100

It's my hundredth post today, yay!

Today is not a day I want to be a writer. Today is going to be a long day. I am in a complete plot tangle, down a rabbit hole. My characters are no longer doing what I want them too, they are moving too quickly, I need more stress and tension between my pages before my characters jump each others bones before the story ends. Which means I either need to cut or add, and if it's cut....a lot has got to go on the chopping block. At least four chapters. They say your supposed to write a book all the way through from the start to finish without stopping but if I keep going down this road my greedy characters will have their way in three chapters and I won't be left with a book.

How To Research and Find The Perfect Agent

There are a sea of agents out in cyber space. There are a sea of agents in books. There are a lot of agents--period. So, where is newbie writer supposed to start looking for one? I've been researching for several months and here is a useful process I've come up with for finding the agent of my dreams. This isn't foolproof, I don't have an agent yet because my book is only halfway done, but I do like to jump the gun on things and I love to research. Without further ado, my tips:

1. Start with the books: Go to a bookstore or a library near you and peruse the genre you're currently working on writing or have already written a book that fits. Do a quick inventory of the stacks. Which specific publishing company/companies published the most books in your genre? Write them down and make the list as long as you want it to be. Now, which books catch your eye in terms of cover art, font, blurbs? Write down these guys, too.
2. Move to the Web: You already know which publishing companies are available to work in your genre based on the numbers you got from the bookstore research. A good publishing company choice is one whose always printing out books in your specific genre because that means there will be no shortage of work for you once you've signed with them. You also already know which books you thought were well represented by certain publishing companies. Now take that information and backtrack with it. Google each companies website and find out which one of those companies requires an agent beforehand. That way if you can send out a manuscript without an agent you can be marketing to editors and agents at the same time. As long as a publisher takes multiple submissions this procedure isn't frowned upon.
3. Get a feel for a publisher's site: You've identified which companies require agents and which do not so from there you can move on to perusing their websites. Which one's appeal to you and seem to have books that you would read? Revise your list of publishers based on your own set of "need" criteria, what you need from a publishing company based on the information given by the company.
4. Predators and Editors: Go to this website, click on agents, and start researching. You're going to want to research any literary agent that catches your eye whether by awards or name. In general, once you've gotten to an agents website they will have listings of the books they've published and where they've been placed for publication. Does that agency have a track record with one of your top publishing houses on your list? Does it seem like a comfortable environment that will take care of your individual needs or a book mill? If you answered yes to these two questions check to see if they are still taking queries and their submission guidelines.
5. Amazon Listings: Take the agencies that you've narrowed down, those that feel comfortable to you and will help you reach your favorite publishing companies, and pick a book from their site. Compare that book in sales on Amazon.com to see how well that agency did in placing that particular book and the netted sale. You might have to do a few different books before you can decide whether or not that agency is effective. Not everyone makes the NYT list.

Now you have a general outline of agencies with which you'd like to work. You've seen what they've done for other authors, how they run their businesses, sale numbers, who you'll be dealing with in terms of representation, and that they work hand in hand with publishing houses you want to represent your writing. So, it's all there. All you have to do is start submitting.

Halfway Mark

I just totaled my word count because I write every chapter in a separate document which makes it easier to edit and write each chapter. My total word count is currently at 34,069, disregarding what I'm going to write in today's session. That means if I do the math I've only got 40,931 words until I reach my end goal of 75,000 words and a finished manuscript.

That also means I'm almost at the halfway mark in my book and man, does it feel good. It's kind of sad that I'm regarding 40,931 words as only, as if that isn't still a whole lot of work. But honestly, it seemed like I hadn't accomplished much in terms of my manuscript and it's been harder writing these chapters then anything else I know of that's about to come onto my plate. So for now, I'm going to have a moment of optimistic glee and celebrate that I'm almost done. Just 40,931 words to go and then the edits. Bring. It. On. Bitches.

Read the Submission Guidelines

One of the most important and crucial rules a writer should take away from writing is please, for the love of god, read the submission guidelines of an editor, agent, whatever you're submitting too. They don't just put it up for fun and giggles, the rules are there for a reason. I can't tell you how many companies I've come across in the last month that are changing their reading policies because writers are sending them manuscripts and queries that they specifically did not ask for nor have any interest in representing. Not only does this create an unnecessary back log it can create trouble for the rest of us.

Some literary agencies and publishers are changing their policies to only look at established works or those recommended by other people in the business. This means unless you have a bucket full of connections as an aspiring writer you are out of their league. In a world where getting anything done in the publishing world is an accomplishment and a half, why take away the magic of unsolicited querying because someone wasn't paying attention when they submitted? It's a shame.

One thing I've learned throughout this whole process is to pay attention and do your best, if you follow these guidelines more or less you'll have success in the business. So why is it so hard for people to turn in their best work to those who want to view it? The logical move would be to polish your work until it shines, send it to a publisher who wants to read it, pray or do some kind of superstitious move, and then wait. It's a waste of time for everyone involved to submit something that is not your best or submit to someone who doesn't want to read it. And you wreak it for all of us.

End of rant.

A Mess

I am a complete mess this morning. My ferrets knocked over my water cup from last night--all over my romance writing book. I am officially a complete and total wreak. I have no idea how to fix this and I am completely fanatical about my books. Beyond fanatical, they are like my children. I'm going to have to buy a totally new copy because with the amount of water that spilled as well as the paper density, all the pages will stick together when they dry and it will warp. Ugh, I'm going to go cry now. I can't find our heater to dry it out faster either. Damn!

Yay!

