Chapter Interruptus

There I was, typing away happily, writing Chapter Six.  Which is a pretty important chapter because although my Hero and Heroine have managed to get all hot and steamy on a few occasions, Chapter Six is where it all happens.

You know?  It.  The "it".  Yes *whispers* sex.

And like I said before, I was on a roll.  Things were heating up very nicely and then WHAM, BAM, KAPOW.  It happened.

No, not that it.  A different it.  A bad it.

Chapter Interruptus.

No matter how hard I try, Life just refuses to be put on hold and quite frequently insists on pushing its way in on my writing time.  So I had to stop writing.  Mid bowm chicka bowm bowm and that kinda left me feeling a little disorientated.

But that's not the worst part.  The worst part is now I've tried three times to pick up from where I left off and ..........I can't.  Talk about performance anxiety.

My Hero and Heroine have been left in a position that I reckon would become physcially uncomfortable in about 5 mins and just plain awkward uncomfortable - on account of no one actually doing anything - in about 1.5 mins.  Think about it folks: things between you and your pelvic affiliate have progressed way past the slow waltz section of the mattress dance and *cue screeching brakes sound effect* someone yells "Freeze!"  How long do you think you could hold it?

Hmmm, that's what I thought too.

But I have been thinking about possible solutions:
1. Rewrite the whole scene.  Not really an option because I don't want my poor little brain to shift out of 'writing' mode into 'rewriting' mode.
2. Watching me some sexy movies.  Distinct possibility.  Please note: I said sexy not adult.
3. Listen to some sexy music.  Tried this a few times.  Mr Ne-Yo - ohmigoodnesslordyme.  Yes well it sort of worked except that I ended up thinking of a new story which I have sworn not to follow up until I have finished this one.  Actually make that two stories.  Bad Ne-Yo.  Bad.  Bad.  Bad.
4. Psych myself into it.  Also known as sucking it up and just doing it.  Think this is going to be my only real option.  If it sounds a little disjointed or not so sexy when I read it back, then I will do my best to smooth it all out and spice it up.

Dare I ask, what do you do when you get stuck writing mid Wild Thang?  While I wait for your sage advice, Sandy and I will listen to Ne-Yo.  Just a little bit.  Promise.

Ohmigoodnesslordyme indeed!

I'm A Plotter.....Aren't I?

I like to think of myself as semi-organised. 

I'm prepared for all eventualities at picnics.  I have back up plans for back up plans on holidays.  My kitchen is stocked with many and varied condiments, ingredients and enough cake tine/baking dishes to make Wilton's green with envy - all just in case I'm taken by the urge to cook 'something'.

I have always taken the same approach to writing.  I write out a brief synopsis of the story with all the major plot points and character names and then I expand on that to include all the little odd quirks that have come to me when I've been thinking about the story.  Then I sit down to write.

But this time, it was different.  I got the idea for the story but just a rough idea and instead of going through my normal process, I just started writing.  In part I'm blaming Jessica Hart (whose blog I just love) because she's published squillions of books but is so down to earth and I love how she refers to her first draft as the Shitty First Draft (SFD) and the second as the Shitty Second Draft (SSD).  The rest of the blame lies squarely on the head of Jackie Ashenden because after selling her first, second, third and fourth book in like 20 seconds, she has been encouraging me (yes, she does write her blog just for me) to be true to my own voice and writing for myself and not worrying about craft to the point where it stifles my voice.

So you see, it's not my fault at all!

With all that extremely good advice and permission to throw off the constraints of writing the perfect first draft, I may have gotten a little ahead of myself, and I just dove in.  I usually find that I can write the first three chapters without any problem, but then I start to get bogged down and by the time I reach chapter six, I'm happy to be lured off to a new project ...... *oooh look a new Hero*  I'm such a floozy.

