Sleeping With The Author

Yoga for Writers

2009-04-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

I'm the program coordinator for the Windy City Chapter of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and one of the programs I've scheduled at the end of 2009 is called Yoga for Writers. Go to www.windycityrwa.org to check out the program schedule I've developed.

Why Yoga for Writers? Well, since I've made a commitment to my yoga practice many good things have happened in my life. I've learned to cope better with loss and I'm learning to understand myself better. Sometimes the latter part isn't pleasant but it's certainly empowering. The only person I can change is me and as I change some people have had a difficult time accepting the change but that's their issue, not mine. I've also learned that engaging with anyone who is unhappy and basically a negative person is not something I want to do anymore.

Okay, so back to how yoga has been a benefit to me in my writing endeavors. Well, I finally finished a manuscript, submitted it after an editor requested the full manuscript and then I received a rejection letter - a nice rejection letter, but still a rejection letter. I now consider myself to be a real writer. I've written a novel, submitted it and I've been rejected. Without yoga the rejection would have been more devastating, instead, I'm looking at this rejection as an opportunity to learn and to grow.

My target audience is publishers of Romantic Suspense and the feedback I received from the editor was that she felt there were two stories going on - a romance and a suspense. After the rejection letter came, I was at the Love Is Murder Con (I'm a board memeber) and I had a chance to talk with the well-established Romantic Suspense author, Patricia Rosemoor about this. So, an opportunity to learn and grow. Please check out Patricia's website - www.patriciarosemoor.com. Every writer can learn something valuable from Patricia.

So, back to Yoga.

Yoga provides an opportunity to reflect and grow, to release ones fears and the negative influences in our lives. As writers we often live from our fears - the fear of rejection, the fear of not being as good as everyone says we are, the fear of not being able to finish a book, the fear of fill-in-the-blank. So, my advice to all writers (and really everyone) is to take a yoga class and check out this ancient form of living with peace and health of mind. But remember, yoga is a journey and not a quick fix. There are so many variations of yoga that anyone from any walk of life can truly adapt it to their way of life.

I'm so excited about this new phase of my life and all the benefits that I've received from yoga that I just had to share it with everyone, but especially writers.

Here's to happiness, prosperity and peace. Salut!

Acme Authors Blog

2009-03-17T10:43:00.001-07:00

Please stop by my posting today at the Acme Authors Blog - where I usually post on Tuesdays.

Here's the link:

http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/2009/03/when-to-call-in-expert.html

Life is indeed stranger than Fiction

2009-03-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

People often think that writers have a vivid and sometimes outrageous imagination and while that tends to be true I am often reminded that life really is stranger than fiction.

Take the mother of Octuplets from California. At first she was considered a miracle of medical science, the medical staff of nearly fifty smiling proudly in their group photo for the press. Then almost overnight she went from a marvel to villain when the truth about her lack of family and financial support was revealed, not to mention the other six children she already had. The public shouts of irresponsibility grew louder when the cost of one million dollars or more was revealed.

Then there’s the story about a man who in his petition for divorce wanted the kidney back that he had previously given to his wife. Now there’s a story.

Okay - here's a recent title from Publisher's Weekly:

Following Blagojevich's Book Deal, Illinois Introduces Son of Sam Bill

I now call the great State of IL home but originally hail from Southern California as I've mentioned before. IL has been in the news quite a bit over the years, mostly for corrupt politicians. As many will say, Al Capone did call it home as well. It's unfortunate for any state to make the news based on such negative circumstances, especially IL when it's trying to win the bid for the Olympics.

Often as writers when we read the guidelines for a particular publisher the statement - must be believable - is often listed as part of the writers guidelines. Well, I've noticed over the years how much life just isn't believable at times and it's stories like those above that contribute to this deduction.

So, the next time you read a story that seems unbelievable, it just might be true.

Did I mention--

2009-02-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

what a delight it was to have Jeffery Deaver at the 2009 Love Is Murder Con? It was intriguing listening to him talk with us at dinner. He shared some entries from a diary/journal that he has kept for years about his writing life and it was not only informative but he often had us laughing so hard our sides ached.

Deaver doesn't need me to say that he's a talented individual in so many rights but I was glad to discover at his web site his interest in the original story about Frankenstein penned by Mary Shelly. Here's his take on it:

http://www.jefferydeaver.com/Other_Projects/Mary_Shelley_s_Frankenstein/mary_shelley_s_frankenstein.html

I first read Frankenstein in high school and it is a story that has stayed with me all these years. The lessons in this tale are beyond the scary movies which those in my generation grew up with. The 1994 movie of the same title with Kenneth Branagh and Helena Bonham Carter was the most true to the book of any of the movies I've seen, but the book still holds the number one place for trueness to this tale of human nature imparted with the help of a monster.

And that is indeed the essence of human nature. We can look acceptable but be a monster inside and vice versa. As humans we tend to respond to facades, to illusions that feed what we want to see instead of digging for the truth. The truth is often ugly and escapism is alive and well in all aspects of human nature and society. As writers that's what we often exploit and give our readers. One might say that deluding our readers is part of what we do. Of course, take the delusion too far and you lose the reader's attention and even the readers themselves.

I think this is especially true with Mysteries. It's important to take our readers on a ride of mystery, suspense, thrills, or whatever type of genre we write but then deliver the goods in the end by making the story credible and tying up all the lose ends. My chosen genre is Romantic Suspense and while many think that would be such an easy genre in which to write, it isn't. It's quite challenging and get the romance and suspense out of whack and you get lost in the sea of editor rejections and reader dissatisfaction.

So, when you find that author who delivers a good story and takes you on a ride that leaves you wanting more, let them know. Most writers have websites where readers and fans can post comments.

Here's to reading a good and exciting book today and in the future! Give Mary Shelley's Frankenstein a chance.

Salut!

Love is Murder Con

2009-02-15T06:37:00.000-08:00

I spend much of my free time involved with writer's groups and related activities. One of those activities revolves around being a member of the board for the Love Is Murder Con and we just finished our 2009 Con. Each year has been wonderful and full of exciting guests and participants who to this day are memorable but I believe 2009will stand out in the minds of many for awhile. The board made an annoucment after the Saturday night banquet that we were taking 2010 off. The reasons are really straight forward.

We're a small board and we've been doing a tremendous amount of work to keep the Con going and growing. In fact, it's grown beyond our wildest imagination and just gets bigger and better each year. I don't say this to diminish previous years because some of those previous years were the best for the very fact that they were smaller and more intimate. It's difficult to pick the best year because each has it's own qualities that make it enjoyable and memorable for different reasons. I'm grateful to have had all the years of this Con.

The board continues to meet and plan for 2011 and we are all excitedly exhausted about the 2009 Con that we are now wrapping up. We are thankful for all the participants who attended the 2009 Con from the avid readers to the publishing professionals and especially all the volunters who made it possible for the board to take a breather. Many of you have said you will continue to volunteer for Love Is Murder Con and we greatly need you to do so.

Please continue to stay in touch with us through our Website - www.loveismurder.net for all the exciting developments that unfold for the 2011 Con. We would love to see you there.

Okay - back to my other writing activity - actually writing.

Electronic This and That

2008-12-23T18:44:00.000-08:00

I receive quite a few eNewsletters and alerts. One of the more recent ones is from PW Daily and the tag line that caught my attention is: More iPhone e-Books.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6624689.html?nid=2286&source=title&rid=173369612

I find this intriguing for a number of reasons. The first is that it wasn't that long ago that many of the "big" publishers were dismissing eBooks as a fad that would never find a commercial audience. Of course, back then we didn't have the proliferation of electronic devices that we now have. Second, in some ways we've come a long way and in others we haven't. The article in the above link talks about how pricey the eBooks for the iPhone are right now. Often price is a deterrent for the acceptance of new ways of doing things so I'm always suspicious of why some manufacturers seem to price themselves out of success. Last, timing is important along with knowing the audience that is using the iPhones and therefore would be the logical audience for purchasing content for this device.

The price points mentioned in the PW Daily article suggests an older audience with more money. I could be wrong but I'm not sure the younger crowd, especially the college group, is going to pay the same price for an eBook on the iPhone as the hardcover price. The perception that electronic versions should be more affordable than paper ones has hung on for quite a long time and I doubt it will go away anytime soon. It will be interesting to see how well the iPhone does with eBooks but one thing is sure - despite the predictions that eBooks would never find an audience there are certainly lots and lots of manufacturers trying to get in on the action. Even though ebooks are a smaller portion of the types of books sold, publishers can no longer afford to ignore having an eBook format.

Ironically, one area where publishers are actually pushing the eBook or electronic format is in their own catalogs typically produced to librarians and booksellers. The main reason is the amount of money saved in print and shipping costs. In this case, the switch to e-format is being pushed from the top down, in other words, the publishers are forcing this on the consumer for their catalog - the librarians and the booksellers. Now, they won't force it on their reading public but it does make one wonder why they seem to be actively getting in the way of it being adopted by their consumers by making the e-format as expensive as the phyical paper format. Obviously, I'm missing something. I hoped to be enlightened one of these days.

Books as Gifts

2008-12-16T17:44:00.000-08:00

Books are great gifts. Books stay with us and let us explore worlds that we may not be able to access any other way. I remember in elementary school reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and being transported to a place different than any other I had ever known. As a class we read along with a record the teacher played where a narrator led us along an amazing adventure, but we read along. No visual stimulation other than the words. Our imgination was free to go where it wanted with the guidance of the words written and narrated.

Television was still in its infancy back then and my family only had a black and white one. At that time only rich people had color television sets when they first came out and nobody I knew had more than one black and white television set. Fast forward to today and I have a color television in almost every room. But I'm still a little behind the times because I don't have any LCD's or Plasma ones. Given the price drops in everything retail due to the current economic crisis I just might buy one for myself next year.

Anyway, one thing that television - regardless of the technological advances - can't provide is the freedom to escape via one's imagination with a good book. So, give a book to someone you care about - including yourself.

Crime Pays!

2008-12-03T18:21:00.000-08:00

Wait, wait, wait - I know the economy is tough but I'm not suggesting that anyone commit a crime. Rather, I'm echoing the cover of TV Guide magazine, Dec 8-14, 2008 issue. The gist is that crime shows, especially procedural ones, are hotter than ever. Well this grabbed my attention since I write romantic suspense. But hold the presses! What does this really mean for writers, especially since we're talking about the medium of television - and to an extent - movies.

Well, just because people watch television, doesn't mean that they read, but it doesn't mean that they don't. Television provides a more passive way of being entertained than reading but the fact that the crime shows are so hot means that viewers are looking for that adrenaline rush of what the crime shows provide. The twists and turns of trying to solve the crime along with the protagonists is intoxicating for many of us and mystery/suspense/thriller writers (and really all writers) need to take note.

The reality is that television has impacted on what readers expect. And let's not forget the impact of the internet and all other technology that is an increasing part of all of our lives. Simply put - readers, and potential readers are more interested in fast-paced, quicker reads. To a certain extent think James Patterson. He has short chapters that encourage the reader to want more and turn the page, something that lends itself well to electronic readers.

But I think a main element of the success of the crime shows is the problem or puzzle solving. Ironically, certain genres do better in poor economic times than other generes. If we harken back to other times of uncertainty such as right after the civil war and the Great Depression we can find that relatively inexpensive reads become a popular form of entertainment. The "Dime Novel" is just one example. See wikipedia for more information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dime_novel.

So, writers and readers sit up and take note. I believe that reading is still an affordable form of entertainment and it's during times of financial uncertainty that we sometimes see increases with certain publishers, especially category romance, mystery and more and more, online publishers. Whether it's because people want to escape from reality or immerse themselves in a problem-solving adventure I believe that the romantic suspense genre is attractive to many readers and I'm so glad that it is.

My second romantic suspense novel is progressing nicely and it is a joy ride for me to create it. I look forward to being able to share it and my first novel with readers in the near future. I'm being optimistic here but I really have high hopes that a publisher will want to share my voice with readers. Stay tuned!