I reached my new word count goal and I have to say I like this method a lot better than adapting to a page count. It just feels easier at this stage in the game, so I think I'm going to stick to it. I'm currently on chapter 11 and the demon high council has visited Cam's parent's house to give Cam a judgment for using higher magic. Of course, Pacey and Trey are there which makes everything just a little more complicated. Cam is finally forced to deal with her feelings for Trey in order to lie to the high council or admit to them that there is a crazy succubus out hunting humans to get to Trey--which is the councils worst fear. Good stuff. Off to go take a break, read literary agency websites, and watch television. I'll probably have a new blog post of advice up again before I go to bed in the wee hours of the morning. Nick is still working on his project for the NC job and I like to support him by staying up just as late, plus he's had a bazillion cups of coffee today. He's not going to sleep anytime soon.

New Idea's

I've gotten 1,439 words to my name so far this morning. I've also got three new ideas percolating on the back burner for my erotica. One involves a siren, another a special little dress, and a third is a longer in depth version of rewrite which was never picked up for consideration.

My filing system, a simple one of these, (but mine is purple and has a snap top) is great for what I need at the moment. It is chock full of ideas, scraps, edits and financial hoopla/contracts. That's where some of these latest ideas are going to wind up after I jot them down. For some reason I got all three of them when I couldn't sleep last night and was laying down in bed. That happens a lot to me. Anyway, in honor of my happy filing system I'm going to list five filing advice articles I found helpful as a writer. Everyone needs a crack at organization even if there idea of it is organized chaos.

1. A very basic look at filing from assessing what kind of filer you need to where it needs to go in your office/whatever other room you use for work. This is a good starter article for those new to the magic of organization.
2. A filing article for people who hate filing which maximizes the affects of filing without the headache afterwords. Offers simple tips which works between two schools of filing: quick and fun. Both of which are super acceptable in my book.
3. Color coding: for that rainbow filer enthusiast that sits in all of us. Instructions on how colors work with the brain to help locate files as well as tips on how to update a filing system to color and which colors to use.
4. For those who don't like paper or manual labor there is also filing software.
5. An entertaining website for anything you may need to organize. It covers almost every area in the home and home office.

I've found through making writing my full time job that I accumulate more paper than I know what to do with at any given time. So it's a good idea to have a system started regardless of the amount of paper so that when the contracts start coming in you can be prepared to get yourself organized, professional, and ready to make money. w00t!

Executive Decision

I've come to the conclusion that writing three pages a day as my minimum page count is no longer sufficient because sometimes I feel the deep need to stop once I've gotten to that point. It is not acceptable to stop at my minimum page count because of laziness or for whatever other reason I'm touting for that day. Instead, I am going to implement a new self guided rule of 3,500 words every day. This will be harder to judge so it won't have me stopping so much. Well, I hope. As my own boss I'm putting my foot down.

RWA

I'm figuring out my RWA dues right now. I would like to join sooner rather than later but I have to figure out where I'll wind up first. We might be moving to NC depending on a job, so that would determine the money I pay because I'd like to join a local chapter as well. But dear god I'd like to move. The houses are adorable and so much cheaper!

I don't have any upcoming deadlines but all my projects have kind of grounded to a halt. I'm unmotivated, frustrated, and left at my wits end because things aren't coming out on paper like I would like and I know I'll be revising this project at least three times. I can't think past the revisions because my inner perfectionist is all "grrr".

However, I did find a bunch of old queries I couldn't remember having packed in envelopes and ready to send. I'm planning to mail those out tomorrow for shits and giggles. I checked all the updated guidelines and I'm good to go, so I'll just grab a few more rejection letters, what the hell, right?

My Excessica books are almost up on the "Upcoming" page and I absolutely cannot wait. I got another one accepted for publication as well. I also cannot wait until my Romance Class starts up again. I'll have more motivation to just shut up and write. It's always good to just shut up and write. I need more of both. Lord knows whining certainly won't help the page count. I have six more scenes left, so tomorrow I'm going to rock this bitch. I still have twelve projects on the back burner.

Most Commanly Made Erotica Mistakes

Sometimes writing erotica is like writing a college essay. You know all the things you want to do, but it's just not coming together correctly. Just plugging in a + b + c in a five paragraph format isn't going to give a winning story that really shines. Neither is adhering to all the submissions guidelines without any extra thought for the piece. The difference between a good erotic story and an amazing erotic story is all in the details.

• Don't go through the motions: Sure, erotica has sex, it's about sex. But that doesn't mean there shouldn't be underlying emotions for the characters and the acts involved. Simply putting sexual motions on paper isn't going to cut it if there is no reader connection, no outside plot, and no reason behind the story itself. When readers feel something for the sex act and the people involved, that's when things get steamy.
• Don't use purple prose: Rarely are words like "throbbing member", "flower dripping with honey", or any other euphemism for sexual organs sexy. People are reading erotica for the explicit, emotional sex act which means as an author covering up the names for body parts is taking half the meat out of the story. However, if you're concerned about the level of crudity accepted for a story, check the submission guidelines before you publish and compare their rules with what you've come up with in your manuscript. If the rules don't match consider revising or looking for another press to publish your work. 
• Don't worry about the material in the manuscript: Most presses will request warning labels on all work that describes the content type, whether there is strong language, and the sexual pairings in the story. This will weed out any possible offensive material in an erotica story that may make readers uncomfortable. As long as you adhere to a universal set of publishing guidelines which includes no necrophilia, no pedophilia, no sex without consent, no characters under 18, and no animals then you should be fine. Never rule out a story unless you violate the rules above, otherwise, send it in, there's nothing to loose but a rejection letter.
• Don't refuse to revise a manuscript: As much as it sucks to admit, everything writer's write can be made better through a second and third draft. That includes erotica. Don't settle for anything less than perfection and your stories will work for you.

