Revisions

How do you manage your revisions? You know, like you write a chapter then realize it pretty much stinks so you edit, tweak, or completely rewrite the thing.

For me, it depends. It depends on if it's just tweaks. If it is then I'll make the changes and save it as the same file.

If I am doing some cutting (like big chunks/paragraphs) then I have a separate file for my WIP cuts. That gives me a nice file to go grab stuff that I may have written but ended up not using for one reason or another.

If it's a complete re-write I generally save an old version of the manuscript and then use the new version from that point forward so I can refer to the old in case I wanted something. Plus it gives me a copy of my work at least to a certain point in time so if other backup methods fail I will at least have something.

So why am I mentioning this topic? To re-inforce the fact that you should never delete or throw away anything you write. You never know when it could be of use. How would I know this?

Besides listening to many other writers, I have just learned this lesson the hard way. I wrote a chapter then decided I hated it so I pretty much rewrote the entire chapter. But do you think I can find it so I can borrow pieces of it for a chapter that I am now working on?. . .NO.

And now here I am, having to re-create some of the work I had previously done. Learn from my mistakes.

Pets and story ideas

I know - great title for a blog, right?

I have these two cats (pictures are on the left) and they just love to play. This morning when I was making the bed, one of them decided to attack me toes from underneath the bed skirt. Talk about a heart attack!

Of course, after the initial shock, I teased the little guy until he got tired. :-)

Then I started thinking, as I often do. Wouldn't someone (not a cat) under the bed waiting to do evil be a great part of a story? But then I thought, yes, a cat would be cool because you could use that as the prelude to a person being under the bed.

First event a woman comes home at the end of a day, exhausted, she kicks her shoes off, and gets undressed standing next to the bed and the cat attacks her foot. Yes, the woman jumps, but then laughs, and plays with the cat.

The next time though, she thinks it's the Fluffy the cat and thinks it's funny until the person under the bed grabs her ankle and pulls. . . Where it goes from there is up to you. Have fun!!

Have you ever noticed...?

Have you ever noticed that the busier you are the more creative you are?


On Sunday when I planned to sit with the football games on television and do nothing but write and eat homemade soup I couldn't write more than two sentences.


Yesterday, in between phone interviews, making homemade soups, and getting ready for my Saturday Holiday Open House (kicking off the shopping season with chocolate and friends), I managed to write over 2000 words (not a lot, but decent). Plus, I revised the last chapter I had written and even if I do say so myself, it is way better. Much more tension andit jumps off the page.

SO why did this happen? I have no clue, do you?

Anyway, it's after 5:30 AM my time and I have to get up and get ready for what I hope will be another productive day of writing and other. Gotta see if I can get my hero's chapter to jump off the page. Wish me luck.

Found my blog

For those of you who found my blog, I apologize for the move. In honor of my new website getting ready to come on board I'm moving everything to my name (Denise Robbins), in case you didn't know where you were. :-)

That way everything should be in place when the site is ready.

I apologize in advance but please visit my site at www.deniserobbins.com and you will be re-directed until all the new stuff is live...hopefully soon!!

Couldn't Sleep - More Marketing

Last night while my body wanted to sleep the sleep of the dead, my mind decided to take a detour to the amusment park.

Sound silly? Maybe it's a funny description but it really does explain what happened. So what did I do to curb the spinning of my mind?

I came up with and emailed an idea for a magazine article to Susan Caldwell, Publisher/Founder of www.applaudonline.com magazine. It's a magazine all about NH and MA women. I met Susan several years ago when we both were starting our businesses, hers the magazine, and me www.sweetsbydenise.com.

Anyway, I decided to reach out to her and propose doing an article on NH Romance Writers. I believe in our group and what we do and would really like to see others become aware of what we do and who we are. I want to spread the word.

If you have a local magazine or newspaper in your area, propose an article/idea. Start telling people about you, your writing, and the other writers who support you. What's the worst that could happen? They turn you down, okay, go to the next one.

Ha! It's kind of like trying to get published!!

When the end is near

Have you ever gotten close to the end of a WIP and just wanted it over? Or you're so close, but you get writer's block? Or, my favorite, when a character from your next story creeps into your current WIP?

