RWA 2012 - Day One

Packed my bag last night. Yep one bag. VERY heavy.

Got up at 5:45 this morning, Ugh. With a capital U.

Drove the hour to Dayton, OH.Splurged and parked in a luxury valet site, even getting the oil changed in my truck while I'm gone. Very nice to have full service.

Check in was fun. Two separate couples in front of me had the strangest checked 'luggage'. Couple one took over 45 mins to check in with their three children and two unknown animals in their two crates. I never did get a good look but I'm thinking cats or maybe ferrets. I watched at they had to use a drill to put holes in the crates all the way around. That was great for the animals! Then run zip ties through each set of holes. TWO crates, may I remind you. Then, after that task was complete (Which the solitary male ticket attendant on duty did not multi-task like any good woman and usher anyone else through while he waited on the task to be completed.) next came a mountain of paperwork for each crate along with I'm not sure what all documentation needed to be strapped to the crates as well as individual bags of food.  And I'm not even to the good part of the story yet.  Next, he picks up both crates.  I'm thinking, here we go, finally he'll put them on the conveyor belt and it'll be my turn soon; I'm second in line.  Nope, hopes are dashed. He steps over the baggage scale and walks across the lobby to a special door in the corner with a TSA person.  There is another 10 min or so lost while he helps them check the animals there.

SERIOUSLY?

They couldn't have been directed gone over there in the first place?  Has no one heard of efficiency?

While this is going on a second ticket agent has shown up. Poor gentleman has the good fortune of getting the one person who is checking a FIREARM! Really?  This is a post 9/11 world!  Where have you been?????  Best part, it only took them five minutes to fill out the necessary paperwork and turn over the item. That's it.

Here's your lesson. Animals are considered more dangerous on a plane than a firearm. Next time, ship the animals UPS and pack your gun.

Storms are still a brewing in the Dayton, OH area and in Chicago, my connecting flight to Anaheim, CA. I will get to the RWA Conference. I know I will.  And dearest Susan Gee Heino will be waiting with a frosty cold one. I'm going to really need it.



*****11:48am UPDATE******
In bound flight was just cleared to land. Yay! Hopefully, I'll be Chicago bound soon!

Headed to RWA 2012!!!!!

I'm heading out next Tuesday for the 2012 Romance Writers of America Conference in Anaheim, CA.  I absolutely, cannot, wait!  Six days of girl time with my favorite authors.

Last night, I got together with the highly talented historical romance author, Susan Gee Heino and planned my wardrobe for the week. I have picked several very exciting and beautiful dresses along with matching shoes. In my small social sphere I'm well known for my addiction to footwear. See below picture of my must haves!

I can already see that one or two of my favorites is missing.  I really need a taller shelving system, don't I?

So, after planning what I should pack, we moved on to what goals I would like to accomplish during the event itself.  Here is where I might go a bit fan girl crazy. You see, I'm a big, HUGE some might say, Sabrina Jeffries fan. I own every book she's ever written. Even the anthologies.
I buy them on release day.
Always.


Doesn't she just look like a lovely, fun person to know?

I have made it my goal, albeit not a writerly growth goal, to meet Ms. Jeffries during those few days.  That being said...I have also warned dearest Susan that I, in all likelihood, will probably make a fool of myself and bumble my own name.  If I can even spit it out.

I have given Susan the task of getting my picture, if I am still up right and conscious. Sabrina, if you are reading this (which I hope you are!) Please do not be worried that I am one of those crazy fans who is going to stalk you right into the ladies room, nor am I going to jump up and down and scream. Well, at least I hope not, anyway. But, in all seriousness, I have read your stories for all of my adult life.  Some of them upwards of ten times! You are big part of why I have begun the monumental task of putting my stories in front of people who are going to critique my work, judge me. Decide if I can change my official occupation to Writer.

Her kind words of encouragement written on her website to her fans helped me find the gumption to dive into the writing world wholeheartedly.