I've gotten four pages on the paranormal romance manuscript this weekend. I've also got nothing left to read.

2009-2010 Better Sex Erotic Fiction Contest

I have officially entered the contest. Now it's just waiting until I get my confirmation email in 72 hours so I can put up my voting banner. Voting starts on October 5th, I'll put more information up here when that comes around and hopefully people will vote long, and vote hard so I can get into the semi-finals. From the semi-finals I have a chance of winning 2,000 dollars. But even if I just win a slot in the book I'll be happy. That's decided through the first round, then it narrows to three and we have the semi-finals judged by a three person panel. So voting for me would be much appreciated!

Back

I was gone on a little two day hiatus to recharge my writing batteries. My book was starting to go horribly wrong and writing felt like washing myself in self hatred. Every sentence sucked to my eyes. So I took a little rest stop, but a damper on it, and edited all the pages I haven't touched yet, tried to get a feel for the direction I was going to go next. Theoretically, I know where that is, but when writing it it's a different story entirely. So now, hopefully I have a better grasp of my project and how I'm measuring up to what I want to do versus what I'm doing.

Don't get me wrong, I still have at least 40 pages of marked up, editing goodness, and plenty of questions on why someone did what they did. But, hopefully that will bring me closer. These characters still aren't as clear as my previous ones. Which is what leaves me fumbling and furious most of the time. Some part of me still wishes I could conquer that 130 pages I have written on the back burner and finish it, but I've started this now and I need to finish it. Absolutely.

Tomorrow I have at least nine pages to bang out to make up for the "slacking" on the writing front.

I also need to find a new book I can engross myself in as I finished the most recent Vampire Academy and my book addiction is searching for new food. Thank god I got out of college, I thought my need to read would never come back when I was forcibly reading over 30 books a semester. And semesters are short when you consider the rest of the work load. I need to go type up some motivational/plot notes for my next move tomorrow before some of my revelations die.

SMG Gave Birth

Okay, so this is all about writing, yada, yada, but people, I am the biggest Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Joss Whedon fan and Sarah Michelle Geller just gave birth to a baby GIRL!!! I mean come on!!! There is totally another Chosen One on the scene. Kick ass! Now I feel the deep need to skip off and celebrate the return of Dollhouse while I'm at it!!

Page Count

I wrangled six pages out of my muse today. I also managed to spend a good chunk of time reading the third book in the Vampire Academy series. And, I caught 90210 for the first time since it started its new season. Normally I spend most of my nights on Tuesday's writing a lot. For some reason it seems to be my busiest day. Me and the first 90210 go a long way back so I was excited to catch an episode of the new season. I listened to a lot of musicals today while I was working which is strange, it's something I rarely listen to anymore. Not much else of any interest to tell today. A lot of jumbled thoughts about what my characters are doing, but that's everyday because they run the show, I just type it for them.

To Specialize Or Not To Specialize, That is the Question!

One thing I find myself pondering over and over despite whatever piece I'm working on is whether or not it's worth my time to pick a branch of writing I enjoy and stick to it. Specializing in a  field if you will, much like picking a major in college. The trouble is, I can never pick just one thing. I want to write it all. If I haven't tried it, I will. So, adding myself to a roster of just one type of writing limits my options.

Yet, picking a genre and going for it also has it perks. You can make a name for yourself easier than had you spread yourself thin across multiple writer pursuits. It also gives definition to a brand and product. Such as, "Oh, so and so, she's the one that does blah blah blah, right?" as opposed to "Oh, that name sounds sort of familiar, what does she do again?". Sometimes the writing game is all about definition. How do I want to define myself, or do I even care? It flip flops from day to day with me.

My moral is always I will write anything that people pay me for creating. That got me through college. But is it all what I love? I know I love writing this book, it's like grinding sweat out of stone sitting down to it every day but it is my passion. It's what I enjoy waking up too.

I suppose I could do both. Pick a genre, theme, style, go with it. Build a career and a brand and then dabble in my free time with other literary modes. But my personality doesn't lend itself to just going 50% and then letting it sit saying that was fun. I write things to get published. I write because I wouldn't breathe if I didn't write.

So what's a girl to do?

Romance and Erotica will always be there. They are my focus right now and it will be my career if I can make it happen. It's what I want to do with my life. But what about all the forty million other genres I like to create? Will they be waiting for me when I get back?

Writing Submission Do's and Don'ts

I'm on a horror movie kick today. Which made me think of the horrific two years I worked as a slush pile intern at a small press in Baltimore, MD. I didn't get paid but it looked nice on my resume and they gave me all the manuscripts I could ever read. It also counted as course credit for my school which was always a plus. Anywho, as decent as some of those manuscripts were, there were a million and one bad ones that I had to drudge through reading. I'll never forget one manuscript was on lilac paper with teal font. I couldn't even read it. When I opened the package the manuscript came with big flakes of glitter fell out onto my lap. It was a mess.

So from my perspective as an intern for two years, here are some of the submission rules I've come up with for any writer.

