Monday, May 30, 2011

THE VAMPIRE SECRET

   by Thea Devine


I am Romanian on my father’s side, so you’d think I’d be steeped knee deep in vampire lore.

But in fact, apart from being scared to death on viewing Dracula in my early teens, I never gave vampires a half a thought until I was looking for an idea for my thirteenth book. And even then, and in the subsequent vampire book I wrote, the hero was not a vampire. In Sinful Secrets, the whole English parliament were vampires; in Forever Kiss, the vampire had a doppelganger who pretended to be him, so that when the vampire finally returned to his stomping grounds, he had to pretend to be the doppelganger pretending to be him. Believe me, he was royally peeved -- for lots of fun-to-write pages.

However, I couldn’t find a way to wrap my head around vampire as romantic hero. So when I was thinking about my next book, which it was suggested to me should have vampires, I really was at a loss. I needed an idea and I needed this vampire to be a hero.

And I really needed to figure out some real ways a woman would feel an attraction to a vampire -- because all I'm thinking is blood, gore, desiccation and rot. Coffins and graves. NOT very sexy.

I was in a local store one day, talking about this current project, when the teenaged clerk overheard me say, vampires, and she exclaimed, “Oh, I love vampires.” I asked her why and she said, because they were sooo Romeo and Juliet.

Right: yearning for something, and never to have it. And it all ends in bloody gory death. Murderous immortality. Not hardly romantic. Not quite the jump-start I was looking for.

So I listed all the reasons why a vampire is supposed to be seductive:

He is the love that cannot be
He’s immortal.
He has super-powers
He’s dangerous to love
He’s super sexual
He’s protective (paternal and sexual)
You yearn for what you can’t have
Reckless endangerment: death is but a kiss away


Still -- nothing in that list sent plotlines roaring through my head. I was discussing it with my husband one night and I read him the list. Then I asked him why he thought vampires were so seductive. I mean, there’s nothing like the male perspective, right?

He said, “they’re victims.” He said, “they have no choice.”

My jaw dropped. The heavens opened. Light flooded the earth and everything fell into place. Of course. Genius. But my husband always says genius things just when I need to hear them.

Victim.

A whole other side of the vampire. Immediately plot questions swirled through my mind. What would he do, feeling like that? How could he take anyone else’s life? How would he live? Did he want to die? How would he survive? What lies would he tell himself?

AND, if he’s a victim, you then have a heroine wanting to somehow help, nurture, make it better, change it. If you have the love that cannot be, one might feel the call to sacrifice for the other at some point. And there was the bedrock of the story -- vengeance and sacrifice.

So I wrote this:

He’s been exiled to the dank bloody world of the undead
He lives solely to destroy the one who sired him
He’s been living to die
Until he encounters the one he can’t live without
And eternity is not an option.♥



Thea Devine is a charter member of RWA/NYC. She is the author whose books defined erotic historical romance, and a Romantic Times Romance Pioneer honoree. She is the author of 25 historical and contemporary novels, the latest of which. THE DARKEST HEART, is a June 2011 release from Gallery Books. See video at http://www.theadevine.com/

Read excerpt of THE DARKEST HEART, click here.

Friday, May 27, 2011

ILLUMINATING FASHION: Rich HISTORICAL Imagery

  
By Polly Guerin, Fashion Historian



“Illuminating Fashion,” the fascinating history of fashion and its ties to politics, social upheaval and cultural influence during the Middle Ages is a rich study in which clothing styles provide clues to how the royals and gentry expressed their fashion preferences and reacted to the vicissitudes of the world around them. The nearly 200 years covered by the show provides the viewer seeking fashion accuracy a rare opportunity to see a rich era for fashion, a period in which clothing styles changed rapidly, often from one decade to the next.

The exhibition at the Morgan Museum and Library, “Dress in the Art of Medieval France and the Netherlands,” explores the evolution of courtly clothing from the “Fashion revolution” around 1330 to the flowering of the Renaissance in France following the accession of King Francois I in 1515 in shaping fashion.


