I know Terri gave a bunch of places to hang out online if you couldn’t make it to Conference.  I’m not that helpful, so I figured I could just put out some suggestions for stuff you can do while you wait by the computer (phone/email/etc) to hear from your friends who are there, currently too busy having fun to pay attention to you (er…  me, um, er…  us).

1)       Read – probably on the top of most of our what-to-do-when-killing-time lists.  Lots of great stuff is coming out this week/weekend.   Besides the one on Sin’s and my minds (*cough* Breaking Dawn *cough*), Before the Scandal by Suzanne Enoch and Some Like it Wicked by Teresa Medeiros are both out this week.  There have been some wonderful summer releases as well.  I’m looking forward to Colleen Gleason’s fourth vampire book, out on the 5^th.   Reading good books can get your brain into writing mode.

2)      Movies – movies are great for revving up the old creative juices.  As Hellion is always saying, there are no new stories, so watching stories on the big screen can get your own story moving.  The most recent Mummy movie and Swing Vote both come out on Friday night, so that’s something.  I want to see Dark Knight still, so maybe I’ll have the DH take me there. 

3)      Dinner (well, more specifically dessert) – check out a favorite restaurant, try a new one, or just order take out.  A little special occasion eating always puts me in the mood for diving into my WIP (especially if there is chocolate involved).

4)    Writing – (Last but not least) as you probably noticed, all my other choices had something to do with writing.  But, seriously, what better way to make our conference going friends jealous than to have written scores of words while they were off gallivanting, sipping champagne with Nora.  Hey, it could happen, they could be jealous….

So tell me, what are you going to be up to this weekend?  Writing, reading, eating?  Any other suggestions to kill the time during conference?  Any other suggestions of activities that get your creative juices going?

The horizon never quite looked this good. I was sure of it. I looked out at the watercolored hues meshed together in perfect harmony- pink swirled with the fairest shades of orange and purple. Dark purple clouds loomed nearby threatening the dawning stars. The brilliance of the sun struggled to hang on as it fell closer and closer to its nightly doom.

I felt at peace. That didn’t happen often. But somehow as the afternoon faded into dusk, everything seemed to fall into place. Even the way the cold glass was neutral beneath my touch seemed right. I could see like I’d never saw the world before. I could feel like I’d never touched before this moment. It was oddly fitting how this all turned around.

I never felt alive more than I did right now. Funny how he fought this with every fiber of his being. Tried to push me away and tried to make me see the light. Now that we had eternity together, maybe I could make him see there was no other place I’d rather be than with him. Nothing would keep me from doing just that. Not now, and not ever.

Music drifted around me. The strings and soft piano sang to my soul, lulling me take my eyes off the ever disappearing horizon and sway over to the open book on the desk. It was black, high gloss, the pages bound in red at the spine and hardcover to protect the precious story between them. My fingers danced over the words, lovingly written in plain scrawl. Easy to read. Mesmerizing with each word. Emotion that captivated you and pulled you into the scenes. I read every word with rapt fascination and fingered the pages with tender loving care.

It was the story of my life. The life I had before I became eternal. Those moments were few and far between in my memory but this… I touched the book and longed to remember. This was how I came to be. How we came to be. There was only one thing more precious to me than this.

And that was him.

I lifted the book into my opened hand and walked back to the window. The light was fading out. Night had approached. Soon the moon would sparkle over the creek. The starts would splatter against the black, shimmering like a million diamonds in the sky. Though my heart no longer beat, my breathing caught as I realized I was towards the end. It would soon be upon me again. The end of the life I’d been skimming before him. 

I looked out over the sky. It may be the end of the memoirs, oh, but it was only the beginning of my dreams. 

