My alter ego is teaching this week

by Noel Feans

Don’t you just hate it when people talk about themselves in the 3rd person?

Seriously though, I do try to keep my fiction writing separate from well, everything else I do in the business realm. Yes, it makes me a little psycho, but hey, who needs a calm, centered fiction writer? We’re supposed to all be a little crazy.

Me crazy?

Definitely (and yes, I know all of you except my dear sweet husband will disagree with the crazy comment as a clinical hypnotherapist, I’m not really allowed to be crazy, I think). I beat myself up in the gym or TKD – I’ll take a round house kick to the jaw and just shake it off. I’ll take on too many projects. Try to balance everyone and everything (and fail miserably 99% of the time), and miss catching up with friends because by the end of the day, I want a buffer between me and people. I lose my temper with the small child no matter how much I try not to. I think it’s a mom thing. And I write in sprints. Some days focused and channeled, some days, all over the place.

The sane part of me is teaching this week.

I couldn’t justify going to the RWA Conference this year. It ends up costing to much and yielding too little. Hell, if i wanted to hang out with my favorite writing buds, I think I’ll just host a writer’s retreat and invite them all HERE. It would be less expensive, we’d get a lot done and progress would be made. Not that I don’t envy all those AT the conference this year Who doesn’t love a Disney trip?

But, for those of us not at the RWA10 this year, Savvy Authors is hosting a Summer Symposium (we won’t mention how many times I’ve had to backspace on THAT word). I offered to teach my Muse class, focusing on stress management and relaxation techniques to allow writers to focus on their craft.

I love teaching this class And, there are a lot of other online classes being offered. I can only hope to keep up with reading them all.

You should check them out! What other writing classes, online or other, have you taken and really gotten a lot out of?

PS – I uttered a VERY bad word today when pup and I got lost trying to get to the Baltimore National Aquarium. Bad mommy. I don’t like getting turned around in an area of town that had me wishing I had weapons on me. Thankfully? “That’s ok mommy, I know you’re just worried about getting us there safely.” I do love our 6 year old. He rocks.

Sucks me in EVERY time….

I’m in edit mode.

(Run, hide, now…it makes me grrry….no, not really. Kidding, kind of….maybe not.) Psycho much in our house???

I finally decided to focus on the editorial comments from Laurin Wittig (she was a great recommendation from a fellow writer, JT Bock, and author, JA Konrath) – it’s been a while (a long while), and I’ve been a little busy with CatKlaw and paying the bills. Or as the case may be, paying OFF some bills. Pffft. Gotta love how life tangles you up in confusion and reality. And yes, I’m all about responsiblity….just dare to ask what I did in the last month to make sure things were caught up. And yes, I was avoiding the comment…call me an ostrich…

Although, probably not wise to do so to my face, I might, must might, kick you

Cat will say I wasn’t paying attention to the family enough. And, I’m sure I wasn’t….blah. Our VA Beach vacation sucked for me, I was working. Booo.

Now, let me explain. I get paid to edit documents…technical and sales materials.

That’s my JOB, and I’m damn good at it. I may be a freelancer, but I have steady work, thank the universe, and I enjoy what I do, even though I might curse and WHEN those hours happen.

I am not being egotistical about it, I’m being truthful. I worked my tail off to make sure I had a business focus that would support my creative bent. God bless my mother.

Thanks to the whimsical nature of publishing and the music industry, you can see my reasoning. (Point in case, Charlaine Harris wrote the Sookie books..what we all know now as True Blood… TEN YEARS AGO…) See, there’s logic there. I promise. Combine the business writing craziness with insane deadlines…people pay me good money to work on their proposals. Hell, I even enjoy it (see, I must be insane and I should add…most times I do enjoy it LOL.) I am NOT counting Stephanie Meyers amazing results OR JK Rowling’s work…both were a true, phenomenon in our society.

However, when focused on my fiction writing, I have a different (contrary) view than the industry norm on paying someone to go through and edit/read my material. My reasoning?

One, I consider writing a learning process. I paid my college professors, correct? And, I learned something. I paid for classes to teach me how to write and manage proposals, yes? Yes. I continually pay other writers who lead workshops or teach classes to help me learn. RWA and Candace Havens have some GREAT classes. Candy’s are FREE (mostly) ….if you don’t sign up for them…you and me…dark alley. Bring it.

Why is paying an editor….a GOOD editor, different?

This is so far off the recommended path, turn back now if you don’t want to hear it.

