Reaching for the stars

Way back when Elisa, Sandy, and I decided to write this anthology, Elisa contacted her editor who was really excited about the project. We were doubly excited that we actually had an editor interested before the thing was even written!

Then, lo and behold, Elisa's editor moved on.

A lot of emails flew back and forth. What are we going to do? Who else to you think would be interested? Should we try my editor or Elisa's new editor?

And then Sandy threw in a possibility that had us all pausing. Why not reach for the stars? Why not try the BIG publishers? New York? Could we do it? Should we?

Why not?

We have a great premise. We're all three great writers (yeah, I know, I'm tooting our horns).

So, change in plan. We're now trying for the big guns and you know what? I really think we can do this.

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

New Beginnings...

When Elisa, Sharon, and I started this anthology, I thought, how hard could 20k words be? I mean, I'd completed a 90k ms. So, 20k should be a piece of cake. HA!

It wasn't until I started my 20k novella, the first in the Soul Reavers Anthology, that I began to understand just how hard it would be to write. It has a lot to do with my standards, I know. I can't abide a weak romance, with weak conflicts, and weak plot. The problem was, I didn't know how to make my story strong and believable (well, believable for a paranormal, that is.) in so few words. I need my love story to call to me. To make me, as a reader, truly believe that my hero and heroine have fallen in love by the last page. I need that happily-ever-after. But, I need to feel it. Believe it. What I needed, was about 70k more words to do it in.

Writing a good novella is NOT EASY! I applaud the numerous authors at Ellora's Cave, Changeling & Samhain, just to name a few. These talented authors continuously produce loving, intense, believable romances in less than 50k. Some even as short as 12k.

Well, after a long bout of writer's block with Tori's story, I finally realized I needed to re-plot the entire thing. It was weak and I just couldn't get past chapter 4. In the end, as painful as it was, I threw out more than 5k words (Ummm, that would be all of what I'd already written.) and started from scratch. New plot, new scenes, new everything. Only now, I think I might be able to get this done in 20k. I think it works now. We'll see what my critique partners think when I'm done. ;-)

Sandy :-)
www.sandra.barkevich.com
*February 24, 2007 at Sandra's Goings On - Guest Blogger, Terri Garey - Dead Girls are Easy

Elisa's latest release

Miss Independent is now available from Samhain Publishing.

The last thing Amanda Storm needs is a man in her life-but no matter where she goes, she can’t seem to get rid of them.

After three marriages and a near-miss, Amanda decides to wash her hands of men once and for all and try living life on her own. She moves away from her family, buys a cottage and gets a job waiting tables at a busy local bar to put herself through college. But then she meets Joe, who appoints himself as her savior, and everything goes downhill from there.

Joe Baker knows a woman in trouble when he sees one. Amanda might be good at faking it, but she’s in way over her head. As her neighbor, he’s willing to help her with whatever she needs done around the old cottage, but she won’t accept his help. All he can do is sit back and watch things fall apart around her, and try not to say I told you so when it happens. Somewhere along the way, his protective feelings turn into something more, but after three failed marriages, Amanda wants nothing to do with commitment. Joe isn’t a man to give up, and he’s determined to show her they’re meant to be together–no matter what it takes.

But, honey, Hilary saaaaaays.....

Melina left this qoute from Hilary Sares on the Ghostwriters myspace page :

"Forget the rules. Just write and keep writing. Start another book as soon as you send the first one out. Experiment with different genres. Say very rude things and very kind things. Just don’t say boring things. Be funny. Be sentimental. Be passionate. Have sex with five fictional characters to see which is the best fit for your terrific plot and forget the housework. Your dreams are worth the time it takes to develop them."

Sandy liked the part about having sex with five fictional characters, but Dawn and I thought the whole forgetting the housework thing was kinda cool.

I can just see me talking to my DH now:

"Honey, Hilary Sares said I should forget the housework."

"Who the hell's Hilary Sares?!"

"An agent."

"Well Hilary Sares doesn't have to live in a messy house."

Sigh. I don't think it will work but I love the comment anyway.

Karin Tabke's First Line Contest

Elisa, Sandy, and I just entered Karin Tabke's first line contest. It's a fun contest we all entered last time. You submit the first line of your story, a judge culls the worst ten, the remaining entrants submit their next line, and so on and so on until you have five entrants left. The last five get a read by Hilary Sales at Kensington and hopefully a request for a full.

It's a fun contest to watch even if you aren't participating. There are some awesome first lines so it's going to be interesting this time around.

Click here to check it out.

Wish us all luck!

What Type of Writer I am

I thought this was interesting and very much on the money for me.

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

There's one in every crowd

So Christmas night the whole family packs up and treks the 10 minutes to my sister-in-law's house for Christmas dinner. She has this friend who she's been friends with for 20 years now who comes to all the family dinners.

We're sitting at the dinner table, stuffed to the gills with standing rib roast, mashed potatoes, salad, corn, turkey, pounds of hors devoures and about ten different desserts, when this family friend starts talking about romances. Now she knows I write romance and she suddenly announces to the table that romances are "crap". Well, the table goes silent and my husband, never to miss an opportunity, says into the silence, "Did you hear that she called your work crap?"

And I say, "Yes, I was trying to ignore it."

So this friend quickly says, "Not that what you write is crap. I'm sure it's good money for those who can churn that stuff out."

Churn that stuff out.

Okay, now she's digging her hole deeper and I just close my eyes and shake my head (I really did do that) and say, "It's a little more than churning it out."

"Oh, well. I didn't mean it like that."

Yes. She did. But I let it go. People like her won't be convinced otherwise because she doesn't want to be convinced otherwise. I choose to feel sorry for her because she won't open her mind and experience some of the best stories out there written by some of the best writers out there.

Her loss.