ILLUMINATING FASHION

Because few actual garments from the Middle Ages survive, the Morgan focuses on the art in the illuminated manuscripts and early printed books to reveal how historical dress in Northern Europe provides clues to the wearer’s identity and character. The exhibition connects through a historical timeline the potential impact of political unrest and social upheaval on the history of fashion during one of the world’s more calamitous eras: The Hundred year’s War, the occupation of Paris by the English, and the arrival of the Italian Renaissance in northern Europe. The exhibit also demonstrates the richness of symbolism in medieval art and how artists used clothing and costume as a code to help viewers interpret an image. In these works of art, what people wear is a clue to their identities and moral characters.


GILDED FASHION OPULENCE

Viewers seeking fashion accuracy need only examine the magnificent illuminated books to see the colorful, gold leaf illuminated fashions which provide a rare glimpse into the era of fashion opulence. I might suggest that you bring along a magnifying glass to look closely at the amazing detail and preserved colors in some of the tiny books. Replicas of some of the fashionable images from the manuscripts have been reproduced in colorful large-scale portraits on the walls which form an impressive panorama above the glass cases where the timeline connects historical facts.


HISTORICAL REPRODUCTIONS

To enhance appreciation for the fashions of the era, on display four full-scale reproductions of late medieval ensembles depict actual garments in the illuminated manuscripts. Using period hand-sewing techniques and authentic materials including silk, velvet, gold brocade, linen, straw and ermine the recreations include the Catherine of Cleves, Duchess of Guelders richly attired, her voluminous ermine-lined Houpeland, with cascading bombard sleeves, her hair is enmeshed in reticulated cone-shaped headgear.

When I mentioned that I would have expected to see such an impressive historical fashion interpretation at a fashion museum, Curator of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, Roger S. Wieck replied, “Yes, but we have the manuscripts,” and that is what this exhibit is all about “Illuminating Fashion” that touches on the potential impact of political unrest and social upheaval on the history of fashion during one of the world’s more calamitous eras. At The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Ave., New York, through September 4, 2011. www.themorgan.org. ♥



Polly Guerin is a former professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she honed her skills as a fashion historian. In addition, Polly’s features on fashion, art and the decorative arts appear in Art & Antiques magazine, and Vintage Magazine 2011 will feature “A Tale of Two Sisters,” the Hewitt sisters who founded the Cooper Hewitt museum, an excerpt from her book The Cooper-Hewitts of Old New York. Robert Erskine the map maker to General George Washington, a Revolutionary War feature will appear in the Patriot magazine 2011.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Smile, Breathe and Go Slowly

by F. Solomon


Sometimes I run from being a poet. Fiction was always the admired form, even when I was in high school, and it was even more so in college. After college and all the fiction classes I had there, I was dually writing fiction and poetry. I always keep a book that I can write poems in with me, which I rarely write in it although I did a few days ago.

The thing I do the most --inspired by my author friend Cathy Greenfeder --is morning pages a la Julia Cameron's THE ARTIST'S WAY. Cathy gave a presentation on journal writing for our chapter and it made me remember the powerful tool that writing is: how it creates and heals. I do not do my morning pages perfectly, or even every day, but I do them on the train enough mornings that once, when I was feeling lazy, someone asked me if something was wrong and why I was not writing?! Another time, I was rereading stuff I had written, which THE ARTIST'S WAY gives you permission to do once you are detached from it.

And so the poems come, even though I do not always write them down. I think it was Thich Nhat Hahn who said that a poet sees a cloud floating across a page, and I have always had an obsession with clouds. Thich Nhat Hahn is the author of the title of this post, because that it what it is to be a poet. So many verses that run so fast like water that you cannot possibly catch. Sometimes I speak in poems; sometimes I write them and sometimes I breathe them.   I am infinitely thankful for both.

Poetry is not just a craft but a lifestyle, when I am quiet and soft the poems come.
   

