a few months ago. I'd make my goals (write a chapter, a scene, etc. etc. etc.) but never managed to make them, or, in some cases, even come close to touching them.

I think I figured out why.

The story I was working on during that time was a flash-in-the-pan idea for a contest entry on a sub-genre I like reading but really didn't have a good idea for writing. I struggled with trying to cram an old semi-circle-plot-idea into a square hole story and it just didn't work. Those characters didn't talk to me in my sleep, didn't tease me with bits of their lives while I walked in the morning, didn't compel me to pick up a pen and, well, frankly--do anything.

But this time, I set the bar so low I could almost trip on it. I only pledged to do morning pages for the past three weeks. I know with school schedules, my time is not my own (but slowly getting there), but I wasn't about to shirk writing. If I managed to eke out any real writing...pages, scenes, dialogue, etc., that'd just be a bonus--but not the goal.

It worked. I've gotten up progressively earlier and written every single day. My morning pages might start with a dream snippet or a brain dump, but with growing regularity, they're honing in on my story. Slowly, ever so slowly, but surely. Three weeks ago I was getting up at six, and this morning I hopped out of bed for an hour-long walk at 4:30 before settling in at 5:30. I didn't have as much to write (hence my dropping by the blog) and the story didn't do much today on paper but I picked up a few more details on the story that I wouldn't have if I weren't morning-paging.

Still deliberating the goal to set today. Page output? Chapter to finish? Plot to arrange? Or more intense morning pages? Not sure, but what I am sure of is that I get to spend that five bucks on a well-deserved coffee and cookie with the SW girls and not in the kitty!

happy writing...until reality steps in...

Two paragraphs into my morning pages, I had a brilliant thought about my heroine and the moments before she gets swept into the time-travel. The scene just formed in my head, spilled on to paper (today writing with a new mechanical pencil, .07 lead, instead of the usual fountain pen) and threatened to continue for at least another page or two, or until my hand completely cramped, whichever came first. I got out as much as I could until that dreaded realization hit me full-force.

Time to go to work.

Ack! Doesn't that just stink? It's the worst feeling for a writer or creative mind, to be in the middle of a creative flow where words assault you from every corner (this particular passage was almost all description, little narrative, plot or dialogue) only to have something external cut into your world.

The beauty of morning pages is that all my ideas are in one place (no small feat for any creative mind that likes to spread out, most of all me, who has a secret notebook addiction), so I can pick up the thought where I left off when I come back tomorrow. But can I pick up the writing, too? Or just the thought?

How do you deal with unwelcome intrusions of reality into your creativity? I'm already getting up at 4:45 to write, so getting up much earlier might not be a solution but I'm open to thoughts on what works for you...

when morning pages flow like water

I think you guys were an inspiration yesterday. For whatever reason, after I ranted about the pages, I went back, picked an idea and tried writing about it just to get something moving. I ended up with about a paragraph's worth of "writing" (a real paragraph, not the two-sentence run-on that constitutes a paragraph in the mind of my 7th graders), and an urge to play with an idea for my heroine.

Twenty minutes later I reluctantly put away my notebook to head to school. Success!

Today while walking Omar (my girl dog with a boy's name), I had a thought directly related to the heroine and something she said to the hero. Came home, grabbed the notebook and captured FIVE PAGES of writing. The first one is morning page stuff, dream notes, a song I woke up with in my head (do you ever do that?), and one line from my heroine to my hero in the first or second scene of the book: "Stop that! I hardly know you!"

Little does she know (time travel that it is) that they do, in fact, know each other. Quite well, as a matter of fact...lol.

Just stopping by to thank you and see how your writing is going today/this week. How's the work coming?

when morning pages are like pulling teeth

If you're a writer, you've no doubt heard of Julia Cameron and her famous morning pages at some point or another. You know, those morning kick-starts where you sit down, half-sleepy and half-conscious and write out your soul on paper?

I did those for a while when the notion first came out. Did quite a bit, but decided I'd rather spend that time working on a novel or two. But in this last writing funk, I've gone back to the Beth-version of morning pages (after a walk with the dog so not true morning pages) and it's gotten me back into writing.

Except for today.