If they’re not out to make money on my story, but offering a service for a fee (teaching me something…and I learn…key is LEARN) then by all means, pay the editor. Especially if you don’t have the time/inclination to deal with the arbitrary contest responses (I’ve had great scores and wtf I don’t understand responses…makes a writer nutty) and crit group responses. And yes, I actually review works for contests…I just try to review as a reader and a professor.

As for critique groups? It is very hard to build a GOOD crit group. For the record, I love my dispersed group, we are all over the world, but we’re all learning and none ‘published’ (Cat no offense, I’ve never sent you my work to read nor vice verse, not that I wouldn’t LOVE to share!)

It takes time.

I’ll write another post on THAT, later. (Suffice to say there is an art to being in a crit group that so many have not learned.) I have had more than enough of both. And, I don’t have the time to get out and meet weekly with a crit group like I used to, damn, I wished I did. But husband, child, work, training,…and writing…no way, no how. Our Sparkling Hearts group gets together at least once a month to have lunch and encourage each other.

For my Fiction now?

Now, I want a professional opinion, someone published,…and I paid for it. It’s not like the agents I’ve been querying or the publishers have had the time to offer me anything other than their standards rejections. I understand that. They are overwhelmed and not knocking them for that. They only get paid on the stories they accept and sell. I get that and would be the same way if I were in their shoes based on the current model.

I believe in my series. So, with Phyxe, I paid Laurin for her time and expertise to highlight where I needed to focus, where the gaps were,..where my challenges were. She was DEAD ON. I’m working on those edits now…crafting and honing a better story. Will I look for an agent? Maybe….or..will I? I still have my team….I read their stuff (awesome ideas) and they read my stuff (drivel but improving). We encourage and help each other…that’s our JOB. I’ll likely look for an agent the same reason JA Konrath has one, to negotiate rights.

Question for you…if you REALLY believed in your writing & skills…would you go out of your way to pay a professional editor to look over your work? Or do you just expect, you send it off, it’s glorious and the agent/publisher accept it?

Honestly, pay up front, like you would for a class, to get feedback…or wait, and wait, and wait some more to get a “thank you but you don’t fit what we’re looking for.” I don’t knock that…it means I have not done my JOB in writing the best damn story I can.

So, more work. Deal.

I’m about improving my skills and telling the story. What are you about?

Two, with digital publishing…I can pay a GREAT editor to review my work, rework it, …and then go format it for Amazon or Smashwords. If I price my book at least at $2.99, I net 70% of the cover price. (Go check out JA Konrath‘s in depth focus on digital publishing. Seriously. Do it now.) The key is…WRITE A GOOD BOOK. And, hello, pay a good editor to review you and a good illustrator to make a GREAT cover. And, learn everything you can about marketing it all. You’d be marketing it anyway if a print publisher picked you up. And, I can publish both fiction and non-fiction. My NF is doing GREAT!.

Both reasons have been the best money I’ve spent in my writing evolution. We won’t count the few college classes during my MASTER’s program that really hit home.

Why all this? Because I wasn’t looking to for my (paid) editor or (paid) illustrator to publish the story or represent me.

I respect their time and I believe in my skills and talent. My editor? She’s a busy, PUBLISHED author and goes out of her way to closely review each and every manuscript that she signs up to look at. She doesn’t offer comments like “this doesn’t work for me” – you get comments, helpful suggestions, and years of experience. My illustrator? She’s working freelance, writing and illustrating. We’re all in this together. Will they love it if I succeed? Hell yes. They’ll get acknowledgments and kudos, which will only lead to paying work for them. One of the BEST forms of advertising, genuine referrals.

Move outside the realm of current reality.

Make it happen. And hello, reach outside the current mind set of ‘this is how it works and this is how you make money’. Be willing to think outside the box. It’s working for so many authors. Make it work for you…keep learning, keep changing…KEEP WRITING.

And seriously, if it isn’t working for you? You’re not working HARD enough to perfect your craft in the current age. Do I want an agent? Yes. Will I continue to query agents? Yes.

Will I publish my stories when I feel they’re ready?

Hell yes.

And, I will just watch the outcome. Either people will eat them up, or they won’t. But truthfully? I started out writing for myself.

Namaste,
Sybir/Stacia

PS – Happy Birthday to me!!! We’re not having a party…and seriously, I don’t think there is a darn thing planned….drat. LOL. I should have sent out invites to come hang out. Have just been to darn busy. But as pup said…”You’re turning 27, Mommy.”

Right, for the 10th time. They’re all anniversaries after that 27th.

Boost my Mood, What’s your BEST opening line???

