Allie Boniface's Blog, page 55
June 22, 2011
Writers' Wednesday: So You Want to Write a Novel
Have you seen this yet? Enjoy!
June 20, 2011
Monday Mentionables
I know I'm late posting today, but I did want to share two worthy mentionables:
Carina Press is giving away books this week! Yes, every day you can download a book for free. How great is that?!? Click here for more information.
And one of my fellow Hudson Valley RWA members, Shoshanna Evers, is seeking submissions for a non-fiction ebook she's compiling, titled How to Write Hot Sex: Tips from Multi-Published Erotic Romance Authors. If you're interested, visit her blog here for all the details.
Hope you've had a happy Monday!
Carina Press is giving away books this week! Yes, every day you can download a book for free. How great is that?!? Click here for more information.
And one of my fellow Hudson Valley RWA members, Shoshanna Evers, is seeking submissions for a non-fiction ebook she's compiling, titled How to Write Hot Sex: Tips from Multi-Published Erotic Romance Authors. If you're interested, visit her blog here for all the details.
Hope you've had a happy Monday!
June 15, 2011
Writers' Wednesday: The Old-Fashioned Love Letter
With techonology taking over the world, it's easy for declarations of love that used to appear longhand, meticulously scripted on stationery, to become online posts that are here one day, gone the next. Email, IM, Facebook posts or chats - young lovers confess their feelings in this way, this world, more and more often. Almost gone are the days of the handwritten love letter. That's not entirely bad, of course: today's communication is almost instant, so you can tell your love AT ONCE how you feel. But there's something charming about feelings that are committed to paper, in the tradition of years/decades past, right? Take a look at some famous ones:
"I can live only wholly with you or not at all – No one else can ever possess my heart - never - never - "(Ludwig von Beethoven)
"You have touched me more profoundly than I thought even you could have touched me - my heart was full when you came here today. Henceforward I am yours for everything." (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)
"Dearest, - I wish I had the gift of making rhymes, for methinks there is poetry in my head and heart since I have been in love with you." (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
"I belong to you; there is really no other way of expressing it, and that is not strong enough. How could I, fool that I am, go on sitting in my office, or here at home, instead of leaping onto a train with my eyes shut and opening them only when I am with you?" (Franz Kafka)
Sigh.
So I will admit, I'm the kind of sentimentalist that kept a few letters from boyfriends past. I dug out a few the other day to reread them, and those lines in faded ink reminded me so much of the girl I was, of the boys who wrote to me, of the way I treasured those awkward (and sometimes corny) lines. A couple of the ones I still love:
"I watch you walk across the room and I realize you are poetry: beauty in motion."
"If you make me wait, I won't mind: the more sand that falls through the hourglass, the bigger a sandcastle I will build you with it."
"Telling me to resist you is like telling me to live without the sunrise in the morning, warmth in the winter or water in the desert."
Ah, love letters...words from the hearts written down in black and white to be cherished always. Anyone have a stash from their past? Anyone still write them to their loved ones?
"I can live only wholly with you or not at all – No one else can ever possess my heart - never - never - "(Ludwig von Beethoven)
"You have touched me more profoundly than I thought even you could have touched me - my heart was full when you came here today. Henceforward I am yours for everything." (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)
"Dearest, - I wish I had the gift of making rhymes, for methinks there is poetry in my head and heart since I have been in love with you." (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
"I belong to you; there is really no other way of expressing it, and that is not strong enough. How could I, fool that I am, go on sitting in my office, or here at home, instead of leaping onto a train with my eyes shut and opening them only when I am with you?" (Franz Kafka)
Sigh.
So I will admit, I'm the kind of sentimentalist that kept a few letters from boyfriends past. I dug out a few the other day to reread them, and those lines in faded ink reminded me so much of the girl I was, of the boys who wrote to me, of the way I treasured those awkward (and sometimes corny) lines. A couple of the ones I still love:
"I watch you walk across the room and I realize you are poetry: beauty in motion."
"If you make me wait, I won't mind: the more sand that falls through the hourglass, the bigger a sandcastle I will build you with it."
