How annoying is it when you're trying to get that perfect piece of cling wrap cut and the tube jumps out of the box? I know! Pretty much the only things worse are shark attacks and weird suntan lines from sunglasses.
Did you know that there are little tabs on either side of the plastic wrap box that you can press in? They keep the tube securely in place. In my twenty some odd years of using such products I had NEVER seen the tabs. It took a tip section in a women's magazine to clue me in. (I'm guessing a few of you just left to check your box ... I did the same. We'll wait for you to return.)
Makes me wonder how many other things in life I use frequently, but never really look at. How much easier life could be if I paid more attention to the little things.
Another tip, this one passed on from the ACFW loop--with permission--for unpublished writers:
The countdown for the 2009 Launching A Star contest has begun! You won't want to miss your chance to enter this terrific contest where last year's acquiring editors and agents requested an amazing 10 manuscripts, resulting in at least two sales.
This year, we've added new categories – Romantic Suspense, Inspirational and Novellas – in our efforts to bring you the most value for your contest dollars.
To enter, submit the first chapter (25 page max) of your romance in any of our nine categories. All first round judges (2 per entry, one trained, one published in romance) will provide constructive comments on every entry. Two industry professionals (one agent and one editor) will judge each category in the final round.
Complete details and entry forms are available on the STAR Chapter website: www.authorsofromance.com But hurry! You must send your entry in no later than September 5th.
Launching a Star 2009
Sponsor: SpacecoasT Authors of Romance Chapter (STAR)
Fee: $25-$30, SASE
Please Note: The deadlines listed in RWR are incorrect. The correct deadlines are:
Deadline: Post-marked by September 5th, Received by September 12th
E-deadline (for non-US residents only): Emailed by September 5th, received by September 6th.
Eligibility: Unpublished or not PAN Eligible
Enter: The first 25 pages. No synopsis.
First round judges: One trained; one published.
Final round judges: One editor and one agent for each category
Single Title – Editor Selina McLenmore, Grand Central; Agent Becca Stumpf, Prospect Agency
Romantic Suspense – Editor Sara Goodman, St. Martin's; Agent Kimberly Whalen, Trident Media
Inspirational – Editor Natalie Hanemann, Thomas Nelson; Agent Rachelle Gardner, WordServe Agency
Historical – Editor Talia Platz, NAL; Agent Elizabeth Pomada, Larsen-Pomada Agency
General Paranormal: Editor Heather Osborne, TOR; Agent Laurie McLean, Larsen-Pomada Agency
Fantasy/Futuristic: Editor Meredith Giordan, Berkley/Jove; Agent Deidre Knight, The Knight Agency
Series Contemp: Editor Susan Litman, Harlequin Special Edition; Agent Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Agency
Young Adult: Editor Kristen Daly, HarperCollins; Agent Elaine Spencer, The Knight Agency
Novellas: Editor Angela James, Samhain; Agent Roberta Brown, Brown Literary Agency
Prizes: Star named in honor of overall contest winner;
Engraved paperweights for all First Place in category;
Certificates for all finalists
FMI: www.authorsofromance.com
Monday, June 29, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Finding My Way at The Way
A week ago, my almost-nineteen-year-old--do you sound very grown up when you tell people you're 18 3/4?? ;-)--cousin had offered to take me out with his friends this Friday night. They go to a church service at Solid Rock called The Way. It specifically targets 18-28 year olds. I'm a few notches higher than that on the stick of life, so my main concern was being too old.
Were they going to card me and throw me out once they knew I was over-aged?
Not sure I can describe how cool it was to show up thirty minutes early just to guarantee getting a seat, watching cars pour into the parking lot, seeing so many young Christians/seekers mingle, spending time with my cuz, getting know his friends, enjoying stellar music, listening to a challenging sermon, going out for good eats, ... ALL on a Friday night!
The greatest blessing happened shortly before communion. My emotional tanks have been sucked dry over the course of the last months. In many ways, I'm tender, but there are other aspects of me that have become somewhat calloused. With the horrible new situation in our family, I felt a distance, a coolness, for the man responsible.
God softened my heart through the worship. He showed me that no matter how ugly what the man has done is, because of Jesus in him, he can still appear beautiful in God's eyes.
The deaf can hear,
the blind can see,
the broken can mend,
the scarred can heal,
the calloused can soften,
the imprisoned can be free.
Compassion for the loved one FINALLY filled my heart, as tears filled my eyes.
Thank You, God, for meeting me at The Way ... for guiding me to the start of a path I knew I needed to go down ... for giving me a cousin like Cody who cared enough to take me to a place of praise and prayer when I needed it most.
Were they going to card me and throw me out once they knew I was over-aged?
Not sure I can describe how cool it was to show up thirty minutes early just to guarantee getting a seat, watching cars pour into the parking lot, seeing so many young Christians/seekers mingle, spending time with my cuz, getting know his friends, enjoying stellar music, listening to a challenging sermon, going out for good eats, ... ALL on a Friday night!
The greatest blessing happened shortly before communion. My emotional tanks have been sucked dry over the course of the last months. In many ways, I'm tender, but there are other aspects of me that have become somewhat calloused. With the horrible new situation in our family, I felt a distance, a coolness, for the man responsible.
God softened my heart through the worship. He showed me that no matter how ugly what the man has done is, because of Jesus in him, he can still appear beautiful in God's eyes.
The deaf can hear,
the blind can see,
the broken can mend,
the scarred can heal,
the calloused can soften,
the imprisoned can be free.
Compassion for the loved one FINALLY filled my heart, as tears filled my eyes.
Thank You, God, for meeting me at The Way ... for guiding me to the start of a path I knew I needed to go down ... for giving me a cousin like Cody who cared enough to take me to a place of praise and prayer when I needed it most.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Fiction's Purpose--Agenda or Entertainment?
I thought the divorce was bad enough, but on Monday we experienced a huge tragedy in our family. The amount of stress is unbelievable. You all know that I live transparently, but this is not my story to share at this time. Please, everyone, pray for my parents, and the other family members involved. I will update when able. We trust in what my dad said to the loved one who is at the heart of the situation--God can take a mess ... and make a message.
As for the title of this blog, Susan Reinhardt did a wonderful interview of moi on her blog. She posed the question: Some Christian writers argue that fiction is first and foremost entertainment and decry any "agenda driven" stories. What's your opinion on the subject?
