I lived through tornado weather today--one of the joys of living in Florida.
I was watching the news and listening to the police scanner when it came over the house. Just as the wind picked up, I heard officers all over the city radioing dispatch about hail and debris and their cars being lifted off the ground by the wind. "Please advice," said one officer. She sounded scared.
I gathered my cats and caged them just in case I had to move them into the bathroom. They were not happy. Then I sat by the front window and watched. Hail battered the glass, and the sky looked green. A transformer blew one street over, and I lost electricity. The police scanner went out, and I had no Internet on my phone. In less than ten minutes, the storm died down to normal.
I didn't know if it was gone or not. I had no connection to any weather information. By the time I got the Internet and Scanner back, there were fires all over the city, wrecks, and over-turned planes at the airport. One police officers warned about another "wave" coming through in forty minutes. One street over, two more transformers blew, and the police mentioned a "live" chain-link fence.
In the end, I got my electricity back in less than five hours. The news didn't report any major injuries. My family and my animals were all fine. It was frightening, but it made me really focus on the present, on "right now." It made me glad to be alive.
What I learned: always have flashlights and extra batteries, extra water, and a weather radio on hand. Have a game plan for my pets. Don't take anything for granted.
What a day! Tomorrow I start 60k in 60 days (well, today, actually since I haven't gone to bed yet). A fresh start. Very excited.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
New Harlequin Superromance Challenge!
The editors at Harlequin Superromance are hosting a new writing challenge called "A Soldier's Story: A Memorial Day Writing Challenge," and the prize is a crtitique of your full manuscript by not one, but two, Superromance editors!
A Superromane is about 75,000 words long. I've already printed out the guidelines and have several hard copy examples of what they've recently published. I feel capable of conquering voice and pacing and style for this type of category romance. My biggest challenge will be telling a story that includes a soldier. I don't have any friends or relatives in the military. I'm going to have to do some research to make the soldier character feel authentic.
My second biggest challenge will be writing a second, 60,000 word manuscript for self-publication as part of the 60k in 60 days challenge in the same time period . I'm a fast write, though. I believe in myself!
If anyone happens to stumble upon this blog, why not share what writing challenges you are currently tackling?
A Superromane is about 75,000 words long. I've already printed out the guidelines and have several hard copy examples of what they've recently published. I feel capable of conquering voice and pacing and style for this type of category romance. My biggest challenge will be telling a story that includes a soldier. I don't have any friends or relatives in the military. I'm going to have to do some research to make the soldier character feel authentic.
My second biggest challenge will be writing a second, 60,000 word manuscript for self-publication as part of the 60k in 60 days challenge in the same time period . I'm a fast write, though. I believe in myself!
If anyone happens to stumble upon this blog, why not share what writing challenges you are currently tackling?
Friday, March 25, 2011
An Ode to Loquats
I took a long walk this evening--about five miles--on a search for Loquat trees in my neighborhood. Even though I'm normally a germaphobe, I like to rip the ripe fruit right off of the tree, rub the dirt off, and pop it into my mouth.
Loquats are soft and sweet and tangy. You can eat them in a single bite, and the seeds are big enough to spit out easily. I like to think I've planted new loquat trees in yards all around my house.
Loquats only ripen in the spring, and once you pluck them, they rot quickly. You have to eat them right away. Just like life, you have to savor the moment, the precious few weeks every year when the fruit ripens. It's sad to find so many trees bearing delicious morsels that goes to waste.
Last year in April, I visited Charleston, South Carolina to attend a workshop with Natalie Goldberg. The air was warm, and all the trees were in bloom. She said it looked like the landscape was making love.
I feel the same way about my hometown now. It's the end of the season for orange blossoms, and the confederate jasmine and gardenias are just starting to bloom. The birds on the lake are nesting. A simple walk down the road is an aromatic bouquet, and I feel so peaceful, so hopeful. Winter is over, and the stagnant heat of summer has yet to arrive.
Every season (as subtle as one might be in the South) possesses characteristics to be savored, but to me, spring is about hope. I'm hopeful about my writing. I have ideas brimming, waiting to be born, and nine more months to birth them.
Wherever you are, I hope you feel the same. I hope the world is warming for you, and your best idea yet is gestating.
Loquats are soft and sweet and tangy. You can eat them in a single bite, and the seeds are big enough to spit out easily. I like to think I've planted new loquat trees in yards all around my house.
Loquats only ripen in the spring, and once you pluck them, they rot quickly. You have to eat them right away. Just like life, you have to savor the moment, the precious few weeks every year when the fruit ripens. It's sad to find so many trees bearing delicious morsels that goes to waste.
Last year in April, I visited Charleston, South Carolina to attend a workshop with Natalie Goldberg. The air was warm, and all the trees were in bloom. She said it looked like the landscape was making love.
