Allie Boniface's Blog, page 56
May 27, 2011
Friday Fun Facts: Finding the Time to Write...
Happy Memorial Day Weekend! We have today off from school (a first-time ever), and then the next 3 days as well, so I'm really hoping to do some solid writing while I have some time. I'm revising Entwined, making it a shorter work (about 45K) - also revising Tequila Sunrise (will remain around 18K) - and finally, taking stock in what full-length work I want to tackle over the summer. It's a little nerve-wracking, because I don't have anything contracted and haven't released anything new in over a year. That's why I'm hoping to contract a couple of shorter works, to keep me on readers' radar while I work on another longer novel.
Sigh.
It's definitely hard to develop a writing career while also having a full-time job that pays the bills. Yes, I know many people do it. It's still hard!
But for now, I have 4 days ahead of me, and so I'm putting fingers to keyboard and nose to screen and slogging through.
Oh, and I'll be giving a writing workshop on the evening of July 27th at the Phillips Free Library in Homer, NY (my hometown), which should be a lot of fun. The librarian has invited me in to do a couple of talks in the past, but this time she secured a grant so she could have me in longer, and more formally. Will have to put together a compelling agenda for the evening...if you're a writer or just interested in hearing from a writer, consider joining me!
Sigh.
It's definitely hard to develop a writing career while also having a full-time job that pays the bills. Yes, I know many people do it. It's still hard!
But for now, I have 4 days ahead of me, and so I'm putting fingers to keyboard and nose to screen and slogging through.
Oh, and I'll be giving a writing workshop on the evening of July 27th at the Phillips Free Library in Homer, NY (my hometown), which should be a lot of fun. The librarian has invited me in to do a couple of talks in the past, but this time she secured a grant so she could have me in longer, and more formally. Will have to put together a compelling agenda for the evening...if you're a writer or just interested in hearing from a writer, consider joining me!
May 25, 2011
Writers' Wednesday: Another Guest Blog
I also blogged over the weekend at Samhain's site - this time about things that make me feel like summer. Stop by for a visit!
***
And speaking of "making connections," the topic of my Monday blog at Savvy Authors, my former editor from Samhain emailed me (she does that every so often, just to say hi) to tell me about a guest blog SHE wrote over at Carina Press, about her desire for sweet, non-erotic romance. Give it a read, here. While the market tells us that erotic romance is still one of the biggest sub-genres, it's nice to hear that some editors (and readers too!) prefer the "slow build" over heroes and heroines jumping into bed the first chance they get.
Happy Wednesday!
***
And speaking of "making connections," the topic of my Monday blog at Savvy Authors, my former editor from Samhain emailed me (she does that every so often, just to say hi) to tell me about a guest blog SHE wrote over at Carina Press, about her desire for sweet, non-erotic romance. Give it a read, here. While the market tells us that erotic romance is still one of the biggest sub-genres, it's nice to hear that some editors (and readers too!) prefer the "slow build" over heroes and heroines jumping into bed the first chance they get.
Happy Wednesday!
May 23, 2011
Monday Mentionables: Guest Blogging at Savvy Author
Well, I'm (almost) out from under my pile of paperwork, so I hope to be a better blogger this week :) Today I'm blogging over at Savvy Authors - please stop by and let me know what you think!
May 16, 2011
May 13, 2011
Friday Fun Facts: A Random Collection of Musings...
Blogger was so wacky the last 24 hours! I couldn't post and now, well, it's almost the end of Friday :(
What am I doing this weekend? Lots and lots of grading. Sigh. At least the bulk of it will be done next week. I have to say, I'm looking forward to summer vacation more than ever this year! Been a long one.
I'm also considering what direction I want this blog to take. I mean, I used to blog 7 days a week, but it became too much. Now I try to blog Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with some kind of common theme...and yet I wonder if I need to change my focus. Right now it's sort of a random collection of writing updates and comments on my life, which I suppose isn't a terrible thing, but I've been thinking that it probably should be more of the former and less of the latter. Hmm. Still thinking on it. May reinstitute the book-a-month giveaway I used to do, to all commenters. I sure do have a lot in my library that I could share!
Will keep you posted - in the meantime, thanks to all my regulars for always popping in to read and occasionally say hello :)
What am I doing this weekend? Lots and lots of grading. Sigh. At least the bulk of it will be done next week. I have to say, I'm looking forward to summer vacation more than ever this year! Been a long one.
I'm also considering what direction I want this blog to take. I mean, I used to blog 7 days a week, but it became too much. Now I try to blog Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with some kind of common theme...and yet I wonder if I need to change my focus. Right now it's sort of a random collection of writing updates and comments on my life, which I suppose isn't a terrible thing, but I've been thinking that it probably should be more of the former and less of the latter. Hmm. Still thinking on it. May reinstitute the book-a-month giveaway I used to do, to all commenters. I sure do have a lot in my library that I could share!
Will keep you posted - in the meantime, thanks to all my regulars for always popping in to read and occasionally say hello :)
May 9, 2011
Monday Mentionables: The Help
"We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought."