It’s been a hard day, and maybe, one day I’ll tell you about my volunteer work, but, if you want to keep up with that…go check out/subscribe to my Holistic Health site. I try to keep the realms separate, but it doesn’t always work.

You’ll have to deal with a somewhat split personality…sorry…..

For THIS post? No, I don’t mean a pick up line, well, unless your character is trying to pick someone up in the first line of your story….(you put a pick up line in the comments, I reserve the right to kick you, seriously.) The funniest pickup I had (cause let’s be real, I don’t get a lot of pickup lines..pffft, feelings hurt here LOL)? “Oooh, I love the way your hair lays over that jersey.” From a musician who had been picked up by Niko from the train station. I promise…I was so uber polite in my response….well…maybe.

No. Back to our focus.

I want your BEST opening line to your BOOK.

Or hell, if you’re NOT a writer, then your favorite opening line of a book you love!

There’s a great list here of famous ones. You know, a few of my favorites from the classics…

• “Call me Ishmael.” ~Herman Melville, Moby Dick
• “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” ~George Orwell, 1984
• “Mother died today.” ~Albert Camus, The Stranger

And, a few of my more recent favorites….

For the record, I had to go thru a LOT of books I love to find opening lines I loved….I’ve bought books for the covers, the blurbs on the back, friends recommendations, and the opening paragraphs, but OPENING LINES?….much harder to snag my attention…So, here…is what I found in my shelf hunt.

• “Simon Japp was damn tired of running.” ~Joss Ware, Embrace the Eternal Night
• “Your father is guilty.” ~Julie McBride, The Protector
• “I knew it was going to be a lousy day when I woke to a woman screaming in my ear that I was a fucking pervert, but I think the real highlight came when I fell five hundred feet and smashed my skill into a half dozen pieces.” ~Cat Marsters, Almost Human
• “I’d been waiting for the vampire for years when he walked into the bar.” ~ Charlaine Harris, Dead Until Dark
• “Jaxon Montgomery snapped the clip into her handgun and glared at her partner.” ~ Christine Feehan, Dark Guardian (I have to add, I skipped A LOT OF prologue to get to that first line…)
• “Ian St. Ives sprang from the snow-covered rocks, spread his arms wide, and for an instant seemed to hang suspended in the crisp morning air.” ~Cinnamon Burke, Ring of Fire
• “Layel, King of Vampires, hated son of Atlantis, fought so fervently against his chains that the metal cut past skin and muscle, nearly slicing into bone.” ~ Gene Showalter, The Vampire’s Bride

I admit…I’m more a cover art, blurb, recommendation reader…I have been known to pitch a book across the room out of sheer irritation.

No, I won’t name names or titles.

Let’s just say, it’s been done. Several times. And, hell, if I could have pitched some of MY writing across the room without killing a computer…it might have been done for my writing as well. I’m not biased here.

Well, maybe I lean to the romance side of things…maybe

So, post up! Share…I will.

• “Crunch. Crack. Bones split.” – Latest project
• “Tiara Burke’s chunky white-heeled tennis shoes whispered along the sidewalk as she strolled towards the school’s double doors.” – YA paranormal – not so enticing with THIS line…see, write….LEARN

Drat..in reading, my writing is one of those…you must read the whole first paragraph idea….

Ok, so spill it. I did. Share a few of your OPENING one lines. I reserve the right to delete mean comments….play nice.

Is writing with a partner rewarding or challenging?

I share my writing, during the initial stages with very few people. Nick, my husband and partner in crime, being one of those people. He’s helped me choreograph fight scenes, move past plot hiccups and redefine villains and heroes. So, it comes as no small surprise that the last two ideas I’ve had floating around my head, he’s mentioned he’d love to write it WITH me.

You know what?

We’re working on it! I wasn’t quite ready to share creative license with my Goddess Series. And, truth be told, I need a break from it because it’s been a long time running. Instead, I shifted gears and started on an entirely new idea.

It’s one we both love.

We’ve had a few hiccups, like understanding where we each like to break a chapter and reigning in his need to include gore. He is a sci-fi/horror writer after all.

I’m learning to weave all the details back in. I’ve gotten used to fast writing, forgetting that sometimes, I do love the narrative sections…it allows me to slow down and enjoy the story.

A few people have asked me how this process works. I’m not sure how it works for other writing partners. I’ve thrown a tweet out there. We’ll see who responds. I thought I’d give you the highlights to show you how we’re making it work.

