If this is your first visit, welcome. My books are what one reviewer describes as "The Perfect Blend of Romance and Mystery,” often with a bump in the night thrown in. We’re all friends here, so I hope you’ll let me know which posts you like best by leaving me a comment, but if you are the shy type, I’m happy to have you lurk until something resonates with you. Oh, and did I mention cookies?
I only completed 78 percent of my Goodreads reading goal this year - there were a lot of unexpected interruptions in my regularly scheduled life. I shot for close to one book a week and didn't quite make it. However, for the books that I did read, I wanted to share with you my definition of "The Cream of the Crop."
I'm ranking these based on when I finished them, and on the basis that I gave each of them 5 stars at Goodreads. I give books 5 stars if I would happily read each of these books a second time. There were many excellent books that didn't get 5 stars, which doesn't mean they aren't worthy of the list, but there has to be a line of demarcation. You can find out more about the books I read at My Goodreads Review Page. So now, for your consideration, the books I most enjoyed in 2016:
Accidentally on Purpose - Jill Shalvis*
Doubtful Relations - James M. Jackson
Any Duchess Will Do - Tessa Dare
Anything for You - Kristan Higgins
Reckoning and Ruin - Tina Whittle
How to Capture a Duke - Bianca Blythe
Nobody but You - Jill Shalvis*
Sweet Little Lies - Jill Shalvis*
My Kind of Wonderful - Jill Shalvis*
The Duchess Wars - Courtney Milan
*(I should probably note that I'm an ARC reader for Jill Shalvis, so I might be slightly biased there - although I have NOT rated all of her books 5 stars)
Scrolling through my news feed this morning (and I have a lot of authors in my news feed) I found one of my favorite cover models on someone else's cover.
When I was working up a composite for HEART FOR RENT, WITH AN OPTION, my cover artist found his face and sent it to me to approve, I was all thumbs up. Hey, he's a good looking man! Clearly, I'm not the only person who thinks so.
Just this month, I saw a new release that had the same cover couple that one of my writing buddies used on one of her books. Same people, same pose. How does that happen? Easy enough to explain.
Unless we're "A-list" authors who can justify custom cover shoots, most authors select their cover art from stock photos. There are cover artists who do their own shoots (shout out to the fabulous Killion Group) and offer exclusive rights, but that comes at a price. From the hundreds of thousands of stock photos, the chances of someone else picking your models, or designing it just the same way, are pretty slim, and yet it happens. For some of my books, I use my own background - and that writing buddy I told you about? She does the same. That option assures us that at least part of our cover is exclusive.
Back in "the day," romance novels all had the same model (well, not all of them, I'm using a broad, sweeping generalization). Remember Fabio? There was a time he was the hero ideal, and his face and flowing locks were on dozens of covers. Yes, I'd like my cover to be distinctive, but the cover is a first impression, something to draw you in. As a reader, once I start reading, I seldom go back to the cover to see if it matches the picture I draw in my mind (although other people might).
Big publishing houses are about the image, what the cover projects, and less about how well it matches the characters in the book. For them, its more about composition. The immediate impression telegraphs the genre, and it sometimes doesn't bear any resemblance to what's between the pages.
So my cover model is cheating on me. Considering my job is to objectify these people to sell books, I guess I'm okay with that. Every time I see this guy's face on someone else's book, I smile and pat myself on my back for my good taste in handsome men.
Thank you to those of you who stop by to read my blog every week, and thanks to everyone who supports my writing by buying my books. You are the people who motivate me to continue in my pursuit of happiness.
With EPITAPH scheduled for release in a couple of weeks, I'm taking a breather for the holidays. Working on edits for Epitaph 2, but also stopping to enjoy the season, which means I'm not working quite as hard as I probably should be! Never fear, Epitaph 2 will be ready for its release date.
Let me take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas or, if that isn't the holiday you celebrate, Happy Holidays--which includes a Happy New Year.
"May the new year be blessed
With good tidings
'Til the next time I see you again" -- Amy Grant
I've been working on EPITAPH 3, and I'll admit to struggling with the ghost part in this one. I knew what/who the ghost was and his part in the story, but I was missing pieces of how he was doing the haunting.
When I was very young, I remember watching a movie on television with my older sisters, and as part of my research, I wanted to go back and find that movie. Ultimately, it is the inspiration for this book. Guess what? I can't find it anywhere! I have no idea what the title was, no idea who was in it. I only remember the plot, and as it was so many years ago, even that is a little fuzzy. The movie was about a ghost in a mirror, and for years after (and even to this day to a certain degree) I won't look into a mirror when I walk past it at night. If anyone knows anything about my very vague description of said movie, let me know. I'd still like to track it down.
In the meantime, I tapped one of my very dear friends, who has a brilliantly creative mind, and told her I was thinking in three directions and asked her to help me brainstorm. Asked for her opinion--or a fourth direction. She never lets me down. (Thanks, Jen!) She voted for door #1, with a couple of suggestions.
I've given final approval to EPITAPH, and if you pre-order, it will wing its way to your e-reader on January 10 so you don't have to remember then. (you can find the links to pre-order here). I'm working on edits for EPITAPH 2, and then I can get back to my ghost in the mirror in EPITAPH 3. Doing lots of figurative juggling with these books, but since they all work together (even though they are all stand-alone stories), I think I'm keeping track of all those balls in the air. So far...
Yes, it's closing in on Christmas. Yes, I've loaded up my listening devices with Christmas music (I change the playlists after), and yes, I've been watching Christmas movies. I know, I'm annoying. A lot of this is facilitated by the fact that I've been ill, so I've been holed up with nothing else to do. You know how it goes. Winter breeds germs, family gatherings mean sharing them (no worries, I'm nearly better, now). I have yet to bring out the decorations.
One of the things that has been amazing me this year is that my dear husband has been giving me complete control over the remote. The man who HATES Christmas movies (and we've seen some lulus). I keep asking him if he's okay, or if he thinks I'm dying, or why he's watching this drivel with me. The man who, when the family plays Christmas trivia and I know all the answers asks, "Why do you know that?" (not "how" mind you, but "why"). So yes, I've been taking the opportunity to see "new" movies, but the quality has dropped so low, that I can hardly watch them, let alone subject the saint of a man who suffers through them beside me.
Or maybe it's because he doesn't want to watch my old standbys. I have a collection of DVDs that are "my favorites" that I've seen a million times (only a slight exaggeration). He's not one to watch a movie a second time. "I've already seen it." Which brings me to the question du jour. Do you have a favorite Christmas movie?