Yup! That's where I'm at now. I had a self-imposed goal of finishing my current WIP by December so it was completed and out the door to an editor before the first one is released in January. I am soo close, I can see the end, and I want to reach the finish line.

I had writer's block on Sunday, but today, thanks to my critique and brainstorming session with Nora I managed to write about 1500 words and get the latest chapter finished in my WIP and the start of the next. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter completed tomorrow morning. Keep fingers crossed.

And yes, I have this one character that I just adore. He's so cool and got this sexy southern drawl, and whenever he makes his way into my stories he manages to take over. Well, Jake has done that a couple of times while I've been trying to wrap up this story. He's become a PITA! :-)

The problem is, Jake wants his own book. Now I'm feeling the pressure to really finish this book so I can write his story. The funny thing is, I started another story with him in it for NaNoWriMo, only its not a romantic-suspense, it's a kid's mystery. I came up with the idea when I took a children's writing course over the summer and it's kind of stuck in my head.

Well, if I actually succeed in finishing my WIP soon (like maybe this week) then maybe Jake will have two stories, the kid's mystery and a romantic-suspense. Greedy guy!

Soo Close

I am so close to finishing my current WIP. So close that I have brain freeze. I had all day yesterday to write, was looking forward to it, and the only thing that came out was 2 sentences. UGH! Talk about frustrated.

Today I'm meeting Nora LeDuc to critique our work and get some brainstorming done.

Wish me luck!!

More marketing

David Daniel, fiction author, and English teacher, forwarded me an email today with information about an Open Mic night at UMASS Lowell. The university did this last year which is what inspired me to write my first poem and then submit it and it was published...(see previous post).

Anyway, you don't have to read a poem. You can read an excerpt from a work-in-progress. What an excellent idea! Here's a perfect opportunity to check and see if your hook works.
Again, look at how many people will hear/read something you've written and now know your name.

Hopefully, if you do something like this you remember to take your business cards which will not only include your name, book name, but your website URL and the ISBN number for your book.

Remember, no one can or will promote you as well as you promote yourself. TELL EVERYONE!

How else to get your name known as an author

I was just sitting here trying to plot through my current WIP (obviously it's not going too well, otherwise I'd be writing there and not on my blog). :-)

As I was sitting here trying to write, I received an email from Tammy, the editor of the NHRWA newsletter. She dropped me a quick line to let me know that other chapters have used an article I wrote for last month's newsletter. First, that was great that Tammy kept me updated. Second, that's so cool!

Now I'm sitting here realizing what a wonderful way to get your name out there and to get more visitors to your website and ultimately to your books.

For those of you who are part of a writing group, I recommend you write a short article on a writing subject that interests you. Remember, if you're interested in it, someone else is too. Besides, think of the marketing benefits.

As a matter of fact, another author several months ago suggested to time getting a magazine article or two published with the release of your book. Hm...makes sense.

Book in a month update

Well, yesterday was not the greatest writing day. I only wrote about 300 words.

Today, I had very good intentions to do my usual of going to Panera to write. Instead, I prepped for an interview and talked with a friend on the phone. By the time I actually wrote anything I was sitting in the lobby of the company where I had the interview. And of course, I only had my current WIP printed out and with me and not the last part of my NaNoWriMo novel, so I worked on that.

And now what's my excuse? I'm in the zone of writing for my WIP and hate to break it for more than sending a quick "hello" to you all.

Hope you're doing better than I am. But at least I'm writing something.

NaNoWriMo Update

Day 2 - I wrote 1591 words, Day 3 - 1044.

How's it going for everyone else?

I'm getting ready to meet a writer friend this morning who is also participating in NaNoWriMo. We're getting together to critique what we've written so far that way we can either tweak what we've written and thereby add more words :-) or help with tweaking the plot to move forward (always my issue). Of course Nora LeDuc, my author friend can write way more words than me in one sitting. Ugh!!