©cpt

As the stars start to come out over the horizon on Friday night, I will be at my local bookstore dancing like I’ve got ants in my pants for the highly anticipated release of Breaking Dawn (the fourth installment of the Twilight Saga and the ending of the story through the heroine, Bella, POV.)  by Stephanie Meyer. I have mixed feelings about reading the end. I know it’s not the end for them. Even if Stephanie Meyer never wrote another word of them, they would live on in my mind. They would haunt the fringes of my dreams and invade my daydreaming space. The relationship between the heroine and the hero is just so tangible, so real, so breathtaking and beautiful. I find myself forgetting to breathe during certain parts because you feel like you’re a voyeur on the scene and one breath will expose you and ruin it.

So today is a fairly easy question for everyone who didn’t make it to Nationals (we’ll just go next year!). Has a scene or a book just swept you away to the point it was all you could think about? How about writing that scene? What makes the deepest impressions on you?

Dear Jake,

By the time you read this blog I will be on a jet plane.  Don’t try to follow me.  Just let me go.  This is something I have to do.  I don’t think I can wait another day.

There’s just so much out there to discover.  I need to learn new things in order to grow.  I want you to be on fire and in order to do that I have to get in touch with some experts who can show me a few tricks of the trade.

Stay strong for me, Jake.  Trust me when I say this is the best for the both of us.  Keep that flame in your heart for me.  I’ll be back before you know it and ready to dig my talons into you.

LYG,

Sandra O’Byrne

Yes, friends, this year’s RWA Conference in San Francisco is my second one to date and I am really on fire about it.  Craft is where it’s at for me.  I went to the conference last year with a newly minted manuscript ready to seize the day.  I learned a lot from that conference.

How to pitch.

How to network.

How to make my manuscript an even better one.

And that’s what I’ve been doing this past year.  A pitch here.  A pitch there.  But mostly re-working my manuscript.  I’ve been honing my baby and making it an even better book.

What do I expect to gain from this year’s conference?

More knowledge, friends.

I’m also going to have a blast re-connecting with old friends, my favorite authors and getting to meet new friends I’ve made in the romance community.

And I’ll be joining Terri in squee’ing and celebrating the accomplishments of so many talented friends.

Ciao for now.  I’ll be seeing you on the blogs.

In case you’re wondering, Jake is the hero of Santa’s (nice of her to change her name on me, eh?) MS called Sweet Melissa.  I was hoping she’d bring him with her as we’re sharing a room and there’s always room for Jake, but nooooooo.  Since Santa is actually leaving on a jet plane today and many people will be pitching later this week or later this year, today we’re going to do a group pitch session.  Everyone give us your best one to three sentence pitch and lets see if we can sell some books! If you’re a reader, give us a pitch for one of your favorite books and see if we can guess which book you’re describing.

To help everyone out, here’s the best one-liner pitch advice you’ll ever find courtesy of Christina Dodd. 

Define the type of story, give a sense of the plot, use action verbs, and whet the reader’s appetite for more.

The countdown has begun.  This is my last blog before I leave for the RWA National Conference in San Francisco later this week.  *pauses as crew applauds*  Very funny.  Wenches.

This is my first national conference and my first time traveling cross-country.  I’m actually more excited than I am nervous, but I’m sure I’ll start shaking like a leaf once I walk into that hotel and see all the other attendees milling around.  It’s almost as if it doesn’t feel real yet.  As if I’m going to wake up Wednesday morning and realize I’m not actually going anywhere.  Which would really suck since I have this suitcase packed to the brim sitting in my living room.

You would think, being the procrastinator that I am, packing is the last thing I’d do.  But no, packing is all done.  I even have a fancy new binder (for the handouts I have to print myself…gah!) and a sassy little schedule spreadsheet I color coded.  I know, this may be the most anal thing I’ve ever done.  But never fear, there are several things I’ve put off so I haven’t lost my charming “I can do that tomorrow” ways.

I have three goals for this trip.  Have fun, have fun, and have fun.  Seriously, that’s it.  I mean, I intend to learn lots of craft stuff that will inspire me to come back and finish my WIP by the end of September (stop laughing!) and meet as many people as I can.  It’s all about the networking, baby.  But the bottom line is, have a good time!

