Julie Lence's Blog, page 16

Labor Day

Can you believe that summer is almost over? Where has the time gone? It seems the nation was just celebrating Memorial Day weekend. Folks were dusting off backyard barbeques, filling up kiddie pools and heading to Lowe’s for summer flowers and plants. Now, in the blink of an eye, it’s Labor Day weekend. Cooler days and nights are finally here. Football kicks off next weekend, and next month it’s baseball playoffs and Halloween. For some, this holiday weekend is a time to relax and be with family. Some head to the lake or the campground for one last blast of outdoor fun. Others begin preparing for winter. And there are others who must work, namely our military.

My husband is a 20-year veteran of the Air Force. He and I know the hardships military members and their families endure when loved ones aren’t home to celebrate holidays. Though he never went into combat and most holidays we did spend together, even when he did a one-year tour in Greenland, we know others who have sacrificed. It is with honor and pride and courage these men and women leave the safety of their homes and families to venture overseas to protect the United States and the American way of life. Some may argue this is the career they chose and others may not agree with the wars our country is involved in, but remember, our service men and women did not start these wars. They deserve our support regardless of which side you support. After all, if it wasn’t for them, you wouldn’t have the freedom to disagree.

So if you know a service man or woman, please keep him or her in your heart and thoughts. Not only are they fighting for this great country we call home, they are also missing their families and friends this Labor Day weekend and struggling to keep safe so they can return home in the future.

Getting Back Into The Routine

I thought last week--a three day school week--was hard; getting up at 5:45, making breakfast and lunch and getting my son to school. This week was worse. I do like being up early, because I have more time in the day to get everything done. It's the getting out of bed part that I hate, especially after a long summer of sleeping in. But what's even worse, my writing for the week did not go as planned.

Getting back into the routine was the easy part. Getting the muse to cooperate was the hard part. I had a very good day on Monday reviewing what I'd already written over the summer and fine-tuning the chapters. It all went south on Tuesday. Starting the next chapter was rough. My muse had deserted me. Where it went, I don't know. But I stubbornly kept at it all that day and Wednesday, and with the help of Stacey, my critique partner, I managed to make it all come together on Thursday. And now, late Friday afternoon, I'm actually looking forward to writing on Monday.

You can do the same in your writing, if you hit a stumbling block. Take a few deep breaths, remember you're coming off a long, hot summer and cut yourself some slack. Take it slow, outline a few ideas and your muse will kick in. I found that several cups of caffine will help with this. Plus listening to my critique partner and cutting the garbage from my work that needed cutting. So it is with great appreciation and gratitude that I thank Stacey for jump-starting my muse and pointing out where I ventured off course. If not for her, I'd still be pounding out the same words on the keyboard and wallowing in the anxiety I experience when I can't get a scene right.

Now, I'm going to put my feet up and enjoy the weekend. Yeah, right. There's yard work, taking down the pool, helping my son with his homework... The list goes on and on and on, but Monday will be here soon and then I can get back to my characters and their world.

Back From Summer Break

Hello Everyone:
School is back in session, which means it's time for me to get back into my writing routine. I hope you all had a wonderful summer break, made time to enjoy those lazy summer days and spent quality time with your children. And if your tots aren't back to school yet, enjoy the next few weeks with them. The first day back is always the hardest for me. I just get used to having my son home and then he's gone again.

I can't believe how fast June and July went. I think I blinked and missed a few weeks somewhere. We traveled back to New York to visit with family. Thankfully, we saw everyone and spent a Saturday in Lake George watching the fire truck parade and browsing the shops. Since I don't like to fly, we went by car and I can tell you the heat and humidity in the mid-west are more over-bearing than I remembered from when my husband and I lived there in the 80's. The times we'd stop for gas and food, I couldn't wait to get back in the truck and blast the AC. My son had a grand time staying at the hotels and swimming in their pools. He's like a fish, and thoroughly enjoyed the week with grandma and grandpa. Of course, they didn't spoil him too much, .

Back on the home front, the heat in July was nasty. This is the first summer out here where I can honestly say the weather really bothered me. (Must be an age thing.) I spent most of the month inside with the air on. Even the dog couldn't stand the heat and kept to her cool spots in the house. We did get the pool set up--for about a week until it sprung a hole in the seam. Had to order another liner and then my son and his friend had a blast in the water. Then they'd come inside and play Xbox, which was fine with me. While they kept themselves entertained, I wrote the first five chapters of my new book.