"Telling me to resist you is like telling me to live without the sunrise in the morning, warmth in the winter or water in the desert."
Ah, love letters...words from the hearts written down in black and white to be cherished always. Anyone have a stash from their past? Anyone still write them to their loved ones?
June 13, 2011
Monday Mentionables: Extreme Couponing
Does anyone else watch the show Extreme Couponing with a combination of awe and apprehension? Do you know what it is? It's a reality sort-of show that highlights extreme couponers - those people (actually, all women on the shows I've seen, no men - and I think there's a reason for this) who clip coupons, file coupons, compare sale flyers, and then bring their coupons/laptops/spread sheets to the grocery store where they emerge some 3-5 hours later having just scored $1,000 worth of groceries for something like $1.75.
Impressive? Absoutely. A little terrifying? At times, because these women are obsessive about matching up their coupons with deals and then either buying things they would never use (and then donating them to the needy, I guess), or stockpiling things they probably will never get through. The "stockpile" is the pride and joy of these women: usually a closet, sometimes a separate room altogether, filled with everything they've scored free or almost free. And yes, I admit I'm a little jealous, considering I spend over $100 almost every week on groceries. But I'm not sure I could break down and buy 25 deodorants just because they're .10 each, or 100 packets of dried noodles because they're .15 each. What on earth will one family do with 150 boxes of cereal? Or four shelves filled with hand soap?
This is where I think the extreme couponers border on hoarding. I really do. It becomes more about the deal than about buying things you need and will use. I think, honestly, having a huge stockpile, whether or not you use it, makes some people feel very secure, and maybe rightly so. But still. I do find it a little odd.
Here's the other thing: do these people buy produce or meat? I can't believe so, at least not on the show. Because those things are NEVER on sale with a coupon. And finally, with absoutely no disrespect to those people who are racking up 98% savings when they shop, not one person featured on the show has a full-time job. These women say they spend up to 30 hours a week clipping coupons and scoping out sales, and I believe it. But there's no way I would ever have time for that! (Thus my opinion as to why no men are featured on the show: they're out working 40+ hours a week while the women are home with the kids and the coupons).
OK, this post had nothing to do with writing. But I do find this relatively new fad of "extreme couponing" quite interesting. Thoughts?
Impressive? Absoutely. A little terrifying? At times, because these women are obsessive about matching up their coupons with deals and then either buying things they would never use (and then donating them to the needy, I guess), or stockpiling things they probably will never get through. The "stockpile" is the pride and joy of these women: usually a closet, sometimes a separate room altogether, filled with everything they've scored free or almost free. And yes, I admit I'm a little jealous, considering I spend over $100 almost every week on groceries. But I'm not sure I could break down and buy 25 deodorants just because they're .10 each, or 100 packets of dried noodles because they're .15 each. What on earth will one family do with 150 boxes of cereal? Or four shelves filled with hand soap?
This is where I think the extreme couponers border on hoarding. I really do. It becomes more about the deal than about buying things you need and will use. I think, honestly, having a huge stockpile, whether or not you use it, makes some people feel very secure, and maybe rightly so. But still. I do find it a little odd.
Here's the other thing: do these people buy produce or meat? I can't believe so, at least not on the show. Because those things are NEVER on sale with a coupon. And finally, with absoutely no disrespect to those people who are racking up 98% savings when they shop, not one person featured on the show has a full-time job. These women say they spend up to 30 hours a week clipping coupons and scoping out sales, and I believe it. But there's no way I would ever have time for that! (Thus my opinion as to why no men are featured on the show: they're out working 40+ hours a week while the women are home with the kids and the coupons).
OK, this post had nothing to do with writing. But I do find this relatively new fad of "extreme couponing" quite interesting. Thoughts?
June 10, 2011
Friday Fun Facts: Rotten Rejections
You know the story: debut author lands six-figure publishing deal, followed by a movie and then a second smash novel, and the author is appropriately, charmingly, and nauseatingly humble, saying, "Well, I did get about 100 rejection letters before I finally found the agent/editor/publishing house that was willing to take a chance."
