The Variety Pages

Goals & Reading List 11/23/09

2009-11-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

The way today started off at work does not make me optimistic for the rest of the week. However, there’s nothing to be done except to keep moving forward, so that’s the plan at this point. Last week’s goals were hit and miss, I’m still behind on both my NaNo draft and my short stories, and work is just crazy right now and bleeding into my personal life (which I seldom allow it to do). I’m behind on the crafts I’m doing for gifts, which isn’t really any big surprise, and they'll wait now until after NaNo is done.

I know I sound pessimistic today, and I am, but I'll be better tomorrow. Promise. Thankfully I have a mostly optimistic outlook in general, no matter what's going on.

So…pretty general, basic goals this week for me.

Weekly Goals

Writing

- I need around 20,000 words by next Monday to “win” NaNo. That makes my goal 2500 words per day, every day.
- Short stories – I need ‘em. Write as many as possible.

Personal

- Keep enough clothes clean to wear all week.
- Keep hubby, dogs and myself fed.
- Be pleasantly sociable for holiday dinners on Thurs & Sat, whether I feel like it or not.
- Remember to be thankful that I have a job that pays the bills, family, and good friends.

Reading List

Didn’t read a whole lot last week, just a few romances and novellas from my Harlequin subscriptions. I don’t really have time to list them out today, but will catch up next week.

So - tell me some good news! What goals have you reached recently? Or what do you anticipate completing this week? Read any good books lately?

Variety News 11/22/09

2009-11-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

Can you believe we are almost to Thanksgiving? I don't know about you, but this fall is just *flying* by for me. I'm behind on a lot of projects, but such is life this time of year, right? More on that with the goals list tomorrow.

This week we're mostly back to normal around here as far as posts go. For a Thanksgiving treat, I'll post the Thanksgiving story from my Holiday Lights freebie collection.

This Week on The Variety Pages

Monday: Goals & Reading List
Tuesday: Story Construction - Maintaining tension
Wednesday: Round Robin - In the Leaf Pile
Thursday: Wildcard - Under the Table (flash story)
Friday: Chapter 34 of Tempest
Saturday: Notable Posts

Elsewhere on The Variety Network

Word Blizzard features more of my NaNo progress as I race to catch up & keep my characters on edge. (Email to read)

Nail Art Tuesday features a fall manicure in browns with a laser lace overlay.

Tea On Tap might actually get an update with my top Thanksgiving Tea picks.

That's the plan for this week - anything I should watch for on your blogs?

Here's to another great week...

Notable Posts

2009-11-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

This week, a few weighty posts on the big news in publishing this week (Harlequin vs. the writing world, apparently) and some thoughtful writing posts.

Harlequin Vanity by Sherrill Quinn at Reflections
Answering Your Questions by Jackie Kessler - an excellent "why should we care?" post on the Harlequin debacle

Nanowrimo-Blah by Jason A. Myers (the other side of the NaNo euphoria)
Just Write the Next Word Down by Scott G.F. Bailey at The Literary Lab
Stumbling Into Muddy Waters by Eric at Working My Muse

Enjoy!

Tempest, Chapter 33

2009-11-20T16:14:00.000-08:00

This serial novel draft is posted weekly on Fridays. Comments are always welcome. I hope you enjoy it!

Tempest

Chapter 33

Amy reached him first and stepped into his hand, wobbling as he boosted her up into the tree. "Climb higher," he called, helping Brenda up behind her, and waiting for Tanya, steps away from his position. He glanced over her shoulder in time to see the Wilsons and Adrienne clambering into a tree further down, Charlie waiting below for her turn with her back to the tree trunk.

Motion off to the side caught his eye, and he turned in time to see thick muscles bunching up under gray fur, then launching straight at Tanya. She wasn't going to make it. He threw himself at the animal, tackling it just before it would have reached it's goal. He landed underneath the heavy body and rolled, using the momentum from the fall to keep the creature off balance.

The wolf snarled, twisting to get a foot hold then springing out of Jake's grasp. It turned and pounced, jaws open and aimed right for Jake's throat. He tried to curl up, but it was too late - the wolf was standing on his chest, and all around the yips and growls got louder as the pack closed in. Jake pushed hard against the furry chest, a sharp pain in his leg making him kick out frantically as he looked into the wild green eyes of his personal reaper.

He saw the bullet fly just behind the wolf's front leg just a fraction of time before the sound of a shot registered in his brain. The wolf went down, rolling to the side and another report rang out just before the pack scattered, loping away in defeat. He turned his head to the side to see Charlie standing in the middle of the path, one arm supporting the other as she leveled a gun in his general direction. It must have fallen out of his waistband when he'd hit the ground.

She glanced around, slowly lowering the piece before she ran to his side. "Are you hurt?" She felt his neck, then started looking the rest of him over.

"My leg." His throat was dry, and his head was spinning as the adrenaline surge started to ease. She bent over his calf, probing with a light touch through his pant leg. He looked up, noting that Brenda had started climbing down. "Don't come down," he called, wincing as Charlie hit a particularly painful spot. "They could still be hanging around." He opened his eyes in time to see her nod and settle back in on the branch she'd chosen, close to the other two women sharing her tree.

Proving his point, he caught a flicker of green peeking out from behind the tree, and a little ways off on his other side, a snarl and a yip. "We need to relocate," he said, pushing himself up on his elbows. "Help me up, quick." The wolves were getting bolder again, and a larger one stepped out on the path ahead, lifting it's lips in a menacing grin. "Give me the gun, Charlie."

She helped him up off the ground, then handed him the gun. He squeezed off a round at the brave canine, then hobbled for a tree between the two already occupied. He reached up and grabbed the lowest branch, testing to make sure he could reach. He turned back to Charlie, who was already shaking her head.

"No." Her tone brooked no argument. "You go first. You can pull me up easier than I can help you."

He hesitated, warring with his protective instinct, but he knew she was right. He put the gun back in his waistband, then swung himself up onto the branch, scooting back against the trunk for stability as he leaned over and reached down for her. She jumped, catching his wrist and swinging her other arm up over the branch. She pulled herself up, barely hooking one foot up before the wolves converged, running out of the darkness to snap at her other foot. She snatched it up, and inched her way toward the center of the tree as Jake climbed up to a higher branch and out of her way. He looked down, watching as one of the wolves started climbing the trunk. Smart son-of-a-gun.

"Stay still." He waited a second, making sure Charlie would heed his command. He aimed for the white chest and pulled the trigger, satisfied as the animal fell to the ground. "You okay?"

Charlie let out her breath in a long, audible sigh. "Yes."

"We need to get higher, find a comfortable spot for the night." He waited for her to stand on the branch, then looked up into the tree, spotting a wide elbow that might be okay. "Just follow me, okay?" He glanced back, noting she'd moved up to stand on the branch behind him.

She nodded, her expression unreadable in the darkness. "Lead the way."

Winner!

2009-11-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

And the winner of a signed copy of The Bartered Bride by Erica Vetsch is....

KLo!

Congratulations! Please email me your mailing address at jdebree8@gmail.com as soon as possible, so I can get it to Erica and she'll send your book. Enjoy, and thanks for your comment!

Guest Post: Erica Vetsch

2009-11-19T04:30:00.000-08:00

Today please welcome Erica Vetsch, author of The Bartered Bride. You can read the first chapter of her debut novel here.

Thank you, Jamie, for having me here on your blog today. It’s such a pleasure.

Jamie asked me to blog about themes I like to explore in my novels and how those themes affect my daily life. Wow! This really made me think. I mean, I write fiction. I make up the stories and themes. They don’t have much to do with my ‘real life’ do they?

And yet, every theme I’ve explored has both come from an experience in my life, and while writing it has taught me even more about God’s goodness.

In The Bartered Bride, the theme is The Sovereignty of God. The hero, Jonathan, spends quite a bit of time praying that God, in His sovereignty, will change his grandfather’s heart. Jonathan knows God can do it, and doesn’t get why God won’t do it. In reality, God was trying to change Jonathan’s heart.