I realize that I am staring into the face of great opportunity at this conference.  There are important workshops given by amazing authors. Agents, editors, publishers....the list goes on of the who's who in the publishing industry that I will be rubbing shoulders with. I plan to attend everything I can. But, from the heart of a young girl, the most exciting aspect of this coming week is that I'll get to meet someone who's words made my heart leap, sore, dive and love. I can only hope I get the chance to say thank you.

Don't forget to check back in.  I will have plenty of pictures and stories to post!

A Lady and her Wolf

To all our dear followers; readers and authors alike,

I have been on my writing journey for nearly a year now and am coming to the portion of my novel where I'm wrapping up the various mysteries and romances. With that in mind I'd like to ask a favor of you all. What are your opinions on the short blurbs at beginnings of chapters?

You see, I'm writing a historical romance/mystery. If you are a follower of Sabrina Jeffries you'll be familiar with what I'm talking about. For several books now she's had snippets of correspondence between two characters at the beginning of each of her chapters. If you aren't aware, she's finally come out with the story where these two have the starring roles.

I have employed this same tack in my current piece of work. I did, however, put my own spin on the technique. I've used the secret diary entries of my leading lady's great aunt, from the age when she was on the marriage mart.

I have included the first entry for your perusal.

Sept 17, 1715

Today I received this journal as a gift from my father for my sixteenth birthday. After much consideration I have decided I will use this wonderfully made tool to document my search in such hopes that it will help me chronicle a categorical search culminating in the discovery of the legendary Settrington jewels. I have armed myself with a copy of the poem my father shared with me. I shall begin by systematically searching the household for hidden rooms, passageways, and compartments. My hope is that through these efforts I will be led down the path to discovery or at the very least leave behind a detailed path of my journey that one of my descendants might be compelled to continue.

Remember, these are the diary entries of a long dead relative. Though both women are after the same goal. The heroine of this story lives in 1813 England and is the tender age of 19.

Thoughts? Ideas? Criticisms?

Sincerely,

Michele Buchholz

Getting to Know You...Part Five

Today we are interviewing Michele Buchholz.

FF: How long have you been writing?
My journey started four and a half years ago after my oldest son was born. I’ve always loved to read, and being a stay at home mom I burned through our small town library pretty fast. Throughout my life I’ve taken creative writing classes and literature studies, even tried my hand at poetry. One day, I was conversing with my husband about how bored I was, because let’s face it, a baby doesn’t offer much interaction for an adult who’s used to working full time. And did I mention we’d relocated 1200 miles away from anyone I knew, thanks to the hubs new job. So, smart man that he is, he suggested I write something for a change.

FF: What genre do you write in?
I took my love of historical romances and wove in a mystery. I absolutely love getting lost in history. Dreaming of a simpler time coupled with the glitz and glamour bestowed upon the romanticized peerage. I grew up sharing, discussing and solving mysteries with my grandmother. She instilled in me a deep love of literature; some of my earliest memories are reading Go Dog Go with her. And isn’t everyone just mesmerized by the party tree at the end of the book?

FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.
“Washed Ashore” is about bored and lonely Lady Lenora Brightly. Ensconced at her family’s island estate in the Northern English Isles she discovers a ship and a naked man wrecked on the rocks outside her private harbor. As a shipwrecked spy, Nathanial must decide how deeply to embroil his rescuing angel in her father’s world of espionage. A dance of intellect begins as the two ensnare each other in a web of secrets and attraction. Through intrigue and deception they work together to smuggle him off the island under the Royal Guard’s nose. Lenora pins all her hopes on him. Will he deliver her the story book ending she desires?

FF: Are you currently working on a novel?
Yes, a historical romance set in 1813 England. Nineteen year old Lady Elena St. John has spent the last three years running an impoverished barony and searching for a hidden family treasure. She is plagued by the ghost of Lady Katherine, the one who devised the secret, complete with clues, though the apparition refuses to give up any answers. Enter Lord James Stewart, Earl of Richmond, who had inherited the barony upon the death of Elena’s grandfather during his decade of absence from England. On the run from the match-making machinations of the Ton he escapes to this forgotten barony. Frustration mounts as Elena, desperate to hide her family’s smuggling business, deflects James’ curiosity with the legendary hidden treasure. They embark on a journey of discovery following the clues to the treasure and each other’s hearts.

FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?
Best advice, I’d have to say is this quote, “Writing is more about re-writing and editing.” Every time I’m ready to give up and bang my head on my laptop, I’ve reminded myself the phoenix always rises from the ashes. I’ve found that it’s fairly easy to get the bones of the story out on the page. The hard part is sitting through the editing process and putting your work out there for someone else to critique. You have to be very open to change and more change. Fine tuning, re-working and completely deleting your ‘darlings’ has been the toughest on me.


I am an avid reader of Historical Romance and lover of mystery. Reading and writing are my favorite pastimes. Whether by the fireplace on a cold winter’s night or soaking up the hot summer sun, I find the opportunity to indulge in imagination. I am married to a very supportive and patient engineer who corrals our two miniature gentlemen-in-training, for which I am very grateful.

ePublishing - The Cover Image

As you all know we at Fiction Flurry have recently been working on publishing our first anthology of short stories. During this process we've learned quite a few things which we'd like to share with you.

Seven of us chose to write short pieces for inclusion in our first publication. During the conception of this project we batted around a bunch of ideas, carefully wrote out a to do list and bravely got started. Each author forayed into their own imagination to create a short story.

At our next group meeting we shared a short synopsis of our personal creations. Then we set out on the Herculean task of a cover concept. One author stepped forward and undertook the task of perusing sites that offer photos for publication use. Several eMeetings over email later we all agreed on the summer beach theme.

Introduce Jennifer Unruh, my wonderfully creative sister. Jen has worked in the advertising industry for several years. She has a natural eye for photography and an artistic sense of design. Frequently she will walk into our father's enormous farm shed and emerge with works of art worthy of any showroom. So, as sister's do, I begged a favor for our first self-publishing endeavor. And, well, she agreed.

Now, my sister is no stranger to the creative arts by any means. She has tackled multiple projects for my job that pays the bills at a real estate and mortgage broker. She has created commercials, videos, light shows and much, much more. So, this was a relatively easy assignment. True to form, she gave us a finished project more beautiful than we could have imagined.

Thank you Jen for the amazing cover you cobbled together from the ideas of seven creative individuals!

Please keep checking back for more details as we get nearer to publication in July 2011.

Fiction Flurry Announces Anthology

Big News! 

Fiction Flurry is excited to announce the publication of a very special e-book:  A collection of short stories that will warm your heart like a sunny day at the beach. Tales of falling in love and finding romance that mends the broken heart, romance that's just for fun, romance from days gone by, and romance that lasts forever.

Dip your toes into Tales of Summer Romance from the writers of Fiction Flurry with titles ranging from "The 'I Do' Blues" to "Washed Ashore" to "Full Circle," and featuring one short by our very own Susan Gee Heino (author of Mistress by Mistake, Damsel in Disguise and her new release, Temptress in Training)!

Summertime is heating up, so grab a cool drink, kick back, and get swept away by a flurry of summer romance

Check back for downloading options and more details...

arrival date July, 2011. 

Critique Partners: A Love and Hate Relationship

I don't know about you but a critique partner is a must in my world. I love and loath these meetings with my writing girlfriend. We both work so diligently to put our imaginary worlds down on paper. We agonize over all the details and are so invested in our characters, we become emotionally tied to their struggles as our own. Then, we give them over for that trusted friend to critique, caress, question, and annihilate. We lay our souls bare and hope we don't have to "kill any of our darlings".

I look forward to my meetings with my girlfriend with nervous anticipation. I know for a fact she's going to poke the sore spots, divulge the obvious glares and call me out on the contradictions and fabrications. I know these things need to be done to make my story better. But anticipation of the pain tends to exponentially increase the awaited outcome. When you don't know about the rock from the mower that is going to hit you in the back, as you lay comfortably on your lawn chair reading a book, it is less painful than the one you see flying at you from the spinning tire of the car, passing you on a walk.

