Emma Lauren - Writer

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Take an Hiatus

2012-05-07T12:22:00.000-04:00

Due to a number of unforeseen circumstances, I am saddened to announce that I will be taking an hiatus from the blogging world for an indeterminate amount of time. My time spent amongst my fellow writers has been invaluable; all the things I've learned and the people I've met have made the past 27 months both educational and fun. I do plan to return at some point but I can't give a specific date. I have a lot of things that I need to sort out, projects to complete, and decisions to make, and doing so requires me to shift my focus.

If you like, you can follow me on Twitter @EElleWrites as I'll still be actively using that account (well, as actively as I ever have). I'd also love to hear from you via email because few things are more satisfying than seeing "One (1) New Message" in one's inbox.

In the meantime, please take care of yourselves and those you love, as well as those you've never met. Keep writing. Don't give up. And remember to always pay proper homage to your muses.

Insecure Writer's Support Group: May

2012-05-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

The insecurity I chose to write about for May is one that has plagued me ever since I chose to pursue writing as a vocation: Not being good enough. I know that we all feel that way at times, like we just don't have the skill or the drive to keep going. But I actually mean that I don't feel good enough to have been chosen by my characters to share their stories.

I take my responsibility as a writer very seriously. The characters who have taken up residence in my head chose me for a reason. Maybe because of my dry cool wit. Or my incomparable ability to make a writing analogy out of anything (and I do mean anything). Whatever their reasoning, they have stories to tell and I'm the vessel they've chosen to share them through. That's a huge weight on my shoulders because if I don't tell their stories, then their stories will never get told.

So. Much. Pressure.

When I first got the idea for my second current WiP, I knew that I'd latched onto something that was way out of my comfort zone. Some of the things the characters were showing me were downright awkward. Not to mention the sheer darkness that surrounds my main character. Don't get me wrong, I love me some dark personality, but this girl... well, she's just a bit darker than I'm used to. I'm pursuing the story nonetheless because they are very insistent little buggers and I do feel there is a significant nugget that only their story can uncover - that only I can uncover. But sometimes I feel like I'm not the best person for them to tell their stories to.

I'm neurotic. I'm indecisive. I'm fearful. I'm quirky. I'm a little obsessive. I procrastinate. I quote incessantly from my favorite movies and TV shows. Why in the world would any character trust me with her or his story?

Then again, writing isn't really part of this world. That's why we call it fiction.

How do you justify your characters choosing you as their vessel? When you start to doubt yourself, what makes you push through it?

Lucky Seven

2012-04-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

The lovely Laurel Garver tagged me for this little meme wherein I am required to post seven paragraphs from page 77 of one of my works in progress. Since my two current WiPs are nowhere near 77 pages, I'm opting to use my last manuscript, Collide. This page falls toward the end of a very dialogue-heavy scene (one I may actually be putting on the chopping block) so it's a bit of a cheat to do seven paragraphs since they aren't full paragraphs. Instead, I'm going to start with the first paragraph of page 77 and continue to the end of the scene, which is mid-page 78. Ugh, it's amazing how something can seem so awful a number of months later. Enjoy, despise, I don't really care. I just like being included in something. Oh! And the seven people I'm tagging are:

Kittie Howard
Mooderino at Moody Writing
An Alleged Author
Susan Fields
Julie Dao at Silver Lining
Lola Sharp at Sharp Pen / Dull Sword
Laura Marcella at Wavy Lines

Get busy, taggees!

Excerpt removed for protection purposes.

How's your Monday going? How many pages are you up to in your current WiP?

The Flipside of Support

2012-04-27T18:18:00.000-04:00

One of the most important things a writer can have is a strong support network. Writers tend to work in isolation, and having some form of contact makes the hours of solitude more bearable. I have a small network but it's made up of fiercely loyal people. I love them and it's amazing how vividly they imagine a future that I'm not even sure is possible for me. But there's a downside to this intense level of support: Failure.

When you have people who hold you up, who encourage you when you need it (and sometimes when you don't), the thought of failing is even more terrifying. I can deal with failing -- I've done it more than enough times -- but the thought of letting down my network, the people who actually believe I have talent even when I'm pretty sure I've exhausted my supply, that scares me more than any number of rejections ever could.

And believe me, I know rejection. It'd be the title of my Lifetime movie.

Personally, it's difficult for me to work at all when I know there's a possibility that I will fail the most important people in my life. Sometimes even the glimmer of possible success isn't enough to get me going.

Ironically, it's times like that when my network steps it up and pushes me to get moving because the biggest failure I could ever encounter is that of letting down myself, my dreams, and my potential.

Who makes up your support network? How do you reconcile the possibility of failure with the possibility of success? What keeps you going when everything inside you is telling you to give up?

Every Word Counts Two

2012-04-23T10:40:00.000-04:00

We live in a world dominated by numbers.