How often have you done that? Prayed a verse over someone when you’re the one who really needed to apply the truth to your own life? I’ll confess, I’ve sat in church before thinking “Well, I’m glad so-and-so is here to hear this sermon. She sure needs it.” When all along, I’m the one who should be paying close attention, because I’m the one who needs to be changed by the sermon.

Another theme I’ve explored, in the sequel to The Bartered Bride is that God is our Refuge. In The Marriage Masquerade, both Noah and Anastasia are running from trouble, but what are they running to? The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are saved. While working on The Marriage Masquerade, my family was going through a period of turmoil. A beloved member was battling breast cancer. So many times I ran to the strong tower of the Lord for comfort and safety.

In the final book of this series, The Engineered Engagement, the heroine, Josie, is wondering how to be the woman God has made her to be and use the talents He has given her in a way that honors Him. Wow, as I stand on the cusp of this writing career God has given me, I want to glorify Him with my writing and with my dealings with people along the way.

What I’ve found as I think about the themes in my stories, is that the main character and I often start at similar places, and it is through the writing of the story that the character and I learn the lessons from God’s word that He’s been wanting to teach me.

Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Erica. I really enjoyed your story, and I know others will too.

Erica has kindly offered to give away a signed copy of The Bartered Bride to one lucky commenter here! Leave your comment on this post and/or the first chapter of her novel by midnight tonight (Mountain Time), and I'll draw one random winner to be announced tomorrow morning.

Round Robin: The Cellar

2009-11-18T07:52:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the weekly Round Robin! Each week I post a four-sentence prompt, and your mission, should you choose to accept it is to continue the story (up to 4 sentences at a time) in the comments. You may post more than once, but not consecutively. You don’t have to be a writer to join in – anyone can play, and take the story whatever direction you want.

Jump in!

*****************************

The Cellar

He worked quickly, prying the lock off the wooden doors with a crowbar. The wind swirled around him and he stumbled back a few steps as the mechanism finally gave. Tossing the crowbar aside, he flung open the doors and peered down into the darkness. Was it too late?

The Bartered Bride by Erica Vetsch

2009-11-17T04:30:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to Erica Vetsch, who kindly sent us chapter one of her debut novel to read today! Add your comments below for a chance to win a signed copy of her book, and come back Thursday for a guest post as she stops here on her Blog Tour. Enjoy!

The Bartered Bride
by Erica Vetsch

Chapter One

“The idea’s preposterous, and I’ll have nothing to do with it.”
Jonathan Kennebrae bolted from his chair and stalked across
the office. “You won’t manipulate me like this. And I doubt
Noah or Eli will go along with the scheme either.”

His grandfather, Abraham Kennebrae, sat ramrod straight
behind the walnut desk. For a man confined to an invalid
chair these past eight years, his voice still rang with authority
and vigor. “I’ve spent a lifetime building up this family’s
fortune and power, and I want to die knowing it will continue.
If not through you, then through your brothers. The best
way to ensure this is to marry you boys off well. You act as if
contracted marriage was something new. It’s been going on
for centuries.”

Jonathan clasped his hands behind his back under his
coattails and stared out the window of Grandfather’s library.
Two acres of emerald grass stretched below to the shoreline.
Lake Superior spread before him, cobalt blue under an
azure sky. The Lady Genevieve, the family yacht named for
his grandmother, bobbed gently along the dock beside the
boathouse. Her white hull gleamed, her mast pointed to the
cloudless heavens. He wished he stood at her wheel, skimming
over the waves, away from this incredible conversation.

“It’s all arranged, Jonathan. Three weddings, three sound
marriages, and the consolidation of four of the wealthiest
families in Duluth. And not only that, but it brings together
under one name all you need to control every aspect of this
harbor: shipping, grain, ore, and lumber.”

Jonathan turned and leaned against the windowsill. The
morning sun fell through the stained glass of the upper
windows, shattering rainbows on the Persian rug. He crossed
his ankles, trying to appear casual. “All arranged? You and
your cronies have everything mapped out? And Noah, Eli,
and I have no say? Have you decided who is to marry whom,
or were you just going to have us draw straws?”

His jaw ached, and the pain between his eyebrows increased.
An image of Grandfather and his bewhiskered, cigar-smoking
circle of friends bending over charts and arguing the relative
merits of their offspring wavered before his eyes. “I have no
intention of marrying an empty-headed showpiece chosen
by you. Are your grandsons no more than pawns to be
shuffled about at your command? Whose idea was this?” His
throat ached with the desire to yell, but years of training and
deference to the man before him kept his voice controlled.

“Now, lad”—Grandfather made a dismissing motion—“you
make it sound worse than it is.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible. I feel like a horse at auction.
Did you sell us to the highest bidders?” Sarcasm dripped out,
laced with exasperation.

Grandfather wagged a gnarled finger. “Don’t take that tone
with me. I’m still the head of this household. I made a sound
business decision for this family. You’ll accede to my wishes in
this. You’re nearly thirty. It’s past time you were married and
setting up your household. As a member of the aristocracy of
this city and this state, you have an obligation to marry well.”

“Shades of the Four Hundred.” Jonathan jammed his hands
into his pockets. “This is 1905, and your ideas are outdated.
This isn’t New York City. It’s Duluth. I’m not marrying
someone so I can be invited to better parties and promenade
through Newport every afternoon during ‘The Season.’ And
I’m certainly not interested in any female who wishes to
marry for those reasons either.”

“You couldn’t be further from the truth. You aren’t marrying
into the salons of Fifth Avenue. You’re marrying to gain
control of the harbor.” He waved his hand in a sweeping
motion toward the lake. “Control that harbor, and you control
millions of dollars. Control millions, and you control the
politicians in St. Paul and Washington. Control St. Paul
and Washington, and you control the power to make more
millions. Don’t you see it?”

“What if I don’t want to control the harbor? What if I’m
content with what I have: a solid business with an excellent
reputation and a sound financial base?”

“Then you’re a fool. You’ll have wasted everything I’ve spent
my life building up. Now is the time to strike. Of the four
richest families in Duluth, I’m the only one with male heirs.
Lawrence Brooke, Phillip Michaels, and Radcliffe Zahn have
only daughters. And don’t forget, a marriage to Lawrence
Brooke’s daughter brings not just the grain docks in the harbor
but the railroad that hauls the grain from the Dakotas, too.”

Jonathan ran his hand over his hair. “You still haven’t convinced
me. I don’t even know these women. Why would I
want to marry any of them?”

Grandfather thumped the blotter. “Stop being obtuse. I’ll
make it as plain as possible. You will court and marry the
daughter of Lawrence Brooke, you will gain control of the grain
docks in Duluth harbor, and you will do so before Christmas.”

“Before Christmas? That’s impossible. Christmas is less
than three months away. Isn’t that a bit quick?”

“Poppycock. I see no reason to wait. Waiting only increases
the chances that something will go wrong. We must act now.
You, as the eldest, will set an example for your brothers. The
twins will fall in line. And it isn’t as if the young women won’t
receive the benefits of a sound match. Wealth, status, security,
influence. What more could a woman want?”

Jonathan snorted. “I’m no expert on the female mind. I have
no idea what they want. But what happens if I don’t do as you
say? Or what if the woman won’t have me?”

“I will disinherit you without so much as a blink.” Grandfather
regarded him with glittering eyes. “I will leave my
fortune only to those grandsons who do my bidding. Those
who will not, receive nothing. I’ve already rewritten my will to
reflect the changes.”

Anger replaced the exasperation and unbelief in Jonathan’s
chest. “You cannot be serious.”

“I’ve never been more serious in my life.” Grandfather
narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, causing his wiry sidewhiskers
to bristle out like a badger. “Do you care to challenge
me? The will stands as long as the girl is legally free and
morally acceptable for you to wed.”

