Liebster Blog Award

Thanks to my good friend, author and fellow blogger Jillian Chantal I’ve been nominated for the Liebster Blog award.  Given to bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

So here are the rules: 

1. Thank and link back to the person who presented you with the award- Thanks Jillian.
2. Add the award logo to your blog.
3. Answer the eleven questions posted for the nominees.
4. Share eleven random facts about yourself.
5. Write eleven questions for your nominees and then…
6. Nominate eleven worthy blogs and contact those bloggers so they know about it! (No tag backs.)

Liebster is a German word meaning: sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.

The Questions Jillian Posed:

What makes you the most eager to write? What inspires you to grab the pen or keyboard?

That’s easy, getting time by myself away, just me, the keyboard and my characters. Especially if I’ve had sudden inspiration which usually happens while in the shower or on the treadmill.

What’s your favorite snack when writing?

I try not to snack while writing (I hate getting crumbs in the keyboard) LOL. But does wine count? No crumbs, and usually inspiration peaks.

What fictional character would you like to have tea with? 

I would love to have tea with my current work in process heroine, maybe she could spill all and writing her story would be easier. LOL.

What’s a setting you haven’t used in a story but want to?

I would love to have the guts to use Paris.  Maybe one day I’ll get up the courage.

Favorite time of year? Why?

Spring -  April and May because both my birthday and mother’s day fall and I can do whatever I like on those days.

What’s your zodiac sign and how are you the prototype for that sign?

My sign is Aries - the Ram.  I’d like to think I’m not ram-worthy stubborn but I do have lots of energy.

Favorite British Isle? Scotland because my last name Purvis originates there, and of course Sean Connery’s accent.

Snow or rain? Why? Definitely rain.  I lived in Canada for most of my life, I’ve seen enough snow. And you don’t have to shovel rain.

What dream have you had that has come true? Having a daughter and a son.

Name your fictional twins born on another planet. Why choose these names? What’s the name of the planet? 

Help!  I have no idea!  So let’s go with A Flat and G Sharp (the twins) on the planet Mus-ic-ir-if.

Tell me which of the above questions was the most fun to answer? Dumbest? 

The most fun to answer was probably the British Isles question.  The dumbest for me is the fictional twins because Yikes! No Sci Fi knowledge.

Eleven Random Facts about Me:

1. I love Shea Butter creams, lotions and potions.
2. Most of my house has yellow ceilings
3. Small rodents freak me out
4. I usually have polished toenails - red usually - never fingernails
5. Discovered caramel and peanut butter together - yum
6. I love coniferous trees - pine, spruce, Douglas Fir     
7. I rarely play music in the car - silence or audio books
8. I-10 is my favorite road to travel
9. Love my popcorn with olive oil and parmesan cheese (a lot of both)
10. I still use an ancient cell phone and only a handful (less than 5) know the number
11. I’m a Junior Olympic Champion in the back crawl

My Eleven Nominees Are:

1. Joyce Harmon - http://joyceharmon.wordpress.com
2. Christine Ashworth - http://christine-ashworth.com
3. Marion L  - http://marian-l.blogspot.com/
4. Cassandra Shaw - http://www.twystedwriter.com/
5. GE Stills - http://authorgestills.blogspot.com
6. Zee Monodee - http://zeemonodee.blogspot.com/
7. Janice Seagraves - http://ladyjanice.blogspot.com/
8. Trisha Faye - http://trishafaye.wordpress.com/
9. Kathryn Esplin  http://montrealquebectravel.blogspot.com/ 
10. Cathy Shouse  http://janejamesproject.blogspot.com/
11. Mark Hunter   http://markrhunter.blogspot.com/

Eleven Questions:

1. What’s your favorite writing quote?
2. What’s the last good book you read? 
3. What’s the last good movie you watched?
4. What’s your favorite fast food?
5. How much cash is usually in your wallet?
6. If you could travel to anywhere, where would you go?
7. Do you have a favorite show on the Food Network? Which one?
8. Crosswords or Sudoku?
9. Where’s your favorite place to shop?
10. Beach, mountains or desert?
11. What’s your favorite children’s book?

                                                       Feel Free to Comment on part of the post or your favorites.

Validation For the Process

We’ve all heard the sayings... 

Enjoy the Journey.  Or It’s not about the outcome but the process.  

And the path to becoming a published author allows for plenty of opportunity to embrace either of these sayings. Long, long, solitary hours.  Tons of rejection. Ongoing critiques. Quandaries regarding the market. So some validation (like a refreshing sip of Gatorade during a 26 mile marathon) can be invaluable. 

So how does a writer get that validation for continuing this arduous process?  

Here are a few suggestions I’ve used.

Entering contests.  A writer can earn validation for their work with positive comments from judges. Maybe earn a finalist qualification to use in query letters.  A win will boost confidence to carry on and the win may even bring interest from an agent or editor judging the contest. Incredible validation for the process.