On Writing

2008-11-19T17:46:00.000-08:00

I started my next novel - another romantic suspense - and I can't begin to tell you how excited I am. Just a week ago I was anxious because I wasn't sure which project I would take on next. I routinely jot down ideas that strike me here and there and I was reviewing a number on my list and passing on each one. Then I thought of yet another one and the spark of creativity ignited a fire in me to write and I'm euphoric about the process and the potential.

Writing is hard work - no mistake - but when a story idea, and the process of writing that story, engages you - it's magical. I'm feeling like a kid again when I went to DisneyLand for the first time - Magical!

The only thing better than this will be a publishing contract and readers who feel the same about the story I am sharing with them. I look forward to that moment.

Writing With Purpose

2008-11-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year I joined my local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) and I just finished helping judge contest entries for the annual Patriot Pen's essay contest sponsored by the national VFW organization. Local chapters collect and judge entries and then the top ones are sent onto the national level. This particular contest - there are others - was open to middle/junior high school grades and while it was a bit of work, it was very rewarding. This is a great way for schools and veteran organizations to engage the student body in thinking and learning about veterans. The theme this year was: "Why America’s Veterans Should be Honored." For more information here's the link:

http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.leveld&did=151

I was very touched by how invovled the local schools were in supporting this contest but there are also valuable awards associated with this and the other contests that the VFW makes available. If you know any students who qualify or teachers please pass on the links for these annual contests.

Even with all the work involved with this contest I continued to work on the last rewrite of my manuscript - that is the last before an editor provides feedback, whenever that might be. I'm feeling very euphoric lately about my writing and continue to develop my writing, whether or not I actually get a contract. I now know it's in my blood and I can't give it up. One of my future goals is to setup a mechanism to engage veterans and all military personnel and their family members in writing more about their experiences. There are several projects sponsored by a variety of groups that address this need so I want to take some time structuring something that doesn't interfere or compete with these but rather augments their efforts. Stay tuned.

On another note and another passion of mine is running races such as 5k, 10k and half-marathons. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I ran the Chicago Half-Marathon and did well - I strive to do better next year. I also ran two recent races that raised money for veteran causes - a 5k and 10k. Prior to the 5k I stubbed my toe and didn't realize that I had actually fractured it. I thought I had only strained it. So, I ran the 5k and did okay and my foot hurt but after icing it again it seemed to be healing. Then I ran the 10k! Around mile 4 I started to hurt like hell, but I was determined to finish the race. I started chanting to myself - Troops in Iraq, Troops in Iraq. I figured if the Troops in Iraq could endure what they do everyday then I could run through the pain of a sprained foot. Well, the next day I went to the doctor and that's when the x-rays showed that I had badly fractured my toe and it was now infected. I'm glad I finished the race but I still inspire myself everyday to get through any adversity by remembering what the Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and other parts of the world are going through everyday.

If you know a veteran or a family member that has a story to tell conisder documenting it. So many veterans pass away before their story is told and it is their experience that helps us understand the past and hopefully make better decisions today and in the future. I often hear from people that the veterans in their families don't talk about their military experience, especially in times of war, but it's important for us as a nation, a country, a society and even for the world that this information is captured. I hope more veterans and family members are inspired to do this.

The Next Step

2008-11-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't heard back from the editor to whom I submitted my query letter but writing buddies of mine who are published with this particular company say that's not unusual. I'm considering contacting an agent who represents some writer friends of mine and who has placed authors with this company. So, we'll see.

In the meantime, I've continued to work on my rewrites and that has gone well. I'm also looking at my next fiction project because if I'm going to spend this much time with another writing project, I want it to be one that I'm just as passionate about as I am with my first one.

I write during my commute on the train. It's the only place that I'm truly not distracted. When I'm home I can't escape all the chores and house projects I need to do and when I'm at work - well, I rarely get a lunch break and I'm on the go responding to all kinds of IT requests and urgencies. So, for about 30-40 minutes twice a day I get to ignore the world and lose myself in my story and writing. It's wonderful and very consistent which I'm finding out is important.

So, carve out that time of day that works best for you and get into a routine where everyone knows it's your time.

Happy Writing!

Some Great Opportunities for Students

2008-10-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

There's a great writing contest opportunity every year for junior and senior high school students.

Go to www.vfw.org for more details about the following:

- Patriot's Pen, a youth-essay writing contest endorsed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals' and is a nationwide competition that gives students in grades 6,7 and 8 the opportunity to write essays expressing their views on democracy. Annually, more than 115,000 students participate in the contest. Contestants write a 300-400 word essay based on an annual patriotic theme. The first-place winner receives a $10,000 savings bond and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C. The top national winners each receive a savings bond anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000.

- Created in 1947, the Voice of Democracy (VOD) scholarship program is an audio-essay contest for high school students in grades 9-12 that annually provides more than $3 million in scholarships. The first-place winner, who competes with all the first-place VFW Department winners, receives a $30,000 scholarship that is paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school.Besides competing for the top scholarship prize, as well as other national scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $16,000, each Department's first-place winner receives an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., sponsored by Target. The VOD program is endorsed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals' and is designed to foster patriotism by allowing students the opportunity to voice their opinion in a three to five minute essay based on an annual theme.

- The VFW's Military Scholarship program provides 25 $3,000 scholarships annually to VFW members who are currently serving in uniform or have been discharged within the 36 months before the December 31 deadline. The scholarships will be awarded to servicemembers from each branch of service (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard) during the first quarter of the year following the deadline. Note: For 2009, the program has been renamed to VFW Military Family Scholarship, and servicemembers may elect to use the scholarship for their spouse or child to attend school. Click on the VFW Military Family Scholarship Program brochure at right to apply and find out more information.

If you miss it this year - remember there's always next year so keep checking out the VFW website for details.

It's been a while BUT

2008-10-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have a darn good reason. I finally submitted by query letter and synopsis to a publisher for my first novel - a Romantic Suspense. Two weeks ago I went to the post office and with pride and fear mailed off my precious envelope containing three sheets of paper that I hope will bring a response asking to see my completed manuscript. I toyed with sending it with delivery confirmation then decided against it. Wish I had done that now. I just want to know that it was received and when. Of course there's no way of tracking or timing where it goes and how long it stays at each stop within the publishing company.

As writers (published and unpublished) who have submitted know, it can take awhile to receive a response from any publisher. During this time I've tried to remain focused on my writing even browsing my numerous notes for other story ideas to start working on my next novel. I'm choosing to think and act optimistically. Of course, peppered in all of this have been fears and bad dreams that the post office lost my envelope, that it's sitting in some huge stack on the assistant editor's desk, or in the stack waiting for the form letter stating - thanks but no thanks!

As time has dragged by I've also gone back to my manuscript making one more pass to reassure myself that it is truly ready for an editor's desk. Like making bread, I have to be careful not to work it too much or the end product won't be as ready for consumption as I want it to be.

Other large events have been looming in my life as well so there's lots of pull on my time and attention. I'm on several boards related to writing - and one with a motorcycle club. The Love is Murder Board is increasingly busy as we ready for our 11th conference in June 2009. Check out our wonderful guests at www.loveismurder.net.

I'm also the program coordinator for my local chapter of the Windy City Romance Writers of America (RWA) and of course I have a full-time job. If that weren't enough I trained for and ran the Chicago Half-Marathon on Sept 14th and did pretty darn good - if I do say so myself. I clocked in at 2 hours, 17 minutes and 19 seconds. I'm very happy with my results. Two years ago it took me over three hours to run and I'm hoping to break 2 hours next year. In the meantime I'm readying for two 5k and one 10k race in November, two of which are fund raisers for veteran causes.

I aslo have a West Highland Terrier - Rocky the wonder dog - who is 15 years and 5 months old. Months are important for a dog when you think of the ratio of 7 dog years to one people year in terms of how fast they age. So, I'm spending as much time with Rocky as I can. So far he's looked and acted great for his age. Even the vets marvel at how well he looks when I take him in but I think this winter is going to be hard for him as he's showing signs of arthritis and his vision and hearing are degrading. He's already on high-blood pressure meds, but he has top-rate health care. I often joke that he has better health care than most of the people on the planet. Sad but true. Still, he's been a good friend and companion all these years - actually better than some human beings have been - so I'm enjoying being a good companion to him these days.

Then there's my yoga classes - twice a week. I've dabbled in yoga and pilates over the years but this time I'm in it for life and I'm enjoying every moment of it. I have two different instructors and while they both teach some of the same movements the energy they communicate with is different. I'm actually liking this difference right now as it challenges me in some interesting ways but my one instructor has this incredible ability to inspire and motivate people without pushing too hard. I walk away from his class feeling like I've grown spiritually, emotionally and physically. I rarely miss his class. I resumed yoga classes because running has become increasingly hard on my aging body and I'm finding out that I can run less in my practice runs because yoga is proving to be a challenging workout. I've added a yoga routine before and after my runs and while this has been tremendously beneficial, I find that having an instructor benefits me even more. I think everyone will benefit from yoga - give it a try!

Well, back to my last run through my manuscript. Wish me luck and send hope and positive energy that the publisher requests the completed manuscript. It's not a guarantee but it's a foot in the door. I hope to have good news to share in the not-too-distant future.

Take care and have a blessed and uplifting day and week.

Reaching a Milestone

2008-08-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

I finished the final major rewrite of my first novel. The image of Rocky Balboa running up the stairs and reaching the top comes to mind. Anyone who has written a novel remembers their first time when they finished their final rewrite. It's the equivalent of scaling Mount Everest for writers. Don't believe me? Write a book and find out for yourself.

There's still minor editing work to be done on my novel and I still have to submit it, but I'm now one major step closer and I have greatly enjoyed the journey these past few months. More so than I expected.

I spent last week in a wonderful little place just northwest of Toronto. A place called Wiarton on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. I've been going there for a number of years now but this was the first time after the recent changes in the dynamics of my family situation. It was a reflective time for me which greatly facilitated my work on my final rewrite. I found a contentment there I've never known before.

In addition to writing, I went on several runs keeping pace with my training for the Chicago Half-Marathon this fall. On the last one I was chased by a dog but better than a bear, eh! At the end of each run I'd practice my yoga to the setting sun on the bay - the only word that justifies this experience is perfect! I also helped pick beans on my friends farm and later helped prepare them for freezing to be part of many good and delicious meals in the future.

So, my query letter and synopsis are ready to go and now I just have to take that leap and actually submit my work for consideration.

Wish me luck.

Stranger than Fiction

2008-07-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

Have you ever truly wondered why genres and themes of books and movies that do well resonate with so many people. Themes like betrayal, shame, deception and lies? That's because these emtional experiences really do happen in real life. They happen more than any of us care to admit.

We've all heard that the media sensationalizes things and as writers so do we to an extent. We amplify the imagery - if you will - of a scene or set of scenes to hook and draw our readers in, but in order to be hooked in the first place there has to be an emotional connection that the reader can grab onto. That's where real life experiences play a valuable role for writers.

Throughout history people have always gravitated to the surreal, to the sensational, to the larger than life stories. Before radio and television, public executions were a big entertainment draw. It's no wonder that reality shows do so well. People just naturally like to gawk and look in on others lives and often their misfortunes.

Why? Well, sometimes it helps us deal with our own lives as we think - "Thank God that isn't me!" Or we feel less alone when we know that we're not the only ones experiencing such emotional stress and heartbreak. Sometimes it's just because we want to be entertained and have an experience we wouldn't have otherwise. Just think of all the special effect movies and theme parks that draw people in.

Just look at your own life and look at the lives of some of the writers who've made it "big" in terms selling a lot of books. When their personal stories are revealed through interviews and articles there's usually something intense about their background that allows them to communicate on a level that grabs their readers and says, "I know how you're feeling."

Some recent experiences in my own life made be think that while shame, deception and betrayal are great for story themes, plot and character development, they suck for actual realtionships and then I thought: No wonder readers connect to certain genres! Most of us have been there, done that, and worn the t-shirt! When we are experiencing these situations it does feel amplified, it is dramatic, it is earth-shattering.

So, as writers that's what we need to give our readers if we want to connect with them. A depth in our writing and in our voice that says we understand what you feel, what you think and what you need, because in the end, life really is stranger than fiction.