1. Write the best query letter in the world. But make sure you finish it up with an out of this world manuscript. I can't tell you how many times I've been blown away by a query, gotten very excited to see the finished manuscript, and then was let down. I was always looking for new and exciting work. I was also more than willing to work with writers who had obviously put time and effort into their products but were having a little trouble. I refused to settle with writers who wasted my time by only giving me fifty percent instead of two hundred. When you think everything is in tip top shape and ready to sell, keep working. Someone will notice and your hard work will pay off.
2. Edit 100% from the first sentence to the last sentence making sure every sentence packs the punch of your first sentence. I wouldn't always go by a writer's tell tale first sentence to judge a manuscripts merits. Because I knew it was an accepted rule for writers to nail down their first sentence assuming it would be the first thing that was read, I often refused to read it first. I would flip to a random page in the manuscript, start from there, and work my way towards the beginning. If I liked what I read then and the first line was a go-getter a writer was good on my list.
3. Don't try to stand out with weird fonts, odd cut off points, and twisted point of views. Unless specifically asked for experimental pieces such as post modern, flash back, POV shifts, etc don't deviate from the rules of syntax and submission. Each publishing house has a style they like to see come through their mailbox. Make sure you are conforming to it in all the important ways or you'll be a rejection slip. If they are looking for experimental pieces then your piece should be clear and easy to read without having to stop and think too hard. A piece can be well written and still be experimental.
4. Regardless of rejection slips keep revising, keep writing, and pick your criticism selectively. For every one submission there is bound to be at least one rejection slip. When you get it allow yourself to feel like complete and utter crap for at most two days. Ignore the rejection slip in those two days of mourning and when you come back to it see if there is any constructive criticism. If there is anything that you agree with once you get past your pain, use it and submit again somewhere else. Then stick the slip in a folder. I always find it makes it easier to collect them because no matter how many I get, I'm still writing, so I must be doing something right.

One of the best rules I've ever heard when it came to writing as if you aren't still doing it after your thirtieth rejection slip, you weren't made too.

I've Hopelessly, and Helplessly, Become Addicted To Blogger

It has become my new source of reading goodness first thing in the morning. Also, the twenty times I refresh it throughout every five hours. I wonder why people are not posting faster so I can read. Perhaps it is because they have lives? Craziness! Doesn't everyone know they must blog for me? Silly, silly people.

I'm thinking of getting a Twitter account. I know, let the ominous bells sound because I said I'd never give into the crazy fad that is Twitter. But it's looking more agreeable once some of my books are out. My author bio is already up at Excessica, yay! My website content is all written and newly refurbished for the website. We had to get a new hosting for it because the old one had been jerking me and my husband around for months. One of the reasons why it's taken this long to build. Now we are experimenting with pretty shades of purple/pink and flowers for the design aspect. My poor husband has to completely relearn how to design for a website. You think that would be an easy task, well, that's a lie. A big one.

What else is going on in my literary world, you ask? Well, I'll tell you! I have sixty-six pages on whatever my paranormal romance is going to be called and I'm frantically spewing out pages, bad or not, to add that page count. All the magic is in the revisions. I adore editing so I always print out a few chapters, let my husband read it over, mark up his comments, and then mark up the rest of the pages until I can't see them anymore. Then I calmly put away those pages in my handy-dandy purple filing cabinet and off I go to write more pages. In theory, it's that simple. In practice I can go a little overboard on the edits.

More writing goodness to come once I've got pages to my name for the day.

Richelle Mead I Am in Awe Of You

Vampire Academy book 2 just made me cry for like twenty minutes straight. Big, fat, hot tears. I am a BIG baby, but still....good fucking writing, very good fucking writing. Characterization, oh god, the characterization! Richelle Mead, you rock my world and I admire the hell out of you. I can only wonder if I'll be able to make it through the next two books without just crumpling into a heap on the floor. Accidentally read the back cover of the last book in the series and I almost don't know if I can go through with it. Because we all know how this ends with Rose and Dimitri, and it isn't good. Yet some morbid part of me will probably still have to read it. Ugh, my soul hurts, why Mason, why?

Don't worry, I'm not crazy, just haven't had much sleep lately. Lots of nightmares. Who me, stressed? Writing a book isn't stressful! "fake laughter". And yet, I still have time to read my Vampire Academy...in five hours. Straight. I think we need to restrain me now. I think you know I'll enjoy it.

Mission Accomplished

I got my three new books as well as a business card software program to play with tonight. I want to get a copy of Microsoft Professional but that isn't on the menu until I have a bit more on the side of spending cash. Until then it's free sixty day downloads for me.

I'm off to go read book 2 in Vampire Academy and fool around with my new business cards.

Two Helpful Writing Links

I came across these from Predators and Editors this morning while taking a break from the page count. I figured they were certainly worth sharing since information is like the frame of a house when it comes to writing. Without some kind of research readers will fall through the floorboards and sue your ass, or put down the book. So without further adieu, two of my favorite links for my writer buddies. Whoever you are...I know you are out there lurkers. Please feel free to comment and make your presence known because meeting new people makes me happy. More comments would make me very happy, not so lonely in the blogosphere.

Show Me the Money: A really neat site with fairly up to date ballparks on advances and royalties for every genre in romance novels. This is a good hopping off point for anyone worried about how much their book is really going to sell. All of the information is complied by a romance author and stats were taken from published romance authors, so there's no guessing or a numbers game. It's all straight from the source.

100 Useful Search Engines: An extremely helpful guide to any kind of search engine you could think up. Perfect for that fact or set of facts that are eluding you in the middle of a deadline. Some examples of the categories listed are: City Guides and Travel, Business, Academic/Reference, Law, and Medical. It's a plethora of free information for an author who needs an answer super quick. I highly recommend it.

So far barely two pages on the book so far today. I think we are all a little exhausted after last nights musings. Though I'm a little sad that the wave of writing hasn't held over to today. Hopefully I'll perk up after a few more cups of tea and some burnt toast. I could really go for a burrito right now too.