Once we get past our envy of their huge success, it's worthwhile to listen to what many authors have to say about surviving the rejection letter - sometimes multiple times. Yes, the best authors have been rejected, often many times. So I try to take heart from their experiences - and surfing the Web to find some of those classic "can't believe this author EVER received a rejection letter" can bring a smile to anyone's face, I think.
In that spirit, here are a couple of sites that feature rejections of the famous and not-so-famous, all of which should make you chuckle and remind you to keep on keeping on! Write (or fill in the blank here_____) because you love it. Because you can't imagine NOT doing it. The publication (or fame, or money, or whatever else you're seeking) will come......
Rotten Rejections - My favorite here is about Carrie by Stephen King: 'We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.'
Famous Rejections - Starts with Dr. Seuss ("too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling")and moves on from there. Another funny one: "It is badly written and the hero is unsympathetic" (Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead)
And finally, from my own files (I save all my rejection letters), this one from an agent about Summer's Song: "Unforunately, I don't think your writing is strong enough to be publishable." (I will tell you, I still use this one in the back of my mind to motivate me, and to remind me that publishing is subjective, and never to allow one person's opinion to shape my own writing career.)
Carry on, and happy weekend!
Once we get past our envy of their huge success, it's worthwhile to listen to what many authors have to say about surviving the rejection letter - sometimes multiple times. Yes, the best authors have been rejected, often many times. So I try to take heart from their experiences - and surfing the Web to find some of those classic "can't believe this author EVER received a rejection letter" can bring a smile to anyone's face, I think.
In that spirit, here are a couple of sites that feature rejections of the famous and not-so-famous, all of which should make you chuckle and remind you to keep on keeping on! Write (or fill in the blank here_____) because you love it. Because you can't imagine NOT doing it. The publication (or fame, or money, or whatever else you're seeking) will come......
Rotten Rejections - My favorite here is about Carrie by Stephen King: 'We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.'
Famous Rejections - Starts with Dr. Seuss ("too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling")and moves on from there. Another funny one: "It is badly written and the hero is unsympathetic" (Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead)
And finally, from my own files (I save all my rejection letters), this one from an agent about Summer's Song: "Unforunately, I don't think your writing is strong enough to be publishable." (I will tell you, I still use this one in the back of my mind to motivate me, and to remind me that publishing is subjective, and never to allow one person's opinion to shape my own writing career.)
Carry on, and happy weekend!
June 8, 2011
Writers' Wednesday: Another Submission
Submitted my novella "Tequila Sunrise" to Samhain last night. Fingers crossed! If they're not interested then I'll probably try my former editor who's now at Carina Press.
And now I really have to decide what NEW project I want to take on for the summer. I need a new story to lose myself in!
And now I really have to decide what NEW project I want to take on for the summer. I need a new story to lose myself in!
June 6, 2011
Monday Mentionables: Short Reads!
Happy Monday!
For all my writer friends, The Long and the Short of It is seeking out short, sweet romance stories for their "Thrifty Thursday" blog posts. Info here:
The Long and the Short of It is looking for short (1300 - 1500 words), sweet romance
fiction for our Thrifty Thursdays, where readers can come and read for free
(http://tinyurl.com/njyoeh
In exchange for your short romance story, we offer $5 (payable on acceptance and
via Pay Pal only) and a free ONE MONTH book cover or banner ad (a $10 value).
The author may also choose to substitute a TWO MONTH cover/banner ad (a $20
value) in lieu of monetary payment. The author will also receive a link on our
website to their personal webpage and/or blog.
All genres are welcome as long as the story has strong romantic elements.
Additionally, all the stories accepted at Long and Short Reviews MUST have love
and romance as central. A "Happy Ever After" (or at least "Hopefully Ever After"
) is also a required, fundamental part of all the stories we publish.
More information, including how to submit your story, may be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/29p5gba
*************
And speaking of short/free reads, many authors swear by them, to keep readers interested in between longer releases and/or just to whet the interest of new readers. Check out my friend Liz's blog for one that does just that: link here.
And I'm curious: what do you think about free reads on websites/blogs? Do they make you want more from an author? Have you ever bought a book/story because you first read a freebie by that author somewhere?
