Writers' Groups

I belong to a local chapter of Romance Writers of America. Most of my writing needs are met by this wonderful group of authors. I continue learning from the generosity of published authors such as Gayle Callen, Maggie Shayne, Mary Reed McCall, and Ellen Hartman (to name only a few). I fell in with a fantastic critique group through the chapter. We meet twice a month to plot, brainstorm, offer feedback and constructive criticism. The fantastic thing about a set critique group is the constancy. Crit partners know your story almost as well as they know their own. I love my crit group.

Last week, while researching a Writing Careers article for the Examiner, I stumbled across another local writing group through the online service MeetUp. I'd never heard of MeetUp, so was pleasantly surprised to find a community that isn't MySpace or Facebook. The local writing group is The Creative Writers' Cafe, and from what I can glean, they meet weekly in at a local supermarket's cafe. The organizer, Michael Canavan, is a former co-worker from several lifetimes ago. He tells me that " Everyone is welcome, negative attitude is not.  We are very supportive and our objective is to help each member achieve their own personal writing or publishing goals."

I joined the group. Unfortunately, they meet the same night as my twice-monthly critique group. But on the bright side, it seems there are actually two factions of the Creative Writers Cafe: the short story/poetry group and the novel writers. And the novel writers will be meeting this coming Thursday night, which is not one of my regular critique nights. If the weather stays manageable and I'm not too exhausted, I may check out this group of writers.


Stay tuned.

Writing Retreat: Writers' Treat

I'm back from my annual MLK weekend writing retreat. My PHriends and I have been doing this for at least eight years, maybe more. (I quit smoking on retreat five years ago.) I wrote 20 pages on Saturday and another 20 on Sunday, plus a couple on both Friday (when I arrived late afternoon) and Monday (when I departed early afternoon). It was a very productive weekend.

We had a wonderful time. There was an exercise DVD set up in the basement playroom for the 75% who wanted to work out; there was way too much wonderful food. We did make a concerted effort to bring only healthy food and snacks (see the Fire & Ice Salsa in the photo), but there was the occasional slip. We wrote during the day, then after dinner, built a fire, watched a movie, and chatted. Interesting selection of flicks this year:

• STAR TREK
• JULIE & JULIA
• LARS & THE REAL GIRL. 

Oh, and 75% of us watched a Syracuse University basketball game on our Saturday lunch break, while the other 25% cooked, then cleaned up lunch.

There were scented candles, wonderful wines, and so much laughter that someone who doesn't understand our dynamic would have thought we were wasting time.

Yes, our cellphones tethered us to our families, but without the constant distraction of our regular lives, we were able to focus our energies on the page. Which was the whole point of the weekend.

Label it a success.

New Year, New Goals

My PHriends and I held our annual goal setting session recently. We recapped not only our writing goals for last year, but other areas of our lives for which we'd set goals. I did really well in some areas and embarrassingly bad in others. As did we all. We're only human and life has a knack for getting in the way of the best-laid plans.

We were late doing our goals this year, so I felt a little . . . untethered. I've grown used to having a specific agenda every week, and because I didn't "do"my goals in a timely manner, I was drifting. Now I have something on which to focus again, and I feel a lot more in touch with myself. Early winter holiday madness did not help. Too much stuff going on that distracts, and if one tries to shove 20 pounds in a five pound bag, one will end up with a heck of a mess to clean.

My goals for 2010 are set, and I think I'm happier with them than I was with last year's goals. I eliminated things over which I have no control (something I've always tried to do, but frequently forget).

My writing goals are simple:

• weekly blog (not necessarily here)
• weekly Examiner article
• write 5 WIP per week
• continue involvement with local RWA chapter
• continue with my critique group
• 1 writing retreat (which is coming up next week!)
• keep website up-to-date
• Branding project.
• less time digging worms, more time fishing.
• And, as always, remember to breathe.
  

December: Divine!

My Pitiful Recap

•  SARK Month 12 (yes, I made it through the whole book!) Yes
  
• Blog twice Only once
  
• Final operating manual article for my local RWA chapter Yes
  
• 3 Examiner articles per week (including accompanying photos) Nope.
  
• Critique twice Only once. December is not a month to schedule buisness in the evenings.
  
• Local RWA chapter meeting, holiday party, Rose Ceremony Utterly delightful time. In fact, I was named the Amber Schalk Volunteer of the Year, which is such an honor.
  