Thankfully, my friend always follows her criticisms quickly with words of praise and appreciations of my plot twists. And, I know my turn for roasting her work will come soon. Mind you, that doesn't mean I take any pleasure out of pointing out the short comings in her work. In fact, there are times when I'm more energetic about the possible plots twists she could work into the story line than she is. Those instances she must talk me back to the path she intends to meander along.

If you don't have a critique partner to bounce ideas off of, you should. Having a creative sounding board is priceless. There have been numerous times we have spent hours hashing out story lines only to discover they don't work with the over-riding purpose of the novel. Had I spent the days writing, weeks waiting for my work to be reviewed by my writing group and agonizing sessions of editing the errors out of the story I would have been truly down trodden and desolate. However, in the space of coffee and doughnuts she and I have built and torn down several possibilities before settling on the most viable scenario.

But, be forewarned, the position of Critic is not for the the light of heart. Do not choose the love of your life, best friend or family member. Nor should you choose a candidate based on convenience sake. You don't want to wake up to blue Kool-aid Powder in the shower head due to retaliation from a loved one who didn't win the word war the night before. Similarly, you don't want that treasured friend to give you negligent feed back for fear of 'crushing your dream'. You want a true Critic, who will give you the good, the bad and the un-print-worthy. This must be a person of strong fortitude, willing to do battle over purpose and plausibility. They must be able to see the weakness in your writing AND help to make your story better.

It is easy to find fault in others, it is difficult to choose the path you intend to trod.

So I would like to say Thank You!

Not only to my friend Michele D. for the late evenings at my house with thing 1 and thing 2. But also, to my Sister for having the patience to put up with my neurotic schedule and delays between submissions. I know you're dying for the end of the story!

And lastly, to my writer friends here on Fiction Flurry for letting me in on the club. Without all of your input my story wouldn't be anywhere near what it has become.

Author Interview: Michelle Muto

THE BOOK OF LOST SOULS

by Michelle Muto

Synopsis

When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like father, like daughter. Ivy has heard it all before – that her father, who left when she was seven – was involved with the darkest of magic.

Making the rumors worse, someone uses an evil spell book to bring back two of history’s most nefarious killers. Ivy’s got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits that want her and her friends dead: the school’s resident bad boy and hotter-than-brimstone demon, Nick Marcelli. Nick’s offering Ivy more than his help with recovering the missing book – he’s offering her a way to ditch her scaly reputation as a lizard-lover. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and as Ivy soon discovers, it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to survive long enough to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end.

Hunks, hexes, and magical mayhem!

Amazon for Kindle
Barnes & Noble for Nook
Smashwords for eBook
Coming soon to iBook, Sony, Kobo, and more!

INTERVIEW With Michelle

FF: Let's start with a little bit about your back ground.

Michelle: I'm married, with dogs. Yes, one of them really IS a Beezlepup. Kidding. But, he is the inspiration for Devlin, the Beezlepup in the book. By day, I'm a freelance tech writer when the work is there, and a fiction writer when it's not. As a kid, my favorite past time was spending hours at the library or entire rainy afternoons reading. I guess I've always wanted to be surrounded by the written word.

FF: We love the fresh spin on the supernatural world! How did you come up with the idea for Book of Lost Souls?

Michelle: I've always loved stories about witches. Who wouldn't want to be magic? And, I've always loved humorous stories. There's just not enough of them, in my opinion. One day, this small town teen witch came to mind. All she wanted was a normal, verycontrollable life. Despite her best efforts, she discovers her life is as far from normal as it gets and at times, it's total chaos

FF: What can readers expect out of this story?

Michelle: I hope some good laughs, some palm-sweating, swoon-worthy romance, and loyal friendship. Oh, and a cast of eclectic, memorable characters along with some fast-paced action.

FF: What forms of research did you do for this novel? Anything unique?

Michelle: I did some research on Vlad the Impaler and Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Creepy.

FF: Can you tell us more about your current projects?

Michelle: I'm editing a darker, more emotional tale, set in a different world than Souls and writing a new book.