Now, here’s the cool part.  Anyone who isn’t going to San Francisco can still do the same things I’ll be doing.  Turns out, there are online conferences going on for those not able to make the trip this year.  First up is the Not Going to Conference Conference.  Isn’t that a great name?  This one is courtesy of the Romance Diva’s.  The virtual conference runs from July 30 to August 2 with lots of workshops and prizes.  Registration is free and you never know what contacts you’ll make by taking part.

The other option is the Left Behind and Loving It Conference which actually starts today.  Multi-published author, Lynn Viehl, is offering workshops and prizes all week long on her Paperback Writer blog.  Everything from plotting and editing to branding and a Q&A session, this is a great opportunity to have the conference experience all from the comfort of your own home.

Then there are various other blogs that will keep you in the action.  The RWA National website will have frequent updates throughout the event and pretty much any other blog you visit on a regular basis will be talking conference.  I know you’ll want to be here Friday because Santa O’Byrne (who will be here tomorrow as well with her own pre-conference blog) and I plus any of our friends we can recruit will post a “conference so far – who we’ve squealed at and who is taking out a restraining order against us” blog. 

EDITING!!!  Can’t believe I forgot to mention where you can get your blog hook-up all in one place.  This fantastic woman named Judi put together all the blogs regarding the conference in one place.  Go HERE for everything conference at your fingertips.  (And we’re there too!)

Now it’s time for the questions.  If you’re going to San Fran, are you packed?  Are you calm?  Or are you freaking out on the inside?  If you’re not going, will you check out one of these online conferences?  Will you surf the net to every site you can find to follow the action?  Or would you rather do what we should probably all be doing and spend the time writing?

I jumped ship this weekend to meet with a VIP Hottie applicant.  This guy has the reputation to back up the application, but I have to make sure all our crew members measure up in all areas.  I know, my job is sooooooooooo tough.

This applicant already runs with his own small band of outlaws.  You might have heard of them – Maroon 5.  Not as catchy as The Revenge, but not everyone can be as brilliant as we are.  The first thing I realized about this guy is that he’s kind of a little guy.  Someone I would typically think of as scrawny and therefore, not worth bothering with.  But this one is the exception to the rule.  Simply put, he’s got that *something* I can’t resist.  The fact is, this guy is sex incarnate.  He smiles, and your heart goes pitter patter.  He gives that “I’ve been up to something naughty” look and your panties melt.

In case you’ve been living under a rock (or your name is Dee) and haven’t figured out who our newest Hottie is, his name is Adam and he takes bad boy to a whole new level.

This week is going to be uber-exciting here on the seas.  I’ll be talking pre-conference prep tomorrow and I’m also including some great links for all those not going to the big shindig this week.  No reason you can’t have a conference experience from the comfort of your own home.  Then Friday, Santa and I and anyone else we can coerce into helping will be blogging from the RWA National Conference in San Francisco.  I’m sure we’ll be thoroughly soaked in rum by the time Friday comes around so it should be quite entertaining for all. Plus, we’ll have the usual brilliance from the Captain, something soul wrenching from Sin and pure inspiration from the sunshine of the crew, Gunner Marnee.

But the big story this week is how HUGE August is around here with guest bloggers.  We kick the festivities off August 12 with New York Times Bestselling author, Teresa Medeiros.  Believe it or not, Teresa agreed to one of our infamous captain’s interviews and much fun was had by all.  We’ll be talking about Teresa’s latest release, Some Like It Wicked, and anything else we can get out of this powerhouse author.

Later in the month we have Angie Fox (August 19) talking about her debut novel, The Accidental Demon Slayer, in which a pre-school teacher comes to terms with being a demon slayer. Hence the title.  Angie will also be talking about breaking into this game and what it’s like when you start riding the publishing waves. 

Leslie Langtry hops aboard Tuesday, August 26, and brings her always entertaining family of assassins with her.  Leslie’s latest book, called Stand By Your Hitman, hits stores this month so be sure to pick it up and join in the fun. 