I've written about half a page of MP so far, and not another word will squeeze out. And today, surprisingly, nothing about my story. Aggravating. Every other day, I'll start by listing dreams or bits of whatever, and a story connection will somehow pop up, but today all I'm left with is a newly filled fountain pen and a half-blank sheet of paper. I know I'm supposed to just keep writing something, over and over, til I get where I want to be, but I can't muster the energy.

What do you do when morning pages don't work?! I'm open to all types of creativity-tappers. Not writing block-busters. I'm not there, yet. Just that bit of gas you need to get the brain synapses firing...help!

the beauty of refreshed perspective

I admit that the novel idea I'm working on now isn't something "new". Not really. It's based (a bit loosely, as I've discovered since last night) on one of my favorite songs from the 70s, a one-hit wonder (my music fascination) that ends on a very sad note. All these years, as I've listened, I've always felt so sad for the title character and wished her to have a happy ending (no, I won't tell you which song, at least not yet.)

I've wanted to rewrite her song into a story so she finds the happy ending she deserves. I've toyed with it, thought about it, talked about it (to the writing girls, who all understand--and love the song) but never really did anything about it because I haven't felt able to tackle it.

Guess what I'm working on now?!

I also admit to being a bit afraid of the whole novel-writing process. I don't know why I should be...I've finished three unpubbed(that shall never see the light of day) but none of them feel solid (even though one won a contest). I think my feelings of inadequacy lie in the rejection letters I've received and in the actual novel-writing process itself. It's messy and uncertain, ugly and beautiful at the same time. I never get what I planned and I have a hard time with that.

Monday I signed up, on a whim, with Holly Lisle for her "How to Think Sideways" course. I devour everything she puts out...on characters, plot, setting, language, culture...so I thought this would just be a little boost in the process, a shot in the arm but not a full round of immunizations.

I think I was wrong (and I don't admit that too often...just ask mom)

I did the first lesson last night and tried one of the techniques for brainstorming that she mentions. It's something I've seen umpteen times and have always thought looked fun, but me in my perfection self is afraid to get messy on paper. I gave myself permission to be messy, to not know the answer or the plot before I started, and what I discovered was fabulous.

No, the novel is not plotted, no characters are fully developed, my setting isn't even discovered (but this *may* be a time travel...the type of story that moves my heart most...historical and contemporary...like peanut butter and chocolate, is there anything better?), but I did discover a story element I might have missed with my traditional linear thinking, and I felt a freedom in the process that I haven't felt in planning previous novels. It's a good thing. Kept me up late, got me up early, and that's what gets me writing.

I'll talk more about Holly's program soon, but if you're interested, here's a link to check it out. She's registering right now for upcoming classes (I'm in the year-long...I need the extra time)

The value of writing colleagues

Over the years I've heard mixed reviews on the value of being involved in a writer's group. Some say it's a great chance to collaborate and commiserate, some say it's an excuse not to write and dangerous to allow others access to your thoughts. To this latter group, I say...go back to your caves and continue writing on your parchment.

It's no secret I've been in a word slump the last few months. So much so that when the Serious Writers (three of six, as it was) met at Donna's a week ago Sunday for a quarterly (or so) brainstorming session on our newest WIPs, my initial inclination was to decline. I didn't have a story to brainstorm, no characters to create, no plot to develop. True, I had been getting up and writing a rudimentary version of Julia Cameron's Morning Pages for a few weeks but it was just rehashing of my previous day, odd snippets of dreams, random thoughts that had nothing to do with creating fiction.

But I said yes anyway. I'm so glad I did. I was a little embarrassed to admit I was there without a story (embarrassed why? I've been with these ladies for probably 8 or more years), but, as luck had it, so was Margaret (although she has the theatre story always running a low hum in the back of her brain). All the two of us did was help Donna think through some character and plot points for her new story-in-progress...and it was the best thing ever. The collaboration and fresh ideas gave me a spark on my next set of morning pages to ponder, which has now turned into the tiniest spark of a story. It doesn't take much to get me writing...

So if you're floundering in writing, having a hard time with motivation, creativity or any of the other authorly afflictions, consider joining forces with a few other SELECT writers and hashing things out. What's the worst that could happen? You eat one too many chocolate covered pretzels? In the long run, your muse and your sanity will thank you. I know mine is!