• BIAW Believe it or not, goal met
  
• await the Golden Network GOLDEN PEN winners announcement I awaited. Third place. At least I finalled.
  
• My writing buddies annual holiday party This was wonderful. I cannot help but wonder how much more wonderful it would have been had I not been blessed with a sinus infection.
  
• Whatever work on my WIP that I can manage in between all of the above, plus a multiple-holiday month. I actually edited on my lunch hour and during other stolen moments.
  

Now I'm comptonplating how I should handle 2010. This past year threw many kinks into my plans. I'm reevaluating every thing.



I

Remembering Novembering

 I made it through the month. Whew! There were moments I had my doubts.

• SARK  done
• Local RWA Chapter meeting it was FANTASTIC!
• Crit 2ce Cancelled 1ce due to X-Chromo & H1N1
• Blog 2ce I think so.
• BIAW goal met
• Operating Manual Article yes
• Work on column for company newsletter done
• develop & pitch idea for additional column for company newsletter done, but the article I wrote was rejected :-(
• Extreme progress on WIP  HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...NO

 But in other news, I applied for a freelance writing position with an online service . . . and they've accepted me. The reason this blog is so late is because I've been working on setting up everything. Once my ducks are in place, I'll share the url.

Nice November

November promises to be a productive month, in spite of holidays and family events.

• SARK
• Local RWA Chapter meeting
• Crit 2ce
• Blog 2ce
• BIAW
• Operating Manual Article
• Work on column for company newsletter
• develop & pitch idea for additional column for company newsletter
• Extreme progress on WIP
•  

Optimistically October

October is going to be awesome. I just know it. Lots of writing-related things happening, plus I love the month. It's probably my favorite of the twelve. Autumn is my favorte season, and October showcases it the best.

My goals keep fluctuating as life rearranges my priorities, but I do believe I have them set now.

• SARK Month 10
• Current round of contest thank-you notes
• Chapter operating manual article
• Work on Desk Diva article (Topic of Silence)
• 2009 Conference CDs to desktop (and mp3)
• Blog 2ce
• Critique 2ce
• BIAW
• Chapter meeting
• Morning Pages (as part of The Writing Diet)
• TGN Golden Pen finalists announced I finalled!
• CRW HOR winners announced
• 20 pages of manuscript edited.
• Edit TGN GP entry and resubmit to contest coordinators so it can be sent to the editor who is the final judge.

Stupendous September!

September was a great month.

Contest results were so much more positive than they were in August.

Really restored my faith in myself & my writing.

• SARK Month 9 DONE
• BIAW GOAL MET
• RWA Chapter Meeting Fantastic as always
•  Operating Manual Article for local chapter Done
•  Start researching a new DESK DIVA article Topic of SILENCE. Lots of great resources
•  write contest thank you notes Lots of good intentions. Anger & disgust and earlier results still blocking me
•  await results of two more contests I finalled in one, and had fantastic comments from the judges in the other. One judge was very MST3K, which had me laughing. Fantastic feedback with viable suggestions for improvement.
•  Blog at least twice yes
•  Critique twice yes
•  Watch TRUE LIES (recommended by a crit partner) yes
•  Revise 1 chapter on current WIP yes. It's UGLY & ROUGH but restructured, really.
•  RWA elections I voted. Have you?
•  await contest scoresheets worth the wait.
• work on a Branding project with my crit PHriends Ordered a used copy of the book, which is now in my possession. Now I think we merely need to squeeze out additional time for this.
• And, altho' this isn't strictly a WRITING goal, I will be starting the Writing Diet late in the month.

 

 

 

Spectacular September!

Okay. Back in the saddle again. Not going to let a few people whose opinion I don't respect get me down.


The only thing in life over which I have complete control is my attitude.


Yay me.

September Goals:

• SARK Month 9
• BIAW
• RWA Chapter Meeting
• Operating Manual Article for local chapter
• Start researching a new DESK DIVA article
• write contest thank you notes
• await results of two more contests
• Blog at least twice
• Critique twice
• Watch TRUE LIES (recommended by a crit partner)
• Revise 1 chapter on current WIP
• RWA elections
• await contest scoresheets
• work on a Branding project with my crit PHriends
• And, altho' this isn't strictly a WRITING goal, I will be starting the Writing Diet late in the month.

