Have you ever tried to take up a new sport?  Master a new skill?  Do you remember how frustrated you got?   I’ll use learning to cast a fly rod, just as an example.  I took lessons when I started, and at first, I just focused on trying to keep the line in the air…rod moves from ten to two position (think of a clock) and timing is critical to keeping more and more line feeding out and in the air (hopefully without hitting yourself in the back of the head with a fly!).  All that seemed hard enough, but then I had to actually aim at something in the water and be able to hit it, without slapping the water and scaring the fish!  Seemed impossible in the beginning.

Being a neophyte in writing feels a bit like that; how do I remember all the things I need to at the same time?  Everything feels awkward, and just…. not comfortable.  I’ll learn a new skill – say plotting.  I end up focusing on that so much that my characters become flat and uninteresting!  What’s really frustrating is that, at first, I don’t realize what’s happened – just that I suddenly have lost interest in the story, and can’t make myself sit down and write.  I spent a month flogging myself, accusing myself of being lazy and questioning my ability to become a professional writer.  A month wasted.

 Well, maybe not wasted totally, because I now understand what was wrong, and maybe next time I’ll recognize it more quickly.  This road to being a good writer is a long and convoluted one, much more so than I realized when I began.

 It’s like giving birth – if you truly knew what you were getting yourself into, would you do it?  I think it depends on when you’re asked…when they put the baby in your arms for the first time?  Of course!  In the middle of labor?   Maybe not so much….

Some of my best ideas come to me while I’m riding my bicycle.  I had an epiphany during a gorgeous Southern California ride yesterday.  One of those moments when several pieces fall into place for a major “Aha” moment – I love it when that happens!

For anyone who is not familiar with Maslowe, here’s the Reader’s Digest version:

In the 1930’s Abraham Maslowe put forward his “Hierarchy of Needs” concept to explain behavior.  His theory was that you strive to move toward the top of the list that follows:

                        Self-actualization

                        Esteem needs

                        Belonging needs

                        Safety needs

                        Physiological needs

This is summed up in one of my favorite songs, “Constant Craving” by K.D.Lang., but I digress.  You can’t move up the ladder until the lower need is met, as anyone who’s been on the lowest rung can attest to (been there myself at one dark period of my life.)

My husband and I were talking the other day on a completely different subject.  We were watching one of those obnoxious “Weight Loss Breakthrough” ads on TV, and he didn’t understand why people were so lazy; why they couldn’t lose weight and keep it off (he has more drive than most – he lost 50 lbs 5 years ago.)

Last piece to the puzzle; I’m a Weight Watchers member, and the talk this week was about creating goals to achieve weight loss.  Okay, stay with me here, because my theory works for anything you want to achieve, not just weight loss.

We’ve all heard the goal-setting advice; break a large goal into steps, and achieve those, and you’ll finally get to your ultimate goal/need.  Great.  On paper.  But if you’re like me, when you choose a large goal like losing 40 lbs, learning to knit, writing a book, whatever…you have pictured in your head what the ultimate goal will do for you.  You’re standing on stage, holding up the Oscar to the applause and adulation of the crowd.

Okay, I set smaller goals, but ultimately my eyes are on the applause, and my acceptance speech, and the smaller goals aren’t enough to get me excited.  Yeah, I’m making progress, but smaller goals also point out the amount of road I have left to get to my ultimate desire. 

I think this is why we fail.  After awhile, you just burn out.  The effort just doesn’t seem worth it, and we move on to the next thing we want.  But there are two problems with that.  First, the goal you’ve abandoned is the one you want most, or it wouldn’t have been your first effort, right?  Secondly, in spite of excuses you make to others, deep down, you know you’ve failed, and it hurts.  You feel guilty, which lowers your self-esteem and makes the next goal harder to achieve, because you don’t really trust yourself to do it.  After all, you let yourself down before, right?

One of my goals is to get stronger on the bike.  We’re going on a bicycle vacation in Utah this summer, and it involves mountains.  Okay, so I’m riding, trying to figure out how to get consistent with my training – I get lazy when I get home from work, and find other things to do that don’t involve sweat and pain. 

Suddenly, I’m distracted by a mockingbird’s song.  I notice that the temperature is perfect.  I look up, and the rolling hills have changed since the last time I rode this route; tawny grass stretches away forever.  I’m so absorbed by the joy of being alive and being out in nature that I don’t even realize I’ve toiled up a major hill – it didn’t hurt at all!