Donald Maass' THE CAREER NOVELIST...free...

Thanks to Carol Ann for sharing the link on the COFW loop to the free ebook copy of Donald Maass' The Career Novelist

I had the pleasure of meeting Donald a few years ago at an all-day workshop and found most of his advice very insightful and helpful. I imagine The Career Novelist is no different. Even if the title doesn't interest you, read it for the motivation and inspiration we all get from reading great books on writing.

The Career Novelist by Donald Maass

I don't know how long it'll be up...maybe forever, but with a great book like this, don't take a chance. Check it out :)

Article: Writing for Holiday Markets

While one of my favorite sayings is "Better late than never" because I'm normally late on everything in my life, getting your foot in the door when approaching holiday markets for potential articles isn't one of those times when that saying applies.

Really, if you're writing for the holidays, you CAN start now, but the earlier the better for most publications. Not only do they go to press earlier than the holidays (most of the larger ones are NOW or very soon), they often have themes to work with.

If you're interested in the freelance holiday market, here's a really informative article at aboutfreelancewriting.com (love this site--they send freelance job postings to my inbox on a regular basis)on this very topic. Don't restrict your thinking to American holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. I'll bet there are at least 100 holidays around the world that magazines feature that you've never even heard of...

Writing for Holiday Markets at www.aboutfreelancewriting.com. Sign up for the newsletter while you're there....

Happy Writing ...

Beth

And the winner is....

It's been so long since I promised a contest that even I almost forgot about it LOL.

Plus, Jason the boy genius and I don't get the chance to cross paths too often these days, what with him keeping up with all his 11th grade AP courses and me trying to find ways to keep the classroom busy.

But he just chose a random date for me and, as luck would have it, it was a date with a post and a comment. August 12th, in honor of a USA Men's Basketball Olympic win (we are sports nuts in this house). The winner is a girl with a great name...Beth Morrissey, another wonderful freelancer. (You should check out her blog--I love it over there).

Yay Beth! I'll be sending you a package of writer's goodies, including the pens that started this whole contest thing...

And thank you so much to everyone who stopped by, passed on my blog link, made comments and sent me wonderful notes. Especially those of you who keep coming back to read. I know I've been horrible at posting over this last month but I do think I've gotten my teaching life under (some type of) control so I'm hoping to jump back into the blogging world soon. I really do miss it...

Hope you're all still writing...
Beth

...I think it's back....

The urge to write, that is.

I really have been grappling lately with this melancholy attitude toward writing. It's not that I've been blocked--I've been working (not as diligently as I should) on outlining a new story over the past several weeks, a baby bit at a time--but I just am not feeling the urge to write with any sort of passion.

It all started after I got back from camp and, until today on the way home, hadn't really let go. I did have two articles to finish for deadline after camp and I managed fine, but other than that, there wasn't any writing going on. I tried all sorts of tricks with no luck. Nothing stirred my interest or passion in the words that I'd spent my summer dreaming about. I couldn't get it going at all (even though the new story does excite and interest me).

Not until today on the way home, anyway. At the stoplight, a line from a book I'd read during free reading time with my 7th graders popped in my head, and immediately the old gears started turning slowly the way they always do when I get the spark of something good running around inside. By the time I got home (half a block) I had a whole paragraph of a new story to start, but had promised myself to finish the one I'm working on first. (I will this time if it KILLS me!!). I hurried to finish all my lesson prep and mom-duties so I could have some writing time alone tonight. I didn't get a massive amount done but enough to get me excited to come back tomorrow night for more of the same. ANd that's no small accomplishment.

I haven't forgotten you guys, my readers, either. I have lots of ideas planned on the calendar for various kinds of posts but haven't had time to zero in on getting those things together. I will, I will. Might be a little while but I'll get there. I feel like such a louse when I'm not posting here, but until the excitement came back, it was like pulling teeth to get the brain to cooperate. Hopefully this mood is here to stay....

A quick note...

This is cutting into my regularly scheduled writing time (which I desperately need after dealing with my lovely middle schoolers all day...if I have to open another combination lock I'm going to scream!), but it's cool and I wanted to share.