How much does this cost?
How many calories can I eat today?
How many hours should I exercise a week?
My credit card number is...
My health insurance ID is...
How many people did I speak to today?
What size is this shirt?
Buy two get one half off.
How much cash do I have on me?
I'm 650 miles away from an oil change.
I have a half hour for lunch.
I should be there in fifteen minutes.

Even writers, who claim to live by words, devote an absurd amount of time to thinking about their numbers.

How many words did I write today?
Did I visit enough blogs?
How many people follow me on Twitter?
What are my stats for this week?
That's my twenty-third rejection in four weeks.
I only have twelve days left before my deadline.
Am I making a profit?
If I don't find an agent by the time I'm [insert age here], I quit!

It disturbs me how focused we are on quantity. We set aside thirty minutes a day to spend with our families, not even thinking about the quality of the time spent together. It doesn't matter how good the words we add to our latest WiP are as long as they reach that arbitrary number we set for ourselves so we'd someday get the thing done. Who cares if we love what we do as long as we're raking in enough money?

10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

How important are the numbers, really? When you've attained a great age and are looking back on your life, are you going to remember how many words were in that letter you received from a long-lost friend or are you going to remember the words themselves?

Don't be a slave to numbers. Write with conviction. Write with courage. And most of all, write without fear -- whether that's ten thousand words a day or simply ten.

Every word counts.

Have much of your life do you spend with numbers?

Grasping for the Familiar

2012-04-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend, I returned to my college alma mater. I do this sometimes, especially when things in my life are getting a little out of control. Being on the campus and recalling all the great memories I have just brought a sense of peace to my soul. Unfortunately, since it has been a couple years since my last jaunt, I actually needed to print off directions to get myself around the area. The directions did me no good, however, because they were sending me on unfamiliar roads when my mind had already created traveling memories from the four years I spent there. Still, over time, the memories had gotten a little corroded so it was a challenge to remember when to head East and when to head West and when I actually should have been going North.

Once I got myself on the correct Route, things started to flow again. I'd remember that particular restaurant or this one store or that housing development that reminds me of the song "Pleasant Valley Sunday" by the Monkees. All those familiarities made the trip that much more enjoyable (and it was already pretty great).

Have you ever read a book that made you feel like you were in unknown territory? I don't mean the main character is married and you aren't so you can't relate. I also don't mean that it takes place in the South when you've never ventured beyond the Mason-Dixon Line. I'm thinking more along the lines of content. Perhaps you've never considered an alternate world existed where witches and wizards battled but you picked up Harry Potter. Or maybe you knew in the back of your mind that people are abducted and forced to live in terrifying conditions but you never really thought about it until you picked up Room by Emma Donoghue. When you find yourself in these kinds of literary situations, you may feel uncomfortable. In fact, you should feel uncomfortable.

Most authors know that what they're writing will probably put their readers in uncomfortable positions. This is good! We write to make people think, question, and engage, just as much as we write to simply tell a story. You might write from an experience that was meaningful to you but may cause your reader to squirm a little in her seat. This is when you throw her a bone and mention Justin Bieber or Saturday Night Live or the scent of a flower: You mix the unfamiliar with a dash of familiar. This keeps the reader involved because it calms her down a bit. You may have spent the last forty pages talking about something completely off your reader's wavelength but you can pull the two of you together again by tossing in a common ground. She'll keep reading and you can keep savoring the perverse joy of making others uncomfortable.

Because admit it: That is kind of fun.

What books have you read that made you feel uncomfortable? What did the author(s) do to make you keep reading?

The Warrior Within

2012-04-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have been on full paso doble mode this week and I have only one reason for it, my lovelies: This week, I conquered one of my fears. For the first time ever, I looked one of my fears in the face, said "screw you," and plowed through the damn thing. There are no words to describe the feeling that I've been carrying with me since I completed this project. No matter what the outcome of it, I can now approach seemingly insurmountable things and say to myself, "babe, you got this" (because I use such terms of endearment when I need a pep talk.) Now when I look at the other things filling up my bucket list, they don't seem so scary. Oh, don't get me wrong, there's some downright terrifying things on there, but doing one makes it seem possible to do them all.

On Monday, I encouraged you to chase your dream. To reach for the star specifically designed for you. To not give up. And while it's nice to think the path to your dream is lined with rainbows, it's not. At least, most paths aren't. (Some people's paths are. We do not like these people.) That's why today, I'm going to push you to find The Warrior Within.

When we think of the word "dream," we tend to imagine light, fluffy, happy things: Clouds, kittens, butterflies, unicorns playing beach volleyball, things of that nature. But really, even though we imagine our dreams are things that will make us happy, there is a lot of darkness that we need to get through before we find those unicorns. That darkness can be even too dark to illuminate with a lantern. Or your cell phone. Instead, you have got to fight.

