Writers: Do you Plot or Wing it?

Plotter or Pantser. I'm sure many of you have heard the terms before. But what does it mean?

Plotter: This is a person who outlines their story from beginning to end. Sometimes chapter by chapter, other times plotting out a timeline or writing a synopsis.

Panters: This is a person who writes and lets the "muse" tell them where to go next.

I would love to sit here and talk about plotting a novel, how to write a killer outline, and all the great technical aspects to pre-plotting a novel.

I can't.

I'm a pantser.

For NANOWRIMO a few years back, I actually wrote an outline. Okay, it wasn't a real outline, it was a Jenn outline of notes and plot points and character personalities & attributes, but it was the most pre-planning I've done with any book.

I never finished it.

I still go back and read it sometimes. Parts of it are great, others, not so much. I lost interest right when it was getting good and heading into the final climax. I have no idea why I lost interest, but I have a feeling it had to do with the pre-destined ending and forcing the book and characters to make it there.

Being a pantser doesn't mean I don't have an idea where I want to story to go, in fact, 90% of the time I know the beginning, middle, and end. I just don't know how the characters will get there. For me, that is the best part about writing.

I have the characters in my head, their look, personality, quirks and faults. I know the world they live in. I know the basic skeleton of the plot. I know how I want it to end. Mostly.

I give my characters a wide berth when writing, because even though I am the author, it's not my story. I don't like influencing my characters, I'd rather they drive the story forward.

I'll use my latest novella Wild & Wicked as an example.

When the idea first popped into my head, all I knew was this: Girl working at strip club was looking for something. Guy who visits the strip club (for some reason) ends up helping the girl. And the girl was going to have to give the guy a lap dance before the end of her first night working.

From here, I needed characters.

Veronica's name came to me easily. I'd been watching Veronica Mars for a while and loved the name. Only one character called her Roni, a nickname, to be honest, I never really associated with Veronica before because I don't know anyone personally with that name. I know right! How weird. But that was her name. I didn't want her to look or act like Kristen Bell's character from VM, so I made sure she didn't. Good, I have a character!

Mason's name came from the new Call of Duty game my brother was playing. It was the character's last name, and I liked it. So I used it as his first name and gave him a cool last name. I decided he was a former detective and that he went to the strip club to keep an eye on the owner--so he wasn't really interested in the strippers. I also knew that I wanted him to look similar to Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Yum.

Awesome! I have my characters. I knew the setting. So, I started writing.

As I wrote the novella, Mason's back story quickly filled my brain. I didn't know anything about Veronica, but that was okay, because I always have a mysterious/suspenseful vibe in everything I write, so it didn't concern me. When her back story was ready to come out, I'd be ready too.

I wasn't nervous when I neared the moment where she told Mason her little secret. To be honest, I was as surprised as Mason when she told him. One line filled in all the blanks!

When the second big reveal came from Veronica, I knew I had to pepper in some minor details throughout the story so that it seemed like I knew who she was from the beginning, without giving it away to the reader a head of time.

Once I knew Veronica's back story, it opened up a whole new side of her that I never had in my head, making her even more interesting than before. Total score! It also opened up a secondary plot that I turned into a sequel!

For this particular story, I had no notes, no written description, no idea where the story was even taking place, except for the club. Everything was in my head and it just flowed.

With my other, bigger projects, I normally write notes and descriptions, plot points, and other minor connecting details to make sure I stay on track with where I'd like the story to go. Of course it doesn't always happen as planned because we all know characters tend to do what they want, but having those notes and comments helps me stay focused on the plot portion.

I've gotten better at this pantser stuff the last few years. I chalk it up to my Star Trek role playing game. I've been playing this game for a while, with a group of creative people who keep me on my toes every single week. I learned that I have a knack for taking a plot from several months ago and tying it into something we're doing in the present, which in turn creates an even bigger plot with other side plots emerging in the background. I love it! It's one of the reason I still play because I never know what's going to happen, what the other people are going to do, and I love finding a way to connect everything together. At times, the people I play with ask if I planned to connect Plot A with Plot X and when I say no, they rarely believe me!

When I first started playing the ST game, I was a total plotter. I had things pre-written, I knew what everyone had to do, how they had to do it, and made sure they did it, even if they didn't want to. Those games were fun, but not as much fun as giving people free range with their own characters. Now, I never plot our games. Sometimes I'll set up a scenario and just go with it. Makes it much more interesting!