Just got a call from the local sports radio station. I entered a recipe contest way back in May for a tailgate recipe book featuring recipes from former OSU Buckeye football players and tailgaters--and I won! My recipe (which I created myself) for Buckeye Bars was one of the ones selected to make it in to the cookbook, along with several others. All proceeds benefit one of the local hospitals (the cancer hospital, I believe). How cool is that?! (They *are* the best peanut butter/chocolate concoction you've ever had...I guarantee it!)

And just in time for football season, too. I'll be making a pan of 'em tomorrow night to take down to the tailgate...6:30 a.m. Saturday. Bright and early...but it's never too early for college football.

Ok, enough bragging. Back to writing! Oh, and Go Buckeyes :)

...O-H....

Done!

Just wrapped up the final edit of the article for the business magazine. It's not due til Friday but I like getting things in early when I can.

This one has been hanging over my head for a bit. It was an idea I was originally (still am) excited to research and had lofty aspirations of interviewing a number of professionals for (it's on capital campaign funding). Problem was, the folks I requested interviews with weren't interested in sharing LOL. (or possibly too busy).

Last week I had to change my topic focus. I have never had to do that before, and I didn't like it one bit. The topic is really the same, I'd just hoped to do more expert advice/profiles than a straight up article.

Just to be safe, I emailed the editor last week to let her know. I was worried she'd not like it not having personal advice but she was OK with it, so I ran with it. Well,walked. It took a bit more research than I'd have liked but all in all, an interesting article.

What's even more exciting is that this is the last summer article on my calendar. True, I go back to the classroom on Monday (ugh!!) but my brain is now free to plot the story that came to me on a walk on Friday. Another iPod inspired moment, this time based on my completely and unadulterated infatuation with one-hit wonders from the 1970s and 80s.

I don't have it plotted completely yet but it's getting there. Well, as close as I can get before starting. I've only 100% plotted one story in my life, and that one never got written LOL. Nothing like stealing story thunder with a too-detailed outline.

I'll be back here soon. I'm hoping to start adding more resources and helpful articles for writers once I get things moving on the school end. And I'll have Jason the Boy Genius pick a contest winner soon so I can send out this package.

Happy writing...

Article Update: Diabetes Health & Eye Care

I'm being a good girl today. Just scratched out the first draft of the business article due next Friday and am on my way to type it up. Stopped online for a moment, and read a nice email from a friend who read my latest article at Diabetes Health.com and found it helpful. Hey, I'm here to serve!

It's a break from my traditional fictional advice and work, but if you or anyone you know has been affected by diabetes, it's absolutely fascinating to know that your eye doctor--yes, your eye doctor, not your GP, the endocrinologist or anyone else--can detect it first. It's all to do with your blood vessels in the back of your eyes.

If you do stop by to visit the article, be sure to leave a comment there. They love comments and choose print articles based on popularity of online commenters. (Yep, shameless self promo, but it *IS* my blog!)

Curious? Here's the link to the newsletter: Diabetes Health Newsletter, July 2008 (My story is the first one: Eyes on the Prize).

And here's the link to the story itself: Eyes on the Prize: Early Detection and Management of Diabetes.

Completely fascinating stuff, even if you're not diabetic. Who knew the eye docs could see inside your body?!

Oh, yeah, and on the article page, you can click on the cover of the latest issue featuring Jay Cutler (recently diagnosed) of the Broncos and check out another article on teenagers & insulin pumps by yours truly...(ok, enough promo!)

Back to my regularly scheduled writing work on my last real day of summer vacay. I'm so not ready for school....

Dreams....at the Plot Whisperer blog

If you know me, you know how fascinated I am by dreams. I've kept a dream notebook (which stemmed out of a meeting with Robert Moss, author of Dream Gates years ago and my first stint with Julia Cameron's Morning Pages) for years and will chat anyone up who's interested in talking about their dreams.

In visiting blogs by colleagues, I found that Martha Alderson over at the Plot Whisperer blog has a great post on dreams and their potential significance to writers in the midst of creation:

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Allow Your Dreams to do Your Heavy Plot Lifting

Following is an inspirational way to use your dreams to write your stories by hynotherapist, author, and radio personality Kelly Sullivan Walden.