FF: Any teasers about what you’ll be publishing next?

Michelle: It's a heart-rendering, haunting tale of a girl who discovers death isn't at all what she thought it'd be. In places, I think it's a guaranteed tear jerker. In others, it's downright horror. And the ending is well, you'll have to wait until this summer to read it. Think a darker, more supernatural novel in the vein of The Lovely Bones.

FF: Any advice for aspiring author's on the publication process?

Michelle: Write. Always keep writing. Keep digging into your work and find areas where you need improvement. And always let your imagination run wild.

FF: Lastly I’d like to blast a few personal tidbits out to our readers

A must when you are writing...

Complete solitude and quiet. No music, no interruptions.

Book you are currently reading...

The Rite, by Matt Baglo. I meant to read the book before

I saw the movie,

but it didn't work out that way.

Favorite Quote...

If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right. ~Henry Ford

Thank you for the opportunity to pick your brain Michelle. I thoroughly enjoyed Lost Souls and

am eagerly anticipating your next project.

My Muse and Inspiration

Unfortunately, it has been a few weeks since I've had the opportunity to write. Both my sister and grandmother are clamoring for the next installment of my manuscript and frankly so am I. Not only have I missed creating my characters and their world but honestly I want to know what happens next. I guess you'd classify me as a 'seat of your pants' writer. This is my second attempt at my first novel. Yep, you read that right. Second attempt, first novel four years into the process at this point.

Shrieks are coming from the floor beside me as I type this post. Both my children are home and running rampant as usual. So what is a girl to do when there are constant distractions and interruptions. Why the answer is simple...build yourself a creative writing world!

My adoration and appreciation go out to Sabrina Jeffries, one of my favorite writers. I took her advice to heart and I'm going to share it with you.

"First, learn to be selfish sometimes. You already give more to your family than the average person. Don’t let your loved ones make you feel guilty about taking something for yourself. If you don’t take what you need, you won’t write and you will go crazy. Establish boundaries and protect them fiercely. If you don’t have a room that you can dedicate to writing, then find a corner, but make it yours alone. Fill it with objects and books that inspire your writing—dictionaries, inspiring quotations, etc. If you have a family typewriter or computer, set hours during which only you are allowed to use it. I know it is hard to tell your husband (or wife) that you can’t type that letter to the insurance company until after you write your three pages, but you must treat yourself as a professional before anyone else will treat you as one."*

I took this to heart and began by creating a 'Novel' file on my desktop. Anytime I had an idea it went in there, my notes, my inspirations, pictures of people I use when I describe my characters looks, photos of scenery, buildings, maps etc. I have a whole world pieced together that I can browse. This helps me get in the mind set of my story. I've heard other authors talk about their writing space. And you know what, they all talk about having similar puzzle pieces for their muse around them in one version or another. Either up around their working space or in a portable version.

In theory, I have a library in my mostly finished basement with a beautiful built in bookshelf my husband created. It is lined floor to ceiling with books that I love. I've an amazingly comfortable chaise lounge where I while away hours reading said novels. I also have a newly installed wireless internet system. A hand-crafted framed bulletin/cork board posted on the wall doubling as the entrance cover to my crawl space. I am patiently awaiting the money tree fairy to make a generous donation to my account so that I can finish this basement project. I wish for nothing more than to happily relocate from my particle board desk in my kitchen to the cozy space my Shining Knight created for me.

What is stopping me? A desk or laptop. At this point I don't really care which comes first. Currently I'm anchored to an ancient desktop with an 18" deep monitor that flickers. I long for the moment I can print my inspirational items and hang them around my creative space. My wonderful husband has declared he will be making my built in desk to match my bookcases. Did I mention the large bookcase anchored to a piano hinge that will swing out from the wall to access the utility area? I have a very uniquely designed 300 sq ft basement that we have squeezed every spare inch out of. I am very thankful for my handyman of a hubby who may look at me like I've lost my mind but attempt to create my haven anyway. But I digress. Until the day finally comes that I have my writing oasis I am learning creative ways to have one anyway.