That’s the Hershey Kiss part.  Is it the high I’ll get on the podium?  No, not even close.  It’s just a moment’s sweetness on the tongue.  Okay, I’m mixing metaphors, but you get the gist – it’s about focus.  You need to really take the time to revel in the small goals.  Wallow in them.  They are the rest spots on the stairs to the podium.  If you don’t, you’re going to burn out and quit.

Besides, just ask an older actor with an Oscar on their mantel; they’ll tell you the evening was great, but what mattered to them was the journey.  Like Lennon said, “Life is what happens while we make other plans”.

The Hershey Kisses are the joy of life!  Savor them; I wish you many.

Inspiration has been elusive lately.  I haven’t been able to come up with a label for this blog, let alone finish the chapter I’ve been chipping out of stone the past couple of weeks.  For me, creativity comes from being outdoors, and with the Holiday weekend approaching, a road trip was in order!  For Gary and I, that’s motorcycle camping somewhere I can fly fish and he can bicycle his guts out.

We had reservations at Silver Lake – in the Sierras above Mammoth, but as of Thursday morning they had two inches of snow on the ground.  Brrrr.  I quickly reconnoitered, and was lucky – I got reservations in Kernville (in the mountains outside Bakersfield) at our favorite campground on the Kern River. 

We left Friday to sprinkles and stop ‘n go traffic through L.A., which graduated to a full-blown rainstorm at the Grapevine.  Pelting rain and 42 degrees.  We passed a wreck; a car had rolled, helicopter hovered, emergency vehicles flashing warnings to traffic. 

            Down the hill it was sunny and 72 degrees, and I looked back at the Mordor-like clouds sheeting rain – beautiful.  We rode an empty two lane happily through fields of grapes, alfalfa and groves of nut trees.  Odd clouds ahead though, with a tan horizon.  The wind picked up as we rode into a sandstorm!  Gary’s from West Texas, and has told me of them, but I never would have dreamed I’d see one in California. 

            Everything wet became mud, and my bright yellow motorcycle no longer was.  I sit writing this in “Cheryl’s Diner” Saturday morning drinking coffee, my point to this blog obscured by tangents. Then again, maybe not.

I think I can, I think…

Mistakes; life in disguise.

I learn slowly, remember long.

Hawk heart, unfortunately same size brain.

End comes, I go.  Smiling.

Give it a shot – you may not need an adventure to find inspiration!

 At Stephen King’s suggestion (no, he’s not a personal friend – it’s in his book, On Writing), I created a file on my computer entitled “Toolbox”.  In it, I keep my tools for writing.  One section is for websites that come in handy for reading or writing.  I’ll share the best with you here.  More can be found at: http://www.writersdigest.com/101BestSites/

Here are my favorites:

 Reading-

http://www.amazon.com/  - (of course)

http://www.bookspot.com/reviews/ – For reviews by NYT, and many others

http://bookmooch.com/ – A free online used book sharing site – Did I say FREE?!

http://www.biblio.com/ – find/purchase out of print books

 Writing -

http://thesaurus.reference.com/ – The best online thesaurus I’ve ever found

http://dictionary.reference.com/ – The best dictionary I’ve found

http://babelfish.altavista.com/ – Online translator – popular languages (no Swahili-sorry)

http://baby-names.adoption.com/ – Names – listed by country as well.

· Quotations:
http://www.quotationspage.com/
http://www.bartleby.com/100
brainyquote.com

· Slang:
http://www.slangsite.com/

· Movie Cliches
http://www.moviecliches.com/

· Rhyming Dictionary
http://www.rhymezone.com/

· Lyrics
http://www.azlyrics.com/index.html

Urban Dictionary
http://www.urbandictionary.com/

Slang Dictionary
http://www.alphadictionary.com/slang/

Language Dictionary
http://www.alphadictionary.com/langdir.html

Alpha Agora: A forum for discussions on dialects, slang, accents, etc.
http://www.alphadictionary.com/bb/

Internet Acronym Server
http://silmaril.ie/cgi-bin/uncgi/acronyms

RhymeZone Rhyming Dictionary and Thesaurus
http://www.rhymezone.com/

Dictionary and Thesaurus – Merriam-Webster Online
http://www.merriam-webster.com/

 Word Spy – The Top 100
http://www.wordspy.com/topwords.asp

Words
http://www.answers.com/main/words.jsp

A.Word.A.Day
http://wordsmith.org/awad/

WA’s Curious Words Page
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/WarrenAllen/words.htm

· Grammar
http://www.grammarlady.com/
http://www.junketstudies.com/rulesofw/
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/writer_resources/grammar_handbook/gram…
http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html

· Ask Jeeves
http://www.ask.com/#subject:ask|pg:1

Agent Query
http://agentquery.com/
http://firstwriter.com
http://writersmarket.com – I use this – its’ the BEST!
http://longstoryshort.us – critting queries free!

