nanowrimo.org (to challenge your creativity)

ourecho.com (to share your stories)

writingfix.com (writing prompts)

copyright.gov

grammarbook.com

sfwa.org/beware (avoid scams)

aaronline.org (Assoc. of Author Reps)

writersweekly.com (great tips)

absolutewrite.com (great resource)

fundsforwriters.com (excellent market list)

writersmarket.com (another great market list+)

writersdigest.com

sfwa.org (sci-fi)

freelance-zone.com

coffeetimeromance.com

booktour.com

authorsden.com

The key to good dialog is good listening skills. I took a playwriting class in college and one of our assignments was to go to a public place (restaurant, the mall, bookstore) and eavesdrop.  It was great fun having permission to eavesdrop, because my folks didn’t approve of that when I was growing up.  The rest of the assignment was to write it down and develop a story around it in play format.  It worked. I listened and it peaked my imagination as well as my curiosity.

Writing a play, which is basically all dialog, is much different than writing a novel.  But the dialog element is the same.  Write with honesty and a clear voice. If the character wouldn’t curse, then don’t put it in your dialog. Write the words you hear your character saying as if they are talking aloud to you.  Listen carefully to their phrasing and intonation. If they speak in clipped tones, then the dialog should be short, clipped sentences.  If they tend to drone on a bit, then write longer more descriptive sentences in keeping with the character.

The next time you’re in a crowded restaurant, listen to a piece of the conversation going on at the table beside you.  Write it down.  When you get home, write a story around it. It’ll be a fun learning experience.

I’ve spent many hours with the Kansas Writers Association and Scribbler’s Writing Group in the Watermark basement meeting room.   Sunday a short review of Feisty Family Values was posted under “New and Recommended” from Watermark on the Eagle Book page.  It made me smile and Sarah Bagby checked in today to make sure I’d seen it.

I love bookstores. They are my favorite place to write.  I spend lots of hours at the Borders Bookstore near my home, and often arrive early for a meeting at Watermark just so I can write. My former critique group used to meet at Barnes and Noble weekly, I love them all. There’s just something about the atmosphere in a bookstore that is conducive to writing (for me).  And once I have my favorite latte and settle back into a story, the sights and sounds become comfortable white noise.  AND, you have only to look at my personal library to know that I don’t just write at bookstores, I buy books, too.  Lots of books.

So, spend some quality time in your local bookstores and you’ll find that they totally rock!

Once you find that publisher and you’ve signed a contract you begin editing again.  If you’re lucky you get to consult on the cover art, the catalog information, and the jacket blurb.  You’ll do a little more editing perhaps, some formatting, then the final manuscript goes to the next step. 

You receive your “advanced review copies” and start the process of obtaining reviewers not already notified by the publisher.  You show your ARC to everyone and fill the thrill of having the product almost complete.  You begin developing a marketing and promotional plan, ordering bookmarks, give aways, and visiting bookstores in your area. 

The book gets released, which means it ships to the distributors who ship it to the bookstores, who display it or ship it to the customer like Amazon.com.  You set up readings and signings, targeting your audience for those that would enjoy your story.  You agree to speak to groups interested in you, your story, or some of the topics your novel covers.  You buy a few books for those events not sponsored by bookstores, obtain a sales tax number and off you go.

Every step is exciting and new.  You meet wonderful people along the way.  You learn and teach and gush with pride when someone loves your book.  The journey truly is a many step success, filled with joy and tempered with a little fear.  Let’s hope when I start to do my speaking and such my hair cooperates.

Write on, my friends.

“All time spent writing is good time.”

“There’s nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” – William Shakespeare

‘Nuff said.

We all want to be best sellers, and Oprah’s Book Club has been a great way to launch a book into the national public eye.  Would I be willing to go to Chicago and camp outside Harpo Studios?  Not on my budget and besides I have a day job.  I’ll have to hope that somehow Oprah finds Feisty Family Values and likes what she reads.  Wish me luck – and yes, I do dream big!

The bottom line is that I don’t know the answer to these questions.  I hope it means that the books are released to ship and we will get them soon?

As soon as I receive the copies of Feisty Family Values that I ordered I’ll let you know, because that tells me they are shipping.  I’m just as anxious as you are, dear readers.  This is obviously why they told me to wait 3 weeks before booking any events.

Publishing is definitely an exercise in patience.  And I haven’t run out of grins or excitement yet, either.  Every step is a new path on the journey of being a published author.  So, hang in there and we’ll travel the road together.

In the mean time, you can pick up a copy of Feisty Family Values at Lucinda’s in Old Town Wichita, or preorder your copies on Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble or your favorite independent bookstore.  I hope you’ll plan to come to one of my reading/signings scheduled in March and April.

When I started writing Feisty Family Values I had trouble hearing each woman’s individual voice.  The pictures of them in my mind were vastly different, their character sketches showed a variety of unique experiences, but somehow I couldn’t hear the differences in their dialog.

It took me a lot of pages before they really came to life and I began to “hear” their voices.  About a quarter of the way into the book they started to take on a life of their own.  The creative muse kicked in and wowza, I found myself writing about three original and distinct characters. 

I recommend that you interview your characters.  Find out about their background, their careers, their relationships, their likes and dislikes.  They’ll become so much more real on the page if you know they were orphaned at an early age and grew up in the foster system or came from a family of ten kids. Find out who your characters are and tell their stories as vividly as possible.  And don’t forget to enjoy the ride, my friends.

Eighteen months is how long it took to publish my book.  I’ve heard that birthing elephants is only a little bit longer, and involves a lot of kicking and screaming.  Any kicking I did was a “happy dance” and my screams were of joy.  That’s not to say the whole process of writing, editing, and publishing a book is fun.  Far from it.  You lose sleep.  You lose confidence.  You lose hope.  But if you really want it, you keep on going forward, no matter how many steps back, you always take another step – forward – toward your goal.

During a meeting last week (day job) they asked me what animal described me best. My instant answer was Bull Dog, because of my tenacity, strength, and loyalty.  I grabbed hold of the dream and I never let go.  You other writers out there…don’t give up.

Thank you for your interest.  Please take a few minutes to read the excerpt (Novel tab) and advanced reviews on the Book Reviews page. I hope you’ll buy my book and enjoy the ride.

2. Creativity is cyclical. You will not be creative all the time. Creativity has its own internal rhythms. Listen to yours.

3. Nothing kills creativity faster than criticism.  Good critiquing leaves you inspired, not deflated.

4. Spend time listening to your inner critic. By becoming aware of its foul jabber, you can challenge its roadblocks.

5. Being a creator is risky business. Learn to push ahead even when you are afraid. Learn to love the risk.

6. Don’t be afraid to fail. Every successful creator fails. Failure means you’ve uncovered a path that does not work.

7. Don’t be afraid to write garbage. “Garbage” writing is the rich, fertile ground that allows your work to grow.

8. Nurture your creativity. It is fragile as a budding flower.

9. Be passionate. Creativity is passionate. Passion is creative.

10. Learn your craft and write! The more you write, the better you get. Successful writers are disciplined writers.