Independence Day

2008-07-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

Since I'm a veteran (former U.S. Army Engineer) the 4th of July has always been a true day of celebration for me. I think it's important to remember the sacrifice of all of our veterans whether in a war zone or not. I've always contended that just putting on a uniform and serving one's country - especially this country - is a mark of heroism. I extend that reverance to law enforcement, fire fighters, medical personnel, and so many others. I have great regard for what so many people in this country do that helps all the rest of us and their communities. Many of these people are quiet heros. They do what they do without expectation of recognition or even thanks. They do it because it's the right thing to do and their satisfaction is derived from knowing that they did the right thing. Just look around and you will find one of these heros in your community. Take that step to thank them for what they do.

I can trace my ancestry all the way back to the 1600's in this country and I have a number of ancestors who served bravely during the revolutionary war, the civil war and the two world wars. So, I take this day very seriously. I consider myself to be a true patriot of this country but some of my opinions about war and what the world really needs now suprise people. I believe in a strong military, hence one of the reasons I served, but I also believe that war should be avoided. I understand there are times when we have to defend ourselves and others but the real purpose of a strong military is to avoid going to war. Diplomacy works best from a position of strength but strength doesn't only come from threatening war. It comes more from doing good in the world. It was General and later President Eisenhower who in 1961 gave his famous Military-Industrial Complex speech. Here's the link:

http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/indust.html

Here's another part of that speech:

"Throughout America's adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations. To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people. Any failure traceable to arrogance, or our lack of comprehension or readiness to sacrifice would inflict upon us grievous hurt both at home and abroad."

His words are perhaps more true now than ever.

So, what can each of us do this 4th of July and going forward? Here are some suggestions:

- rely less on oil. Look for alternate energy sources - a web search will give you some great information but here are some links to consider:

http://www.thegreenguide.com/
www.nrdc.org
www.worldwatch.org

- Do charity work. There are so many options out there. Despite the bleak economic news most Americans are still better off than the rest of the world. Money isn't the only thing charities want but check out your employer's matching programs and payroll deduction options. Charities often need you to physically join in. Consider visiting nursing homes, donating books to places like nursing homes, veterans centers, etc. Definitely consider visiting VA hospitals and just play a game of cards with a veteran or read a book. Cook a meal for a neighbor who needs help. Donate to your local food pantry. Little things really do make a difference.

- Looking for a pet? Get it from a shelter, especially now. As forclosure rates increase more and more animals are also homeless. Shelters are overwhelmed. You can also donate to and volunteer at your local humane society.

- VOTE!!!!! This is one of my big bugaboos with half the people in this country. They don't vote! I'm tired of hearing excuses like, "I don't know who to vote for," usually said in a whiny voice. DO your reasearch, damn it! With the internet and all the libraries in this country it's not that difficult. The other excuse, and the one I find the most ironic is - "My vote doesn't count," again said in a whiny voice. Well if you don't exericse your right to vote which in effect is your voice then of course it doesn't count - dumb a**! Politicians have all kinds of people collecting demographics of who does and does not vote. Guess what - if you routinely don't vote, politicians will ignore you. It's that simple. So, if you want your vote to count, if you want your voice to be heard then get off your lazy backside and vote! If you don't vote then don't bitch about anything, especially to me. As far as I'm concerened you get what you deserve by not voting. Think I feel strongly about this? Well, you're right.

What does all this have to do with writing? Glad you asked. Writers in this country have the first amendment that helps protect them and allows them to write what they want without fear of going to jail. There are exceptions to everything, but we aren't as in danger as writers in other countries are of going to jail because we write about the unpleasantries of life in this country and the world. Another reason to vote.

So, exercise your freedom to write and exercise your freedom to vote. The two go hand-in-hand.

-

Writers & The IRS Presentation - Duckon 2008

2008-06-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

For those attending my presentation on Writers and the IRS at Duckon 2008, June 15th - here are some links to information I will be presenting:

My Helium articles:

IRS three-out-of-five-year profit rule:

http://www.helium.com/items/1072740-irs-three-out-of--five-year-profit-rule

Understanding the Tax Gap:

http://www.helium.com/knowledge/151721-understanding-the-tax-gap-and-what-it-means-to-you

Why you should use electronic filing:

http://www.helium.com/knowledge/148276-e-file-the-benefits-of-filing-your-taxes-electronically

IRS Web site links:

IRS Study on Tax Gap:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=137247,00.html

IRS strategy for reducing tax gap:

http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp111.htm

Tax year 2001 federal tax gap chart:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/taxgap021406.pdf

IRS Tax Tips 2008:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/content/0,,id=104608,00.html

Tipping Point for eBooks?

2008-05-17T11:04:00.001-07:00

There are two very interesting articles this month at www.publishersweekly.com that every writer/author should read.

Why?

Glad you aksed.

Those of us who've been around the publishing business for the past decade or so know what an uphill climb it has been to get traditional publishers to accept the idea of eBooks as a viable alternative publishing format. Not a replacement for paper, but a choice to give the readers who prefer an electronic option.

Why?

Again, glad you asked.

It's difficult for larger companies to change their business models, especially if the one they are using is making their main audience happy. And, guess what - that main audience isn't necessarily the customer - in this case the reader. I know this is a difficult concept to grasp but for most big businesses, the primary audience is their major share holders and/or the board that has a tremendous amount of influence with the company head honchos. After all, it's ususally the board that holds much of the stock and hires/fires the head honchos. You don't have to look that far back in the news to see many examples of this.

When I was studying at UCLA in the mid 1970's, the major amercian car makers took a similiar approach about selling cars that main stream publishers took about a decade ago about eBooks. I distinctly remember an interview with executives at the big car companies where they stated that they weren't going to make more fuel efficient cars like many of the foreign imports at the time. Their position was that americans would only buy american made cars regardless of the fuel efficiency issue. Well, those of us who were struggling financially to put ourselves through school had a different attitude. Especially those of us in a place like Los Angeles.

Keeping costs under control was critical for a starving college student. When I started driving in the early 1970's gas cost twenty-nine cents a gallon. Less than a month after receving my driver's license gas shot up to thirty-nine cents a gallon. I was mortified. My main income was babysitting at less than a dollar an hour so that ten-cent increase was significant for me. Not long after starting college the gas crisis of the 1970's hit and gas shot up to $1.80 a gallon. Doesn't sound like much today but like anything else, cost is relative to how much money you make.

So, what does this have to do with eBooks?

Again, glad you asked.

Just like the reluctance on the part of the big car companies to change with their customers needs, big publishers dragged their feet, digging in their hells about selling electronic versions of their books. In the beginning especially, the cost of a hardcover and the eBook format were the same. It was easy for readers to get the hardcover for as much as 40% off at stores but the eBook version ususally wasn't discounted at the same rate and often the only place to get the eBook format was the publishers website. Confusing - isn't it! Well, not really.

If you don't want to change your business model and you want to show everyone that you were right that something wouldn't work, then it's easy to understand why big publishers essentially undermined the acceptance of eBooks in the beginning. Readers weren't going to embrace eBooks when they cost the same amount as the hardcover and in some cases more. True there weren't many electronic reading devices in the beginning but many, many obstacles had to be fought by those who did develop these devices.

Now publishers are scrambling to make sure they meet their customers needs who prefer an electronic format for their reading. Will paper ever go away? No it won't, and if you need evidence of this just think about the paperless office that was touted in the 1980's. (Okay, yes I'm showing my age here.) The idea is that eBooks are one more option for the reader and with more and more readers wanting to go green, it's also one more way for authors/writers to expand their readership.

Back to the two articles I referenced.

One is called The Customer is King at Digital Book 2008. Here's the link:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6561155.html?nid=2286&source=title&rid=173369612

The other is called Taking the Digital Plunge - A Case Study. Here's that link:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6557091.html?q=digital+institute

Just remember - knowledge is power and these two articles definitely contian knowledge that every writer needs to read to further empower themselves.

Don't Mess with the IRS

2008-04-27T13:43:00.001-07:00

Younger folks out there might not remember the complete story about Al Capone but one thing everyone should keep in mind is that when no other government agency could make any criminal charges stick to good old Al, the IRS came to the rescue. Yep, Big Al killed lots and lots of people but he went to jail for tax evasion.

How you ask! Well, he didn't pay taxes, claiming not to have any income - yet, had villas and other assets that told a different story.

The IRS has always had the ability to track money to a certain extent and today the agency does this better than ever with the help of computers and other modern technological advances. What is not well known is the fact that the IRS has the ability and the authority to do what are called life-style audits. This is basically what they used to get Big Al.

The main premise of a life-style audit is that your life style should reflect the income claimed on your tax return. In other words, if you are living high on the hog and claim small amounts of income or no income on your tax return, then the IRS can use this as a basis for conducting an audit and collecting taxes.

There's a big difference between supporting a dependent - whether that person is a relative or not - and giving someone large sums of money or expensive gifts with whom you do not have a legitamate tax relationship. If you exceed the gift tax threshold then the gift giver must file a gift tax return. In 2008 that threshold is $12,000 and this is now being indexed for inflation. For decades the threshold was $10,000. So, the Big Als of today can't have anybody give them large sums of money - at least not legally - without taxes being paid. For more information go to www.irs.gov and either search on gift tax or refer to Publication 950.

Now remember I said legal. If politicians pass tax laws that favor the rich, then the rich can then legally pay less taxes. But they'd better keep it legal or they too are subject to the long arm of the IRS auditors.

For a modern-day example just look at the situation that the actor Wesley Snipes now finds himself in. He will be serving 3 years in jail for his misguided attempt to pay less taxes. His co-defendents have also been charged and sentenced. For more information on this story go to:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-04-24-snipes_N.htm

So, at a time of looming deficits, politicians not wanting to raise taxes but bring in more money, you can bet your next pay check that the IRS is and will contintue to be more aggressive in collecting unpaid taxes and that Congress is making sure the agency does so.

Every writer should make sure they show due deligence in paying the taxes they are legally requried to pay and none of us is exempt from an audit. In fact, as writers we are more vulnerable to an audit because of the nature of our income and how we have to deduct our expenses. Unlike an employee whose employer provides a form of verification for the IRS, writers are essentially small businesses (or hobbies) and their income/expense records are primarily verified through IRS audits.

There's also the issue of the Tax Gap that has everyone in Congress excited about collecting more taxes without raising taxes. For a discussion of what the Tax Gap is please see my article at the following link:

http://www.helium.com/items/956548-theres-phrase-congress-legislators

Kindle credited with recent boost in e-book market

2008-04-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last week USA Today published an article with the following title:

Kindle boosts tiny e-book market

Here's the link:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2008-04-04-kindle-ebook-market_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip&POE=click-refer

It's a must read.

An then there's the article at Publishers Weekly that is very, very interesting. Longtime Hyperion president Bob Miller is leaving to form a studio at Harper Collins. Check out the reference to a new kind of publishing program.

Here's the link:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6547542.html

Both of these articles are definitely food for thought.

Print on Demand is moving forward

2008-04-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

As a serious writer if you don't follow the articles in Publishers Weekly - well you should! You can sign up for their daily email newsletter at www.publishersweekly.com by selecting newsletters and then subscribe. You may have to register at the site as well.

So why do you want to do this? Well, there are some interesting news tidbits that come out of this electronic newsletter. The most recent is about Print on Demand or POD. Once a dirty word in the publishing industry it's now a hot new fad.

There was a time when the quality wasn't quite there but with technology that has changed. In fact, rumor has it that short runs are the same printing process as POD. Rumor further has it that most of the printing process for all publishers is actually shifting to the same type of printing technology, regardless of print run size.

What's the advanatage of POD? Well decades ago when printing costs per unit were based on large numbers of prints - essentially decreasing as the publishers printed more copies - it was actually cheaper to print 10-50,000 copies of a book and put it in a warehouse until it was sold. In fact, in order to justify the "make-ready" or setup costs of printing, a large minimum number had to be printed and then it was up to the sales force to get the books sold. This was primarily in the typesetting days of old.

