Another week has gone by...

...and I've lost count. After awhile, the days merge together and the anticipation slows down. You realize the pins and needles have given way to rocks and hills. The view at the top is cloudy...(sorry, I drifted off there for a bit.)
I really wanted this post to be about help. Real help. As in Writing Partners. Writing Partners can be life savers. At least, that's what my pal Nancy has become. She has the patience of Job when it comes to reading my chapters. Her advice is spot on and easy to grasp-not out there on a plane by itself. Tips I can use. Guidance that makes me think. Suggestions that present themselves over and over again to spice up a scene or describe a feeling--useful ideas that make me a better writer. And sometimes, just reading her emails on what she has learned becomes my 'ah ha!' moment.
Like this week: She received a rejection and instead of wallowing in self-pity (that's always my first inclination!) she concluded that particular genre wasn't hot right now. Instead, she decided to reserarch exactly what is AND she shared that info with me.
Well, needless to say, the unpopular genre is exactly what I've been concentrating on since my last submission. And it didn't take a sledge hammer to the head to know if SHE can't sell it, I surely cannot! Luckily, I do have a little story waiting in the wings on Contempory MG Mystery that might open more doors. So, switcheroo-I'm jumping back into THE SECRET AT ONE BELMONT LANE.
In this story, two Middle Graders stumble onto the bizarre and unexplained-until it's too late and they almost lose their lives and a whole lot of bank money, to boot. What does a wolf, a grizzly bear and a python have in common? Did I mention the villians were shape-shifters?

Who remembers how long it's been???

Still waiting...

Week 16:

Here I sit, cobwebs filling my mind, as I wait. Never was good at waiting. I almost will gladly accept another “no,” rather than wait to hear a “yes.” But let me tell you about my recent weekend conference where I heard a wonderful author who inspired me so much, I couldn’t wait to rush right out and buy some of her books. The line to get her autograph stretched all across that conference hall and out the door. I should have done what many others did- buy the book and get the autograph later. But I didn’t. For 2 days I tried. Finally on last day, I had slim pickings, but I did get a quick chat with the author. Why is it every author seems to live the dream life and I don’t? Oh yeah…I haven’t sold anything, yet. Oh yeah, I’m still waiting to hear back.  And so I wait…

Week 15

Did the editor receive my submission or did it get gobbled up as spam? Did she forget ever expressing interest? Maybe this time it didn’t even make it to her desk. Maybe an intern took one look and decided it wasn’t what they were looking for. This is a game we all play when it comes to submissions. You’re never really sure your submission makes it to the destination until you hear back, sometimes weeks/months later. So in the meantime, we wait…

Or, we take this opportunity to start a new project or revisit an old one. A good way to pick up an old story is to read over the outline or read through what you’ve already written. Chances are, the characters will step up and step in. Sometimes, they’ll follow along right where you left them, but other times, they’ll leap off in a new direction. Either way, you’re writing. And that’s the best way to manage your time while playing the waiting game.

Week 14 - The End or The Beginning-depends on how you look at it:

I’ve finally come to the end of the MOUNTAIN LAUREL rewrite. I’ve proofed until I’m blue in the face (now where did that saying come from? I’ll have to ask “Mama.” If you read the story, you’ll understand.)

Every word, every sensory notation, every visual scene has been a labor of love. But it’s time to put it to bed, once and for all. I’m not saying I don’t have another rewrite in me. I’m just saying, my creative juices need freed to roam elsewhere.

At any rate, it has been sent to the editor. Now, we wait.

Week 13:

The sunshine is pouring in my window and my happy feet are tapping as I type this. I’ve printed a hard copy of MOUNTAIN LAUREL and I’m slowly reading through it one last time. So far, I’ve deleted some fluff, but no major overhauls. I’m thinking the story is in pretty good shape. Am I a good judge at this point or is it wishful thinking? We’ll see what the Editor thinks. My plan is to whisk this latest version off by end of the week. Fingers crossed!

Week 11:

Well, the first complete edit of the 100th version of MOUNTAIN LAUREL is finished. Okay, maybe not 100 versions, but it sure feels like that. Here are some things I learned in the process:

1. Understand your market. My book is targeted toward pre- teens and teens. I want them to get excited about life in our area long ago. In order to present my story in believable terms, first I had to do some homework.
2. Understand the setting. Initially, my story started out about my parents and stories that had been passed down through my family. I knew the area where they grew up, so I started my search there. I read Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb after I’d finished my entire story. There were few similarities, but the voice felt the same to me. I’ve lived in this area my entire life, with a couple of excursions for a short time, and I understand the history. I read many articles on the Internet and poured over glorious picture books at the library that captured the splendor of the Smoky Mountains. Then, I’ve traveled extensively throughout the region, forming my own thoughts and impressions. All of this is key when writing historical fiction.

