Life Lesson

I'm a moody viewer, i.e, my mood dictates what TV show, film, or DVD we watch. It's not uncommon for me to abruptly announce to hubby (in the middle of a show), "I don't wanna watch this anymore. Put something else on." To his credit, he complies graciously...mostly. Usually my mood fluctuates while watching dramas, my least favorite genre. There's enough of that in my daily life so I'm not usually entertained by it. But sometimes, I'm just not in the "mood" for whatever is on.

Last night is just such an example. We watched "ROLE MODELS", a slapstick comedy with Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott. The familiar anxious dread lurked in the shadows from the start. The opening segment was rude, crude, and those dudes were definitely getting on my nerves. But, I persevered. Endured. And I'm glad I did.

Starting out, the main character was self-absorbed and extremely unlikeable: male, turning 40, unhappy in life, and dragging down those around him.

Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly no Pollyanna, but in realistic terms I believe we create our own inner turmoil with our compliance and acceptance of others expectations as our own, assuming facades to camouflage our inherent nature in an effort to be accepted. To be "normal"

As the film progressed and the character stepped outside of his own disappointments and problems to help a young boy, he learned that the way to true happiness is to be true to oneself. Conformity at the expense of one's nature equals self-destruction.

The universe is full of angry, accomplished, successful, bitter, begrudging, resentful souls. What it needs is a cosmic counterbalance of courageous, fly-in-the-face-of-convention, self-accepting, free spirits.

So, dance even though everyone is watching and laughing. Find your inspiration and follow wherever it leads. Skip backwards down the yellow-brick road. And when you find the road less traveled, be adventurous. Think less about what others want you to be, think, say, or do; and, meditate more on who you are, what you think, and what you want to say and do.

Banish the stigma of being different. If the world needed us to all be alike then we would've been born clones, not individuals. Embrace your uniqueness. Dare to be different. Be true to yourself. Find happiness wherever you can and know in your heart that conforming to someone elses ideal of "normal" is way over-rated.

Commitment Issues

Holy Cow!
An entire year disappeared since my last post. Wish I could say that it has been a creatively productive spanse of time, but alas the werewolves ran me all over creation and left me without a finished tale stating simply that they weren't ready to be wrangled. Now they're two sheets to the wind, the lot of them. Commitment issues, I dare say. Much like me and tattooes. Here's the thing...I love tattooes. Their ancient and unique expressions of personal symbolisms captivate and enchant the soul. And I want one. Crave one, actually...if not for the can't change your mind this is forever part. What suits me today, is meant for today. When tomorrow comes, I move on and something new totally enthralls me. Then, I'm helplessly devoted, seeking all there is to know about that one tiny little bit of fascination. Such is the firefly gliding effortlessly over that page in the annuals of my mind's eye. The purity and elegance of its fiery script is readable for an infintesimal moment before it vanishes, only to re-emerge elsewhere is some other form to spark my interest anew.

Contest Critique Feedback

Some contest critiques have come in on FH. It's not a finalist contender. Not yet anyway. The judges remarks have been positive in respect to my "unique voice"--that ever nebulous phenomenon inherent in everyone. The plot seemed to capture their interest, which is good. A few things need tightening. I expected as much. Overall, I really appreciated the feedback I received. Especially when the judges included input about what they really liked and what they didn't. It really helps to look critically through someone else's eyes. The light comes on and the Ah Ha moment knocks you upside the head. So, thanks to all the judges and critiquers who've taken the time to peruse FH. Your insights, words of wisdom, and well wishes have been well received.

For now, I must finish wrangling a werewolf in HGT and then I'm off to find the wizard of revisions for FH. Hmmm, where did I put my lasso and ruby red slippers?

Deadline Woes?

Dear Editor,
Sorry I didn't meet the deadline. My dog ate the manuscript.

Lions, And Tigers, And Synopsis?

The dreaded synopsis! Ugh! I'd rather face "Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my!"

Trying to condense a 100,000 word novel into a few short pages, while capturing the essence of the characters, the tone of the story, the goal, motivation and conflict, and maintain your unique writing voice seems an impossible task. I've re-written the synopsis for FENIAN HEART several times. And I'm still trying to perfect it.

My first attempt was 10 pages, single spaced. Probably an agent's and editor's worst nightmare. Or at least, it would rank in their top ten. I had no idea what I was doing. So, elicting the aid of my online critique group, (thank God for the critters!) I whittled it down to five double-spaced pages. And then, for a contest, I had to get it down to three. If anyone asks for a two pager, I'll faint. I'm not kidding. I've cleared a space by my desk, with a pillow and blanket on the floor so the landing will be a soft one. I'll have to teach the new pup to dial 9-1-1 for a one-page request because I'm sure to swallow my tongue while convulsing madly from the utter shock and horror.

In an attempt to overcome my rabid Pavlovian response to synopsis writing, I attended a workshop with Karen Kendall(www.KarenKendall.com), author of a new romantic suspense series, TAKE ME. The first book, TAKE ME IF YOU CAN, is scheduled for release this month.

Karen's witty discussion provided real examples of boring and dazzling synopses. Great! Until I realized mine probably falls into the (yawn) boring category. Oh, crap! In trying to be concise, I think I lost my voice. And that's a whole other nebulous issue to me. Finding my voice. I won't digress on that subject in this post. I'll save it for later. Pacing my obsessions keeps me sane. Most of the time.

Going back to the drawing board. Again! Karen's advice...whether writing a novel, or a synopsis, be true to yourself. Sometimes that means stepping outside the box. Hmmm...

A touch of Rip Van Winkle?

No blog posts for March? Oh my!

Has Rip Van Winkle derailed my forward momentum?

A month has come and gone, and my blog is sorely lacking. However, the idleness that plagued Rip Van Winkle has yet to claim these hands.

March started with Super Saturday, a great workshop sponsored by the Central Florida RWA. Local authors provided excellent information on the craft of writing and the publishing industry. Check out their website (www.cfrwa.com) for other events coming soon.

I also attended the 2008 Southern Lights Conference sponsored by First Coast Romance Writers (www.firstcoastromancewriters.com). NY Times Best Selling author, Suzanne Brockmann, was the guest speaker. Wonderful lady. Very funny and down to earth. Check out her Troubleshooter Series. She's got a new release, FORCES OF NATURE, coming out in June.

As for my works in progress, FH is undergoing some revisions, so FR is on hold until those reworks are completed. And, Howlin' Good Time is meandering along at its own pace. (Sigh) Wrangling these alpha males, be they faery guardians or werewolves, is more than a handful. Especially since a few more characters have ventured by stating they want their own stories too. Insistent, Persistent Impediments! They'll just have to take a number and sit quietly in the waiting room until it's their turn. Ha! Like these guys would ever consider that.

Oh, well. Let Rip Van Winkle enjoy his twenty years of vacuity. As for me, I've got characters to interview, worlds to build, and a new puppy to potty train. Hmmm. Maybe I can get one of the werewolves to help with that...

Forward Motion

Ever busy, ever ready. I'm too obsessive-compulsive to wait around twiddling my thumbs. Yeah, patience is a virtue but so is perseverance.

FENIAN HEART continues in forward motion. Yesterday, I received a request for a full manuscript. Woohoo!

FENIAN REDEMPTION is on hold for a few weeks while I focus on HOWLIN' GOOD TIME--a werewolf short novel that's demanding attention. You know how those Alpha wolves are...