There's a great discussion going on in the comments section, so come over and join in!
As for the title of this blog, Susan Reinhardt did a wonderful interview of moi on her blog. She posed the question: Some Christian writers argue that fiction is first and foremost entertainment and decry any "agenda driven" stories. What's your opinion on the subject?
There's a great discussion going on in the comments section, so come over and join in!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Looking for an Agent?
Michael Hyatt at Thomas Nelson has compiled this list of Christian Literary Agents. I haven't seen such a succinct list with all the contact info in one place before. Huge resource!
I've been very blessed in my relationship with the Van Diests and hope to have a fruitful partnership for years to come.
If many names on the lists are unfamiliar to you, three words: Go to conferences! I've met a majority of these agents in my six years of conference attending. Even if you research them extensively on the web, there's nothing like face-to-face contact to show who you have professional chemistry with ... and who would be a bad blind date. ;-)
This summer I'll be on staff with the Oregon Christian Writers Summer conference, as well as serving as a professional writer at the walk-in center. Mid-September, I'll fly to Denver for the American Christian Fiction Writers conference. Hope to see you at one of them!
I've been very blessed in my relationship with the Van Diests and hope to have a fruitful partnership for years to come.
If many names on the lists are unfamiliar to you, three words: Go to conferences! I've met a majority of these agents in my six years of conference attending. Even if you research them extensively on the web, there's nothing like face-to-face contact to show who you have professional chemistry with ... and who would be a bad blind date. ;-)
This summer I'll be on staff with the Oregon Christian Writers Summer conference, as well as serving as a professional writer at the walk-in center. Mid-September, I'll fly to Denver for the American Christian Fiction Writers conference. Hope to see you at one of them!
Tappin' Into My Heart
"All I want are a couple days off!" So shout the tappers in Andrea's dance. :-)
The whole class did a great job and I was SO proud of Andrea. The day of rehearsal, she put her class's music on in her room and ran through the dance for an hour to refresh her muscle memory. Today, for the recital, she looked extremely confident up on stage.
Here she is--with makeup on--and her proud parents!
Actually, I was proud of the entire ensemble. Some of the high school girls were just a few years into ballet or jazz when Andrea began dancing. We've watched them grow over the five years we've been involved. Quite a few of the performances were stunning. Forest Grove Dance Arts outdid themselves with special effects: jagged lightening cracking across the back drop during "thunder ... lightening ... the way you love me is frightening," smoke during Thriller, and snow falling from the sky during a beautiful rendition of Silent Night. My favorite, aside from Andrea's dance of course, was the en pointe ballerinas doing a modern, rhythmic piece ... almost hypnotic in nature.
I don't know how they can possibly improve for next year!
The whole class did a great job and I was SO proud of Andrea. The day of rehearsal, she put her class's music on in her room and ran through the dance for an hour to refresh her muscle memory. Today, for the recital, she looked extremely confident up on stage.
Here she is--with makeup on--and her proud parents!
Actually, I was proud of the entire ensemble. Some of the high school girls were just a few years into ballet or jazz when Andrea began dancing. We've watched them grow over the five years we've been involved. Quite a few of the performances were stunning. Forest Grove Dance Arts outdid themselves with special effects: jagged lightening cracking across the back drop during "thunder ... lightening ... the way you love me is frightening," smoke during Thriller, and snow falling from the sky during a beautiful rendition of Silent Night. My favorite, aside from Andrea's dance of course, was the en pointe ballerinas doing a modern, rhythmic piece ... almost hypnotic in nature.
I don't know how they can possibly improve for next year!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Eaten Alive!
Yesterday we took a trip with friends out to Scoggins Creek off Hagg Lake. Got there early afternoon and stayed 'til almost dusk. We had ten kids altogether, which made for fun wading, splashing, falling in, and tree climbing.
One of the funniest moments was when Sandy ran into the deepest part of the creek to save her granddaughter's flip flops before they made the majestic journey into the lake. After her valiant efforts succeeded, we all cheered.
Then we grilled hot dogs over charcoal, while the kiddos either got filthy dirty in sand or played London Bridge. Ate finger food of grapes, apples, carrots, and rice krispie treats. Why does food taste so much better when it's eaten outside among friends?
We then encouraged the children to play with fire. You know, train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Bunch of pyros! They made a huge game of running for moss before the coals died down and fanning the smoke over the camp to keep the mosquitoes away.
The mosquitoes. I had brought a can of 23% DEET, which is pretty near the legal limits, I think. ;-) We lined up the eight kids who were still there by then and sprayed legs, arms, and necks. Then lined them up again and resprayed when the skeeters were going right through clothes and landing all over our hair. Tried to hike, but ran into mud pits.
The oldest girls lost their hearts to a stray kitten who was also being eaten alive by swarms of mosquitoes. Despite its meows and pitifully following us, both Sandy and I stayed strong. Joshua asked, "What if it just happened to get in the back of our car?"
"Hmm ... I'd be awfully suspicious if that happened, Buddy!"
It's so frustrating to have gorgeous pictures of "Angel" that I'm not able to post. However, legal gears are turning and there may be a time when I am able to show her beautiful face. Keep those prayers up.
She appears to be somewhat allergic to mosquitoes. Each of her bites has swollen to about the size of a quarter ... even the one on her forehead! Looks like an off-kilter unicorn ...
One of the funniest moments was when Sandy ran into the deepest part of the creek to save her granddaughter's flip flops before they made the majestic journey into the lake. After her valiant efforts succeeded, we all cheered.
Then we grilled hot dogs over charcoal, while the kiddos either got filthy dirty in sand or played London Bridge. Ate finger food of grapes, apples, carrots, and rice krispie treats. Why does food taste so much better when it's eaten outside among friends?
We then encouraged the children to play with fire. You know, train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Bunch of pyros! They made a huge game of running for moss before the coals died down and fanning the smoke over the camp to keep the mosquitoes away.
The mosquitoes. I had brought a can of 23% DEET, which is pretty near the legal limits, I think. ;-) We lined up the eight kids who were still there by then and sprayed legs, arms, and necks. Then lined them up again and resprayed when the skeeters were going right through clothes and landing all over our hair. Tried to hike, but ran into mud pits.