Muse Whirlwind

I hung on for dear life last night on the couch while I watched my husband play Metriod Prime on our Wii. I had brought my laptop into the room knowing that I already had five pages to my name for the day, but Cam and Trey were dying to play. So I sit, open a new document, and ba-bam! I get eleven more pages rounding out my chapter 7 and leading into chapter 8.

I got that writing high where you can't go to sleep afterward and everything's a little visually fuzzy because you were in someone's world that wasn't your own for a little while. I didn't sleep very well after that, still caught by what could happen at the beginning of chapter 8. I must have woken up my husband several times bouncing off our new (huge) mattress into the computer room to write just one more line. It was four in the morning by then, but the book wanted to be written, so who was I to argue?

We did get a new mattress this week because our old one is at least twenty years old. It had given us both a large set of back problems. Now we have a mattress that is comfy and that I have to use a step stool to climb into because it's, no joke, half my body at least. It didn't look that big in the store but we hadn't accounted for the frame raising it several inches. I'm 4'9 and having to use the equivalent of doggie steps to get into bed at night, how charming.

We are planning another Maryland Ren Faire trip soon with our new costumes. I also need to convince the hubby to drive me to a bookstore tonight so I can pick up the other three Vampire Academy books by Richelle Mead. She is my current author of choice. I finished her first installment last night and now my muse addled brain is calling out for more. What the muse wants, the muse gets.

Although, I have yet to find her fourth book in the Georgia Kincaid series anywhere near us. Which makes me really  fucking sad. I would order it off Amazon but it's hit or miss with the UPS people and our security door. Sometimes they don't even try to get inside. They just leave an angering note. I think if I only order one book they may deliver it okay, normally I order in bunches. I've had to write a lot of signs taped to doors or I just sit on the steps all day waiting for them so I can let them in with my package. I am not above wasting my day for books. Especially Richelle Mead ones. Which is why I've moved from my Georgina fix even though it was a crucial fucking point in the series and I'm dying without her, to my Rose and Lissa fix. Stupid UPS people....sorry if your one of them. Don't mean to totally kill my standing with UPS everywhere, I'm just saying.

Suspense and Succubi

I've got five pages on Cam and Trey today. Getting into the meat and potatoes of our little mystery. Hopefully, hilarity is soon to ensue. The gang's going to go to the Bristol Police Station to break into their evidence vault to procure a note written by Cam's stalker, one of several that are about to come. How are they going to do that you wonder?

Cam's going to seduce the helpless cops thanks to her paranormal abilities while the guys sneak in, pick a lock, and get out of there. Although, we all know it won't be that easy, because that would be cheating now wouldn't it?

Chapter 7 is almost at a close and I've only covered three of my major plot points outlined in my most important ten scenes. That could be good or bad, right now I'm going to go with good, but ask me later and my opinion might change.

Lately, I've become obsessed with burnt twelve grain toast, green tea, and Predators and Editors. Predators and Editors is the most kick ass site. They are a "guide to publishers and publishing services for the serious writer" but they also offer Organizational, Attorney, Editing, and Workshop reviews among everything else.  Thanks, Leigh for recommending this to me!

This is one of the best writer's resources I've found on the web. Though, some of the links can be outdated. But, they are generally very good about noting when that has happened. I've added so many new blogs to my dashboard because of this all powerful writing site. Not only does it house an alphabetical list of agents and editors that are rated by their clients, it taps into scams, fraud, and traps, that can mislead writers of any caliber. Super helpful, I can't say enough about it. Go there and see for yourself!

Now! I'm watching you! (But not really....because that would be creepy).

Ooooo, and, Ahhhhh

Joybutton has since gotten 2,089 hits from lovely people who stop and read my work. Exciting! It's not a huge amount compared to others hits on The Erotic Woman but I am happy with it. Yay! I still exist in the erotic world. Never fear, my website will be up soon as promised. We're currently doing a total overhaul on it as it doesn't really suit it's original purposes anymore. I should be back up in no time. It's good to have a computer obsessed husband, you can get things done.

Eventually.

My favorite line in the book I'm writing so far

"Great, I had a metaphysical threesome with a dead woman,"

Cutting a hole in my husband's hair

Nick has me help cut his hair most of the time. We buzz it. I'm always terrified I'll cut into his head and give him a bald spot. Tonight, he moved the comb and I did. He's got a huge job interview tomorrow. Long story short, he cut his hair hardcore short and I loathe it. Though it does feel like duck fluff. But no more bald spot. I told the fucker I would cut a bald spot one of these days. Damn self fulfilling prophecies.

On an upward note, I have my piece for an anthology nearly done for it's deadline...today. Still have some basic editing to do and what not. Wrote the whole piece from scratch in a couple days. It really wasn't pleasant. I've been a grumpy, caffeinated mess to be around these last couple days. Plus it's taken me away from my paranormal romance and my characters just keep revealing more and more so it's important to stay on track.

I just finished the first major love scene hot on the heels of the first major fight/major plot conflict in the book. I'm going back to basics and refreshing on a couple useful writer's points. Some points I'm revisiting because there is to much inside my head right now are:

• 10 Scene Structure: Think of the 10 most important, pivotal scenes in your book from start to conclusion including the very end/last sentence. Write them down and flesh everything else out according to those original scenes.

• Most pivotal stages in a Romance Novel:  The Meeting, The Barrier/Conflict, The Attraction, The Declaration of Love, The Point of Ritual Death, The Recognition/The Barrier is Overcome, and The Betrothal or Promise. (This is taken from a brilliant teacher, and an expert on all things Romance Novel, Pamela Regis. She was my professor for four years at the college I graduated from and Romance Fiction was her passion. I highly recommend her book. She is a kick ass lady who knoew her stuff.)
  

