It's Friday?

Holidays do this to me.  My inner calendar is off. Not that it doesn't happen all on its own and far too often, without the benefit of a holiday.  Don't take me wrong.  I LOVE three-day weekends, especially when they're the more "official" ones, as Memorial Day was this week.  Why?  Ah, because those official ones are days I don't hear the pitter-patter (and blood-curdling screams) from the younger set.  Their mothers get to hear it. ☺

Just to catch up anyone who wondered if I made that 40 page goal by last Sunday, the answer is yes. Total count was 78 pages for the week from Sunday through Sunday.  Yeah, I was amazed.  And that Monday-holiday wasn't even in the count!  *patting self on back*  One scene of about 8 pages and a short epilogue to write, and this baby will be done.  Well, except for the editing.  But I'll be putting this project away for a week or so and move onto something else.  Writing every day, if possible, kicks in the after-burners and makes writing easier.  Let a chunk of time go by with no writing, and it's hard to get back into it.

Now back to today being Friday...

Today is the kick-off for our city's annual River Festival.  This evening will include the Sundown Parade, followed soon after by my favorite event--the Twilight Pops Concert, featuring the local and excellent symphony orchestra on the banks of the river and ending with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture complete with cannon fire and fireworks.  That's followed by more fireworks with coordinated  music.

There's more to the 9-day festival, although we don't go to as many events as we did, long ago.  And I do mean long ago.  We've surpassed 40 years.  The festival began as a centennial celebration in 1972, then grew into an annual celebration.  Back in the '80s, the only time my daughters and I missed the Sundown Parade was when it rained.  Imagine trying to corral four girls, one a baby in a stroller, through a crowd of many thousands.  It was a trick to keep track of them, but we managed.  "We" being me.

One year, I ran in the River Run.  Okay, I mostly walked the 2-miles, but I finished.  Another year I was part of a tug-of-war team, held on the sandy shore of the river in one of the parks.  I've hunted for the medallion, watched hot-air balloons launch, gone to concerts--the best being the 5th Dimension, who I'd seen when I was much younger--and sat through more men's softball tournaments than I care to remember.  They've discontinued another favorite, the bathtub race, and I miss it the most of the activities and events that have been left behind.  But there's still plenty to do for everyone, with Children's Theater productions for the little ones, rides, and recently a zip-line across the river for older ones and grown-ups has been added.  Not my cup of tea, but it's fun to watch.  These days, runs and tug-of-wars are behind me, too, but it's nice to sit on the sloping, grassy riverbank and just relax, waiting for the concert as the banks along both sides fill with people of all ages.

This is my vacation.  One or two days of walking and walking and watching fireworks.  If it rains tonight, I'll be disappointed.  I look forward to the Twilight Pops and firework from year to year.  But if rain or wind should ruin the night, I'll be found amid the chaos of my office or maybe watch a little TV.  It's going to be my Friday Off, and I intend on making it a good one.

Kick your weekend off with a bang and ENJOY something close to your heart!

Life is like a roller coaster, live it, be happy, enjoy life. - Avril Lavigne 

Vacation? Not on the List of Things to Do.

Yesterday, life changed.  Why?  It was the first day of summer vacation for our local schools.  That meant that it was also the first day we were invaded by the children of my children.  Four of them, plus the three-year-old, who is here throughout the school year, will spend the weekdays with us, until sometime in August.  I haven't yet counted the weeks.

When does the writing get done?  Whenever there's a little piece of peace and quiet.  Rare, but it does happen, even in the middle of the day.

Staying up late and working into the wee hours isn't an option for me, even during the school year.  Setting a schedule of writing from 8 to 3 or any specified time doesn't work either.  Not only are the grandchildren a constant during the week, but I also own a website design company, and requests for updates come in randomly.  But the writing still gets done, although it isn't a constant each and every day.

One of the things that helps me is the BIAW program that my writing group has twice a month.  We post our page goal for the week (first and third Sunday and ends on the following Sunday) and report the number after the last day.  My participation has been spotty this year, I'll admit, but for this week, I decided to jump in with both feet.  My goal is 40 pages.  Not so bad when factoring in that we have eight days, which breaks it down to 5 pages a day.  It's doable, but requires actually putting words to paper, sometimes after a day that screams for sleep.

This week didn't start out well.  Our group's meeting was scheduled for that third Sunday.  Because we're wrapping up a writing contest and I'm the coordinator, Sunday morning meant tallying scores sent by members who judged to determine who won.  Of course the numbers didn't add up correctly, because I was rushing to get it done, so it took more time than it should have.  With the final tally done, I had barely enough time to shower and dress, then drive to the meeting.  Except...  As I was climbing out of the shower, the tornado sirens went off in our city.  I grabbed clothes and fumbled around as I gathered the things needed to head for my oldest daughter's house, three blocks away.  The meeting was, of course, cancelled.  We were lucky and received only large hail, high winds, and a whole lot of rain, instead of what could have happened.