Jonathan’s mind raced, and his muscles tensed. How dare
that old reprobate? Kennebrae Shipping was his. He’d run
the company, chaired the board, and overseen the day-to-day
operations for the past eight years. He, not Grandfather, had
expanded the fleet, brokered new contracts, enticed investors.
The company was his life. He’d be dead before he’d let anyone
take it from him.

A knock sounded on the library door. The butler entered,
a silver tray in his hand. “This just arrived for you, sir.” He
extended the salver toward Grandfather.

The old man took an envelope from it and turned it in his
hands.

“Will there be a reply, sir? The gentleman who delivered it
is waiting.”

Grandfather picked up his letter opener. He slit the heavy
cream envelope and read, satisfaction spreading over his face.
His fingers drummed the desktop.

Jonathan paced between the marble fireplace and the glassfront
bookcases. Grandfather’s words were no idle threat.

He’d disinherit Jonathan without so much as a by-your-leave
should Jonathan cross him. He had seen it in the old man’s
eyes. Galling, that’s what it was. To have a bride chosen for
him based upon her wealth and connections. And worse, to be
chosen as a husband based on his.

Grandfather leaned forward and uncapped the silver
inkwell. He dipped his ebony pen in the liquid and scratched
a few words on the card. “McKay, give the gentleman this.”

“Very good, sir.”

The door had barely closed before Jonathan whirled from
contemplating the oil painting over the mantel. “Do Noah
and Eli know about this?”

“No, of course not. I’ll tell Noah when he returns to the
harbor, and I’ll tell Eli when he returns from Virginia.
Though why Eli can’t learn shipbuilding right here in Duluth
is beyond me.”

“He wanted to learn from the best, and the best shipbuilders
are on the East Coast.” Jonathan rubbed his palm against the
back of his neck. How could he get out of this? His strides
measured the room.

“Will you stop pacing like a caged wolf? You’d think I was
asking you to go to the gallows.” Grandfather backed his chair
and wheeled it around the edge of the desk. A blanket covered
his stick-thin legs from hips to ankles.

Jonathan sagged onto the horsehair settee. “From what I
can tell, marriage and hanging have a lot in common. The
man ends up dangling from the end of a string either way.”

Grandfather chuckled then shook his head. “Where’d you
get an idea like that? Your grandmother, God rest her soul,
was a fine woman.”

“What about my parents? To hear you talk, they couldn’t
be in the same room without bloodshed. How they wound up
with three sons is beyond me.”

Sadness lined Grandfather’s face. “Your parents were both
high-strung. Always convinced the other was being a fool. But
they loved each other, in their own way. I thought they’d settle
down eventually. It’s a shame you never got to know them.
Your father couldn’t live without her. The carriage accident
was a mercy. He was never the same after your mother died.
And neither were you, though you were only four at the time.”

“I have no real memories of my parents, only their portraits
in the drawing room.”

“Those were your grandmother’s idea. Had them painted
from their engagement pictures. Thought it might be nice for
you boys to have them.”

Jonathan took note of the nostalgic look in Grandfather’s
eyes. If he could just keep him talking about old times, about
Grandmother, perhaps he would forget this nonsense about
marriage.

“She was a saint. And what she ever saw in an old boot like
you, I’ll never know.”

“Hah! That’s just what her parents said when I came
courting. Never thought I’d amount to anything. But I
showed them. Built up the biggest shipping line on the Great
Lakes and built Kennebrae House for your grandmother, too.
Nothing was too good for her.”

“She deserved every one of the fifty-five rooms for putting
up with you.”

“Well, your new wife will, too.”

Jonathan blew out a breath. So much for getting Grandfather
off the subject. “I haven’t agreed to this madness. Anyway,
I think you’re assuming a lot. I haven’t even met this Miss
Brooke. We might not suit one another at all.”

“You’re both young and rich. You’ll suit one another just
fine. How do you feel about music?”

“What?”

“I asked how you felt about music. An evening of music
and fine food.”

What kind of sidetrack was this? Jonathan put his guard
firmly up.

The old man had a gleam in his eye, an unholy sparkle that
boded no good.

“You mean one of those parties where the hostess shoves
her daughter onstage, and the poor girl scrapes away at some
writhing violin concerto or pounds out a tortured nocturne on
the piano while the audience tries not to wince or die from
boredom? And at dinner they make up compliments over
dried-out chicken and pasty potatoes until they can make a
graceful escape?”

“I hope it isn’t as bad as you describe.”

“What are you hatching?”

“The note that came earlier. It was an invitation to Castlebrooke.
Mrs. Brooke is having an evening of music and refreshments
tonight. I sent the reply that both of us would
be delighted to attend. And you’ll have ample time to study
your bride-to-be. She’ll be the one performing the tortured
nocturnes.”

Goals & Reading List 11/16/09

2009-11-16T09:49:00.000-08:00

Last week was not nearly as productive as I'd hoped, and downright frustrating in some respects. But, a new week, a new start. It's far more productive to just keep moving forward than to sweat what didn't get done.

I did make some good headway with my NaNo draft - over 20k now, at least. I divorced myself from all facebook games, but Twitter remains a distraction. I'm working on managing that particular addition. I'm keeping up with Tempest okay, which is good. It's good for my brain to jump into a different story for an hour or so a week.

I tried to get my short stories started...and realized after an hour's worth of writing that the stories I'd plotted are not flash pieces, and they can't ever be. They're novel plots, or novellas at the very least. The Holiday Lights collection is still going to happen - I'm too stubborn to let it go, but I don't think the stories will be interrelated. It's back to the drawing board this week for that.

I did spend a little time in the basement working on our storage area, and sort of got started on my Christmas gift crafts (most of that time was spent asking myself how I ever thought I'd be able to pull it off, as my creativity was sadly lacking just then). My bleak attitude stems from looking too hard at the "big picture" though...focusing too much on the future and the overwhelming amount of things I have to complete. I need to narrow my focus back to the present, and the little things I can do that will eventually get those "big things" done without so much effort. My mind works too fast for me to keep up with sometimes.

Weekly Goals

Writing

- 2k words per day for NaNo until/unless I catch up.
- 3 flash pieces for the Holiday Lights collection
- Chapter 33 of Tempest

Personal

- Accept that the Halloween inventory will undoubtedly stretch into December. Work on it for 1 or 2 hours this week, and walk away. No guilt.
- Go roam around a craft store for inspiration on my christmas gift crafts, and buy supplies.

Weekly Reading List

I got a few books read last week. I probably should have been writing, but sometimes, you just have to indulge.

To Tame Her Tycoon Lover by Ann Major (Silhouette Desire) - This story takes place down south, where you can step out the back door into the swamp. I really enjoyed this story with insecure Cici just wanting somewhere to call home, and someone to call family. That push-pull tension that I love so much just pervades the novel. Very enjoyable.

Santa, Baby by Lisa Renee Jones (Harlequin Blaze) - I know, it's early for Christmas but with the subscriptions, I get the books earlier than normal. This is the last in the Dressed to Thrill series, and it's a fabulous story of an average bookseller who is astounded to be desired by a very handsome, powerful man. It's the story of love, loyalty, and trust...excellent read.

High Powered, Hot Blooded by Susan Mallery (Silhouette Desire) - Annie McCoy is one of the most wonderful heroines I've read. She's shy and spunky and willing to do anything for her family, but cautious and practical at the same time. I'm always entertained by Mallery's books, and this one is no exception...another wonderful Christmas story.

So that's my week, and I'm still working through my subscription books for reading this week. Any goals you'd like to share? Books you'd like to recommend for my towering "to-be-read" pile?

And can anyone tell me if the Twilight movies are anything close to the book? I'm really not sure I can make myself read those, but could probably handle the movie just to be "in the know" since everyone's still talking about it...

