It is time for chick lit author to come out of hiding, come and visit my new blog at http://www.julietmadison.wordpress.com !
This blog will remain here, but no more posts will be made. If you want to keep updated, subscribe to the new blog. See you there!
Many people call writing a lonely pursuit, but I disagree. Okay, we do sit in front of computer screens talking to ourselves and imagining a fake world, but that’s only part of it. Since I started writing seriously, I have made a truckload of new friends, and the support for writers online is amazing.
There are writing groups to join, book clubs to participate in, festivals and conferences to go to, critique partners and groups, and online chats and discussions.
Recently I participated in the Romance Writers of Australia’s (RWA) ‘Clayton’s Conference’, which is a three day online event. It was so much more than I imagined, and the group of us Claytoneer’s have even started our own online networking group to continue the camaraderie and support.
Since joining the ‘writing community’ I have won giveaways, writing challenges, and received fantastic support and encouragement, as well as connections and opportunities in the publishing world, that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
So to all those ‘lonely writers’ out there, I urge you to step out and become part of this amazing network. Join online discussion groups, find a critique partner, and become part of a writing association. It doesn’t even have to be in your genre; I joined RWA even though I’m not a category romance writer, and now I would not be without them. I have learned about the craft of writing, the publishing industry, how to edit, how to bring your characters to life, and read many inspiring author interviews.
And another thing, when I’m writing, how can I be lonely when I have my characters to keep me company!
When it comes to getting things done, I’m either a ‘Do it right away and don’t stop till it’s finished’ kind of person, or an ‘I’ll just do everything else first to get things out of the way’ kind of person, depending on how I’m feeling, and what it is I need to get done. A happy medium eludes me.
I’ve tried making a schedule that allocates time for the most important, creative, and profitable things first, leaving the more mundane things like checking emails, paying bills, and sorting mail till the end of the day, but for some reason I tend to follow my schedule in reverse, stuck in the belief that If I get all the little things out of the way I’ll feel better and more able to focus on the BIG things. Problem is, by the time I’ve finished all the little things, I’m either too buggered to work on the big things, or I’ve managed to pull a whole new To Do List of little things out of thin air!
So I’ve come up with a solution: Prioritise Procrastination. Yep, procrastination is now a task in its own right, taking pride of place at the top of my To Do List. I figure if I make it seem important, I’ll be less likely to do it!
I used to write a lot of poetry when I was a teenager. It got me through some challenging times, helped me make sense of the world. Since I’m feeling quite poetic today, I thought I’d try my hand at a quick poem. A piece of writing about writing! …Okay, it may not be a masterpiece, but what I love about poetry is that there’s no right or wrong; it’s an individual’s unique perspective on something, and each person may interpret something different from the same poem.
Would love to hear your thoughts… here it is:
……………………………..
It awakens me like a breath of fresh air, diffusing through my mind and body.
It excites me like the start of a new year, filled with hope and possibility.
A rush of ideas pours forth, creating a bridge towards a new world,
A world that changes and moulds in response to my thoughts.
Feels like I’m playing God, deciding the fate of these inner creations.
Or a sculptor …an artist, building layers of colours and textures,
Shaping them into something that’s never existed before.
Writing.
It gives wings to the birds in the cage of my mind.
In their flight they are free. And so am I.
One of things I’ve read about creating characters is to find out if they have any personality quirks. This helps bring them to life and make them seem ‘more human’. One of my main characters is obsessed with gadgets. She has a USB mug warmer, a 5-in-one key chain gadget, a toothbrush with in built timer, and even a pair of microwaveable heat socks for those cold nights! My other characters quirks are more subtle; one character is clumsy and always dropping things, forgetting things, or falling over (and no she’s not elderly), and the other always jokes around when dealing with a difficult situation, and is late everywhere she goes.
This got me thinking about my own quirks, do I have any?