With all the advances in technology and printing efficiencies the cost disparity between printing one book, short runs and larger runs is diminishing. There is still cost disparity between the size of smaller and much larger print runs but publishers now have more control over the number of books that get printed, don't sell, then are returned. The nubmers of returns on books that were expected to sell well and didn't is legendary and it's a horribly inefficient business model.

In my opinion a main reason for this eagerness to embrace POD is the increase demand for content at a faster, more I-want-it-now rate, and while the newer generations are hungry for online content there's still a desire for the printed format and always will be. Part of this is owed to the baby boomers and their aging eye sight but part is also because sometimes paper is just best. The good news is we have more choices now. The bad news is we have more choices now and it's sometimes hard to make up our minds about what we want so often we choose both.

More than ever you will be able to sort through content online and then decide which format you want it in and receive it, perhaps even putting your own book together from various pieces of content. It's both exciting and scary.

This latest article at Publisheres Weekly online (and in print) is just another indication that POD is here to stay.

Here's the link:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6547006.html?nid=2286&source=title&rid=#reg_visitor_id#

Getting Results

2008-03-29T05:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes as writers we get discouraged because of all the rejection that goes with the territory of submitting to publishers. So, it's important to seek out those opportunities that provide positive opportunities and feedback. I've been experiencing some of those lately.

Even though the monetary aspect isn't significant at the moment, the feedback from readers has been incredibly uplifiting, especially for my Therapy 101 blog which is a fictional and episodic story about a therapist named Georgia who is struggling with her own demons through her patients while maintaining a delicate balance with her rebellious teenage daughter. Some of the emotion is from my own experiences and I've been blending this with observations I've made of people over the years and of course using my insights and imagination. It's an incredible mixture and I'm really enjoying the process. Just yesterday a reader asked me when the next episode was coming out because she was "hooked" and couldn't wait. That's music to my ears as I suspect it would be for any writer.

Please check it out - http://therapy-101.blogspot.com/

I've also been publishing more articles on http://www.helium.com/ about taxes. Right now they have been generalized and not specifically written for writers - although I have been working on those types of tax articles as well. However, my most recent posting about the Tax Gap is a must-read for writers even right now. So, please check it out:

http://www.helium.com/items/956548-theres-phrase-congress-legislators

It's free to read but you can greatly help me by reading the article and I know you'll find it very informative. The money is minimal right now but I'm developing a body of work that I can leverage in the future. It's also a way to build a solid readership.

As always - have a happy and successful writing day!

My latest writing gig

2008-03-23T06:46:00.001-07:00

My non-fiction projects are rolling along. I'm still rewriting my first romantic suspense novel but the non-fiction projects are providing me with a more immediate sense of accomplishment. Since I have such a strong background in the area of income taxes - having worked for a major tax preparation firm for 13 years - I decided to pursue the "info snack" approach to writing articles about areas of taxes that are relatively unknown to most people.

Check out my efforts on electronic filing and why you should do it and just why a baby needs a social security number (SSN). You can either click on the links below or go to www.helium.com and search for the articles.

E-file: The benefits of filing your taxes electronically
http://www.helium.com/items/930986-electronic-filing-first-available

Why does a baby need a social security number (SSN)?
http://www.helium.com/items/944161-there-information-required-return

So, what's in this for me? Well, eventually I hope some money - check out Helium's writing guidelines and conditions for more information. Perhaps even more important right now is the ability to develop an online portfolio of my writing that will hopefully lead to bigger and better paying gigs.

I appreciate everyone's support and have a happy writing day!

Extra! Extra! You Tube added

2008-03-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

I found some You Tube clips of Joyce Carol Oates talking about her writing process and an interview with Kurt Vonnegut. I've added them to the blog so check them out. Hope you enjoy!

Happy Writing!

Other Writing opportunities

2008-03-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed one of the features of my blog includes ads. I don't select these ads, they are fed via Google's AdSense program. I earn a small percentage of the ad revenue based on parameters such as page views and/or click throughs to the ads, depending on how the advertsising has contracted with Google.

I like to see who the advertisers are and I've actually found most of them to be quite interesting and they have led to some other writing opportunities, mostly non-fiction but I'm actually more comfortable with non-fiction writing than fiction. Probably because I've done so much technical and fact writing over the years and my many careers. I'm still working on my fiction but I'm finding that the non-fiction writing is giving me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Moreover, the majority of the writing is artcile length that I can produce in short bursts of information or "Info Snacks" which hopefully will find a wider audience not only on the web but on other digital devices such as mobile phones, Blackberries, etc.

My favorite fiction challenege right now is my Therapy 101 blog because it's not only providing me with an outlet for my fiction writing but also the subject matter is helping me work through some of my own issues. As writers we really can't escape ourselves, can we? I remember seeing the book, Just Open A Vein by William Brohaugh, and thinking, "Yeah, that's right!" I haven't read the book yet but it definitely caught my attention.

So what are some of the other writing oppportunities that the ads on my blog are presenting? They include:

www.helium.com
www.createspace.com
www.zazzle.com

Some of these sites like zazzle are more oriented towards my poetry and I also am developing a tax calendar for writers but that's only at the projects-to-be-considered stage right now.

So, don't hesitate to check out online sites for publishing your articles while you are working on your fiction. Even non-fiction can be an extremely creative process that moves you further towards your ultimate publication goals.

Happy writing!

Baby steps and second acts

2008-03-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

I've been making progress on my final edits of my novel and I'm not obsessing about making it perfect. Still I'm a bit impatient and a novel takes time to write and rewrite/edit. In the meantime I've published a poem as part of Ranger Against War Story Project - check it out:

http://www.rangeragainstwar-story-project.blogspot.com/

I've had an idea for another project for a long time and I'm blogging a episodic story at:

http://therapy-101.blogspot.com/

We'll see how it goes. It's nice to have something of a length that affords me a sense of completion sooner than a novel does. At the same time it actually helps me progress with my novel.

In case you think you're too old to write - check out the article by Frank McCourt in Parade Magazine at:

http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_03-09-2008/Second_Acts

It's a great article to keep nearby when I get frustrated with my progress or lack thereof.

One of the features on my blog is an Adsense where Google ads appear. One of the ads that appeared addressed providing content for profit for the Amazon Kindle Reader, so I'm going to do some more research on that.

Seems like lots of folks are getting into digital feeds of a variety of materials. It will be interesting to see the stats on which types do well. My sense is that shorter material is better. Seems folks, especially younger generations, are embracing Info Snacks over longer material. Part of this is driven by the device they're using to read but also by the amount of time and where they have to read.

A number of publishers have recently put out the call for shorter material for the ebook program. Harlequin is just one example:

http://www.eharlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=538&chapter=0

The possibilities are very intriguing.

Memoirs are one of the best selling types of books out there but it will be interesting to see how the latest fake memoir scandal affects this. Margaret Seltzer using the name Margaret B. Jones wrote a memoir that was marketed as a gang memoir and it was climbing the charts until her sister turned her in. Didn't she think her real family would notice?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/books/04fake.html

Well, signing off and more baby steps for me tomorrow.

Letting readers downlod a novel for free - what are they thinking!

2008-03-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

Hoping to push sales, publishers are starting to allow free downloading of some of their books at the same time that they are published in print - even hardcover. What the heck is going on?

It wasn't that long ago that I was sitting at a luncheon during a writers conference and the keynote speaker was discussing the reluctance on the part of traditional publishers to embrace ebooks. The evidence? Ebook versions of mainstream novels usually cost the same as the hardcover so why would anybody spend $25 on an electronic download when they could get the real deal for the same amount of money? It was clear that publishers were pretending to embrace ebooks while undermining their acceptance. When ebooks didn't sell in numbers that rendered them commercially viable, the mainstream publishers seemed to be saying, "See we told you it wouldn't work!"

Then came the smaller, independent publishers who embraced ebooks with a passion at a time when many in the industry treated ebooks like a dirty word. Elora's Cave stands out as one of the pioneers as does Echelon Press and so many others. Writers everywhere owe these pioneers a tremendous amount of gratitude for hanging in there. Now the mainstream publishers are embracing ebooks with a passion as well - which signals that it's now a money maker.

But why now?

There are lots of reasons but a pivotal one is generational. The newer generations - X, Y, Millennials, Igen, or even Z are so much more comfortable with technology that they almost demand it as the media of choice. They're busy, they're mobile, they're wired and can out multi-task previous generations.

Publishers know that if they are to grow they need to recruit new readers and if they want new readers from these newer generations they have to play on their turf.

A recent interview of a young writer in Japan who has the number one "cell novel" which is not only being read on the cell but she wrote it on her cell. Yes, wrote it on her small little cell phone in bits in pieces - on her lunch breaks, on the train, anywhere she had an inspiration she flipped open her cell phone an started texting. The book was available for free on the internet but then something extraordinary happened. A publisher decided to make a print copy available and even though it was free on the web, it sold millions in a very short period of time.

There are so many ironies here but one is that the technology that main stream publishers have been so afraid of for so long may actually be the very thing that saves them and gives them a future.

Take a look at the following article at USAToday and you'll understand what I mean.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-03-03-free-books-downloads_N.htm

Looking for rainbows

2008-03-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

I've decided to throw in a poem in which I wrote back in July 07 under the name Vashtie.

Here it is:

Looking For Rainbows

A hungry man
But not for food
His hunger ran
For a love no good

A love that cost him
More than he wanted to pay
A love that lost him
Precious time each day

He was looking for love
In a faraway rainbow
While ignoring the love
That gave him a chance to grow

That love was for him
For the soul of the man he is
But he still sought to dim
The past ache of an unfulfilled kiss

That yearning for what could have been
Consumed his better judgement
He reached for the carrot and spin
That took him back to an earlier juggernaut

He was used, abused and thrown aside
Wanted only for the shining star he became
And not for the man who dwelled inside
A shell of a little boy and his hide-n-seek game

Now there is another chance to find
The true color of love here on earth
To reach out and touch a heart in kind
That will fuel loves eternal hearth

When an author's fans get in the way.

2008-03-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

You may have heard by now that J.K. Rowling and her publisher have filed suit against a Michigan publisher - RDR Books - to stop it from publishing a book compiled by Steve Ark based mostly on information presented on the Harry Potter Lexicon Web site. The rub is that Rowling has openly priased the efforts of fan Web sites regarding her Potter series but now she and her publisher contend that this book - as opposed to the fan sites - will infringe of Rowling's intellectual property rights. While other tomes have been written and published by fan site creators the tome in question is one for profit and this has clearly created a problem. Apparently, Rowling is also planning on her own encyclopedia of her famous boy wizard, his world and friends but hers is expected to benefit several charities. The Michigan publisher has stated that it will proceed with publication of Steve Ark's book despite the law suit.

So, when does the work of fans, including fan fic, become an infringement? Reviews after all have been widely accepted as a legitimate way to embrace an authors work. So, clearly reviews do not cross the line. It will be interesting to see how this lawsuit goes and what kind of answers we all get. Some years back the estate of Andy Warhol sued after an individual took one of Warhol's works and morphed it with one of the new software morphing programs. As I recall the gist was once the new work no longer subsantially resembles the original work then a new work has been created.

Again, this will be an interesting law suit for authors to follow and to watch for in terms of rights and legal protection on and off the internet.

Stone's Throw from Hurting

2008-02-29T18:22:00.000-08:00

Life likes to throw rocks at us from time to time and I've recently had a boulder dropped on me. This blog isn't about the boulder but rather about some realities I've had to face to include admiting that I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD. It's something I've lived with most of my life but not really been able to identify until recently. It's funny because the series Monk first got me thinking about OCD. What's funny is that while he's a neat freak, I've surrounded myself with stuff, lots and lots of unnecessary stuff - something that I now am working very hard to change especially since it has cost me so dearly in my personal life.

I can see what this has also cost me in my writing life. I have obsessively gone over my writing again and again waiting to get it just perfect before I dare submit anything to an editor/publisher or agent. Well, that's about to change and I look forward to being able to post positive results - okay I'm being a wide-eyed optimst here but hey as my daughter and I have found out recently - Reality Bites!!!! sometimes. And sometimes you have to just take the positive approach or you'll fall apart. I am choosing the former.