Picture a warrior (and not my high school mascot -- that'll just give you nightmares). Strong. Brave. Perhaps decked out in war paint, scars, and a loin cloth (PG-rated, please). Weapons slung across the chest and back. Wind whipping hair around the face. Power. Fearlessness. Respect.

You have all these things somewhere inside you. You are already equipped with what it will take to make your dream come true.

You are strong.
Have you provided guidance or support to a fellow dreamer who found herself in the pits of doubt? That makes you strong.

You are brave.
Have you started a project that could ultimately land you in the realm of your dreams? That makes you brave.

You have your war paint on.
Have you found within yourself the mask you need to don in the face of negativity and criticism? That's your war paint.

You wear your scars.
Have you suffered the stings of a harsh critique and lived to tell the tale? Did it make you better at what you do? Then you're wearing your scars.

You've got your loin cloth.
Have you found the one thing that you can count on to make your vulnerabilities clear only to yourself? There's your loin cloth. (You didn't think I'd connect it, did you? Never underestimate my power to create analogies.)

You have your weapons.
Have you stowed away your ideas? your talents? your passions? your personal ways of thinking? Keep them safe. They are your weapons.

Your hair is whipping.
Have you been able to stand tall even when the winds of doubt and fear obstruct your vision? They're whipping your hair like a Willow Smith tune. (Yeah, I said it.)

You have power.
Have you captivated a single person with your passion or your projects? That's power.

You are fearless.
Do you return to your projects time and time again, even when you don't know how you're going to finish them or what may happen when you do? That's fearlessness.

You are respected.
Have you stuck with it, even when all you wanted to do was give up? Have you reached out to other like-minded dreamers and helped them to find their own inner warriors? That deserves respect.

Look, sometimes you need to have a plan of attack to get what you want. The starving bear doesn't wait for the fish to swim into its mouth.

Go get your dream. You're ready. Be strong and do not stop fighting until the battle is won.

Have you embraced The Warrior Within you?

You Look Better When You Reach

2012-04-09T15:04:00.000-04:00

I know you have a dream. A goal. A far-off star that you see shimmering somewhere in the path of your future. You wake up thinking about it. You fall asleep thinking about it. You talk about it. You talk yourself into going after it. You talk yourself out of going after it. You encourage yourself. You discourage yourself. Through all this, the star is there, waiting for you to reach for it.

It might tease you sometimes. Just when it seems within grasp, it hops back a pace. Or maybe as you approach it, it contorts itself into something else to scare you off. Maybe it calls one of its buddies to distract you from it, just so it can assess how badly you really want its light. When you prove yourself worthy, your star glows, sometimes even landing right in your lap but almost always landing within reach.

Have you ever noticed what you look like when you stand on tiptoe and stretch your hands high above your head? Your torso flattens out, your booty tucks in, your whole body looks longer and leaner. In the crassest terms, you look better when you're all stretched out than when you're holding yourself normally.

We were made to reach for our dreams. If we weren't, we'd have Tyrannosaurus Rex arms and Ozian munchkin legs. We have minds designed to expand, absorb, and imagine beyond our current situation, to embrace the differences of those around us and celebrate every change in our lives, even if it seems like a horrible change at the start. Don't ignore your design just because you're afraid of what might happen when you get your hands on that star. Remember: That star is in your path for a reason.

So as you amp up your workouts and increase your calorie deficit in order to prepare your physical body for the dreaded "swimsuit season," don't forget to keep reaching for that star. You look better when you're chasing a dream, anyway.

Are you afraid of chasing the star in your path? Have you ever reached out and finally grabbed a long-sought dream? What advice would you give to those circled in the shadow of fear that precedes success?

Insecure Writer's Support Group: April

2012-04-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today would be the twenty-eighth birthday of my friend Jamie. At seventeen, he was killed in a car accident. He was a musician, a troublemaker, a real-life Bart Simpson at times, but he was my friend. I knew the good inside him, especially when he couldn't even find it.

Whenever his birthday comes around, I always get a little sad. I know that his life should be celebrated but death makes people think differently about pretty much everything.

I don't look at my life as "running out of time." I've heard from many people that I need to get a move on finding a spouse because "you only have a few good years left" (seriously, I was told that to my face), that I need to get published "before it's too late," that I never know when I'll "have another chance" to do something. I assume all these things are meant to encourage but they actually make me feel worse about myself, the things I do, even how I think.

I know that a lot of us have dreams of publication. We devote hours upon hours to writing, rewriting, rerewriting, rererewriting... you get the idea. We try to build platforms and relationships. We try to find our way in a huge pond overcrowded with wannabe fish (that's right, I said "wannabe fish." Count it.) All of that is good. All of it is one step closer to realizing that dream. But I often see people so consumed by writing that they forget about their lives. The lives they're meant to be living. It's all well and good to say "writing is my life." But can't it just be a part of your life? Something you love, that you do regularly, that gives just one of many purposes to your daily existence?