But not with this ms.  I'm up to chapter six and it's just rolling along.  As I'm writing, what happens next just pops into my head and I end up doing my best stunned mullet impersonation and muttering: "why not?"  Miraculously, I haven't been bogged yet.  I mean I'm not kidding myself, it truly is a SFD (god bless you, Jessica). 

It remains to be seen if this process is going to work for me but I'm going with it.

My only problem is now when one of my blogger gurus ask me if I'm a plotter or a pantser, I have no idea what to reply.  A plottser?  A pantter?

Maybe I'll just reply:  I'm a SFDer and let it go at that.

So You Think You Can Write

I first started entering category romance competitions in 2009 (gah it seems so long ago but when you write it down it's like nothing!) with the I Heart Presents Competition.

Which then morphed into the New Voices Comp in 2010 and 2011.

To save you from scrolling through my archives: I didn't do so well.

Harlequin has another competition called So You Think You Can Write.  I believe it started in 2010.  I'm a little hazy on the rules for the last two years competition (mainly because I can't locate them anywhere on the net?) and this year's competition rules have yet to be posted so I can't comment on them either.  But here's what I do know:

• For this year's comp, you need to have a completed manuscript
• It starts in September this year (as opposed to Nov in the last two years) which is when New Voices started in 2011 and 2010
• To enter you need to submit a first chapter and a 100 word pitch.
• There will be an online vote (similar to New Voices) and 25 writers will be selected 
• There will be an additional 3 wildcard entries selected by Harlequin
• Those 28 writers will then need to submit their completed manuscripts
• 3 Finalists will be chosen by Harlequin and another online vote will be held and a winner announced

Here's what else I know:

• SERIOUSLY doubt I will be entering.

Why?  Because I doubt I will have a manuscript edited to the point where I would be happy to enter it into a competition of this scale.  Last year New Voices had 1084 entries of first chapters and I know lots of those who entered had only written that first chapter - waiting to see if they got anywhere before committing the time and energy to writing more of what could possibly be, a lost cause.  I took my sweet time in writing and then polishing to the point of wearing out a polishing rag and using a whole tin of Writer's Polish before I submitted to NV.  Not that it did me any good anyway.  But I'm not sure I have enough time to do the same for SYTYCW.

I will, however, be (hopefully) taking part in as many of the online conference events as I can.  These are immensely valuable and what's not to love about a conference you can attend in your pjs?

So in honor of the upcoming event and because I haven't treated y'all to a shoe experience in a LOOOO-OOOOONG while, here is what I will be sporting to the conference:

I'm too tall to do cute so I have to opt for stylish and Ugg boots just don't make the cut.  The rest of me might look like hell but my shoes will be heavenly.

Pride Goeth Before The Fall

Oh I was so cocky.  So proud of myself and I had to brag, didn't I?  I had to gloat and blow my own trumpet.  Well my friends, take heed.  For I have been struck low.  Brought down by a lurgy of abombinble sneezes, hideous coughing, incessant nose dribbling, and cursed fever with chills.

All in all, I'm a sick little bunny.

And while yesterday I was barely able to lift my head off the pillow, today I am feeling a little better, so I suppose it's not quite the end of the world.

However my word count has suffered.  I got nothing written yesterday and I did try today but it all came out in gibberish so I am giving it up as a bad cause and hoping that tomorrow I will be better enough that I can play catch up.  I'm not sure I'll be able to do 3000+ but if I do a bit over 1500 tomorrow and the same the day after I'll be back on track.

But look who I have to look after me

Is there anything that woman can't do?

Softly, Softly, Catchee Monkey

I'm a firm believer that getting quick wins on the board is a huge motivational force.

So here I am gloating that I have been able to stick to my goal of 1000+ words a day since Monday.  In the spirit of putting it all out there, I finished my post on Monday afternoon and thought to myself, I'll start that goal tomorrow but then I slapped myself around a bit (a strange habit I admit) and sternly said to myself: Self that is the Old Elissa talking, the New Elissa will start her goal TODAY!

And I did.