Variety News 11/15/09

2009-11-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

Fun things going on around here this week, with a slight change in schedule on Tuesday. Erica Vetsch, author of The Bartered Bride is joining us for her blog tour, and I have the first chapter of her book to share with you all, as well as a guest blog post on the themes she explores in her stories and how they affect her daily life.

I'll be posting the chapter on Tuesday, so there won't be a Construction Zone post this week, and Erica's guest blog will be posted in the Thursday Wildcard slot. In addition to getting to know Erica and sample her book, we'll be having a contest - anyone who comments on either post (or both) by midnight (Mountain time) on Thursday night will be entered to win a signed copy of Erica's book. I'll announce the winner Friday morning before I post the next chapter of Tempest.

This Week on The Variety Pages

Monday: Weekly Goals & Reading List
Tuesday: Chapter 1 of The Bartered Bride by Erica Vetsch
Wednesday: Round Robin - The Cellar
Thursday: Guest Post by Erica Vetsch
Friday: Chapter 32 of Tempest
Saturday: Notable Posts

Elsewhere on The Variety Network

Word Blizzard: I'm catching up, slowly - but the story is going remarkably well, I think (as well as a first draft can be, anyway). More of the story and my strategies coming next week (email if you'd like an invite to the blog).

Nail Art Tuesday: I'm thinking a dark and mossy manicure this week.

Tea on Tap: I need to get back to a nightly cuppa tea before bed. I think I may explore the concept on the blog this week, if I can carve out a few minutes for a post.

Here's to another great week - anything going on in your part of the blogosphere I should keep an eye out for?

Notable Posts This Week

2009-11-14T04:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first "Notable Posts"...ah...post. Huh. Redundant, that. Anyway.

Here are the posts I found most notable in the blogosphere this week (that doesn't mean I don't love you all - it just means these really resonated with me this week).

The first three are by Harlequin Intrigue author & fellow Montanan B.J. Daniels. If you ask me who I want to be when I "grow up" as a writer - she's the answer, and she took the time to let us all in on her writing process for producing six (yes - six) novels per year.

Author B.J. Daniels:
What is it like to be a full-time novelist?
My Writing Schedule
Tricks of the Trade

And a couple of posts I found most amusing (well, and you have to read the comments on Kari's post to get her book blurb, which sounds fabulous).

Montana For Real - Kari Lynn Dell's blog:
Cowgirl's Guide to Literary Agent Feedback

The Romantic Query Letter and the Happy Ever After:
A Writer's Survival List or My Process (blog chain post)

Enjoy - I certainly did!

Tempest, Chapter 32

2009-11-13T04:30:00.000-08:00

This serial novel draft is posted weekly on Fridays. Comments are always welcome. I hope you enjoy it!

Tempest

Chapter 32

Jake followed Tanya back into the clearing just in time to hear Charlie order everyone to get ready to go. He helped Tanya gather her things, then reclaimed his pack from the Wilsons and went to talk to Charlie as she waited for the others.
"I don't think she knew anything," he said, keeping his voice low. "She's pretty devastated."

Charlie nodded. "I can't imagine being in her situation right now. We'll have to make sure she's not left alone." She glanced back in the direction they'd approached from. "How much time do you think we have until they come after us?"

"They're probably already coming." He looked around at the group, most of whom had assembled just a few yards away. They paced, nervous and agitated like trapped prey. "Is everyone here?"

Charlie looked around, then scanned the riverbank one more time as he waited. "Yes. How do you want to do this?"

"Let's stay back from the bank, stick to the trees for cover. Are you up to leading?" He scanned over her body, taking note of the long scars forming and deep bruises just now becoming evident on nearly all of her body. She'd been through a lot, and was battered and torn up more than a lot of soldiers ever experienced, yet she was still on her feet. He admired her stamina, but worried that she was headed for a major crash.

She nodded. "I can do it." The corners of her lips lifted just a little. "Actually, I think I'm feeling better after that dip in the cold water. Probably helped with the swelling."

He couldn't help but smile back at her. Looking around, he saw Adrienne standing a little ways off, and motioned for her to join them. "I want you and Charlotte to take the lead, okay? Holler if you see anyone lurking ahead. I'll take the rear, and make sure we're not followed."

The women both nodded, and he turned to the rest of the group. "We're moving out," he said, just loud enough to be heard over the river. "I need you to follow Charlie and Adrienne, and move quickly and quietly." He paused, satisfied with nods of agreement. "If you see anything that looks out of place, or any movement that seems odd, either tell me or Charlie."

He caught Charlie's eye, and she inclined her head slightly, and started walking toward the forest as she addressed the group. "Let's go - follow me."

When everyone had gone, he waited another thirty seconds before following. Something kept niggling in the back of his mind - something they were missing. It was starting to get dark, and he pulled his knife, moving into the trees just off to the side of the path the group had taken. The hair on the back of his neck tingled, and his eyes never stopped scanning as he moved from tree to tree.

Gradually the feeling subsided, but Jake couldn't relax. Something or someone had been watching, shadowing their movements until just several minutes ago. What had it been? And more importantly, what had made it leave? He quickened his pace, catching up to where he was in sight of the two college girls at the very back of the group. It seemed like they had stopped, and he moved in, wondering why.

Then he felt it again. Something was definitely stalking them,and he slowly turned, peering into the near darkness trying to catch any hint of movement. Wait. His gaze returned to a large group of bushes about fifteen feet away. Something was creeping very slowly, trying to avoid detection. It wasn't human, but what was it?

A low growl behind him sent chills down his back, and he froze.

"Jake!"

Adrienne's yell rang out and he turned just in time to see a huge gray wolf vault off the ground at him. Yellow eyes glowed and white fangs flashed as the animal flew towards him, prepared to knock him to the ground. Jake knew the rest of the pack would close in then, and he settled back on his heels with his knees bent, preparing for the massive force even as he held the knife ready to strike.

The wolf reached him with outstretched legs, and Jake swung the knife upwards hard, the blade sliding easily between the animal's ribs and up through the heart. Stepping to the side, he watched as the carcass fell heavy on the ground. The shadow in the bushes paused, and Jake could imagine the second wolf watching, sniffing the air for the scent of it's pack mate. Had he been singled out for the first strike because he was alone?

Footsteps on the path jerked his attention back to the group, now running toward him. The rest of the wolves must have circled around to the front. There was no way he could fight off a whole pack of wolves by himself, and no one else had anything to use as a weapon. A low hanging branch gave him an idea though, and as Amy and Brenda approached, he laced his fingers and held his hands low.

"Step in my hand and grab the branch. Get up in the tree." He barked out the instructions, hoping they would just do as he said, and not stop to argue. Amy reached him

Wildcard Post: NaNo Progress & Excerpt

2009-11-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

Total word count to date: 16,066

Why yes, I am behind. Nice of you to notice.

In truth, I'm not all that far behind. In doing the math, I still only have to write 1,786 words per day to have my 50,000 by the 30th. So all in all, not bad at all.

The better news is, this isn't my normal "slap it together" NaNo draft. I've done my time with bad drafting (five, to be precise), and I needed every one of them to learn and experiment with. This year, I finally feel like all of that practice is coming together, and if things keep going as they are, I will end up with an editable first draft by the end of the month. Cool, eh?

I feel the need to clarify though. By "editable draft", I mean a draft where the plot actually stays the same throughout the story. Sub-plots may pop-up, but they work with the main storyline, and don't try to take it over. Characters might not be fleshed out, but there's enough of their personality coming through that I'll be able to go back and round them out later. My sentence structure may need some serious revisions, but overall, the draft is coherent enough that I won't run screaming from the task of editing it later. That's what I want in an editable first draft. It's what I've been chasing after for years, and even though Her Private Chef is a good first draft, it's still not quite as good (technically speaking - I love the story) as Desert Heat. I can honestly say I'm looking forward to editing them both. Another first for me.

