Move It!

Whenever a group of writers get together the subject is bound to come up in the conversation.  I can’t say I’m surprised; they’re hard and make your legs turn to Jell-O, who wouldn’t want to talk about them?  Of course, I’m talking about treadmill desks.  These fabulous inventions have become popular recently to fight the occurrence of writer butt spread—terrible disease that it is.  I’ve been on a health kick for the past few months and one thing I’ve been trying is the treadmill desk.

When I first asked Mr. Alpha Male to build me a desk to go over the treadmill, I think he was envisioning some large contraption that would fill half the bonus room.  After much discussion of the design, we settled on a small sleek space to sit either of our laptops on the front handle of the treadmill.  This way it can be easily removed and put away when not in use.  He built mine out of poplar with a walnut finish, but I’ve seen different versions, one even using a wicker breakfast tray held together with bungee cords.  So, even if you don’t know someone with the hobby of wood working, a treadmill desk is a great option for anyone who spends a large amount of time in front of their computer.

After using the treadmill desk for a few months now, I’ve discovered a few things…

1. You can’t jog or the keyboard gets too jumpy to be able to type.  I recommend speed walking.

2. It’s hard to channel your muse and write something brilliant while speed walking.  When I decided to try this idea, I thought I would be able to write my manuscript and simultaneously drop 10 pounds—not so.  What I can do is write a blog entry, write an email, update all of my social media or critique a manuscript for one of the #CRWbadgirlz.  All of these things need to be done, so it’s definitely of value.

3. It’s amazing how fast 45 minutes passes when you’re reading a great manuscript or writing your thoughts on life.

4. It’s amazing how much you can get done in 45 minutes when you’re chained to your laptop walking in place.

5. I might just fit in those skinny jeans by this fall.

I’ll summarize by saying I love my treadmill desk, so thank you to Mr. Alpha Male for building it for me.  What crazy things have you tried in order to fit exercise into your life?

Feed Me, Seymour!

Trish Milburn and Tanya Michaels were the distinguished guest speakers at our last Carolina Romance Writers meeting. Each did an awesome workshop; one on the Three Pronged Approach to Publishing, the other sent us to Military School for our Unruly Muse - respectively.

You know the workshops are great when you’re still thinking about them days later. One thing still on my mind is what Tanya said about (paraphrasing here) feeding our muse. Not simply reading books in our genre, but how do we feed our muse via other mediums?

It’s obvious to me when my muse is starving to death or even a little peckish. He becomes a grumpy cuss that sits on his jean clad ass and won’t lift a life roughened finger to help me. He will, however, give me the bird. He’ll behave when I dive into contemporary and paranormal romances, contain his manliest snort (that’s saved for when I read my historicals and tear jerkers), but these dishes aren’t enough to satisfy him. My muse wants something he can sink his teeth into. He insists that somebody, somewhere blow something up, commit espionage, kidnap, extort, double cross, and generally do bad things. Then the good guys must show up and fight/shoot /drive fast/blow things up too. Finally, all the bad things come back to kick the bad guys in the kahunas or everything falls apart and ends in chaos. THAT is what feeds my muse. Movies - Spy, Action, Suspense, Adventure, High Stakes, and the like.

I’m not necessarily talking about the summer’s most expensive blockbuster (though sometimes it does the trick), but the smaller name movies that kick ass. The Mechanic, Snatch (and almost anything with Jason Statham or directed by Guy Ritchie), Contraband, Eastern Promises, Bourne anything, whatever Christopher Nolan touches, and … you get the idea. If I can find one of these movies on a semi-regular basis, fresh ideas come to me. Heroes come to me. My muse stops with the stoic routine and starts plotting ways to wreak havoc. All is awesome in the gray matter and playing field of my pretend world.

A friend and co-writer once said of my writing “No matter what, I know somebody somewhere has a gun. Even if they never have to use it, it’s there.” If I’m honest, I probably have my father to blame for this. He started me on a diet of action movies at the ripe old age of nine. Mom wasn’t into shoot ‘em ups, so why not take the daughter?!

I love him for it though. And my muse thanks him!

　

　

Guardrails

The view from here is lovely—terrifying but lovely. 

Anyone who isn’t crazy about heights will agree: the more impressive the view, the more thankful you are for the short wall that keeps you from plummeting to your death.  Heather McGovern and I have an ongoing joke about guardrails.  Here are a few of our favorites…

Niagara Falls - Now, that's a good looking guardrail!  Notice the sturdy metal construction.

The Grand Canyon - Glass?!?! I think not.

Hoover Dam - Oooh, is that concrete?  Very nice guardrail!