Last but never least, we have the incomparable Candace Camp joining us Friday, August 29, to talk about the latest in her Matchmakers series, The Wedding Challenge.  Talking Historicals, series, heroes and heroines, you won’t want to miss this exciting excursion.

Now, I highly suggest you go google the Maroon 5 concert schedule and get your tickets today. 

While I was busy last Saturday, trying not to die of heat and humidity, I was studiously and judiciously using my time to channel-surf the cable when I stumbled upon a show about House-Flipping. It was a two-fold educational experience, I assure you, because firstly I watched the woman of this man-woman pair manipulate the hell out of her husband. I laughed even as I wondered: does this guy not watch the final product? Is he this unaware she is playing him right into her capable hands?

Apparently he is fined $100 every time he swears; and that money gets put in additionally into the budget for restoring the house. What does the woman do? She instigates fights and situations that has this man cussing the air cerulean, while she smiles and calmly leaves chaos in her wake. She is careful to let him believe he’s Boss and respect him, but I know who’d I’d be going to if I wanted something done. It was just so artfully done. And I’ve seen my niece, barely 21, employ this same technique on her husband, with the same brilliant results. Someone should teach a class. I’d go.

While I was admiring this woman’s chutzpah and verve, the guy himself also amused me…and got my respect, even if he adored four-letter words. At one point, he calmly reamed the owners of the house by saying, “You guys need to rent.” And then he brought me to my second lesson of the day: Pride of Ownership.

What is Pride of Ownership? Clearly it’s to do with house-owning versus renting; and it’s a mental game. It’s why good homeowners are always mowing their lawns fastidiously (in the same direction), make proper repairs so the roof doesn’t cave in over their heads, and don’t do extremely tacky things like paint their Victorian a gaudy purple and put pink flamingo statues in front of it. (Although I’ve seen those people: they are rather proud of the paint job…but I think you know what I mean.)

It’s subjective. There’s no price value. It’s caring about your property before anybody else; and caring about your property even if no one else seems interested in it. In fact, since you’re the owner, you’re going to care the most, regardless, so you might as well own it and enjoy it. Be proud. Do it right. Brag about it and show your meticulous yard off with pleasure.

Same goes with your manuscript. It’s your intellectual property; and hell, you went to the trouble to finish the damned thing. You have a 100,000 word story that has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The percentage of people who manage this is really quite small. Most people will just tell you they’ve got a story—and want to talk about it. Or get you to write it for them. Now, admittedly, your first draft isn’t going to be a Beverly Hills mansion yet. But it has potential; and you should treat it accordingly and with respect. If you don’t respect your property, nobody else will either.

If you want converts, you’re going to have to be a convert yourself. Atheists can’t sell Christianity. You’re going to have to be the first believer and then show some pride of ownership. The gaudy Victorian people are actually quite happy with their results, even if very few people appreciate the color purple. But you wait long enough: even the gaudy people have an audience.

So have some Pride of Ownership. Finish your property, then set about painting and restoring that novel to the gaudiest, happiest, angstiest, funniest, and bestest book you can write—then invite people over to admire it. You’ll have some takers. Really.

So, do you guys have Pride of Ownership? And better yet, do you guys know how to do that manipulation thing that woman was doing? I’m telling you, it was phenomenal! It was like watching The Husband Whisperer.

This past week has been, well, odd.

I made it through my initial on-cloud-nine feelings post-book and now I’m sort of hanging in writing limbo.  You know, that spot where you just aren’t sure where you fit into the process of writing and are waiting to get moving again.

I should be plotting out my book’s sequel while I wait for the first book to digest.  But, no matter how much time I spend sitting in front of what should be my back-story file, nothing is coming to me.  My mind is elsewhere, digging up another story altogether.