I feel like I'm finally coming "into my own" as a writer this year, tentatively confident that I'm writing potentially publishable stuff. Finally. And with this year's NaNo, I'm discovering my writing "threshold" - that I'm generally good for 800-1000 words at a time, after which I need a break. If I try to push past that, the quality of my writing goes down. No, NaNo isn't about quality, but I'm making it part of my personal experience since I already know I can finish a draft. I'm discovering that creating outlines that consist solely of scene synopses works best for me, personally, and that I don't have to be so afraid of weaving sub-plots in...they don't have to take over the story, and can just be another level of complexity.

This year's NaNo has been great so far, and I can't wait to see how the draft turns out.

How is your NaNo experience going so far? Are you on track to "win"? Learning anything about yourself as a writer?

Here's a short excerpt from Desert Heat, unedited, of course.
******************************************************
Three loud thumps came from behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder with a frown. Marie was struggling in his arms, and he turned back to her, noting the bright red color rising in her cheeks and her absolute refusal to meet his eye. He let her go, careful to make sure she was steady before removing his hands from her arms.

"Oh my god," she said, turning away from him and running a hand through her hair.
"That's probably Scott. What was I thinking?" She turned back, distress lining her face. "I'm so sorry, that was a huge mistake. You have to go."

Darren frowned. "What's wrong?" He picked up the forgotten itinerary, holding it out to her. She snatched it and laid it on top of some folders on the table, then twisted her hair up into the tidy style she always wore, securing it with a few pins. She spared him only a cursory glance, her normal bland expression back in place.

"I'm having dinner with Scott," she said, reaching for her jacket and buttoning it back over her shirt. He realized the wanton woman he'd just been with was gone, and the cool, controlled doctor was back. "We made plans earlier on the plan." Three more knocks sounded, and Darren felt like opening the door and punching the man on the other side.

"Cancel," he said, blocking her way as she walked briskly toward the door. "Stay with me."

A flicker of that other woman sparked briefly in her eyes when she finally met his gaze. "I can't." She looked down, staring at his chest. "I'm sorry - you're just too...too...you." She pushed past him and pulled the door open. Darren turned, feeling only a little better when he saw the questions on the photographer's face when he saw him.

"Sorry I'm late, Scott," Marie said, gesturing back to Darren with a professional smile. "Dr. Newbury just stopped by to replace my copy of the schedule, and we were going over a few things." She raised her eyebrows at Darren. "Have a good evening, Doctor."

Round Robin: Up a Tree

2009-11-11T04:30:00.000-08:00

**************************************

Up a Tree

Nelson stood barefoot in the cool grass, his neck craned at an impossible angle. Above him leaves rustled and danced as the object of his interest moved through the branches. Dark clouds were approaching, and lightening had flashed just south of the ridge moments ago. He reached for a low branch, preparing to swing himself up.

Construction Zone: Automatic Sub-plots

2009-11-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

Delve into my NaNo draft with me for a moment, if you will. Marie, our heroine is driving her team in a big truck with an extended cab along a highway in the desert. The next “catastrophe” I’ve planned for them is an engine problem, which happens on schedule. They get out, one of the guys thinks he can fix it, and rummage around in back for a tool box. I’ve not given them one, I want them to solve the problem creatively (or not, whatever happens as I write).

And then they find a box in the back. One that could be a tool box. I’m intrigued, because it’s not supposed to be there. I’m typing furiously; just as curious as they are to find out what’s in the mysterious box. They open it up, and through a serious of cryptic comments, we all find out that it’s a kilo bag of cocaine.

Obviously, this adds some serious issues to the story. There are certain logical things that one “expects” to go with illegal drugs being randomly found. One of which is that at the very least, someone’s probably looking for the drugs.

This doesn’t actually change my plot at all…it just adds another layer of complexity. More bad guys to watch out for. Maybe more good guys if law enforcement gets involved. Certainly more challenges and danger to deal with as they try to solve the main challenge in the story. It’s something I hadn’t thought of, and why would I? I was focused on the main story when planning out my scenes, and I don’t plan out every little detail before I start writing (because knowing too much about the story before I write it bores me, and then I don’t write it).

This happens to me quite often – I’ll be writing along, minding my own characters when someone finds something, or an event I didn’t plan just sort of happens. Sometimes it’s annoying, and completely unusable. My past NaNo drafts have many such examples that make me fear editing them. Occasionally, they’re like the example above, and I sit in awe of what can happen when you let things play out as they will on the page.

Do automatic sub-plots pop up in your drafts? Are they normally usable, or just words to cut later? Have you ever taken an automatic sub-plot out and turned it into it’s own story?

Goals and Reading List 11/9/09

2009-11-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

Here we are again, looking at another week full of things to do. Last week I was about half and half with accomplishing things, but the momentum wasn't too bad. I'm about 1,100 words behind on NaNo at this point, but I'll catch up eventually.

I couldn't wait to re-check the word count guidelines again - for anyone who might be interested, Harlequin Blaze and Intrigue (the two lines I'm considering for my novels) are both 55,000 to 60,000 words now. Must have gone up, but that's okay. Good, actually, since it opens up potential to submit to other houses without having to add so much should Harlequin turn me down, if I write to 60,000 words. Cool.

Anyway, I didn't do too badly last week, even with falling behind a bit. Desert Heat is cruisin' along, but needs more "heat". I didn't get a short story drafted, but did get the plot down for each of them, along with the main character and common thread. So good progress - they should go quickly with the advanced planning.

As far as personal goals went, the Thanksgiving decor is up, work-outs were a non-event, and all the halloween stuff is gathered for inventory, but that's as far as I got. Sometimes, you just have to sit and play games instead of working all weekend.

So...here we go again...

Weekly Goals

Writing
- 2000 words per day on Desert Heat
- 2 short story drafts for Holiday Lights
- Chapter 32 of Tempest
- Start writing earlier in the evenings (ie, quit playing on FB so much)

Personal
- Get cracking on the halloween decor inventory. I don't want it stretching into Christmas. We have Wednesday off (Veteran's Day is a federal holiday), so will hit it hard then.
- Start my gift calendars
- Catch up on the backlog of laundry from before the Halloween party

Weekly Reading List

It's slow going with all the writing at night, but I still manage to sneak some reading in at lunch and on the occasional break at work. The beautiful thing about ebooks is they are completely portable, and unnoticable on a device as small as my PDA.

Another Harlequin freebie, Snowbound by Janice Kay Johnson was completely delightful, fraught with angst as it was. A teacher and her high school charges are stranded in the mountains by a huge snowstorm, and taken in by a war vet in a remote mountain lodge who isn't at all happy for the company. It's a wonderful story of redemption and healing, very well written.

Starstruck by Julie Kenner (Harlequin Blaze) is a hilarious and poignant story about falling in love with your best friend - or not. The tension is high, the heat is on, and so is the struggle between following your heart, or following your head. The sort of on again/off again bumbling relationship between the two main characters, Alyssa & Chris, is very believable, and the ending is just perfect. I can't wait to get Claire's story (Alyssa's best friend) when it comes out!

Texas Blaze by Debbi Rawlins (Harlequin Blaze) is my current read. Last month I read her Texas Heat, which was three shorter stories about three of Kate's friends finding love at her ranch (two with Kate's brothers, one with a local rodeo hero). I was really looking forward to Kate's story, and so far, it hasn't disappointed. How do you get the guy you had a crush on when you were young to admit his attraction to your grown self when it seems "taboo"? This is an excellent read, but I wouldn't expect anything less from Rawlins.

That's it for this week - how's your week shaping up? Any good reads, or is everyone busy writing away?

Variety News 11/8/09

2009-11-08T10:09:00.000-08:00

It makes no sense, but it seems like the busier I get the easier it is to be organized. Probably because I don't have a chance of keeping up unless I am organized! Last week, I had nearly every post for the blog written early and scheduled to post on the correct day. It really does make things go so much more smoothly. Why can't I do that when I'm not rushing to write a novel draft in 30 days?

