Brain, Can We Have a Talk?

Okay, so we already know that I'm having difficulty staying on task. But this is getting ridiculous. Normally, the patrons of my particular brain diner are nice and patient and are willing to go into their neat little files to wait for another day. I think they've finally caught on though. I keep getting new ideas and don't get back to the ones in the file. So basically I need to write a whole lot faster. But Micah and unnamed heroine (which will drive me nuts until I figure it out) need to be quiet. It's bad enough that Kaitlin and Caleb are working through their issues and Mark/Casanova and Kate/Amy have way too many names. But they are separate genres and each need their special moment in the sun. But there is also the immortal and his key who are getting crazy in my head.

To recap, Forsaken (paranormal), Casanova (category rom), Fearless (paranormal) and WFTWTE (paranormal, yup I'm not telling you the name) are all on the surface of my brain or seated at the counter in the diner and all are demanding to be served. Meanwhile, Fallen is sitting waiting for dessert (revisions). Wait and see what else my brain serves up.

Bad Writer, Bad

I would love to say that I'm currently revising Fallen or finishing Forsaken, but I've been taken a hold of by a different story and it's working it's way out of my system (4800 words into it). Next step is to form a synopsis for it so I can put it aside and work on my edits. Then when I pick it up I can slam through the first draft. Fun!

That and I'm preparing for Nationals. For those who don't know, RWA (Romance Writers' Association) holds a conference once a year for its member. This year is in Washington, DC and it's my first year going. I've spent a lot of time shopping for proper clothing and shoes for the occasion and going over my pitch for Fallen. I can't wait to go and there doesn't seem to be enough time left. 2 weeks.

I will begin my focused effort on Fallen tomorrow and tonight I'll try to wrap up Casanova.

Research is Hard

Can I tell you how much I love my job? So I finished up Catch a Star this week and will be sending it in on Monday. Nerve level has skyrocketed but I'll deal. So I have an idea in the same vein...Hollywood Hottie. Nomnomnom. So far I've needed to look up information on Manolo Blahnik (I even know how to spell it now). Then I spent a while trying to figure out a Hollywood Hot Spot, decided to make one up so used the English to French dictionary for made up name. Will be using another hot spot later in the book, this one will not be made up. Now I'm looking at the 2008 Sexiest Men Alive photos on People's website to figure out what my hero should look like. Wait for it....I love my job.

Been Workin'

At least on my mom's farm. With dial up connection. That and finishing up the revisions on Catch a Star so I can send it off to the editor that requested it. Once that's done, I begin revisions on Fallen and then work on synopsis for Forsaken and The Shoe Story (working title) and get elevator pitches ready for Nationals for those two when I'm asked what I'm working on. Gearing up for Nationals by spending way too much money on shoes and clothing. What else am I doing? Hmmm. Well, when revisions are done I'll be writing. I'm also working on the RWA FF&P blog which while I'm not writing a lot on it, it does take time.

What You Are Missing on Twitter?

aka I waste time when I'm stressed.

Wendy Lawton discussed the Kisses of Death to authors.

Renee Hagar discusses branding at Rachelle Gardner's blog. Something even the beginning novelist should look at

Amie Stuart entertains Aphrodisia readers with her take on the Power of Love

Want to understand why HarperCollins twitters? The New York Observer discusses.

Yen discusses in a 3 part series the idea of sending review copies to bloggers

Dear Author is trying to determine if people love the love triangle or hate it

And finally, looking for a good ebook. Check out CoolerBooks. I'm not sure it encompasses everything, but it has a good number of ebooks available.

What now? Well, you could follow the discussions going on currently on twitter including ... well, lets just say some people can't get songs out of their heads, while others are busy making themselves into romulans and vulcans, still others are avoiding working, and others are discussing the merits of Amazon publishing.

Envisioning Nationals

I'm a member of Romance Writers of America. In July they have their National Conference. As a PRO member (having completed a MS and submitted for consideration of publication), I joined in the mass onslaught of the RWA website to sign up for one editor and one agent pitch session. It opened at 8 cst this morning. I wasn't able to get in until 12. I did get my first choice for agent, but there weren't that many editors taking appointments.

I'm very excited about going to the conference. I'm also working on getting my submission ready for my contest win. I've gotten some really great ideas from my crit partners and going through them in my head. I also have plans for revising Fallen and want to finish Forsaken. There's the idea that I'd like to finish developing. But I need to work on getting everything clean.

And there's the part time job that keeps rearing it's head. It's good because it stimulates a different section of my brain, but having recently contracted the plague (just a little sick and being melodramatic) the time I have to work is limited. So this is where we need to coordinate our schedules and make goals and stick to them. Time to sit with a piece of paper and crunch the numbers.

The Disappearing Cat

Until I read through the entire MS, I hadn't noticed that I mentioned a cat in one scene and only one scene. We are in her apartment multiple times and no cat. It's silly the consistency things you see only when you read the entire MS. I mention the cat twice once by his name and that he was the only thing she had to go home to and then again as her hair looked like something her cat had coughed up. That's it. No purring cuddly cat at home during movie time. So unfortunately poor kitty will have to make his debut in a different book.

I'm still contemplating a scene I never completed. I don't know if it adds to the book enough to keep it in. Or if it's more of the same.