Initially, I was frustrated by this.  Why is it that my stupid muse can’t follow directions?  I have the ghost of a perfectly good sequel just waiting to be hammered out and my gum-cracking, nail-polish-chipping muse is so over that right now.  She wants to work on what she wants to work on.  *eye roll.*

What can one do in such a situation?  I had two choices; let the little brat roam free in my mind or struggle on my own without her.  When I looked at it that way, there wasn’t really much of a choice.

I gave up arguing, pacified myself with the knowledge that I’m really just killing time in creativity waiting to revise, and rolled with her.  Little twit.

The entire experience has been surprisingly satisfying so far.  I’d forgotten how much I really love the initial brainstorming phase of writing.  So many options available.  I haven’t written myself into any corners, I have the entire world of plot twists open to me.

Once again I’m falling in love with writing.

Now that I’ve been through this before, I’ve felt strangely light-hearted about it.  Last time, when I would get stuck, I’d panic.  Should I be feeling like I’m spinning my wheels?   Is this “normal”? 

As I’m experiencing the process this time, I know a little more what to expect.  And I’m lounging, enjoying the ride.

I assume that I’ll feel the initial frustration as the details of my story tease my mind, there in the recesses but still trapped in my subconscious.  Then I’ll feel the rush of a new story, like the first glow of falling in love, all whirling and spinning around me.  Somewhere in the middle, I’ll trip over it, wonder at the sense of boredom as I stretch through the center and doubt myself, before slipping over the crest and tumbling down the hill towards the black moments and HEA.

And at the end, I’ll weep again, bittersweet tears, at the close of another journey.

What a fabulous gift spinning tales is.

What is your favorite part of writing?  Is there a phase of the story you prefer above another?  How do you feel in the first bit while you brainstorm?  Any other analogies you have to explain the writing process?

The windows are down and the air is so thick you can see it hovering over the road ahead of you. Twilight dances on the horizon and the road is blissfully free of traffic so you stick your foot deeper into the accelerator. The wind breezes by you, smelling sweet with honeysuckle and fresh cut hay and you just want to stretch your arms out in the sunroof and fly. You think about all those times you spent hauling ass home three hours late on curfew when the weather was just like this. Memories, memories… memories all around you. Now you only need a cigarette and a bottle of Boone’s and a reason to be at Finger Lakes at three am. Just lay out under the stars on the hood of that old Ford and be thankful for the wide open skies of Missouri countryside while drinking my Boone’s from a paper bag and listening to REO Speedwagon.

The other night on my way out into the country at one am, it was just like a night I had when I was eighteen. When I was 18, I was driving home, speeding of course, with the T-tops down, the windows down and the music blaring. The air was stale and sticking to your lungs with each inward breath. There was a low fog settled in the valley and the moonlight glared off it like blue fire. Years later, in the same place, I had this moment of overwhelming sadness come over me as I sped towards the creek valley, so I slowed down and turned the music down. I was tempted to pull over but I didn’t want my girlfriend to freak out as she sped past me on the way home. Instead, I tried to breathe it all in. I tried not to let the sadness creep into me. Tried not to let the panic make me turn the opposite way.  I thought about how I’d grown and what I’d accomplish since those days. But it’s always to get carried away in those moments and do things in the extreme.

I picked my speed back up and cruised down the winding back roads north of Columbia and drove down a gravel road that is as familiar to me as the palm of my hand. I thought about the drive home and my girlfriend mentioned she had the same déjà vu moment I’d experience and had the overwhelming urge to call her ex. Instead we went to bed with things on our mind. Which led me to think about vices later that night while trying to sleep. We all have them. It wouldn’t be right to have a main character without some. I’m riddled with them. Only fair to share the love.

What are some of the vices you’ve given your main character and are they anything like your own? Readers, if you read a character with the same vice as you does it help you identify with that hero/heroine more? Any vices you can’t stand in a character?