Check out her site and books at www.noraleduc.com

Quick Quip

Last night I went out with a friend of mine for dinner and afterwards she asked me to stop by the post office so she could drop a couple of letters in the mailbox. The mailboxes were the big metal ones that sit at a curb and you can pull up in front of them, slip the envelopes in, then drive away.

Of course it's not that easy. :-)

We pulled up right behind a car and waited for him to slide his mail in. And waited. And waited. His hands would go sneak out the window and then back in again. Not once did I see any paper.

Finally, I turned to my friend and asked her, "Do you think he's having trouble ordering his Venti Caramel Apple Spice?"

Seriously, I thought the guy was trying to order food or something. No, I did not honk. We were having too much fun laughing at the fact that it took forever. Plus, he finally did figure out how to put the mail in the mailbox. Of course when it was our turn we knew what we wanted so our order didn't take nearly as long. LOL!

Now, how could you use that little event in a book? I can think of a couple of ways.

Your hero or heroine could be in a hurry but just have to do this one little errand. That could lead to all kinds of scenarios. . .they're late for whatever they were in a hurry for, like getting to a stakeout, or a meeting with a bad guy. Or maybe that little detour and lengthy wait in line gave the bad guy an opportunity to ambush them. Any ideas spring to your mind?

Official start of NaNoWriMo

Good evening everyone! Today is the first official day of nanowrimo. How many words have you written??

So far today, 1093 words for me. Not the greatest, but definitely not bad since I am still working on my current WIP as well.

I've been trying to get into the www.nanowrimo.org site and update my word count but I have a feeling the site is very busy with all the other writers. That's a good thing!!

Let me know how you're doing.

NaNoWriMo

5 more days. Don't forget that National Novel Writing Month starts November 1. Some kickoff events start the end of this week. Sign up soon!! http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Cool news!

Last week, on my way to meet my critique group, I stopped by the University of Massachusetts - Lowell to pick up their book, "The Offering". It's a book of poems they publish every year. Last year, thanks to David Daniel, fiction author and English teacher, I decided to submit a poem I wrote in his class. The editors accepted it and it was published in this year's "The Offering". It was just released 2 weeks ago and if you haven't picked up a copy you should.

www.uml.edu


So after I picked up my copy, okay several copies. I mean I have to give one to mom and dad. :-)
After I picked up those books I went to meet with a couple of writers. We went to one of the local Irish Pubs, Old Court. Food is terrific and music is Irish as well as some of the fare.

Anyway, it was a great evening! First, it was excellent for me because I had just worked on those chapters several days before and it gave me an opportunity to see if I was on the right track, and if not to fix it before I blew through even more writing. Plus, I got some plotting help. Sometimes having guys to critique with is so interesting. David and Steve both came up with the next event in my book. I couldn't believe what they came up with. It never even dawned on me but what an event and surprise!

HA! Got your interest, huh? Well, you'll just have to wait for Killer Bunny Hill to be published. :-)

Okay, so besides that plot adjustment, I also had something even more exciting happen. David Daniel (www.daviddanielbooks.com) - go check out his site and his books, offered to read my ARC (remember that stands for Advanced Reading Copy) of my first book IT HAPPENS IN THREES and provide a blurb for the book. Now how can a girl get any happier? Hm...hopefully he likes it.

If David reads this. . .thanks very much! And thank you and Steve for the terrific plot idea.

November is National Novel Writing Month

If you didn't know November is National Novel Writing Month. . .now you do.

What exactly does that mean?

Every year thousands of writers sign-up to write as many words (50K) as possible in a month, ergo a novel in a month.

If you haven't done so, do it now. What have you got to lose? If nothing else you'll get some words written and hopefully a start to a new book. Go for it!

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

4 walls caving in

Ever go through those days when you feel like you've been cooped up and the walls are caving in, but you've got to do some writing? Or have those days when the family, friends, or pets just won't let you do any writing? Maybe you can't turn off your brain from thinking about the job, the house work, etc.

What do you do?

For me it depends on the time of day. Some mornings I get up and drive to a relatively close Panera. They open at like 6:30 AM and they have free WiFi so if I need/want internet access it's available. I get there, grab a Mountain Dew (not a huge coffee drinker unless it's a flavored cappuccino) and half a bagel or pecan twist, then find a booth, boot up the laptop and go to town.