In my 'Novel' folder I have letters my characters have written. Pictures of locations, places and people. Anything that brings my story to life. I have a whole file simply of discards, things I needed to know creating my imaginary world but my readers don't.

At our last writer's meeting a member showed me her portable version. She had a notebook with her that was simply AMAZING! I have pondered the advisability of creating one myself. There were character synopses, outlines using sticky notes that she could rearrange, photos and much much more. Needless to say I was supremely impressed. While I'd thought of carrying around a small notebook which fits in my purse, for the express purpose of jotting ideas when and wherever they struck, I hadn't thought to package my inspiration in such a fashion as to make it portable. Thanks for the tips Erin!

When you get discouraged and struggle with immersing yourself in the world you've created. Don't forget to get out those mementos of inspiration. Just as setting is important to characters, let your setting help you.

*http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/zindex.cfm?fuseaction=author&pageID=17

Interview with JENNIFER LAURENS

Today Fiction Flurry is lucky enough to be interviewing Young Adult author Jennifer Laurens about her New Release Overprotected. Thanks so much for chatting with us today Jennifer!
For those of you who haven’t yet become familiar with Jennifer Laurens she’s the author of Heavenly, Penitence and Absolution. And let me just say they are exquisite work! If you haven’t read them yet, run-don’t walk, to the nearest retailer and get a copy!

Personally, I can’t wait for you next book, Overprotected, to be released in April 2011.( It's available on Kindle,Nook and all e-versions - :)

Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.
Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.
Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.
Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.
Daddy was wrong.

FF: Let’s start with a bit about your background…

JL: I'm a SoCal native now living in Utah with my husband of 27 years and 6 children, one of whom has autism.

FF: What can readers expect out of this new story?

JL: This is not your cliche "bodyguard" novel. It's really a coming-of-age story about a young woman fighting for independence, about a family living a life of pretense, about real love gone overboard into obsessive love. It's character complex and highly emotional. It's the first story I ever wrote, and it occupies a special spot in my heart for that reason. I wrote 3 different versions of it! ( not three drafts, three complete, different versions ) before finally choosing this POV to settle upon to tell the story.

FF: I know your novels are more than just teenage angst and love, so what is the driving theme in this one?

JL: There are several basic themes in Overprotected: what is real love? What is right? When are our fears justified? How far is too far to go when it comes to love, family and control?

FF: I have to take the opportunity to quote you: “My life experiences have worked into all of my novels. Some more heavily than others, but parts of me are in each story. I love stories rich in family drama, where family members overcome obstacles through love and miracles.” Any specific examples related to Overprotected you’d care to share?

JL: I'm an only child, and Ashlyn ( the heroine ) is an only child. Her family is loosely based on my cousin's family: only child raised in NYC on Park Avenue. My mother was very protective of me growing up, to the point where I battled feeling obligated to behave certain ways to please her, versus allowing myself to participate in what other teens my age were doing during that time of my life.

FF: How did you come up with the idea for Overprotected?

JL: As I mentioned above, this was my first book I wrote. They say "Write what you know" and, since many of the themes in the book are familiar to me, I strung them together with an unusual love triangle between a girl, a boy and the girl's father. I loved the unusual nature of that kind of love triangle -- but not in a perverted way -- her father loves her too much.

FF: Was any part of this novel difficult to write or research?

JL: Probably Ashlyn's realizations of her parents' marriage. My parents separated when I was 16 and, like Ashlyn, I was mature enough at that age to realize ( and see ) they'd be happier separated. Still, it's not easy seeing your parents marriage ( with all of it's weaknesses ) crumble.

FF: Can you tell us more about your current projects?

JL: It's another early story of mine I'm re-writing for YA.

FF: Any teasers about what you’ll be publishing next? Only that it's another intense story.

JL: I love writing my characters into deep love and plenty of challenges.

FF: Lastly I’d like to blast a few personal tidbits out to our readers.