Without further ado, I introduce you to the new cover for Epitaph!
I may have mentioned, putting together covers can be tricky, and as you saw a couple of weeks ago, the models seemed right, but getting the right pose along with the write fonts and colors... not to mention this model for "Kevin" looks better when he's not smiling. Not sure I'm 100% sold on the "Amy" model, but sometimes you gotta take what you can. At the end of the day, I'm happy. What do you think?
The new release is expected January 10, but with the holidays, you can pre-order the electronic version so you don't forget! (Or add it to your wish list for someone else to pre-order for you). Pre-orders will automatically download to your e-reader on January 10.
Want more information? Visit my Epitaph page, and make sure you've signed up for my newsletter (check the menu above) to be reminded when Epitaph goes live.
With the holidays approaching, I'm reminded of some famous ghosts in literature. The first that comes to mind is Marley from A Christmas Carol (thank you, Mr. Dickens). "Marley was dead to begin with...."
As I look into the backstories of the ghosts in my Epitaph series, I am reminded that ghosts, even as secondary characters, need goals, motivation and conflict. They have a full character arc, much like the main characters do, especially since the reader needs to know how they died, why they died, and why they haven't moved on to the next realm.
In A Christmas Carol, Marley died an unremarkable death, but it was his life that draws the focus. As a miserly sort, he forged a chain of all his misdeeds and his inattention to human need where he might have made a difference. His appearance in the book - his goal - is to convince Scrooge to pay attention. His motivation: there's still time to make a difference in the world. The conflict: Scrooge doesn't/might not believe him. And then, of course, there are the three Christmas ghosts, each of which serve a purpose in Scrooge's life. These ghosts aren't trapped on "the wrong side," but are sent as messengers.
If you were a ghost, what would keep you from moving on? What would send you back among the living? What's your favorite ghost story trope?
Next week -- cover reveal for Epitaph 1!
Happy Thanksgiving to you all. In addition to all my other blessings, I am thankful for the readers who share my journey with me!
I have my new cover! (Spoiler, it isn't either of the ones I posted last week!) I will reveal all after Thanksgiving.
In the meantime, I've begun work on Epitaph 3. It's a strange feeling for me, since my books are usually published more quickly. Epitaph 1 is complete, Epitaph 2 is "all but" complete (still working through the editing process), and Epitaph 3 has been tapping me on the shoulder.
Starting a new book is always an exciting time for me. It's like making new friends (even though most of the characters in this series flow through all the books). The spotlight shines on different people and their individual lives, so I'm getting to know the supporting characters from the other books more "up close and personal."
When I start writing, some books take several chapters before the characters really "talk" to me and open up. Often, that means reworking some of the earlier chapters to show their personality in more depth. In the Epitaph series, I already have a good sense of who everybody is since they were introduced in the first book (siblings of the main characters in Epitaph 1), which makes writing this series easier. It will still be a challenge to manage the plot points, the victories and pitfalls they will encounter along the way.
One of the toughest things is trying to decide what my characters do for a living. This often leads me to research, asking people what their average workday looks like (which reminds me I need to pick one of my girlfriend's brains! Get ready, Sarah!)
Do you work in an occupation you never see in a book? Or is there a segment of the work force you enjoy reading about more than others? Maybe one that is underrepresented?
I'm trying to pick a cover for the new book! Care to weigh in? The EPITAPH series is romance, as you might expect from me, with ghost-related mysteries to be solved. As the author, I sometimes get invested more in one character than another. I get distracted... And a subplot might stick with me, which makes cover art murky when you want to kick those background things to the front (where they don't belong!)
Here are two options I've been toying with. Which one do you like better?
Option 1
Option 2
As of today, I am expecting a January release of EPITAPH. EPITAPH 2: THE TWINS is expected to follow at the beginning of April. EPITAPH 3: THE MAN IN THE MIRROR is looking like July (fingers crossed).
If you'd like to sign up to be an early reviewer, hop over and visit me here.
In keeping with the holidays this week, as mentioned in a previous post, Halloween is the "een" before All Hallows, or All Saints Day, November 1.
All Saints Day is a time to remember all those we've lost during the past year, and I'd like to take a moment to remember my mother, who I lost earlier this year.
Relationships with parents are different for everyone. Some people are best friends with their mom or dad, some people have strained relationships with their mom or dad. And then there are people in between. As with any relationship, it takes effort on all parts.
Some of the trickiest parts of my writing involve dealing with the relationship between parents and their children. I've covered everything from the worst examples, as in the Northwest Suburbs series, where the characters have all had to deal with difficult parental relationships, to the closeness between Keith and his mother in Heart for Rent, with an Option. In Return to Hoffman Grove, you see the change in family dynamic when a parent "grows up" and takes responsibility for the damage he's done to his child, and that child (Brody) acknowledging that if he was raised differently, he might have become a different man.
It's easy to blame parents for all the things that are wrong in our lives, but one of the themes I try to keep in all of my books is that people are who they are because of who they are. Certainly parents are the first influence, but they are not the only influence in our lives. Our friends, our teachers, our environment, our society all contribute to the people we become. Genetics is definitely at work, but its more than that.
My mom was a good and faithful woman who worked hard to hold her family together. When her time came, she was ready to go, which made it easier on all of us knowing she was at peace. That doesn't stop us from missing her or stopping in the middle of doing something and thinking, "I should call mom to tell her about this," and then remembering she isn't there.
One of the truths about grief - you don't get over it, you learn to live with it.
For those of you who, like me, have someone to celebrate this All Saints Day, peace be with you.
I'd really hoped to have my newest release out in time for Halloween. I knew it was pushing it, and I knew working with a new publisher would likely push that date back even farther. So here's the 411.
Epitaph is currently in the final stages. While it *might* make it to the real world by the end of the month, I'm not holding my breath. Publishing takes time. I still have cover art to approve (among other things). And in case you're wondering what Epitaph is about...
“Crazy
Amy” Benson has an unusual talent for hearing epitaphs as the dead pass on. The
men she dates who aren’t unnerved by her ability are usually scared off by
Amy’s brothers. When reporter Kevin McCormick shows up to do a story at the
cemetery, Amy tells him his dead sister is calling for justice, except Kevin’s
sister died in an accident.
Kevin
relays Amy’s odd message to his family and unleashes a killer. While Kevin
strives to be an investigative reporter, he doesn’t anticipate his first
opportunity will focus on the murders of his own family. Now he has to protect
the alluring epitaph writer while hunting for evidence against the killer.