Monday was taken up by website work, until school was out.  After dropping off the others, I left to take my oldest granddaughter to her ice skating lessons.  Ten minutes before it was over, someone turned on the television, and I saw the pictures of the tornado that had destroyed a large area of Moore, Oklahoma.  Once home, we spent the day checking on friends in the devastated area and watching the news.  By Tuesday, the images were still burned into my brain, but I finished the website work started the day before and took donations to the ice rink for the tornado victims, while my granddaughter had another lesson.  The evening called for other things and writing was forgotten.

Along came Wednesday, with it's usual interruptions that included a Kindergarten graduation and a 5th Grade graduation.  Another day to write sinking quickly.  Once the house emptied of small people after school--the Last Day!--I sat down at the computer.  At that point, I had a total of 3 pages the day before, although I don't remember when.  It wasn't a good start, but I'd managed to write those 702 words in bits and pieces of time.  By evening, I was at my desk and netted another 4 pages (768 words), finishing a chapter.  I then moved on to a new chapter.  By the end of the day, I'd added another 7.  Wednesday's total was 11 pages.  Word count for the day was 2394.  I was up to 14 pages for the week.  Not bad for three days of sheer madness.

Thursday (yesterday) I hunkered down at my desk, amid total chaos of the first day of School's Out for the Summer, and by late night, there were 11 new pages (2224 words).  I now have 25 pages written toward that 40-page goal.  Only 15 pages to go.  I'm determined to reach it.  After all, today is only FRIDAY, and the weekend promises some quiet writing time.  Still, I wonder what and who will come along to interrupt the flow of words, because I know something or someone will.

While I'd hoped I would have the first draft of this book written by tomorrow (dream big!), it won't happen.  That doesn't mean I'll stop.  Being behind can be inspiration to keep going, to keep working toward the goal.  One bad day or even a string of them, doesn't mean it's time to quit.  Writing every day helps keep the brain in writing gear, even if it's only a page or even 100 words.  Unfortunately, life can come along and keep that from happening.

The key is to set goals.  These should be reasonable goals, set with the knowledge of the amount of time necessary to complete, along with accepting that there were always be obstacles.  Learn to work around them and overcome them.  If a goal falls short, don't toss it aside.  Continue toward it, because in time, the goal can be reached.

Once your goal is met, you can celebrate.  Take some time off to enjoy yourself.  But don't let it take over.  Even though it's summer, we still have priorities to set and work to do.  I intend to make this a prosperous time, where writing is concerned.  You'll find that life has new meaning and that pride can lead to success.

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.   ~ Tony Robbins 

The Lowdown on Writing Contests

One of the members of my local writers' group recently received her scores and judges' comments from a contest she'd entered, and she shared them with us.  She didn't win, but her scores were good, over all, and we discussed the pros and cons of entering writing contests.

Of course our first hope when entering a contest is to win it.  Quite often, the winner is awarded with a read by an editor or agent.  Sometimes a finalist is asked to submit to one or the other.  And sometimes we're left with scores and comments that are mixed, leaving us puzzled.

At one time, I entered quite a lot of contests, and it was a contest win that eventually led to my first published book.  In my case, that "eventually" was long and drawn out, but in the end, it was worth it, as was the entry money and the long wait for scores.

There are all kinds of contests for writers.  Some want a first chapter, others want to specific type of scene (first kiss, love scene, etc.), and others want only the first few pages aka the opening.  Some are judged by other writers, and quite often the final round is judged by an editor or agent.  There are contests for published books, both print books and ebooks, and sometimes both.

But one big question remains.  What can entering a contest do for me, the writer?  The answer is lots of things!  Let's take a look at some of them.

Working toward a deadline
Once published, a writer works on a deadline to meet a publisher's schedule.  Even self/indie-published authors do this to keep them from putting their work aside for later.  Learning to schedule your writing time and having a specific date to have a project finished is a plus for a pre-published writer.  Contest announcements are made far enough in advance to make a decision to enter or not, so it's a great way to get into the habit of working on a deadline that's other than self-imposed.

Polishing the work
Some writers write a fast first draft, then go back and add the details.  Other writers revise as they write or revise the work from the previous day, before putting moving forward.  And even others, like me, use a combination of both.  No matter which way you write, going through your work for rewording, revising and a final polish is a must.  We won't catch everything the first time, and often it helps to put the work aside for a while before that final polish.  Whatever way you choose, your writing needs polishing before sending it out into the world.  Getting something ready to send to a contest can help with that.

Feedback
Having fresh eyes looking over your work is a big plus.  Having experienced fresh eyes to look it over is even better.  Friends, even fellow writers might not tend to be as honest as someone who doesn't know you and your writing.  Not that it hurts to have people you know read your "stuff" first, before entering, but you'll be more apt to gain an unbiased opinion on what you do well and what needs work when it's from a stranger.  Keep a few things in mind when entering a contest and later reading your scores and comments from judges.