The oldest girls lost their hearts to a stray kitten who was also being eaten alive by swarms of mosquitoes. Despite its meows and pitifully following us, both Sandy and I stayed strong. Joshua asked, "What if it just happened to get in the back of our car?"
"Hmm ... I'd be awfully suspicious if that happened, Buddy!"
It's so frustrating to have gorgeous pictures of "Angel" that I'm not able to post. However, legal gears are turning and there may be a time when I am able to show her beautiful face. Keep those prayers up.
She appears to be somewhat allergic to mosquitoes. Each of her bites has swollen to about the size of a quarter ... even the one on her forehead! Looks like an off-kilter unicorn ...
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Summer Days
Love, love, love summer. Love not having to wrap up in layers to keep warm. Love the smell of cut grass. Love getting in a hot car. Love sleeping in.
The official start to our summers is always the teachers' can-can as the buses pull away from the elementary school.
Then Grandma takes the kids for ice cream. It's a tradition for first and last days of school.
Andrea hadn't been able to stomach the thought of doing the double dutch jump roping, so skipped (ha!) that as well as tap, which involves way more shouting, jumping, and spinning than ballet. She did want to support her softball team, so watched the last game of the season.
The kids had a couple friends over to spend the first night of summer vacation. Without school, their brains were already atrophying.
Aren't we missing a step somewhere when making OJ?
And something isn't quite right with these pancakes!
At least we remember how to relax.
Wishing you and yours an amazing summer of enjoying family and friends!
The official start to our summers is always the teachers' can-can as the buses pull away from the elementary school.
Then Grandma takes the kids for ice cream. It's a tradition for first and last days of school.
Andrea hadn't been able to stomach the thought of doing the double dutch jump roping, so skipped (ha!) that as well as tap, which involves way more shouting, jumping, and spinning than ballet. She did want to support her softball team, so watched the last game of the season.
The kids had a couple friends over to spend the first night of summer vacation. Without school, their brains were already atrophying.
Aren't we missing a step somewhere when making OJ?
And something isn't quite right with these pancakes!
At least we remember how to relax.
Wishing you and yours an amazing summer of enjoying family and friends!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Think You Know My Occupation?
One of the best--by which I mean least favorite--part of the end of the year is getting back the broken crayons, the three colored pencils left in the pack, the one-tree's-worth of old papers, ...But I found this gem in the April 15th entry of Joshua's journal:
My mom is a writr She finisht a book calld The familler stranJr my mom is a grat ritr.
Yeah, he gets his writing abilities from his mom. ;-)
It made me think of something I'd seen in my medical records when I was gathering info to convince an insurance company that I AM worthy of insuring. (They still don't believe I am, so your prayers for my safety/health over the next six months or so until I reapply would be appreciated!) My general practitioner had recorded my occupation in his notes ...
Professional Rider!*
Photo courtesy of bobster855
The history of the photo I found is extremely interesting, especially since I graduated from Pendleton High School and attended the Round-Up many times ...
Champion lady rider of the world on Winnemucca.
Wikipedia: Kitty Canutt, originally Kitty Wilks, was a professional bronc rider, and the All-Around Champion Cowgirl at the 1916 Pendleton Round-Up in Pendleton, Oregon, for her bucking horse and relay race events. It was at this rodeo that she met and married Yakima Canutt, a winner of the title of All-Around Cowboy at the Pendleton Roundup in 1917, 1919, 1920 and 1923. They were divorced in 1919.
She was known as the "Diamond Girl" or "Diamond Kitty" because she had a diamond set in her front tooth. She would occasionally remove and pawn the diamond when she needed contest entry money.
Photo from the Library of Congress.
The moral of the story--since I also met my ex at the Round-Up--is a marriage based on cowboy related events is doomed. Now, to see about pawning my diamond ...
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
A Sickening Feeling
Before school officially ends, I figured I should put up the picture Andrea took of me when I was subbing for Field Day. No, I don't usually wear flip flops, T-shirts, and jeans, but I knew the day was going to be pretty physical. Don't I look so "teacherly" behind the desk? :-)When I think about leaving Gaston, one of the things I would miss the most would be the kids. There are so many special ones in the classes. If I ever need some Vitamin T--my high school health teacher said the average person needs to be touched twelve times a day in a loving fashion to maintain a good level of mental health--I go into the elementary school. Hugs and hugs and a few more hugs!
Andrea caught a stomach bug and missed school today--the second to the last day! It was also "Twin Day" so her poor friend dressed as planned but had no identical other half. Most likely, Andrea won't be doing the last day of school either. She's really bummed about missing the talent show--in which she was supposed to be a double dutch jumproper. Also scheduled for tomorrow? Her dress rehearsal for tap and the final softball game of the season! Could she possibly have coordinated a more physically-demanding day?
Ever heard of someone missing the last day of school due to illness? I can't recall it ... That's like being sick on Christmas!
Monday, June 08, 2009
Random Rants ... Join In!
Hallelujah, I'm done with my first full edit! It only took a month from the day I received it to return it. Obviously, I'll be speeding up my turnaround time. :-) Did she get her money's worth from me? I do believe so, considering my comments added 10,000 words to her total word count!
Anyway, my brain is fried from going thought 154 pages in the last three days, so you are now going to be subject to a few random rants. I encourage you to leave your own rants in the comment box.
Actually, these rants aren't completely random as they all have to do with internet ads. Maybe because I've been on the computer so much?!
1) the Tru ads. It was bad enough when they were just pictures of girls who were so beautiful, yet desperately lonely, and just waiting, for you--yes, YOU--the man hiding his computer use from his wife to contact them. Oh, no, that was not enough. We now are treated to MOVING, beautiful, desperately lonely women. You might get something from clicking on those ads, but it's not going to be Tru love. You might even have to see your doctor about it.
2) the before/after fat ads. For a few days, each of my hotmail accounts had ads with real bodies pictured, but again, a still image was not enough. No, we need to use digital effects so when a pencil or pointed finger pushed the fat, it jiggled back and forth. [gagging sound] These have since been replaced with cartoon fat ads, a drastic improvement. I can only assume that people with enough time on their hands complained and saved the rest of us from a fate worse than death. (I actually had to hold a paper over the edge of the screen, covering the poking/jiggling show, to read my email.)