Awful August

My month was one of extremes. Extremely.

My personal life had ups and downs -- one of the down-est being Y-Chromo heading back to college. He called a little while ago. He's there, safe & sound. There was down with X-Chromo, too. The joys of parentood.

The writing? Sometimes I wonder why I continue to bother.

THE WRITING GOALS:

• SARK Month 8 Yes
• BIAW Goal Met
• Critique twice Only once, and that is if you count reading aloud while on Retreat
• 3 (of the 6 I entered) contests announcing finalists This was hideous. At least, 2 of 3 contests from which I've received my scoresheets & judges "comments". I didn't final in any of these, which led me observe to my crit partners that I'm starting to think I'm not as good of a writer as I was several years ago.
• Blog 2ce at least
• A night at the library to see one of my PHriends give a talk on the day in the life of a writer This was one of the good things
• A long weekend writing retreat in a cabin in the wood This was the best thing. Can't wait to go back.
• Order 2009 RWA Whole Conference CD ROM There's no "Early Bird" price this year, so I've put this on hold. I did purchase the Leslie Wainger workshop to which I'd sent a synopsis for editor evaluation. I felt savaged after listening to it.

Awesome August

August is going to be a fantastic month. I have a lot on my plate writing-wise and family-wise, but that's okay. It's not snowing in my part of the world (altho' the weather is not as summeresque as it should be), my family is intact for another month (before Y-Chromo is off to college), and there are many scenic viewpoints on my journey.
THE WRITING GOALS:

• SARK Month 8
• BIAW
• Critique twice
• 3 (of the 6 I entered) contests announcing finalists
• Blog 2ce
• A night at the library to see one of my PHriends give a talk on the day in the life of a writer
• A long weekend writing retreat in a cabin in the wood
• Order 2009 RWA Whole Conference CD ROM

Lots of nights out doing writerly things. Lots of opportunities to celebrate with my writer pals. And this is just the WRITING-RELATED stuff. The rest of my life in August is going to be awesome, too.

July Goals Recap

It was a lonely month for a while, but I did accomplish a lot of writing, and I suppose that's the most important thing. Oh, and I listened to a LOT of RWA workshops from past conferences.

Plus I downloaded all of Harlequin's FREE e-books to read, so have gotten through several of those. I confess, I'm not a huge fan of e-books because I find I hate sitting a a computer to read a book. Perhaps if I had an e-reader of sorts, I would enjoy it more, but I can't read in bed or sit at the kitchen table and read while I eat my ice cream.

• SARK month 7 yes
• Blog 2ce at least
• write my monthly Operating Manual articles for the rest of the year. done
• Participate in my local RWA chapter's BIAW goal met/exceded
• Write 1 Desk Diva article Angel Speak--Music in the Workplace
• edit/rewrite 50 pages of WIP oh yes.
• attend critique 2ce.yes
  

Creative Dreaming

One of my goals this year is to use SARK's MAKE YOUR CREATIVE DREAMS REAL book to . . . make my creative dreams real.

The book is divided into 12 months. Very handy. I then divvied each month into weeks. In month 7, week 4, there is a list of questions about the reader's creative dream.
Two of the questions prompted this blog entry.

DESCRIBE IN DETAIL ONE OF YOUR CREATIVE DREAMS.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF ULTIMATELY LIVING ONE OR MORE OF YOUR CREATIVE DREAMS.

(So technically these aren't questions, but they still require responses.)

Here is my creative dream:

I have a multi-book contract with a major publisher. I have quit my dayjob, but I still get up every morning at 5:30am. The first thing I do is sit with a cup of coffee (outside on my patio, weather permitting) and write my Morning Pages -- yes I've become an adherent of Julia Cameron's THE ARTIST'S WAY. Once my Morning Pages are complete, I do an hour of yoga before settling in to my writing routine.
Then it's time to hit the office.
I have an amazing office. Here's a picture of it before it was completely finished.

It's painted pale apricot and glows when the sun streams in through the bare windows. I keep the space as uncluttered as I can. I have a nice low desk, a high chair, and an amazing laptop computer. There are bookcases for my reference books, a huge white board because I've read every author needs one (I've never used it) a decent sound system, and a comfy rocking chair.

Around noon (depending on how the writing is going), I take a break and eat a healthy lunch. I go back to work and write until 5-ish, again depending on the story is flowing. Around five, I stop, pour a glass of wine and begin cooking a healthy dinner. TV & I eat together when he comes home from his office.

