December 31st, 2011 by Theresa

No, it won’t be the end of the world.

It will be a beginning, a reset button if you will. This is the time where we as North Americans make New Year’s Resolutions to be better people, quit smoking, shed unwanted pounds and a whole host of other quirks we don’t like about ourselves.  As many of us know, we last about a month in the new year to give up changing for the better.  I am indeed one of these people. Next year, I’m going to do something different.

My only true resolution for 2012 is to work  S.M.A.R.T.E.R.

In that way of thinking here’s what I endeavor to achieve:

• 1. 12-15 new blog posts next year – one a month and a few extras just in case something cool happens!
• 2.  Three manuscripts to cross the finish line – critiques, revised, submitted. One every four months.  (See the  Million Word March Meter)
• 3. More chatting with you! Be it email, Twitter, Facebook , Tumblr or Google+ weekly.  This will include pictures as I can!
• 4. Connecting with new readers and authors throught the year. Posting on the various forums I’ve joined in the past year at least twice.

ANNNND those are the smartes goals I can make. See you next year!

Theresa

Critique, goals, Million Word March, pressure, WIP, working, writing

September 2nd, 2011 by Theresa

This is it. This is the big blog post where I quote one of the greatest writers in the world. The one! The Only!

No.. Hmmm that’s not it. Let’s try that again.

This is it. This is the big blog post where I quote one of the greatest writers in the world. The one! The Only!

This is it. This is where I vowed not to sully name of  the super fantastic writer and best selling author….

Nah. The flow is off there. Hmm… Let me take another stab at it…

This is it. This is where I vowed not to sully name of  the super fantastic writer and best selling author….

Christina Dodd, one of the many authors I look up to, said something interesting on her Facebook account back in April.

As a budding author, I’m sure most of you can see why this one stuck with me. I know that I’m in Ira Glass’s Gap right now.  I’ve got great ideas… but right now I’m not doing so well in getting them on the page. Add in the great words of Christina and I’ve got the winning combination: Strip my ideas, synopsis, outlines, and horrible horrible first drafts down to the basics. Write it again, ahem, correctly. Above all? Keep going.

It’s gonna get better folks.

Critique, Edits, Rewrites, Rewrites From Hell, WIP, writing

July 27th, 2011 by Theresa

Photo by Jef Bettens www.iamjef.be

“I’m proud of you for doing this.” Those were my Dear Husband’s words to me the other day. Stunned and confused I scratched my head wondering what was there to be proud of.
I’d just finished “The Captain’s Man.” I had locked myself in the Writing Wroom and worked until I typed “The End.” Exhausted but proud I moved on to edits for my first completed novella “Azrael.” I picked up the manuscript to discover the words I had lovingly put on the page were all crap. I have to rewrite the whole darn thing.
Downtrodden and crushed, I trudged on to fill out my schedule for rewrites, edits and work on new ideas as well as blog posts. I just kept on going. You know what? It just kind of hit me. That was it. That is why the DH was proud of me. I didn’t and haven’t given up.
Now as we all know. Being a writer isn’t easy. First of all, self-discipline is king. If you can’t depend on yourself to write a certain number of words a day or week, you can kiss those dreams of writing for big bucks goodbye. There are target dates to meet, deadlines to overcome and lots and lots of unspoken rules and regulations to learn. Commit a faux-pas in an elevator pitch to the wrong agent and you’re screwed. But you have to do it, learn it, live it and breathe it to succeed.
Next, you have to have skin thicker than the earth’s crust. Forget critique partners, I’m harder on myself than my English teacher father. You’ve got to dig through your own mistakes and not only correct them, but teach yourself new ways of writing. Then you realize that it doesn’t end. You are constantly learning through critiques, reading other novels, classes and the like.
Even then, there is no guarantee that you’ll sell that giant manuscript. It could languish for months or years before it’s ever picked up. Sometimes it isn’t picked up and you’re faced with either letting it go or self publishing. You just have to keep going. You have to keep writing. You have to keep your dream alive knowing that the creation of a story is what really makes you happy.

And that’s what I’m doing. I’m keeping on keeping on. That is truly something to be proud of, for me.

DH, goals, pressure, working, writing

April 9th, 2011 by Theresa

So my writing buddies and I have started a spring/summer challenge. My part is to write a novella – 40k words,  finish it, get it critiqued revised and submitted – but June 15th.  Winners get a limo ride and fancy dinner. Losers have to cook a full three course meal for the rest.  Yes I have lost my damn mind.

Look out agents and publishing houses! I’ll be shopping “The Captain’s Man” this summer!