3) the facebook teeth ads. Click here to find out a stay-at-home mom's secret to turning yellow teeth white. Quite often, at least two of the ads were for this, so we were treated to yellow crooked teeth with lips contorted to show them off. Let me save you a click. Take this SAHM's secret and run with it. First, jump in your car. Second, drive to Walmart. Third, purchase the Equate brand Dental Whitening Strips for a fraction of the name brands. Fourth, apply to your teeth. You're welcome.
I have nothing against beautiful, desperately lonely, overweight women with yellow teeth ... but I don't want to see 'em every single second I'm on the internet. And thus ends my random online ads rant.
Anyone?
Anyway, my brain is fried from going thought 154 pages in the last three days, so you are now going to be subject to a few random rants. I encourage you to leave your own rants in the comment box.
Actually, these rants aren't completely random as they all have to do with internet ads. Maybe because I've been on the computer so much?!
1) the Tru ads. It was bad enough when they were just pictures of girls who were so beautiful, yet desperately lonely, and just waiting, for you--yes, YOU--the man hiding his computer use from his wife to contact them. Oh, no, that was not enough. We now are treated to MOVING, beautiful, desperately lonely women. You might get something from clicking on those ads, but it's not going to be Tru love. You might even have to see your doctor about it.
2) the before/after fat ads. For a few days, each of my hotmail accounts had ads with real bodies pictured, but again, a still image was not enough. No, we need to use digital effects so when a pencil or pointed finger pushed the fat, it jiggled back and forth. [gagging sound] These have since been replaced with cartoon fat ads, a drastic improvement. I can only assume that people with enough time on their hands complained and saved the rest of us from a fate worse than death. (I actually had to hold a paper over the edge of the screen, covering the poking/jiggling show, to read my email.)
3) the facebook teeth ads. Click here to find out a stay-at-home mom's secret to turning yellow teeth white. Quite often, at least two of the ads were for this, so we were treated to yellow crooked teeth with lips contorted to show them off. Let me save you a click. Take this SAHM's secret and run with it. First, jump in your car. Second, drive to Walmart. Third, purchase the Equate brand Dental Whitening Strips for a fraction of the name brands. Fourth, apply to your teeth. You're welcome.
I have nothing against beautiful, desperately lonely, overweight women with yellow teeth ... but I don't want to see 'em every single second I'm on the internet. And thus ends my random online ads rant.
Anyone?
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Windblown
A windstorm blew through this afternoon. The kids, their friends, and I ran out and stood in it--well away from the tall trees, of course! (I have two extra kiddos overnight because their parents are away celebrating their fifteenth anniversary. Congrats, Pete and Amy!) We'd heard the Emergency Broadcast on the radio as we drove home from school, but the hail stones weren't near us. Then the rain came and we scampered inside. But the wind whipping around us, the trees worked into a frantic wave ... it almost felt like being on a roller coaster. What an awesome world our God made; one so full of power and might!
I subbed again today--world cultures, ethics and law, government, and leadership. Fun stuff! I learned (from a final speech) that HIPAA protects medical information so a fifteen-year old can go on birth control or have an abortion and the info will always be kept from the parents. My immediate question is this: who pays for that service? Is this some kind of insurance fraud? If the parents are held responsible for the bill, but it arrives with a different description that the service provided, it sure seems fraudulent to me. But a fifteen-year old cannot enter into a legally binding agreement ... how is the office guaranteed payment?
(And they need a note to have a cough drop at school!)
Came home from work, herded four kids through homework, fixed Chicken Pot Pie (from scratch except crust) and a salad with cranberries and almonds, celebrated Mom's birthday a day late with all eight of us, enjoyed Dad's Famous Apple Pie (he sells them for $25/pie and has these cute boxes, which he designed, with his picture on the top), cleaned the whole house including toilets, sang six bedtime songs followed by six bedtime prayers, and I feel good. How can this be?
God is faithful, time and again, to give me the strength I need, when I need it.
ANOTHER job opportunity popped up today. Well, really two. Each time a stable, part-time/full-time job appears, I pray about it and decide it's not something I can commit to at this point in my life. Which is crazy, because I obviously need to make steady money to support my family.
Why do these opportunities continue to present themselves? Is God letting me confirm my choice multiple times so I become more sure each time that He's going to provide? Or is He graciously presenting me with yet another chance to follow His leading--which I'm missing--in that direction?
I read a fabulous article today and I snagged the writer's permission to share it with you. I know this post is getting long, but the piece really convinced me to guard my creativity and writing time. Which is ironic, since it's supposed to argue for KEEPING a steady job. :-)
Four Benefits of Keeping Your Day Job
by
Sharon Dunn
The writer wakes up at 8 a.m. Feeling rested and ready for the day, she dons her Nikes and takes an inspiration filled walk through the forest on her forty acre spread. After a leisurely breakfast in a sunny nook and a shower, she brews a latte and sits down at her laptop. Hours stretch before her. Coffee and purple prose flow like the Amazon. Story plots hang almost tangibly in the air, hers for the taking and remaking. She writes uninterrupted in the idea laden silence.
Nothing but time to write. It’s every writer’s dream. But is quitting the regular job really the ideal for a writer? Holding onto the false belief that writing full time is the only way to succeed as a writer is often what keeps some writers from accomplishing anything. Even though I’ve published three novels and numerous shorter pieces, I have continued to work part time as a tutor at a university. Keeping my day job and squeezing writing in when I can, instead of waiting for the ideal of being able to write full time, has proven to be rewarding. I have found four benefits to keeping my job while pursuing my writing dream.
Less financial pressure means more productivity. A predictable paycheck contributes a great deal to peace of mind. Living in a constant state of panic every time a bill arrives makes focusing on various writing projects that much harder. Jim Denney the author of Quit Your Day Job: How to Sleep Late, Do What You Enjoy, and Make a Ton of Money as a Writer! even acknowledges that not everyone is cut out emotionally to write full time. Some writers “know that the anxiety and insecurity of the working writer's life would only dry up their creative juices, so they hang onto the regular paycheck and the 401(k).”
Writing is a very up and down business financially. Book publication doesn’t guarantee steady income. Only 1% of writers make their living solely from writing. Royalty payments fluctuate. Of every five books published, three will not earn out their advance, one will break even and one will make money. It makes sense to have some level of income that is predictable. Deciding to keep a day job, cut back to part time or quit altogether largely depends on the psychological responses of the individual. While some people are motivated to write by lack of a pay check, others find that financial security makes the muses show up with greater consistency.