Well one of them has to do with books. I have about ten or so books piled high on my bedside, all with bookmarks about a third of the way through. Why can’t I just read one book at a time, then go onto the next one? … I don’t know. I usually only read one novel at a time, but I always have a sneak peek at the others on my to-read list, It’s the non-fiction books I can’t seem to read in order. I usually can’t wait to find out what it’s about, so I start reading a new book right away, then the mystery is solved somewhat and my interest wanes, and I move onto the next one to discover more ‘secrets’. I also read these books with highlighter in hand, highlighting all those important bits of informaton I want to remember. I buy books related to business, marketing, health, goals, spirituality, and have about a thousand books on applying the law of attraction in your life. …Okay, so maybe all the half read books are attracting more half read books. It’s ‘law’ so I can’t help it 😉
Some of my other quirks: Before going to bed I always double check every lock in the house, and make sure the garage door is closed (even when I know it is). Is that a quirk, or is it me just being cautious? I also do a mental inventory of my handbag before going out to make sure I’ve got everything I need (who says a mini-flashlight isn’t essential?), and don’t even get me started on packing a suitcase – now that needs at least a full day! I also constantly check my To Do list, even though I remember damn well what I’m supposed to be doing at 4:47pm each day. Yes, I like checking things. It helps me feel safe, secure, and in control. Hmmm… I think I may have a touch of OCD …oh wait, let me check.
…Do you have any quirks? what are they?
Well, It’s happening again …I’m becoming one of my characters. To add to my many mishaps of late, I just broke a jar of expensive face cream. Barely used as well. Looks like I’ll have to turn it into a heavy duty exfoliator complete with microscopic glass shards. Who needs microdermabrasion?
I really think cosmetics should come with their own in-built air bags that puff up at the slightest hint of being dropped. Either that or someone should invent a waterproof carpet for bathrooms. Then again maybe I should just be more mindful when handling glass objects!
Oh well, off to clean up. Always fun to do a spot of vacuuming at 11:00 pm!
I’m trialling this free writing software called yWriter, it’s pretty cool! …Helps to organise chapters, scenes, characters…etc, and I love how you can easily swap scenes around, and also see a storyboard or timeline for a quick overview of your manuscript. There’s also a rating system for each scene based on its tension, humour…etc, so you can make sure there’s a good balance of elements in each scene.
There are so many gorgeous book covers around lately, I think I’ll wallpaper my room with them! Here is part two of covers I love…
Living La Vida loca is my favourite at the moment, I love the hot pink and the dance picture. From Notting Hill with love …actually has a fantastic cover, and what an awesome book title! I love the simplicity of Please forgive me, and Desire looks glamourous, it makes you want to be there. Chick with a charm draws you in, and anything with sparkles gets my vote!
To see part one of covers I love, click here: https://chicklitauthor.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/chick-lit-book-covers-i-love-pt-1/
Since I started writing ‘seriously’, I’m finding it hard to relax and watch a movie, or read a book. I keep stopping periodically as I get ideas and flashes of inspiration. I’ve learned to just go with it when I get ideas, jotting down thoughts and dialogue as it comes, otherwise when I sit down to write ‘on purpose’ sometimes nothing comes of it. This is all well and good if I’m reading alone, or watching a DVD by myself (the pause button on the remote gets a workout), but not very popular for family life …”Mum! Can I press play yet?”. It can also interfere with a good night’s sleep as a 2 hour DVD can sometimes take about 3 hours when you count all the ‘Inspiration Breaks’. My so called winding down time in front of the telly has turned into a character analysis and brainstorming plotting session.
They say reading books and watching movies in your genre is good for research, but it’s also good for just plain fun, and I could do with a bit more of that right now!
I’m always intrigued at the power of some books to ‘take over the world’. It’s amazing how an idea that starts in someones mind can develop into a worldwide phenomenon that changes the lives of many people. I think many authors would never dream that their book would be made into a film (okay they might dream of it a bit!), let alone a whole range of merchandise to go with it. While looking in the homewares section of Target the other day, I saw ‘Twilight’ pillows! …Can you imagine your own book, or the book you’re currently reading having it’s own range of bedding? I’m sure Stephanie Meyer didn’t foresee this!
While having lunch with my mother recently, I got to talking about Twilight. “What’s Twilight?” she asked. “You know. The world’s most popular book at the moment”. I replied. A genuine look of confusion appeared on my mothers face. “You haven’t heard of Twilight?!” I asked in shock. “Nope. But I’ve heard of ‘The Twilight Zone'”. Yep, so have I. I think we’re in it.
🙂
Chick Lit Author 