If it's at the end of the day and I need to unwind in order to write I tend to go to a local restaurant like Margarita's or Billy's Bar & Grill. Neither of these places have WiFi, but they have the requisite booth, great wait staff, and an environment that gives you the ability to forget everything else, relax, and write like a crazy woman.

I went to both places yesterday and it was fantastic! I revised one chapter and it's much better (even if I do say so myself). Then last night I managed to write another chapter. And as soon as I quit chatting on my blog I'm about ready to attack the next chapter before I meet my class tonight.

What do you do when you need time and place to do some good writing?

OH! One added benefit to going to some local places is that people get to know you and when they find out you're writing a book they're very supportive and excited for you. Try it!

Website

How important is a good website?

The answer is always mixed. Some people firmly believe in the value of a website while others could care less.

Now I'm a computer person by day so for me a website is very important. Anytime I want to get information I search the internet. If I want to find out all the books a particular author has written I go to the web and check for their site and then others.

The website I have now is based on the title of my first book coming out. Well, I've recently been working with a woman (Jeannie Ruesch) on re-doing the site and her opinion is that my website should be under my name. After speaking with her on this I did the research and she was right. Most authors have their website under their name, not their book title.

People are going search for my books based on my name, not my book title.

Anyway, back to the original question. How important is a website?

Look at it this way, it's a relatively cheap way to advertise/market yourself and your work. Plus, it will be seen by way more people on an average daily basis than a flyer on someone's car, or an ad in a local paper, or even in the yellow pages. A website is international.

From my perspective a website is a HUGE marketing tool. Use it. Take advantage of it. But, do it right.

This is where Jeannie comes in. She's helping me make the site right. Stay tuned for the unveiling soon. In the meantime, check out Jeannie's site at www.WillDesignforChocolate.com.

Writing Critiques

Good Morning!
As I sit here getting ready to go on a job interview I thought I'd write a quick note.

This past weekend I met with some other writers to discuss our current Works-In-Progress. I tell you they are the best. When I'm stuck they criticize and brainstorm and then you walk away energized to write.

Wednesday I'm meeting some other writers to do the same thing. This group is a unique mix of men and women (my other group is all women). I like this because you get that "other" perspective, which is especially helpful for me when my current WIP is more of an action-adventure/romantic suspense. I love it when the guys say, "whoa. no guy would talk like that." hehe! :-)

Plus, there's usually someone who has knowledge on a particular topic you may need that can pony up some details. Way better to get firsthand information than reading it out of a book or off the internet.

My goal for this week is to come up with an outline to finish the last of my WIP. Keep your fingers crossed.

If you haven't taken the time to join a writing group you really should try one.

OH! and remind me to tell you about my trip to Barnes & Noble bookstore.

Writer's Group Meetings - What do we talk about??

This past weekend the New Hampshire Romance Writer's Group met for their monthly meeting. If you've never attended a meeting it is truly worth it.

Why?

Because it can be a hoot. We always talk about the "business" side of the group and upcoming events which are listed on their website at http://nhrwa.tripod.com/, but more importantly we talk about things that we're struggling with.

For example:

The PITCH - the infamous 5 to 8 minutes you get with an editor or agent. How the idea of that meeting makes your palms sweat and you want to wet yourself due to nerves. This past Saturday we went around and helped each other get that 1 to 3 sentence description of what you want to say to the editor or agent so they ask for more. That would be kinda like a hook!!

One of the members spoke up when people were talking about how nervous they were. She said the editor pitch is kinda like sex. "Even if it isn't great, you still had sex." Funny thing, she's right. Look at the pitch as an opportunity and if you never take it you won't get any further. Even if you blow it (which kinda isn't possible because you're selling yourself and your writing - what's not to love), but let's say the agent/editor doesn't ask for any more, you still took the step, learned from it, and now you move on to the next one and you won't be so nervous.

BTW - I highly recommend any of those workshops on "how to write a pitch". They're usua;;y very good at narrowing down your long-winded spiel, or beefing up your hook.

I say go for it!! And good luck!