 A critique group can help confirm that the writer’s work is improving, or moving in the     right direction. 

A professional editor or writing coach can offer guidance, support and corroborate markets all of which is incredibly helpful and supportive of the work. 

Conferences can provide support and camaraderie with others who are enduring the same often lonely struggle.

Workshops online or in person not only offer wisdom and learning but also support and critique.

Querying agents and editors can prove to be a source of validation if comments are gleaned, or requests for partials or a full is made.

Publishing shorter pieces while on the journey with novel length can be validating.

Self-publishing.  Although I haven’t tried this yet.  I assume self-publishing and getting readers to buy or download your book and then getting reviews would verify the process. 

So you don’t have to stumble along on the long journey to publication without earning some kudos.  So if you’re in need of motivation try out one of more of these.

Feel free to comment and/or add any of your personal validation techniques.

Valuable Tips from the Trenches of Revision

I recently finished a marathon revision of my novel. In less than one month, I completely revised it chapter by chapter, pitched it online and submitted it. Whew! 

From the depths of the trenches of revision I am offering a few helpful tips from what I’ve learned.

Critique Partner - like MasterCard says... PRICELESS!

I never would have completed the revisions or probably have even started the process without my fantastic critique partner spurring me on, offering advise and being available to read each chapter as I submitted them to her.  

Big thank you to Sandy.

Work Backwards - gets you unstuck.  I worked chapter by chapter in order until I got marred down in the middle.  Then I went to the last chapter and revised it. If you’ve never tried this I highly recommend it. Usually by the time I get to the last two chapters in revision I just want to power through and be done. So this time I spent some time on the last chapter and then the second to last.  Got me unstuck and I learned of some key elements that I needed to tie into earlier chapters. I haven’t tried jumping around, but others have and say that works too.

Search and Destroy -  use it earlier rather than later.  It makes you a better writer. During a time of less energy, I needed a change of pace so I did a search and find on one chapter.  You know the drill looking for those passive verbs, the “ly” or your overused or filler words and then removing them, replacing them, or making sure you haven’t overused them. Let me tell you it woke me up to some of my overused words and I wrote with far fewer of them in the remaining chapters. 

    Here’s my list of those overused or naughty words to search out and destroy.

          was, were, is, are, be, being, been, am, it,

that, there, this, then 

smile, glance, stepped, laugh,sigh

should, could, would, had, have, 

thought, saw, heard, smelled, felt

noticed, might, maybe, before, with, know, some

look, gaze, watched, eyes, hand

start, begin, began, almost, decided to, planned to

like, almost, even, only, some, somehow, something, somewhat,

really, well, just, simply, so, a lot, anyway, rather

suddenly, immediately, extremely, very, every, quite

turn, need

manage, eventually, exactly, finally, nearly, practically, seems, basically,

truly, utterly, sort of,

Deadlines  - keep you motivated and moving forward. Self-imposed or otherwise. I was slogging along losing focus and an online pitch popped into my email. Thankfully, the book you were pitching didn’t have to be finished. I pitched, got a request and boy did I get it in gear.

Hooks - worth the effort. First sentence, beginning of each chapter, end of most chapters and even with a change of POV. 

Submit - a tough verb - and tough to do 

accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person : the original settlers were forced to submit to Bulgarian rule.

• ( submit oneself) consent to undergo a certain treatment : he submitted himself to a body search.

• subject to a particular process, treatment, or condition : samples submitted to low pressure.

• agree to refer a matter to a third party for decision or adjudication : the U.S. refused to submit to arbitration.

present (a proposal, application, or other document) to a person or body for consideration or judgment : the panel's report was submitted to a parliamentary committee.

No wonder pushing the send button to submit the manuscript to editors and agents was harder for me than birthing my children. With labor I had no choice. Pushing the send button--fraught with angst. 

But in the end I succumbed and submitted.

And I’m doing it all again next month.

Feel free to comment on your wisdom learned from revisions or anything else as well.

Bet I Know What's On Your Bucket List

Up until recently I was too busy raising kids to worry about a bucket list.  Maybe I was too young (I can only hope) thinking I had plenty of time to do all those things that would make my someday list.  

But time does march on, my kids are almost grown so... I made the list.

The Bucket List was made popular by the movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Loved the movie!  The idea of dying and hurrying to do all the things on my list - not loving so much. 

But the thing that got me writing down an actual bucket list was my latest attempts to embrace minimalism, which if you knew me is almost laughable, but... I do want to acquire less stuff.  Getting rid of stuff, still not so easy.  So I decided instead of my husband and children buying me more stuff for my birthday, mother’s day, anniversaries I thought why not cross things off my bucket list.