After dinner, I either take a walk together or go on my weekly Artist's Date (The Artist's Way). TV often joins me on my walks. When I return home, it's time for recreational reading. I might pour another glass of wine or make a cup of decaffeinated tea, curl up on the sofa and lose myself in a great book. Or TV and I go out together, to a concert or a movie or something at one of the many art galleries that TV helped flourish in our city.

Without the distractions of small children (X and Y Chromos are on their own now), I am able to write a book in three months. My high-powered agent negotiated a three-books-a-year contract for me. This works out well for family life, married life, and professional life.

I love my job.

Strawberry Maragarita Toes

This week, all of my friends are at the RWA National Conference in Washington, DC. I am so very, very home alone. There's no free wifi at the hotel, so other than a quick text message or two, I'm isolated from my writing community.

My friends Kris and Braveheart Barbie always have a professional pedicure when they get to national. Yesterday, I decided that since one of my goals this year is to pamper my feet, that I, too, would have my feed professionally done in honor of the national conference. So I called my stylist (with whom I had an appointment this morning) and booked me a pedicure. My first ever professonal pedicure. There was no silver polish in the selection (note to self: next time, bring own polish), so I opted for pink. I love pink. This shade is called STRAWBERRY MARGARITA. Isn't it lovely?

Fly-By July

A month of vacation (except the Chromos are working), a month of RWA National Conference in Washington, DC (I'm not going), a month of warmth, a month of possibilities. Some months have more potential for being months of possibilities than others. For me, May of this year was a month of no possibilities. July? Any thing goes.

My writing goals for the month are few:

• SARK month 7
• Blog 2ce (this is once)
• write my monthly Operating Manual articles for the rest of the year.
• Participate in my local RWA chapter's BIAW
• Write 1 Desk Diva article
• edit/rewrite 50 pages of WIP
• attend critique 2ce.

That's it. I plan to increase my water consumption and pamper my feet even more than I have.

Have a wonderful month!

June Recap

Another month survived! It seemed as if I was spinning my wheels for most of the month, but now I'm in a lull. Thank goodness. Don't know if I could have survived the pace much longer.

Lots of controversy everywhere. I have been making an effort not to let things get to me. The only thing in life over which anyone has 100% control is their own attitude. I found that delightful bit of wisdom while researching an upcoming DESK DIVA article.

• Blog 2ce (this is twice)
• RWA chapter meeting Indeed. And it was delightful
• Speaker at the RWA Chapter Meeting (Dominating Submissions) Yes
• Enter 1 contest (TGN Golden Pen) Yes
• Write an article for the day-job newsletter about X-Chromo winning scholarship money through the company Yes
• Meet with critique group twice Yes
• RWA chapter's monthly Book In A Week challenge yes
• Booksigning at local Barnes & Noble for crit partner yes
• SARK Month 6 yes
• RWA chapter operating manual article yes
• Read RITA-nominated books as they become available from the library 1 left to read
• Edit/rewrite minimum of 50 pages of WIP yes

Bonus: I submitted a 1-page synopsis for the Leslie Wainger Inside an Editor's Mind workshop at the RWA national conference in Washington, DC in mid-July, and it will be included. Leslie cold reads the synopsis, gives her opinion, highlights strengths and weaknesses, and reveals whether or not she would ask for a manuscript based on the synopsis. Fortunately for me, the workshop will be recorded, so I will be able to hear what she has to say.

Plus, I came up with several more topics for the DESK DIVA and researched several of them.

Over all, I'd have to say it was a successful month for me.

Keep Shining!

June.
So soon?
Seems like this year is flying by. It's nearly half over.
I still can't believe I survived May, but I did. Wow.

Okay, here are my June goals:

• Blog 2ce (this is once)
• RWA chapter meeting
• Speaker at the RWA Chapter Meeting (Dominating Submissions)
• Enter 1 contest (TGN Golden Pen)
• Write an article for the day-job newsletter about X-Chromo winning scholarship money through the company
• Meet with critique group twice
• RWA chapter's monthly Book In A Week challenge
• Booksigning at local Barnes & Noble for crit partner
• SARK Month 6
• RWA chapter operating manual article
• Read RITA-nominated books as they become available from the library
• Edit/rewrite minimum of 50 pages of WIP

May: It Happened

Oh my gosh! It's been a ride, let me tell you.
And I still really have one more day, but I have survived day job, family (including a quick trip downstate to fetch Y-Chromo's dorm things and the formal conclusions of X-Chromo's religious education), and life.