A must when you are writing…music. I create a soundtrack for each novel and I listen to it 24/7 while working on the project. Drives me family nuts :)

Book you are currently reading …I keep Endless Love by Scott Spencer open and on my NOOK constantly. Other than that, I pick and choose reads carefully because of time restraints.

Favorite quote…"No other success can compensate for failure in the home." David O. McKay.

FF: Everyone here at Fiction Flurry would like to send a big THANK YOU to Jennifer Laurens for this opportunity to interview her. Good luck on your upcoming projects Jennifer!

Tips for pushing through the block

Free Associate: This is probably the most popular writing exercise to get the juices flowing. Pull up a new Word document, take a deep breath and just write whatever comes to mind. Dig as deep as you can into your subconscious and don’t worry about what comes out. Sometimes there’s a mental blockage with something that’s been bothering you, so it helps to write it down and get it out of your system.

Get out of your box: Think of something you’re passionate about, like a hobby or a love interest, and write everything you know about it. Sometimes writing slumps happen and it helps to write about something you love. Even if you just write a paragraph, it’s better to write something that’s not your current project. This will rejuvenate you to re-start on your current project.

Sharpen your wits: Something I do is read a favorite author’s work, especially an author who writes in the same style or format as my current project. Escaping into someone else’s world for a bit can relax you enough to delve into your own imaginary world again.

Eavesdrop: This is a wonderful exercise if you struggle to write natural dialogue between your characters. Sit in a public place like a park or at your local college campus and listen to the things people say as they walk by. Take copious notes and share them with other writers. This exercise is also great if you need a laugh.

Use Music: Writers feel their work, and when you can't quite get the description on paper, it can be frustrating. Find some songs that appeal to you and the scene or piece you’re working on. Grooveshark.com and Pandora.com are two websites that offer free, instant music streaming to get those juices flowing.

Practice Writing Prompts: A writing prompt is simply a topic around which you start jotting down ideas. The prompt could be a single word, a short phrase, a complete paragraph or even a picture, with the idea being to give you something to focus upon as you write.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/10-writing-exercises-to-tighten-your-writing/

LIFE IN THE WAY OF WRITING: Writing gets a foothold

At our first writers meeting of 2011 we decided it would be a good idea to have some goals. As we were all sharing those goals someone mentioned the 'nifty two-fifty'. Of course I, with my dumbfounded look, asked for an explanation. The answer I got was pretty straight forward and simple. Write 250 words everyday. I decided to adopt the 'nifty two-fifty' as one of my goals.

Today was my first attempt, even though I'm three days out from my pledge. However, I did manage 262 words. That's how much I added to my manuscript today. Quite an accomplishment for me considering both my children are home and awake.

This was accomplished after serious negotiations with my 4-year old about computer time, sharing and who got to go first. Finally, I won and programed our timer for 20 minutes. Yep, 20. That's all I got. My 2 year old was taking his afternoon nap.

So, I sat down, spent some time on email, facebook and generally getting comfy. I checked the timer and whoah! Fifteen minutes, twenty-three seconds left on the clock. I better buckle down. I open my word doc and review the last few paragraphs from my previous session. 253 words later the timer dings. My 4-year old excitedly jumps out of his chair where he'd waited ever so patiently thanks to his favorite cartoon.

"My turn Mommy!"

"Just a minute dear," I hold up my hand to stop him "Mommy needs to finish her thought."

A few seconds later I've done my word count, posted my email to the group. Yes, we are holding each other accountable to our self made goals. And my turn was over.

I felt a great sense of accomplishment. It hadn't taken me very long. No real disruption to my daily routine and chores or my family's needs.

262 words

4 paragraphs

18 lines

20 minutes

That's it. For a 55,000 word novel it would only take me 220 days to finish if I simply wrote 250 each day. And honestly, I have always written more than that when I do sit down. Look at today's count, it was over, even just barely but every bit adds to the whole.

Today I surprised myself. No more excuses, I learned that I definitely have had ample opportunity. Thanks to my ultra-smooth negotiating skills with my little guy I now have time every day. And possibly my own stubborn dictator, since he never misses his daily computer time.