Monday, May 23, 2011

LESSONS LEARNED

By Caridad Pineiro


The philosopher Kahil Gibran said, “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

As romance writers that sentiment touches us in at least two ways. First because we need to give of our real emotions in order to truly breathe life into our works. The second way that sentiment applies is in how we pay forward what we have learned in order to help other writers achieve success.

I hope that by [reading this], you will feel as if I have given you a piece of myself to take with you and inspire you to keep on reaching for your dreams.

I’d like to share with you some of the lessons that I’ve learned in over a decade of being a published author. Sometimes it seems hard to believe that it’s been that long and other times it seems as if it’s been forever.

I guess that’s Lesson number 1: It’s never a smooth road for anyone no matter what they tell you to the contrary.

Everyone has moments where they think they’ll never be able to write another word. Or they wonder where their next story idea will come from. They agonize over making their first sale or their fortieth and think, “Why do I do this?”

The answer to the why should be easy: Because you can’t imagine not writing.  So in those moments where you’re asking yourself that big “Why?” realize that you’re not alone and every one of us in this room has likely asked themself the same thing.

Which is Lesson number 2: You’re not alone in this gig. Look around you at the sisterhood you have. They are your touchstones for those times when you feel as if you’re losing your way.  They will cheer you on as you near the finish line and fold you in their embrace when you reach your goal, whether your goal was finishing your first page or selling your millionth book.

Lesson number 3: Just over a decade ago over an Easter weekend I got the call that every writer wants. Someone wanted to buy my book.

I was visiting with my mother-in-law on Good Friday when my husband called to say some editor wanted me to call her. He also told me that he had almost hung up on her because she had sounded like a telemarketer. Good thing he didn’t.

The editor said she wanted to buy the book that would help launch the Encanto line – NOW AND ALWAYS. The editor told me she would call back in a few days with more details on the offer and she did. Imagine my surprise when she said she wanted to buy two books!

In the eighteen months that followed, Kensington bought six more books from me and I thought, “I may have a career.” My editor and I became friends and my publisher loved me. I was one of the poster girls for the Encanto line. And then I got another call, but this time it was one no author wants: My editor was leaving the house.

My new editor left within a month, but luckily the next editor I was assigned was nice. In fact, she called to say they were interested in buying a ninth book from me and my concern lessened.  But while we were negotiating for that ninth book, another call came: Encanto was going into hiatus.

Those who have worked in the television industry know what those words mean: The line was being killed. I didn’t sell that ninth book and to this day, the last two books I had written were never released.  I went from having a career one day to wondering if I’d ever sell another book to this publisher.

I guess the moral of that lesson is: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Being published is a business. While you may be friends with your editor and your agent and even your publisher, the bottom line is that you have to protect your interests and to do so you have to make sure that you have a way to sustain your career.

Sustaining a career is often difficult.  After Encanto folded I was in a dark mood. But on top of that, I had been wanting to write something different for quite some time and my dark mood was perfect for what I wanted to write: a vampire story.  I was a fan of Buffy and the X-Files and had decided to write a story that combined elements of suspense and the paranormal. That story would eventually become DARKNESS CALLS.

Anyway, I had secured an agent at a well-known and respected literary agency. She wanted me to work on women’s fiction and become the Latina Terry McMillan and so I tried. In the meantime, I asked her to send around the three chapters I had done of my vampire story.  My agent told me, vampires won’t sell. No one is ready vampires, but I told her, please try to sell this book.

In the meantime, I went to work on the women’s fiction story, but my heart wasn’t in it. I wanted to write dark and I decided over one Christmas break that I would do just that. I went home and wrote the book for me, because I loved the characters and the story.

Nearly two and half years later, I had not sold that story. I heard over and over, vampires don’t sell. And I wish I had a penny for every time I heard “We’re looking for the Latina Terry McMillan.” I could have retired long ago. 

My agent and I parted ways and I started trying to sell my vamp book on my own while I kept on working on more contemporaries.  Then one day I was at RWA National and saw that an editor to whom I had sent some proposals had a free slot. I thought, “Why not?”