All of our jokes of our appreciation for railings made me think about other “guardrails” we have in life.  For me, my guardrails are my friends.  Over the past year I’ve been in some scary locations: my mom’s prolonged illness and then her passing, Mr. Alpha Male’s struggles regarding work, my fall down the stairs and subsequent broken back and now my career jumping to the next level as an agented writer seeking publication.  Seriously scary stuff!  Through everything my friends have supported me and kept me from sliding down the slippery slope I seem to live beside.  (Insert giant THANK YOU here.) I’m not sure how many supportive text messages, sweet emails, emergency coffee chats or hugs I’ve received; but I assure you the numbers would be staggering. 

On some level, doesn’t everyone live beside their own version of a steep drop off? There are many overlooks gazing down upon—perhaps death is a bit dramatic—but devastation has many forms and we’ve all experienced a few of them.  Life is frightening sometimes, yet I’ve found there are always guardrails to be found.  Cling to the railing and soon the path won’t seem so daunting.  And when you’re at the peak of the mountain, don’t forget to enjoy the view!

What are your guardrails? 

Where there's a will there are lots of ways

In the midst of finding and attaining a new job, all the training, and a pick up truck load of personal drama - I've somehow found the time to write the first two chapters (albeit shoddily) of one WIP and plot out another co-authored WIP.  How?  Because I was determined to make it happen. 

I don't blog about this to toot my own horn, but hopefully lend inspiration to other writers.  I was certain that in the midst of April's anarchy, my writing would suffer.  Yes, there were several days of a writer's Sahara, but overall, I got it done.  I eeked out time on my lunch break, made plot notes on my iphone, wrote dialogue on post-its as I sat on hold - you get the idea.  I'm committed to getting this writer gig off the ground and with a full time job and family, it's going to take some ingenuity and improvisation.  Luckily I'm good at improv.  I say this as I pound out a blog post during the last few minutes of my lunch break!  AND as I see they've revamped Blogger.  Hopefully this won't come out as a bunch of code or directions to the nearest rest stop.

My point is, if you're an aspiring writer or any kind of writer, get stuck in!  Don't hesitate to squeeze in writer time the moment it arises.  Don't be scared to step out of the "I need an hour of quiet time and my Yanni CD to focus" box.  If you commit, you'll get results.  It might be results that need some seeeerious editing, but it's something.  Best of luck to you all!

Write Faster!

Time.  There never seems to be enough time to…do it all. 

Outside of my writer life, I’m a wife, mother, daughter and friend.  With the constant responsibilities, worries and plans that accompany these different aspects of life how do we accomplish all that begs doing in a day?  Let me begin by saying, I don’t. 

I fail miserably at something on the “to do” list every single day.  But recently, I began thinking about the bigger picture of a year’s long list while commiserating with one of the CRW Bad Girlz on this topic.  I began to think not about whether or not I got all the laundry done today, but about how I’d used my time over the course of the past year.  I’ve checked many items off the “to do” list in the last year; however, I’ve wasted a great deal of time as well.  I began to really think about how I use my time.  If it were all added up into a giant teetering pile of actions, I think I’ve lost months to rushing to one person or another’s aid.  As honorable as this is…does it belong on my “to do” list?

This was when it hit me—my “to do” list is filled with other people’s to dos.  Am I the only one guilty of this crime? 

I’m not complaining, but the fact is I’ve spent the past few months traveling 2 hours away from home to my Dad’s house to be helpful in the wake of my Mom’s passing.  I’ve cleaned his basement, his attic, sorted donations and organized a garage sale.  All of these things needed to be done, but at what cost to my life?  I’ve had no time to accomplish what I want to accomplish for my life, my goals and my future.  At the end of the day no one is to blame for this occurrence but me.  I’m happy I could help my Dad as well as others in my life, but I think it’s time to put myself as a priority.  So, now that my Mom’s clothes have been sorted and donated I’m determined to slow down.  I can’t clean my house if I’m never home to clean it.  I can’t be the mother or wife I want to be if I’m never home for my family.  I can’t write a great manuscript if I’m never home to write it. 

The key to speed is slowing down. 

How will I use my time over the next year?  My Mom used to say, “A dollar is a hundred pennies holding hands.”  I think she was trying to get me to save my money and not spend it all on shoes—HA!  But, by the same token, a year is the accumulation of every day’s “to do” lists holding hands.  So, if I fail miserably at different things every day for the next year, I’ll get a great deal done.  But, they will all be my things to get done.

As Mr. Alpha Male tells me at least 3 times a week, “Write faster!” So, I’m vowing to do just that.  I will slow down and write faster.

Do you need to slow down in life?  What will you do with the time you find in your schedule?

Character vs. Character

This week I had intriguing conversations, one with fellow CRWBadgirl Jenna Patrick, the other with at-large Badgirl, Britt Kent.  Both discussions were about the character Shane Walsh from AMC's The Walking Dead.  Even if you don't follow the show, keep reading, you'll still follow the point.

To sum it up the convos, liking a character's "character" is not the same as liking the character. 