A job provides structure causing efficient use of time. Tasks usually expands to the amount of time allotted for them. The problem with having eight to ten hours to write is that it often gives a writer too much wiggle room, making her more likely to procrastinate. A great deal of discipline is required to use all those hours productively.
Sometimes, less time is better. I first started to write when I was pregnant with my oldest son. While my babies were little, my husband watched them for an hour or I wrote while they napped. Knowing that I only had limited time to write made me very productive—no office organizing/chair wiggling/coffee making time allowed. When I sat down to write, I had already mentally brainstormed what my first couple of sentences would be.
Robin Lee Hatcher author of Beyond the Shadows worked full time as an office administrator. As a single mom, she was the sole support for her family. She set aside 7 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturday mornings to write. “I wrote long hand on legal pads in the evenings (no computer back then) and typed the manuscript on the office typewriter on coffee breaks and lunch hours. I wrote in every spare moment I had.” Robin structured her writing time around work and family, publishing nine novels before quitting her office job to write full time.
Writers often think the lack of time is what keeps them from being productive. In fact, the barrier is usually something different and claiming lack of time is the excuse. Even the busiest person can find an hour a day to devote to writing if writing is really what she wants to do. The question that needs to be asked is not ‘do I have enough time to write,’ but ‘what I am willing to give up in order to write?’ Planning writing around a work schedule can make a writer more efficient.
A job keeps you normal and connected to an audience. At a discussion panel of agents at a writers’ conference I attended, one of the agents pointed out that writers who quit their day jobs become weird. The calls to their agents increase and become more emotional and desperate. Even though writing is a solitary activity, human beings, even writers, were designed to interact with other people. If all your coworkers are imaginary (which is what happens when you write fiction), you run the risk of becoming a little eccentric.
The nice thing about having a job to go to is that there is built-in interaction with other people. The bonus of a “real” job is that it connects us with flesh and blood readers. Instead of just having an age group or statistics as a way of understanding who I am writing for, some of the people at work read my mysteries and give me on the spot feedback. Talking with co-workers about what they are reading gives an idea about trends and what a reader looks for in a book. Even conversations that are not about books indicate the needs, preferences, and heartaches that people deal with.
Jobs are a treasure chest for ideas and found research. In my first book, Romance Rustlers and Thunderbird Thieves, part of the mystery revolved around buffalo leaving Yellowstone Park. My job as a tutor involves helping students in beginning composition classes write a persuasive paper. One the students’ favorite issues concerns the buffalo wandering out of Yellowstone, risking infecting cattle with brucellosis. When the buffalo issue became part of my mystery, I didn’t have to do any outside research to feel like an expert. I had already read a hundred papers on the topic.
Almost any job can be incorporated into a story. Description of a profession becomes real to a reader when details are believable. Working at a job provides insider info that reading about or watching someone else do the job doesn’t. Some of the action for my second book, Sassy Cinderella and the Valiant Vigilante, takes place at a university and has professors as supporting characters. I didn’t have to do any field research or interviews to write that part of the book.
Even the most mundane work allows opportunity to people watch and gather raw material for characters both in appearance and personality. More than once I have worked with a student and thought “that person belongs in a book.” Story ideas often come from discussions we engage in and from overheard conversations at work.
Let’s face it, if all you do is sit in a room and write, pretty soon you will be writing stories about sitting in a room and writing. A “real” job gets you out in the world interacting with people, garnering story ideas while reducing financial stress.
What kind of job works best? If it is your dream to succeed as a writer, the ideal job is not always the one that pays the most. Other factors must be considered. First, does your job have any built in “down time”? During slow times in the semester, I edit my work, brainstorm and read books about writing while I sit at my tutoring carrel. Indirectly, I am getting paid for honing my craft as a writer. Seasonal work or employment with a school or university provides time when you are not working at all. At my tutoring job, I have a huge break around Christmas as well as summers off.
Because your primary focus is writing, flexibility is another factor to consider when finding a job that fits with writing. Eric Wiggin author of The Hannah’s Island series for girls and The Gift of Grandparenting worked a night job at a fish plant as part of the clean up crew. Eric utilized mornings when his brain functioned best to write. His boss was fairly lenient as to when Eric cleaned as long as the job got done between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. The right boss is important too. An employer who respects your writing dream is likely to give time off to attend a writers’ conference without requiring an act of congress.
The final thing to consider is finding a job that fuels creativity rather than drains it? A high stress job where issues go unresolved, where you often bring work home with you (either literally or emotionally) and have to deal with difficult people usually sends the muse packing. At the university where I tutor, I also spent several semesters teaching. I found that the creative energy I had to put into writing lesson plans and lectures zapped me mentally. Sitting down to work on a short story when my eyes were glazed over from reading textbooks and student papers was nearly impossible. For that reason, I stopped teaching. The people interaction I get from tutoring fuels rather than steals my creativity. For some writers, a physical job offers a nice break from the hard mental work of writing.
So what would be a more realistic picture of the writer’s ideal life?
A screeching alarm wakes the writer. Red letters glow 5:30 am. Fatigue and the fogginess of sleep whisper seductively for her to stay in bed. Resisting their advances, she throws off the covers and stumbles to the room where her computer waits. She has ty ninety minutes before the children wake up. Then she has to get them ready for school and herself dressed for work. With a glance at the clock, she clicks the power button and opens a file. Coffee would be nice, but there is no time for that. Her fingers touch the keyboard and the magic takes over. Immediately, she is lost in the story, sometimes racing to keep up with her thoughts and sometimes pushing through slow passages and poorly chosen words, but always the time is golden, precious because of its scarcity.
“Mommy, I can’t find any matching socks.” Her seven year old stands glassy eyed by the door to her office, which is also her laundry and ironing space. More than socks will need to be found before they can get out the door. There always is. The chaos of the day and the stress it causes is easier to face when she thinks about coming back again tomorrow morning to sit at the computer and be engulfed by the sacred magic, lost in the world she creates and controls. With a glance at the computer, she grabs the suit she needs for work from the clean laundry pile and turns out the light.