For writing, I’m on a Mac and use Scrivener. Nick’s using Word on a PC. So, there’s an extra step or two for me when we’re going back and forth…I have to export/import everything back and forth, but it is allowing me to catch edits as we go. And, I honestly can’t say I want to write without Scrivener nowadays, so I’ll suck up the extra steps it takes for us to go back and forth. The folder and file structure alone is worth it.

We started out with an idea…talked out the opening scene, deciding who, what, why, when and where. (This usually occurs between the hours of 9pm and 1am in our household, most often the kitchen,….something about late night gets the creative thought process going.)

I’d been having a hard time getting started with this book because I just couldn’t figure out what Shia looked like. I had her background, her story forming in my head, but I needed an actual picture of her to get started. Like all other times, I hit Google to find images I could use. Once I found them, then we had a place to start. You can read all about the ways in which I procrastinate during this incubation process in a previous post.

I sat down a few nights ago and banged out the opening scene, about 1600 words in an hour, and then dropped it in Word and emailed it over to Nick. While he tweaked and fiddled, I went back to research and adding to my notes file on Shia. A little while later (let’s face it, I stopped clock watching which means we were both in a writing zone), gmail pinged me. A few tweaks and edits. Bam, scene 1 done. I start in a few paragraphs on scene 2, but we decide to call it a night because the next scene needed dialogue going between us and it was far too late to write that kind of interaction well.

Next night, when all is wound down, I ask him if he wants to jump in IM and work on our scene. About a half hour later, we’ve added in another 1600 words.

Chapter 1 is done.

I’m enjoying the hell out of this process. It’s great to have a partner to bounce ideas off of, dig in with the details and keep each other focused. I’m also finding it’s a lot easier for me to see changes and edits as I’m going along because we’re going back and forth. I have to really pay attention to see where he’s added in detail, which is making the edits easier to spot.

So what’s the status? Drafted Chapter 3 last night over IM. At this rate, we’ll have the book done before pup’s out of school for the summer…and it’ll be mostly edited at that!

Software Overfloweth ~ what I use to write or keep me on track (maybe)

No, that’s not a word….ok, maybe in Old English, deal with it.

In an attempt to get an FTP client working, I realized just how many FTP clients I had on my Mac…and then realized, there’s a ton of other software here that I haven’t been using and need to delete, and others that I need to be using more. Rather than bore you with what I deleted (and am still deleting), I’ll tell you what I re-discovered, and I’ll be using to help me in writing (of all genres).

1. Taskpaper - the electronic to do list. It even allows me to cross things out with Command + D. While I may love handwriting things out, I just figured out I can put this program on my iPhone too…hot damn. Now, to get over my need to carry a notebook around.
2. 1Password – one way to keep my passwords synchronized across the iPhone and the Mac. Had too many requests about, what’s the password for this site, Catklaw clients, no need to worry.? I need to check to see if it works on the Windows 7 box or the XP laptop (which is going to get replaced w/ a Macbook at some point). And yes, we’re a computer household, need to come borrow one? We have too many.
3. Apimac Timer – stopwatch, countdown and clock all in one. Great for timing writing sprints or pulling you out of a focused project.
4. Evernote – Thank you to Gwen for reminding me about this one. I now have it sycn’d across ALL the computers in the house. Makes it so much easier to keep track of notes….in notebooks. Go digital! Evernote saves your ideas, things you see, and things you like. Then find them all on any computer or device you use. For free.
5. Google Earth – in case I want to find a specific location for a scene…and write about it. Ok, so it’s not a CLEAR picture, but it’s better than getting the map out.
6. Google SketchUp – FREE design software in case you don’t have Photoshop, or like mine, Photoshop decides to pitch a hissy fit and error on you. Plus, it’s 3d!
7. MindNode Pro – Mind Mapping software! Free version is cool…I might break down and purchase the Pro. We’ll see how much I’m using it first.
8. NameGenr8er - interesting way to quickly come up with names. Hey, you might not use the ones they give you, but a mix. For me, a name is EVERYTHING in a story.
9. Scrivener – this goes without saying. I don’t write in Word anymore. Well, proposals, web content, yes…but I’m slowly trying to migrate ALL of it over. This is the best, only software I will ever use in my writing process…well, unless the creators stop supporting it But I really hope they don’t!

There may be more….but those are my top 9 for the night. Of course, don’t forget Google and Wikipedia in general. The power of the net.

And, my awesomely creative husband (do you believe, spell check let awesomely get past it???), Nick Kelly. We’re working on a new idea together!

So, there you have it. Check all the links out. Let me know if there are any REALLY good ones I missed? Please. I can use all the help I can get

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