While I'm getting everything pulled together, I'll try to find a good excerpt to share, as well.
Epitaph is the first in a new series for me. Amy is the youngest of four, with three protective older brothers who resemble the front line of a football team. Kevin is the second in a family of five. Their siblings each have a story to tell, and each story includes a ghostly encounter (or in Liam's case, a different sort of paranormal experience!). No, there are no vampires (the acquisitions ED at the new publisher loved the story, but they really wanted vampires), so I'm staying independent with these books.
As a side note (need to do a little bragging), Cookie Therapy has made it through the quarterfinals in the BookLife/Publishers Weekly prize for Fiction. I'm pretty proud of that, and a big thank you to everyone who has made Cookie Therapy my best seller to date, and for all the glowing reviews! Your love and support mean there will be another in that series -- remember the woman in the bakery? She's got some challenges to deal with while they rebuild the block that burned down, including dealing with the developer.
Oh, hey. If you aren't subscribed to my newsletter, pop up to the link above for release information on Epitaph and other news. Will keep you all posted on my Facebook page as well as this next book gets closer to publication. Can't wait for you to read it!
Have you ever read a book that gave you nightmares?
If you've been following me for a while, you know that I grew up watching Creature Features. I loved Dracula and Dr. Frankenstein and The Mummy, et. al. Some of my favorite movies are the old black and whites with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and Boris Karloff and let's not forget Vincent Price. Did you know Jack Nicholson got his start in a horror movie? Back in the day, The Haunting sent chills up my spine when the door to the room the researchers had locked themselves in began to breathe. Or when Stella Meredith came down the steps in The Uninvited. Those were the "real" scary movies, the ones that flirted with your imagination. Much scarier than the slasher movies, in my opinion (although Halloween ranks up there with me). But scary books?
I read Dracula, but I can't say it frightened me. It was a good read, by the way. And, of course, I've read my share of Stephen King books. The one book that scared me the most? The one I couldn't have in the same room with me after I'd finished it? The Amityville Horror. That one creeped me out. Big Time. The movie, not so much, but the book... It's that imagination thing again.
As Halloween lurks around the corner, are there any scary movies you're planning to watch? A Halloween tradition? Or books that you pull out, maybe Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman? (or the Horseless Headsman, if you're hungry...)
Summer is officially over, and nothing demonstrates that more than the changing colors of the trees. From lush, vibrant green, the leaves are changing to golden yellows, burnished bronze, fiery reds, and decaying brown. It's the time of year Mother Nature pulls out her paint brush. I thought I'd take you on a walk with me through my neighborhood.
I'm working toward the end of my first draft of Epitaph 2, and hopefully I'll have some exciting news to share with you next week!
There are days its difficult to come up with something to write, and sometimes things just strike me and make it more fun. Today, I'm going with something fun. I'm perpetuating a game of tag I read at You Write Fiction. Here are the tag rules, copy + pasted.
Tag the Blogger(s) who nominated you.
Answer the questions you were given.
Nominate 10 bloggers.
Let them know they’ve been tagged.
I won’t tag anyone specific because I don’t know who has or hasn’t been tagged yet. If you want to answer some fun questions about yourself, consider yourself tagged by me! These are the questions Nate tagged forward:
Probably safe to say romance. I am a sucker for happily ever after.
Free weekend: would you rather stay at home and relax (alone or with a select few) or go out and make big plans?
This is a mood of the day answer, but generally speaking, I'm a stay at home type.
Favorite season? (Of the year, you Netflix addict).
Spring, hands down. I love watching the world come to life.
Best thing to do on a rainy day?
Read!
Hardcover books or paperback books? (Don’t even try “but kindle…?” My post, my rules).
Hardcover, simply from a longevity standpoint. They're harder to find these days, but I secretly rejoice when I find a new one that I love!
Favorite speculative (fantasy, sci-fic, etc.) film
This one is tough! I'm going old school here and sticking with Dracula. Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing.
You’re stranded in a forest (no way out). What’s your best shot at getting food?
Oh man. Keep Bear Grylls away from me! But I will hunt down berries or edible plant life and I have learned a thing or two from watching Running Wild that could help me to survive, but I foresee losing A LOT of weight in this scenario.
Would you rather be able to breathe underwater or have camouflaging abilities?
This question pinches one of my personality defects (no, I'm not going to tell you how stupid I am). I'm going to vote for breathing under water.
Name an animal that you’re terrified of, for whatever reason.
Terrified is a strong word. Run the other direction scared? Maybe a bear... If the animal is bigger than me, they make me very nervous. This includes cows and horses. (No laughing!)
Hugs: the solution to most of life’s problems, or a space-invading nuisance?
Solution to life's problems! Without question.
And now its your turn! Consider yourself tagged, and these are my questions for you:
Early bird or night owl?
The last song you listened to?
Your favorite word (this can include foreign-not your native language-words).
Vampires, werewolves, or ghosts?
Favorite fairy tale (and this can include Disney movies)
Favorite snack food
You're going out for your favorite dinner! Where are you going?
If your fairy godmother could grant you one special power, what would it be?
If you could pick a best friend from the books you've read, who would it be?
Yes, I am still working on the next book. Epitaph is still with the publisher for approval, and yes, I am anxiously awaiting their thoughts. Epitaph 2 is more than half finished. As most authors do, I'm suffering from writer's angst at the moment. Will the publisher like Epitaph enough to buy the series? Should I keep going with the third book once I finish book 2? Should I take a break from haunted houses and make a return trip to Hoffman Grove? DOES MY WRITING SUCK?
And then I get a nice review. And I get invited to do interviews and appear on blogs and I take a deep breath and remind myself that "this, too, shall pass," and I keep writing.
And reading.
Reading and reviewing
How many of you are on Goodreads.com? That's where I keep my reading organized. When I add books to my TBR pile, I add them to my list on +Goodreads so I know where to find them-- they're either on my Kindle or on my bookshelf. Want to know what I'm reading? What books I liked and which ones I didn't? Hey, guess what? if you click on the Book Reviews tab up there at the top of the page, you'll see a lot of the books I've read and reviewed. I almost always review what I've read, because feedback is important to an author. If you tell them how much you loved their last book, they're likely to keep going with the one they're working on now instead of giving up when they hit that muddle in the middle, that angsty part of of the process. Or they might use that review to determine what works best. For instance, in my world, if my next book should be about haunted houses or go back to the "circle of friends" books in Hoffman Grove.