In any case, 'twas a good week around here last week. Thanks to everyone who participated in the first Round Robin! It went a completely different direction on Facebook, which was really cool but I don't have enough interested friends there to keep it moving along. So I'll fix the connection over there today, so everyone can come over here to participate in one spot.

Welcome, new followers! Glad to have you with us!

There are always several posts I read during the week that ressonate with me, I always find myself thinking, "I wonder if all my online peeps have read this yet?" Because I find myself wanting to refer these to people, I'm creating a new topic for Saturdays called "Notable Posts". This is where I'll mention and link posts on other blogs/sites that I found particularly interesting or helpful during the week. Hopefully you'll enjoy visiting them too.

This week on The Variety Pages:

Monday: Weekly Goals & Reading List
Tuesday: Construction Zone - Automatic Subplots
Wednesday: Round Robin - Up a Tree
Thursday: Wildcard - NaNo Update & excerpt
Friday: Chapter 32 of Tempest
Saturday: Notable Posts

Elsewhere on The Variety Network

Word Blizzard - I've fallen behind on updates for this over the weekend, but since all the members are doing NaNo, they don't have time to read anyway. I'll get caught up tomorrow with the next chapters and daily prompts.

Nail Art Tuesday - Something pink and petally for this week, I think. Maybe. My creativity is faltering a bit, but I'll figure something out by tonight.

Scaryview Cemetery - is effectively going silent for awhile. I might post occasionally on the inventory process or ideas for next year's party, but nothing with any regularity. Time to move on to Thanksgiving!

Tea on Tap - I do waffle on this one. I'll keep it open, but not sure I'll get around to posting over there anytime soon. We'll see. I have tons of tea to try and comment on...

Here's to another great week!

Tempest, Chapter 31

2009-11-06T04:30:00.000-08:00

This serial novel draft is posted weekly on Fridays. Comments are always welcome. I hope you enjoy it!

Tempest

Chapter 31

Jake lunged as Adrienne lifted the gun, pulling it away just as it went off. Charlie jumped back, standing helplessly by while he held the girl back. The gun landed several feet away, and Charlie ran to pick it up. She turned, and saw Nick on the ground, blood soaking into the dirt around him.

"Nick..." She went over and knelt beside him, placing two fingers at the side of his neck.She looked up at Jake, still holding Adrienne as she sobbed against his chest. "He's dead." She stood and moved to Jake's side. He released Adrienne, took the gun from Charlie and flipped a lever on the back that she assumed was the safety before he tucked it into the back of his waistband.

"Do you know where the others are? Are they okay?" he asked Adrienne.

She nodded, pointing into the trees. "They're camped out a mile that way," she said, her voice breaking. "I went there first, then followed Nick when he left them to see what he was up to."

Charlie frowned as they started hiking again. "How did you get here ahead of us? I thought the mine would be faster."

"I came up the river," Adrienne said. "Right after I left you, I had instructions to go to the river where I'd be taken back to my father." She grinned, wiping the last of the tears from her face. "I guess I don't follow instructions very well."

Jake shook his head. "We need to pick up the pace, ladies." He glanced over his shoulder at Charlie. "Are you okay to keep going?"

She nodded, forcing her aching muscles to a longer stride. "I'll be fine."

They walked in silence, hearing low murmers ahead after about half an hour. Jake signalled them to duck behind some bushes, and Charlie crouched beside Adrienne as he went on ahead.

"I'm glad Jake saved your life," Charlie whispered. Adrienne looked at the ground, letting out a long sigh. "Is there anything I can do? Someone I can call when we get out of here?"

The girl shook her head. "There's no one left to care," she said, her voice low. "It's okay though. Thanks for wanting to help. I'll be okay." She smiled. Charlie noticed it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Movement ahead caught her eye. "There's Jake," she said, standing and reaching a hand out to help Adrienne up. "Looks like it's safe."

"Nick's wife is worried," he said when they reached him. "I haven't told her yet, but we need to get moving soon to stay ahead of Winters' men. You two get everyone packed up and ready while I break the news. I want to get her away from the group when I tell her, just in case she's in on it too."

Charlie nodded. She and Adrienne followed him into the clearing to join the group. They were waiting, and everyone started talking at once. Charlie held up her hands, waiting until they quieted to speak. She noticed that Jake pulled Nick's wife, Tanya aside.

"Thank you, everyone for your concern." She looked around at the expectant faces. "We're fine - Jake helped us get away, for now. But we need to keep moving, and get off this mountain. So if you would all gather your things quickly, we'll go as soon as you're ready."

No one moved. Don Wilson spoke up. "Tell us what's going on. Who are these people? What do they want with us?"

"We have a right to know who's trying to kill us, don't we?" Brenda looked around, and the others nodded.

Charlie rubbed the side of her neck with one hand. They did deserve to know. But what was the point? It didn't change anything, and they were wasting time. She looked around, hoping to defer to Jake, but he and Tanya had gone out of site. She took a breath, preparing to stall.

"It's my father." Adrienne stepped forward. "He's a drug dealer that I was helping Jake catch." She took a deep breath, letting it out slow. "I'm sorry you were all involved, but it's done, and there's nothing we can do now but stay ahead of him."

Don put his hands on his hips. "Well what does he want? Is there anything we can give him to make him go away?"

"No." Charlie's voice was firm, and she held his stare until he looked away. "That's enough. Get packed up, everyone. We're going home."

Awards Ceremony - Thank you, thank you!

2009-11-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

Last week, no less than three people passed along two blog awards to this site. So today, I'm accepting and passing them along to more worthy bloggers.

First, the Kreativ Blogger Award. Thanks so much to The Lost Wanderer and Erica from Laugh. Write. Play. for passing this one on to me! Here are
The Rules:

1. Copy the Kreativ Blogger picture and post it on your page.
2. Thank the person that gave the award to you and link back to their blog.
3. Write 7 things about you that we don't know.
4. Choose 7 other bloggers that you would like to give the award to.
5. Link to the bloggers that you chose.
6. Let your winners know that they have the lovely award!

So...Seven things you may not know about me:

1. I lived on the East Coast (Maryland) for 6 months when I was 12/13 yrs old. Visiting all the historical places while I was there is what eventually made me study for my Bachelor's in History (emphasis on Early American history).
2. I visited Paris for 2 weeks when I was in college. Amazing trip.
3. I've been to Euro-Disney, but no Disney theme parks in the states.
4. I'm really not all that fond of traveling.
5. I was homeschooled from 3rd grade through high school.
6. I have an affinity for very old first editions. I saved up for weeks in college to buy a 1st edition of Gone with the Wind once, only to find it had been sold when I finally went to purchase it. I still mourn the loss.
7. I've always wanted to own a Camero IROC-Z. Preferably in teal.

I always try to pass awards on to people who haven't yet received that particular award, though I can't be sure in the event people don't actually post awards (which is perfectly fine, of course). So here are the seven bloggers I bestow the Kreativ Blogger award on:

Jason A. Myers
Ieva Melgalve
Adam – Editing Hat.
Erica Vetsch - On the Write Path
Dan - The Man Who Painted Agniezka’s Shoes
Meg – Writing, Food & Life
Amy De Trempe - Timeless Romance

I could tell you great things about all of these excellent people, but I'd much rather you just clicked the links and went to see for yourself. You can't go wrong with any of them - all are very worthy recipients, in my opinion.

Secondly, Mary Ann Gruen from The Starlight Blog bestowed this award on all of her followers, as did the original creator.

I have 41 followers...which is a lot more than I ever thought I'd have! And I appreciate each and every one of you, plus all of those who subscribe in some other way or even just pop in to visit once in awhile. In the tradition of this award, I bestow this on you all - you make my blogging experience all the sweeter whether you comment or not.