Check out agents – scams
http://agentresearch.com/agent_ver.html
http://anotherealm.com/prededitors
http://sfwa.orge/beware

· Thesaurus
http://thesaurus.reference.com

· Maps
http://geology.com/state-map

 Critiquing

http://writing.com -great, especially for new writers.

Inspiration/ideas
http://refdesk.com
http://book-in-a-week.com
http://smithmag.net/sixwords
http://thestorystarter.com
http://writingfix.com

Romance sites
ghttp://groups.msn.com/romancewritingtips
http://rwa.com
http://coffeetimeromance.com
http://romancedivas.com

Market/event listings/writer organizations
http://forwriters.com
http://www.wga.org/
http://writing.shawguides.com – writing conferences

Just plain interesting!
http://coolstuff4writers.com
http://eighteenquestions.com
http://writersfm.com
http://writesideout.com

 I collect these like baseball cards – you can’t have too many!  I’m always looking for new helpful sites, so I’d love to hear your favorites.

For any writers who may read this – I just wanted to recommend membership in a wonderful organization, Romance Writers of America.  Look it up online – chances are there’s a local chapter not far from you. 

First, let me say that membership is not restricted to Romance Writers.  I’ve met members in my chapter who write Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Westerns, etc.  I joined for several reasons:

·        Writing is, for the most part, a solitary endeavor.  My husband and friends support me, but none of them really understand my passion.  It’s amazing to attend a monthly meeting with 100 other people who do.

·        Education – we have speakers at every meeting, covering different aspects of writing: plot, characterization, dialog, etc.  I’ve learned so much –free!

·        Classes.  My chapter, as well as many others Nationwide put on low cost online classes.  Everything from Query writing to forensic facts… and lots in between.  You’re bound to find one that would help your writing.

·        National Annual conference.

·        Networking – when (not if) you get published, you have a ready-made network of readers, and buyers.

·        Recognition

I’ve even met an agent through my chapter to whom I’ve submitted a partial manuscript (fingers firmly crossed!)

All this in just four months of membership – believe me, I’ve sure gotten a “bang for my buck” of dues.  You may want to look into it!

I read on Publisher’s Lunch yesterday that Harris International did a poll of American adults and asked, “What is your favorite book of all time?”  The answers:

1.      The Bible

2.       Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

3.       Lord of the Rings (series), by J.R.R. Tolkien

4.      Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling

5.      The Stand, by Stephen King

6.      The DaVinci Code, by Dan Brown

7.      To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

8.      Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown

9.      Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand

10.  Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

Wow, I was shocked – first, because 4 of my top 4 favorites were there (2,5,7& 9).  Second, because there wasn’t one “literary work” listed (not counting the bible – I don’t know how to categorize that).

In my humble opinion, his tells us several things about the American reader:  First, obviously reading is not dead.  The fact that none of these were comics tells us people are still reading, and not at a low level either.  They didn’t publish the demographics, so I don’t know whom they asked, but Harris is an esteemed poll, so I’m going to assume it was a true cross-section of the population.

Next, in spite of critics, ivory-tower professors and snobs, “literary works” aren’t as well loved as a good, a old-fashioned yarn.  After all, I don’t see Faulkner or Hemmingway on that list – not even Jane Austen!   What I see all the above have in common is that they’re great stories, told in a colorful and straightforward manner.  I’ve always had the secret belief that “literary fiction” (apologies to my friend Ann who swears the term doesn’t exist) is what people buy as a “coffee table book” to leave around the house to impress their friends with what they’re reading (but don’t). 

Now don’t misunderstand me, I really enjoy Steinbeck, Twain, Dickens and others.  I’m just saying that they don’t make my top ten list, and obviously not others’ either.  What’s wrong with popular fiction?  What’s wrong with admitting you read Harlequin?  I’ll admit to cringing at taking a “bodice ripper” to the beach to read.  Hey, given the stats on how many books the average American reads per year, shouldn’t we be happy they are reading anything? 