(P.S. - It''s yet another maketing tool, for all you authors out there!)
For all my writer friends, The Long and the Short of It is seeking out short, sweet romance stories for their "Thrifty Thursday" blog posts. Info here:
The Long and the Short of It is looking for short (1300 - 1500 words), sweet romance
fiction for our Thrifty Thursdays, where readers can come and read for free
(http://tinyurl.com/njyoeh
In exchange for your short romance story, we offer $5 (payable on acceptance and
via Pay Pal only) and a free ONE MONTH book cover or banner ad (a $10 value).
The author may also choose to substitute a TWO MONTH cover/banner ad (a $20
value) in lieu of monetary payment. The author will also receive a link on our
website to their personal webpage and/or blog.
All genres are welcome as long as the story has strong romantic elements.
Additionally, all the stories accepted at Long and Short Reviews MUST have love
and romance as central. A "Happy Ever After" (or at least "Hopefully Ever After"
) is also a required, fundamental part of all the stories we publish.
More information, including how to submit your story, may be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/29p5gba
*************
And speaking of short/free reads, many authors swear by them, to keep readers interested in between longer releases and/or just to whet the interest of new readers. Check out my friend Liz's blog for one that does just that: link here.
And I'm curious: what do you think about free reads on websites/blogs? Do they make you want more from an author? Have you ever bought a book/story because you first read a freebie by that author somewhere?
(P.S. - It''s yet another maketing tool, for all you authors out there!)
June 3, 2011
Friday Fun Facts
Some random facts, in no particular order:
1. I really liked the Romance Writer's Report article on writing dialogue, in the June 2011 issue. Specifically, the reminder that people tend to talk in "code" (think of married people discussing conflict in front of others) was a good tip.
2. Brava is having a contest for all unpublished authors - they're calling for novellas in any genre. More information here.
3. I was really glad I made the bed and straightened the house yesterday before work, because the crazy-high winds blew in a window screen...which triggered our house alarm...which summoned the police to our place. On a walk-through with them, I realized I failed to put away my lingerie on the drying rack, but oh well. Almost everything else passed muster :)
4. This fairly large snapping turtle was digging a hole near the bottom of our driveway. Getting ready to lay eggs? Maybe, which would be kind of cool. I've seen turtles everywhere this spring, on the side of the road, IN the road, crossing parking lots. More sightings than ever before. Wonder why?
1. I really liked the Romance Writer's Report article on writing dialogue, in the June 2011 issue. Specifically, the reminder that people tend to talk in "code" (think of married people discussing conflict in front of others) was a good tip.
2. Brava is having a contest for all unpublished authors - they're calling for novellas in any genre. More information here.
3. I was really glad I made the bed and straightened the house yesterday before work, because the crazy-high winds blew in a window screen...which triggered our house alarm...which summoned the police to our place. On a walk-through with them, I realized I failed to put away my lingerie on the drying rack, but oh well. Almost everything else passed muster :)
4. This fairly large snapping turtle was digging a hole near the bottom of our driveway. Getting ready to lay eggs? Maybe, which would be kind of cool. I've seen turtles everywhere this spring, on the side of the road, IN the road, crossing parking lots. More sightings than ever before. Wonder why?
June 1, 2011
Writers' Wednesday: WD Top Websites for Writers
Every year, Writer's Digest rounds up the websites it considers best for writers, in a wide variety of genres and subject areas. So if you don't subscribe to WD, the May/June 2011 is definitely an issue you want to pick up! I won't list them all (there are over 100), but here are some that I visit on a (semi) regular basis and can vouch for their appeal/helpfulness:
Agent Query - find any agent here, listed by subject area/interest
BookEnds - agents Jessica Faust and Kim Lionetti run this blog
Pub Rants - agent Kristin Nelson has run this blog for years. Hugely helpful in terms of what agents are looking for, and she has a few series of posts regarding query letters, pubbing, etc.