I adore the character of Shane Walsh.  I've never read the comic and I haven't seen the first season, but judging by all of Season 2 and what we know of Season 3 (aka 2.5), he is exactly the kind of character I love to read about, watch, and write in my fiction.  While his character (meaning ethical or moral quality) is severely lacking, his character (meaning the persona represented in this role) is superb.  Shane is the walking monkey wrench in your plan, the charging rhino in the zombie apocalypse survivor camp.  Shane brings the drama!  Without the character of Shane, there might be peace and quiet on the show ... for a little while.

Viewers that don't like Shane argue he's unpredictable, unreliable, and way too tempermental.  I disagree.  I find him very predictable. Homocidal, but predictable.  If you're not Lori or Carl, you're zombie bait or means to an end.  Period.  I can always rely on his solution to every problem in this zombie filled reality to be Kill now! F*** a bunch of discussions and questions.  His temperament is always the same. Belligerent and Angry.  And I love him for it.  I love what he adds to the show, the plot, and what he brings out in the other characters.

ATTENTION: Spoilers below!  Skip the blue print if you aren't up to date on your viewing pleasure!


*SPOILERS*
And I will miss him so.  I'm not concerned with the drama levels of the show (b/c there's plenty of that to go around), but his is a special kind of cray cray drama that cannot be replaced.  :( RIP Shane Walsh.


If you don't watch The Walking Dead, here's another amazing and far more irreplacable character of questionable character: 

Hannibal Lecter. The ultimate in characters you love, but don't want over for dinner.  There's no questioning his defective moral compass, but you know how his personal set of ethics work and it makes for an amazing persona.  Our nightmares wouldn't be the same had we never met the good doctor.

So who are your favorite characters with questionable moral character (or those who lack it completely)?  Who do love and love to fear?



My Girlz

“You started your story in the wrong place.” These are words a writer never wants to hear.  Only slightly better to hear is, “Your pacing is off in the tavern scene—which makes it awkward with tankards…tankward.  It’s very tankward.”  Being on the receiving end of critique can be painful at times, but today I want to take a minute to discuss its benefits.  This is the story of my girlz. 

Once upon a time I was a lone writer, out in the woods living off berries.  Alright, so I’ve never lived off berries in the woods, but I was completely alone at my kitchen table writing my first manuscript.  I’m not sure how far I would have gone with writing if a strange series of events hadn’t brought the amazing Heather McGovern into my life.  I could go on and on telling you the story of how we met, but I’ll summarize by saying I was her Mother’s Interior Designer; and Heather was forced to invite me to my first Carolina Romance Writers meeting as part of a blind friend date of sorts.  If not for that small action, I don’t think I would still be a writer today.  I walked into my first meeting terrified.  I can remember asking endless questions and soaking up every drop of information about writing those ladies could pass on to me. 

One day, Heather and I decided to venture out and meet the girls that always sat across the room from us at the meetings; you know the ones with the cute boots and the amazing hair.  They were the cool kids of Carolina Romance Writers and we wanted to be a part of their in crowd.  This proved to be a great decision because we met Jenna Patrick, Sydney Carroll and Lori Waters that day.  They had an existing critique circle and Heather and I wanted in…if you had seen the fabulous shoes you would totally understand this desire.

It wasn’t long before I was assigned to a critique group at a retreat we all attended.  This was when I met the incredible Darcy Drake.  I knew when I read her story of zombies and murder I’d found a kindred spirit.  I know what you’re thinking; what do zombies have to do with writing about ballroom antics in the Regency period, Elizabeth?  Well, let me explain. 

I believe great writing is great writing no matter the subject matter.  In fact, different viewpoints and specialties will strengthen a critique group.  I also believe in the power of a close group working toward the same goal.   This was the concept behind the diverse and amazing assortment of ladies I call my girlz.  You see, I’m one of the infamous CRW Bad Girlz.  We drink too much.  We travel with a stolen traffic cone named Conelius.  We wear obscenely awesome shoes.  We laugh too much whenever together.  I think we have more fun at the business of writing than most writers.  But, that’s the point of this blog post. 

Out of the painful critique of our work, has come a beautiful friendship. 

We are dedicated to the craft of writing and achieving our goals.  We push one another to stretch just a little further for greatness.  We are driven to succeed together and graduate into publication.  We study and teach one another workshops on writing.  We rip manuscripts apart and help piece them back together again, which usually involves tears—on my part anyway.  Yet at the end of the day, these ladies are my dear friends.  They’ve supported me through personal tragedy, bad hair days, as well as writer highs and lows.  I can’t imagine my life without the CRW Bad Girlz!

Are you an aspiring author?  My advice is: find a critique group.  If yours is anything like mine, hold on for a wild ride.  Are you on twitter? Follow our craziness at #CRWbadgirlz