Read what you like – proudly.

I attended a one-day conference last weekend - Literary Orange.  If you live in the Southern California area, I highly recommend it.  I attend anything locally I can find, mostly for the inspiration I find there.  Writing is such a solitary endeavor that I enjoy the opportunity to hang out with people who “get,” writing.

The keynote speaker was Elizabeth George.  She gave insights into her creative process that were fascinating.  She said something that stuck with me. 

“I don’t know what I think until I write it down.”

I had never thought of it that way, but I realize this is true for me as well.  Some days after I read what I’ve written – an emotion or opinion of a character – I realize that I didn’t know that I knew what they knew!  It somehow solidifies a random thought, and feels like a puzzle piece falling into place, and I see things differently.  Love it when that happens! 

Writing (as in life) is all about focus.   I think what you chose to write about gives insight into what you’re focusing on.   This reminds me of a very wise thing I heard from a Native American over the summer.  My husband and I were on a bicycle vacation through New Mexico, and visited the Acoma “Sky City” pueblo.  The following quote was from our guide.

“Our culture is an oral one, and we ask that while you are here that you don’t write, tape or otherwise record anything while you are on the mesa.  We ask this not because we do not want you to have it – we believe that through listening only, you will take with you that which speaks to you.”

I believe that we all take along that which speaks to us – and what we chose tells us something about ourselves, doesn’t it?

A friend referred me to a great blog – http://thefirstbook.wordpress.com/

The blogger interviews first time authors.  What a great idea!   Helpful for the author as a free plug for their work, helpful for aspiring authors (if only as a reminder that there are sucess stories) and those looking for a new read. 

I thought I’d try to do the same to promote women’s fiction authors.  I’m going to see what I can find, and some first time authors to interview for this blog.  Check back – coming soon!

Laura

The novel I’m reading now is a good example of the difference between Romance and Women’s Fiction (and a darned good read besides!)  It’s Jo-Ann Mapson’s The Owl & Moon Cafe.

As in a romance novel, I knew in the first ten pages who the primary heroine’s man would end up to be, and the secondary character’s by page 70.  So why keep reading?  The world she weaves is complex and vivid, the characters real to life.  I want to know what happens…

Will the awkward teenager ever fit in?  Will the grandmother overcome Leukemia?  Will she fall again for the love of her youth (who just happens to be the father of her daughter).  To read this, it sounds like a soap opera – but thanks to the author’s rich writing style it feels more like…life.

I know it will all work out in the end – even if the grandmother dies.  This is why I am a constant reader of this genre; it’s real and mature enough to hold my interest, but it feels “safe” enough to immerse myself in.  What do I mean by “safe”? 

I don’t usually to go to the movies.  It’s two hours where I’m sucked into a story, and it doesn’t always end well.  “Steel Magnolias” just tore me up.  I guess I allow myself to get too involved, and can be really effected by the outcome.  With women’s fiction, the stories are true to life, but are concluded in such a way that even if there’s a sad ending, the writer lets you down easy. 

Yay - I’ve entered (allbeit with trepidation) the blogosphere!  Please chalk up any errors in format or etiquette you may notice to ignorance on my part…I’ll attempt to get up to speed quickly.

What’s this blog about?  Well, for starters anyway – Women’s Fiction.  I’ve noticed that there is a ton of info out on the net about the Romance genre, but not much about Women’s Fiction.  I think the distinction is important to those who read it, so this is my attempt to fill the void.

What is Women’s Fiction?  If you Google it, you’ll find a few definitions, but the one I like best is:

Women’s fiction is just that: fiction about women’s issues for a female readership. However, it is not the same as chick lit or romance. While utilizing literary prose, women’s fiction is very commercial in its appeal. Its characters are often women attempting to overcome both personal and external adversity.  The mature depth and tone of their development within women’s fiction set them apart from other genre classifications.

My sincere apologies to the author of the above – I am not finding the source to give credit.  The nuance, I believe is in the focus.  Romance (and all subgenres-chit lit, Regency, Westerns, etc) are ulitmately about a romantic  relationship between two individuals.Women’s fiction may contain elements of romance, but that’s not the main focus – it’s about a woman’s struggle to overcome adversity, and that, to me is endlessly facinating. 

I foresee this as being an intertactive discussion, so anyone stopping by, please feel free to comment – the more the merrier!