I feel the same way about my hometown now. It's the end of the season for orange blossoms, and the confederate jasmine and gardenias are just starting to bloom. The birds on the lake are nesting. A simple walk down the road is an aromatic bouquet, and I feel so peaceful, so hopeful. Winter is over, and the stagnant heat of summer has yet to arrive.
Every season (as subtle as one might be in the South) possesses characteristics to be savored, but to me, spring is about hope. I'm hopeful about my writing. I have ideas brimming, waiting to be born, and nine more months to birth them.
Wherever you are, I hope you feel the same. I hope the world is warming for you, and your best idea yet is gestating.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
60k in 60 Days!
I'm doing 60k in 60 days. Are you?
It's a great new endeavor similar to NanoWrimo but with a self-publishing twist. You write a 60,000 word novel or screenplay and self-publish it in two months.
I'm not allowed to figure out what I'm going to write yet (contest rules), but I'm leaning toward something set in a world that I'm intimately familiar with so that I don't have to research it. And something that has commercial appeal since I plan to publish it on Createspace through Amazon.com. Probably a Young Adult novel since young adult novels are the most fun to write (in my opinion).
My first experience with Createspace was during the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition, and I loved it! I always thought that I'd follow the traditional publishing route, but the immediacy of self-publishing is so powerfully enticing. People could read my work now. I could promote my work now. I could take my fate into my own hands...now. It's very appealing.
My greatest concern is editing. Self-editing isn't my forte. As a result, I want to hire a professional editor before I self-publish, but since I'll be writing 60k in 60 days, I may not have time. I'll have to see what happens.
It's a great new endeavor similar to NanoWrimo but with a self-publishing twist. You write a 60,000 word novel or screenplay and self-publish it in two months.
I'm not allowed to figure out what I'm going to write yet (contest rules), but I'm leaning toward something set in a world that I'm intimately familiar with so that I don't have to research it. And something that has commercial appeal since I plan to publish it on Createspace through Amazon.com. Probably a Young Adult novel since young adult novels are the most fun to write (in my opinion).
My first experience with Createspace was during the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition, and I loved it! I always thought that I'd follow the traditional publishing route, but the immediacy of self-publishing is so powerfully enticing. People could read my work now. I could promote my work now. I could take my fate into my own hands...now. It's very appealing.
My greatest concern is editing. Self-editing isn't my forte. As a result, I want to hire a professional editor before I self-publish, but since I'll be writing 60k in 60 days, I may not have time. I'll have to see what happens.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
My New Blog!
I am currently involved in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. My young adult paranormal novel "Bloodstone" is a quarter-finalist. I was reading on the Amazon discussion boards that reviewers might want to find me on the web. As a result, I decided to create this blog.
In this blog, I plan to discuss my writing process and to post useful links that I find related to writing. I have read so many fantastic blogs by great writers and reviewers that are using blogspot. Now I can follow all of my favorite blogs!
I'm also a twitter addict. My twitter handle is @serendipbrit if anybody would like to follow me.
In addition to writing, I like to read (young adult novels, of course, as well as romance). I love any stories with paranormal elements in them. I have so many favorite authors that I can't list them all, but just a few are Laurell K. Hamilton, Melissa Marr, Sophie Jordan, Kiersten White, and Tera Lynn Childs. My favorite non-fiction authors are Julia Cameron, Natalie Goldberg, and Eric Maisel.
Although I believe that what people "do" for living isn't all that important, I have worked as a martial arts instructor, a purse designer, a private tutor, a freelance writer, a test technician, a family housing specialist, and a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist. My undergraduate degree is in English, and I almost have a Master's Degree in Counselor Education (have to complete that pesky internship).
When I'm not writing, I enjoy spending time with my animals (four dogs, two cats, two rabbits, and a fish!).
In this blog, I plan to discuss my writing process and to post useful links that I find related to writing. I have read so many fantastic blogs by great writers and reviewers that are using blogspot. Now I can follow all of my favorite blogs!
I'm also a twitter addict. My twitter handle is @serendipbrit if anybody would like to follow me.
In addition to writing, I like to read (young adult novels, of course, as well as romance). I love any stories with paranormal elements in them. I have so many favorite authors that I can't list them all, but just a few are Laurell K. Hamilton, Melissa Marr, Sophie Jordan, Kiersten White, and Tera Lynn Childs. My favorite non-fiction authors are Julia Cameron, Natalie Goldberg, and Eric Maisel.
Although I believe that what people "do" for living isn't all that important, I have worked as a martial arts instructor, a purse designer, a private tutor, a freelance writer, a test technician, a family housing specialist, and a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist. My undergraduate degree is in English, and I almost have a Master's Degree in Counselor Education (have to complete that pesky internship).
When I'm not writing, I enjoy spending time with my animals (four dogs, two cats, two rabbits, and a fish!).
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