More to come later when I can flesh out helpful notes that make sense to someone other than me. I've been working for over fourteen hours so my brain is a little fuzzy.


I've also been looking up agents to send my book out to when it's finished. I know, they say never do that until it's completely done, but I can't help researching early. I am research girl, it's what I do. I should have a cape! I've found the perfect agency that I want to work with, now the troubling task of making a product they can't possibly turn down. I want this so bad it's all I live for right now. I will make this book happen. And, then I'll cry a lot when it gets a crap load of rejections. But there is no sense in working my way from the bottom, up. So, my top agency choice it is once I finish my 80th edit on this book, after I even get it finished. I plan to much ahead, it shall be my downfall. Or shall it? On that note I'm going to go because my brain is starting to decay.

Books I'm Currently Reading: The Accidental Demon Slayer
                                                   The Vampire Academy Book 1
                                                   Hurts So Good
Books I Want To Read:  Pretty Dead
                                         Child of a Dead God 
                                         Female Submission
                                         The White Queen
That is all for now. Ta Ta. Sleepy. "Falls over on keyboard"

Fuck

I had one of those moments today when I realized my manuscript wasn't working. I had that though seconded when I showed it to someone I know and they were shocked and horrified to read it. It was not my intention to repulse them. Clearly, I had not gotten my point across. Now I am not only ashamed to even have shown her my work, but I'm angry. It is BDSM, but it is not rape. Not meant to be anyway. It was supposed to be a test. I thought my dom was being kind.

It was a learning experience I'd rather not repeat. I'm pretty damn crushed right now. One might even say sad. I have so major re-working to do, but I won't be able to touch that piece for a long time.

Now I have three days on my deadline and I have to start a completely new one.

Top Ten Things They Don't Teach You in Writing Class

These rules are brought to you by the ever talented C. Hope Clark. Check them out here. Not only do they make sense, but they can bring a lot of clarity to your afternoon. I know I enjoyed them and felt a little more refreshed for my morning.

Success

I didn't finish my story for my deadline in five days. I did write a story in a flurry of typing which took me a half hour for that contest I just blogged about. Which is good news to me. I also submitted an old story to A Cup of Comfort: Couples. So my day wasn't all lost into non-productiveness. I got to watch Project Runway too. I've also had thirteen cups of tea. I think it's the only reason I'm still standing, or sitting, as it is.

Now to book research and the bat cave!

Except I don't have a bat cave, if I did it wouldn't be the bat cave it would be the My Little Pony cave or some such nonsense. But Christian Bale would totally be there none the less. Because he's hot. And I've had a crush on him since I was 7 watching him in Newsies.

Better Sex Erotic Fiction Contest

I am planning to write a story and enter soon, hopefully you will vote for me here!

Three Hundred Dollar Coffee Maker and One Arch Demon

It kind of sounds like a new sitcom, don't you think? Well, I've just discovered the magic of Kureg products because for our reception we received one of there three hundred dollar coffeemakers. When we put it on the list it was a joke between me and my husband, we figured no one would get it for us because it's so silly. We were wrong. Now we own two coffeemakers and this coffeemaker makes the best tea I've ever tasted. So, while I am happy to have it, it's still the most frivolous thing I've ever owned.

As for the book, I've settled on a world and a demon community that make me particularly happy, I'll have to work on integrating most of this lore into the beginning of the book so it doesn't hit the readers over the head, but it's a good start. I've settled on Lathous the arch demon so I'm looking for research on what exactly he does as a demon, what kind of demon, etc. Then I'm going to build him some friends/lackeys. He's going to come into the picture and ruffle a few feathers, particularly Cam's. I have quite a bit of research on my hands today and a deadline that's still looming over the horizon.

My erotica train is moving slower than usual. For some reason I just don't want to finish The Princess and the Pea. There is no particular reason per se, it just makes me sad thinking about finishing it. I've got to end it with a bang and it's hard to do that when the fairytale just winds to a halt with a happily ever after, ta da! Maybe it's ending jitters, that could be a possibility.

Got to go get the ferret food because he's playing with his food bowl. That's never a good sign, it means he will be pouncing on my feet next. Silly little boy,

E-book Covers

Here is a sneak peek at some of my mock-up e-book's coming out in February from Excessica! So very exciting! All the water marks will be removed upon final completion so don't fret.

 

 

The Downside

The upside is I've written 44 pages of my book in about two weeks give or take which is a significant jump from the 133 pages I composed over two years while in college. That book is still unfinished though I have all the tools to resurrect it now with clear direction.

The downside: 44 pages seems like a whole heck of a lot-- until you figure out word count. I really shouldn't have figured out word count. Averaging off a normal paranormal romance word count which is 70,000 words I have somewhere in the ball park of 54,798 words to go before I'm finished. That number is both daunting, terrifying, and a big heaping plate of discouragement. Me and my curiosity. Never check word counts, kiddies, you're better off oblivious. Now if you'll please excuse me I'm going to skulk over to my keyboard and pound on the keys in frustration for a bit. Yes, that sounds good.

Deadlines

I'm still riding high on an erotica deadline this morning. I'm never up this early. Nick woke me up this morning when he was picking out a shirt and then I just got hungry from there. I've had granola so now my work file is up and ready to go, but am I?

I got five pages yesterday which is past my minimum of three for the day. It was like squeezing out every last ounce of energy available. By the end I just couldn't stand to stare at my work anymore. I've got a half way done sex scene on one document, another one just starting on the other document, and it is way to early for sex. Or, at least for my brain to process sex.

