How to be a Writer during the Holidays

I am not sure if anyone else noticed but the world seems to stop normal functions during the holidays. Black Friday, while being the craziest shopping day of the year, is also the day the entire world seems to speed up (and not in a good way) . Time flies twice as fast. We are all working on Christmas shopping, holiday planning, parties, travel…the list goes on and on.

As a writer, this time of year wreaks havoc on my flow. You all know what I am talking about. We as writers are really creatures of habit and during the holidays ‘habits’ i.e. sanity, flies out the window with the reindeer.

So as this year I cannot get off track I decided to give this some thought and share my plan of action (in case anyone else is in need) It is after all the season of giving right?

First and foremost (and this is a little late in coming) do as much as possible before it hits. Black Friday is your target date….okay fine you can have until December 1st but not a minute more! Pre write as many blogs, and articles needed to het through until January. Many of us have blogs that will allow you to ‘schedule’ a post. Do it! Santa knows we will forget! Oh don’t shake your head in innocence you know you will…

Also you are going to need to add a few things to your shopping list this weekend as we are going to create an emergency kit (you know like an earthquake kit, but this one is for your muse.) Here is what I suggest…

Notebooks - I suggest three sizes small, medium and large. One to fit any scenario you find yourself it. For example, you are going to walk through the neighborhood at your Mom’s with the kids and then eat some yummy chili. Grab the small notebook, pen, and put them in your back pocket. If the muse strikes you are prepared.

Pens, pencils and a editing pen - Always, always, always…

Pocket Thesaurus and MP3 player - there are times when my muse is whispering in my ear but I just can’t quite hear what she is saying. Music always helps translate and believe it or not sometimes I can thumb through a thesaurus, see a word and lightning strikes! Great for waiting in line for Santa, or rides to and from holiday parties (as long as your not driving). Pick something small that will help cue the flow no matter where you are.

Pack of Gum/ Tic-Tacs / Pick me up Drink - these are all for various reasons, to keep you from chipping your holiday nails (if you tend to gnaw while thinking), jumpstarting your brain after too much turkey, a smack of rejuvenation after spending five hours at the mall for one present or to keep the kids sated for at least five minutes so you can think in a straight line.

Reusable Coffee Cup / Book Light - These are specifically for those of us who will be doing a lot of car shuffling. The book light is for the late night drives back, so you can jot items down or review your notes when the children finally dose in the back of the car. (again, please not while driving). The coffee cup is so no matter where you are if you see a convenience store you can run in and get some coffee. Why the reusable cup? If you are anything like me you drink a lot of coffee. This will reduce the garbage in the car you have to clean out come January. (oh and it is better for the environment, 7-11 has travel cups for 2$)

Calendar / Spare Phone Charger - we all live by schedules and most of us use a calendar to keep track of deadlines. Make sure you have yours handy at all times this time of year. I cannot tell you how many panic attacks could have been avoided if I would have brought one. Many of us have them on our phones which is awesome. Just make sure you can access it so when in doubt you can check if the guest blog posting is due tonight or tomorrow (when in actuality it is due next week). The spare charger is just in case. When things get hectic this is one of the first things we tend to forget, so keep a spare to plug in no matter where you are.

Last, a bag to put it all in. Most convenience stores are selling eco-friendly shopping bags for 99 cents. Most have handles and are pretty durable. Buy one and keep all your stuff in the back of the car so you will always have it when needed.  

If you are able, I would also recommend a mobile program called Evernote. I have this for all my devices and I love it. It is basically a thought organizer. You can put in on your phone, tablet and also have it for your desktop. They can sync and keep everything up to date. You can create new tasks, make lists, set deadlines and reminders right from your phone. You can also attach documents to Evernote so if you are on the road and need to review a document if you put it in your Evernote at home on the computer, you can bring it up on your phone and review while on the run.

So that’s the list, customize it as you will, just make sure you are prepared! You never know when your best ideas will strike and you don’t want to be writing on wrapping paper with a crayon or eyeliner from the bottom of your purse. (you know you’ve been there).

Happy Holidays!

The Reader in Me

Barbie is hanging precariously from the hardware of my mother's drapes, while Ken runs to her rescue. Neighborhood war is declared. Ammunition and walkie-talkies are dispersed after a lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and kool-aide milkshakes. Charlie has a new assignment for his Angels. They will be teaming with Bo & Luke Duke to secure the micro-chip hidden in the barn via bikes. Even when the small town of Macungie, PA is quiet, it is necessary for a girl to keep a fake gun her purse. You never know when Archangel may arrive in his helicopter with a crisis.