There are some "big name" authors who almost always "Like" my reviews when I leave them. Sometimes it's their "people" (and not actually them), but in either case, it's feedback. What works and what doesn't. Some reviews are way out there and off the wall -- I've had people make comments about my books that make me wonder what book they were actually reading (there wasn't anything like that in that book...). And there are some reviews where people leave a comment that it wasn't what they were expecting. That can be disappointing to some, or that can be a plus.
Not every book is going to strike a chord. I've read my share of clunkers from some of my favorite authors. It's okay to tell them that (in a nice way!). Chances are they already know. And this is where it's important to be constructive. What was it about that book that left you frowning instead of swooning?
Sharing and discovering
The aforementioned reviews also help when I'm looking for the next book to read. Statistics show that most of us buy books from newsletters. {raising my hand} I good blurb and a good cover go a long way in my decision. As far as the reviews go, if I'm on the fence about whether or not to buy it, I'll go to Goodreads and read some of the reviews. In fact, I'll often look at the WORST reviews to see what a reader didn't like. If the "bad" review isn't specific or constructive, I disregard it, but if it highlights something that I know I'll take exception to, I might pass on the book. On the other hand, if I'm not "on the fence" based on the blurb and cover, I'll buy it and NOT read the reviews until I'm done. Or until I reach a point where I'm wondering WHY I'm still reading that book. Then I'll check to see if I'm the only one who didn't enjoy the story. If that's the case, more often than not, I won't leave a "bad" review, but I'll "Like" the bad reviews if they have already commented on the things that strike discord with me.
I might also read the reviews to decide if I want to read related books by the same author, or others in that series. Have you all seen reviews that say "this wasn't her best work," or "I've enjoyed other books by him, but this one didn't work for me." When I've finished one book in a series that I've enjoyed, I might automatically look to others in that series (that's what a series is designed to do!). If I loved the book, the next book in the series is pretty close to a "one click" for me. If I liked it, but didn't love it, I'm going to check the reviews on those other books before I keep going.
Goodreads is very good at recommending books based on your list of books already read, or on your TBR list. While I have Go-To authors, I do like to venture out and discover new voices every now and then. Goodreads will look at themes that I select and present me with new options. They also give me the opportunity to recommend books to my friends. If I've just finished an outstanding book, I can click a button that tells my friends it's worth reading.
Goodreads helps me keep track of the books I've read/am reading. Yes, believe it or not, there are times I can't remember if I've read a book. I've tried LibraryThing and Shelfari as well, but for me, Goodreads remains my go-to reading website.
A couple of weeks ago, I told you about some of the research I've been doing. I actually went on a field trip to research a very rare type of wood, but the shop that might have carried it was selling off their fixed assets when I arrived - chairs and shelving. No stock left. So I mail-ordered. I am now the proud owner of a cat carved from palo santo wood.
Along with the cat, I received a free tree agate and some perfume. According to the card that accompanied the agate, it provides inspiration and wisdom. Sounds like it belongs right next to my computer, don't you think?
The point of this exercise was to smell the palo santo. It is supposed to have a unique fragrance, and the wood is regulated. It can't be harvested until after the tree has died and the wood is seasoned for a period of time (left lying "in state" outside).
My office is VERY smelly fragrant right now. The first couple of days, it made my eyes water! But now I have real-life experience with what this rare wood smells like, feels like, etc. What does it smell like? As advertised, the wood is something like pine/mint/lemon. I couldn't quite imagine those scents together, but each of them is present (or I smell them because someone told me I should). The agate is infused with "Druidess" perfume. It smells like perfume - I'd venture to say more along the floral spectrum.
Now I can apply my real-life experience to my characters. I know that Jared (my hero in Epitaph 2), who is a finish carpenter and likes to work with wood, will be able to craft pieces of the wood and that those pieces will serve as a room freshener (among other things). I guess that means its time to get back to work!
One of the toughest decisions today - what to read!
I work a day job, and then I work the night job-writing. Like most people, my life is BUSY, but there's always time for reading. In fact, reading is an essential part of my life. I am subscribed to several book newsletters that offer recommendations, and I have my go-to authors along with newsletters that I subscribe to. I have several books on my Kindle in several different genres, and in spite of having a long TBR list, I continue to comb through those newsletters and mailers and recommendations and frequently add more.
I'm currently reading Robyn Carr. I met her at the Chicago Spring Fling, and when I saw an anthology of her books come through on one of my newsletters, I jumped on it (and yes, I have books from her from the conference). I'm finding her writing style very different from most of the books I read, and at first it threw me for a loop. "This isn't normal." But it's very refreshing. I like her voice. I'm reading the Thunder Bay series, and each book touches on several different characters. It's a continuing saga, which doesn't mean you have to have read the previous one to pick it up, but if you do, it's almost like picking up where you left off. Like being the postmaster and everyone stops into the post office to gossip. Or they stop into the diner for a cup of coffee and to find out what's going on in town. And she does it well.
I really think this is my niche. I like reading small town books, where everybody knows your name, in any genre. Stephen King does that in his horror novels. Heck, going back to Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. Communities. Places where people "see" each other and know when something is wrong or someone is missing.
Do you prefer billionaires or small town life? What are you reading? Is there an underlying theme or a voice in a book that speaks to you?
For the past couple of weeks, we've had workmen at our house doing home improvements. First, we had a new roof after our insurance guy found wind damage. I can't say enough good things about the roofers - Toby and his son, Nick. They did a great job, were friendly, cleaned up after themselves every night and honored all of DH's wishes in regard to protecting other parts of the house. We also had siding added, and the coordinator for those guys bothered Toby nearly every day to make sure he was on schedule and they'd be out of the way on the siding guys' schedule. Okay, a little irritating, but he wanted to keep things moving. The weather cooperated for the most part, and Toby finished the job on schedule.
Enter the three stooges. Now, I realize there is bound to be some inconvenience when people are working on your house, but these guys were like slaves with that coordinator holding a whip to their backs. They worked fast, and messy and were IN THE WAY a lot of the time. They blocked the driveway from 7am until 7pm (in fairness, Toby blocked the driveway, too, as he used his truck as a dumpster, but he wasn't there both before and after work hours). DH had some instructions for the siders as well, which they either didn't get or didn't pay attention to. One of the things involved fixing the outside water faucet they broke. Then, with all three of them crowded around the faucet, they made it worse. Wrenches on the driveway, they waved when DH drove in, and he had to point to their tools to get them to move them and make room for his car. Do you have to leave your tools in the middle of the driveway? So the scheduler sent out a plumber at DH's request since the stooges couldn't figure out how to fix the faucet. The plumber shows up and its "Let's Make a Deal." I told him the scheduler was paying for it since his stooges broke the faucet. Oh.