• All judging is subjective, meaning everyone has their likes and dislikes when it comes to style and content.  We're all human, and we tend to have favorites and not so favorites.  This is true with contest judges.
• Not all judges are equal.  Some have more experience with writing than others.  Some may not have finished their first manuscript...although contest coordinators are paying more attention to that.  RWA (Romance Writers of America) has had training programs within local chapters.  This really can help.  And the majority of judges really do have a clue. ☺ And let's face it.  We all don't like the same TV shows, music, movies or books.  That's what makes life interesting.
• A wise woman (fellow author Kathie DeNosky) once told me to think of the rule of three when reading scores and comments.  If the comments of one judge are widely different than the others, take it in stride.  It may very well be that *subjective* thing at work.  If two of the three judges find the same weaknesses (or strengths!) in your writing, pay attention.  If all three agree on something, good or bad, sit up tall and take notice.  In this case, a majority may help you "hone your craft" a little better.
• Judges are not out to steal your work or your ideas.  Judging is a learning experience for both the person who entered the contest and the person judging.
• Once in a blue moon, a judge will be beyond tough and maybe even almost insulting.  If you feel that's the case, put it aside and look at it later.  You may be having nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction.  If a second reading of it is as bad, put it away for good.  It isn't helpful, and that's what we're hoping to gain--helpful advice.
• NEVER think your words are golden.  They aren't.  Mine aren't.  Even Stephen King's and Nora Roberts' aren't.  And honestly, even an editor's aren't always.  (Don't tell anyone I said that. ;) )

My usual process after receiving scores and comments were to take a look at that, hit the bottom of despair, put it away, then get it out a few days later.  I always found it was easier, once I put the emotion aside and actually paid attention to what judges had to say.  By the way, the same thing is true when I receive notes and edits from my editor.  I'm sure I can't handle them, but somehow I usually find a way.

That's the lowdown, the basic things needed to know about contests before deciding whether to enter or not...or to think about if you've entered and are going, "Huh?" and want to crawl in a corner.

It takes "growing a tough skin" to be a part of the publishing industry.  Although no on is out there to break your heart or your spirit, there may be times when it seems that way.  Don't let it get you down, and don't let it make you quit.

And one more thing:  When it's your turn to judge, remember what you've gained, and what has helped you, be it a kind word, praise for something well done, or suggestions that helped you along.  Then treat the contest entries in the same way.  You'll be glad you did.

A kind word is like a Spring day.  ~Russian Proverb

The Future is Here

For several years, we've had the opportunity to read electronic books.  It's something I never thought I'd do, but I've discovered that I enjoy them as much as printed book, and sometimes even more.  Thanks to major markets such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple, the three largest ebook retailers, digital sales have skyrocketed.  

This is a good thing.  Any time we can make it easier for people to purchase and read books is a plus.  Reading is good for the mind.  Reading is good for the soul.  Now that libraries around the country have jumped on the ebook bandwagon and offer digital downloads to their patrons, nearly anyone can enjoy a book.

Where does this leave a writer?  For one thing, it opens up writing and publishing in a way that has never before been seen in our lifetime.  Now writers have options beyond the get-an-agent-submit-partial-to-publisher-wait-for-answer-from-publisher-wash-rinse-repeat.  The long years of writing and waiting have become shorter.

Is this a good thing?  Yes.  And no.  Yes, because we're no longer required to write within the parameters needed to sell to the bigger print publishers.  No, because although writing a book isn't hard, writing a GOOD book is.

So what's an author to do?  It's time to make some choices.  Here are a few:

• Large and well-known publisher - offers both print and ebooks to buyers
• Small publisher - offers ebooks and some print books to buyers
• Small epub publisher - offers ebooks only to buyers
• Indie/self-publishing - usually offers ebooks only to buyers

Each has its strengths and weaknesses, its positives and negatives, pros and cons.  When looking into each of them, it would be wise to first know what it is you want. Author JA Konrath recently blogged about this and offered a list to look over and think about.

Consider these factors of publishing, and rate how important they are to you as a writer:

• Cover art

• Price

• Sales and free promotions

• Title

• Speed to publication

• Distribution

• Marketing and promotion

(for more information, visit his blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing)

Does it really come down to a one-way-or-the-other choice?  No.  Authors writing for large publishing houses are now also indie-publishing other books.  Indie-published authors who've wowed the public on their own are now writing for some of the biggest publishers. Sometimes authors decide to stick with only one way, while some are using several.

Keep in mind that publishing your own book isn't at simple as it might seem.  None of us is perfect, and we make errors...spelling errors, grammar errors, and more.  It's always good to have someone look it over.  That could include paying an outside editor to look over our work for those errors.  If you're not savvy about the different types of files needed for self-publishing, or you don't want to deal with the hassle, a formatter can also be had for a price.  Covers are much the same, and one of the things that's easily forgotten in the beginning, as we rush to write the book of our heart.  But a good cover can help sell a book.  There are many cover artists to choose from, and a good way to find them is through recommendations from other writers who have indie-published.

The above is only a brief introduction to the choices writers have now.  We have options.  Before choosing which way might be best, do your homework.  Read articles, blogs and comments.  Talk with authors about their experiences.  Don't jump in without checking what lies beyond the surface.  Educating ourselves saves us from making mistakes we might regret. Changes can be difficult.  Some of us are more timid that others.

When all is said and done, we've moved into the future, and it is ours.  Good luck!

Choices are the hinges of destiny.  ~Attributed to both Edwin Markham and Pythagoras