Like Kelly, I, too, use my dreams to support my writing and you'll usually find me up before dawn, writing.

"While I was up to my elbows mid-way through writing my recent book, “I Had the Strangest Dream…the Dreamer’s Dictionary for the 21st Century” (Warner Books), I developed the practice of rolling out of bed and into my “writing station.” While still in the in-between-worlds place I would open my laptop, take a deep breath, and with eyes half closed, let my fingers do the tapping. Before my logical brain woke up, I would give myself permission to write whatever wanted to be written from my subconscious/dream state.

This “dream state” writing would often wind its way to being relevant to the particular aspect of the book I happened to be working on. Even if my writing took a detour I would nonetheless find myself opened to a smorgasbord of thoughts and feelings that I could apply to the subject at hand that never would have occurred to me otherwise.

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Read the entire post at: Allow Your Dreams to do Your Heavy Plot Lifting by Martha Alderson at Plot Whisperer

Tryin' to get the feelin' again...

Yeah, so what if I quoted Barry Manilow? It's my blog!

I'm having a hard time getting in the swing of writing after camp. I have plenty to do: two articles due next week and an essay to send off to an editor for consideration, but with the pre-school year hype and nervousness of settling into a new classroom, I'm finding focus and motivation tough. I want to write, I just can't muster the motivation.

I know this strikes more than just little old me. How do you deal with it? I'd love some suggestions....

Publisher's Update from HCI Books' The Ultimate Series

Just got this via email and thought I'd share for those of you interested in this market, which I mentioned in a post earlier this summer:

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With the heat index in triple digits in most parts of the U.S., it's clear we're in the midst of the dog days of summer. Kids will soon be heading back to school, and before we know it we'll all be planning holiday schedules.

Before life gets busier, I want to remind you of an upcoming submission deadline and tell you about an exciting new title added to the Ultimate list.

We've gotten a great response to The Ultimate Mom but are still accepting submissions through the deadline of August 31, 2008. If you've already sent something along - thank you! If not, be aware the deadline is looming.

During Book Expo America, one of the regular visitors to our booth wondered if we had thought of doing an Ultimate book on gardens. Later, when our publisher was reminded of the suggestion it prompted more consideration and as a result we've added The Ultimate Garden as a hot new release for April 2009. That means the submission deadline is . . . now! (September 30, 2008).

The Ultimate Garden stories will explore gardens as metaphors for life. Full-color photos will showcase nature’s beauty and bounty, and horticultural and landscape experts will share their knowledge and passion with readers who never tire of cultivating those proverbial green thumbs.

A full synopsis of the book, guidelines for submissions, how and where to send your work, and information on all the titles in development can be found on www.UltimateHCIBooks.com. Online submissions are preferred. It's the fastest, most efficient route to get your work to the editor working on a title. If, after checking our online guidelines for the information we need included with each submission, you prefer to email your submission, words go to submit@ultimatehcibooks.com and photos get sent to photo@ultphoto.net. Again, please check our guidelines before sending material.

Also, please be sure to add our domain name to your trusted domain list so future emails don't end up in your spam folder!

Stay well and enjoy the rest of the summer.

Theresa Peluso
Developmental Editor
The Ultimate Series from HCI Books

Back....

...but not completely here.

Camp was over Saturday, but I just got home today. Long story short: never lock your car keys in your convertible trunk without having a spare. Trust me on this.

Luckily it happened at the parents' house, so I didn't have too much to stress about, but I did need to get home to finish edits on an article due tomorrow. That's done now, and ready to be zipped off to the editor.

Camp went so fast...without the tons of photos my friends and campers take to share, it'd have just been a blur. I'll be back to regular posting as soon as my real-world settles and I have a few clean clothes to wear LOL.

In the meantime...keep writing!

Best of...Character

Hard to believe this is the last day of camp and I'll be home soon. Hopefully the advance post option in Blogger is working (for you). If not, at least I'll have lots to post when I make it back on Monday!

Today's Best of...features character-building and how to know your characters well before you start writing. Since I'll be starting a new contemporary novella in a few days, I can use this advice myself...lol.

Best of...Characters at the Fountain Pen, Inc. blog

Happy writing!

Beth