The Love Boat - How Apt (or is that Aft?)

I've been away from writing for almost two weeks and it's practically killing me. I haven't been away from my career - still doing guest blogs and emails and proposals--but I haven't been working on the next story. The fact that it's halfway done has helped, but I'm going into withdrawal.

Writing withdrawal.

Who would have thought?

I just finished the third book in the Mer series, and with edits on the last two, my time was crunched. I thought I'd love to have some non-pressure time to focus on my family, the house that needs some work, the summer, vacation, etc., but I'm finding that I'm anxious for Monday to get here because all the party planning will be over (one party left to have, but the bulk of the work is done) and I'll be able to focus on the story. It's been percolating; I already know some of the edits I have to address with what's written, and I'm hoping to be able to say this story is sold pretty darn quickly! (Hence the proposal thing above...)

I just did a blog interview where someone asked me if I couldn't be an author, what profession would I be doing? I had to think about that for a while. I used to be a corporate meeting planner before having children - a job I loved. Remember Julie McCoy from The Love Boat back in the 70s? My school friends used to call me Julie McCoy because I was always arranging things: parties, get togethers, outings, prom, dinners, homecoming floats, etc. A meeting planner does the same thing, essentially, that Julie, the cruise director, did on the boat, only I did it on land (good thing too, given my fear of the ocean). It was the perfect job for me (and if you now combine Romance/Love with the planning/Julie McCoy thing, you'll get the correlation to the title of this post) and everyone commented on it at our reunion.

Well, it was perfect until we had kids. The travel aspect of the job - which I loved - didn't jive with our idea of a family, so I gave it up. I wouldn't mind doing it again once the kids are out, but having been self-employed now, I don't know that I could do corporate-ese again. Besides, I love being an author and hope to continue doing it for years to come - as people also said at my last reunion. Funny how things come full circle.

And as soon as I have word on the proposal, I'll be shouting it to the cyber rooftops.

Happy Monday, and for those going to Nationals - one more week!!! See you there!

Just in case you were wondering. . .

Since there was so much discussion about last Sunday's hunk, I thought I'd better post this follow up picture of him. He is actually lying on his pants, so that nothing is getting painfully stuck to the couch!

I'm sure we will all sleep better knowing that.

In the meantime, I hope everyone had a fun and safe Fourth of July.

I've been working on the copyedited Fugitive manuscript and the whole point of view thing has me even more mystified than ever. Just when I thought I'd done my best to make it clear just whose thoughts I'm focusing on, I find another place where I jumped from one head to another. Forgive me. I was ignorant of these rules when I began writing, and I'm learning as I go.

One reason I'm having trouble is that exploring the thoughts of more than one person in a scene seems natural to me, and I will admit that I've never really paid attention to how that shifting focus was handled in other novels. It always seemed to me that if you were writing as the omniscient narrator, you should be able to be, well. . . omniscient. But such is not the case.

Unfortunately, the book is at a stage where, though I could rewrite parts of it, I have no desire to do so. I've read through it so many times and changed so many things that the details are beginning to run together in my mind. I did correct one major discrepancy that would have come back to haunt me eventually, and I'm glad I found it now rather than when I get the next version which will be almost, though not quite, carved in stone.

I must remind myself that no one will die if I don't get it exactly right. As I said before, this writing career of mine is a work in progress. I sold a book for publication before I knew everything there was to know about writing a novel, just as I didn't know everything there was to know about caring for the sick when I first graduated from nursing school. Nursing is referred to as a practice because so much is learned from experience, and I believe that this also applies to writing. We improve with practice, and I'm certainly getting plenty of that. I just wonder how many books I'll have to write before I finally feel like I know what I'm doing.

A few more, perhaps. . . .

Shapeshifters Who Play Together, Stay Together

Wildwitch honored my books on her website for the month of July if you want to check it out!
http://www.wildwitch.ca/aotmJulyl2009.htm
You can see how she discovered my wolf books on her comments on the site. Which made me realize how important paranormal sites are to help spread the word of our love of the paranormal.

I love so many facets of the paranormal, not just shapeshifter stories. Ghost stories, time travel, you name it, all are favorites of mine. But I wanted to comment on a well-thought of phrase:
Families who play together, stay together.

In my version, Shapeshifters who play together, stay together. LOL

I’ve written about my werewolves in fall (Heart of the Wolf, Destiny of the Wolf), in winter (To Tempt the Wolf, Legend of the White Wolf), and now I’m working on a story set in spring (Seduction of the Wolf, coming April 2010). But I haven’t written a summer story yet. What effect do the seasons have on shapeshifters?

