The Hubris of Writing.

I should start by saying that if you want to write a book that people will read, you shouldn’t use big words like “hubris.” (that from my mother-in-law)

As authors, there is always a moment of “who do I think I am?” when writing a book. Of “this story sucks, no one will want to read it.” And yet we put our hearts and our souls into the people and places we create on the page. Let me send this message loud and clear. If you are taking the time to write it, if you are taking the steps to hone your craft, the only way you will succeed, in the end, is by believing in yourself. Instead of telling yourself you have no business trying to be an author, try telling yourself you have every right to be an author.

I have found that one of the biggest motivators for me when I hit that inevitable mid-story self-doubt is to read a book and realize that “I can write that well,” or “my story is at least as good as that one.” (Keep in mind, I only feel confident telling myself that with traditionally published books, but trust me, there are plenty that fall into this category.)

Reading a well-crafted book also motivates me to model my writing after something exceptional. One of the books that moved me the most was “Dragonfly in Amber,” by Diana Gabaldon. Her character sketches make you want to reach out and touch them, they are so three-dimensional. That book reminds me that every detail is important, and if I want people to relate to my characters, I have to include every facet, every visual, every attractive attribute along with every flaw. Another example of excellent writing is Stephen King. He gets all the details down.

With that being said, it is also important, as an author, to recognize when your story is flat and not going anywhere. Is it boring even you, the author? Then stop to ask yourself these questions: What is the theme? The plot? The goals, motivation and conflict of the characters? Even multi-published authors will write a clunker from time to time (ask Jennifer Cruisie!)  As I struggle through my current WIP, I told one of my writing partners that I was worried I was including too much detail. She asked me if it was moving the plot forward, and you know what? I could truthfully answer yes, so I’m powering past the niggling doubts. If it doesn’t work, I can always cut it later.

Don’t get in your own way. Every author hits a mid-book slump. What makes you think your book is worth writing? If it’s important to you, it’s important to write. Writing is rewriting. If you want to author a book, it’s work. HARD work. For authors who get published, it’s a long journey from the joy of inspiration, to the excitement of the creative process, to the despair of finishing and the pain of editing. If you can get through all those steps, then the answer to “who do I think I am, trying to write a book?” is answered. You are an author. It takes a lot of “stick-to-it-iveness” and a thick skin to withstand the constructive criticism. 

Lost in Space

Today is rant day on the blog.

For several years, I was a happy Yahoo user. There were the occasional glitches, but who doesn't have a blip now and then? The straw that broke the camel's back was when my emails started coming hit or miss. Sometimes I'd get them, sometimes I didn't. As some of you may know, I also do book reviews. I had several requests for reviews come through my email, but when some of these authors tried to send me a review copy of the book, the emails weren't coming through. Likewise, when I recently won a contest for Mist on the Meadow, I got the original notification, but none of the additional information that they sent along, including the judges notes. The emails were lost in space. That's when I said "enough!"

I did contact Yahoo to tell them about my missing emails but "they couldn't replicate the problem." Nope, neither could I. Random shots into the nethersphere. I deal with this same problem at the day job. "Can't replicate your problem. Therefore, it doesn't exist." Tell that to the customer. Not an acceptable answer. Something is clearly wrong. Do I understand that they can't fix it if they can't make it happen? Yes, but it doesn't solve the problem. My resolution was to change to a different host.

The amazing part is that I don't think I've ever lost a personal email through Yahoo. Ever. So how is it that the bizmail gets lost?

End rant. Had to get it off my chest. To any of you who may have requested a book review and I didn't respond, now would be a good time to test out my new email service - same address, different road to get there.

Back to writing. See you soon!

Special Valentine's Day Edition - Heroes

Since my post this week was on villains, I thought it might be nice to add a "heroes" edition on this Hallmark Holiday.

I suppose this past month I've done a lot of confessional blogging, and you'll have to permit me one more. Chalk it up to Valentine's Day.

The heroes I write tend to be nice guys, much to the dismay of beta readers and critique partners. They've sometimes told me my heroes are fatally nice, especially in my first drafts. I do understand heroes have to be flawed to be believable, and it is my considered opinion that often you have to get past the flaws to find the "nice guy" underneath. This is where I'm entering the confession booth.