• Enter a writing contest I've entered several. It's a business strategy.
• Operating Manual Article for RWA chapter Yes. Short & sweet, but done
• RWA chapter meeting Yes, and as always, a real pleasure
• RWA chapter Book-In-A-Week Challenge Goal met!
• Blog Twice (this is twice)
• Critique 2ce with my amazing critique group Still amazing. Oh so productive
• Read 1 Rita-nominated book in my chosen genre I read a lot more than 1. I have several still on hold from the public library.
• SARK Creative Dream project, Month 5 and the corresponding resource reading (ouch) Yup. Well, not all the reading. I did make it through HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON. You gotta love a resource reading list that includes this classic.
• X-Chromo's religious ed project Yes. It wasn't nearly the amount of work I was prepared to do.
• Parent Prayer for X-Chromo's religious ed service Yes. And surprisingly, many parents and other congregants commented on what a great prayer it was. I was inspired, true, by my charming X-Chromo. That must have been it. But one woman, not a parent, chased me down in the parking lot to tell me how much she loved it.
• The June program for my RWA chapter (I'm speaking on DOMINATING SUBMISSIONS) This is SO close to being done. Today is the last day of May. So, MAY-BE?
• Finish WIP Synopsis Yes. A lovely 5-pager, which makes it perfect for most contests.
• rewrite one chapter of WIP Yes!
• do one D. Maas BREAKOUT NOVEL exercise believe it or not, YES.

Other 'bonus' activities include pulling together a list of agents to research with an eye to submitting to them. I'm a firm believer in learning from experience, even good ones.

May: Possibilities

So many possibilities. That's how I always feel in Spring, and spring doesn't really happen in my part of the world until May. It's going to be an insanely busy month for me. All I can do is the best I can.

Taking it one bite at a time.

• Enter a writing contest
• Operating Manual Article for RWA chapter
• RWA chapter meeting
• RWA chapter Book-In-A-Week Challenge
• Blog Twice (this is once)
• Critique 2ce with my amazing critique group
• Read 1 Rita-nominated book in my chosen genre
• SARK Creative Dream project, Month 5 and the corresponding resource reading (ouch)
• X-Chromo's religious ed project
• Parent Prayer for X-Chromo's religious ed service
• The June program for my RWA chapter (I'm speaking on DOMINATING SUBMISSIONS)
• Finish WIP Synopsis
• rewrite one chapter of WIP
• do one D. Maas BREAKOUT NOVEL exercise

What's really scary is that I have life, too. A spouse, two teenagers, a day job, a house . . .

April Recap

Things got crueler.

Things got busy. Incredibly busy. When I think about the coming weeks, I almost panic, but then I remember the wisdom of the Julie Garwood character who informed a priest that she could eat a giant bear all by herself: one bite at a time.

• My RWA chapter meeting yes


• Critique on 4/16 & 4/30 yes


• Blog twice (this is yes)


• Operating Manual article for local RWA chapter yes


• Distribute updated Operating Manual to chapter members yes


• Month 4 of my SARK project Yes


• Read 1 Romantic Suspense Rita Finalist book Yes


• Work on the June program: DOMINATING SUBMISSIONS not nearly enough


• Finish the first draft of my WIP hahahahaha NO-- but I think I know why I can't finish it. I made a wrong turn in the plot.


• Rewrite the first three chapters of the WIP using the SAVE THE CAT (by Blake Snyder) method yes


• Book-In-A-Week yes


• Let us not forget my FEET pedicure, but not nearly enough moisturizing


• Or water consumption not nearly enough

The past couple of weeks have been interesting. Ten months after sending a query to a publisher, I received an e-mail requesting a completed manuscript, which I submitted. Turn-around window: eight weeks. It was less than two. ::sniff:: Black rose, as we say in my local RWA chapter.

And the final week of April was filled with requests for my time. I've been asked to help with the writing for a project in X-Chromo's religious ed class. And former co-workers asked me to be on "Family Reunion" planning committee. I agreed to both.

And I'm thinking of entering a writing contest. If I can get a synopsis done in the next couple of weeks, I'm going for it.