Life in the Way of Writing

Today is Saturday about 11:30am. My husband is home, I should have some free opportunities to write, in theory that is. But, as I begin this short blog project, which I have explained to the knight in shining armor I married, that I just need ten minutes, I am interrupted first by my two year old's unexplained crying. Then, as I sit down prepared to begin again there is a knock at the door followed by my dearly beloved ushering in my four year old who has fallen in the back yard only to land in the neighbor's dog's um, leavings... Now I must clean him up. And so my life routinely goes.

It isn't very often that I am free to sit for any stretch of time and let my imagination run wild, my fingers hammering the keyboard in an attempt to keep up. But I digress, let me start at the beginning. Four years ago I had my first child, four months after that I quit my teaching job and on December 26th, yep you read it right, my family of three moved from our 1920s cape cod in Kansas to a two bedroom duplex in Marysville, Ohio. It didn't take me long as a stay at home mom to become bored with daytime television and being new town, the dead of winter did not offer many opportunities to meet other moms. So, I quickly burned through our library, reading anything and everything that caught my eye. I've always read, I love to read and imagine. As far back as I can remember my grandmother and I traded books and talked about stories together.

So, at my grandmother's suggestion I set out to write a novel. My son was young enough that I was able to take full advantage of his nap times for my writing and since he napped twice a day I was on quite a roll. Every afternoon as soon as I finished that day's editing and writing I emailed it off to Grandma in Kansas. She replied nightly with "It's wonderful honey, I can't wait for the next bit." Now, you might think this would be sufficient and rewarding. I on the other hand I did not (Love you Grammy), I wanted constructive criticism.

A year later I had almost finished the book but was bored with it. This is not a very good sign. If I didn't want to read it why would anyone else? I saved my first manuscript and tucked it into the back of a drawer. By this point I'd met a few people in town, one of them an author with whom I shared my manuscript. Over the next two years as my writing dwindled to a stop, she never gave up inviting me to writing events, and eventually the group for whom this blog is written. I am happy to say that I've picked that novel back up, saved my original and began again with all the tips I picked up, suggestions other writers have given me and am excited about the new face I've given my story.

I have learned a lot during my journey, in my personal, professional and writer's life. I work part time to keep my sanity, I have discovered adult interaction is very stimulating to the senses and prompts brain activity. I have an amazingly supportive husband who quite literally pushes me out the door when he senses my need for personal time. Always have a notebook, you never know when inspiration will strike or you'll need to write down a passing quote or scene. Keep connecting, eventually you will find a niche that fits just perfectly where you can grow some roots.


Michele Buchholz

Book Review: I Now Pronounce You Someone Else

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else


by Erin McCahan

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Bronwen Oliver doesn't just want a family. She has one of those, and there's nothing terribly wrong with them apart from bickering grandparents, an image-obsessed mother and a brother she describes simply as Jesus. But there's no natural sense of connection between Bronwen and her family, leaving her with the belief -- and the hope -- that she was switched at birth, that she was never supposed to be Bronwen Oliver but someone else entirely.
When she begins dating college senior Jared Sondervan, she finds herself thoroughly embraced by the loving family she has always wanted and does not hesitate to say yes when Jared proposes on her 18th birthday. Plans for the Perfect Beach Wedding before her junior year of college become plans for the Perfect Beach Wedding before her freshman year of college. And a wedding so soon isn't exactly what Bronwen wants. But Jared is. And his family is. So why the sudden hesitation?
Before Bronwen can determine what she truly wants, she must first determine two things – who she truly is and who she truly wants to be. And the answers are not what she thought they’d be.
My thoughts:

The cover of this book drew me in and after reading the much edited wedding invitation on the back cover I knew I had to read this book. At once I connected with the main character Bronwen because during my teenage years I often felt as if I had to be switched at birth and there was no way I fit in with the rest of my oh so perfect family. From that point on I couldn't put down the book and was extremely invested in Bronwen's personal struggle to find out just who she was, where she would end up and what the fall out would be.

-Michele Buchholz