I don't have much news to tell as far as writing goes. I did sign the contract for the third book in the Weston Family series. Hopefully, No Luck At All will be released later this year. The story involves the youngest Weston brother and his bride. Creel has earned his doctor's degree and returns to Wooded Acres with Racine, a Boston socialite desperately in need of his bed-side manner. I've also joined Facebook and am learning my way around that site. Asylett Press has had new releases over the summer. Check them out for some good reading. And I'd like to extend a BIG congratulation to fellow Asylett author, Mark Ozeroff. Mark's novel, Days of Smoke, has won the Military Writer's Society of America gold medal award for historical fiction. The Asylett family is happy for Mark and wishes him continued success in his writing career.

Now, for the all important questions: How did you do with your summer writing? Did you finish a novel? Begin a new one? Work on promotion? Or did you take the summer off? There are only a few weeks left to enjoy lazy evenings and weekends. Before you know it, football season (minus pre-season) will begin and you'll need to get back into a routine. Think about what you want to accomplish for the remainder of the year. Set reachable goals and a realistic schedule. Christmas will be upon us shortly, along with the nightmare of shopping for everyone on your list. At that point, I plan to be more than halfway through this book.

Until next week, may the fates be kind to us all.

Summer Vacation

Today is the last day of school. Tomorrow begins summer vacation and with Memorial Day weekend approaching, the timing couldn't be more fitting. No more tests to study for. No more homework to finish. And no more rushing in the morning to fix breakfast and lunch and get the kids out the door. It's time to relax and enjoy.

The last few weeks I've been making the rounds with interviews. One thing interviewers ask: What advice do I have for those suffering from writer's block? I advise people to step away from the story and give their muse a rest; take a bath, go for a walk, run errands. Once they're relaxed, the ideas will flow again and they'll be back at the keyboard. The next question is: Do I follow my own advice? Sadly, the answer is no. When I'm stuck, I keep at the problem, tackling it from different angles until I resolve the issue. But with summer vacation staring me in the eye, I've decided to take my own advice and give myself a break. Not that I'm stuck. I'm anxious to begin a new story. But I also want to enjoy my family more and work a little less.

I've decided the best way to let my muse rest is to forgo blogging for the summer months. I'll be back at it full-time when school starts up in mid August. Until then, I hope you all enjoy the warm weather, the lazy afternoons sipping iced tea, grilling in the back yard and most of all, the smiles on your children's faces as they play and give their muses a rest, too. Be safe these next 120 days, and any updates I have you can catch here or on my website, julielence.com. Love to you all, and have a great summer.

Julie

An Artist's Work

Last month, I had the pleasure of sitting down and talking with Lucinda from the Copyright Alliance. She interviewed me about my writing and the importance of Copyright Laws. And then she went on to interview various artists across the United States about their work and what they thought about Copyright Laws. The interviews were taped, spliced into short clips and now air on the Copyright Alliance website. Yesterday, I watched my fellow artists' interviews and have to say Lucinda did a fantastic job.

Through the videos, I met a singer, a graphic designer, musicians, a game developer, another writer and a painter. Each told a little about their work, why they do what they do and their thoughts on Copyright Laws. We agreed that Copyright Laws are necessary to protect our work from being stolen, copied or used without our permission. We labor to produce a product for the public to enjoy and should be rewarded for our efforts, which brought about the discovery of another thing we had in common. Is the public aware of the time it takes to produce the product?

Composing a song, designing a board game, painting a picture and writing a book does not happen in a day. It happens in days, and in my case, months. While I can't speak for the people I met via the interviews, or other authors, I can honestly say it takes me about ten months to write, edit and edit the book again. I am dedicated to my craft. I want to write the best story I can, and as such, I treat my work with respect and give it my utmost attention. If I didn't, I'd have an end result that is sloppy and worth nothing.

Some weeks are good. I turn out a chapter, maybe more. Other weeks, I'm lucky to write a decent scene. And during both, I stay on task, focused and pushing the muse to keep going. Sometimes, I get frustrated, especially on those bad weeks, but I never give up. I might take a break, but even then, my mind is still reworking scenes and I'm leaving notes on my desk. This translates to time well spent, time devoted to my work, and as with any job, when you turn in a good performance, positive acknowledgement makes your efforts all the more worthwhile.

The next time you hear a favorite song on the radio, or view a painting, or play a game remember the artist who labored over that product and the journey he or she took from beginning to end. It was indeed a labor of love and as such, the artist should be rewarded in the form of purchasing the product legally.