Think, spring, wet wolf smell. LOL Since they’re in Oregon, really wet wolf smell.
Here it is the 4th of July weekend, what would a pack of werewolves be doing? Celebrating the holiday? Were they involved in the War of Independence? Some of the older ones might have been because of their longevity. What about fireworks? They have a strongly sensitive sense of smell, hearing is more sensitive, the smell of smoke isn’t something they’d like. So maybe fireworks wouldn’t be their deal. So what else could they do to celebrate the 4th?
These are questions that I constantly think of as I’m writing my stories. How does a season affect the wolf pack? How does the change in day to night affect them? The location? Micro-setting–the current location they’re in–house, woods, river? Macro-setting–the overall area they’re in, state of Oregon, North American continent?

What makes them so real?

Hope your 4th is full of fun!!! I’m off to mow!

If I were a werewolf, I’d leave things in their more natural state (just like it is now). But my neighbors probably wouldn’t like it. And werewolves, to avoid being discovered, must be on their best behavior. So *sigh*, they’d probably be out mowing the yard too.

If I haven’t already mentioned it, I’m sharing free serialized stories in my newsletter, Goddess in Training the first one up. The next one will be a published vampire romantic suspense. Just go to the bottom of my website and sign up. If you try and the spammer won’t let you get in, just let me know and I can forward the story via your email address. Thanks!

Terry
http://www.terryspear.com/

Panic Is Just A Word

Writers go through it when deadlines near, when a scene doesn’t come together the way they expect it to, and the absolute worst of all, when they sit at their computer and there’s not one word inside their heads. The imagination has gone on vacation and didn’t tell anyone.

Then there are the times we writers are buried under work and we wonder if it will all get done in time. I think of it as going forward one word at a time.

Yes, there’s everyday panic. You go shopping and realize your list is at home. Will you remember to pick up everything you had on it or forget something … or three? Times it’s happened to me I’ve wanted to slap myself upside the head. Then I mentally hear “take a chill pill, Aunt Lin” from my niece. She knows how I am when I’m grocery shopping. Shopping at the mall is more pleasure. Other shopping is a chore and I want to get in and get out without having to think about it.

And then there's the panic if you’re meeting new people. “Will they like me?” “Don’t have red wine because I might spill it.”

I’ve discovered that a little bit of panic is a good thing. It sharpens your mind. At least it does mine. I remind myself if I panic, I take steps backwards, while if I use that panic to my advantage, I utilize it to go forward.

Nothing happens if I forget a few things at the store. Unless it’s dog food and there’s none at home. Hungry dogs are cranky dogs. :} Then it's a quick trip back to the store.

So don’t sweat it, don’t let panic overtake you. Think of how you can use to help yourself.

Linda

The Rainbow at the End of the Storm

Yesterday morning, I posted my blog and then tried to answer other emails before I went to work, lightning that was flashing all around the house, struck so close, then boom, lights, computer went out. Lights flickered on. Then off.

It's very hard to do anything in a dark house, where the temperature is rising, and I couldn't even see with a lantern light to put on my makeup. If I didn't, I'd scare the patrons at work, so not a choice there. Couldn't fix my half a bagel I eat for breakfast, couldn't read, edit pages, nothing. Luckily I had been up at 5 and had worked on stuff for a couple of hours before the electricity went out.

I realize two things. One, the garage door won't go up without the electric turned on, and the manual deal is absolutely frozen. Which means? I can't get my car out of the garage. :( But I HAVE to go to work.

I do have options though. There's my son's car and my mother's car, neither of which I'm insured to drive. Actually, come to think of it, though, I am on my son's car registration since I bought it for him when he was underage. But his car is really low slung and in the torrential rains, I figured my mother's car is heavier and would drive better.

This is truly like a story that a heroine would have to deal with. One problem, take a path, get into more trouble. First, I had to open the gate in the pouring down rain, get soaked despite wearing a rain jacket, and move my mother's car to a carport. I notice the front tires are nearly flat. Can't inflate them because everything is wet in the carport, but then I realize, I can't inflate them because the tire inflater needs electricity anyway.

I try to leave, but my mother's keys don't include a back door key. Back in house to get my keys. Back out in the rain, trying to lock the door. Done. Head out an hour and a half hour early to work. Her car's message flashes on: Monsoon.