I've learned to do that with my novel characters too and I couldn't be happier. I love the way I write because it tends to surprise me, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but isn't that the life? You never know what will happen, so your characters shouldn't either. Unless they're psychic, but that's another blog post...

How about you? Plotter or Pantser or a little bit of both?

Yes, I really lost over 100lbs. Wanna know how?

Eating right and exercise.

UGH! You say.

I did too. But it worked.

I was a VERY heavy girl in my 20's. I can sit here and blog about how and why I got to that very heavy state, but the main reason (aside from medical conditions) anyone ever gets to be heavy or obese...eating TOO MUCH food and/or REALLY CRAPPY food that's horrible for you.

First thing you should know, DO NOT DIET! Dieting rarely works. You need to make a change in your eating or exercise habits to lose weight. Going all carbs or all proteins or all this and that will ONLY deprive your body of what it needs to survive.

The best rule you can teach yourself "Everything in moderation."

My weight loss success started with Weight Watchers. The reason I chose WW was simply because they let you eat everything that you normally eat...even the not so good stuff, like chocolate and bagels! I love bread, pasta, and cheese. I love steak, pork, and chicken. And yes, I still like my fast food. With WW you can still enjoy those guilty pleasures (in moderation) if you stay within your calorie range each week. I followed the plan, counted my points, and slowly started shedding the lbs.

Sad but true, I was so out of shape and heavy that walking up a few flights of stairs made me sweat. I knew that I needed to exercise and hated the thought of it. There was NO way I was going to go to a co-ed gym. I thought about Lucille Roberts too...but those commercials with all those skinny girls doing jumping jacks didn't do it for me either. Luckily, Curves started to explode around the country. I found a great place to start! Curves is a 30min women only resistance workout. I would go there, put my headphone in with some fun dance music, and do the work out three times a week. An hour and a half of my life per week to get healthier. No biggie, right? Right!

I stayed Curves for about a year, and as the weight kept coming off, I knew I had to take it to the next level if I wanted to continue seeing results.

I still didn't want to go to a coed gym or LR--damn skinny girls, but I needed real equipment for weight & strength training, so I found an awesome personal trainer , Jill, who provided that and more.

Even if you can't find/afford a gym or a trainer or somewhere you feel comfortable, you have two feet. Walk. Park your car ALL the way at the end of the Target parking lot instead of the front and walk. Close to work? Walk. Have a dog? Walk even more. Many parks have exercise areas too. Every cable provider has on demand exercise programs. The Wii Fit? LOVE IT! Exercise with friends, family, kids. Company helps!

I'm not yet where I want to be, but I am much healthier and happier in my 30's then I ever was in my 20's.

I'm not a nutritionist or a doctor, I'm just telling you what worked for me. You also need to find out what your recommended calorie intake for the day should be, based on your height and weight before you make any changes to your eating habits. You are a car. Food is your fuel. You can try to put 20 gallons of gas in a 10 gallon tank, but it won't work, so you shouldn't do it to your body either.

Fact: You need to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound of weight. You can do this one of two ways, eating less calories than you normally do or burn more calories than you eat through daily activities and exercise. (Both is better)

I've learned some great tricks along the way, so, if you're looking to drop some lbs...see where you can make the change too:

1. Don't drink your calories. Before my weight loss, I made a New Years Resolution to not drink any soda until my birthday in April. Just by doing that and nothing else, I lost about 10lbs. No joke. Find low or no calorie drinks to sip during the day. Water is the best, of course, but some people (hi bro) don't like water (go figure). Crystal Light has a ton of flavors. Yes, it may take some time to adjust your taste buds, but it's worth it. I drink Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi now instead of regular, and to be honest, I can't stand regular soda anymore. Too sweet. Also, limit your alcohol if you're trying to drop some weight, it's baaad!

2. Cut out the "White" stuff. If you change some of your breads and pastas from regular to whole grain or whole wheat, you are doing your body a favor. I found with Wheat Pasta, if you cook it a little longer than normal you barely notice the difference. Toast the Wheat Bread and it's practically the same. Most white breads also come in a light/smart/whole grain version, that works too.