So how did I make my bucket list?  With the help of The Amazing Race of course. Love that show. Seeing the world and doing all those zany things and with a partner. My partner in crime would have to be my husband, probably the only one who would put up with my controlling, emotional nature, although I don’t think I would be as bad as Rachel (aka Big Brother chick) from last season, at least I hope not.  

But I soon realized my chances of getting on The Amazing Race, and my real desire to do so (can you say jet lag, lugging around that back pack, running...) was dropping to nil. Still... I really wanted to partake in some of those cool events. My bucket list was born.

A lot of people have travel to exotic locales on their bucket list but for me it was the adventurous stunts that peaked my excitement.  So...

On my Wedding anniversary we went parasailing.

On my Birthday we went zip lining.

On Mother’s Day we enjoyed a helicopter ride.

Another Anniversary we tried Aqua Chi (no dare devil stunt there - it is a foot soak)

Still on my bucket list:

Jet skiing -  White Water Rafting - Horseback Riding on the Beach

Bungee jumping - this freaks me out somewhat, I would only do this over water

Sky Diving - maybe

Even though you may not see anything on my list that appeals to you I bet there is one item most of us share.

Writing a Novel  

And then of course having our novel published.

Some of you have accomplished this and big congrats, others of us still working our way to crossing this one off.

But whether your bucket list is tame or adventurous here’s to continuously adding to your list because when I cross off all my items... then what -- death?

So feel free to comment on your novel, your bucket list or anything else.

5 Tips to Jumpstart that Fickle Friend - Creative Inspiration

I’d like to welcome to my blog Melanie Slaugh.   

A fellow writer, she is enthusiastic about the growing prospects and opportunities of various industries and writing articles on various consumer goods and services as a freelance writer. She is here today to share 5 tips to help you access that ever elusive creative inspiration.

We all strive to create the kind of writing that lures readers in and pulls at their heartstrings, the kind that grips people and makes them feel as though they’re a part of the story that is unfolding, the kind of writing that is born from inspiration. 

Anyone can put words on a page but not just anyone can write in a way that compels people to keep reading and makes them feel that they are as much a part of the story as the characters themselves. 

However inspiration has a way of coming and going in random intervals, which can be frustrating to writers who are looking at a looming deadline or are desperately wanting to wrap up a piece, start a piece or get through a sagging middle. What do you do when your inspiration seems to be hibernating? 

1. Get out of the house – Writer’s tend to become enslaved to their computers without even realizing it, logging hours upon hours behind the screen. If you’ve reached a standstill in your writing it might be time to get some fresh air and take a walk. Enjoy the scenery; breathe in the beauty of nature, and let inspiration unfold before you. 
2. Write something else – If you’re working on a freelance article or trying to finish up a book chapter you might need to take a break and do some personal writing. Pen a poem or update your blog, write for you instead of for your deadline. Take a break from the pressure and write for the joy of writing. It can be just the revitalize you need to get back to the grind and finish up what was previously stalling you.
   
3. Cross something off your bucket list – Feeling uninspired could be the result of a lack of inspiring events in your everyday life. Maybe it’s time to finally try out that kickboxing class you’ve been eyeing or to go skydiving for the first time. Do something you’ve always wanted to do but been scared to pursue. Breaking free from a personal barrier may be just the push you need to break free from your inspiration barrier. 
4. Take the day off – Blow off work for a day and take a personal day. Go to the beach, take yourself on a picnic, or hike a new trail. Sometimes the stress of life can get to be too much and can start to hinder your productivity. Take a breather and let yourself relax. Of course, you can’t do this every time you’re feeling uninspired, but every few months it’s OK to take a day and focus on you.
   
5. Fit in a workout – Go for a run or hit the gym for a spin class. Get your heart pumping and blood flowing. When you have a healthy body you have a healthy mind, and doing something positive for yourself can help you clear the cobwebs out of your head and leave you rejuvenated and revived. 

Sometimes all we need to do is change up one thing in our daily routine to find inspiration where it was otherwise lacking. People are creatures of habit, but following the same routine day in and day out can mean we end up stuck in a rut, feeling uninspired and unproductive.   

                            Change, even if it’s minor, sparks creativity, so embrace it. 

I personally have used all of these tips.  I’d love to hear any other ways you find inspiration so                                          Feel free to comment.

Thank you Melanie for this inspirational post.  Melanie Slaugh writes extensively for internet service providers and also topics related to internet providers in my area for presenting the consumers, the information they need to choose the right Internet package for them. She can be reached at slaugh.slaugh907 @ gmail.com.

Help! I need OA (but it's not what you think)

I am in need of support group!  Not Overeaters Anonymous (although on this blog I’ve talked about the similarities I’ve encountered on my weight loss journey and my writing journey several times) but in this case I am in need of the wisdom and courage of my fellow writers, and a place where we can share.  

Do any of you know where there is a meeting of Over-Editing Anonymous?