Is 44 pages too soon for a hero and heroine to kiss? Who knows, I certainly don't. I guess we will find out. But the consequences will certainly be rapid. Cam would never have sex with Trey, let alone kiss him. It's only to save the life of her friend that she endangers everything she believes in to seduce Trey. Lucky for her it's easy because it's sexy and she's been running on empty for a couple days. She's just been taking easy sexual kills that not only aren't filling for her system, but they've begun to effect her judgment. Anyone will get cranky without food.

Lightbulb Moment

I think Trey and Cam may finally get it on in the next couple of pages. Holy Crap.

Snags in my Plot

Today I've got to re-order or re-think my plot. I'm still not sure what is happening chapters from now let alone the next paragraph I write and this has become a problem. I can't go on without an outline. My conflicts have become too messy. But I really hate outlines. I don't like to think, I just like to write and figure it out later. But there's no point if I get all my plots and subplots all twisted and wind up having to re-write the whole work over again. I've never written anything suspenseful like this before so giving away the big bad in chapter five seems a little too soon...but then what do I do? Questions, Questions.

The Ren Faire went wonderfully. I got a costume and so did the husband. We ate a lot of good food and I checked out purple cloaks that match my outfit. I want a purple cloak very badly. It's so pretty on me. My costume consists of a black sleeveless shirt with a v-neck, a purple underskirt, and a corset brocade over dress that I tie over my under skirt. The brocade is black with purple swirls, branches, and delicate stitching. A black ribbon eased through the corset holes ties it all together. Then I just tuck the brocade flaps so they hang shorter than my underskirts on the side and I'm good to go.

I have an erotica deadline on Sept 15th which I'm trying to work on but I'm completely lost when I get to the sex part. Go figure.

Date night tomorrow, we are going to see 9. We've been waiting for it to come out for months now and it's Tim Burton which means instant excitement in our household.

Dante's Inferno

I've pulled up some Sparknotes and eventually, tomorrow, a digital copy of the book. I plan on either reading the whole thing or delving a whole lot deeper into the subtext and characters. If Cam carries it around all the time and Selene is named for it, then her stalker notes have to be delightfully speckled with sinister references to it. It's going to be poetically eerie. I can't wait. And there are so many guilty associations I can make between the circles of hell and Cam's life as a succubus. Certainly, this is her idea of eternal damnation. She did kill a man after all. A man she loved deeply.

Next up I'll be writing in her parents. I think a little break/vacation is in order for everyone on campus. Yes, in my world succubi have parents. It'll form a nice foil for Trey and Cam's relationship. Though I don't exactly know how I'll get Trey down there with Cam. I'm sure he'll figure out something, he always does.

Wedding

The wedding was nice, very sweet. It was country chic. The cake was fabulous and I was introduced to members of the family I never knew existed. I'm still coping with going from a nine person family to being related to half of New York City. It's pretty fucking crazy. They are all nice people though, the half I met at the party, and it was a good time.

I was planning on picking up where I left off from yesterday in terms of writing but that didn't happen. I was just too sleepy after the festivities. My book grabbed me instead. We are making a trek to the Ren Faire tomorrow morning when they open and then dinner with my side of the family. We are hoping to pick up the start if our very own costumes. Gorging ourselves on food is also a high priority. Food is sooooo good at any Ren Faire.

Both Nick and I are covered in glitter from the bride's dress. It's pretty crazy. It's all over his face. Every now and then I look over while he's playing his video game and he'll shimmer. Makes me want to laugh at him.

Still re-working a major plot point in my romance novel. Nick says the way my hero and heroine find out about one of the secondary characters being a black widow is a little too forced. Which means back to the drawing board for me. It's going to be a struggle because in my mind's eye I can't see this scene working out any other way. I'm sitting on the revisions for now though because it's too big a piece of the story to screw around with right now. I might throw the entire thing off course and that would be bad.

I get more reception presents tomorrow morning. Oh goody!

My husband's cousin's wedding

It is today. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm all for free food.

Schoolyard

I originally wrote this for an Alison Tyler short-short challenge. I'm hoping to have enough of these babies to make a book of them at some point. Here is one of my favorites, enjoy!

I called them together in the room from my tattered Lisa Frank address book. The one with the sparkle ponies in purple. Now the three men stood before me. I didn't think any of them would come. Not from the glory days of pulling my pigtails on the playground. Now they would play with my nipples. My clit. My hair. My hip. Skin was no longer a boundary. I didn't have cooties anymore.

Each took an inhale of breathe, choppy over my land-line receiver. I could feel them shake their heads, then a soft baritone request. The boys were stripped in my apartment living room. I gave my best vixen inhale, that false bravery to put inside myself and I strutted.


The first one met me halfway. His cock had already lost it's shyness as he pulled my black ponytail, leading me to the couch. The familiar thump of my knees sounded distant. Men's scent, heady,thick, choked my panting mouth now that they couldn't see me breathe. I was anonymous with my head turned towards the wall. 

A hiss of breathe as someone bit my labia, hot pleasure dancing in my cunt. A jerk of my shoulder as one of them mounted me from behind. Hands fingering my nipples, a mouth locked around my cunt. Nails racked down my back. It all melded together in one forethought of touch. I pictured them three way calling each other to see what they would do, and then I came.

Top Ten Romance Writing Tips For Beginners

One of the hardest things to figure out when first writing romance is where exactly to start. Though there are millions of romance books out there, there are few good books on how to write them. One of the best books I've found, which now sits by me for quick perusal whenever I write is On Writing Romance: How to Craft a Novel That Sells by Leigh Michaels who also happens to be my Romance Writing Class professor. Her advice has proved invaluable and whenever I have a question but can't consult her, out pops my textbook to the rescue.