I subbed again today--world cultures, ethics and law, government, and leadership. Fun stuff! I learned (from a final speech) that HIPAA protects medical information so a fifteen-year old can go on birth control or have an abortion and the info will always be kept from the parents. My immediate question is this: who pays for that service? Is this some kind of insurance fraud? If the parents are held responsible for the bill, but it arrives with a different description that the service provided, it sure seems fraudulent to me. But a fifteen-year old cannot enter into a legally binding agreement ... how is the office guaranteed payment?
(And they need a note to have a cough drop at school!)
Came home from work, herded four kids through homework, fixed Chicken Pot Pie (from scratch except crust) and a salad with cranberries and almonds, celebrated Mom's birthday a day late with all eight of us, enjoyed Dad's Famous Apple Pie (he sells them for $25/pie and has these cute boxes, which he designed, with his picture on the top), cleaned the whole house including toilets, sang six bedtime songs followed by six bedtime prayers, and I feel good. How can this be?God is faithful, time and again, to give me the strength I need, when I need it.
ANOTHER job opportunity popped up today. Well, really two. Each time a stable, part-time/full-time job appears, I pray about it and decide it's not something I can commit to at this point in my life. Which is crazy, because I obviously need to make steady money to support my family.
Why do these opportunities continue to present themselves? Is God letting me confirm my choice multiple times so I become more sure each time that He's going to provide? Or is He graciously presenting me with yet another chance to follow His leading--which I'm missing--in that direction?
I read a fabulous article today and I snagged the writer's permission to share it with you. I know this post is getting long, but the piece really convinced me to guard my creativity and writing time. Which is ironic, since it's supposed to argue for KEEPING a steady job. :-)
Four Benefits of Keeping Your Day Job
by
Sharon Dunn
The writer wakes up at 8 a.m. Feeling rested and ready for the day, she dons her Nikes and takes an inspiration filled walk through the forest on her forty acre spread. After a leisurely breakfast in a sunny nook and a shower, she brews a latte and sits down at her laptop. Hours stretch before her. Coffee and purple prose flow like the Amazon. Story plots hang almost tangibly in the air, hers for the taking and remaking. She writes uninterrupted in the idea laden silence.
Nothing but time to write. It’s every writer’s dream. But is quitting the regular job really the ideal for a writer? Holding onto the false belief that writing full time is the only way to succeed as a writer is often what keeps some writers from accomplishing anything. Even though I’ve published three novels and numerous shorter pieces, I have continued to work part time as a tutor at a university. Keeping my day job and squeezing writing in when I can, instead of waiting for the ideal of being able to write full time, has proven to be rewarding. I have found four benefits to keeping my job while pursuing my writing dream.
Less financial pressure means more productivity. A predictable paycheck contributes a great deal to peace of mind. Living in a constant state of panic every time a bill arrives makes focusing on various writing projects that much harder. Jim Denney the author of Quit Your Day Job: How to Sleep Late, Do What You Enjoy, and Make a Ton of Money as a Writer! even acknowledges that not everyone is cut out emotionally to write full time. Some writers “know that the anxiety and insecurity of the working writer's life would only dry up their creative juices, so they hang onto the regular paycheck and the 401(k).”
Writing is a very up and down business financially. Book publication doesn’t guarantee steady income. Only 1% of writers make their living solely from writing. Royalty payments fluctuate. Of every five books published, three will not earn out their advance, one will break even and one will make money. It makes sense to have some level of income that is predictable. Deciding to keep a day job, cut back to part time or quit altogether largely depends on the psychological responses of the individual. While some people are motivated to write by lack of a pay check, others find that financial security makes the muses show up with greater consistency.
A job provides structure causing efficient use of time. Tasks usually expands to the amount of time allotted for them. The problem with having eight to ten hours to write is that it often gives a writer too much wiggle room, making her more likely to procrastinate. A great deal of discipline is required to use all those hours productively.
Sometimes, less time is better. I first started to write when I was pregnant with my oldest son. While my babies were little, my husband watched them for an hour or I wrote while they napped. Knowing that I only had limited time to write made me very productive—no office organizing/chair wiggling/coffee making time allowed. When I sat down to write, I had already mentally brainstormed what my first couple of sentences would be.
Robin Lee Hatcher author of Beyond the Shadows worked full time as an office administrator. As a single mom, she was the sole support for her family. She set aside 7 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturday mornings to write. “I wrote long hand on legal pads in the evenings (no computer back then) and typed the manuscript on the office typewriter on coffee breaks and lunch hours. I wrote in every spare moment I had.” Robin structured her writing time around work and family, publishing nine novels before quitting her office job to write full time.
Writers often think the lack of time is what keeps them from being productive. In fact, the barrier is usually something different and claiming lack of time is the excuse. Even the busiest person can find an hour a day to devote to writing if writing is really what she wants to do. The question that needs to be asked is not ‘do I have enough time to write,’ but ‘what I am willing to give up in order to write?’ Planning writing around a work schedule can make a writer more efficient.
A job keeps you normal and connected to an audience. At a discussion panel of agents at a writers’ conference I attended, one of the agents pointed out that writers who quit their day jobs become weird. The calls to their agents increase and become more emotional and desperate. Even though writing is a solitary activity, human beings, even writers, were designed to interact with other people. If all your coworkers are imaginary (which is what happens when you write fiction), you run the risk of becoming a little eccentric.
The nice thing about having a job to go to is that there is built-in interaction with other people. The bonus of a “real” job is that it connects us with flesh and blood readers. Instead of just having an age group or statistics as a way of understanding who I am writing for, some of the people at work read my mysteries and give me on the spot feedback. Talking with co-workers about what they are reading gives an idea about trends and what a reader looks for in a book. Even conversations that are not about books indicate the needs, preferences, and heartaches that people deal with.
Jobs are a treasure chest for ideas and found research. In my first book, Romance Rustlers and Thunderbird Thieves, part of the mystery revolved around buffalo leaving Yellowstone Park. My job as a tutor involves helping students in beginning composition classes write a persuasive paper. One the students’ favorite issues concerns the buffalo wandering out of Yellowstone, risking infecting cattle with brucellosis. When the buffalo issue became part of my mystery, I didn’t have to do any outside research to feel like an expert. I had already read a hundred papers on the topic.