Some will hate me when I say this, but I love to revise. As long as I have words on the page, I can usually sit my butt down and work -- sometimes for hours.  I think this has to do with my fixer personality.  I am a problem-solver.  Give me something to work with and my brain spins into gear.  

Give me the blank page, or the need to complete a first draft and... well, it’s not a pretty picture.

You may not think this is a problem, but as with any obsession habit, it certainly can be.  For instance, I recently have taken to writing shorts and children’s picture books just so it’s easier for me to revise.  Every sentence, phrase and even word -- sometimes multiple times.  And then, I still have trouble stopping. 

Every day I learn some nugget of wisdom on blogs, newsletters, chats and workshops regarding the craft of writing.   I am constantly learning, which is a good thing, but then I feel the need to apply this new nugget.  I am not necessarily looking for perfection but rather reading more work and saying, it could be better.  That’s likely another piece of my personality, the never-quite-good-enough piece. How many revision are enough?  When do you call it quits and submit?

I started a revision of my first manuscript, a 100,000 word novel and I knew going in that I wanted to edit and rewrite, applying much of the wisdom I’ve learned since writing this story.  Some scenes are turning out better, but yesterday, after spending several hours on a rewrite the day before, I read the original scene and realized it was better than the new scene, needing only minor tweaking. 

So you see it can be a big problem.  I need OA.  Or at the very least a workshop geared to knowing when to quit revising and submit. 

For now, I’ve found deadlines are my coping mechanism tool.  Real ones, like a contest deadline, or my own imaginary deadlines.  I call it  -  The Suck it Up, and Submit, even though it’s only been through 14 revisions. Or another favorite self-imposed deadline -  Step Away From the Keyboard and Send it Already.

Another strategy I’ve learned but don’t apply enough is printing out the draft, revising on paper.  Part of this is the waste of ink and paper, but seriously I need to tell myself, that’s better than the more precious commodity, my work hours and possibly my sanity. Reading from paper, helps me to step back and look at the words at a distance -- more objectively.  If I simply open the document on the computer I start to revise and revise and revise without reading the whole scene, or chapter or piece.

So for now, I’ll keep working my program toward recovery.

Maybe some of you have other wiser ideas or advise on how to deal with the over-editing dilemma.  I am all ears and ready to try almost anything.  Feel free to comment.

Romance Writers Summer Camp

I haven't posted in a while and my last post was a recipe which means either I was stuck or like a few weeks ago sick.  But then things in my household really went to hell.  I hung on but blog posts were the last thing on my mind.

Pulling myself out of the debris, I got ready for a guest post that was lined up for today.  But the way things have been going I should have known.  So instead of a guest author post here are some testimonials regarding the upcoming Marketing for Romance Writers Summer Camp.


Opportunity Knocks at Marketing For Romance Writers Summer Camp. Open the door to: SEEK, TEACH, LEARN, SHARE, SUCCEED...and discover MFRW'S MOTTO of Achievement

For those of you looking to learn any kind of marketing for your romance writing stop by their site, join their free summer camp, read these testimonials from satisfied authors.

Testimonials for Marketing For Romance Writers:


Authors, if you want a site that will give you USEFUL information, from how to make a movie trailer to promoting your book at the local library, join MFRW (Marketing for Romance Writers). There is no promo allowed on this site, so you won't have to wade through endless chatter to get a bit of useful information. Other writers post, leave comments, and share their wealth of information. I'm so pleased to have found this group! Naomi Bellina  http://www.naomibellina.com/

MFRW (Marketing for Romance Writers)  helped me discover new and unique ways to market my work and my brand to my readers. Savannah Chase http://savannahchase.com/

I think this group is so fantastic I recommend it regular to every new writer I meet when they ask me about being a writer. After producing a book, the next biggest task is marketing it and this group overflows with ideas, contacts, and support. I was first published five years ago and I'm still learning every day. Andrea Jackson http://www.pbdiva.com/

MFRW (Marketing for Romance Writers) Twitter Workshop. Romance Junkies made it again this year in the Writer's Digest 101 best websites for writers and one of the categories they list for us is “On twitter” If it wasn’t for your workshop on twitter RJ would not be tweeting ;-) So thanks again for the great twitter workshop! 

Cat Brown  http://www.romancejunkies.com

When I first published and learned I had to market on the internet, I was totally lost. Fortunately, I was directed to Marketing For Romance Writers as a place to go for advice and to learn the ropes. It’s the best advice I’ve received in my writing career. Everyone at MFRW has been helpful and sharing, and I am so grateful to have found this valuable resource and these wonderful people. R. Ann Siracusa, author of romantic suspense series http://www.rannsiracusa.com/books

Join FREE- http://is.gd/mfrwgroup FREE MFRW Summer Camp July 14-15

Feel free to comment on anything, it's that kind of week.