The editor was quite glad to see me. She asked me if I had sent off my work as she had suggested.  I explained that I had not received any letter back from her and the editor apologized. She had left something to go out while she was on maternity leave and a mix-up had clearly occurred. We talked about those projects and sending them to Brenda Chin and then this editor asked me what else I had.

I told her that my latest story was not right for her. Harlequin didn’t do dark violent vampire stories. She asked me to tell her more about the story and I did.

She said, “Send it to me.” I said again, “But it’s not for you.”

She said again, “Send it to me.” So I did.

What did I learn from that experience?

The first was Lesson 4: Never stop reaching for your dreams. My mother always told me that nothing worthwhile was ever easy and she was right. The first vampire sale was difficult, but it opened doors for me. There are now eleven books in THE CALLING Vampire series with three more coming out in 2012.  What would not have happened if I had given up.

The second thing I learned, namely Lesson Number 5, was to never argue with an editor, especially one who is asking you to send her your book.

There is also another thing to remember about arguing with editors.   Many of you know I have a full time job. I spend about twelve hours every day on that job and commuting. I write on the train going to and from work and spend long hours on the weekends writing.  I don’t normally write at night because I’m usually tired after that long day at work, although I will do so if I have to.

Over the course of my career, I’ve had to do that several times. The first time was for Encanto when I got a call from my editor who said, “Can you write a Christmas book for us?” That was at the beginning of July and she wanted the book by August. She said that she knew I was one of the few writers for the line who could write that quickly.  I knew it would take a lot of work, but I knew she was in a bind and so I did it.

The same thing happened at Harlequin. I was actually on vacation on a beach in San Diego when my cell phone rang. It was my editor calling.  They wanted to do a vampire Christmas story, but they needed it right away. It was July and they needed the story by August. Very familiar, right?  She said she knew I was one of the few writers who could do it that quickly and do it well. I said, “Okay.”

I started writing on that beach in San Diego and it wasn’t easy. When I got home I worked on it day and night, but I delivered the story. It would become FATE CALLS in the first HOLIDAY WITH A VAMPIRE.

I got a similar call just a few weeks ago. My editor wanted me to do another vampire Christmas story, but this time for HQN and of course I said, “Yes.”

Something similar also happened with my Chicas series. I had written a synopsis and three chapters and my new agent was shopping it around, but there was just one problem.  Editors were saying “We know she can do vampires, but can she do women’s fiction.” They wanted to see the entire book.

That was rough, but after talking to my agent, I knew that having the entire book would help me sell it. Because I didn’t want to lose the momentum that seemed to be building for the book, I started working on that book. I worked on it day and night and in a month, I had finished it.

My agent sent it out and as I had imagined, more than one house wanted it. Over a Thanksgiving weekend, we had an auction as several publishers put in their bids for what would become the first book in the CHICAS series.

So why did I do this? Why did I push myself so hard?

Remember my mom? Nothing worthwhile is easy? I could have said “No”, but my editors and agent were in a bind. They needed me to help them out. I could have been obstinate and said “No way, I’m busy or I’m on vacation” or any other excuse you can imagine.  But who do you think those editors thought of next time they were in a bind?

If you said Nora Roberts you would probably be right, but seriously, when it comes to doing revisions or turning your life upside down to meet a deadline, remember Lesson Number 6: Don’t be a Diva.

It seems like it’s time to mention that I do eat, sleep and spend time with my family and friends. Although there have been some rumors over the years, I am not a robot, clone or a vampire. Some legal colleagues may have alternately called me a shark or a tough cookie, but the reality of it is I’m human.  I like to sleep, I love to eat which is why I am currently on a diet and I do bleed, usually red, white and blue.

I’m emotional, sometimes too much which is when lesson number 2 comes in handy and I remember that I have my sisters with me who understand.  But inevitably, there are people who don’t understand.