3. Buy more cereal. Yes, seriously. First of all, you should be eating breakfast. Every day. No exception. The sooner your body gets food, the sooner it starts to burn calories. Many cereal companies are now putting whole grains into their junkier cereals like Cocoa Puffs (a Jenn staple), but there are many other great cereals out there that are healthy, Kashi, Great Grains, Grape Nuts, Cheerios, etc. When I needed a snack & chocolate, I grabbed the Cocoa Puffs and had a bowl. A serving size (1cup) with 1% milk (1/2cup) is under 200 calories and better than eating a bowl of M&M's.

4. Eat more but less. Instead of eating three normal meal per day, eat four or five or six times a day. Times not meals! Breakfast-Before Lunch Snack-Lunch-Afternoon Snack-Dinner-Nighttime Snack. This does not mean you can eat candy and chips and such, your snacks should be healthy and lower calorie, light popcorn, a few pretzels or crackers, fruits & veggies etc. One of my favorite new low calorie treats are the Special K bars. 90 Calories, YUMMY, and they go great with a glass of milk. I'm partial to the Chocolate Pretzel one.

5. Trick your body. If you normally eat a big breakfast, small lunch, and med dinner, eventually your body will get used to having the same number of calories at the same time every day. When you adjust your eating a couple of times a week it will confuse your body and in return your body will change the way it burns those calories. Instead of always having Sunday Brunch, have a bigger breakfast on Tuesday. Have breakfast for dinner one day. Eat a larger lunch on Saturday and smaller dinner. Don't do it all the time because then you'll really confuse your body. Once or twice a week is good enough!

6. Veggies & Fruit & Salads. Eat more. Nuff said.

7. Cook and eat at home more. This is really a no-brainer. If you cook at home, you know what you are putting in and on your food. Find healthier recipes online. Biggest Loser is great for this, they have amazing low calorie cookbooks. Many restaurants are putting the nutrition information on the menus, but not all. If you do go out, make better choices! Ask for dressings and sauces on the side and ask if they have a lower calorie options for your favorite dish.

8. Make substitutions & other minor changes. You honestly don't need to give up anything you love to lose weight. You may have to limit your intake or find a better option. Instead of buying Ice Cream go for low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt-most come in the same flavors. Instead of Movie Theater popcorn, buy it plain and butter it yourself with a little pat of butter. If you drink whole milk, switch to 2%, it's healthier for you anyway. If you make dishes with ground beef, switch to ground turkey--if you season it, you rarely notice the difference. When you want McDonald's, go, but make it a single cheeseburger instead of a double and get small fries. Fries are a killer!

9. No Late Night Eating. If you stay up until midnight, don't eat after 8pm. If you must, have a cup of popcorn or a glass of milk or a carrot.

10. Treat Yourself! Splurge occasionally! If you behave and know you've stayed under your calorie range and you're exercising, go ahead and have a slice of your favorite pizza, eat a piece of candy or that brownie at your next work party. If you deprive yourself of the things you love most, it'll make sticking to a weight loss program that much harder.

11. Find someone to talk to. Rarely can we make any life changes without the support of friends and family. There are a ton of weight loss groups online where you can talk about weight loss until the sun comes up. No one knows how hard it can be unless they've done it themselves, and sharing tips and tricks will make us all healthier in the end.

12. Don't give up! Remember the P's! As with anything, practice, patience and persistence is key. If something is working for you, go with it! Like I mentioned earlier, I loved repetition while loosing weight. I had Cheerios for breakfast, fruit mid-day, soup and a half-sandwich for lunch, varied my dinners with filling salads and low calories meals, and made sure any snacks I had were small and/or healthy. I told you I like chocolate! If something isn't working for you, ask for help. It's out there, all you have to do is seek and ye shall find.

Trust me, when all those overweight people who lose weight the correct way say: "If I can do it, you can do it" they're right! All it takes is the desire to make a change and the determination to see it through. It's not always easy. It takes time. But I did it, you can do it to!

Why Are Best Selling Authors Annoying Jenn?

I honestly wasn't much of a reader in my youth. I did my normal trip to the library, like every kid does, but never wanted to read anything.

At 12 or so, I started reading Nancy Drew. A staple for most young girls. Well, it worked. The whole mystery aspect drew me in. Finally! I found something I liked to read.