I’m having complete and absolute Blogger’s Block this week. Nothing witty, nothing pithy, and certainly nothing writer related. However, I did see Mamma Mia! last Friday and can’t stop singing ABBA songs. So I re-wrote one of the songs in a bid to help me get back on track with my writing, of which I’ve been doing less and less (does anyone else spend the hottest parts of the day sleeping like a lizard and wondering when it will cease to be so damned hot? And also wondering: who the hell lives in Arizona on purpose?). Maybe it will inspire your writing as well.

You can write, you can scribe
having the time of your life
script that hook, create that scene
dig in you Writing Queen

Monday night and the lights are bright
looking out for the word that’s right
where the scene unfolds like
A bedsheet caught on air—
You’re writing like you haven’t got a care.

Your hero could be that guy
The singer who always makes you sigh
Every time he holds the mike
Your heart’s about to spike
you’re in the mood to sit and write
and when you’re done tonight….

You are the Writing Queen
Brilliant and witty on stage and screen
Writing Queen
feel the heat from the sheets between
you can write, you can scribe
having the time of your life
script that hook, create that scene
dig in you Writing Queen.

In the meantime, I better get back to Chapter 3. It won’t write itself, though I’ve given it PLENTY of opportunity to do so. Here’s your chance: how should I start Chapter 3? Here are the options: A) With a fist fight/brawl; B) Getting lost; C) Sex; or D) A midget walks into the room and says, “Okay, everyone out of the pool!” (No offense to midgets–it will be a vertically challenged person of moderate size, of course.) You see what I’m working with here. If you have an E) or F) to offer and I can use it, I’ll send you a prize package. I swear. Pirate’s honor.

In case you haven’t heard, and that is highly unlikely if you spend any time at all on this ship, I’m heading off to San Francisco next week for the annual RWA National Conference.  I’ve attended a smaller conference in New Jersey, but never the Nationals.  I’ve also never been anywhere near the west coast.  To say I’m excited is like saying Nora is kind of successful.

Though I’m a plotser (or plantser or whatever we’re calling the plotter/pantser combo this week) in my writing life, in real life I pants it all the way.  I rarely plan ahead, take everything as it comes, and never, absolutely NEVER, make lists.  Until now.

Last week on the Romance Bandits blog, Blaze author Tawny Weber covered the topic of getting organized and prepared for the conference.  She ever suggested making a schedule spreadsheet complete with color coding. Her timing was perfect as I’d just had a dream – make that a nightmare – the weekend before that I had arrived in San Fran without any of the things I needed.  Say what you will, but the Universe was telling me to get my arse in gear and get prepared.

First thing I did – make a list.  This is SOOOOO unlike me it’s scary.  I hate lists.  I have a friend who makes lists about making lists.  It’s a constant battle not to choke her when she tries to push these lists on me.  So the fact I succumbed to this task says a great deal about my anxiety.

I learned several things from the list.  One, for the amount of bathroom items required by me daily, I should be much better looking.  Seriously, the bathroom stuff took one side of the page.  And I kept adding to it.  But almost all of these items are packed (travel size items are my friend!) and marked off the list.

Another thing I learned is that shoes are not a big deal to me.  I’m taking my tennis shoes (wearing them on the plane actually) and the heels I’ll wear to get all prettied up for the awards ceremony.  Not another pair made it on the list.  With my bad knees, everyone will just have to deal with me in tennis shoes.  Otherwise, the pain will drive me to tears.  And for the record, I’m not pitching so no worries on me going in to impress an editor or agent in tennis shoes.

The final lesson was that one list leads to more lists.  I now have the list of things I still need to buy, the list of items I will wear that day, and the list of items I need to do prior to leaving.  It’s like a disease that keeps spreading.  Though I admit, for a person with my memory issues, I should probably embrace list making more often.

What about you?  Do you make lists before a big trip?  Do you make lists for everyday things?  Or does making a list send you over the edge?  Could you make it through a four day conference with only two pairs of shoes, or would you need a separate suitcase for foot gear alone?  If you’re going to Nationals, what’s on your list that I might have forgotten to add to mine?

PS: Tune in next week when I talk about creating spreadsheet schedules and picking the right workshops.