When they completed the job, Mr. Scheduler decides the roofer guy helped him out by leaving his protection on those parts of the house DH wanted covered and will throw him a couple of bucks to thank him (because if the roofer hadn't extended that courtesy, the stooges would have ruined more of the house). So he brings CASH, puts it in a baggie, and staples it to the tarp the roofer left OUTSIDE. "I told him it would be here and I told him to get over here and pick his stuff up now that we're done." (more whipping of the slaves, except the roofer isn't one of his slaves.)
I have never been so glad to have a project finished in all my life. They're done now, provided we don't find something they've screwed up. The roofer is coming back to repair the NEW ROOF where they scuffed it up, and being the good guy he is, he says this is pretty normal for siding guys.
Did they do a nice job? Overall, I'd say yes. They put in long hours so I don't want to criticize overmuch, but it sure would have been nice if they were more careful while they were working instead of letting things fall off the house, banging into things on the way down. For the most part, they cleaned up after themselves. The end product looks nice, but man, the stress of watching them work! If DH had been home, he would have been out there yelling for them to BE CAREFUL every five minutes. And then to have a plumber who wanted to barter with me? (he did a nice job, he did a nice job, he did a nice job)
This was one of those times that I kept siccing DH on them because Mr. Scheduler AND Mr. Plumber took one look at a woman and decided she was dumb. Period. End of Story. Ignore what she says or try to take advantage of her "lack of brains." Mr. Plumber learned quickly not to underestimate me, and Mr. Scheduler can just deal with the wrath of the Big Guy.
As an author, I find my characters often have secrets. In fact, one of the tenets of fiction writing is that characters are SUPPOSED to have secrets, but when they keep them from their creator, that can be interesting. Of course, that's part of what makes writing so much fun!
I'm about halfway through the second Epitaph book and I found that my hero is hiding something. Originally, I thought it was one thing, but it has turned into something else, which has sent me on Internet searches.
The Epitaph series is decidedly supernatural, with ghosts and spirits and haunted houses, but sometimes I'm amazed at the way the research falls right in my lap. My hero is a carpenter, which means he works with wood on a daily basis, but generally not soft wood. So imagine my surprise when I was looking for a type of wood that would fit my criteria for the story and stumbled on Palo Santo. This is definitely NOT something Jared would look for in his everyday job, but it provides interesting backstory, and a secret that he doesn't want the world to know.
I will admit that while I was looking into this fragrant wood, which is used more for incense and essential oil, that I reached a point where I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Even I, as someone who appreciates a supernatural bent, had reached saturation. In fact, at one point I'd talked myself out of pursuing the "Holy Wood." These little babies in the picture? The person who makes them recommends hanging them in the shower (out of the water stream) to bring out the scent of the wood.
Today's writing journey is exploratory. I have two chapters outlined BEFORE the discovery of palo santo that need to be written, and there is a local shop I'd like to visit before I commit to Jared's secret.
Even if palo santo doesn't work with the current story, I've learned something new, and I always enjoy the journey.
Since I'm still "technically" recovering from surgery, I'm not supposed to take long trips, particularly driving long distances. I have precautions I'm supposed to follow. So when I started to panic about driving three and a half hours to Writer's Police Academy, my Dear Husband offered to take me. We made a stop halfway to visit One Young Son, which gave me the opportunity to get out of the car and stretch my legs. I have to admit, I was glad not to have to drive that distance. While I traveled well, the doctors know what they're talking about.
While we were on the road, I started brainstorming with The Big Guy. Trying to work through plot points in Epitaph 2, my husband has an area of expertise that is relevant. Unfortunately, he doesn't always understand how a writer's brain is wired. I'd ask a general question, and he, being an engineer, wants specifics and parameters. If I knew the specifics, I wouldn't have to ask! He doesn't always follow my train of thought or my path to logic. So I started laying out the characterization and the plot, which helped somewhat, but when I started to venture into the "woo-woo" parts, I lost him. This does not compute. He shot me a startled and confused look with the unspoken, "What??"
What can I say? My only explanation for him is that's how my brain is wired. I'm a writer. I get to have an imagination!
This past weekend, I joined a couple hundred fellow writers at the Writer's Police Academy. It's an awesome opportunity for authors to get in the trenches with policeman and firemen and EMTs to find out how things work and ask dozens of questions. We go to the school where they are trained and the fun part is that we get involved in real-life scenarios.
When we arrived at the Tech the first day, it was to the scene of an accident. Someone was lying on the hood of a car after going through the windshield and other passengers were trapped inside the car. Once we'd all arrived on the scene, the police drove in, lights flashing and sirens blaring, along with firetrucks and ambulances. They demonstrated (very realistically!) how they triage the victims, including putting one of the drivers through a sobriety test (which she failed). A flight for life helicopter joined the scene and transported the most seriously injured person, while they declared the man on the hood of the car a potential fatality (he can't be declared dead until the coroner arrives). Except the guy on the hood kept turning his head (I'm sure he was uncomfortable!) When the scenario ended, the "dead guy" hopped off the hood to a rousing round of applause. Then the questions commenced. Details the authors wanted or had missed. And the weekend continued from there. Lots of hands-on stuff, lots of demonstration stuff, more live-action scenarios. SO SO helpful for authors, and a lot of fun. One of my classes was specifically designed to help you kill off your characters using poison. Had several police officers look at us in our classes and say things like "you're making me nervous!" with the scenarios the authors presented.
Back to the daily grind again this week and working on the next in the Epitaph series. The funny part? I have more ways to kill off characters than I'd ever imagined before, thanks to the Writer's Police Academy.
I started back to the day job last week after six weeks recuperating. During my time off, I developed some new habits (read "better" habits), but it is interesting to see how much the day job affects my behavior. I plan to maintain those new habits as much as I can. I have also re-established some of the old habits, one of which is reading on the train ride into the Big City.
So what did I do with my time off? I finished Epitaph and sent it off to the publisher who'd requested the full MS to review. I also interviewed people for characterizations and information I want to include in the next book. It was nice to have "all the time in the world" to write, but with all that time, I also found a lot more diversions. So one of the old habits that I'm happy to get back into is focused writing time. Knowing I have to finish a project motivates me to concentrate during my allotted time and budget certain times of the day for other distractions (like, say, work?).