After watching Reading Rainbow--Yes, I watched the show even though I didn't read much--and seeing an episode where LeVar Burton was on the set of Star Trek: TNG, I started watching the show. I had seen episodes of the original Trek, but wasn't much of a "fan". Well it all changed with TNG. I became obsessive. Read all the books. Devoured them, actually.

I'm sure it had to do with the fact that I already knew the characters, and the writers of the books captured them perfectly. It was like reading an episode! Wow, books CAN be fun!

I graduated to other mystery and suspense authors and continued to read the Trek Books.

In my mid-twenties, I found three or four Best Selling authors (NY Times kind) and began gobbling up their back lists. It was great!

Then, slowly, everything turned to crap. I won't name names, because that's mean. But these authors were (and some still are) BIG TIME Best Sellers.

Author #1 Romantic Suspense. I read all her single titles, all the series titles for one specific character, and started to read her new releases as they came out once I caught up. When the fourth or fifth book of the series came out, I started to notice how sloppy the author was getting. Driving the same sad plot forward through dialogue 90% of the time, telling and telling and telling all over the place, and putting fifteen one line paragraphs on the page so it seemed way more suspenseful than it was. Bah. I was annoyed. I stopped reading her. Several weeks ago my sister gave me the latest book of the series. I skimmed through it to see if she changed at all. Got annoyed right away and haven't picked it up since.

Author #2 Mystery/Thrillers. FBI procedural type books. Right up my alley. I barely remember them now, shows how much they impacted me, but I did love the first few. Then noticed the same damn thing happening. Same types of plots--not exactly category type plots, but the author's unique plot rehashed out with different characters. Really? Ugh!

Author #3 Mystery/Cop procedural. I'm still reading this author, but the last book, still sitting on my nightstand, isn't doing it for me. I hope it's just the story for this one. I still think he's a great writer, but I've noticed a change. I will give him another chance, sure, because I've been reading him for at least ten years. I would hate to give up now.

Author #4 Thriller. This author blew me away with his character. LOVED HIM! Still do, even as the writing continues to get sloppy and annoying with long as sentences that don't need to be there, pages and pages of description that make my eyes glaze over. I actually skimmed parts of his last book because I was so annoyed.

I've also seen other various Best Selling authors change their story based on fan reaction, drag shit on way longer than it needed, probably because of the publisher, and a plethora of things to make me stop reading them. And I'm not even talking about the writers whose plots are always the same just with different characters.

I've even attempted to read other best selling authors who people have raved about and found myself wondering how in the world they got publishing in the first place...

It makes me sad.

As a writer, I always strive to do better. Learn the craft. Hone my skills. I know I'm not and will never be an amazing literary writer, but I don't want to be. I want to write Kick-Ass fiction that makes people go, hmm...wish that happened to me! I want to get better. I want to learn from my mistakes...like that one paragraph I once wrote describing in detail every piece of black clothing the villain wore. Bad, Jenn, bad!

People have told me that Big Time Authors sometimes get a chip and don't like to be edited when they're a best seller. Really? How does that make ANY sense? Your books went to the top on a collaborative effort. Your Publisher, Editor, Marketers, and You-The Author. Why would you change any of that?

Sure, I understand that there is tremendous pressure to get at least one new book out a year if you're a series writer, but don't you want each and every one of your books to get the attention it had when you first started, or, dare I say, more?

Shying away from some of these best selling authors has made way for me to read others I've never had time for.

It hasn't been going so well. My writer's eye has made it very hard for me to read for the pure enjoyment of it. All the rules I've learned over the years keep pounding in my head, practically screaming as I read. "That's passive voice!" "Why is this whole paragraph riddle with 'had'?" "How many commas do you really need--OMG just use a period!" "WHY ARE YOU HEAD HOPPING?!?"

I will say this, though, I am having far better luck with mid-list authors. The ones who are still grinding day in and day out to break through to the Best Sellers list. Seems they take their writing a little more seriously as an art form not just a way to make money.

I'm sure I'm not the only one out there. Has this happened to you? Which Best Selling Authors are you reading right now that you still love?

TV Post...Yep, They're Baaaackkkk....