They don’t get it. How could they not think that last book was the greatest thing since sliced bread? How can they not see my genius? My amazing metaphors and similes? The sensitivity beneath my brooding and oh-so-sexy six pack alpha hero?

Notice the perfectly planned segue to Lesson number 7 – my favorite number by the way since I was born on the 7th. 

As I mentioned before, I recently was asked to do another Christmas vampire novella (remember lesson number 6?)

I didn’t have a lot of time to write the book which was a story based on Dicken’s Christmas Carol, only this time it was a guardian angel being sent down to save a vampire. The story had various visions as the angel shows the vampire what he’s done wrong and invites him to change his ways in order to save his soul.

When I finished the novella, I was quite pleased with it. I thought it had really come together nicely. I sent it off to my agent to review since she likes to see what I’m doing and offer up light edits and general suggestions.

I got a rather unexpected call from my agent a couple of days later. She was confused. She didn’t understand what was going on in the story. What were these visions about?  Huh? I was surprised. Hadn’t she ever heard of a Christmas Carol? The story must really suck if she didn’t even understand it.  But what could I do? It was Thursday and the story was due the next day.

I e-mailed my editor and told her I was finished, but had some things I wanted to tweak. I asked if I could deliver the story on Monday. She said yes, of course. It’s not a problem.  I went home and went through the story over and over. I must had read and tweaked it four or five times, but the bottom line was that I still liked it and it followed the proposal which I had submitted.

I couldn’t understand why my agent didn’t like it, but I had little choice. I had to believe in the story I had written.  I sent it in and to my relief, less than a week later my editor sent me a note saying it was “a fantastic novella.” That the character development and pacing was spot on. 

Big whew. I was so relieved because I had not wanted to disappoint my editor after she had gone out on a limb to ask me to work on this anthology. 

But I learned another lesson, namely: Not everyone will love what you write. Your critique partners may not understand what you’re trying to do. You may get bad reviews. DO NOT . . . repeat . . . DO NOT engage.

Repeat after me: DO NOT ENGAGE.

We’ve seen too many train wrecks lately where authors have taken to task someone who posted a bad review. Not only does it guarantee a very public pillory, but it makes you – the author – come across as a Diva.  Again, see Lesson number 6.

That brings us to the last and maybe the most important thing I’d like to share with you. Lesson Number 8.  In Numerology, 8 is the most powerful number because it represents the life path of someone who is charged with a nature that possesses individualistic desires, demands independence, and needs personal attainment.

But if those characteristics are the Yang of number 8, the Yin in such a competitive spirit is self-doubt, selfishness and maybe even envy.

If you’re not yet published, have you ever looked at someone else and thought, “How did they sell that book? Mine was better. How come I didn’t sell my wonderful story?”

If you’re published, how often do you check your own or other’s Amazon numbers to see who is selling better? Have you ever wondered why someone’s career left yours in the dust? Or why you don’t have the biggest line at the book fair?

I know I’m a Number 8 at times. I also know it’s probably the most destructive part of my nature: I’m a competitor. I want to be the best that I can be, but here’s the key and a very valuable Lesson Number 8:  You need to learn to measure your success in different ways. Ways that are positive rather than self-destructive.

So with that I want to leave you with probably the most important part of my gift: How I measure success.

If I get a royalty statement that says I earned a penny, I consider myself to be successful because I am a penny richer than I was the day before. Pennies add up, especially if you’re a frugal Celt like I am.

I consider myself successful if I sell a proposal because I have people with whom to share that success. There’s a reason for the expression “It’s lonely at the top.” Somewhere along the way that lonely woman forgot what was important, namely family and friends and not fame.

But even if I do not sell that proposal, I consider myself successful. “Why” you may ask?

Because I set a goal for myself to do that proposal and send it out and I successfully completed that task.

Finally, more so than any other reason, I consider myself successful because I am doing something very special to me: I am writing the stories in my heart. I am writing about the thing that I consider more important than anything else in this world: Love.

And I consider myself successful because I am giving you a piece of my heart in every story and that is a true and special gift.