Despite my brain being three quarters fried from having to be so creative writing my blog post and it being late and me being in the middle of yet another fabulous Austen fan fiction novel as well as halfway through knitting a cardigan, I decided I would write my 1000+ words. right. then.

And what's more I have maintained my momentum.

Okay so it's cheating a little because it's the beginning of a book and that's the bit for me that always goes fast - it's the middle and the end that drag on for eternity - for me anyway!

But we'll keep slogging way, won't we Sandy?  Btw I've adopted Sandy as my silent sponsor through this process.  She's going to see me through it, right Sandy?  Because who's your new bestie?

That's right.  Me.

Right back atchya ;)

Goal, Motivation, Conflict

This is a writer's blog so I suppose you could be forgiven for thinking, with that title, this post is all about the GMC of my characters.  Sorry folks.  This is all about me.

Autumn Macarthur has been writing some really honest, gritty posts lately about her writing that have really resonated with me.  I first 'met' Autumn (or Jane) back in 2009 at my first Harlequin competition.  Back then it was the Presents competition (now it's called New Voices) and I noticed her comments in the chat room - along with another voice belonging to Ms Maisey Yates.  I started following both their blogs and to cut a long story short, learned heaps.

Of Autumn's recent blog posts the one that really struck a chord was this post about starting a new story and being committed to finishing it.  As I read, I found myself nodding and many times thinking "I do that, too!"

If you've ever done a Myers-Briggs, DISC or Blebin personality indicator type test, you'll understand when I say that I'm not a finisher.  I'm a starter.  And I'm not the only one.  According to lots of people, it's the creative person's disease.  New ideas or projects or storylines beckon and rather than asserting the will power to finish what we've started, we succumb to the siren song of something new.

So I decided to take a leaf out of Autumn's book (she's applying the rules of weight loss to the rules of writing), I'm going to apply the GMC process to myself - in the hope that once it's up there that I'll actually stick to it.

Just as an aside: if you're an agent or a publishing company and you're reading this and thinking to yourself: "ain't no way I'm signing up this loony chick who has as good as admitted she can't finish anything", you should also know that I have an amazing stubborn streak which I have learned to use for the forces of good and which I plan to apply from here on in with regard to my writing - just you watch and see!

Okay so first up is Goal.  What is my goal?  Now I'm tempted to answer: to be published but I think that's far too wishy washy and big picture.  I need to drill down to the nitty gritty, get serious about looking at steps involved in reaching the Ultimate Goal.  So let's itemise the Interim Goals:
1. Decide on one story idea for the project
2. Write a complete full first draft
3. Edit, proof and polish first draft
4. Submit

Sounds simple enought doesn't it?  But I tend to be lured away somewhere around step two.  I mean I have finished a few but I've been so overwhelmed by the idea of rewriting that those manuscripts are kicking their heels somewhere in cyberland.

The next part of the approach is: Motivation. Why do I want this goal? Obviously whatever I'm using to motivate myself at this point in time isn't working.

SCENE: On the Dr Phil talk show.
Me: Oh Dr Phil!  I need your help!  I can't finish my manuscripts!
Dr Phil: What are you using as motivation?
Me: Moti-what?  Oh! Wait!  Does chocolate count?
Dr Phil: I see.  Now let me ask you: how's that workin' for ya?

I think my Motivation is tied up with my Conflict.  Which is a good thing.  Motivation - why do I want to be published/finish a manuscript/submit?  Answer: writing is an essential part of my life, of who I am.  I dream story lines and plots.  I write dialogue while I'm doing housework.  I eavesdrop in public spaces to improve my characters.  I can't not write.  And (here's the embarassingly honest bit) I want to see my name on a book cover.  I want to tell people I'm a writer and be able to back that statement up with the name of my book and publisher and Amazon rating.  I want to have achieved something in the literary world - not on the scale of Jane Austen or Dickens (but if that happened that would be gushworthy amazing) but I want to accomplish a level of respectability for my writing.  Also I'm a tad competitive.