I would love to list everyone out, as others have been doing, but frankly, I simply don't have the time. And it seems redundant when I have that nifty little followers box there on the left side of the page. I would encourage all of you to go over there when you have a few minutes, and randomly click on a photo, then check out the blog linked there. Do that several times, and I bet you'll discover some fabulous new blog buddies to add to your circle!

Thanks again to Lost Wanderer, Erica and Mary Ann for the lovely awards!

Round Robin: The Cabin

2009-11-04T04:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first Wednesday Round Robin! Each week I’ll post a four-sentence prompt, and your mission, should you choose to accept it is to continue the story (up to 4 sentences at a time) in the comments. You may post more than once, but not consecutively. You don’t have to be a writer to join in – anyone can play. Get those creative juices flowing!

Clear as glass, right? (Just smile and nod and pretend you know what’s going on. It’s easy, you’ll see.)

Here we go!

************************************

The Cabin

Amanda pushed the thin curtain aside, peering out into the darkness as snowflakes pummeled the window. The cabin was cold and drafty. Collin had locked the door from the outside, leaving her trapped with only a small pile of firewood, two candles and the leftovers from dinner. Last time he’d been gone for a week.

Story Construction: Planning a Character’s Arc

2009-11-03T04:30:00.000-08:00

I’ve just recently learned (after having not really given it much thought before) that I am a plot-driven writer. That means when I think about telling a story, I’m not really thinking characters, I’m thinking about what happens. Once I know what’s going on, I put the characters into the scenes, and let them react to the plot as it unfolds. I don’t really get too attached to them, and think nothing of throwing things at my characters just to see how they’ll react, torturing them whenever I get bored with how things are moving. Sounds horrible, doesn’t it? I think as writers, sometimes we have to acknowledge the darker side of our nature (or is that just me?).

It seems that while some readers are perfectly fine with plot driven stories, there are also a good many readers who want characters to be in the spotlight, developing and growing and learning things about themselves as they navigate the gauntlet I gleefully throw them into. I’ve been (and still am) working on making my characters more “real”, and now I’m trying to give the main character(s) a development arc to travel through the story.

For me, this is not as easy as it sounds.

Don’t get me wrong. My characters generally have some sort of arc. When you throw that much stuff at them to deal with all at once, they can’t help but change and grow in some way or other without my pushing them to. But now I find that I want to control them just a little bit more, sort of “lead” them where I want them to go (without being obvious about it, of course). So as I was planning out scenes for Desert Heat, I tried to keep the character arc for Marie, my main character in focus throughout. I also made her personality in the beginning such that it would be easy to see any shift in her personal perceptions. I’m hoping this will make it easier for me to see/adjust the arc once I get to revisions with her. So far, I’m pleased with how she’s starting out, and already throwing things at her that are testing her personal boundaries. With any luck, she’ll have some very poignant revelations at crucial intervals.

Marie is pretty easy, because I’ve created her as someone with nowhere to go but up from the beginning. But what about the more subtle characters, like Hannah from Her Private Chef? I know what arc I want her character to take, but it’s more difficult for me to “see” it through the scenes of my story. I’m wondering if I should actually plot her arc independently when I start revising, so I have a clearer picture of what I’m looking for?

How you do deal with creating/maintaining character arcs? Diagrams? Outlines? Just as the story comes out?

Goals and Reading List 11/2/09

2009-11-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

Last week, I got 3 out of the 4 writing goals completed. The first draft of Her Private Chef is now complete. It didn’t quite make 50,000 words, but it will in the revisions, without even trying. Maybe even 55,000. I should check the word count guidelines for Blaze again before I start revising. I can’t tell you how excited I am about that draft – it’s the first one I’ve ever written that, even though there are a bunch of revisions to be made, I know exactly where to take it and how to add what’s needed to make it a potentially salable story. A very heady feeling, to be sure! In any case, it’s set aside to “marinate” for the month while I work on my NaNo novel, Desert Heat. I’ll do revisions on HPC in December.

Last week I also planned out my short stories for the Holiday Lights collection, and did the beta reading/commented requested by a twitter buddy. Unfortunately, while I almost got one more complete chapter of Tempest done, that’s all I did for the serial. So there’s nothing else to do but just keep writing it week to week, I guess. It’s okay. I’ll make it happen.

Personal goals didn’t fare quite so well, though we did get the graveyard taken down yesterday, and started staging tubs for décor downstairs where I can inventory it as we put it back. It’s going to be a huge project, and I think I’m just going to have to be strict and devote a few hours per week to it. Hopefully it will go quicker than I think. And I still need to send my Grandma a birthday card – will get the letter written today and mail it tomorrow. Better late than never!

This week is going to be a crazy blizzard of activity – lots to do!

Weekly Goals

Writing
- 2000 words daily for NaNo. I may not hit that every day, but if that’s the goal, I’m more likely to get at least 1,667. It’s only double what I’ve been writing per day…
- Chapter 31 of Tempest
- Write one flash piece for my Holiday Lights collection

Personal
- Start the Halloween inventory process.
- Work out 20 min. per night (hubby and I are on another kick)
- Start planning out the calendar pages I’m designing for Christmas gifts.
- Put out the meager-by-comparison Thanksgiving decorations I have.

Weekly Reading List

Last Friday night I indulged in staying up ‘til the wee hours of the morning to finish The Bartered Bride by Erica Vetsch. It’s her debut novel, and in a couple of weeks I’ll be posting the first chapter here, followed by a guest post and contest to win a signed copy of her book. A historical inspirational romance, it’s the emotionally intense story of a business merger hinging on a marriage between two parties who are less than enthusiastic about it. For such a small book it’s stuffed with internal conflicts and the attempt to balance family loyalty with personal principles. Have I made you curious? Good! It comes out this month, and I highly recommend it. I plan on buying at least one copy for a gift.

I also managed to fit a Harlequin into my lunch hours last week – one of the free reads they released for their 60th anniversary this year. Stranded with a Spy by Merline Lovelace is a frightening story of a woman suspected of smuggling government secrets out of the country, after having lost a sexual harassment suit against a prominent politician. She’s been put through the ringer, and decides to get away for a vacation, but ends up with no money, no passport, and a man she eventually learns is a spy sent to catch the person she’s accused of passing secrets to. It’s a whirlwind of international intrigue and mystery – not to mention insanely hard to put down once it’s started! Excellent read, and free on the Harlequin site (at least it was…).

My monthly subscription reads are ready for download, so I see more good lunch reading in my future…

That’s it for me – how’s your week look? Read anything good lately?

Variety News 11/1/09

2009-11-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Happy November, everyone! If you are participating in National Novel Writing Month - happy NaN0! Everyone should be off and writing now...how are those word counts coming? I got 744 before I crashed last night (early this morning).

A few orders of business for the week. First, as announced last Wednesday I'll be discontinuing the photo contest. The winner of October's contest (drawn by my husband this morning) is:

Erica from Laugh, Write, Play! Congratulations, Erica - email me your address, and I'll send you a couple books & some tea.

Having discontinued the contest, I was faced with the dilemma of what to replace it with. I wanted to do something we could all participate in, rather than me just rambling on. This morning, it came to me - what about a round robin story? I think it could be lots of fun, especially if people who write in many different genres contribute.

Here's how it will work. Every Wednesday I'll post the opening paragraph of a story - a prompt, if you will. Then whoever would like to participate can add up to four sentences at a time in the comments. I think it will be great fun to see what kind of tales materialize from our collaborative efforts. I hope everyone will join in!

Second, this blog received awards from three people last week - thanks to all of you! I'll collect and pass them on Thursday...much appreciated.

This week on The Variety Pages

Monday: Weekly Goals & Reading List
Tuesday: Construction Zone - Planning a Character Arc
Wednesday: Round Robin Story Prompt
Thursday: Wildcard - Awards Ceremony
Friday: Chapter 31 of Tempest

Elsewhere on The Variety Network

Word Blizzard - NaNo has started, and I am blogging my novel! I also have daily prompts on the blog to keep us all inspired. Email me for an invitation to join if you don't have one already.