As I retrain my brain to return to a set schedule, I've started work on the second in the Epitaph Series. Epitaph is a ghost story, and the second will also contain a decidedly supernatural element. Thanks to my experiences while I've been laid up, I have a strong starting point, with fun characters. I know what supernatural element I'm including (and the hint for today is "inosculation"). The immediate goal is how to tie all this together into a compelling story. There is a strong suspense element in Epitaph along with the inevitable romance, and I 'm working on finding more suspense in the next book. I've got a five thousand word start, but I'm still in the discovery phase. Starting a new story is always exciting! This one hearkens back to "You've Got Mail" or "Pillow Talk" (those are old movies in case you aren't familiar), but not as "fluffy."
And speaking of exciting, I'll be attending Writer's Police Academy in Green Bay, which should provide lots of fodder for the third book in the Epitaph series with a policeman as a hero, and quite possibly help with this current book once my plot starts to gel.
About a year ago I jumped on the Fitbit bandwagon. I got it with "free" money, so I figured I wasn't losing anything by getting it. For me, the goal was to make sure I was still moving. I was encountering some physical limitations that halted my regular exercise program, so walking became more important. After a couple of months, I was able to judge where my pain point was. How many steps could I walk before the pain kicked in?
I have a Fitbit HR. I've heard from some of my friends that their model (not the HR) is great and they have no problems with it, but I have repeatedly had sync issues with mine. I'd go a couple of days unable to sync to ANY device, and then the techno gods would wave their magic wands and all would be well with the world again. At one point, I went a week without being able to sync, and that's when I called customer support. They walked me through all the help steps which I'd already done ad nauseum via their online guidance, and they finally decided that yep, my wristband just wasn't working. So they sent me a new one. Okay. That made me feel better.
Until I got the new wristband.
Within the first week, I couldn't sync the new Fitbit. So I exercised some patience and went through the same routine. Some days it syncs, some days it won't. I've recently undergone surgery to correct my physical limitations, and while I'm rebuilding strength, it was nice to be able to measure my progress, back to where I was pre-surgery and looking forward to finally making the coveted 10k steps a day (I did that once in the whole time I've had this cursed thing). Except now the wristband won't sync. Again. At all.
How much do I really want to know how many steps I walk each day? It was handy for recording exercise sessions and syncing those with my food app, but in the grand scheme of things, I've declared this tool a POS. It's often awkward to wear, and for something that works, at best, sporadically, I'm done. Maybe one of the other models would be a better option, but I've done my part in jumping on the fad bandwagon.
Do you have a Fitbit? (or other motion inducing/measuring device?)
Wow. Can you believe July is almost over? Summer is nearing an end already. A few short weeks ago, we were looking forward to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and I was starting my "sabbatical." Well, the sabbatical is over after this week. Back to life as usual. During my time off, I finished preliminary editing of Epitaph, and the publisher is waiting to read it. I also interviewed some people for the second in the series that Epitaph kicks off, so I'm ready to delve into a new story.
What else did I do during my time off? I read some fun books (and some not so great books). I reconnected with an old friend who is also counting down the end of a leave from work. I've been rebuilding strength and am better than ever! I feel re-energized and I'm looking forward to a writer's conference in Green Bay in a couple of weeks assuming everything continues to go well. (and why wouldn't it?)
Ever have those days where you think everything is going so well, what's the catch? As I look ahead to next week, I can't help but wonder how I'll do upon re-entry. I've established a nice routine during my time off, but now it's time to go back to old routines and hopefully incorporate some of the positive changes I've adopted. One "old" routine I'm looking forward to is reading on the train. That long commute into the city provides prime time for me to catch up on my TBR list.
In case you need to add to your TBR list, +Smashwords is offering a sale through the end of the month--that's the end of this week. Click here to browse titles. Coupons are available at checkout and show beside the price.
Closing in on the last of my rewrites and then to put this thing through the meat grinder for overused and unnecessary words. In the meantime, I've been thinking ahead to the next book (see what downtime can do for a body?).
Epitaph will be the first in a new series, and I've already started interviewing people for background information on the second. The anticipation that goes with starting a new book is always exciting, the possibilities, the letting go of my imagination to carry me into new places, but I have to rein it in until I finish the current project. However, I do have a question for you, my readers.
I've created two families that will carry the series forward. One of them is Irish-American, but they bring their names from the old country. Most of those names are fairly standard fare, Kevin, Kathleen, Mary. But I've always had a fondness for the name Siobhan (since Ryan's Hope debuted lo, those many years ago - pronounced shev-AHN). But because it's spelled oddly, there are people who don't know how to pronounce it when they read it. So then I thought about Sinead (pronounced shin-AID). You know, like Sinead O'Connor? But same problem. As a reader, do names like these make you stumble? Do you need a phonetic tip to help you out, like having some random person try to make fun of her by calling her Chevy (along with an explanation)?
When the Harry Potter books first came out, my kids didn't want to read them because the characters had such odd names. I gave them tips for getting past that hurdle, and then they enjoyed the stories, but it can stop a reader dead in their tracks. I remember reading a book when I was a kid with a character named Phoebe. Read the whole book before I figured out how to pronounce it, and yet some people know the names and don't struggle at all. Then there was Laoghaire from Outlander. Even with phonetics, I couldn't figure out how to pronounce that until I saw the series. How do you get that pronunciation from that spelling?
So what do you think? Are you familiar enough with the Irish names to know how to pronounce them? Or would they trip you up? Make you stop reading? (Do I need to find a more "normal" name for my character?
Every book I write goes through the wringer. After the first draft is done, I go back through it numerous times to check for grammatical errors, continuity errors, etc. So in case you think you've finished writing once you've gotten through that first run, here's what happens next.
1. Celebrate.
It's done! Drink a toast or go to dinner. Finishing up the story is an accomplishment in and of itself. Lots of people don't get that far.
2. Take a break
Your best bet at making this something good is to provide some distance. Jumping right back into edits will only ensure you're missing the same mistakes you've already made. You become "word blind" to the same misspelled or misused words. You're still so involved in the plot that you miss obvious plot holes.
3. Hunker down and put your editor hat on
My next pass is for continuity and copyediting. Does everything follow? Did a character change his name between page 2 and page 200? Are their names spelled consistently? Are there any time warps? (i.e., it's morning when we are in one POV, but in the next section its the day before or two days later?)
4. READ THE WHOLE THING, start to finish
I do this multiple times, each time looking for different things (reference point 3). Once I'm satisfied that the holes are filled and everything is "right," I read the entire book one more time for all the things I've overlooked, or new mistakes I've made in the copyediting process. You'd be amazed at the number of things that STILL jump out at me, even after I'm sure I got it right "this time."
