Me? Myself? I?

bit.ly/Tdg3ud

This month over at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way we've been sharing our value, our strength, our passion, our weakness.  Today is my turn.  I hope you'll pop over and tell us about you.

Need Help Refilling Your Creative Well?

This month over at Bits & Bytes: Romance the Writer's Way we're discussing refilling our creative well.  Today I'm sharing tips I found online.  I hope you'll pop over and share your own tips.

What Affects Writers and Their Writing?

http://ecassabaum.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/rain.jpg

It's been raining for four days (and not gentle little sprinkles either!) and I can tell you that it has definitely affected my mood.

Tax season and fatigue have affected my writing.

If you're interested in other things that affect writers and their writing, I hope you'll pop over and visit me at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way.  I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Starla Kaye Is Interviewing Me Today

Today I'm a guest of Starla Kaye's.  I'm also giving away a prize.  To be eligible to win the prize all you have to do is leave a comment.  I hope to see you there!

Writing Amid Chaos

Today I'm over at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way. I hope you'll pop over and share your tips for writing through stressful times.

Here I Write,There I Write

This month over at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way we're discussing where we write. I hope you'll pop over and tell us about your writing space.

Once Upon a Time

Why do you write? How did you start writing? Pop over to Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way and share your story. Pretty please. :D

The First Books I Fell in Love with

Today I'm over at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way blogging about the first books I fell in love with: http://warawriters.blogspot.com/2010/03/first-books-i-fell-in-love-with-penny.html I do hope you'll pop over and share your own favorites.

Procrastination and Goal Setting

Today I'm blogging about procrastination and goal setting at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way http://warawriters.blogspot.com/2010/01/procrastination-and-goal-setting.html.

Please stop by and share any tips or tricks that work for you.

Writing toward Home

I'm reading Writing toward Home: Tales and Lessons to Find Your Way by Georgia Heard and wanted to share this quote from Martha Graham to Agnes de Mille (in the chapter Keeping the Channel Open):

"And because there is only one of you in all time, this experience is unique and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium, and be lost. The world will not have it."

This is only part of the entire quote, but it really caught my attention and made me think. Like the author of the book, I will post this quote inside my writing notebook and a couple other places where I will see it often.

I'm only part way through this book. It's not a big book, but I'm savoring each chapter. According to the back cover, "It includes exercises--road maps to get you going--to help overcome the obstacles that may be in your way: writer's block, fear of rejection, silencing the critics, lack of time."

Need a Jump Start?

Need help jump starting your creativity? Care to share what inspires you? I'd love to have you visit me over at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way. http://warawriters.blogspot.com/2009/11/need-jump-start.html

Keeping the Peace (Writing with a Family)

Please join me at Bits & Bytes: Romance ... the Writer's Way so we can discuss juggling writing and family: http://warawriters.blogspot.com/2009/10/keeping-peace-writing-with-family.html

If You Love a Writer - Blog - Eileen Flanagan

I just spotted this on Facebook and thought I'd share it here. Since my first book was released a bit over two months ago, this post hit home with me.

If You Love aWriter - Blog - Eileen Flanagan
The new home of Eileen Flanagan's blog, Imperfect Serenity

Organizing Tips & Tricks

Today I'm blogging at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way

http://warawriters.blogspot.com/2009/08/organizing-tips-and-tricks.html

I hope you'll come visit and share a tip or two or three. (grin)

And if you're in Wichita tomorrow, I'm having my first booksigning at Waldenbooks, Towne West, beginning at noon. I'd love to see you!

Going Where the Fear Is

I just read this and it really resonated with me, so I thought I'd share.

So much of writing is going where the fear is. Fear is power, and a lot of writers don’t want to go there. It’s absolutely natural. Who, after all, wants to be afraid or hurt? Feelings of fear or pain exist for a reason. They are warnings, and quite effective ones. They’re like the reflex that pulls your hand back before you realize you’ve touched something hot. (Gom jabbar notwithstanding. Ha.)

Harnessing that power, going where the fear is, writing even though your hands are sweating and your heart is in your mouth, is the very least you owe your readers. You have a bargain with them–you tell the truth, they keep reading. Lie, bullshit, pull back or cop out–and they sense it. They smell it. It will get your book thrown across the room faster than anything.

These two paragraphs come from this blog post by Lilith Saintcrow titled "There Is No Bloodless Art": http://www.lilithsaintcrow.com/journal/2009/07/this-is-no-bloodless-art/ I hope you'll read the rest of her article.

I realized a while ago that I've been letting fear rule me and get in the way of my writing. I'm still working my way through it, one itty bitty baby half-step at a time. Anyone else suffer from this? How do you deal with it?

Finish Your Shift

I recently listened to a writing workshop given by Jodi Thomas. One of the lessons she learned as a teen and applies to her writing keeps playing in my mind: Finish your shift. Translation: Finish your book. If it's completed, rewrite it. If it's rewritten, submit it.

I love doing revisions, doing research. It's the new stuff that comes hard for me. Getting those words on the page in the first place, that's my struggle.

While listening to Jodi's workshop, I realized that as a kid I loved working on various projects, but sometimes I didn't finish them. Who am I kidding? Most of the time I didn't finish them. I think it's because if I finished it, it would be done. Over. Completed. Then what? I didn't have a money tree in my yard, so I made projects last as long as I could.

I think it's the same with writing. If I finish the story, then what? I'll have to create a new one. Then the fear sets in. What if the words won't come? It's almost easier not writing, than risking the words not coming.

One Year and Two Days

Exactly one year and two days ago I received "the call." Actually, it was "the email." The Wild Rose Press wanted to contract my historical romance, Sapphire and Gold. I just about fell out of my chair. I work for an accounting firm and we were hot and heavy into tax season. I was just taking a quick peek at my email and saw the title of my book in the subject line. Of course, I had to read it.

After I danced around my office, I had a horrible thought: what if it was an April Fool's joke? Feeling like a fool, I emailed my editor and asked her straight out if it was a joke. Nope. She loved my book and had totally forgotten what day it was.

So, after a couple rounds of edits and proofreading, my release day is approaching. Sapphire and Gold will be published on June 26, 2009. Once I get past the current tax season I will figure out how to post my beautiful cover here, as well as the blurb and an excerpt or two. If you are curious and want to see the cover now, you can find it on my website. I promise to get some content onto my site...after tax season.