Back to the grindstone.

I'm back from South Carolina and I'm seriously pouting. Well at least as much as my sore throat will allow me.

The retreat put on by the Lowcountry Romance writers was wonderful. I got to meet other author's, aspiring and already published.

Author Ana DeStefano and Agent Michelle Grajkowski did an informative and thought provoking workshop on "Turning your Proposal into and I do!"

Author Cynthia Cooke did her workshop on "Writing Rules for rebels: We don't need no stinking charts!" (Can you tell she's sort of a panster).

Author Debra Webb gave us another even more intimate look into the publishing world, with her workshop "Breathing room".

All this, walks on the beach, great rooms, great food and time to write made for a lovely weekend.

Okay so now here's what I took away from these workshops:

1) Even though we like to think of ourselves as creative, we still need to remember that it's still a buisness.

2) I already knew this but I think it still needs to be said. Publishing means deadlines, deadlines mean that you have to write. Which means you have to make writing a habit. It's a job. This circles back to writing being a buisness.

3) Just because you get a contract it doesn't mean that money will always be rolling in. Make wise choices and uncle sam will knock on your door if you don't pay him. ( Just in case you didn't know)

4) Be prepared. Ms. DeStefano made this clear . Be prepared. Know what you want out of a relationship with an agent. Do you need more than an email? Do you prefer phone calls? Would you like more frequent contact? Would you like them to help build your career or are you just looking for someone to negotiate your contracts.

5) Research the agents you are querying. (Again knew this but figured someone out there would need to know)

6) Go to workshops, attend conferences. It's your job to know what's going on in the industry. You don't have to know it all but you don't want to be blindsided.

7) Excercise your voice. That is, write. Every book is a chance to learn something new and a chance to excercise your writing voice.

8) Sometimes a book has to be shelved. You can always look at it another time and fix or rewrite it. But move on to something new.

9) Professionalism: Watch what you say, how you say it and how you behave. As a matter of fact sometimes it's best to say nothing at all. If you're a Newbie at this buisness then you don't have the clout that some other NY Times bestselling authors have. (There is this thing called the internet that somehow manges to save everything)

10) Persistence is key.

11) Finish the book. revising can wait until it's all on the page. Don't just focus on the first 30 pages. you might just edit your voice out.

12) Don't get bogged down with reference books or someone else method. Do what feels right.

13) Sometimes the process changes from book to book that's okay too.

I can't think of anything else right now but I'll add to this post if I remember. Will put pics up when I finally get them off my camera. Bye.

Retreat!

I'm on the isle of Palm, South Carolina this weekend.

I'm on a retreat with a bunch of writers in this huge house with the beach outside the front door. I'm absolutely ecstatic.

So waving from the beach on the the Isle of Palm. Have a happy Saturday!

Fear!

Fear is an insidious thing. It pokes around until it finds a place to hide, just when you think you've gotten a handle on it, it rears it's ugly head.

This happens every year with me. I freak out when it comes to having my mammogram. I conquer it, and every year I go get one. But just when I think that everything's alright. Fear jumps out and paralyzes me.

You're thinking that's just plain crazy. Well it is and it isn't. My hubby found me crying and pacing the bathroom and said: "That's it either you call or I call but you're going."

See the hubby knows that I've been putting it off and he finally gave me the kick that I needed. Afterwards he held me because he knew that's what I needed too.

Sometimes what you need to overcome fear is a good swift kick in the butt.

Normal

No one understands how much I like normal. Normal being no drama. But as a friend of my mine likes to say "Never a dull moment." Of course he also like to say "bring drinks".

I have to say today would be the day that there was never a dull moment but also a "bring drinks" moment.

Normal. I want normal. I like normal. Sometimes I feel doomed to live without normal.

The music in me!

Okay so the blog has been rather heavy on the music lately. Anyone who knows me I mean really knows me, knows I grew up in a musical household. My father influenced me with everything from Motown to Frank Sinatra to Stephen wolf to Brother Bob to Soca and calypso.

My mother and my Aunts filled in the blanks, show tunes, opera, classical music. Alas I don't create music I'm much better with the written word. I've rediscovered my love for the piano through getting ready to teach my kids how to play piano. Funny how that works.

I miss the emotions that used to pour out of me when I sat in front of that instrument. Long afternoons spent with the dogs sitting at my feet while I played. the freedom to pound on the keys or stroke them lovingly. Coaxing a melody out, sometimes haunting, sometimes angry. It made me feel free.

I didn't care if I passed a music exam I just wanted to be able to express myself. Funny how that now translates to writing. My mood is volatile these days. I routinely express my mood through music. Does music show your moods or do you use it to change it?

I was listening to my i pod yesterday and I felt particularly militant and the White Stripes Seven Nation army seemed to fit my mood. Enjoy.

Lazy Sunday!

Today is a day of rest. Could someone please tell that to my allergies?

I've got some good feedback from one of my critique partners. So I'm going to write a little later on. But first it's off to target to get the kids halloween costumes.

They both want to vampires. Though Alex the youngest wants to be a vampire princess. Not quite sure what we're, the hubby and I, are going to be. The last two years we've done a pirate and his saucy wench. We'll see what we come up with this year.

What are you going to be?

Interesting article on CNN.

Never thought of it this way:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/10/13/social.networking.class/index.html