5. Culling out overused and unnecessary words
With time, I get to the point where I recognize a lot of the "crutch" words and can kill them during the creative process, but they still pop up. (Can I get an amen to the word "still" which I have used too many times in this post?) I have a checklist with words like "just" and "maybe" and distancing verbs like "could see" or "felt." Granted, some of them belong, but the majority of them are superfluous and take away from the reading experience. I save this step for the last, because while I'm copyediting, new unintended occurrences can pop in. Oh, and then I repeat step 4. Any time I edit, there's always the chance I've created new mistakes while correcting existing ones.
This process works with most every book I write. There are exceptions, and those books are generally the ones that either don't make it to the editor (they aren't fit for public consumption - yes, I have a couple tucked into my "even I don't like this one" folder) or ones that I do love, but there's "something missing." The latter requires extra work, extra thought.
I've been mulling over this week's post ad nauseum. Everything from common courtesy and common sense, to societal changes, to the upcoming election, to Brexit, to yellow journalism, to cyber bullies who voice their opinions on social media rather than in a forum where their opinions might be challenged. I've seen good friends supporting a platform that I am staunchly against and I scratch my head wondering how they got to that point. There is so much misinformation in the media that its hard to find the truth, and that's how bad decisions are made.
Its times like this that make me want to cry out "Stephen King for President!" After all, a man who has written the darkest corners of fiction, the end of the world in The Stand, an alien invasion (or was it?) in Dreamcatchers, and several other apocalyptic scenarios, still gives us hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Dan Brown constructs a scenario of germ warfare. Robert Langdon is staring the end of the world in the face, and only he can solve the puzzle that will save humanity.
Doomsday Scenarios
Authors have the unique requirement to write a worst case scenario and then find a solution for it. Oftentimes, you'll hear them say they had no idea how their characters were going to find their way out of whatever mess they'd been written into. But they always do. Authors are problem solvers. Since we made up the mess, we can make up solutions, or responses that lead to solutions. Wouldn't it be great if we could do that with the problems of the world?
My current work in process deals with police corruption, or rather, one corrupt policeman. They're out there, but they're in the minority. Police have a tough job, and to condemn an entire profession based on a few bad apples is suicide. These guys put their lives on the line for us every single day. As an author, I'm obliged to find a worst case scenario, and so I took a good long look at one of the bad guys. To counterbalance that, the next book in the series will take a look at one of the good guys, but because of THIS book, he has prejudice to overcome, and isn't that what life is about? Taking a look at both sides? Recognizing that not everyone is good, but by the same token, that doesn't make everyone evil?
Wow. Am I on my soapbox again? Oh hey. Then I should start the campaign. Whattya say? Stephen King for president?
While I'm laid up (recovery is going quite well, thank you), I have an app from the hospital that reminds me of all the things I should be doing, along with an optional reminder for meds and a notes section. Theoretically, I know someone is reviewing my progress somewhere although it feels a bit like journalling. Who would read my journal? I send them pictures of the wound and status updates. At my presurgical class, they told me I could keep notes on my progress. Yes, the app says the physician will be reviewing these notes but it also says don't expect them to. Imagine my surprise when I got a message back - not one I could track down or save, mind you - that said the wound looked good, and for the additional pain that came from laying in one position all night (a note I'd recorded), I should keep moving. Except as soon as I saw the notification, it was gone. So I think that's what it said before it disappeared. Its a notification, not a message.
Another day I got a notification that asked how I was moving. Probably a canned notification like "don't forget to check in," except it got me thinking about "You've Got Mail" and Cyrano de Bergerac and anonymous correspondence. Oh, and let's not forget "Sorry, Wrong Number." +Teresa Medeiros wrote a story about Twitter (Goodnight, Tweetheart) along these same lines, which I thoroughly enjoyed. A new take on an old trope (and she actually convinced me to venture into the Twitterverse with that book).
My imagination has been bizarre, my dreams fairly vivid - no doubt attributable to the meds. So when I pictured Fred MacMurray leaving me a letter in a post office box today, I started to giggle. (Yes, I'm making reference to a black and white movie made a million years ago.) One of my critique partners has been stuck on the topic of tropes, and how some are overdone, or just plain shouldn't be done.
Do I think there is a secret admirer on the other side of my app? Oh, heck, no. Likely a nurse monitoring and doing her job. But this brings me back to the inspiration of the day. People ask where I get my story ideas. EVERYWHERE! Sitting in a recliner with my leg up and reporting to an app! Authors are a different breed, doncha know. The story can be a saccharine romance or an edge of your seat thriller like Sorry, Wrong Number. An overused trope? Or one that is thankfully not visited very often?
Maybe a plot for the third book of the new series....
And in case you were wondering what to get me for my birthday (yes, its TODAY!), might I suggest you buy one of my books? Or buy one for a friend. Quick links are over there, at the top of the column to the right. Don't forget to leave a review. Best present an author can get!
I went to the store the other day. A quick lunch time trip to pick a few things up. When I walked back to my car, there was a delivery truck blocking me in. GREAT. As I made my way across the parking lot, I heard someone on a cell phone saying "I think there's a dog in a car." Ok, Summer. Dogs. Hot cars. Someone standing near my car on a cell phone. I don't have a dog. Rounded the car next to mine. No dog in the car. Did someone hit my car?
Nope. There was a man laying on the ground between my car and the one next to mine.
Not a dog.
Poor guy is flat on his back with maybe three people standing over him, one of them on the 911 call.
"Do we need to do something? Is he having a heart attack?" I ask.
"They told us not to touch him," one of the people tells me.
He's breathing. His eyes are open, and I'm thinking the sun is going to blind him. It's a bright day. His eyes roll back. People are talking to him, trying to get a response. He's not talking. One woman asks him to squeeze her hand. Nothing.
One of the people look at me, realize this is MY car we're next to, and says, "you can probably go if you want to." Well I could, if I wasn't going to run this poor man over by moving my car.
The police show up and take over, and then the ambulance. Mr. Man doesn't quite know what's going on, and while they start to move him, he starts to panic.
The police and the EMTs were very professional, calming, going about their job. The rapid manner in which they are able to acquire information is startling. One of the EMTs says this man was at the hospital yesterday, or maybe even today. Just from getting his ID. I'm sure that helps them to understand what happened to him, or at least an idea why this happened.