Never forget that you, too, are successful every day that you put a pen to paper and follow your dreams.

Never forget that each of you has a unique gift within you to share. A blessed gift which only you possess and can bequeath.~




Caridad Pineiro is an award-winning and multi-talented author, who writes paranormal, romantic suspense and contemporary romances. Visit her at http://www.caridadpineiro.com/.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

WEATHERING CHANGE: MAKING THE JUMP FROM THE LIBRARY AND SMALL PRESS TO MASS MARKET

by C.H. Admirand



I’ve been happily writing for the library and small press market for the last decade. It was a routine that I embraced. I wrote the partials, sold the books, and wrote the stories. There was not a lot of editing to my stories, and I thought it was because I had reached a place where a lot of input wasn’t necessary (I’ll get back to that erroneous thought later). I loved working with my editors, had input on the covers, and worked very hard to market my books through my publicist, promotional material, book trailers, conferences, conventions, signings, etc.

Vistaprint is one of my favorite sources for creating professional quality promotional material, and my publicist has a wonderful contact who creates excerpt booklets. I’m also a huge fan of the book trailer. When ScrapFairy Designs stopped creating trailers, I found COS Productions who has been a lifesaver for me.

Now here is where change arrived big time. For my first book with Sourcebooks, I had to do my first ever virtual tour. At first I thought…ok…virtual—does that mean that I pretend to go places and don’t, and if so, how the heck will anyone know I was there if it’s pretend? (Remember I don’t get out much and have traveled to some truly amazing locations in my mind.) Sourcebooks is fabulously supportive and has an in-house publicist, the lovely Danielle, who arranges the virtual tour stops and acts as the liaison between the blogs visited and the Sourcebooks authors who send her their blogs.

So this should be easy, shouldn’t it? Now add in a day job and two or three blogs to visit per week (and on one crazy day—two blogs) to babysit and comment to—for the entire month the book is released in—and it gets just a bit dicey! During the month of March—Stress was my first and middle name!

Fortunately, the learning curve was a bit easier because Danielle was so accessible during the virtual tour. What makes her so special is that she does all this for all of the Sourcebooks authors, and while doing her job, Danielle is unfailingly professional, polite, and encouraging to those of us who’ve never navigated this particular area before. Alas, I understand that it’s the “new” way to promote books—who would have thought it would be possible.

All in all, this old writer can be taught new tricks, but not without a few scars along the way.

I’ve learned that mass market means you have a lot more exposure, and therefore the potential for more fabulous reviews increases proportionately with the possibility of more negative reviews. I’m a firm believer in freedom of speech, however, I’m also a firm believer that making the negativity personal is not professional…but that dear reader is another conversation entirely and not to be put down in print where it might come back to haunt me. Meet me at Kennedy’s Pub the next time you’re in NYC and after a pint or two may divulge all!

Now back to my earlier comment about reaching the point in my writing career, where I needed less editing, I am pleased to say that I was wrong. Pleased because I’ve never worked so hard in my life to revise and re-create one of my books, but the end result is a deeper clarity and deeper connection with my characters. Simply put, Deb Werksman is a genius. She understands my characters and is beyond encouraging. I’ve never worked with an editor like her before and am so excited that I have this opportunity to grow as a writer and continue to hone my craft with her guidance. I’ve just turned DYLAN in (he’s on his way to the copyeditor) and I’m going to get back to JESSE’s story. But with a slightly different perspective, thanks to working with Deb, I have an insight into my work that I lacked before.

All in all, I’m still amazed that I’ve had the good fortune to stretch my wings and embrace this new direction in my writing career. For those of you who know me, it’s been a long time coming and a goal I have been working toward for years.

Another aspect of my career that recently changed is signing with the fabulous literary agent, Eric Ruben. I would not be able to make the following announcement without his guidance and input in my career—while I was at RT, TFER (The Fabulous Eric Ruben) called with the news that Sourcebooks offered another three book deal—this time for a Small Town America trilogy! While this is a slightly different direction for me, I’ve always loved writing about small towns and the closely knit communities that revolve around my characters and their story. I cannot wait to get started on the first one…but I have to finish JESSE’s story first.



With eight short stories and ten novels to her credit, this award-winning, multi-published author’s books are available in hardcover, e-book, trade paperback, magazine, and audio. DYLAN, book two in The Secret Life of Cowboys trilogy, will be released in January 2012 from Sourcebooks. To read an excerpt, stop by her website at www.chadmirand.com.

Monday, May 16, 2011

RWANYC CELEBRATES ITS 25th YEAR & ANNOUNCES GOLDEN APPLE AWARD WINNERS

      
The Romance Writers of America New York City Chapter celebrates its 25th Anniversary. Founded in 1986, the Chapter’s mission then and now continues to be to support its members and promote the romance industry as a whole. RWANYC has close to 100 members, including publish and non-published authors.

Part of the year-long celebration includes RWANYC’s Golden Apple Awards reception to honor editors, agents and other industry professionals. Chapter President Karen Cino is pleased to announce this year’s Award Honorees. They include:


Lifetime Achievement Award: Sherrilyn Kenyon aka Kinley MacGregor


Publisher of the Year: Grand Central Publishing


Editor of the Year: Leah Hultenschmidt, Senior Editor, Sourcebooks


Agent of the Year: Kate Folkers, Martin Literary Management



Author of the Year: Elizabeth Mahon





This year’s Author of the Year, Elizabeth Mahon, is a past RWANYC President.  Past GAA winners have included the late Walter Zacharius, Founder of Kensington Books; Lady Kathryn Falk of Romantic Times magazine; New York Times bestselling author Mary Jo Putney; Harlequin Enterprises and Sourcebooks.

For an invitation to RWANYC’s Golden Apple Awards reception on September 15, please email President Karen Cino at Karencino@aol.com.  For more information on the Chapter and its members, visit http://www.rwanyc.com/ and http://www.rwanycblogginginthebigapple.blogspot.com/.

   

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Springing Forward

by F. Solomon


Maybe because it is Spring, or at least the suggestion of Spring in New York City, and even with a failed attempt at Script Frenzy, and although my life has been so hectic...even so I feel inspired.

I was at work, at my desk, and saw a name written with an unusual accent mark, and I was like, I should name my next character that. I do not even know who my next character is going to be, but I know her name!

An old friend said to me that she was surprised I did not finish what I had started and I said I was fine with it. A new acquaintance asked me if I was done with writing. I said no I was not, because it is the only thing I ever always do. Not finishing Script Frenzy felt like the end of the world, because, yes, it was something I started and I still believe in those characters...but I knew I was not going to never finish something again, as much as I joke about it.

I know I will continue writing. I am a very fatalistic person. Everything happens for a reason, as far as I can see, I have never questioned that. All the aborted ideas and stories that come from me still live with me. I once wrote a story about a relationship that had never happened to me so I had to imagine a lot to get it written. What I wrote came back to comfort me when I was in that type of relationship many years later.

Writing is not just rabbits you pull out of somewhere and put on paper. Writing is a healer; it is the thing you can do to write the actual, to create the imagined and it stays with you; it becomes a part of you.

So I cannot stop writing or imagining things to write, and trying to get them on paper or a screen. Failing to finish a piece makes me all the more determined to finish a piece. Not finishing Script Frenzy made me more committed to the creation and execution.

Seeing flowers all about me, as they struggle to come up, comforts me and let's me know they will come up and I will write.
  

Monday, May 9, 2011

THE PROCRASTINATOR’S GUIDE TO GOAL SETTING

By Isabo Kelly


Goals are an important part of achieving anything in life. Without something to aim for, you won’t bother to take aim. Goals give us targets and motivation. And for the writer, that motivation gets us through the rejections and long, lonely hours of actually finishing a book. Setting those goals is a significant process and should be taken very seriously. You can’t just sit down and say “these are my goals”.