My childhood was a mix of television, books, and pure imagination. There was and is always some adventure brewing in my head. A constant stream of images of what if's about the world, my favorite characters, and everything in between.

 As a child these images were acted out in play, and then later on the stage and on paper. To be honest, not much has changed. I started writing as an addition to imaginary playtime. It was a catalog of events, and when we would do what. When Barbie would finally kiss Ken, or how Chris Monroe would find out her partner Kelly was captured by the villain. My muse developed a taste for adventure, and I explored it through acting, theater, screenwriting, and then finally the almighty novel.

My books start as a song lyric, a single line of dialog, or an image.  There is also a magical time of day (or night) my Muse loves, specifically, the time when you are laying in that place halfway between an awake mind and slumber. It is a magical realm, and many a scene and a lot of dialog have spawned from that place of peace.

Romantic Suspense is a natural flow of energy for me. It fits my personality. I have attempted other genres, and I have always ended up with the 38 Special in my hand bag.  For me, love is no fun without some treachery, and a few life and death moments. One of the challenges I put forth on myself in writing any novel is first, I have to love it, and second, there must be a balance. Too many times I will read romantic suspense and it is more romance than suspense or visa-versa. I want a good chunk of both. I want them to drive each other.  I love reading romantic suspense, and frankly I was unable to find a book that fulfilled the above need, so I wrote my own. 

The inspiration for my first published novel started small. I became intrigued by the relationship of two brothers on a popular television show, and I started watching a little closer. Then the lyrics of a song developed the plot and angst, and I went with it--Two people, breathless and desperate to kiss each other but unable to act on their feelings. I focused on the single image, rolling all of the possibilities in my head. Why wouldn’t they be able to fulfill their desires? What was holding them back, and what would make them so desperate to act? Where did the need to be in the others embrace stem from? What were the consequences if they acted on their desires?

The answers to each of these questions are of course endless, but in the end Trust Me was born. The two people became Rebecca Gailen and Eric Stiles. The scene wound up in a very different place than I imagined. It, and its consequences, were shattering to both characters. The Trust Me Trilogy is my all time favorite series of books. As a reader, they have everything I want in a romantic suspense! There is action, suspense, romance, chemistry, passion, angst, ranting, crying, fighting, deception... you name it, it's in there. As a reader I think I succeeded in my efforts, creating tales you can immerse yourself in and experience the adventure from the comfort of your favorite chair. 

They tell every writer to write what they love. I am a writer because I love to read. I can only hope readers love what I write.

The Zombieland of Book Titles

So I was watching Zombieland, great movie, and I was inspired! If you have never seen the movie, zombies have taken over the country and four survivors meet and travel together, kicking serious zombie ass. The main character makes this list, the rules of how to survive Zombieland. So I thought why not make the ‘rules’ of picking a book title.

Okay here we go, in particular order, feel free to add on…

Don’t be cliché but don’t be too abstract - One of my pet peeves is when a book has a title that says one thing and content that is another. You can always tell when someone is overly dramatic with the title…you know what I am talking about.

Google it before you choose it – perfect example, my first book is entitled Serenity Lost. Well there are several challenges here, apparently there is a rock band by that name. There is also the television show Serenity. So every time you type in Serenity Lost all of this other stuff comes up. Then there is the second book, Veiled Deception, yeah…there is another book with the exact same name and by a bigger author. Suck!

Hook ‘em – Your title is as important as the blurb or the cover itself. It needs to grab attention and work with the cover to make you want to pick up the book.

Don’t pull your hair out, it will come – picking a title can be one of the most frustrating parts of the process. Sometimes I have the title before the book, other times the book remains untitled until the very last moment. Either way, you will find it, and sometimes in the most unexpected ways. It is different for everyone.

Make sure you love it – It is your book, your name, your heart and soul. Do not skimp on the name. It is a representation of your work. (no pressure or anything…lol!)

Be prepared to change it – It will happen. You will have the PERFECT title and then someone says no. Or you have to take the one book and make it into three. This has happened to me twice now! Lol! Trust Me turned into Serenity Lost, Veiled Deception, & Jaded Promises. Dead Air turned into Shockwave, Backlash, & Fallout.

All of this is nothing you don’t already know. Writing a book is not an easy thing to create and build. It takes blood, sweat, tears, passion, and heart. Number one rule, above everything else, go with your gut it will never do you wrong.