While I camp out next to my car, because now the delivery van is gone but I'm blocked in by the fire department ambulance AND a fire truck, my five minute trip to the store has become an hour, and I'm getting my Vitamin D fix standing in the sun in the parking lot rather than on the deck at home. And you know what? I don't mind. Let these guys do what they have to do.
When I first found that man lying next to my car, I thought he might be dead, with his eyes open, not moving, flat on the ground. And then you notice he's breathing. THAT's when I started wondering what I could do for him, but thankfully, someone else was already on top of it. Good neighbors who might easily not have seen the poor guy lying in between cars in a parking lot. People who took the extra time to make the call, to stay with him. And finally, the first responders who treated him.
My schedule has been a little skewed lately. As a creature of habit, my cat is understandably confused. This "throwaway cat" has been with me for 17 years, and I thought today was a good day to appreciate her.
"Poo-pooh" is still pretty spry for an old lady, with a few exceptions. She's hard of hearing. Have you ever been able to sneak up on a cat? While she's looking for you one direction, if you sneak up behind her to announce yourself, she doesn't hear you... until you create a vibration. Then she turns and jumps two feet in the air because you've startled her. She doesn't have all of her teeth anymore, and she has a hard time grooming herself.
K.C.
She was rescued from a dumpster and "someone" brought her to me insisting I needed another cat. The resident cat (K.C.) was not amused. However, K.C. assumed the Alpha cat role and took it upon himself to train her, which was mostly good--for us. For Poo-Pooh, not so much. He taught her to be afraid of her own shadow. She hid from visitors and was shy about sitting on family laps if there were more than two people in the room. If you were alone in the room, she was all over you. K.C. was a mischievous big brother, chasing her and then back tracking when she wasn't paying attention. He also had a habit of hiding around corners and then jumping out at her. Such a prankster! And, of course, poor Poo would be so traumatized that she would hide for days. She rarely made a sound, except for her exceptionally loud purring. You could hear her coming from long distances.
When K.C. crossed the rainbow bridge, Poo wasn't quite sure how to handle being an only child, but she adapted quickly. She found her voice and lost a lot of her panic-induced fears. Now she's vocal, calling out for you whenever she doesn't see you. AND she likes company. Whereas she used to run when she heard the doorbell, now she goes to see who's there with me.
Cats are creatures of habit. She follows me most everywhere when I'm home, and when I'm away, she lets me know she's missed me by telling me and sitting right beside me and touching me with her paws. She hasn't lost her "three's a crowd" mentality. We're more likely to have a kitty on our lap if we're home alone, but as an old lady, she isn't as comfortable on laps as she used to be, so she doesn't stay long. Whereas most animals are nervous around small children, Poo is curious. She's cautious, but she wants to see these tiny humans. The first time she saw a baby, she was dumbfounded. "What the heck is that?" Fortunately for us, the tiny humans in our lives are animal friendly. They've grown up with critters, so they don't go running at her and shrieking with glee. They approach her in much the same way as she approaches them.
I never expected this poor, sickly cat rescued from a dumpster to survive, much less for 17 years. She's been a source of entertainment, of affection, and companionship. As I spend the next several weeks recuperating, I know she'll be right beside me cheering me on.
A step into the irreverent today. Have you ever heard the song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life?" (You can click below to listen if you haven't, or if you have and want to hear it again.) Like the topic of this post, the movie it is from is somewhat controversial, a movie people either loved or hated because of the subject matter.
As an author, one of the things they tell you is that you have to have a thick skin. Reading is subjective. There are several best sellers that I haven't loved, but I don't bash them simply because they aren't "my cup of tea."
The most important part of writing is to make sure you get the mechanics right. If your grammar is poor or it is riddled with mistakes, most people won't spend the time reading it. Even when its perfect, you should be prepared for negative feedback, because not everyone is going to like what you've written.
While I was writing one of my books, I was between critique groups, so I tried the RWA groups. I wanted to incorporate some of the places I've visited into the story--Scotland and Fort Lauderdale. One of the early critiquers took exception to my descriptions of Scotland. She was British (I would say English rather than Scottish, but I can't remember now) and she said before I attempted to write about a place, I should visit first. I was shocked! I HAD been there. I wrote those places that inspired me, but she went on to tell me my main character surely would want to visit the mall in Manchester. AHEM. My character had a short stop in Manchester, and no reason to visit the mall. I immediately called a friend of mine who lives across the ocean and asked what I'd gotten wrong. We talked about landmarks and notable sights, and as a result, I actually included some things that I hadn't seen when I was there.
A second critique group told me I might want to give up on writing. They suggested I use more flowery prose, all those ugly adverbs that I've always been taught to avoid. And that was after I had two novels published (which I didn't hesitate to point out to that person). If I didn't have the other two books under my belt, I very well might have called it a day and thrown in the proverbial writing towel. That's when I stopped looking for an RWA group to fit in with.
Further down the road, during one of my early attempts to hire an editor, I was somewhat surprised when she sent back comments like, "Cameron isn't a girl's name. You should change it." Hello? Have you ever heard of Cameron Diaz? Oh yeah, and then there's Cinda. "What kind of a name is Cinda? Your readers won't relate to it." And that's when I severed ties with that editor. If the worst thing she could pick apart in my writing was the names of my characters, she wasn't helping. That editor is fairly well respected in the industry, she has written some books on the craft, but after my experience with her, I'd never buy one of them.
Despite these criticisms, I continued on my journey. It isn't about finding someone who blindly agrees with you because they don't want to hurt your feelings. I have had some very blunt feedback on my writing, but that feedback was constructive. Not condemnation for the names I'd chosen for my characters or criticism that I didn't travel someone else's road.
Can you imagine telling someone they should give up writing?
Without a doubt, writing is a craft that must be finely honed. I don't always get it right on the first draft, but my method is to get the story down first, and then look for what's missing or what I've gotten wrong. Even still, when I hand the finished product in to my editor, she'll often find more things wrong, what's still missing or what should be corrected, and I trust her. Constructive criticism from someone who knows the industry. Once it's pointed out, I can see it clearly and correct it.
Unlike "Cameron isn't a girl's name."
If you're an aspiring writer, keep at it. Like anything else, practice makes perfect. The longer you're at it, the more automatic it becomes. Silly mistakes, like using that for who, correct themselves. The word "just" jumps out at you the minute you type it (although there are still many instances that sneak through). And if someone criticizes your work, consider the validity of their comments. All criticism should be considered. Criticism can hurt, but sometimes it might make your work better.