Nail Art Tuesday - This week's manicure will be fall-inspired, burgandy or gold, I think (or both).

Scaryview Cemetery - This blog is winding down for the year. I'll be posting photos from Halloween night in our graveyard either later today or tomorrow.

Tea On Tap - Didn't quite get to my puerh session last week, but will make a point of a quick post later this week.

Here's to another great week in the blogosphere!

Tempest, Chapter 30

2009-10-30T04:30:00.000-07:00

This serial novel draft is posted weekly on Fridays. Comments are always welcome. I hope you enjoy it!

Tempest

Chapter 30

Charlie shivered as Jake stepped away from her after the branch cracked behind them. Missing the heat of his body, she started to close the distance between them. She glanced over his shoulder, relieved to see Nick stepping out from behind a tree. The feeling was short lived though as she registered the blood running down his right arm.

"Nick - what happened? Where are the others?" Jake strode forward, his voice husky. Nick stumbled to meet him, holding his hand over the bleeding wound.

"The others are upstream about two miles," he said, gasping between short breaths. "I came back to look for you, and got shot about half a mile back." He lifted his hand, showing them the bandage he'd fashioned from a strip off his shirt. "I'm not sure how we're going to reach the rest of the group now - seems like they're guarding the river farther up."

Charlie frowned. She felt like they were missing something as Nick relayed his story. Winter's men had no reason to follow the others, and she doubted they could have covered the same distance in less time as she and Jake had inside the mine. So who would be up here, and why would they have shot at Nick? It was too early for hunting season...

"Did you see who shot you?" Charlie glanced over at Jake, noting his blank expression. Did he suspect something was off too?

Nick shook his head, looking past them into the woods. "No. I didn't even hear the shot, to be honest. Whoever it was must have used a silencer." Jake appeared to consider that for a moment, then looked back at Charlie. His eyes locked with hers, confirming her fears. She gave a small, controlled nod, trying to let him know she'd follow his lead.

"Show me where you got shot," he said, turning back to Nick.

Nick nodded and started walking back the way he'd supposedly come. "This way," he said, gesturing for them to follow. Charlie waited, following Jake back under the forest canopy. Were they walking into an ambush, she wondered? She found that her senses were on high alert, even as exhausted as she was. She found herself listening more closely, recognizing individual sounds rather than hearing them as a whole. When a twig snapped off to her left, she turned her head immediately, in time to catch a glimpse of an arm and a leg disappearing behind a tree.

She tapped Jake on the shoulder, not sure if she should alert Nick or not. He nodded, keeping a steady pace. Obviously he'd seen the person too, so why weren't they stopping? She looked into the trees again, watching for any more signs of whoever was following.

"It was right about here," Nick said, stopping abruptly. He looked around, then went over to a tree just off the path they'd been following. "Yeah - here's where the bullet nicked the tree."

Jake bent over, appearing to scrutinize the ground. Charlie saw him ease his knife out of the ankle sheath, holding it just behind his leg as he stood again. "So what did you do to make Adrienne want to kill you, Nick? You working for her father?"

Charlie jumped as Adrienne suddenly stepped out from behind a tree, a revolver trained on Nick's chest. How had she closed in so quietly? Nick's eyes grew wide, and the blood left his face.

"Daddy dearest paid this man to leave a trail so his men could follow us. Nick's been helping him and his men this whole time. Apparently he was offered a large sum of money in return. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that outsiders aren't paid after they've outlived their usefulness. They're exterminated." Adrienne glanced at Jake, then back to Nick. "You two can go catch up with the others. I can take care of this moron."

Jake shook his head. "You know I can't let you do that, Adrienne. We need him alive, at least for now." He took a step towards her, holding out his hand. "Give me the gun. I'm a better shot than you - I'll make sure he doesn't go anywhere we don't want him to."

She shook her head. "No." Tears were pooling in her eyes, and Charlie pitied the poor girl for all she'd been through already in her young life. Killing another person wasn't the answer though. She stepped forward, peering around Jake's broad shoulders.

"Adrienne, let us help you," she said softly. "You trusted Jake with your life when you came back to find your father, right?" She paused until the girl gave a tentative nod. "Can't you trust him with this too?"

Adrienne met Charlie's eyes, her blank expression sending a panic racing through Charlie's veins. She knew then it wasn't Nick who was going to die. Her own eyes welled up and her heart broke as she gripped Nick's arm with both hands.

"Don't do this, Adrienne. Please."

Wildcard Post: Free E-Day, and Why I'm Participating

2009-10-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

What is Free E-Day, you ask? In the words of Dan Holloway, author and event organizer extraordinaire:

Free-e-day 2009 is the biggest ever cultural electronic giveaway & celebration of the independent creative spirit.

Click on the logo for his complete introductory post on the official web site. Basically, it's an electronic carnival for artists of all mediums to give their work away to the world for free in the spirit of sharing our talents with others. This is not just a day for writers, but for musicians, filmmakers, graphic artists, and whoever else has something they want to share with the world.

I'll be the first to admit - I often consider self-publishing my books, not as any rebellious "statement" against the traditional publishing industry, but because it would be something I did myself, independent of outside influences. For me, it's much the same as making tangible crafts and selling them at shows - I had a huge sense of pride whenever someone would compliment my dishcloths or homemade soaps. I could see myself standing at a craft show behind a table of my books, flattered beyond belief whenever someone purchased one for a nominal fee. Even just posting my serial novels, or flash fiction for free makes the work feel more like "art" than a job. I love that feeling, and I'm convinced that no matter what happens to me in the traditional publishing industry, I'll always self-publish some of my work as well. It makes me happy, and fulfills me in a way that the business side of writing probably never will.

While there's that part of me that wants to make writing more about the art of storytelling than the money, I also freely admit that someday I want to turn what I love into a living wage. I want to be published by a traditional house, vetted by editors and deemed "worthy" enough for someone else to spend time and money and paper on. I want to see my books on the shelves of a big box store, available for anyone strolling by to pick up, read the back cover and add to their grocery or movie rental pile. For a lot of people, this desire can't coexist with the more independent spirit, but I've made peace with the fact that both of these methods of getting my work out there are simply two faucets of my nature, and that I *can* in fact, indulge in them both.

As a matter of fact, I think it would be healthier if more people embraced both methods of sharing their work (whatever it is), rather than limiting themselves to one or the other. Balance is key for most things in life.

In order to be successful in traditional publishing (in the US, at least), one has to pay attention not only to quality, but quantity. Getting and keeping one's name out there is the key to making any money at all as an author, and sticking to deadlines and working well in a collaboration with editors is of utmost importance to continued contracts. It's a job...and while creativity is an important part, an author who expects to make a living at it needs to focus on the business aspects as well. I'm very close to flinging myself full-tilt into this business, and trying to make a go of it. This doesn't mean I don't still love the process of creating a story to submit, but I do feel compelled to restrict my writing to stories with the potential to make money, since the ultimate goal is to be able to make a living writing full-time.

That's where things like Free E-Day come in for me. The stories I create for free don't need to conform to any standards aside from my own. I'm not limited in genre or scope, and rather than focusing on how many people will pay for my work (and how much), I can simply make it available and if people like it, they are free to enjoy it. The very act of creating it fulfills my own desires for it. I need nothing more from it, though if others get enjoyment from it, that only enhances the value to me. Once the pressure to create a salable product is off, writing becomes just a hobby again, an enjoyable past time that reminds me why I want to make a living at it, if that makes any sense.

Free E-Day is December 1st, 2009. I hope you'll join me, if not in giving something to the world, then in the enjoyment of what's being offered. I'll be posting a collection of flash stories for free entitled "Holiday Lights" that I hope you'll all enjoy.

Do you give any of your work away for free? Would you? Would you ever consider self-publishing, or are you strictly on the traditional path? If you were never able to sell your work, would you still write?