I know many of you have missed my keen observations into the TV world. :-) No, I haven't stopped watching or even lowered the number of shows I watch. It's grown, actually. It's insane, really, but I know I wouldn't watch this much if I didn't have my DVR.

Let's start with Sunday, my cartoon night. It still rocks. I'm not really into the Burger show, but American Dad is finally playing to its strengths, Roger and Steve. Whenever they are front and center, the show is great! I still dislike Stan, but he's growing on me. Simpsons has been funnier than normal recently, and that's good because it was getting kinda...eh. Cleveland show still has my interests and of course, Family Guy is tops!

Monday.

My guilty pleasure of Gossip Girl is still going strong. Mostly, I love the places they hold their parties and setting my eyes on Chuck and Nate. So cute.

I'm a couple episodes behind on The Cape. It's actually better than I thought it was going to be and helped give me a few ideas for one of my own characters.

Hawaii 5-0 is my favorite new cop show on TV. Doesn't hurt that Alex O'Laughlin is super hot. The whole cast is fantastic! Still love the fact that Grace Park is revamping all these guy roles! My dad would've loved this show. He watched the original. I'm sure it would have been our substitution for 24.

I've seen a few episodes of Harry's Law. It's funny!

Pawn Stars is awesome as always. If you haven't watched it and like History or Antiques, you should watch it. For real.

Tuesday

Glee can do no wrong in my eyes. Even when it does a Brittney Spears episode. Though, I am NOT looking forward to the Bieber episode.

No Ordinary Family is your answer to missing Heroes. It's fantastic! Autumn Reeser is AMAZINGLY FUNNY! She's every geek boys dream girl!

I'm still keeping up on Biggest Loser too. Keeps me grounded and stops me from eating a bag of chips during the show. LOL

Wednesday

SURVIVOR IS BACK THIS WEEK! YAY!

American Idol has kept my interest. I really dig the new panel and the talent is outrageous. I've already picked out about 7 people to make it to the finals. I even picked a top boy and girl. If they make it to the Semi-Round, I shall tell you who they are if you want to know. :-)

Criminal Minds has survived without JJ, but I still miss her character. I'm looking forward to the Spin-Off, but I don't have high expectations at this point. As long as Garcia is in it, I'll watch. For a little while at least. Of course if they brought Morgan with her, it'd be a no-brainer. *sigh* Shemar Moore is so freaking hot.

I started watching L&O SVU again. I missed it, glad to have Benson & Stabler back.

Thursday

Big Bang Theory. Fantastic. Love the addition of Bernadette (Summer from True Blood) she's hilarious!

Shit My Dad Says. I started watching it because, well, who doesn't love The Shat? I continued to watch it because parts of his personality reminds me of my father. It's finally found its legs and a nice comic rhythm between the characters. The brother and sister-in-law (I don't know their names, sorry), really hold the show together.

Since Weds and Friday are my new Thursdays, it's opened up CSI for me again. It's still not the same without Grissom, but he's coming back for an episode!

The Mentalist. Love it. 'Nuff said.

Friday

I'm not really sure how it happened, but I started watching a bunch of Lawyer shows again. Like the Defenders and L&O UK. One is serious, the other is more silly, but they are both awesome shows.

Fringe is OMG. It's my favorite Sci-Fi show on TV right now! I can't say ever, because there are so many good ones out there, but it's in the top ten, definitely. Every time you think the story line is corny or overdone, BAM!, they slap with a twist that you never saw coming. Fantastic.

I caught up on Smallville yesterday. Squee! What an awesome finale season they are having! Jonathan appeared in a flashback, Lionel came back from a different universe, Martha showed up again, Lex (the original actor) is coming back! Clark has the suit. He's almost ready to fly. He has the glasses for his "disguise". Superman is almost here! I'm actually very sad this show is ending. 10 Years! I really hope they do a Justice League spin off or something.

Supernatural has done well this season. It's got the early season vibe back again. I have a feeling it's building again to another huge plot and climax, I hope they can pull it off without the original creator on board.

Various other shows:

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. I'm convinced this show is for chicks. Do any guys even watch it?

Chase: It's not bad. I like the supporting cast more than Annie, but after her kidnap episode, which helped me tremendously with a short story I was working on, I have to give props to her. She's growing on me.