I'm not telling you to give up, not by a long shot. And I'm not telling you that you have all the time in the universe to achieve your dream, because you don't. I just don't want you to miss out on everything else your life has to offer because you're so focused on one dream.

The average person dreams multiply times a night. I think it's cool to have multiply dreams when you're awake. They give you character.

And you know how important character is.

Have you ever had a moment that redefined how you thought about life, time, your dreams, or yourself? How has it changed you? your writing?

Like You Plan

2012-04-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

I took last week off from blogging in order to work on a non-writing project. Everything was going smoothly -- more smoothly than I anticipated -- until I reached the technology phase. It seems none of my equipment is compatible, one piece with another. Thus, I've needed to rummage around in my brain (and my family's brains) to figure out an alternative route to the completion of the project. As much as I've enjoyed working on this, I'm ready to have it done.

When we sit down to write, we usually have a goal to accomplish and an idea of how to do it. Some people outline their ideas beforehand, others choose to flesh it out as they go. It doesn't matter how you approach it, things are not going to go according to plan. Characters will evolve, plots will change, and what once seemed like such a simple story will grow into a complicated beast of an endeavor. You will yell, you will scream, you will throw things, you will poke people (sometimes real, sometimes imaginary) but eventually, it will all come together.

Really, the only way to satisfy your own plan is to let the plan satisfy itself. Which is actually a lot more work on your part than it should be.

How well do you stick to your plans? Or, rather, how well do your plans stick with you? Do you enjoy when things go off track or does such a thing make you want to grab your torch and pitchfork? How do you cope?

Happy Hunger Games!

2012-03-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

The Hunger Games hits big screens tomorrow and I am so excited! A void has embedded itself in my heart since Harry Potter ended and while Hunger Games really doesn't hold a candle to Harry (in my mind), it has provided some comfort during my period of mourning. It really won me over when it released that flaming mockingjay pin poster. Yeah. Awesomeness.

I used to not let myself get involved in series. Once you read the first book, you are pretty much required to read all subsequent books or else you won't feel complete. Okay, that might just be how I read series. And it's an awful way to read a series when the series really, really, really blows. I hate wasting my time.

However, my aversion to series alleviated a bit once I got involved with Harry Potter. Now, I'm writing my own little series. It's all manner of horrible right now but there's something exciting about it. In my previous novels, I knew it would only be one book so I only had a limited amount of time to spend with my characters. With a series, I know that I've got a good stretch to run with them. But there's a lot of pressure in writing a series, as well: You have to pay attention to a lot more detail, you need to keep your reader engaged for significantly more pages, and you need to somehow make your story standout from all the other series being written and published right now.

As challenging as my series is, it's also, hands down, the most fun I've had writing a novel. It's the least developed one I've started and I'm pantsing it even more than I've done with previous stories. It drives me crazy some of the time *cough*most of the time*cough* but this ride is pretty freaking awesome so I'm going to hang on until it's over

Have a fabulous weekend and may the odds be ever in your favor!

PS: I will be taking a little break from the blogging world as I'm going to be crazy busy for a while. I hope to return with a post on April 2. In the meantime, visit me on Twitter @EElleWrites and take care!

Have you ever endeavored to write a series? What was your experience like? What is your favorite literary series of all time and why?

Opposition Begets Conflict

2012-03-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Friday night, I saw a performance of Guys and Dolls at one of the local high schools. The best part of it was that the lead male characters (Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson) were played by best friends. They couldn't look more different: Nathan's actor is tall and round, with an adorable look about him and Sky's actor, while also tall, is very lean and striking. Both are talented and both are fun fellas to know. It was wonderful to see the pair of them playing alongside each other. To cap it off, they thanked each other in their actor bios found in the program. Aww.

Opposition sets the stage for conflict. When two characters don't (or won't) see eye-to-eye, that's where conflict brews. The fumes of conflict are tension and the rising of stakes, and they only dissipate when the conflict is resolved, either by mutual understanding or, as I prefer to write it, by force. Each side of the conflict needs to engage the reader in its own way so that she cares how the conflict is resolved. Otherwise, she's going to be donating that book to the library pretty quick.

I've known many people who call themselves writers and admit they don't like conflict in real life, so they don't include it in what they write. All their characters think the same, feel the same, even look the same. I've read some of this type of writing. I didn't like it. It bored me.

Look, very few people in the world enjoy conflict. Life would be so much easier without it but it's a natural result of differences and passion. That's why it makes for good reading! If a writer is afraid to approach conflict, then that writer is probably afraid to write.

Don't be afraid. Embrace the opposition. Write with passion. Everything else will follow.

Have you ever struggled with writing conflict? How do you utilize opposition in your writing? How different are you from your best friend? How are you the same?

The Power of the End

2012-03-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

When a new idea comes to me, it arrives end first. That's the only point of reference I'm given and I'm left to figure out how everything else gets there. This allows me a ton of freedom to create and destroy as I see fit, so long as I keep the last few scenes honest to the original vision. However, it causes a lot of problems when it comes to designing my characters.