On a side note: Thank you Lucinda for your time and dedication to Copyright Laws. You traveled extensively and labored over the interviews and videos in the hopes of helping the artistic world. Your devotion to us is truly heartfelt and sincerely appreciated. God Bless.

Comfort

Last year, I wrote about women's fashion and how styles have changed since the 1800's. I do admire the gowns women wore back then; some were absolutely gorgeous and beautiful in cut and color. And I do like the high-buttoned boots they wore. I have a few pairs, and wore them often. Plus, I wore four-inch heels to work and those uncomfortable stockings. Causal Friday wasn't embraced too often when I worked outside the home, so the days we could dress down were a treat. But since I've been a stay-at-home mom, casual has taken on a whole new meaning.

In the mid 90's, those four-inch heels had to go. Wearing them every day for 10+ years finally took its toll on my back and I had to drop down to two-inch heels. That took some getting used to; I'm one of those types who prefers heels with skirts and dresses, and the higher the better. But I did drop down, found a style of pumps I liked and my back thanked me. Today, the thought of putting on shoes brings on a case of cringing. I wear slippers, even when driving as long as I don't have to get out of the car. If I could wear slipper inside stores and restaurants, I would.

And clothes; where I once favored jeans, belts and boots, I don't anymore. Sweat pants, sweat shirts and comfy socks are usually the norm for me. But then, I sit at the computer all day, by myself and comfort is a must. I chuckle fondly at the remembrance of saying I'll never give up my Wranglers, but back then I was young and stupid. However, on that same note, I do zip up and lace up when I'm going out in public.

Styles come and go, and we all want to look our best, and face it, when we're young, we'll wear just about anything as long as it looks good. And we think we'll never change. But we do. We mature and finally come to the realization that always being 'dressed to the hilt' doesn't matter anymore. As long as we're presentable, that's good enough. Or, at least it is for me.

The same holds true for the characters in your story, especially your hero and heroine. At the beginning of your story, they each have settled into some type of comfort zone; a goal. They envision maintaining this comfort zone and reaching that goal, but then something comes along to disturb their zone. They're either shifted in the direction of a different goal, or the path for their original goal changes. By the end, they have reached a new level of comfort; the same way I went from four-inch heels to two-inch heels to slippers. They have matured and are cozy with the changes life has brought them.

Summer Goals

For me, summer is a short season, because I base it on the school year. There are about two and a half months of vacation, depending on when the current year ends in May and the next one begins in August. Usually, at the beginning of May, I'm counting the weeks until school ends and scrambling for time to finish my current story. Between the endless school trips, field days and assemblies, I worry I won't finish the story and settle into a comfort zone for the summer months. This year is different. I'm ready for the school year to end.

I've finished the story. I've done the first round of editing and will complete the second round next week. I'm fulfilling promotion opportunities, and unlike the past few years, I'm not chaperoning school trips this year; the hubby is. (Signed him up early for that.) I find myself with some spare time on my hands, which translates to a bit of restless anxiety. It's time for me to set summer goals.

We all want summer to be fun. Days at the park, children playing in the back yard, picnics at the lake, the family vacation; but what about your summer writing? I usually take the month of June to work on other aspects of writing; planning promotional events for the remainder of the year, updating my website, discovering another internet outlet to connect with readers and writers. By July, I'm ready to begin work on a new story. I tell myself to wait until August when the kids are back at school, but this never happens. My muse is ready to get back to work, and when the muse calls, I don't ignore it. I take my laptop out onto the deck, and while the kids are in the pool, I get started on the first chapter. Sometimes, depending on where we go on vacation, I'll write then, too.

So what about you? Have you thought about summer goals? They don't have to be big ones. They don't have to take up too much of your time. Writing a paragraph a day, networking with old and new friends, outlining chapters or fleshing out characters over the course of a few weeks will keep your muse alive and reduce your risk of falling out of a writing routine. So will prowling around the library. Discover a new author, re-read an old favorite, find out the current trends; reading can and will keep you connected to your craft. Reading broadens your vocabulary and imagination and is a great learning tool. I've learned many techniques from my favorite authors, not to mention they inspire and motivate me.

Set your goals. Accomplish them as best you can, and enjoy the summer and your kids. Before you know it, we'll be hitting the malls and shopping for Christmas gifts.

