Getting back to business

Nano is over for another year, the holidays are behind me and now it’s time to think about my future. 2011 is already starting out promising with offers for me to speak, the potential for freelance in an area I love and the light at the end of the tunnel for the first two books in my Seasonal Sisters Series.

I almost completed the first draft of Autumn’s Healing, the second in the series, during NanoWriMo. It was an AWESOME feeling to write over 51,000 words in twenty days. I wrote on a blank page every day. The temptation to edit was almost non-existent. There’s always something you want to ‘tweak’. Temptation is a fact of life. But being in the moment of the story made it less of an issue.

Now I’m taking part in my local writers’ group JANO project. Just like NanoWrimo, we are expected to write 50,000 words over the course of the month. The two variances are that we have an extra day (meaning our words- per-day goal is slightly less) and that we can work on an existing WIP. We only count the NEW WORDS we’re tacking on to the existing project. Sounds easy, right? HA HA HA

With over fifty thousand words into Autumn’s Healing, I realize I only need about another twenty-five thousand to finish it. With that in mind and being seventeen days into JANO, I find myself wondering where to go. I’ve not written but about two hundred words towards the completion of the WIP. Do I start the next book in the series? Do I keep going with the positive outcome of having the completed first draft – don’t worry about hitting the 50k mark?

Every evening I sit at the keyboard with the intention of adding words to the story. Yet I find myself frozen. Not by writers block (something I don’t believe in) but what I’ve decided is more about a defeatist attitude. I’m focusing too much on JANO and not enough on what I do – Write a Good Story!

So with that in mind, I move forward… I think.

A Lucky Find

One of the things I hate to do... but is a necessity... is going to walmart. There are some things I can get there I can't find anywhere else. And believe it or not, it's my only 'new' book store option in a 100 mile radius. I know, sad.

So imagine my surprise last night while shopping for the new Tori Carrington release I find a lonely copy of Welcome to Harmony! I'd not picked up Jodi's first book, missing it when it came out. I was very happy to find a copy last night. Now to fit reading time in amongst the Nano stuff. hehe

Guest Blogger, Jodi Thomas

This week I'd like to introduce you to a lovely lady, Jodi Thomas. I had the pleasure of meeting Jodi at a conference. She's a very talented and sharing person, as are most authors. I feel honored to have her here and I hope you'll take time to leave a comment.

Jodi Thomas is the NY Times and USA Today best-selling author of 31 novels and 8 short story collections. As of July 2006, she was the 11th woman to be inducted in to RWA Hall of Fame. She is also currently serving as the Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

Her newest release,(and 30th novel), SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, Thomas proves once again that she is one of mainstream romance genre’s most compelling writers with her highly anticipated sequel to WELCOME TO HARMONY, which captured America’s heart.

Somewhere Along The Way by Jodi Thomas

Here's the trailer for Jodi Thomas' Somewhere Along the Way.

Thank you, Jodi, for providing this for us!

Q &A with Jodi Thomas

Jodi's new book, Somewhere Along the Way, is the second in the Harmony series. It's the perfect book for curling up on a chilly fall evening with a cup of hot tea. But before you get to comfy, let's get some writing tips from Jodi.

#1. During a workshop I attended in 2007, you said 'losing grip on reality is the best talent writers have'. Would you elaborate, please.

I've always felt like a loss grip on reality is an advantage to being a writer. Some writers complain about being able to step into the world of fiction. Give me three minutes of boredom and I'm off and running with a story in my head. I tell my kids that when I'm old and go to the home just set me by the window. I don't need a TV. I'm my own home entertainment center. Sometimes people come up to me and want to tell me their story so I can use it in a book. I smile and listen but in truth I've got more stories already waiting in my mind than I'll have time to write. When they finish, I always tell them to write their own stories.

#2. I've been reading - Writing the West (By Dusty Richards with help from his friends). You talk about the difference between 'knowing' why a character does something, and how we 'think' they'd react based on our 'research'. Writers are notorious for over-researching. How do we find a balance and dig into what we really know?
I love researching. In fact, if I could, I'd research 90% of the time and write 10%. If I did that I'd probably get a book finished about every ten years. I want to tell stories so I write. I do research before. I like to go to the location and read up all I can on the time period. Sometimes my research in with people who lived near that time. Once I interviewed a 100 year old man who was a pilot in WWI. Once I talked to an old woman who was born and lived all her life on the same ranch. She'd gone from walking behind a plow to flying her own plane. I love the places and the facts about history, but it's the people who draw me the most.

#3. In the book you give 7 steps for writers starting the historical journey. Why 7? And looking back, are there any you would have added?
I think I would add that if you want to write you need to love, not only reading, but also writing. Some nights I hate writing, but the next morning when I'm reading over my work I think, 'I love to have written'.

