Ineffective habits?
The January 2011 issue of RWA’s Romance Writers Report included an article titled “The Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective (Has-Been) Authors.” Although I can’t quite be a has-been when I’m still a never-was, it got me thinking about my own bad habits. In the article, Diane Farr asks: “What bad...
Meeting in the morning
In about 12 hours, I’ll be at my RWA chapter meeting. I’m definitely looking forward to it — all the more because I do not have to rush back to the office afterward. That’s right: I have the whole weekend off. I fully intend to take advantage of it...
Setting writing goals
A couple of months ago, I wrote an article for my RWA chapter newsletter about the Do’s and Don’ts of Setting Writing Goals. I thought I could use a refresher course before I craft some very attainable goals for the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood Winter Writing Festival. So how does...
Approaching rapidly
Jan. 10 will be here before I know it. That means it’s time to craft my goals for the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood Winter Writing Festival. But before I do that, I feel a need to create some writing resolutions for 2011. 2010 was a very successful year for me....
Looking back
I doubt this will be my last post of the year (I certainly hope not!), but I thought it was as good a time as any to look back at what I’ve done this year. That’s right: I was catching up on my Word Count Countdown spreadsheet and realized...
Great news
It’s been more than 24 hours and I’m still not over the excitement of learning I’m a finalist in the First Coast Romance Writers Beacon Contest for unpublished writers. (You can see the proof here, in the list of finalists.) This is especially exciting because it’s my first-ever contest...
No turning back
I registered for the Golden Heart the other day … with two manuscripts. Yes, I think I might be nuts — or at least I’ll be driving myself nuts soon as I to finish editing two GH entries before the NaNoWriMo starts on Nov. 1. All that and I...
Getting ready
NaNoWriMo is just around the corner, and I’m all in. In 2009, I participated for the first time. My goal was to finish a novel I’d already started, “Blind Date Bride.” I had about 40K to go. I only got 25K written during NaNo, but finished my...
Dirty little secret
Every few months, it wallops me upside the head. What is it, you ask? Nothing good, that’s for sure. It’s the fear that, even after years of writing — and getting a degree in journalism, I still don’t have a clue what I’m doing. The familiar foe hit me...
Silly stumbling block
One of the goals I set out at our July NARWA meeting was to send at least two queries on “Beauty and the Ballplayer.” Well, it’s still not done, even though the meeting is a week away. What’s stopping me? It’s ridiculous, really. I keep telling myself (rather stupidly)...