Which leaves us with Conflict.  What stands in my way?  Why can't I have what I want?  Answer: I guess I'm scared.  Scared that I'm not as talented as I'd like to think I am.  Scared of the rejection which I know is part of the business and which I try and fool myself into thinking won't hurt but each time I don't win a competition or even come close, does hurt.  Scared that if I do accomplish my goal, that people will read my work and ohmygoodnesswhatwilltheythink!!!!  What if they really don't like it and say something mean and then the people who took the chance on publishing me, start thinking the same way and I'm publically humiliated on an epic scale and Sandra Bullock won't want to be my bestie?  Okay that last bit was maybe a little over the top.  I mean why wouldn't Sandy want to be my BFF?

In a book, my character would have to undergo a fair amount of personal growth to overcome the Conflict, harness the correct Motivation and reach the Goal.  To overcome my Conflict, I guess I'm just going to have to suck it up.  My fears are probably the same as any sane, reasonable person, right?  I mean no one likes to be not liked do they?  And I do have some pretty fabulous people in my life who like me just fine.  I even know one or two online who have said some really lovely things about both me and my writing.  SOLUTION: Focus on the people who really matter.  Accept that not everyone will like me or my writing and that's fine.  Organise another girly night with Sandy to buck up my self-confidence.  Maybe she could bring along Keanu Reeves.  He would do a LOT for my self confidence.

Motivation - I'm going to try self imposed deadlines.  According to the movie Enid Blyton, she wrote 6000 words a day.  Jessica Hart has just set herself a new regime and is committed to writing 3000 words a day.  So I'm going to set myself a target of 1000+ a day.  Even if it's 1001.  Which means, in 60 days I should have a first draft.  It may be a little more than 60 days taking into account that my story may run more than 60K (I am prone to rattle on a little) which gives me a date of 20 August as a rough deadline.  I'll see how this tactic works before trying a reward system - I'm a sucker for rewarding myself even if it because I almost thought about achieving what I wanted to do.  So I guess that just means I suck huh?

I will report back here every few days or so on my progress.  I have my motivation for reaching Interim Goals 1 & 2. But I suspect I may have to pull out the big guns for 3 & 4.  I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Sandy, pour me another White Cosmo, I'm about to write a book!

Just so you know, she's laughing WITH me.  WITH me, people.  WITH me.

This Is Me: Being Creative

I've been reading lots of blogs and it seems my lack of blogging is not something unusual.  It would seem that this is the season for being MIB (no, not Men In Black - Missing In Blogdom).

Rather than regale y'all with tales of how pathetic I am in not being able to stick to my 'new' blogging schedule (even if it was because I was writing LOTS), I am, instead, going to do what I supposedly do best: be creative.

So here (a la David Letterman) are the Top 10 Reasons Why I Haven't Been Blogging:

10.  Took time off to choreograph Britney Spears' comeback tour;

9. Launched my own perfume/lingerie/make-up line;

8. Emergency shoe shopping with Lady Gaga;

7. Starred in a Bollywood musical;

6.  Filmed my own cooking show;

5.  Volunteered as George Clooney's voice coach for a role as an Aussie in an upcoming movie;

4.  Employed by Brangelina as their Wedding Coordinator (and due to the confidentiality agreement, that's all I can say.  Really.  Please don't ask for any more details);

3.  Hosted Intervention # 4,832 for Lindsay Lohan - she didn't turn up but then again she never does and it turned out to be quite a shindig anyway!

2.  Was Jessica Simpson's doula;

1.  Gerard Butler.  (I don't really need to say any more do I?)


Rest assured I have sent out a mass text to all my A-lister chums and let them know that I'm not available for anything more than a quick cuppa, a couple of texts or a brief skype because I really have to get back into blogging.

I'm sure they'll understand.

Except you, Gerard.  For you, I'm always available.