#4. A 2-part question. Tip #7 says 'write a series'. Do you find this more important for Historical than any other sub-genre of romance? I've also heard it's hard for new writers to sell a series. Do you believe this to be true? And any advice for all writers in approaching this option.
I found it harder to write a series in present day than in history. Don't know why. But after writing several over the years I'd advise anyone starting to make a bible of all facts so you don't have to keep going back and looking up eye color or age.

#5. NanoWrimo's (www.nanowrimo.org) catch phrase is 'No Plot- No Problem'. Tell us a little about why this concept was so successful for Two Texas Hearts.
I think in TWO TEXAS HEARTS I had characters that the readers loved. There was no great plot driving the story, just two people trying to figure out how to love one another. I think if you have the greatest plot in the world and the reader doesn't care about the characters the book will stay on the nightstand.

Thank you for letting me drop in and visit with you all. I wish you many happy hours of reading and for those of you who want to write a book, my advise to you is to go for it. Set down tonight and start page one. Remember if you write just one page a day in a year you will have written a book. When you finish, send it out and start another. I usually start the next book the day I send the last one off otherwise I think I get a vacation and a month later I'm still on vacation. Writers don't just write for a living. Writers are writers. All day, every day, even on those days they don't pick up a pen.

The Insanity is about to begin!

Yep, Every November 1st, thousands of people have pledged to write the great american novel. How? By joining NanoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month - www.nanowrimo.org

For 30 days, people of like minds (or out of their minds) will attempt to write 50,000 words over the course of the month. That comes out to 1,667 words per day and does NOT allow for Thanksgiving off. Writers write every day - right? Well... we're suppose to. Life (and lately in my case, illness) gets in the way. But November is suppose to be a No Excuse month.

Okay.. we'll see. I've charted my course, sent goody packets out to 5 of the many friends who join me on my thread - TheCauldronCafe - (you'll find us on the Forums page under Writers Groups and Clubs.) I've added my word count widget to the right side of the page so you can cheer me on. If you think I need a good swift kick - feel free to post a comment for that too.

I will have my granddaughter for 1 full week of Nano but by then I should be at least half way through the 50k and will be able to write a couple hours every night after she goes to bed. I can write six to eight pages in two hours, right? Sure!

Here's to what I hope will be my first SUCCESSFUL NanoWriMo!

Caridad Scordato

Caridad Piñeiro® is a multi-published and award-winning author whose love of the written word developed when her fifth grade teacher assigned a project – to write a book that would be placed in a class lending library. She has been hooked on writing ever since.

From the start, Caridad’s novels have received acclaim and have helped redefine the landscape of modern romance novels. In 1999, Caridad was published by Kensington as part of Encanto, the first line of bilingual Latino romance novels. In December 2006, Caridad helped Silhouette launch its successful Nocturne paranormal line. In recognition of her work, Caridad has received various awards and honors.

Caridad was born in Havana, Cuba, and settled in the New York Metropolitan area. When not writing, Caridad teaches workshops on various topics related to writing and heads a writing group. Caridad is also an attorney, wife and mother.

STRONGER THAN SIN is being released TODAY!

STRONGER THAN SIN has been getting rave reviews. You can check out all the reviews by visiting http://www.caridad.com/books/paranormal/stronger-than-sin/

Come visit www.caridad.com to find out about an awesome contest that starts running on November 1 featuring a SONY Pocket E-reader as the Grand Prize along with other goodies. Also check out the Second Chance Bonus Prize of a $25 gift card and how you can earn points to win that prize. Take moment to visit a blog on the ARE YOU STRONG ENOUGH Blog Tour for a chance to win one of the giveaways at each blog.

Thank You, Caridad, for joining us today!

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Thank you, Angela, for having me with you today. When I dropped by the blog, I realized that you had been writing about getting a rejection and it gave me the inspiration for this blog!

Rejection is never easy to handle. Writers put so much of themselves in a work that it feels very personal when someone says they don't want to acquire your work.

Here's the thing: Rejection is part of being both an aspiring and published author. You won't sell every book that you create (unless your Nora Roberts), but you won't sell a book that you don't send out.

So how do you deal with getting a rejection?

First: Ask yourself if it's a good rejection. A good rejection is one where the editor/agent offers you constructive ideas on how to improve the work.

Second: Ask yourself if you agree with the suggestions. If you're not sure about the changes suggested, take a moment and try them out. Rewrite the first scene or two and see if the changes make it a stronger story.

Third: Don't take it personally. Rejection is part of the life of an author and with each rejection your writing will get stronger. It may not seem that way at first, but trust me, it does get easier to deal with rejection.

Last, but not least: My mother always told me that nothing worthwhile was ever easy. So keep at it. It may be hard work, but the reward is worth all the hard work.