When I first started working on my current WiP, I hysterically went to a trusted friend, informing her that I had no idea if one of my main characters was good or not. He felt dangerous and I didn't trust him, but all signs pointed to a hero. I was very confused. She encouraged me to explore the character without fear. Then she laughed. Not cruelly, because I'm pretty sure she can't laugh cruelly at anyone, but honestly. She then informed me she found it humorous that someone who writes such solid characters with such solid endings has so much trouble with beginnings.

I could list a number of reasons why I think this is, some likely, some profound, and some just donkey poo. The truth is, I don't really know why beginnings elude me. I don't know why I have to go through anywhere from six to thirty false starts before I find my way into my own idea. Perhaps it stems from lack of confidence. When I first start a novel, I'm going through a variety of emotions, the strongest being that I am not capable to do justice to the story. I move along slowly, watching my step, trying to stay on track. About a hundred or so pages in, I reach the "screw it" phase and everything falls into place a little faster. This leads to burnout around page 250, where I'm pretty much back to where I started as far as confidence goes. Then the 300th page usually brings me to the end, where I shine. (These numbers are obviously arbitrary. My first novel is over 400 pages and my second just over 200. My WiP is actually the first in a trilogy which means thousands of pages overall.)

Endings matter to me. If you hook me from the beginning, good for you, but if you don't deliver up to that final page, I'm afraid our future together looks bleak. Every part of a novel is important because they all work together to create the final product. However, I find an entire story is forgettable if the ending doesn't knock me out. That may be why I spend so much time with my endings, and probably why my beginnings suffer in the first draft.

What part of a novel matters the most to you as a reader? as a writer? Where do you struggle most in your drafts?

OT: Robins and Other New Things

2012-03-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

While backing out of the driveway last Thursday morning, I caught sight of a robin hopping along the street. I hit the brake and began to cry. Finally, the end of winter is imminent. The sun will be replacing the clouds more regularly. Warm temperatures will force my leather coat and Gryffindor scarf back into the closet. And I will return to my much-preferred state of pleasantness.

I hate winter. I truly do. I don't care that my birthday is smack in the middle of it. (Besides, my birthday is notorious for things going wrong and who wants to celebrate that?) I hate the cold. I hate snow. I hate ice. I hate having to wake up twenty minutes early so that my car has enough time to defrost its windows. And I really, really hate coats, gloves, and scarves. There are few things more irritating to me than having to rummage around in my purse with gloves on. I can't get my fingers on anything.

But the snow has melted around here and I have seen a couple robins since Thursday. Saturday I went to the store and compulsively texted my mom pictures of all the spring-related items on display. I even bought Easter window clings because they were only $0.97 and why shouldn't I put up window clings of bunnies and chicks and butterflies?

Spring signifies the newness of things to come. My new year really begins around this time. I start to dream again. I start to re-evaluate and plan for things I'd like to achieve before autumn returns. And I'm much nicer to be around, which makes life a little more bearable for everyone involved.

Are you excited for the arrival of spring? What would you like to achieve in the coming fair-weather months?

Insecure Writer's Support Group: March

2012-03-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

My writerly insecurities in the past month have stemmed from the need to engage in social networking. Stress at work has multiplied, I'm trying to balance my WiP with a new project that isn't completely writer-related, as well as seeking to maintain a life outside of the real-life office and the fictional worlds I oscillate between most often. Add to that a wrist injury that has rendered it impossible for me to hold more than a couple pounds in my left hand and two pretty severe bumps on my head, and it's a wonder I made myself get out of bed at all recently. As a result, I have spent little to no time on Twitter and even less time blog-hopping. It concerns me because I know that maintaining a virtual presence is integral to success in a lot of industries anymore. I write scheduled blog posts on the weekend, thinking that will open up time for me to engage in other platform-building activities during the week but it hasn't done anything of the sort. I do worry that one day I'll log onto Blogger or Twitter and find that all my followers have left me. (Not that I base my worth on how many followers I have but I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from.)

I'm pretty good at time management. Everything gets done -- and gets done right -- usually with no requests for extensions. But when it comes to managing everything in my writing life, well, it seems to fall more and more apart each week.

I want to produce the best work I possibly can. But how am I supposed to do that when my body shuts down at 6:00 and my brain follows shortly thereafter almost every day? And then to have enough energy to read tens of blogs, to touch base with all the people I care about, and to participate in writerly activities? It makes me tired just thinking about it.

I guess if this is the worst thing I have to complain about, I'm doing pretty well. But I do wish I could be more involved. Hopefully I won't be forgotten during this time of readjustment.

How do you manage to balance all the things that go into maintaining a balance in your writing life? Do you find yourself feeling guilty for the time not spent engaging with your peers?