Wish me well on my road to recovery and on the road to publishing success.

Social Networks

2008-02-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

One of the more well-attended panels at the conference included discussions of social networking. The panel was called:

MEDIA FRENZY: You Tube, Blogs, MySpace, Dorothy L., Crimespace

and those on the panel included:

Morgan Mandel, Karen Syed, Todd Stone and J.R. Turner.

The room was packed and for a Sunday morning that was saying something.

So, over the next several blogs and in other forums, I and the others on the panel and some guest bloggers will delve into this subject that seems to be on everyone's mind.

In the meantime go to some of the following links to see how folks are leveraging the web, social networking and more:

http://www.storytellerroad.com/
http://www.echelonpress.com/
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/
http://www.jennifer-turner.com/
http://www.loveismurder.net/
http://www.myspace.com/tvmstone
http://www.myspace.com/toddwrites
http://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Toddwrites
http://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Tvmstone
http://bookplace.ning.com

Stay tuned!

Taking a break

2008-02-02T16:17:00.000-08:00

Todd and I are busy this weekend with the Love Is Murder conference/convention. We're on the board and presenting and moderating so it's been an invigorating but exhausting time. I presented my tax tips for writers and it was a great session but as usual way too little time to talk about income taxes and all the varied implications for writers. So, I have a number of issues I plan to followup in this blog and other venues about some of the questions that the participants asked so I can hopefully do justice to the topics.

It's Saturday night and Todd is resting before having to sign books, go to dinner and host our traditional Scotch tasting - with piper and all.

Looking forward to sharing more about the conference in upcoming blogs.

How resolute are you?

2008-01-23T17:11:00.000-08:00

Okay - how are those New Year’s writing resolutions going? How many did you make and how many have you already broken?

Ouch!

I’m sure you’re thinking that I’m not being very positive but the truth is that most of us who wait until the New Year to resolve to do something or change some behavior are almost guaranteed to fail. A high percentage of us will break the majority of our resolutions within the first few weeks if not the first few days. While a new year seems a perfect time to start fresh and do those things we’ve been promising ourselves we’d do or stop doing those things that have caused us so much grief for most of our lives, it’s also unrealistic to think that change takes place just because we’ve begun a new year.

In order for change to occur we have to make sure that it’s:

- easy to implement and feels natural
- won’t disrupt the overall routine of our lives - unless that’s the change we want
- acceptable to the other people in our immediate lives because we need their support and understanding.

So, how does all this relate to writing?

Most writers have a resolution to write more. But what does this really mean. If they write more, how much more will they actually write? Moreover, what is the quality of what they are writing? What about editing? What’s the end result and how is it being measured? These are all questions that need to be asked and answered in order to set up goals that can be realistically accomplished.

Often goals as vague as "write more" do not advance the writer towards the true objective of either finishing a first draft of a work-in-progress (WIP) or rewriting a completed first draft to make it acceptable for submission to either an agent or an editor.

Instead consider goals like:

- write fight scene between main character and main opponent in Chapter 3
- write scene and dialogue where main character learns her lover has betrayed her

Goals like these help organize and structure the writer’s time and provide a better end result. These types of goals are more definable and therefore more manageable. And when you can manage your goals they don’t manage you, which is less frustrating and leads to more success. And success, my friends, breeds success. Failure breeds failure so when you set non-definable, non-manageable goals, you set yourself up for failure which is exactly the opposite of what you need and I suspect want to do.

So, here are my goals:

On a large scale I definitely have the goal to write more, but write more in an efficient manner, and for me this is what this means:

I can’t set aside a specific time each day because my schedule is so non-routine and "unsettable," except for my train ride to and from work in downtown Chicago. In fact, I am drafting this blog on the train. So, I know that I will have at least 20 - sometimes 30 - minutes each way, depending on the train I take, especially on the way home. In that 20 minutes my goals are to write. My routine is that I find a seat where I can easily pop open my laptop, boot it up and start writing. I put my headphones on to block out the other commuters and also play music that gets me ‘pumped up’ to write. Then I write. A sentence, an idea, a paragraph. It all adds up.

I sometimes review my work as well, but mostly I write because that is my overall goal. But my specific goal on the train is to write a sentence, a paragraph, etc and the next thing I know I’ve written two sentences, three, four and even several paragraphs. Sometimes my goal is as simple as to write the dialogue between two characters in a particular scene. I know this is what I want to do so throughout the day I’m playing the scene in my mind and when I sit down to write it tends to flow. It’s almost as if I’m dictating the script from the scene in my head that my characters are playing out.

I have to stop and give credit to my husband and his incredibly successful nonfiction work - Novelist’s Boot Camp. Take a look at Drills 2 and 4 and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

The bottom line for me is that it’s easy to get lost in my writing when I am able to accomplish my daily goals and I feel more successful. When Todd was writing Novelist’s Boot Camp he looked at many of the issues I was struggling with to formulate drills. Since I’m a struggling fiction writer, it worked out well in terms of timing. As I’m developing my voice and style as a fiction writer, he’s writing a book to inspire and motive and organize beginning fiction writers. Although I can honestly attest that Novelist’s Boot Camp has something to over published authors as well.

Back to the point of my blog - go ahead and make those resolutions. Just set yourself up for success and make sure your resolutions are ones you can keep and not just for a day or a week, or even a year. Make sure they are ones that you can reasonably use for the rest of your writing career and set yourself up for writing and publishing success.

The best of luck to all of you - I love seeing writers getting at least a piece of their dream.

Hope to see lots of inspired writers at the Love Is Murder conference/convention the first weekend in February of each year. Go to http://www.loveismurder.net/ for more information.

Finding Space

2007-12-17T16:55:00.000-08:00

I decided to take time over the past few weeks to clear out some of the many magazines, papers and other reference materials I've managed to hold onto for far too long. But, it's like trying to solve one of those puzzles handed out as favors at a birthday party when I was in elementary school many eons ago. I clean and clean and clean - I bundle and bag and recycle and even though I am making great progress I also feel like I'm getting nowhere. I think I've managed to scare the recylce pick-up person as I clearly am an aggressive recycler.

Another thing about holding onto certain information too long is that information is perishable. A good intelligence officer (some would say there is no such animal) will tell you that information is only valuable if received when it can be used effectively. Moreover, there is so much information now archived on the internet - some you have to pay for - that it's now so much easier to just search for it.

I've switched to electronic delivery of just about everything I can - and you guessed it - my email inbox is now as cluttered as my snail mailbox used to be - and even more so. However, I do find it much easier to purge the electronic mailbox than the physical one. In my last posting I talked about the digital revolution and I for one welcome the switch on most things. However, I'm not ready to switch some of my magazine subscriptions to the digital device without the option for color - among some other desired features. I do have some magazine subscriptions coming to me electronically but they are easier to read on a larger computer screen than on a B&W smaller ebook device.

Still, as I was purging some older reference materials I did note that I am already capturing more and more reference materials electronically than I did even five years ago. That's because it's so much easier to do so. The main way I capture articles and other information of interest is to print to pdf format into a well-organized electronic file structure for my use only. I like to share links with folks on my blogs and in my various writer forums but my pdf files are for me and my reference. It's easy even for writers to forget that online material is copyrighted. It's almost too easy to share stuff on the web and forget copyright restrictions. The best way to share is by sending a link or using the publishers email option.

I often hear in writers forums the concern about electronic material being 'stolen' and republished illegally therefore depriving the author and publisher of royalties. This is a legitimate concern but as a friend of mine who's a publisher said, the cost of using some of the digital security software is so high that the ebooks would have to be priced well above amounts most folks would be willing to fork over. Besides, word on the street is that hackers have already cracked some of the security measures. So, it's not an easy situation to deal with.

As we go from gigabytes to terabytes to petabyes it's clear that we are addicted to information. Check out this link for just how much data we are poised to capture in the near future:

http://www.t1shopper.com/tools/calculate/

Another site I like for computer references like these is:

www.webopedia.com.

Well back to my efforts to reduce my paper clutter and make more space for what I like to do best - read and write.

The Digital Revolution

2007-11-26T19:48:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought you knew everything you needed to know to become a published author-- the world changes.

Okay, I know that sounds awfully dramatic, but some of the recent changes in the publishing world are just that - DRAMATIC!

And I’m excited about the possibilities.

Almost simultaneously the following publications provided their own brand of ammunition for the digital revolution can(n)on:

In the Nov 12, 2007 edition of Publishers Weekly is an intriguing but teasing cover story with lots of visuals about some of the ‘New Models for Digital Content.’ Yes, you’ve been hearing about digital content and new platforms for sometime now, but the revolution may actually be here - or at least be getting started. I personally think that it’s been here for a while, creeping along, pulling us in - some screaming and kicking, others with a smile on their faces and a song in their hearts and on their MP3 players.

What’s important to note here is that publishers are looking for more and more digital vehicles to sell content to increasingly tech-savvy and time-crunched generations. Delivery can be via your cell phone, email, PDA or the new e-reader from Amazon.

The Nov 26, 2007 edition of Newsweek touts that ‘Books Aren’t Dead’ and delves into the new reader from Amazon.com with a teaser about the ‘Future of Reading’ by Stephen Levy. Personally, I’m just happy that there is a future, given the decline of readership in the past decade or so. The device that Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos is now introducing is called the Kindle. According to the article, the Kindle is so named to evoke the crackling spark of knowledge.

Here’s the link: http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983

Contrast these two articles with a brief but poignant article in USA Today about the decline of recreational readers. Fiction writers may be shuddering at this pronouncement, as it renders an already competitive arena even more difficult to break into and maintain a foothold.

Here’s the link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-11-18-reading-decline_N.htm?csp=34

and from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette here’s the NEA’s take on this issue:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07324/835242-42.stm?loc=interstitialskip

So, what are we as writers to think about all of this? Will readers read more recreational material, such as fiction, if the material is delivered on electronic devices? Perhaps. I say perhaps because anyone writing content for digital devices needs to understand that the use of white space is important. Readers pressed for time want to be able to read whenever they can - between train stops, on lunch breaks, long elevator rides, and even in the restroom. Information has to be delivered in concise chunks that can be easily parsed around the readers daily life.

Add to this the fact that traditional print sources for fiction reviews are going the way of the dinosaur. However, online review sources are proliferating.

So, as a writer, especially of fiction, why am I so excited? I’m excited because just as readers today are pressed for time and have too many things clamoring for their attention, I face the same challenges in finding time and space to write. I’m excited about the electronic devices that allow me as both a fiction and non-fiction writer to deliver smaller, more bite-size pieces of information and entertainment to my readers. I’m also excited because the new digital world allows me to reach an increasingly international audience, many who crave anything American.

I love the challenge of trying to compress my thoughts and ideas into a smaller more concise package. In some ways, I view this as the part of writing that defines each of us as unique artists as we carefully select the words we want to use to paint our literary pictures. The challenge for writers is to distinguish themselves from everyone else. The rise of digital media gives us the opportunity to do so.

In a way, we were all given a wake-up call when Graphic Novels became so popular, especially with younger generations. Shorter sentences. Faster pace. Infobites.

Does this mean the complete demise of paper-based books? Hell no! Remember the paperless office? Didn’t happen. Certain things will always lend themselves to electronic delivery such as bank statements, etc., but some things will always be better in ‘traditional’ paper format. What seems to be happening is that readers are increasingly given a choice as to which format they want their books delivered in. And more choices for readers can mean more opportunities for writers.

While others bemoan the electronic age, I for one am joining the digital revolution!

A little bit of research

2007-11-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

A couple of sites to visit to research publishing industry statistics include:

The Association of American Publishers - Estimated Book Publishing Industry Net Sales:

http://www.publishers.org/industry/2005_S1FINAL.pdf

Dan Poynter's Para Publishing site:

http://www.parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/statistics.cfm

Romance Genre Statistics from the Romance Writers of America:

http://www.rwanational.org/cs/the_romance_genre/romance_literature_statistics/industry_statistics

As Time Goes By

2007-11-12T17:48:00.000-08:00

Okay - it's been longer than I expected before I could get back to blogging. BUT - I've been working on some very important projects to include a series of tax tips articles for writers. So many writing projects - so little time.

