RWA, SWAT, and good times

Jan 14, 2007 | Writing | 9 comments

What a great day! I attended my first Heart of Dixie RWA meeting in Cullman, Alabama, and learned all about Tactical Units (otherwise known as SWAT). I also met the greatest group of ladies (and a couple of gentlemen) who made me feel so welcome and excited about being a part of the group. You couldn't possibly find a group of nicer people, I am certain. And that's going some when I just came from the land of aloha.

But, I do believe Southern hospitality might just edge out the spirit of aloha by a slim margin. Hard to believe, but true. I don't mean the difference between this chapter and my Hawaii chapter, but rather the difference in the population as a whole. 🙂 Folks are just friendier than heck in the South. And that's a good thing, especially since I learned that one can pack a concealed pistol here in Alabama (with a permit, of course). Not happening in Hawaii. Ever wonder why the Dog uses mace? Cause he can't carry. No one but the PD can carry in Hawaii. I kind of like that, really. 🙂

Anywho, feeling good and inspired and ready to write. 🙂 Now if I could just get some free time….

Thursday Thirteen

Jan 11, 2007 | Meme | 13 comments

Thirteen Things that are interesting about living in the South again

After more than 20 years of living in DC, Europe, and Hawaii, I've finally moved back to the South. It's an adjustment for sure, but there are some things in the South that you just don't get anywhere else. Some I like, some I don't.

1. Grits (properly pronounced, in Alabama anyway, as gri-yuts); nobody cooks 'em like a Southerner (see My Cousin Vinny)

2. Barbecue. Big Bob Gibson's Barbecue in Decatur, Al, has something like 9 world championships. Believe me, you know it too. Awesome stuff!

3. Southern hospitality. Yep, they'll start talking to you at the gas station for no apparent reason other than just being friendly. It's sort of startling, but kind of cool really.

4. Biscuits and gravy.

5. Fried green tomatoes. Tony's Country Cooking makes the best fried green tomatoes!

6. Sweet tea. Dear Lord in heaven, this stuff will crack your teeth it's so sweet. In Hawaii, McDonald's regional specialty was spam, eggs, and rice. Here, it's sweet tea for a buck.

7. One syllable words become two syllables. Love it! (see gri-yuts above)

8. At any given time, there are about 10 bass boats you can count on the Tennessee River as you drive over the bridge (if you drove up and down the banks, you'd no doubt get a ton more). I wonder where (and if) these guys have jobs because nothing stops those boats from going out.

9. Grown men named Junior.

10. No liquor sales on Sunday (at least in Decatur; Huntsville is more progressive thank goodness). In some places, no liquor sales ever.

11. Smoking allowed in restaurants. I hate that. Huntsville, fortunately, doesn't allow it. Decatur does. (And, I should note, Europe allows smoking and doesn't even segregate the sections. At least there are sections here, even if the smoke drifts into the non-smoking area in smaller restaurants.)

12. Alabama versus Auburn. I just don't get it, but I'm sure I'll learn. And, holy cow, how the firing of Mike Shula dominated the headlines for a few days! But that's no different than living in DC and having to put up with non-stop Redskins reports. 🙂

13. Sixty-degree winter days. We've had a few cold ones, but far more tolerable ones. It isn't Hawaii, but I'm not complaining. At least I get to wear my jackets now. 🙂

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. May
2. Joely
3. Karen
4. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Almost THE call

Jan 9, 2007 | Writing | 5 comments

I was surfing the blogs, avoiding my WIP, and hoping for inspiration when I ran across this post over at agent Kristin Nelson's blog:

Last week I found myself in the interesting position of calling two authors but not because I was offering representation. Sometimes an agent calls but it’s not THE call. You’re probably asking yourself why I would bother if I were passing on a manuscript.

Here’s why. Sometimes the writing is just that good (and in these two instances, I was torn and seriously contemplated whether we could work on revisions with the authors), but ultimately, if I think a manuscript is fatally flawed and it would entail the author revising more than half the work, I have to pass. It’s not fair to them to say, “well, representation is contingent on XYZ first” (despite being sorely tempted).

I got one of these calls once. I was too dumb to realize how good it was. I was crushed, heartbroken, downtrodden, etc. I was convinced I was a bad writer. Never gonna write a good book, never gonna get there, blah blah blah.

Did I mention it was the first book I ever wrote? Did I mention I was in my twenties, hated my day job, and terribly convinced I was on the cusp of making it? Sheesh, I would so love to have a talk with the earlier me, to tell her to cheer up and keep going and to never, ever give up.

Something I've learned in the past few years of living is that, in the words of Yogi Berra, it ain't over 'til it's over. I had one book under my belt when I almost got the call. I had nothing else ready to go and no real vision for the future. You simply MUST keep writing new stories. Never pin your hopes on one story, never keep tweaking and tweaking and hoping the only story you've ever written will get published. You have to keep going, no matter how heartbreaking.

What would I do if I almost got the call right now? I'd probably wallow a bit, sure. But I hope I'd pick myself up in a day or two and press on. Have you ever almost gotten the call? How did you handle it? What would you do if you got it today?

Get into the groove

Jan 6, 2007 | Writing | 3 comments

How do you get into the writing groove after some time away? Or, even worse, after a major life change?

Because I've had both in the latter days of 2006 and I still haven't found the groove. Partly, having a husband home 24/7 interrupts my routine. Then again, living in someone else's house doesn't help either. I don't have my couch, my books, my things. It's strange, and somewhat disconcerting. I'm a traveler, but a semi-permanent guest as well. I have suitcases and boxes, but no return ticket.

I have a project on the burner that needs to get cooking. I'm looking at it and wondering, “Where was I going with this?” I am not an outliner or plotter, so I have no path planned. Just a few notes in my writing journal where I sketched out what I thought was happening.

I hate that I got sidetracked. I also know it was unavoidable. The last month in Hawaii was a whirlwind. Every day since we've arrived here has been by turns frustrating, busy, or monotonous. So much to do and nothing to do. We're in a hurry up and wait situation. I don't do well with uncertainty.

How do you restart the steam engine when it's sitting on the tracks waiting for things to come to a boil?

Happy New Year!

Jan 1, 2007 | General, Life, Photos, Writing | 8 comments

Hope your celebrations were fun and safe. We stayed up until midnight, said Happy New Year, and went to bed. My parents were in bed much earlier, my mom sicker than a dog (having caught a bug from my dad who is now over it — I wonder if we're next).

We drank our wine earlier in the evening, with dinner, and toasted friends, family, the coming year, and our lost kitties. Miss Kitty passed on New Year's Eve 2004. Thumper joined her on Dec 26, 2006.

It is indeed a brave new year for us. We've transitioned from the military to civilian life, from the tropics to the South, from living thousands of miles away from family to living in the same house. It's been amazing.

What does the new year hold? Hopefully, new opportunities — a fulfilling career for Mike, a lot of writing and submitting for me, a new home, and continuing good health.

I don't usually make specific resolutions, so I suppose I won't start now. I intend to write more, to submit my work, to attend chapter meetings, to go to my first conference, to work harder and become more focused on my goals of publication. 2007 is the year to put up or shut up. I don't have to get a contract, but I should at least have some rejections to show for my trouble. This is the year I submit my work. No more letting time get away, no more saying I'll do it later or I need to make things perfect first. Write, submit, repeat.

How about you? (Photo courtesy of bigfoto.com)