3. Let the story evolve. This was probably my biggest eye-opener. For ten years, I kept my story in a box. My characters couldn’t grow or change a great deal because the stories were from my parents and about my parents. At the suggestion of an editor, I changed everything. I removed all references to towns, people and most actual stories. A few of the stronger ones, I kept (in some form); but, for the most part, the overall story is true fiction. I realized writers used this technique every day. Maybe something or someone from their past influences their work, but the successful ones allow their stories to take wings and fly. So in order for the story to evolve, give it wings. Let it fly.

Week 10:

This has been a crazy week at work. Yes, some of us (those of us who are ASPIRING writers) have real jobs—totally unrelated to writing fiction. When the real world comes calling, very little writing happens—or that’s how it is for me. Inspiration and creativity don’t have on & off switches. I think I can honestly say, though, my current WIP never totally leaves my mind. Even when I’m not writing, I’m working on the plot or a conversation or a twist. It’s always good to have pen & paper handy. Ideas need to be written down, because sometimes, they go as quickly as they come. Just writing down bullet points can keep the thought alive. Later on, I can flesh out the who, why, when and how; but without that initial idea, I often spend precious time trying to recreate it.

My challenge this week: My writing buddy, Nancy, gave me some great tips on my last chapter. She said I needed to use more sensory: taste, smell, feel, etc. What a great opportunity to bring the Smoky Mountains alive! Instead of only telling how something looks, I can paint pictures about the gauzy mist that often drifts down to the treetops. I can feel the sting of the frosty dew on the tender green grass. I can smell the distinct odor of wild onions that lingers on your hands when you tug a few of the early sprigs from the thawing ground. Thanks, Nancy!

Week 9:

I’ve come to realize if something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. I just finished a rewrite of one chapter; which, I now know, didn’t move the story forward. That knowledge is hard to come by for the writer, but so critical to the editor’s eye.


Deleting back-story left me with a tighter chapter, but it’s difficult when the characters are familiar and the incidents mean so much to you, (hence, the exercise from Week 8 is so critical!)

Here are three questions every writer must ask:

1. Does this chapter move the story forward?

2. Is this chapter important enough to keep?

3. Does this chapter make me want to turn the page?

If you can answer “yes,” to all three questions, you’ve got a keeper. If not, it’s back to the drawing board…or in this case, BIC.

Week 8:

Boy howdy! Once I turned my MC loose and let her run wild, not only did my story take off in another whole direction, I was able to finish the first draft. Now the task of the holy rewrite. My publisher was correct, though. Until I gave up the notion of the story being about family, I couldn’t let the new story evolve. I was restricted by what I knew and what I felt my characters would and wouldn’t do. I was keeping them inside the box. What I needed to do was open that box and set my characters free.

The first cleansing was to make sure I removed all family names and locations. Next, I had to let my characters grow. Heck, I had no clue where the story would take me. I just knew it had to go. After I’d stewed for a week and plotted in my mind, the big challenge was just to jump back in, put my BIC (butt in chair) and write the dang story. That’s the real secret to writing….BIC and write the dang story. Then the real fun begins. Next week: the rewrite.

Week 7:

Okay, I’m going to fess up. I didn’t write one word last week. I did, however, stir the pot occasionally. In previous post, I mentioned the new twists and turns my plot seems to be taking. I stewed over that a bit. I toyed with the idea of Mason becoming the new HT (heart throb) my friend, Nancy, hinted at. I even visualized Laurel’s angst when she recognized these new feelings-her questions, her blushes, her denial. Then, I realized that’s what I’m experiencing- angst over whether or not I can get the commitment of the original story out of my head, feelings of inadequacy of being able to make such a huge change in my story, denial of being able to write something worthy enough to re-submit to this same publisher.

While I’m fessin’ up, I’ll also admit the last feeling is the biggest one. Can I do it? Can I take my safe little story to a whole new level and make it worthy to send off to the publisher? Or do I cut my losses and accept another, “It’s good, but…”

After all, I AM busy.

Week 6

Ever feel like your ‘best laid plans …often go astray’? MOUNTAIN LAUREL just is NOT cooperating. My re-write is in week six and the only light at the end of the tunnel is definitely a fast-coming freight train. But even that analogy is appropriate. The original story was based on my parent’s first date and, even though I’m somewhat writing my dad out of this version, he would later marry my mom and pursue a job on the railroad. So the train might just hang around for awhile to haunt me. That said, little did I see another character demanding so much attention. My valuable writing buddy pointed out “Mason” had developed into a potential “heart throb” and I should give him a bigger role. She said my target audience would enjoy Mason and want to know more about him. And after all, it’s all about identifying your target audience and giving them what they want, right?