Oddly enough, writing a romance novel has proved one of the most challenging events in my tiny writing career. Though I've been writing professionally with no publication since I was five. It is not only difficult to keep sight of your hero and heroine's goals for not being together, but also juggling a long term and short term conflict which can result in boat load of plot sinking inconsistency. I never imagined in my greatest dreams that it would be this challenging.

Or, maybe it's just hard because I picked the most difficult plot I could and I'm still figuring out my characters as I throw them at plot twists hoping they don't get caught under the bus. Cam and Trey are still a never ending mystery as I enter chapter five. They keep revealing little bits and pieces of themselves that make me change their actions and motivations throughout the whole course of the book. It's hard to go forward when I know I have a computer file of mistakes and corrections to fix.

Now should be the time when everything is falling into place. To some degree that happened the other morning. But I still have a vengeful succubus to appease whose motivations and nuances I haven't even tapped into yet. Selene is still a mystery to me. And she's about to take center stage. Oh, boy.

New World Shift

Everything in my book just put on the gas. I got through a major world hurtle, defined my outside environmental parameters, and still managed to create a possibly crippling power scenario for my heroine. All in the span of a few paragraphs. For now I am kicking this books ass, though looking at the edits page doesn't really give me that feeling at the moment. All I have to worry about is the consistency, other than that I'm right on target.

Kick ass.

If you're good I'll give you a snippet or two further into the book.

Pandora and Tea

I'm up early this morning considering I went to bed last night at 5 am with words for my next several lines of the book still swinging inside my head. After jotting them down I'm still awake and staring at the computer screen simply because I got a very cute, touching wake up from my husband. He was watching me sleep, which would be creepy to most, but to me it is totally adorable.

So what's on the Agenda today, Elise, you say? Well I'll tell you. Paramore on the Pandora playlist, a big cup of pineapple tea, (certainly bigger than my head), and hopefully at least five pages on the book. Then I might just be done with chapter four and wouldn't that be dandy? I'd also like to edit my old, unfinished novel at some point. Oh, and hopefully a nap. And, finishing the sexy strip tease for my fairy tale Excessica entry and getting into the sex.

Busy, busy, busy today.

Oh, and Excessica is almost showing my book as "Coming Soon" we are more than halfway through December now which means February is a hop, skip, and jump away! Yay, Checkout!

Sex in the City Movie

Since I've seen that the new movie for Sex in the City 2 is in production, I couldn't help but pick up a copy of the first one and analyze it for romance research. Oh, the symbolism. But everything gets analyzed lately because I'm neck deep in writing a romance novel with at least 5 erotic short stories on the side I'm peddling or touching up. It's all about the stories, my blackberry, and words. This is my life. I don't think I'd want it any other way. But it certainly is all consuming.

But, they say that's what it's like when you're in love.

Writing Slump

I made it through my first writing slump and my muse is kicking. I have chapter three of my romance novel behind me and I'm halfway through chapter four as well as the starting introduction to my femme fatale big bad. She's going to make my hero and heroine's lives hell. I almost can't wait to get in the thick of things. I just keep telling myself that four chapters is very close to twelve chapters which is the normal number of pages in a romance novel. So I'm one third of the way there already. Victory! Thirty seven typed pages by my hand.

I also looked up RWA's (Romance Writer's Of America) website trying to see if I could make their Golden Heart Contest this year, but it's not looking very plausible. Maybe by some miracle I could make it if I had time to write, re-work, and edit my manuscript by November 15th, but that's not even two months. So, I'm looking at having a shot next year if I don't try and get this manuscript published by then. If it get's published I can enter myself into the RITA Awards which also sounds promising. Still, there is way too much planning for a book that hasn't even been completed yet. I have to get there first. It's hard to remember that fact.

I also jumped onto Maryland's Romance Writing Association for some browsing. Though you have to be a part of RWA before you can become a part of MRWA both sites have equally heavy dues to someone who is broke until at least February. However, I'll look into joining both the minute I do have the money purely because it's good for business principles and gives me an extra outlet to bitch about my career. Plus, any way I can get my work publicized and get people to buy it is good which mean's exposure is high on my to-do list.

 Another venture I'm dabbling in is all the requirements I have to meet in the state of Maryland to qualify for my own business. My credit is good but I can't buy a car or get better credit card limits until it looks like I'm employed so running my own business seems the easiest way to do this, which is ironic because it's hardly easy at all. Not only am I looking at a crap load of phone calls and forms to fill out, I have to get approved by like eight different associations and...you guessed it...every form costs money. In case you're interested here is where I got the information. I suppose you have to spend money to make money, but this is mildly criminal.

I got maybe three sentences into my fairy tale today. The muse for my romance novel was just stronger in the fight tonight than anything else. Even though I sat at the computer with my cup of tea for at least three hours this morning contemplating my next sentence on my erotic adaptation of The Princess and the Pea.

Google is Awesome

So, last night while watching That 70's Show and editing several new stories in my lap I came across a lot of intriguing and helpful sex toy information. This was procured from my new Blackberry Curve, yay, very helpful scheduling all around happy tool. Anyway, found out that during the Italian Renaissance leather dildos were used, so I can interject that into my fairytale instead of using flesh hooks or the blunt ends of silverware.

Now I'm enlisting Google's help to make sure the strip tease I'm depicting is authentic to Tudor period womens wear. This means nine layers to take off before the big reveal. I'm happy with my t-shirt and jeans, thanks. Although my husband and I will be hitting the PA Ren Faire this weekend as well as the MD Ren Faire on the 19th. Mmmmm, Ren Faire.

Here's a neat look (with pictures) at the evolution of sex toys as we know it. Enjoy!