Ancient Aliens: Got picked up for another season! So excited!! Giorgio A. Tsoukalos is super hilarious. I'm following him on FB and Twitter.

Decoded: I'm not thrilled with the show because they really don't give you much of a conclusion at the end, but that's the History Channel for you. It's not bad, some of the shows taught me things about History that I didn't know and that's always fun.

Undercover Boss (when time permits) All I will say: I love when men cry. LOVE IT!

Whew.

I think that's it.

Oh no, it's not, but I really can't tell you about the Nickelodeon show I've been watching. It's a super duper guilty pleasure. Shh. It's a secret. Sibuna!

What are you watching that you love? Tell me about it.

Social Networking for Authors

A reposting of a blog I did for my writer's group, though most of you should already be doing this....

The dictionary says:

Main Entry: social networking
Part of Speech: n
Definition: the use of a website to connect with people who share personal or professional interests, place of origin, education at a particular school, etc.

But what does that mean? Well, basically, social network sites—most of which are free—allow you to have a web presence and connect with other people.

Many authors have websites these days, but social networks are tools to help you make friends, follow other authors, agents, editors, as well as help you to build a fan base if pre-published.

Here are a few of the larger social networking sites:

Livejournal – www.livejournal.com – This is mainly a blogging network. They have both paid and free accounts. You are able to customize your pages with the Livejournal tools, or if you know CSS (a computer language), you can create your own.

On Livejournal you can connect with other people, affectionately called “friending”. You can follow someone else’s blog, they can follow yours, and you even have the option of adding feeds from other blogs to your Livejournal.

Livejournal has a plethora of communities and groups for every single category you can think of be it writing, TV, movies, books, to politics, pets, and photography.

Myspace – www.myspace.com – Myspace is one of the first free large social networking sites to hit the internet. Myspace also allows you to customize your pages. There are many regular websites that also help you make layouts and backgrounds if you’re not a savvy computer user type. You can add applications to Myspace, post music, pictures, and videos. Myspace also has a section for blogging.

Myspace allows you to send private messages, invitations to events, and comment on your friend’s pages. As with Livejournal, Myspace has communities and groups.

Facebook – www.facebook.com – Facebook is the new Myspace, for the older kids, some say. Another large networking site, Facebook is slightly more limited with its customization. Everyone’s Facebook page looks pretty much the same.

On Facebook, you can add applications, poke people with cute avatars, add your interests in little display boxes, and find out who shares your likes and dislikes. You can send messages, invitations, and comment on pages like Myspace, but Facebook has it more streamlined on your one “wall” page.

While Facebook doesn’t have its own blog section, you can feed any blog into your notes section so your blog can be visible to any friends you have here.

Facebook also has groups and communities as well as “Fan” pages.

Twitter – www.twitter.com – Myspace and Facebook each have a status update section on your main page. This allows you to tell friends what you’re doing, ask a quick question, or inform readers of release dates, contests, etc. Twitter is a constant stream of status updates. 140 characters are all you get per post, but the instant interaction and feedback can be lots of fun!

On Twitter, you can follow people, follow trends using hastags, and communicate in a split second with anyone currently online in Twitter. Twitter also allows you to customize your page slightly, and gives you a 140 character private Direct Message to your friends.

Remember, when getting involved in any online endeavor it’s best to read all of the regulations, terms, and conditions associated with the site. Many of these networks also have FAQ sections so you can learn about all of their applications and services.

Me? I’m on all three, plus a couple more. I have lots of friends. Honest. I would say a good 10% is people I know personally, old school mates, work friends, etc. Another good chunk are writer friends I made online. Even if I don’t know said people personally, we at least have one or two things in common. That is the beauty of the internet! You can find someone who is passionate about the same subject, regardless of what it is, and always have someone to talk to.

For a list of other social networks check out this link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites

Feel free to add me as your “friend” I’m always happy to meet new people!

Happy Networking!
~Jenn

http://twitter.com/jennnixon
http://jennafern.blogspot.com/
http://myspace.com/jennafern
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jenn-Nixon/576234133
http://jennafern.livejournal.com/

Rolling with the good news!

I'm super excited to say that two of my spicy novellas Wild & Wicked and Chance of a Storm have been picked up by Tease Publishing!

It seems I still can't write a short story without my brain over thinking and creating more plot then needed, but I'm happy they've both found a great home!