Putting in the Work

2012-03-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

I haven't exactly been subtle regarding my aspiration to become the healthiest, fittest version of myself possible. To do so, I've taken the old-fashioned route: a combination of healthy diet and regular exercise that results in more calories burned than taken in. Anyone who's ever tried to lose weight this way knows it takes hard work, constant motivation, and a huge helping of mind over matter. Some days, I want to give it up. I want to have a bowl of ice cream or watch an hour of TV sitcoms (or do both at the same time!). These are usually the days after a really intense workout that leaves my whole body tingling, or days when food isn't particularly an option due to previous commitments. But when I get on the scale or wrap that measuring tape around myself Sunday morning and I see another pound lost or another two inches gone, it doesn't seem like such a challenge to pick a banana over a cookie or skip Everybody Loves Raymond in favor of another killer workout.

I won't lie: Occasionally I do wish I didn't see results. If I wasn't getting results, then I could say "well, diet and exercise don't work. Let's take a different [re: easier] route." The truth is, diet and exercise have been working for me for almost four years. I slack sometimes but because I've seen what can happen when I put the work in, it's easy for me to get back on track.

I've been going through a slacking period in my writing. I have a thousand excuses to explain it away but really, it comes down to not being willing to put the work in. I want to veg right before bed rather than scribble out a couple hundred words. I'd rather have lunch with a co-worker than sit alone in my office, choking down another PB&J sandwich while trying to hear my characters' voices over the screaming children in the lobby. But the same thing applies: I've seen the results of working diligently on a story. It's not going to write itself so something has to give.

I have to give. Just a little bit every day. Words will turn into pages of words and, eventually, I'll reach the end. Which, of course, will only be the beginning of yet another adventure.

Do you have a hard time putting in the work? What do you do to get yourself back on track toward achieving your goals?

Alex J. Cavanaugh's "Catch Fire!" Blog Party!

2012-02-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

In the writing community, there are few ninjas as awesome and supportive as Alex J. Cavanaugh. That's why we are celebrating the release of his new book CassaFire. It comes out today -- that's right, TODAY! Want to know more? I've got the deets below:

CassaFire

by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaStar was just the beginning…

The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.

The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities.

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

Available today!

Science fiction - space opera/adventure

Print ISBN 978-0-9827139-4-5, $15.95, 6x9 Trade paperback, 240 pages

EBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-6-9, $4.99, available in all formats

CassaFire is the sequel to Cavanaugh’s first book, CassaStar, an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller:

“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

But that's not all! Alex has also embarked on a blog tour which runs until March 9. Follow him like the groupie you know you want to be, comment on his posts, and have a chance to win a pretty sweet collection of CassaFire merchandise.

If all goes according to plan, we'll have CassaFire at the top of the best-sellers list! If the plan fails... well, it won't fail. Failing is not an option.

Support our resident ninja! He'd do the same for you. :o)

OT: Supporting to the Point of Selfishness

2012-02-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Are you a fan of something? I'm a fan of many people, places, and things. I've had passions that developed into obsessions that petered back out into sanity. I've liked. I've loved. I've adored. I'm proud to be a fan of the things I enjoy, even when many of them are "guilty pleasures." I've learned a lot from the people, places, and things I have supported. They've helped me to become who I am today.

It's important to support people outside of ourselves. Doing so expands our worlds and imaginations. However, there is a point where our support becomes more selfish than anything else.

After Adele swept the Grammys earlier this month, a report came out that she was quitting music for four to five years. She has since corrected this report, assuring fans that while a few days' break is in order, she has no intention of leaving the world of music, even for love. When the first report came out, an uproar shook the music industry as fans and general well-wishers informed her she was making the wrong choice. The DJ on the radio station I pull in at work went so far as to say "what will I do without Adele's music for five years?"

Now, I like Adele as much as the next person. She's incredibly talented and I'm all for supporting the big girls in Hollywood. (She's also freaking cool.) But let's think about this: She is a person. She has a life that she lives outside of the recording studio and off the stage. She has a home, pets, family, friends. Doesn't she have as much a right as anyone else in the world to balance work and home as she sees fit?

The danger of fandom is thus: As fans, we tend to assume we know what's best for the people we support. After all, we love them. Why would we want to put them in harm's way? The fact of fandom is thus: We do not know what's best for the people we support. Most of us will not meet the people we admire. Most of us will not develop long-lasting relationships with them. Most of us won't even know what their favorite colors are. The joy of being a fan is that we can enjoy the work they produce without all the everyday drama.

It's important to remember the humanity of the people we admire. They're just doing their jobs (and getting paid a lot more than the rest of us to do so). They have people above them they have to answer to. While they love and appreciate their fans, push comes to shove, they need to do what's best for themselves and their work.

Don't worry, though. We'll get along somehow.

Have you ever had an obsession? Are you anyone's biggest fan?

My First Guest Post

2012-02-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today I am guest posting over at My Literary Jam and Toast. If you don't follow Mia Hayson, you are missing out. If you don't know Mia Hayson, you are missing out. Stop missing out! Click, follow, and get to know her. See you there!

I'll be back to posting here on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend, my lovelies!

Two-Year Blogiversary: A Celebration of YOU!

2012-02-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Two years ago today, I entered the blogosphere. I had no idea what I was doing and winged it, learning most of what I know from, well, you. Discovering your voices, getting to know some of you really well, others not so much. Learning about the writing industry and the people who make it function. Gaining followers, losing followers. Debuting on Twitter and still not getting the hang of it (seriously, how do you post pictures in a tweet?) It's been an interesting run.

Some days I think about tearing down the blog, disappearing from the 'sphere. Those are the times when I take an hiatus. I step back and watch the rest of you while rediscovering myself (which is not as dirty as it sounds). I read. I write. I watch a lot of movies. And I come back. Not necessarily reinvigorated and ready to do whatever it takes to make a mark in this crazy community but more desperate for your companionship. For your personalities, which are so varied it's like a cornucopia exploding with colors, no two the same shade.

I've watched some of you sign with agents. I've bought some of your debut novels. I've visited your blogs. I've replied to your tweets. I've read posts about how life has tripped you up, again, and you need a little help getting to your feet. I've read posts where you're full to bursting with excitement. I've offered encouragement and inspiration the best ways I know how because I care about you. I want what's best for you. I want all your dreams to come true at just the right time so that they blow even your imaginations.

I don't know if I'll ever find a space on the bookshelves (if bookshelves even exist in a hundred years). I don't know if you'll get the flutter of joy for me that I get when I see your books on the shelves, your names on the cover, and know that I know you, even a small part of you, that I watched your story go from Shiny New Idea to bestselling novel. I don't know if I'll even celebrate a three-year blogiversary. But I do know one thing: You guys are pretty amazing, if for no other reason than you welcomed an outcast with no social life and a bizarre sense of humor into your community when you could just have easily have shut her out.

So thanks, from the bottom of my heart. Today, my two-year blogiversary, I toast you.

*Clink*

Origins Blogfest

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the Origins Blogfest, hosted by three of the shnazziest fellas in the writing community: DL Hammons, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and Matthew MacNish. Click the links to their respective blogs, follow, and have some fun reading how others in the community came to realize their passions for writing.

My own writing origin began at birth, or so the legend goes. My mother claims I was born with a pen and paper in my hand. I can't imagine that was a very pleasant birthing experience but there you have it. Before she taught me how to write, I would scribble on pieces of Lisa Frank stationery, then request she read my story. This made for many exasperated statements (i.e. "That's not what it says, Mommy.") and imaginative storytellings.

In elementary school, we often composed short stories as assignments to help improve our penmanship. My first grade teacher always returned my pieces with comments in the corner, encouraging me to continue writing. So I did. (Not too good at thinking for myself back then.) In second grade, the school required we enter a short story contest. I placed first at the district level and second at the regional level with a story about a young Native American girl who rescued a very westernized marketplace from a rogue buffalo by throwing said buffalo into a nearby lake. (I assume it drowned. I didn't give much closure on that point.) By third grade, I'd solidified myself as a storyteller with aspirations for publication. It was also about that time when I discovered the escape writing offered: From bullies, daily taunting sessions, and the sadness that tainted my normally cheery demeanor as I realized the darkness that lives in the world.

I did fall out of love with writing as a teenager. I got involved in various performances and found myself enamored with the stage. I debated between four possible majors before settling on English in college. Some days I wish I'd taken a different path, just to see what my life would be like now. One thing I'm sure of: I doubt I'd ever have met the wonderful blogging buddies I have in the past two years if I'd done anything other than writing.

Writing's always been part of my life. It's always existed in the shadows. The pull tightened and slackened, sometimes demanding my attention, sometimes simply wishing to be remembered. It waited patiently for me to recall the passion I had as a single-digit teacher's pet, when I first learned that words don't just create conversation: They sometimes create life itself.

When did your writing dream begin?

Supporting Stars

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

As a teen, my goal in life was to be on Broadway. Naturally, I wanted to take starring roles: Sandy in Grease, Mimi in RENT, Aida in Aida, you get the picture. Regardless of the fact that I am neither blonde, nor Hispanic, nor African-American, I felt best suited to play those roles. I loved the spotlight.

Okay, I still love the spotlight. I love being on stage and few things make me as happy as knowing I've touched someone through a performance. However, it isn't the only thing in my life. Since adolescence (actual adolescence, not the adolescence my heart vacations in), I've learned to look beyond the starring roles to the supporting players, without whom a performance is only a little more than nothing.

I tend to write strong supporting characters. Their voices are clearer and their personalities more defined than my MCs, especially in the first draft. Sometimes I find that my SCs are outshining their primary counterparts! It's something that I work on as I progress because the main characters are such for a reason.