Almost any job can be incorporated into a story. Description of a profession becomes real to a reader when details are believable. Working at a job provides insider info that reading about or watching someone else do the job doesn’t. Some of the action for my second book, Sassy Cinderella and the Valiant Vigilante, takes place at a university and has professors as supporting characters. I didn’t have to do any field research or interviews to write that part of the book.
Even the most mundane work allows opportunity to people watch and gather raw material for characters both in appearance and personality. More than once I have worked with a student and thought “that person belongs in a book.” Story ideas often come from discussions we engage in and from overheard conversations at work.
Let’s face it, if all you do is sit in a room and write, pretty soon you will be writing stories about sitting in a room and writing. A “real” job gets you out in the world interacting with people, garnering story ideas while reducing financial stress.
What kind of job works best? If it is your dream to succeed as a writer, the ideal job is not always the one that pays the most. Other factors must be considered. First, does your job have any built in “down time”? During slow times in the semester, I edit my work, brainstorm and read books about writing while I sit at my tutoring carrel. Indirectly, I am getting paid for honing my craft as a writer. Seasonal work or employment with a school or university provides time when you are not working at all. At my tutoring job, I have a huge break around Christmas as well as summers off.
Because your primary focus is writing, flexibility is another factor to consider when finding a job that fits with writing. Eric Wiggin author of The Hannah’s Island series for girls and The Gift of Grandparenting worked a night job at a fish plant as part of the clean up crew. Eric utilized mornings when his brain functioned best to write. His boss was fairly lenient as to when Eric cleaned as long as the job got done between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. The right boss is important too. An employer who respects your writing dream is likely to give time off to attend a writers’ conference without requiring an act of congress.
The final thing to consider is finding a job that fuels creativity rather than drains it? A high stress job where issues go unresolved, where you often bring work home with you (either literally or emotionally) and have to deal with difficult people usually sends the muse packing. At the university where I tutor, I also spent several semesters teaching. I found that the creative energy I had to put into writing lesson plans and lectures zapped me mentally. Sitting down to work on a short story when my eyes were glazed over from reading textbooks and student papers was nearly impossible. For that reason, I stopped teaching. The people interaction I get from tutoring fuels rather than steals my creativity. For some writers, a physical job offers a nice break from the hard mental work of writing.
So what would be a more realistic picture of the writer’s ideal life?
A screeching alarm wakes the writer. Red letters glow 5:30 am. Fatigue and the fogginess of sleep whisper seductively for her to stay in bed. Resisting their advances, she throws off the covers and stumbles to the room where her computer waits. She has ty ninety minutes before the children wake up. Then she has to get them ready for school and herself dressed for work. With a glance at the clock, she clicks the power button and opens a file. Coffee would be nice, but there is no time for that. Her fingers touch the keyboard and the magic takes over. Immediately, she is lost in the story, sometimes racing to keep up with her thoughts and sometimes pushing through slow passages and poorly chosen words, but always the time is golden, precious because of its scarcity.
“Mommy, I can’t find any matching socks.” Her seven year old stands glassy eyed by the door to her office, which is also her laundry and ironing space. More than socks will need to be found before they can get out the door. There always is. The chaos of the day and the stress it causes is easier to face when she thinks about coming back again tomorrow morning to sit at the computer and be engulfed by the sacred magic, lost in the world she creates and controls. With a glance at the computer, she grabs the suit she needs for work from the clean laundry pile and turns out the light.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Bargains, Baby, Bargains!
If you live near us and are hearing shrieks that raise the hair on the back of your neck, relax. That's just the kids running through the sprinkler's freezing cold water.
I was driving past my favorite consignment shop this morning when the Prius' intelligence system instituted a right turn into the parking lot. I love my car. It's SO smart!
Quick recap before I do a towel run. I bought:
~two toddler summer shirts
~two dresses that can casual enough for a summer night out, or fancied up for the multitudinous summer weddings
~three pairs of jeans--one even still had original tags
~one pair of slacks for teaching, a cute beige with pink pinstripes
~three shorts (that are long enough to wear in public!)
All for $76!!
Since I like to live a life of simplicity, I got rid of:
~two old belts
~one skort
~four shorts
~five pairs of jeans
~one pair of slacks
~four dresses--one of which was the one I wore the day I got engaged, for my going-away dress, AND on Family Feud)
~AND packed away my wedding dress, veil, and both prom dresses my dad made. (Yes, he MADE them! My dad can do anything.)
I would have donated my wedding dress, but everyone tells me it will mean something to Andrea later on. A little shelf space in the garage won't kill me ...
I was driving past my favorite consignment shop this morning when the Prius' intelligence system instituted a right turn into the parking lot. I love my car. It's SO smart!
Quick recap before I do a towel run. I bought:
~two toddler summer shirts
~two dresses that can casual enough for a summer night out, or fancied up for the multitudinous summer weddings
~three pairs of jeans--one even still had original tags
~one pair of slacks for teaching, a cute beige with pink pinstripes
~three shorts (that are long enough to wear in public!)
All for $76!!
Since I like to live a life of simplicity, I got rid of:
~two old belts
~one skort
~four shorts
~five pairs of jeans
~one pair of slacks
~four dresses--one of which was the one I wore the day I got engaged, for my going-away dress, AND on Family Feud)
~AND packed away my wedding dress, veil, and both prom dresses my dad made. (Yes, he MADE them! My dad can do anything.)
I would have donated my wedding dress, but everyone tells me it will mean something to Andrea later on. A little shelf space in the garage won't kill me ...
Is ACFW for Me?
Our ACFW president sent a letter over the loop. I'm sharing it with her permission. If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you know I'm a fan of both OCW and ACFW. Since most of you don't live in Oregon, I though this was valuable to share and would surely give you more of an idea if joining ACFW is worth your while or not. Some of the answers might surprise you with their honesty.
Have you spoken with writers who are unsure if they should join ACFW? Are you a writer who joined but is unsure this is where you belong?
We sometimes hear questions like these. You might find your own concern among them.
I'm not published yet. Do I belong in ACFW?
MOST of our members are unpublished, but are working TOWARD publication. You're welcomed with open arms. Here you will find training in fiction writing and information about the Christian fiction industry that will help you reach the Lord's goals for your writing. Note that His goals may or may not include publication, but we will work with you, encourage you, and pray for you while you find out.
I write non-fiction exclusively. Do I belong in ACFW?
Although some of our members write both fiction and non-fiction, almost everything ACFW does is geared toward the novelist and the Christian fiction market. Good writing principles carry over into both "camps," and using fiction techniques brings new life to non-fiction. But unless you write fiction, you may find it more beneficial to join one of the organizations that addresses non-fiction writing, publishing, and markets. Whatever you decide, you'll want to note that discussion on the loop needs to stay focused on fiction writing topics.
I just want to promote my book here. Do I belong in ACFW?
Our primary objectives are training writers, educating them in Christian fiction, and serving as an advocate for the Christian fiction industry. Promotion of our authors is not a key function but a great byproduct of the relationships made within ACFW. The connections you make here--as well as the opportunities for enlisting book reviewers and getting your book considered for New Releases and our Author lists on the website--will help get the word out to other authors and the readers who frequent our website. But your strongest promotional endeavors will come from other sources than ACFW. However, education ABOUT promotion and marketing is one of our strong suits. Sharing information about promotional opportunities happens all the time within ACFW.
I'm self-published. Do I belong in ACFW?
ACFW's mission and vision are to prepare novelists for success in traditional publishing, helping our members strive for excellence in the craft and develop skills that will help their books attract the attention of CBA publishers. Other groups may focus more on self-publication goals. From the beginning, ACFW has sought to prepare authors and their books for acceptance by CBA publishers. We aren't tailored to guide writers to well-respected self-publishers or to help promote self-published books. Self-publishing has a different dynamic, especially in the world of fiction. But there are still ways in which you may benefit greatly from ACFW membership. As you take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and information in our craft-training classes, our website archives, and our main loop, you will grow in your craft and become even more skilled at the kind of writing the Lord has designed for you, no matter what type of publication outreach He has in mind specifically for you.
I'm multi-published and have a strong marketing team, a great agent, and more contracts than I can manage. Do I belong in ACFW?
Do you need to know that other writers understand your challenges? Do you appreciate the encouragement of those who are blessed by what you write? If you are multi-published, you no doubt have learned the secret--that a writer can never stop learning. Just as a prolific author always is digging into (or back into) a craft classic, he or she can benefit from fresh ways of looking at subjects like POV, deepening emotion, writer's block, character motivations... Or you may find your greatest joy in ACFW membership is the opportunity to help other writers over the hurdles you conquered long ago, or in some aspect of mentoring through your knowledgeable answers to the main loop. You'll find both camaraderie with other multi-published authors and plenty of opportunity to assist the yet-to-be-published in their writing journey.
ACFW is always looking to expand and enhance what we offer to both the newcomer and the veteran novelist. We understand that we can't meet every need, nor can we fully focus on every aspect of fiction that deserves attention. But we're working very hard to show that if you're serious about writing great novels, this is where you belong!
Pressing on for the glory of the Author and Finisher of our faith,
Cynthia Ruchti
ACFW President
Have you spoken with writers who are unsure if they should join ACFW? Are you a writer who joined but is unsure this is where you belong?
We sometimes hear questions like these. You might find your own concern among them.
I'm not published yet. Do I belong in ACFW?
MOST of our members are unpublished, but are working TOWARD publication. You're welcomed with open arms. Here you will find training in fiction writing and information about the Christian fiction industry that will help you reach the Lord's goals for your writing. Note that His goals may or may not include publication, but we will work with you, encourage you, and pray for you while you find out.
I write non-fiction exclusively. Do I belong in ACFW?
Although some of our members write both fiction and non-fiction, almost everything ACFW does is geared toward the novelist and the Christian fiction market. Good writing principles carry over into both "camps," and using fiction techniques brings new life to non-fiction. But unless you write fiction, you may find it more beneficial to join one of the organizations that addresses non-fiction writing, publishing, and markets. Whatever you decide, you'll want to note that discussion on the loop needs to stay focused on fiction writing topics.
I just want to promote my book here. Do I belong in ACFW?
Our primary objectives are training writers, educating them in Christian fiction, and serving as an advocate for the Christian fiction industry. Promotion of our authors is not a key function but a great byproduct of the relationships made within ACFW. The connections you make here--as well as the opportunities for enlisting book reviewers and getting your book considered for New Releases and our Author lists on the website--will help get the word out to other authors and the readers who frequent our website. But your strongest promotional endeavors will come from other sources than ACFW. However, education ABOUT promotion and marketing is one of our strong suits. Sharing information about promotional opportunities happens all the time within ACFW.
I'm self-published. Do I belong in ACFW?
ACFW's mission and vision are to prepare novelists for success in traditional publishing, helping our members strive for excellence in the craft and develop skills that will help their books attract the attention of CBA publishers. Other groups may focus more on self-publication goals. From the beginning, ACFW has sought to prepare authors and their books for acceptance by CBA publishers. We aren't tailored to guide writers to well-respected self-publishers or to help promote self-published books. Self-publishing has a different dynamic, especially in the world of fiction. But there are still ways in which you may benefit greatly from ACFW membership. As you take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and information in our craft-training classes, our website archives, and our main loop, you will grow in your craft and become even more skilled at the kind of writing the Lord has designed for you, no matter what type of publication outreach He has in mind specifically for you.
I'm multi-published and have a strong marketing team, a great agent, and more contracts than I can manage. Do I belong in ACFW?
Do you need to know that other writers understand your challenges? Do you appreciate the encouragement of those who are blessed by what you write? If you are multi-published, you no doubt have learned the secret--that a writer can never stop learning. Just as a prolific author always is digging into (or back into) a craft classic, he or she can benefit from fresh ways of looking at subjects like POV, deepening emotion, writer's block, character motivations... Or you may find your greatest joy in ACFW membership is the opportunity to help other writers over the hurdles you conquered long ago, or in some aspect of mentoring through your knowledgeable answers to the main loop. You'll find both camaraderie with other multi-published authors and plenty of opportunity to assist the yet-to-be-published in their writing journey.
ACFW is always looking to expand and enhance what we offer to both the newcomer and the veteran novelist. We understand that we can't meet every need, nor can we fully focus on every aspect of fiction that deserves attention. But we're working very hard to show that if you're serious about writing great novels, this is where you belong!
Pressing on for the glory of the Author and Finisher of our faith,
Cynthia Ruchti
ACFW President
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