I am married to a nice guy. I'm living my happily ever after. Does that make my husband perfect? Not by a long shot. My real life hero has flaws, but beneath it all beats a heart of gold. My husband will often say things the wrong way, things that sound highly offensive or even arrogant. It's enough to put anyone's back up (including my own from time to time). What counts is what is beneath the gruff exterior. This is a man who will nurse me when I'm sick. Who, when I have a bad day, will buy me flowers or take me to my favorite restaurant, who has even flown me to Santa Barbara for a weekend to cheer me up (some days are worse than others). I call these gestures "random acts of love." He is a gentle giant who protects me against anyone who slashes out at me. And he knows when to back off. He has this amazing sense of radar and always seems to know exactly how to deal with my unpredictable, female moods. With that being said, he is prone to moods of his own, so when he says something unbelievably arrogant or cutting, I generally stop to consider where the words originate rather than what they are. That is my gift to him. We each have our own criteria for our "perfect man." I found my gold. {sigh} okay, there's my Valentine for my husband . . .

So what makes a good hero? I leave you with a quote from one of my favorite movies:

Him: "I've never done anything heroic."
Her: "You give your seat up everyday to someone on the L."
Him: "That's not very heroic."
Her: "It is to the person you give your seat to.""

Happy Valentines Day -

Real Life Encounters with Villains

I had the dubious privilege of serving jury duty last week. As much as we always want to get out of it (it's a long way to drive, I'm going to fall behind at the day job, I'm going to fall behind with my writing, etc. etc. etc.), it is one of the things in this country that is still good. A jury of your peers sits in judgment on whether or not what you did was wrong.

As someone who ALWAYS struggles with writing the bad guy stuff, the bad people in the world who do bad things to people, this was a first-hand glimpse into the life of a criminal for me. Did I want to serve on a jury? Not particularly, but I also didn't try to get out of it. And they decided I was competent to serve. Keeping an open mind, it was interesting to watch the evidence against the accused, and his response. Of the four charges that were brought, there was little question about one of them. The other three (which were variations on the same charge) had me a little less convinced, but this is where it is helpful to have other people to "deliberate" with. I tend to look for the best in people most of the time. Such was the case and I did defend the defendant, even though he probably didn't deserve it. I did not kow-tow to the decision, I merely took off my naive, pollyanna, rose-colored glasses for a first-hand look at a real-life bad guy. Funny thing, he looks just like any other guy.

When the trial was over, the judge came in to the jury room to thank all of us and share some interesting information. He also said we were "free to write a book about our experience." Little did he know that at least one of us in that jury room was an author! (I suspect there may have been a second, based on the copious amount of notes one of my fellow jurors took). Will this criminal show up in one of my books? Most likely. In fact, there's a criminal in Cinda's story, although not random (like the man my fellow jurors and I convicted). Understanding some of the mentality that goes into these types of crimes gives me some insight. Life experience, they call it. I learned a few things about burglars, thieves and assailants, things I never had reason to know before.

Jury duty. It was a learning experience. I wouldn't choose to serve on a regular basis (although sometimes if feels like I'm called all too regularly), but as an observer of human behavior, it was an interesting experience that--in spite of driving 30 miles in eight inches of snow--I was glad to be a part of. From the lawyers exercising their best acting skills for the jury, to the "evidence technicians" (CSI!) to the members of law enforcement, I have recorded lots of information for future reference. And we put a criminal behind bars.

Outlander Obsession

Personal confession time.

Few books have impacted me the way Diana Gabaldon's Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber did. I actually went to Scotland to find standing stones that don't exist, to visit a country that was described as inhospitable (climate-wise) at best. And I had the adventure of a lifetime.

I have friends who talk about "Mr. Darcy" as the most romantic hero ever. For me, it's Jamie Fraser. Ms Gabaldon describes him in breathtaking detail, down to the hairs on the back of his fingers. Those first two novels are her Crown Jewels.

Starz is currently producing a series about these books. How do you bring to life a hero who is larger than life? The actor they have chosen looks to be an excellent option. I read these books more than 15 years ago, during a very tempestuous phase of my life.  I connected with Claire, the heroine. I wanted to find a Jamie.

I'm 15 years older. I didn't connect with the ongoing saga, with the older versions of the characters, but there's something about this series that pokes at me. Outlander took over my life when everything else was falling apart. If ever I separated from reality, it was when I read those books. Looking forward to this series (anxiously), I wonder if it will impact me the same way to take these characters out of a book, out of imagination, and plunk them onto the small screen. The teasers look awesome.

Am I too old to relive the obsession? Maybe, but I'm REALLY looking forward to this series.