I laughed albeit a little hysterically. Was it really a message from God? Or was it some new music group she'd been listening too? Surely the car wasn't wired to give me the message.

But that's what I was driving in. A monsoon. It was so bad that the cars that normally drive 80 mph on the 70 mph highway into town slowed down to 60. Most of us drove at 45-50. It was so bad, I kept hydroplaning, and figured it was in part due to having nearly flat front tires. And, oh yes, the car was nearly on empty.

So I make it into town, go to the jiffy lube to get the tires pumped up. The manager tells me the car registration is expired. Horrors.

*sigh* You can imagine, I wasn't stress-free yesterday morning.

I arrive at work an hour early, figuring I could work on my manuscript in the air conditioning with lights on until I needed to do all the jobs I do when I'm supposed to really be at work. But as soon as I drove into the parking lot, it dawned on me. My key to the library was in the console of MY car, parked in my garage, sitting back home. No way was I going to drive the half hour back home in the monsoon, and the half hour back...just in time to get to work on time.

I was prepared though. In the heat of the car with the rain pouring down on the roof, I read over the printed version of Seduction of the Wolf and made some corrections, until my boss arrived with HER key. First thing she said, "Oh, oh, someone forgot theire key." And then I proceeded to tell her my very sad story. LOL!!!

The good news was that after I said my registration was expired, our temporary hire and my

boss looked over at the registration and said, "Not until tomorrow." I couldn't see what the date was from the inside of the car. Grrr, on the lube manager. The registration didn't expire until July! Today.

Next time the lightning's flashing like that, I'll know to move my car. :)

The fun news is I was honored to have a Canadian book seller ask to interview me last night, which was so nice.

http://www.wildwitch.ca/aotmJulyl2009.htm

I'm off to court this morning before I have to go to work and deal with the madhouse that children's hours create on Wednesdays. I kidded my coworkers that I might be stuck longer than I anticipate at court. They threatened to bring handcuffs and return me to work. Isn't it wonderful to be so loved?

LOL

Have a super Wednesday before the long weekend! Hoping all your storms end in rainbows!

Terry

www.terryspear.com

The evolution of a novel

Here's a little inspiration for all you romance writer wannabes out there. Just look at him, how the light flows over his shoulders and the way his hair flips back around his ears. His lips are full and kissable, his eyes softly romantic but exotic and mysterious. Write that down.

Now explain how it was that you met him. Write that down. Figure out who you want to be in relation to him--are you a friend, an enemy, a casual acquaintance--and write that down.

How does looking at him make you feel? Write that down. Now think how you would feel if you lost him. You'd go through hell to get him back, wouldn't you? Figure out what kind of hell that might be. Write that down.

Now, imagine what it would be like to find him again, his arms open wide and waiting for your kiss. Write that down.

Then write, THE END

Now, edit it a hundred million times, add some zany friends and you've got your first romance novel.
Now write ten more for practice, and then send your eleventh book to an editor who is sure to love it!
Good luck!

Next Up???

Just finished Legend of the White Wolf final edits and as soon as I prepost blogs for tomorrow for Casablanca and Wickedly Romantic, I'll be back to working on Seduction of the Wolf.

Ever have to pull away from the story you're putting your heart and soul into and miss them terribly? I couldn't sleep last night, thinking about Seduction of the Wolf. LOL. I couldn't work on it, not with the short fuse deadline for Legend, but I was dying to get back to Seduction. So as soon as I get these blogs up, I'm going to bed with my characters again. :) That's where I work best at night, away from the distraction of the Internet! If I don't take too long on the blogs. I have to work all day Saturday.

So yes, I've missed Leidolf and Cassie. I'm over halfway done with the book, but have tons more of their story to tell. And I'm hoping I'll get to without any more interruptions! :)

But I do have to say, I love revisiting my other stories too while doing edits. Why? They're done! I've written the whole story. And it's just a case of catching minor glitches. Whereas with the work in progress...I'm only part of the way there. It's fun to reread my stories while I'm doing edits when the characters and their trials are already fully written and I can enjoy them without trying to figure out where they're going next. I'm always surprised at little twists and turns I've added in final drafts that I don't even remember.

Do I sound wishy washy? It's the heat. :)

Have a super Saturday! It's supposed to be 105 again, so good time to stay in where it's air conditioned!

Terry Spear

http://www.terryspear.com/