However, that does not diminish the importance of the supporting cast. Every character who contributes to your story has to be as fleshed out and multidimensional as possible because even if it's just an old man who comments on the bizarre behavior of youth, if he is not as crisp as possible, you may lose your reader. You don't want that now, do you?

As for my penchant for performance, I actually found that I'm better suited to play Maureen in RENT and Amnersis in Aida. And I'm pretty sure I could rock the crap out of Rizzo's role in Grease. Eat your heart out, Zuko.

How much attention do you pay to your supporting cast? Who are some of your favorite supporting characters from books? film? TV? music videos?

All's Fair in Love and Word Wars

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

First, I want to say a huge THANK YOU and HELLO to my new followers! *Waves and jumps up and down* *Offers plate of chocolate chip pancakes* I'm so happy that you're here. I hope you stop back again soon. I follow all my followers in return so if I haven't shown up in the little collection of faces on your blog, it's because I don't have a link to do so. Let me know how I can get to your site so that we can be blogging buddies.

Speaking of blogging buddies, I had a fun little word war with longtime BB Kristin Rae Friday night. While making my weekly appearance on Twitter, I saw that she was spending her evening writing. I casually said I was considering doing the same. She then suggested a word war to motivate me. We set aside thirty minutes and then jumped into our respective novels. The final tally was 505 words for Kristin and 589 for yours truly.

I loved this experience. It felt like freewriting back in college, when I just wrote down whatever popped into my head without stopping. When I reread what I'd written, I saw that a new event was brewing to get me from the end of Chapter One into the next pivotal scene. I was thrilled! In all the false starts I've had, that connection was something I struggled with.

I'm not the type of writer who blocks out her schedule to simply write. I write when I have the time and the fewest distractions. Sometimes that produces 10 words, sometimes 1,010. I'm proud of any progress I make, especially after so many months of standing still. But I am especially grateful to Kristin for giving me a little push. It wasn't how I usually spend my Friday evenings but at least I've moved ahead in what is proving to be the most difficult piece I've ever tortured myself into writing.

Today's post is my 200th contribution to the blogosphere! *Confetti explosion* My two-year blogiversary is on the immediate horizon as well. Should I do something to celebrate?

Have you ever participated in a word war? How'd you do?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: February

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is my first contribution to the Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click the link to find out more about it and possibly join.

I've always harbored an internal editor. She's a vicious piece of work that manages to downplay every literary accomplishment I set out to achieve. During the first draft process, I eventually get to a point where I can tune her out and focus on getting the words down, regardless of their quality. I haven't reached that point yet with my current WiP.

Internal editors serve a great purpose. If nothing else, they remind us that we actually do know what we're doing, even if we choose to ignore right versus wrong in favor of getting the ideas out of our brains and into something coherent on paper. Unfortunately, they can also discourage us, sometimes to the point of ceasing work on our projects.

I have learned not to silence my internal editor. I let her rant and rave and keep me from moving past two hundred words in four days. When she gets it out of her system, then I can crank up the volume on what I do: Writing like there's no tomorrow, even if it results in the traditional s***** first draft. When revisions come around, I'm more than willing to tune back into her debasing criticisms. She's only looking out for me and my writing, after all.

How do you cope with your internal editor?

Ode to the Easily Distracted

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder how I got through college. I had all kinds of roommates: The Social Butterfly, the Isolated, the One Who Was Never Around, and the Best Friend. Somehow I managed to not only get my work done around all these different personalities but I got it done on time and received decent grades. I focused and nothing pulled me away.

Except instant messages like "Union at 5?" or "Alternate chapel at 7?" or "Movie at 8:30?" or "Boyfriend just dumped me. Fatty food ASAP!"

All very reasonable distractions.

After college, I had to move back home like the loser I am. While all of us recognize that we are separate people living separate lives, doing our own things but reuniting as a family for movies and Everybody Loves Raymond reruns, I am quicker to locate shiny objects now than when I was in college.

Vacuum running? Better check on the cat.
Telephone ringing? Probably shouldn't make anyone else get that.
Parent singing while making dinner? I should go help.
TV rumbling in bedroom next door? I wonder what's on....
Kitty meowing? Play time!

You see the predicament I'm in.

I love my family. They've always been very supportive of my endeavors as a writer. For the most part, if the door is shut, they don't bother me. But sometimes they can't help themselves and sometimes I get curious about what's going on in the rest of the house. An open door invites a lot of distraction.

Which is why my weekly quota of 5000 words has yet to be met in the month of January. No matter how hard I try to focus, I can't help looking up at a face being pulled, or listening to a story being told, or accepting open arms ready to comfort after a really horrific day.

Besides, it's not really their fault I can hear like a bat. Or that my sense of smell is so sensitive an extinguished candle can give me a headache.

Although, who else can I blame for my being easily distracted? It's genetic, right?

How do you block out the distractions of everyday life?