I did want to share something that I read today at Publisher's Weekly online. Here's the link:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6496987.html

The topic is the best books of the year (according to PW). What struck me most was the reference in the intro to the list that 3,000 books are published daily (yes, DAILY) in the US - not the world - the US! I find that staggering, especially as writers struggle so much to become published. Apparently, PW reviews over 6,000 a year so that oughta tell you the odds of getting reviewed by them.

So, let's look at what this number might mean.

Not so long ago, Todd and I were at a writers's conference and I remember listening to a talk where the topic was the odds of becoming published. I regret to say that the name of the presenter escapes me but not his words - I do remember that the presenter was male. Anyway, he said something that has stuck with me since that conference and that is:

It is easier than ever to become published, but harder than ever to make a living at it.

So, those 3,000 books represent in some ways a saturated market where potential readers have more choices than they can realistically consume. As a result the average writer makes less money than before. Yes, the writers who make those million dollar advances make the news but they are the exception, which is why they make the news. The average writer still makes a much smaller amount of money. About 10 years ago that was pronounced to be around $10,000 a year by one of the trade associations that represents writers and that's the average which included all the writers who received those million dollar advances.

So, you can work very, very hard and make very little money. What's a writer to do? Write the best damn book you can and one that you can be very proud of because in the end that's priceless!

It's been awhile

2007-10-05T11:31:00.001-07:00

I know it's been awhile since I last blogged - kinda defeats the purpose of blogging, doesn't it? I won't bore you with all the reasons except to say that there are many. I hope to be back blogging on a regular basis soon.

In the meantime, have a great long, holiday weekend for those fortunate enough to get Monday off.

Reality Gets In The Way

2007-07-31T11:18:00.001-07:00

The following was originally posted at the Acme Authors Blog:

One of the joys of writing is the ability to escape to other places and pretend to be whomever you want to be or create characters who do many of the things you might be afraid to do yourself. Writing is also a way to work through personal difficulties.

One of my ancestors, Wallace Bruce - or WB as I call him, was a world-renowned Robert Burns scholar and poet. In fact Wallace Bruce held the same Poet Laureate post in Scotland in the late 1800's that Robert Burns had held a century before and it is through WB that I am a descendent of Robert the Bruce according to genealogical records. While I'm not putting my self anywhere near WB's league in my writings I find myself drawn more and more to poetry to work through some difficult times.

Here's my offering of a poem-in-progress (the name I use is another story):

Learning to Fly by Vashtie

I learned to walk
I wanted to learn to fly
I learned to smile and talk
And I learned how to cry

Every step I take a treasure
In this journey called life
Bringing both pain and pleasure
With intense joy and strife

At times the pain is too great
At times the joy euphoric
I hang onto the ride each takes
The highs, the lows are chaotic

I dared to love but life stalled
While I tried learning to fly
My wings breaking in the fall –
I fell hard looking up at the sky

But I will take these broken wings
And learn to fly again and again
Because to not try, to not fly nor sing
Is like slowly dying before the end

As I put one foot in front of the other
I console myself that I can even feel
But these feelings threaten to smother
Both what is farce and what is real

Every step is part of life's journey
Every joy and pain part of a story
Every story is a journey
Every journey has a story

Conference Plugs

2007-07-26T06:54:00.001-07:00

Okay here's my plug for a conference local to the Chicago area and my discalimer is that I'm on the board. It's called Love Is Murder (www.loveismurder.net) and we are celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2008. It's held the first weekend in Feb each year so check out the website and consider coming. My husband Todd, the Novelist's Boot Camp guy, will once again present his workshop and in the past there has been Standing Room Only (SRO). So come on over this coming Feb to the Love Is Murder conference and make sure you register for the Novelist's Boot Camp - one of the best kept secrets in the Chicago area. Also, check out www.storytellerroad.com for more information on Novelist's Boot Camp - a Writer's Digest book - and Todd's works of fiction to include two award winning mysteries. See you at Love Is Murder or one of Todd's other venues for Novelist's Boot Camp.

His loving and supportive wife, and his number one fan.

The Many Hats A Writer Wears

2007-07-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

I've been sadly neglecting my fiction WIP. Instead I've been working on my non-fiction Tax Tips for Writers articles. It's a different mindset than writing fiction. I've also been working on tallying up the costs for this years writers conferences, events and other related expenses. Let's just say it's not uncommon for those of us at the lower end of the publishing rung to spend much more than we take in with regard to our writing.

In the process of researching information for one of my tax articles I came across some information from and relating to a Government Accounting Office (GAO) audit of the IRS. Yes, even the IRS is adutied, but specifically for the way they do business. The audit addressed the Tax Gap, which is the amount of money that is not collected but owed to the Federal government. The GAO has determined that the largest contributor to the increasing tax gap - now estimated to be in excess of 300 billion dollars - is from underestimating income and overestimating deductions. The biggest offenders of this, contends the GAO, is from tax entities that do not have third-party verification measures, specifically Schedule C filers, which includes writers who earn money as independent contractors.

As a result of this audit the GAO is strongly recommending that Congress give the IRS an adequate budget to perform more audits on this and other categories to close the Tax Gap in this country. For more information on how this breaks down go to http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06208t.pdf. You can also do a google search on "GAO Tax Gap" and you will get lots of hits. It's a hot topic!

Why is this such a hot topic? Well, as a country we are spending far more money than we are taking in and the tax gap provides a ready-made solution. After all, the gap address the money that isn't collected but that is legitimately owed, so there isn't a need to pass new tax laws. The IRS just has to collect what is owed.

So, what does this mean for writers? It means that writers need to have a better understanding of how the federal tax system works and how they can best comply with the rules of reporting and recordkeeping because based on the GAO recommendations to Congress and based on the need to bring in more money, the chance of being audited by the IRS just increased significantly.

A writer wears many hats in the course of her business - writer, promoter, travel agent, and yes bookkeeper. I hope to have a series of Tax Tips for Writers articles out very soon that will help writers navigate the thorny road of tax compliance. Yes, there is a plethora of information about taxes on the web and you should familiarize yourself with what's out there, but I'm hoping to bring a fresh approach to understanding the complexities of the federal - and some of the state - tax rules so that writers can feel confident that they are making a good-faith effort in complying with the law.

Stay tuned!

Man in Kilt

2007-07-18T13:48:00.001-07:00

Todd recieved some interesting 'exposure' on a PW Blog. Here's the link:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/880000288/post/1830011983.html#comments

Measuring Success

2007-07-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

Todd's workshop at RWA (Romance Writers of America), "Unstick Yourself – A Dozen Dynamite Drills From Novelist's Boot Camp" was a HUGE success. I had 60 handouts and ran out with two rows of people left to go. To me this was especially amazing given that it was on Friday night from 6-8PM. The bookseller has also sold out of the Novelist's Boot Camp books and from my estimation she brought at least 40 maybe even 50 copies and quite a few people ordered the book online to have it waiting when they return from the conference. So we are jazzed. We have no flyers left and very few business cards. BUT, wait there's good news (I think) - Todd now has a camouflaged Toby Keith cowboy hat! Yes, you got it - Novelist's Boot Camp does
Dallas.

We also found out that some published authors are using Novelist's Boot Camp as their guide and text book for online workshops they are giving and several are here at the conference. The feedback is that they love using the book for this purpose.

And, most important of all - Todd and I have been able to spend some much needed alone time reconnecting. It's so damn easy to get caught up in all the work that has to be done with this crazy writing and publishing business (not to mention working full-time jobs) and lose sight of what's really important. Too much opportunity for feelings of neglect and not being appreciated, and while that type of angst works for characters in a book it's not that great for real relationships. It makes one vulnerable to predatory people who love to exploit the situation. So, don't neglect your life and your important relationships for your writing or the sake of being published. It really isn't worth it in the end if those relationships are important to you. I consider this trip to have been a success in our relationship as well as with the book. Ah, what a nice feeling that is.

We're looking forward to going to RWA National next year in San Francisco and then Todd will be on my turf. I grew up in Venice, California but spent an army assignment as a Company Commander in Monterey, California before heading for back-to-back assignments in South Korea. While stationed in Monterey, I spent many weekends in the San Francisco area and of course lots of trips to the various wineries for which Northern California is so famous. I would have taken Todd out to travel around this area before but I was (and still am a little) afraid that he wouldn't come back to the Chicago area. We're already making arrangements to rent a motorcyle and travel the area and as much of the Pacific Coast Highway as we can. We're thinking of retiring out that way.

As far as I know our daughter hasn't burned down the house in our absence, just a few other minor problems that can be worked through. We head back home tomorrow and then the reality of our day-jobs (the ones we can't quit!) loom over us sooner than we'd like.

Blogging From RWA National

2007-07-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Well, after some iffy travel experiences we finally made it to Dallas and are now in the same hotel as the RWA National conference. We had to spend the first night in a different hotel because only three of the nights we are here were available in the conference hotel. Add travel manager to the many hats a self-employed author and his/her signficant other have to wear.

Todd and I are finding it ironic that when we left Chicago just yesterday, the weather had finally turned nice, just in time for us to come to Dallas and find the hot humid weather that was finally relenting in Chicago. Ah well, timing is everything.

We've been making new friends here and are pleasantly surprised how many have come up to Todd and have raved about his book Novelist's Boot Camp. His workshop is tomorrow night and we are optimistically hopeful that lots of eager faces will show. We're going to work the crowds the rest of the day to entice them to spend their Friday night with us instead of going out on the town. I think spending time with Todd and his Dozen Dynamite Drills from Novelist's Boot Camp is definitely the preferred place to be.

The keynote speaker at the luncheon today was Lisa Kleypas, whose first book was published when she was just 21. She told a fascianting story of her journey over the past 20 years as a published author. Let's just say that armadillos were featured. Seriously though, it was a great speech and she echoed many of the issues both aspiring and published authors face and that Todd and I talk about at our workshops and other venues.

On the plane ride to Dallas, I decided to read The Writer magazine that I had received in the mail just the day before. I recommend that everyone get their hands on the August issue (or go to http://www.writermag.com/wrt/ to see what the cover looks like), but it's the article on the Edgar finalists and winner. That article is fascinating because it dissects the journey each writer took to get to the point of having their book published. Again, something Todd and I talk about frequently when we present at conferences and other writing related programs.

Well, gotta go - Todd's throwing stuff around the hotel room anxious to get going on the things we need to get done today. Although I have to say that it's been nice to be by ourselves this trip. The grown-up daughter stayed home. Someone asked me who was babysitting and I said, "The dog, of course." Now before you take that the wrong way, we have a 14-year-old West Highland Terrier, and being both a Terrier and Scottish he knows what needs to be done and when.

But back to being alone. I often joke that I want to co-write an erotic romance with Todd so we can do the research. Let's just say that lately, and especially on this trip, we've done enough research to write quite a few.

Novelist's Boot Camp Does Dallas

2007-07-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Todd and I are off to the National Conference for the Romance Writers of America (RWA). Todd will be presenting a workshop called:

Unstick Yourself: A Dozen Dynamite Drills from Novelist's Boot Camp.

We've been to many, many writers conferences but this is our first time for RWA National and we are really looking forward to it. It's also the first time without the kid. The now 21-year-old kid so probably about time. I'm hoping for some much needed alone time with my husband although a national conference with 2,000 (mostly women) other attendees doesn't sound very alone, especially when he will spend most of that time in a kilt!

But we've gotten better at taking more alone time in the past few weeks - lots of motorcycle rides which he has always enjoyed and I just re-embraced, but also time to just sit together, drink coffee, stare into each others eyes and more. Sounds simple but that's what we let slip away over the past several years and that's what we've needed the most.

In trying to work out some of our issues recently, I likened marriage to a lawn (guys love their lawns!). When the lawn isn't maintained and nutured then weeds are very attracted to that lawn and have a better chance of taking root and keeping the lawn from being healthy and united. Todd and I have pulled a bunch of weeds out of our lawn lately both literally and figuratively. Some weeds were unfinished business from the past that have now been contained and eliminated. Bottom line is that it's the lawn owners responsibility to make sure weeds can't get in and anchor.