Agents and Editors

Writing a novel is hard work, no matter the genre. It takes weeks, months, maybe even years to polish and perfect the story. Long hours sitting at the keyboard, chugging the caffeine to stay awake, obsessing about word choice; in the end, it's worth it. You have a finished product you're proud of and ready to shop to agents and editors, hoping someone will like your work and publish it. But as with writing the story, finding the right home takes time, too.

Agents and editors are like the rest of us; they're human. They work long hours at their offices, helping existing clients and those who are new. I'm willing to wager some take their work home with them. It's their job to read through the solicitations, filter out what they deem is good and not good or what might be good with a little more work. And then letters are sent to writers, either asking to read more of your work or rejecting it. Rejections aren't meant to anger you. They're sent because the story isn't right for them at that time or because they feel it needs more polishing before it's ready for publication. To assume an agent or editor doesn't like you is unfair.

When a manuscript lands on an agent or editor's desk, he/she knows absolutely nothing about you, other than the little they've garnered from your cover letter. They read your work and make the best decision they can, for you and for them. And if they take the time to write comments in the margins, count yourself lucky and learn from what they are saying. Don't take their rejection personal. Don't bad-mouth them. Pick yourself up. Dust off the blues and get back to work, because rejections are a part of your job. They signify your dedication to your work, your belief in yourself and your continued effort for success. Even the most famous authors received rejections before they were published.

I can't tell you how many rejections I received before getting published. Sure, I felt sad, discouraged, but in this business you have to develop tough skin. You have to be willing to listen and learn from your mistakes. I did. My problem was POV. Once I learned it, I moved ahead and kept sending out inquiries. I developed patience; something we all have to have when waiting to hear back from an agent or editor. And I remained courteous and professional. Plus, I was stubborn and would not give up. I wanted my book published.

So take comfort in the fact a rejection means you're doing your job. You're getting your name out there and you're learning, and that's something we as writers do daily--learn.

A busy Week

Monday the week ahead looks great. No major problems to tackle. No long list of errands to run. And then by Monday night, for some reason that clear schedule takes a turn. Not that I've been driving all over town. I've been home editing. Steadily. Faithfully. And now that I've reached the end of the first round, it's time for a few days rest. I'll be back next week. And for those of you writing, give yourself a break this weekend, too. Get out there and enjoy spring. Take a walk. Plant a garden. Or just hang out in front of the tv. Monday will be here before you know it, and your muse will be flowing and ready to get back to work. Enjoy!

Editing

This week I'm in editing mode. I finished the first draft of Zanna's Outlaw, the first book in a new series set in Texas, and gave myself last week to let the story sit, give my mind a chance to refresh and take care of home and family stuff. That was one week I should have wrote, as my muse was flowing and I found myself writing notes and leaving them on my desk. This week, I was pumped and ready to go, but the muse wasn't. It finally kicked in yesterday, and I got more accomplished in one day than I did in two.

Editing can be a blessing and a hassle, at the same time. Spelling and punctuation are easy. Your eyes are fresh and reading material you haven't in a while, so those mistakes leap out at you. Tightening your scenes and chapters and polishing your characters and plot can sometimes make you crazy. Or, at least they do for me.

It's the little things I obsess over; a paragraph that doesn't flow the way I'd like, a point I'm trying to make, not repeating something that I've written in a previous chapter, clearly expressing my character's thoughts and feelings. But I don't give up. I keep at it, and eventually what I'm trying to express works its way out of my mind and onto the computer screen.

Sometimes, I have a good day and breeze thru chapters. Some may require a slight bit of tweaking, and others require nothing at all. I wish I had more days like that, but in my heart, I want the story to be the best it can be. This is my chance to correct what I think is wrong. I'll grumble and get agitated, but in the end, I'll be satisfied.

I don't have a list of do's and don't's for editing and the order to do them. I think for everyone the process differs. I usually jump right in at page one and go. I have my notes and a good of idea of my weak spots. I put my notes in order so that when I get to that part in the story, I can see what I wanted to add or delete. As for the weak spots, I look for ways to make them better; word choice, adding something to the scene or strengthening my character's actions. I do a lot of flipping back and forth between the pages, paying attention to setting and plot details and points that move the story forward. I also look for things that don't work or could be better explained.

Obsess over minor things. Get frustrated. Change a whole scene. Add one or delete one. But whatever you do, keep going and enjoy this time of the creative process. Once you reach the end, your story will be better and your writing stronger. You'll feel a sense of accomplishment and know in that moment that the sweat and the laboring were well worth it. I know I do.