In this case, my target audience is middle-grade to young adult. And girls. What does every middle-grade to young adult girl like? BOYS. So now, instead of the story being all about Laurel and William, I need to have someone crush on Mason. Laurel’s sister, Mary, or Laurel, herself? What will that do to my story line? Is it important to always color between the lines or can I finally accept the fact MOUNTAIN LAUREL is no longer the story I wanted to write in the beginning? Where will this new journey take me? The real questions is: Am I brave enough to buckle up the seat belt and find out?

Week 5:

Well, I had my first major rewrite. One chapter got a whole new facelift. It went from one voice-that of a teenage boy, to the MC (main character)-a teenage girl. For obvious reasons, a lot of the material was chunked. It simply wouldn’t work. Hopefully, this way I’ll be able to keep a couple of the stories that need telling. Hopefully, I won’t compromise my MC. And hopefully, I’ll end up with a tighter, better story-one with a beginning, a middle and an end.


Thirteen years on this one story and I’m nowhere close to having a finished project. Boy, going over Niagara Falls in a barrel would have been easier. No, wait! According to my good friend and author, Nancy Allen, that wasn’t easy, either. In Barreling Over Niagara Falls: The Story of Annie Edson Taylor Nancy used literary techniques such as analogies, alliteration, rhythm and internal rhyme to tell a real-life story. That type of writing is called Non-fiction.

My book, Mountain Laurel is called Historical fiction-a story based loosely on fact. With this type of writing, the author has more leniency. Family tales can be preserved with a flair of the imagination to pack a wallop. That’s what I want to do: pack a wallop.

Week 4:
The first chapter is done and I’m already bored with this whole project. Why isn’t my life as challenging and exciting as Diane Ladd’s in UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN? I could buy a villa and meet kooky new friends and fall in love with the wrong guy…(I’d be good at that last one!)


This must be that infamous muse…WRITER’S BLOCK. But my story is already written. Is there such a thing as REWRITER’S BLOCK? At least, I’m combining chapters two and three and the new chapter only needs a tweak or two. New Plan: cut the chapters told by William, rewrite a few strong chapters into Laurel’s voice and find a way to tie the story together without using so many “quilter’s knots.”

Loved, loved, loved my weekend read: TURTLE IN PARADISE. O inspiration, why did you abandon me so quickly?

Week 3:

Show, don’t tell. Ever writing class, every workshop, everything I know about writing preaches this concept. SHOW, DON’T TELL. This is the equivalent of rushing into a room and acting out (a la charades) that the house is on fire!


MOUNTAIN LAUREL begins with the single-most horrifying event in Laurel’s life-she was thirteen when Hattie Myers died. The South is known for their funerals and this one would prove to be the granddaddy of them all. When I began the story, I had to describe the events—hence the outline. I used the outline to set the stage. I used bullet points to add detail. Many, many rewrites later, I used that outline and begin the chapter where the action really begins—Miss Ella Mae Myers lying spread-eagle on her dead-as-a-doornail sister’s body. My story opens with a scream. So does life, when you get to thinking about it.

Week 2-Where Do I Begin?

Well week one slipped by and my journey to publication or rejection is well under way. Least I sound like I know what I’m doing, let me establish right up front I have two good friends to whom I turn for advice. Nancy, successful author and conference speaker, and Janet (writer buddy and very busy grandma) are there for me to bounce around ideas and tweak words, pick me up when I’m ready to give up and whoop and holler when I get the least bit of encouragement. Everyone should have a Nancy and Janet in their corner.

Remember this story was already written-almost 25,000 words of it. How do I take something of that substance and slice and dice it down into one tight little package? Advice from my would-be publisher: “…wherein each sentence pushes the story forward. What you may need is an over-arching story that keeps the knots together…” Over-arching means beginning, middle and end. Writing 101.

Where do I begin? How do I begin?

Outline.

On A Journey to Publication or Rejection?

I'm staring at my computer when an email pops up. It's not just any ordinary email, it's from a publisher who was doing a second reading on my at one time semi-biographical, now not-so-much story about my parents growing up in the Smoky Mountains. I began this story back in 2000 and oh! the twists and turns it has taken.
This latest challenge? A complete re-write. BUT she thinks it has merit. She even went so far as to compare my story to a well-know historical fiction that is so well-written, it blew my socks off. I was elated. I was high-stepping. I had HOPE!
Then reality set in. Another re-write? I can't possibly do another re-write.  What if I fail ? All that work! I don't have the (insert word here) time, energy, words, muster...
After much self pity, I took that first feeble step. I re-wrote the hook. Every story needs a hook--those opening comments that grab you at the get-go and forces you to turn the page. After many attempts, my hook still isn't perfect,  but it's getting there. Whoever said writing is easy, doesn't write. Tell me again why am I doing this????