Hey, I like this video. Love it when a 40-something woman proves she's still relevant. Paula may seem flaky, may not have the pipes of a Christina Aguilera, but she's still cool. Jeez, I remember her in a Janet Jackson video from way back…
Hubby seems to think I'm in need of more techno gadgets, so he bought me a 32GB iPod Touch. It's a cool toy, and I intend to watch movies on it when I fly to San Francisco this summer.
But I'm pretty sure I'm not capable of what these guys are doing. Two Touches and one thing I don't know what it is make up an iBand. Can you believe what's possible these days?
I'll just stick to playing videos on mine….
I've been tagged twice this week with the same one, so I get to cheat and do it once. Kathy Carmichael and Carol Burnside tagged me. Ha! Six unimportant things about me. But first, the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.
5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.
SIX UNIMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT ME
1. I won the 5th grade spelling bee. I didn't study. I went to regionals. I still didn't study. I got 2nd place.
2. I've met Bill Clinton twice when he was a governor. He did not harass me. 😉
3. I showed competitive jumpers (horses, y'all) when I was a kid. I was a Regional Reserve Champion.
4. I was once approached by a pervert in Paris. I was with a college friend, we'd had wine, and we thought it was hilarious. The poor man gave up and left.
5. I am a Daughter of the American Revolution.
6. I drove 900 miles across Europe by myself.
I'm violating the rules now. I'm not going to tag. 🙂 Because I think this one is going around virally, so if you read this and want to do it, go for it! And let me know because I'd love to read your six things. 🙂
This week, I submitted two entries to the Harlequin Presents contest. I'm feeling good about getting those two stories out there. Even if nothing comes of it, I've actually pressed the send button. Yay!
Now, I must get my revised entry back to the Gotcha coordinator for forwarding. And I have to finish the rewrites on this book.
Oh, and I'm thinking about the Red Sage contest.
And Sven starts again on March 1st.
Sometimes, I really love being a writer. 🙂
Finally, Happy Valentine's Day!
Any accomplishments you're proud of this week? This month? Any special plans for Valentine's?
Okay, so it wasn't really a weekend, it was only a day. And there were 150 other people in the room too, so I guess I wasn't strictly spending time with Bob. But writing is about the hook (and, frankly, about lying), so there it is.
L to R is me, Misty Wright, Danniele Worsham, Bob, and Kim Kerr. We're the Heart of Dixie members who drove to Atlanta for the workshop.
Bob had lots to say about writing. Some of it I won't do (outlining). Some of it I will (lots, actually). If you can't go to a Bob Mayer workshop, pick up a copy of The Novel Writer's Toolkit, which the workshop comes from. The book is pretty good, though Bob's in-person delivery is better.
I also got to meet the fabulous and hilarious Jennifer LaBrecque. Here we are again, sans Misty, with Jen. I sat next to Jen throughout the day (8:30 to 4:00) and she kept me laughing for much of it. 🙂 You can find Jen blogging over at The Soapbox Queens.
I also got to see my buddy Carol Burnside! No pics of Carol, but that's because I was dumb and didn't take my own camera. I “stole” these pics from Danniele, who is smart enough to have her camera everywhere she goes. I must remember to take the camera!
I returned from Atlanta feeling energized and ready to work. Good speakers do that for you. Bob doesn't paint rosy pictures of writing, but he doesn't tell you you'll never succeed at it either. I've met those types, the ones who say don't give up your day job and you'll never make enough money to support yourself. Yeah, I know the odds are long, but the reality is that some people do make a living at writing. Not everyone is a J.K. Rowling (most aren't, in fact), but it's damn possible to support yourself if you work hard.
One of the most interesting things Bob said (I thought) was that we're in the entertainment business and we have to remember that our books are products. You are producing a product, not a baby — even though you've put your heart and soul into the work. You have to be able to see your book like a reader sees it. Because that's how an industry professional is going to evaluate your work. They want to sell it, not wallow in the lovely and amazing words you slaved over. Painting a pretty picture, getting lost in linguistic gymnastics simply because you want to do it, isn't the goal. Creating a compelling story is. Make the reader care about your characters, not your pretty sunset.
And now, to take the hardest part of the advice Bob gave, I'm off to use my computer for writing, not surfing.
Have you attended a workshop or class that inspired you? Changed any part of your process because of it? Did it work for you or did you go back to the old way of doing things?