First and foremost, you’ll have to write your goals down on paper. This is a fundamental step. If they aren’t on paper, well they just aren’t real, are they? But you can’t use any old paper. You need really good paper, high-quality stuff that will take the ink. It may take some time to find the right paper. Don’t rush the process. If you use just any old paper, you’ll end up putting a cup of coffee on your goals and forgetting about them. You don’t want that! So you need the perfect paper.

Once you’ve got the perfect paper, you need a really good pen. No point in writing down these momentous targets of achievement that will keep you motivated with bad, runny ink. And you need to enjoy the writing process. To do that, a good pen is required. Again, this hunt may take some time, but don’t worry, you’ll be glad you’ve invested the added effort.

Now, you’ve got the perfect pen and the perfect paper. Next, you need a really good cup of coffee. Because how are you supposed to think about goals without a jolt of caffeine? And while you’re in the kitchen, you should probably prepare yourself a snack. You may be working on this for awhile. You don’t want to get distracted by hunger.

Next, make sure you’ve made all the phone calls you’ve been putting off. A ringing phone will only distract you. Preempt the distraction by calling everyone you know and having that long overdue chat.

At this point, you’ll need another cup of coffee. And there are probably dishes to be done after your earlier snack. It might even be time for a little more food. Give in to that need. A growling belly will only throw you off target.

Then you’ll need to check your emails and make sure you’re all caught up there. You won’t want to get side-tracked by emergency emailing while you're in the middle of working out those dream-achieving goals.

Next, you might want to get your holiday shopping for next year started. After all, once you know you’ve made a start toward reaching your dreams, you’ll think less about the stress of the holidays just looming out there at the end of the year.

And, I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to concentrate if I have a lot of laundry and a messy house crowding me. So be sure to take care of those household chores you’ve been putting off. This is no time to let the dust bunnies under your couch cause you background anxiety.

As a final step before putting pen to paper, you’ll need to search the Web and read any blogs or articles you can get your hands on about the process of setting and achieving goals. You don’t want to go into this blind! Gather as much information and research as you can to make sure you’re doing this right.

So now, you’ve got a clean house, the laundry is done, the dishes are drying, your belly is full and you’re working on a fresh cup of coffee. The emails and phone calls have all been made, you’ve done some of that early shopping that will save you time at the end of the year when you’re busy working on your goals, and you’ve read everything there is to read about the process so you’ll be sure not to make any mistakes. You’ve got your excellent paper and the perfect pen. Now’s the time to sit down and write.

But remember, these are your goals. You have to seriously think about them. They will affect how you feel about your entire year, next year, the year after even! You don’t want to write something down that might make you feel inadequate six months from now. An unachievable or ridiculous goal should be discarded too. These have to be things you can do.

The importance of setting goals can not be underestimated. Take your time in composing them. If needs be, go through several drafts. Even after you’ve got one draft done, you’ll want to take a few weeks to consider if that’s the final list. Remember rushing will only cause you more trouble later on.

Once you’ve finalized your list at last, be sure to hold it up and admire it. Pin it up over your computer where you’ll see it every day. Continue to admire the neatly written goals for as long as you like.

And finally, it’s time to start going after those targets. Good luck all you fellow procrastinators! Here’s to a productive writing future!



(This article first appeared in its original form, The Procrastinator’s Guide to New Years Resolution, in The Samhellion newsletter in 2008. This version has been adapted.)


Isabo Kelly’s newest fantasy romance, BRIGHTARROW BURNING, will be available from Samhain Publishing in Fall 2011. (One thing she managed to get done despite all the procrastinating!) To learn more about Isabo’s books, visit her website http://www.isabokelly.com/.

Friday, May 6, 2011

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

This Sunday is Mother's Day.  Here's a collection of short stories by 14 Latino authors who reminisce about their mothers.  It's a good read for mothers and children everywhere. 

What are you giving your Mother on her special day?

Happy Mother's Day!
 Feliz Dia de las Madres!