Next a trip to the hardware store - another place where guys like to indulge themselves.

Keeping It Real

2007-06-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

The literary field is littered with writers who are alcoholics, on their third even fourth marriage, drug addicts, you name it. Not every writer has one of these scars but many writers do because how else would we be able to put into words such intense emotions as loss, redemption and growth! How can a writer describe something she has never felt?

Well, some writers can because they are keen observers but still there has to be something in their experience that resonates with the energy and emotions going on in a scene that they are writing. That's why many writers are such tortured souls.

I am one of those writers. I have a very tortured soul and I sense that Todd does as well. We both grew up poor, hungry for love and badly abused. We've beat the odds in many ways and not only survived but thrived. Still old news and old demons have constantly attacked our present day selves and we almost let them win recently. We certainly let them in and they pinged around doing some damage. Time will only tell if the damage is reversable enough to recapture the love and attraction that brought Todd and I together in the first place.

I owe my husband an apology - and I will do so in public - for letting the fear of the past shutout my true feelings for him and get in the way of us. He even gave me a message in his second mystery novel, No Place Like Home, at the end where the hero and his love ride off together on a motorcycle. I even said, "You wrote that for me, didn't you?" and he replied, "Yes."

I'm hoping that it's not too late to correct the damage that's been done. I'm hoping that from now on we can keep it real between us and not let the past define our present. I even said to Todd that once we honor our current author/writing commitments if he wanted to stop chasing all the writing dreams then I was with him. If he wants to keep going I'm with him as well. I just don't want to lose him, myself or us in the process.

We had two wonderful rides together over the weekend and I'm hoping for many, many more. I love you Todd - have since I met you and always will. You're my hero and bad biker dude and I just want to let you know that you are more important than any title or book contract or anything else and I would love to ride off into the sunset with you.

Writers Block

2007-06-15T11:35:00.001-07:00

One of the things that Todd likes to talk about in his Novelist's Boot Camp Workshops is Writers Block. He has several drills to help properly identify what it is and what it isn't as well as drills and techniques to overcome it.

Often writers say they're 'blocked' when in reality their life events are getting in the way or weighing them down. We had such an event recently.

Todd was walking the dog Wed night at around 10:35 PM when another dog was suddenly let out of a house not too far from ours and this dog attacked ours. Now our dog Rocky is a 14 year old West Highland Terrier (all things Scottish to go with our heritage) who is in pretty good shape for his age but he's a smaller dog. The dog that attacked him was much bigger and grabbed Rocky by the neck and started shaking. We took him to the emergency vet service in our area because he had a puncture wound in the back of his neck.

Rocky is a member of our family and I know lots of folks will relate to this sentiment. So, we take good care of him, which is why the Vets often tell us he looks and acts much younger than he is. Still he's an old dog and events like being attacked take their toll on older dogs, and their owners.

We've already followed up with our regular vet and I have to take him back in a couple of days to make sure he's healing properly. So, far so good but Rocky is definitely feeling the pain. I did contact animal control and this isn't the first time they've had a problem with the dog that attacked ours.

So, life gets in the way and my plans to work on my writing projects got a bit derailed, albeit temporarily. I was also incredibly tired on Thursday after spending time in the Vet emergency room waiting for Rocky to be seen Wed night. On Thursday riding the commuter train home from where I work in Chicago I dozed off while trying to type. Again, life events got in the way. But it was interesting talking with the other folks in the emergency room even thought it was almost midnight and we were all there under traumatic circumstances.

One of the women had brought in a feral cat that had kind of adopted her but stayed outside. She had found it that day with a metal trap (you know the kind they use on wild animals) around one of it's legs. Ultimately, the cat ended up with a broken bone but what a cruel thing to do to this animal. We're not talking an area that is out in the boonies somewhere. We're taking a developed and established area that has animal control services. The woman said that she believed it was teenage males next door to her that set the trap up to see what would happen.

She described other aggresive and down right evil behaviors from these males that were definitely anit-social and even somewhat psychotic. So I said to her - "I know this might sound strange, but my husband is a mystery author and because we've had to reserach criminal behavior, what you're describing isn't healthy." She said that she knew that but that her brother told her just to ignore these males but another family member said how much she worried about her living next to people with such dangerous behaviors. I encouraged her to report the situation to at least animal control.

I also told her that while not everyone who does what these young men are doing turns out to be a serial killer, all serial killers have this type of behavior in their pasts - especially the sadistic behavior.

Writers block (if such a thing really exists) aside you never know when your research will come in handy.

A Weekend In the Life of a Writer

2007-06-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

Todd and I spent last night at Dukcon (www.duckon.org) where he presented his Novelist's Boot Camp. It was a great success. Then this morning we dragged ourselves out of bed to drive to downtown Chicago and Printer's Row for the annual bookfair sponsored by the Chicago Tribune. Todd signed books in the Twilght Tales Tent and a great time was had by all. It was a beautiful day for an outdoor event such as the Printer's Row Book Fair and we caught up with old writer friends and acquaintances.

Tonight I return to Duckon, which thankfully is just a few blocks from my house, to help another writer friend of mine, Kelle Z. Riley (http://www.kellezriley.com/), sell her books and provide assistance in her workshop as needed.

Then tomorrow I return to Duckon to present a session on Tax Tips for Writers.

On Monday - we all return to work our day jobs that pay the rent, put food on the table and provide medical coverage.

Okay, I know it sounds like I'm complaining. Yeah, I am a little. Just want folks to know it ain't as easy as people think. Even the folks who make it look easy are only foolin' ya!

So, why do we do this. Because we can't NOT do it. Disease or Passion? Take your pick but it's a calling, it's a compulsion, it's an obsession, it's all of the above. Just know that it takes a lot of stick-to-it-ness to make a go of writing. I often say (and may have said it in this blog) that there are two types of writers who don't get published - those that give up and those that die first. That should tell you something.

I suspect that most of the artistic endeavors have the same challenge. My daughter is a musician and that is yet another arena where very few make a living off their talent. But we're in there helping her. She cut her first demo CD and she's been a backup singer in a local cover band. So far, lots of hard work but more money going out than coming in.

So, next time you see an new writer or a struggling musician consider buying their book or CD. You can always give them as gifts but you just might find out that you like them for yourself. After all, even the big name authors were nobody's starting out hopeful that someone would buy their books. I just read that a first edition Harry Potter is expected to 'catch' 20k (that's $20,000!) at an upcoming auction. Can you imagine if you had bought one of the first editions?

Okay, so the odds are against you being able to predict something like this but think about how much good you can do for a struggling writer or musician. The holidays are coming up and books and CDs make great gifts. They really do.

Don't quit your Day Job - Part III

2007-06-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the example in the previous blog let's look at the following:

It's the next tax year and I've received my second half of my advance - $2,500 (or $2125 if I have an agent). I've also received my first royalty statment and while my book is selling I haven't yet earned back my advance from the publisher. So my income for the year in the second quarter is $2,500.

On my second royalty statement I've earned back my advance and earned an additional $1975 in royalties. So my income for the year is $4475. I have expenses of $375 to my agent and $1100 in additional expenses that include travel and attending conferences to promote my book. So, my net income for my Schedule C is $3,000. This amount becomes income on my Form 1040 and if it's my only income then my standard deduction will reduce this to zero but once again I will still owe Self-Employment tax which in this case amounts to $423.89. The calculation is ($3,000 X .9235) = $2770.50 then ($2770.50 X .153) = $423.89. Again, see Schedule SE for more details.

One of the ironies of becoming a published author who is earning royalties is that you, the writer, have to spend some of that royalty money to promote your book so it sells and so your publisher will want to publish even more of your books. There's a saying in the writing/publishing industry - "You're only as good as your sales figures from your last book!"

Bringing this discussion back Close To Home (great title for a book!) I see Todd working very long hours not only promoting his latest book, Novelist's Boot Camp, but also his four works of fiction. In addition to this he is working on another piece of non-ficiton and working a full-time job, AND developing the story line for another piece of fiction - this one a military suspense/mystery, AND working on the plot for a motorycyle mystery series.

The second weekend in June 07 we're off to Duckon (www.duckon.org) and off to Printer's Row (http://www.chicagotribune.com/about/custom/events/printersrow/) both are happening Close To Home (there's that title again!) so we don't have extensive travel for these two gigs - thankfully!

We traveled last weekend for a sister RWA Chapter's retreat - Todd and I are both members of the Windy City RWA Chapter (www.windycityrwa.com). It was an incredible retreat and we had a fabulous time with all the members of the Chesapeake RWA Chapter in a beautifully rustic setting. Todd gave a Novelist's Boot Camp to the group and it was extremely rewarding to see recently published, multi-published and struggling-to-be-published (including me) get something out of the techniques that Todd presents. I attend every boot camp that Todd puts on and while he has a basic set of drills and techniques that he presents based on his book he also tailors the presentations based on the venue and the audience.

I get something out of every boot camp and I as I continue to work on my final (I hope!) edit of my romantic suspense novel I marvel at how much I still have to learn.

Don't Quit Your Day Job - Part II

2007-05-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

Most folks wrongly believe that once a writer has a book published he or she becomes instantly rich. While that does happen occasionally, it is unlikely for most writers. In fact, a small percentage of writers can actually make a living off the income generated by the sale of their written works, and that takes into account all those writers who get those fat advances. These folks are in the very small minority.

To illustrate, let's look at a few examples over the next few blogs:

First example: Let's assume that I just received an offer for my romantic suspense novel. Depending on who the contract is with and depending on whether or not I have an agent (who will take a percentage - normally 15 - right off the top) I can expect on average an advance of a few thousand dollars as a first time novelist. Let's say that advance is $5,000. Advances are often paid in two installments (first half when the contract is offered and the second half when the book is published) and go against future sales. Given the time between when a book is accepted and when it is actually published we will assume that the two royalty payments are in different tax years. Oh BTW - not all publishers offer advances.

SIDE NOTE: According to Jane Friedman of Writer's Digest Books speaking at the Aurora, Il Literary Festival this past June, 30% of all books where an advance is paid never earn back that advance for the publisher. What does this mean for a new writer? You may not get another offer from that publisher since your book didn't earn back your initial advance or if you do your next advance will be less than your first or none at all.

Okay back to my example. So, I now have $2,500 in my bank account ($2125 if I have an agent). BUT I obviously had expenses leading up to the sale of the book and I obviously have living expenses. If I'm married or have a day job the impact of this on my living expenses will be somewhat mitigated.

Let's say my expenses related to producing my novel (my product for sale) total $500 and to keep things simple let's say it's my only income. So, my net income on my Schedule C (Sole Proprietorship), which is part of my federal income tax return, will reflect gross income for my writing business of $2,500 minus the 15 percent to my agent or $375 and minus the $500 for my expenses leaving me with a net business income of $1625.

The $1625 is carried over to the federal 1040 tax form to be included in the calculation to determine income tax (if this is my only income my exemption and standard deduction will most likely zero this out). BUT as a small business owner - which is what a Schedule C is I may also owe self-employment tax.

Remember that I'm not receiving a W-2 for the $2500 because I don't work for someone else who is collecting and paying what's called payroll taxes to the respective government agencies - think medicare and social security and other taxes. Self-employment taxes are essentially applied to small business income of $400 or more net income and it's essentially a 15% tax (See IRS Form SE for the exact calculation). So, even if I wipe out my income tax I still owe self employement tax which in this case is $230. And if I didn't make an estimated tax payment during the quarter(s) in which I earned this money I will have to write a check to the federal government, and there might be penalties involved for not making those estimated payments. I just depends on my overall tax profile.

Oh, and I may even owe state income tax depending on where I live.

And BTW - royalties from most publishers are paid quarterly or even semi-annually. Again, there are not withholdings for taxes because it is the responsibility of the small business owner - you the writer - to make those payments, hence the quarterly payment process.

So you see, just because I received an advance for $5,000 doesn't mean I get to keep it all and doesn't mean I get it all at once.

Next time, we'll change the scenario and run the numbers again.