I enjoyed writing them, and enjoy re-reading them even more, and for me, it was a great learning experience. The urgency of writing something suspenseful and short seemed to work very well. Maybe there is some shorts in me somewhere.

I hope to post the book covers soon. I'm really excited to see them!

And who knows, maybe I'll have a print book to bring to NY Comic Con this year!

Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference Information

Join us for the 2011 Create Something Magical Conference

When: March 19, 2011
Where: Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel, Iselin, New Jersey
Featuring Keynote Speaker Mary Janice Davidson
New York Times and USA Today best-selling and prolific writer who is published
primarily in paranormal romance but also fantasy and non-fiction.

Plus an exciting line-up of speakers and workshops to help hone and polish your
writing:

Cathy Maxwell: Voice–
Your Writing Personality?
Jonathan Maberry: Going Pro: Becoming a Professional Writer
Mary Burton: Writing Mysteries
Virginia Kantra: Dialogue
Angela James: Managing Your Author Brand
Sarah Wendell: Blogging
Debra Mullins: Creating Complicated Characters
Judi McCoy: Five Must Do Steps to Self Editing
Treva Harte & Diane Whiteside: NY Publishers vs. ePublishers: What Do They Want


Lisa Verge Higgins: It’s All About Emotional Intimacy: Working With Point of
View

Judi Fennell: Novel in a Nutshell
Stephanie Julian: Over the Plate Pitches
Melinda Leigh & KM Fawcett: Martial Arts & Writing Action
Tracey Lyons: Gone Fishing: How to Catch an Agent
Jenni Holbrook: Writing Synopsis
Keri Mikulski, Alison Formento, and Jennifer Hubbard: Writing Children’s Books
and YA Novels

Our conference will offer a new feature this year, video pitches with Kevan
Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency has graciously agreed to take appointments
via webcam.

Other agents also attending:
Louise Fury, L. Perkins Agency
Marisa Corvisiero, L. Perkins Agency
Lois Winston, Ashley Grayson Agency
Mary Sue Seymour., The Seymour Agency
Nalini Akolekar, Spencerhill Associates
Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Editors who are attending to hear pitches from Conference Attendees:
Wendy Lee, Avon/Harpercollins
Angela James, Carina Press
Latoya Smith, Grand Central Publishing
Renee Rocco, Lyrical Press
Heather Osborn, Samhain Publishing
Raelene Gorlinsky, Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Treva Harte, Loose-Id
Stephanie Murray, Crescent Moon Press
Marlene Castricato, Crescent Moon Press
Kathy Cottrell, The Wild Rose Press
Holly Schmidt, Ravenous Romance
Karen Syed, Echelon Press

Editors from Harlequin Enterprises, namely:
Elizabeth Mazer, Assistant Editor, Love Inspired/Silhouette
Stacy Boyd, Senior Editor, Desire
Keyren Gerlach, Associate Editor, Romantic Suspense
Susan Litman, Editor, Special Edition
Shana Smith, Assistant Editor, Desire/Romantic Suspense

Also included in the conference are gift basket giveaways, lunch, a networking
reception, and a multi-author book signing. The book signing is open to the
public.

Registration ends March 1.

When: March 19, 2011
Where: Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel
515 Route 1 South & Gill Lane
Iselin, New Jersey 08830
Phone: 732-634-3600 Fax: 732-634-0258

Registration – Liberty States Fiction Writers Members $110, Non-Members $130,
Conference with Membership or renewal $145

Please visit the Liberty States Fiction Writers Website for more details and the
ability to register online –
http://www.libertystatesfictionwriters.com/lsf-writers-conference/

The Liberty States Fiction Writers welcome pre-published writers at all levels
as well as e-published, small press and traditionally published authors.

My Guilty Pleasure - JLo

When Simon decided to leave American Idol, I wasn't sure I would watch it anymore. I mean, he's SIMON! I agreed with him 90% of the time, even when he was super mean, though I may have been a bit nicer myself. He still cracked me up. After hearing JLo was being considered for the show, I got a little excited. (Okay Tyler is hilarious, and I wasn't expecting him to be, so that's just icing...)

See, I have a girl-crush on JLo. Granted, I have many girl-crushes and have no problem saying so, to name a few, Angelina, