Once Upon a Time…

It begins again. November 1st I’m going to try it again. What am I going to write? Got me. I have two options and I’m lukewarm about both.

Option one is write a follow up to this book —–>

No one read that one so why would anyone want to read a follow up?

Option two is a young adult book about Wesley, assistant manager of the Mars Colony McDonalds and reluctant space pirate. This idea has some fans so maybe I can trick people into reading the finished product.

The biggest problem I have is that I’m lukewarm. Last year I was so excited to get started I was writing character bios, researching locations, and going on roadtrips for first hand knowledge. This year…meh. I can’t go to Mars or Wales. I don’t have a plot. I know it’s NaNo so plot is not a requirement, but if I’m going to get people to read my opus, I feel like I owe them one.

Maybe that’s my problem. Last year I was determined never to show a soul the fruits of my labors. Hmmm… something to ponder.

Tags: NaNoWriMo, writing

I’ve been around this internet a time or two, checking the lay of the land, counting the number of Starbucks per block, and I’ve been increasingly curious where I fit. I see the successful and published out there blogging about current events and giving out prizes. They talk about book promotion tours and signings.

I get my current event news from The Daily Show and E! I’ve thought about prizes, but what? I’m not giving up my Magic 8 Yoda. Wisdom about when to go to lunch, he has for me. The only tour I have planned involves a grocery cart and I just finished signing autographs on checks to pay my electric and phone bills.

What’s an author to blog about before they have the three book deal?

Progress? The only writing I did in July was on Twitter. I made up for it yesterday with 7354 words on a story that I’m writing just for me. I need to write that many on the story I want to submit to a publisher.

My life? I go to work. I go to Walmart. I go home. I yell at my kids to clean up their dishes and put away their laundry. I live in 1962. It’s about ten miles outside of Funkytown (which isn’t nearly as fun and funky as it sounds).

Work? Nobody likes a whiner.

I’m back to writing about writing (or the lack thereof). A wise woman recently said “writing about writing isn’t writing” thus dashing my plan to use this blog post as fodder for upping my August word count. The other fly in the ointment is that writers who blog about writing have some verifiable proof that they know what the hell they’re talking about. Ask me about allowable expenses to report on your 1040, I’m all over it. Writing - all I know is what I’ve read. I could tell you what I read I suppose, but that’s not me.

I’ve come full circle then. This will be like Seinfield - a blog about nothing. I’m going to write whatever comes to mind and hopefully you’ll find it Sponge worthy.

Until then - NO SOUP FOR YOU!

Tags: writing

I’m having trouble getting moving today. I have three million things to do before vacation, but I keep losing my train of … what was I saying? Oh yeah can’t stay focused.

I’m still processing what I did yesterday. What did I do yesterday? I went to my first INRWA meeting. I sat in a room with a dozen women, most of whom are published authors, and talked writing. How cool is that?

I started writing Third Watch fan fiction in 2002 as a fan in a box. I was the only person I knew who watched Third Watch (maybe why it got cancelled, but I’m not saying it’s my fault). When I started writing fan fiction, I was the only person I knew who wrote. I was a writer in a box. All my writing talk and Third Watch talk took place online (dial up even).

I tried to go to a writing get together, but I told them I wrote fan fiction and liked romance novels and they looked at me like I was something stinky stuck to the bottom of their shoes. I climbed back in my box and limited my creative life to online.

Fast forward four years - I stopped (almost all together) writing fan fiction and tried my hand at writing original fiction - romance specifically. I wrote and wrote, researched and read. I was spinning my wheels (not literally - have you priced tires? Holy Lord!). I found the Romance Writers of America site and coveted membership. It took me three more years to finally stop doing the Wayne and Garth “I’m not worthy” chant and join.

I joined IRWA a couple of days later and instead of following my usual pattern of putting things off until they’re irrelevant, I forced myself out of bed on a Saturday morning and went to a meeting. I’m out of my box. See? Cool.

Tags: fan fiction, history, Third Watch

I got my membership email from the Indiana Romance Writers of America (see shiny new icon and link in the sidebar) today and have been bombarded with people welcoming me to the clan. It reminds me of the good old days of the Third Watch fandom which in turn reminded me I didn’t have any content up on this site! I’m e-meeting all these new people with a bare blog! The horror! The shame!

I’m wresting with moving some of my favorite posts to this blog since the other one is about to go the way of the Do-do, but I don’t know if it would be more trouble than it’s worth. I also know I don’t want those old posts on the main page. I may break out the Sitebuilder and make an archive page with my favorites. Sounds like a project for when I’m not at work.

I’m really excited about the new opportunities IRWA will bring and meeting new people. Old friends, don’t fall off your chairs. I am capable of being social. Really. I’m not joking. Okay, okay I’m shaking in my shoes scared and my stomach is in knots reminescent of tax season.

The people who’ve reached out to me are all really nice people though so I’m sure they won’t eat me when I show up at the meeting on Saturday. Once I get to know them, I’ll post up some links to their websites if they’re agreeable.

As for those new folks from IRWA who came here wondering if I really do have a Carmine Miranda hat, no, I don’t have one. I do have several places you can get to know me better and guess my psychosis:

Twitter
Livejournal (although that’s just been a Tweet repository for a little while)
The website for this blog
My old blog
The website for that blog

Those last two are about to disappear though. That’s really making me sad. I’ve had that site since 2002 and it’s hard to let go of the nostalgia, but it’s time.

Anyway, welcome new friends. Hi-de-ho, old friends. Buy my book. See ya later. kthxbye

Tags: organizations

I’ve entered a brave new world. I’ve all but completely obliterated the fan site I had up at TWKim1989.net and started this author site. I think this means (along with the book I published - link forthecoming) I’m officially a writer.

Watch this spot for the new and exciting!

Tags: link, website