getting ready

I'm getting ready to go to Hawaii in a few days for much-needed R&R. Except, well, I'm taking both my laptop and my alphie. Hope to do a gob of writing on the flights to and from. I won't have Internet there, so any writing I do will be pure creative writing, no blogging, no emailing, no posting on loops (cause I never do that instead of writing my quota :-).

Have much to do before I leave, so running around frantically. Ok, does anyone dislike superstores as much as me? By the time I get in the door, my feet hurt already from walking across the vast parking lot, and then the tiny item I want is way in the back corner. Or--I'm in aisle three and find out I need to be in aisle twenty-seven. Please bring back corner grocery stores, book shops, hardware stores . . . Places people knew your name and what you wanted.

But then, book superstores and discount stores all carry my books, which I need to sell in order to put food on the table--bought at huge supermarkets. There's a vicious cycle in all this!

www.jennifersromances.com

time management

I'm working on three or four projects at once, so time management is becoming necessary. That means I have to severely limit my time on the Internet, which means I will only update my blogs a couple times a week. I need to update my jennifersromances Web site, but will have to wait. I did manage to write 4200 words on Mad, Bad Duke today, which is good. Need to finish critiquing some contest entries and a synopsis before next week, but I'm going to set aside certain hours of the day to do that, and if it doesn't get done during that time, I have to stop and go back to writing.

It's hard to make that choice, because many of the peripheral things about writing (promotion, blogging, contest judging) are right in front of you and have short deadlines--the tendency is to think that those things are more important than writing a good story.

So I will schedule blocks of time throughout my day to do writing and nothing else, no matter what (barring real emergencies, of course). Wish me luck! I'm going in . . .

www.jennifersromances.com

Too many blogs

I have too many blogs, and so much to do. To see what all my personas are up to, see

www.ashleygardner.blogspot.com

and

www.allysonjames.bravejournal.com

beautiful cover

OMG, I have the most beautiful cover! This is for A Lady Raised High: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Laurien Gardner. I got it today and started to cry. The picture is from a scene in the book (Anne and the heroine, Frances).




Pub date is March. The first book in the series should be hitting the shelves within a week.

scenes

Wow. I just finished rewriting forty pages that have been driving me crazy for days. I could not get this scene right, no matter what. I finally figures out two things--

1. It was in the wrong POV. I should have used the heroine's POV, not the hero's. My husband, the non-writer, knew that, and I was too dense to see it. That's why I make him read my stuff--he has a good objective, reader's perspective.

2. I was trying to force a love scene where one didn't need to be. I've always said that eroticism does not equal sex, and there I was, trying to use sex to make the scene sexy. Guess what, it didnt' work!

Once I figured out it could still be very erotic without consumation (the heroine and hero are discovering each other for the first time), then it just flowed. Also, the hero is the most unusual and interesting person in the scene, so I need to show him, not tell what he's feeling. (Showing not telling, the most basic rule in fiction writing, duh).

But, whew, I have the scene done, so I can move on. I know I'll have to go back and polish it, but that's fine. The nuts and bolts are there. Finally!!!

Writers, you ever have scenes that just won't work? Do you scrap them or work until you get it right?

http://www.jennifersromances.com

jumping the broomstick

Yesterday evening, some friends of mine jumped the broomstick--literally. They had a Celtic handfasting/wedding ceremony in their back yard, uniting two dear friends. The ceremony was lovely, one of the best weddings I've ever been too, the vows sincere and beautiful.

The rest of us have always known these two should be together. It only took them about ten years to figure it out. About time, guys.

Here's a photo of the tree all decorated under which they had their ceremony. More photos are at http://www.jennifersromances.com/ChrisPatWedding.html.

my head hurts

Today I sent a proposal off to one editor, brainstormed another book with another editor, and wrote a chapter of a third book. Way too much thinking! I would love to step back and do some editing/revising, let the other half of my brain take over. But I get on a right-brain roll, and things go.

I burned my lunch while writing, and the only thing left in the house was plain pasta. So many carbs, so little taste. Nothing interesting to put on top of it either. Time to go out, I think.

Ok writers. Have you done things like burning meals while you write? I never know what happens around me while I'm inside my stories.

http://www.jennifersromances.com

need a new entry

So I'll talk about my weekend. Got my house cleaned from top to bottom (gasp), and filled with fall decorations, celebrating the cycle of the seasons. Hosted a bridal shower for a friend who's getting married next week. I love joyous occassions that fill my house and my being with positive energy. Well, it's joyous for me, stressful for her. I'm not the one getting married :-)

Also managed to write quite a bit, probably 7K in all on the paranormal for Berkley and another story, plus I'm brainstorming a new propsal. One secret of being a successful writer is to never sit still.

Since I have nothing deep to say today, here's a fun pic:

is blogging a waste of time?

Whenever an author talks at a chapter meeting or conference about blogging, he/she is often asked the question "does it bring you more sales, or is it a waste of time?"

IMHO, blogging is not a waste of time if you get something out ot it. For me, it's a way of keeping track of my progress and motivating me to write every day, whether I have a new release or not, whether I'm between projects or in the middle of a doozy. Even if I don't have comments pouring at me, it's a way for me to keep myself interested.

I don't know if by blogging I've made more book sales. I know I get more hits on my website (which is www.jennifersromances.com btw :-) ). There's no way of tracking that figure. But blogging does make blog readers aware of you and what you write, and perhaps will interest them to try a book.

Also, I'm amazed at the number of people who tell me they read my blog. Readers, family members, friends, and people I don't know. I hope I give them something halfway interesting to read.

So it's only a waste of time if you let it be. If you hate posting entries every couple of days, or posting comments on other author sites, or reading blogs, then don't do it. It's a trend, too. One day, another new cool thing will come along (say, podcasting), and blogging will be history. We'll all look at each other and say, "remember when we used to blog?"

Just thoughts.

Jennifer
(oh, did 5100 words today and 5000 yesterday.)

10,000 words

I wrote 10K words today, on The Mad, Bad Duke, so I'd say I met my 3500 word goal. I had a great weekend and got a good night's sleep, so I guess I was raring to go. That and I like the story so far. We'll see what happens tommorrow.

Jennifer
www.jennifersromances.com

Serenity

I'm a huge Firefly fan, so of course I saw the premier of Serenity. NYT and Boston Globe gave it high marks I hear. I liked it; but then, it was Firefly!

I would have liked it no matter what they did, just so I could spend time with the characters. Mal, Jayne, and Wash were all in fine form. I soaked it up. A couple events happened that I really didn't like, but no spoilers here.

Must get back to some serious work. Need to start the 3,000 word a day goal, which is one I can meet without stress. 3K a day advances me in the story, plus gives me time to have a life, something on which I insist. I work very hard, but I have breakfast with my dh every morning, and take time to have lunch with my parents when I can. The people in your life are irreplaceable.

Ooo, now I'm getting teary. :-)

www.jennifersromances.com