Don't Quit Your Day Job - Part 1

2007-05-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

I managed to squeeze in 45 minutes worth of revisions on my romantic suspense on the train the other day -- the train I take home each day after work. The crowded, noisy train. I can usually block everyone out - I don't know them so it's easy to ignore them. I put my head phones on, tune out the people, tune in the music and try to lose myself in my story. Most of the time it works.

When I'm tired it's harder to do.

At home it's harder to ignore my family -- including the dog. So, it's harder to write, most of the time when we're all home together. I'm tired at the end of the work day and all I want to do is veg on the nights Todd and I don't go to the gym.

I find myself wishing I could quit my day job and stay home and write. You know how that feels. That sense of longing when you say to yourself, "If only I could do X, I'd be so happy."

But then I run the numbers. The former army engineer in me can't help it. The IT support person I am now won't let me do anything else. So, I run the numbers and I run them often to see what my options are.

Reality is that my husband and I have worked very hard to achieve what we have. We both grew up poor and used ROTC to get through college followed by nearly 14 years in the army. We are now enjoying the fruits of our labor - well sorta. We're also putting our daughter through a private college. I find it ironic that we worked hard to pull ourselves out of the low-income life we came from so we could pay through the nose to provide a better life for our daughter. I know others can relate to this.

Anyway, back to the numbers. My husband and I haven't worked this hard to give up what we've worked for. We don't have a lavish life - far from it. We don't take 'real' vacations (although I hope that changes next year). We go to writer's conferences or motorcyle events - Todd's other passion. So, we'd want to have enough income to continue doing the things we enjoy doing.

We buy cars that we expect to last 10 to 15 years. I'm still driving my Honda Prelude that's 20 years old now. We'll probably have to replace it this next year as it's finally showing it's age.

But I won't go back to the days of struggling and wondering where my next meal was coming from. I won't go back to the time of having to forgo a doctor's visit because it would cost more money than I had.

My goal is to retire debt free and have enough retirement income to cover all our retirement expenses and not worry about how I will pay for increases in medical expenses, property taxes, gas -- you name it. Just watch the news today to hear how hard it is for people to cope financially, especially those on fixed incomes. Hell, just look around your neighborhood or your extended family - I'm sure you'll find at least one person who is a senior citizen (not sure I like that label) who is having to make a choice between essential items that need to be paid but where money is insufficient.

So, I run the numbers and I continue to write within the confines of my working life because I can't afford to quit my day job and maintain what I've achieved.

One foot or word in front of the other

2007-05-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

Writing and revising a novel is a lot like training for and running a race. Just as there are short stories there are short races (5k and 10k) and just as there are novellas there are in-between length races such as half-marathons. Then there are the novels of various lengths and difficulty just as there are marathons and marthons combined with other events to create duathlons and triathlons. Depending on what you want to write or which race you want to run your training and practice will vary.

One thing they all have in common is being able to persevere, to put one foot or one word in front of the other, especially when you don't think you have it in you.

I write and I run races. October 2006, just shy of my one-year anniversary from major surgery, I ran the Chicago Half-Marathon. I was very nervous about running the race but several people in my office had signed up and it was the 10-year anniversary of the race. I had run lots of 10k races when I was in the army and after we relocated to the Chicago area I ran mostly 5k races with a few sprint triathlons and duathlons thrown in over about a 10 year period. I'd only run a 13 mile distance in training many years ago. As I said it was one week shy of a year since major surgery. BUT I had turned 50 in 2006 and I desperately wanted to do something challenging to prove to myself that I wasn't old and half-dead. Still, I was not in the best of shape and I'm still struggling to get back to a level of fitness that will make me happy and feel good about myself.

I ran the Chicago Half-Marathon and didn't stop until 8 1/2 miles. I never like to stop running during a race for many reasons and this was the first time since I started running races that I did this. Still I ran 8 1/2 miles before stopping! To me that's a signficant accomplishment all things considered.

Then I had to finish the race. I always finish my races no matter how slow I run. It's important to me. It's also a challenge because I have severe, chronic asthma and I have to pace myself accordingly. Several people were taken away in ambulances that day so this is serious stuff. I finished the race. I wasn't the last on the list of finishing times but not far from it. BUT I finished the race!!! I met my goal of finishing the race alive.

It finally dawned on my that my writing endeavors were very similar to my running endeavors. It really is a matter of pacing yourself to accomplish a goal and a matter of putting one foot, or one word, in front of the other and reaching THE END.

An Overnight Success

2007-04-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

Todd and I just returned on Saturday from the Romantic Times Book Lovers Convention in Houston where we met up with some friends and acquaintances. One of those who we definitely consider a friend is Kate Douglas (www.katedouglas.com). Kate is just a wonderful person.

We first met Kate at an Epicon conference in Washington State in 2002 - soon after the organization started. Todd and Kate both have novels published with Hardshell Word Factory, an independent publishing house that has given many authors a chance to publish and in some cases start and build successful careers.

Kate's publishing carrer has begun to skyrocket as you can see from her website mentioned above. She is now published with Kensington and has a loyal and growing readership for her Wolf Tales and Sexy Beast series. Kate and Todd were marveling at the overnight success label that often is placed on writers and other artists who have suddenly made it big - or so it seems. The overnight success is often the result of decades of hard work. Both Kate and Todd have a long history in the field of writing to inlcude newspapers, academia, freelance work and corporate communications. They've both worked extremely hard and they both have loving and supportive spouses.

So what sets writers like Kate and Todd apart from some others? In my opinion both are hard-working professionals who've paid their dues. Despite many obstacles, they've persevered because they've continued to work hard until they found an outlet for their voice.

I often say there are two types of writers who will never be published - those who give up and those that die.

Passion or Disease?

2007-04-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Anybody who has been writing for awhile and been around other writers has to wonder at some point what is wrong with all of us.

Think about it!

We toil for hours if not days or even years to produce a written product, such as a novel that we desperately hope some editor will love enough to plop down a fat advance for and even request more future works. That's our fantasy.

Our reality is usually filled with rejection letters from both editors and agents and when we are rewarded with a book contract it usually means editorial corrections and back and forth negotiations over titles and characters. Don't even get me started about promoting the book, something I work hard with Todd on for his four novels and of course his non-fiction work, Novelist's Boot Camp.

So, what is wrong with us? I keep hearing the Church Lady on SNL say, "Well, aren't you special!"

Well, yes, we are. Writers record history, they record life and through their lens we and future generations just might espy scenes of life that might otherwise be lost. We are a camera in a way for current and future generations. But it comes at a cost.

Most of us work fulltime jobs - we have to. Most writers are not employed by a company with benefits. Writers typically are self-employed and 'freelance' whether it's writing articles or works of fiction or nonfiction. These commitments leave less time for family, friends and other pursuits. Still, most writers wouldn't have it any other way. They can't help themselves.

Todd and I - and the kid - are leaving towards the end of April to fly to Houston for the Romantic Times Book Lovers convention. I often tell people that my family doesn't go on vacation we go to writers conferences. We probably won't get outside the hotel much - Todd is presenting one of his Novelist's Boot Camps and I am assisting. We will try but we will also be very tired after long, long days of networking and doing what writers do at conferences.

We're lucky in that the whole family - all three of us at the moment - participate in this writing adventure. Otherwise, I'd look at my husband and consider him possessed.

Writing - A lonely pursuit

2007-04-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

Writing is often a solitary process and the internet has made it even easier to be isolated from people. Oh sure, there are the chat rooms, email, virtual gathering places such as My Space and more but that's not the same as actually meeting another person face-to-face. Yeah, there are pictures even sound files that someone can add to express their individuality but it's not the same as seeing someone in person, warts and all. While these aforementioned virtual communication tools make it so much easier and faster to conduct business they lack the multi-dimensional interactions with people that have both positive and negative results.

I'm all for taking advantage of these tools but much of what we bring to the table as writers is our ability to observe the many nuances of human nature that help make our characters come alive and feel real to our readers. People often present themselves differently in emails than they do in person. They can hide or take on a different persona or worse abandon all boundaries of human decency. They can even operate in the extremes.

In Novelist's Boot Camp, Todd discusses leveraging the senses to engage the reader. To do this it's important to be able to observe with all the senses, which is why it is so important to interact with others. So how does one find time to do this while maintaining a busy writing schedule and life? Most of us don't need to add one more thing to our already cluttered to-do lists. So, we draw from our own lives.

I would argue that writers can't help but draw from their own experiences, even in fiction. So, when does fiction cross over to reality? Well that's the million dollar question as we all saw with the James Frey/Oprah Winfrey debacle in 2006. There's also a crop of new fiction books out where speculation is running wild that these are really non-fiction tales wrapped up as fiction to expose the authors experiences working for well-known personalities. (See USA Today Book section article titled, Insider Novels Push the Envelope - April 3, 2007.) Just the idea that these stories might be true or even partially true is intriguing to all of us. Scandal sells but when it backfires it does so in a big way.

One of the ways I try to keep myself grounded and less lonely as a writer is by joining certain groups and attending certain writer's conferences. One of those groups is the Windy City Chapter of the Romance Writer's of America and one of the reasons I belong to this particular chapter (located in the Chicago area) is to keep the writing process less lonely. I feel fortunate to have found this particular group so close to home because it's a group of writers who are extremely supportive and we all fuel each other towards accomplishing our goals. We have many published authors and every year we seem to add more and more first-time fiction (and even non-fiction) authors which is exciting. I hope to be one of those first-time fiction published authors in the very near future.

I've been published in non-fiction (mostly articles and commentary) but am still revising my first novel which is a romantic suspense centering on a forensic linguist who is pulled into an international smuggling scheme when the client for whom she is analyzing documents turns ups dead. I'm currently going through the seven revision passes that Todd defines in Novelist's Boot Camp. At first I balked at all the hard work this seems to require but now that I'm in the thick of it I feel that I am making real progress with my novel.

So, stay tuned as I share more of my writing adventures peppered with my observations of other writers whom I know and the one I even sleep with (2 if you count me!).

The Beginning

2007-03-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Actually, it's difficult to say when my writing adventure began, so I'll start with meeting my husband, The Published One!

When I met my husband he had already inked a contract for his first novel. It would be a year before the book would actually be released and the only copy to read was the manuscript that he had submitted to the publisher. That’s the book I read at the time.

When the book was finally published it was not exactly the same. The editorial process had chewed it up a little. Three more novels later I will tell you that this is not uncommon. The manuscript that an author submits and even gets accepted by a publisher is not necessarily the book that is published. This can often be a good thing, especially with the right editor. A good editor is invaluable to a writer.

My husband is Todd A. Stone and that first book is titled Kriegspiel - a play on a German word for war game and war story. A military techno-thriller it garnered favorable reviews from both Publisher’s Weekly and the New York Time’s Review of Books. The editor chose the title as well. Todd’s offering for a title was actually War Story and for some reason the publisher thought that a hard-to-pronounce German word would be better. Better how, we aren’t sure. But the publisher prevailed and Kriegspiel was published in 1992.

More than a decade later Todd’s first non-fiction work – Novelist’s Boot Camp – a Writer’s Digest Book (WDB) was released in March of 2006. The book was originally pitched as How to Build a Better Book (we wanted to use the construction metaphor) but the editors at WDB wanted to leverage Todd’s military background and changed the title to Novelist’s Boot Camp and produced a military style book that has proven to be a highly successful product. I have to say that when we received that first copy we were truly impressed with what WDB had done. Sometimes the editors and publishers get it wrong and sometimes they get it right. In the case of Novelist’s Boot Camp, the WDB editors definitely got it right. Todd and I both have a military background and felt at home with the likeness that the book has to some of the military produced books we had used while in the army.

Todd routinely presents workshops and overviews based on Novelist’s Boot Camp (NBC) at libraries and for writer’s groups. He's been in this business of writing for a very long time - more than three decades and I've learned quite a bit from him, especially as I complete what I hope is my last revision of my first novel - a romantic suspense. In fact, as he was writing NBC I was working on my first draft of my novel and asking lots of questions. I often say that he wrote the book because I asked so many questions. Now he can just say - read the book! Which I do.