I know I wrote a little while back that I had started reading The Help, a debut novel by Kathryn Stockett about the world of black domestics serving white families in the South in the 1960s. I finished it over the weekend, and my original assessment stands: it's fantastic. The voice, the story, the perpsective, the glimpse into a world I knew very little about...I loved all of it. It captivated me in a way few novels have done recently.
AND...it's been made into a movie, to be released this summer! I'm so looking forward to it, and from the looks of the trailer, it seems like they've kept a lot of the crucial parts & characters the same (oh, I hope so!)
Enjoy - and if you haven't read this book yet, what are you waiting for?
I know I wrote a little while back that I had started reading The Help, a debut novel by Kathryn Stockett about the world of black domestics serving white families in the South in the 1960s. I finished it over the weekend, and my original assessment stands: it's fantastic. The voice, the story, the perpsective, the glimpse into a world I knew very little about...I loved all of it. It captivated me in a way few novels have done recently.
AND...it's been made into a movie, to be released this summer! I'm so looking forward to it, and from the looks of the trailer, it seems like they've kept a lot of the crucial parts & characters the same (oh, I hope so!)
Enjoy - and if you haven't read this book yet, what are you waiting for?
May 6, 2011
Friday Fun Facts: A Random Assortment of Thoughts
In no particular order, some interesting tidbits from my week:
A beta reader returned my novella "Tequila Sunrise" telling me she liked the story but thought there were too many coincidences and that the hero had too mnuch baggage. I always love another reader's perspective! Funny that I gave the hero quite a few qualities of a friend I know, baggage included. So maybe he's realistic but that's not someone we want to read about in a romance, huh?
One of my College English students remarked that he liked reading poetry for the first time in his school career because we weren't analyzing it to death, weren't swinging a giant fireman's hose at it to beat it to death and make it turn up its every suggested meaning. Made me laugh.
I want to write 2-3 other novellas around the same idea as "Tequila Sunrise", featuring minor characters that reappear as major ones. And so I need some good drink names for titles. I think "Sex on the Beach" might work. But I don't really want to go raunchy as much as intriguing/suggestive. Any ideas?
Happy early Mother's Day to all the moms out there who work so hard for their families and provide so much love and support - including my own :)
And finally, TGIF!
A beta reader returned my novella "Tequila Sunrise" telling me she liked the story but thought there were too many coincidences and that the hero had too mnuch baggage. I always love another reader's perspective! Funny that I gave the hero quite a few qualities of a friend I know, baggage included. So maybe he's realistic but that's not someone we want to read about in a romance, huh?
One of my College English students remarked that he liked reading poetry for the first time in his school career because we weren't analyzing it to death, weren't swinging a giant fireman's hose at it to beat it to death and make it turn up its every suggested meaning. Made me laugh.
I want to write 2-3 other novellas around the same idea as "Tequila Sunrise", featuring minor characters that reappear as major ones. And so I need some good drink names for titles. I think "Sex on the Beach" might work. But I don't really want to go raunchy as much as intriguing/suggestive. Any ideas?
Happy early Mother's Day to all the moms out there who work so hard for their families and provide so much love and support - including my own :)
And finally, TGIF!
May 2, 2011
Monday Mentionables: What Should I Talk About?
"Chautauqua is dedicated to the exploration of the best in human values and the enrichment of life through a program that explores the important religious, social and political issues of our times; stimulates provocative, thoughtful involvement of individuals and families in creative response to such issues; and promotes excellence and creativity in the appreciation, performance and teaching of the arts."
I'm happy to announce another appearance I've just scheduled for this summer: I'll be giving a talk at the Cortland County Chatauqua Festival on the evening of August 2. This is a local couple of days of workshops on a variety of topics, in my hometown, and I was invited at the end of last year to plan to attend in 2011. I'm excited and always love doing talks and signings in my local area, so of course I said yes! The concept actually comes from the concept of the Chatauqua Institute, a summer series of lectures and events intended for people's general enrichment. It originated and still takes place on the shores of Chatauqua Lake, in western New York (I've spent some time there; it's beautiful).
Here's my question to all of you: what do you think listeners would like to hear? Some will probably know me/know of me. Most probably won't. I'm billed as an author who grew up in the area, and I'll have my published books with me. What do you think people would like to hear me speak about? How I got into writing? My advice for those who want to write/publish? The world of ebooks and how technology is affecting publishing today? I have about 40 minutes total.
Any thoughts welcome!
I'm happy to announce another appearance I've just scheduled for this summer: I'll be giving a talk at the Cortland County Chatauqua Festival on the evening of August 2. This is a local couple of days of workshops on a variety of topics, in my hometown, and I was invited at the end of last year to plan to attend in 2011. I'm excited and always love doing talks and signings in my local area, so of course I said yes! The concept actually comes from the concept of the Chatauqua Institute, a summer series of lectures and events intended for people's general enrichment. It originated and still takes place on the shores of Chatauqua Lake, in western New York (I've spent some time there; it's beautiful).
Here's my question to all of you: what do you think listeners would like to hear? Some will probably know me/know of me. Most probably won't. I'm billed as an author who grew up in the area, and I'll have my published books with me. What do you think people would like to hear me speak about? How I got into writing? My advice for those who want to write/publish? The world of ebooks and how technology is affecting publishing today? I have about 40 minutes total.
Any thoughts welcome!