Media Bistro - offers tons of resources & industry news for freelance writers
Preditors & Editors - lists agents and publishing houses along with questionable news, those who are fraudulent/not to be trusted, etc. A must-check before writers query ANYONE
Nathan Bransford - used to be an agent, now a writer, has friendly, easy-to-read posts on the inside workings of the publishing world.
WOW - Women on Writing - I freelanced for them a few times. Website devoted to supporting women's writing endeavors, really it just provides some great writing tips, industry news, etc, that anyone could find useful.
Absolute Write Forums - I check in there at least once a day. You can find information on just about any area of writing you're seeking. Forums for newbies to multi-published authors and anyone inbetween, with just about every genre and sub-genre covered. Awesome!
Happy writing/reading/researching/web surfing!
Agent Query - find any agent here, listed by subject area/interest
BookEnds - agents Jessica Faust and Kim Lionetti run this blog
Pub Rants - agent Kristin Nelson has run this blog for years. Hugely helpful in terms of what agents are looking for, and she has a few series of posts regarding query letters, pubbing, etc.
Media Bistro - offers tons of resources & industry news for freelance writers
Preditors & Editors - lists agents and publishing houses along with questionable news, those who are fraudulent/not to be trusted, etc. A must-check before writers query ANYONE
Nathan Bransford - used to be an agent, now a writer, has friendly, easy-to-read posts on the inside workings of the publishing world.
WOW - Women on Writing - I freelanced for them a few times. Website devoted to supporting women's writing endeavors, really it just provides some great writing tips, industry news, etc, that anyone could find useful.
Absolute Write Forums - I check in there at least once a day. You can find information on just about any area of writing you're seeking. Forums for newbies to multi-published authors and anyone inbetween, with just about every genre and sub-genre covered. Awesome!
Happy writing/reading/researching/web surfing!
May 30, 2011
Monday Mentionables: Upcoming Events
Happy Memorial Day, everyone! In honor of all those who have served to protect our country, I thank you whole-heartedly!
***
I have a couple of events coming up this summer that I'm getting excited about, so if you're anywhere in the area(s), I hope you'll join me.
Holiday in Homer Annual Craft Fair - July 16th - This is my annual "hometown" event where I usually see a slew of familiar faces and sell all my new releases. Looking forward to it again this year.
Writing Workshops - Phillips Free Library, July 27th - Thanks to the librarian, who secured a grant so she could pay me (grin), I'll be giving both a one-hour workshop for teens (on writing romance) and a longer workshop in the evening for adults on writing craft and getting published. If you're interested in attending either one, you can call (607) 749-4616 for more information.
Chautaqua Conference = August 2 - I'll be speaking and selling books at this 2-day event that includes workshops on a variety of topics, devoted to the arts and learning for learning's sake. My focus will be "How a Local Girl Made it to NYC" or something of that nature. Will have to blow up pictures of my reading in Greenwich Village last winter!
***
Think I'll spend today writing and maybe planting some flowers, if the weather cooperates. The last 2 days were beautiful, but it's pretty overcast this morning. Well, even if I have to stay inside all day, that means more time at the keyboard!
***
I have a couple of events coming up this summer that I'm getting excited about, so if you're anywhere in the area(s), I hope you'll join me.
Holiday in Homer Annual Craft Fair - July 16th - This is my annual "hometown" event where I usually see a slew of familiar faces and sell all my new releases. Looking forward to it again this year.
Writing Workshops - Phillips Free Library, July 27th - Thanks to the librarian, who secured a grant so she could pay me (grin), I'll be giving both a one-hour workshop for teens (on writing romance) and a longer workshop in the evening for adults on writing craft and getting published. If you're interested in attending either one, you can call (607) 749-4616 for more information.
Chautaqua Conference = August 2 - I'll be speaking and selling books at this 2-day event that includes workshops on a variety of topics, devoted to the arts and learning for learning's sake. My focus will be "How a Local Girl Made it to NYC" or something of that nature. Will have to blow up pictures of my reading in Greenwich Village last winter!
***
Think I'll spend today writing and maybe planting some flowers, if the weather cooperates. The last 2 days were beautiful, but it's pretty overcast this morning. Well, even if I have to stay inside all day, that means more time at the keyboard!
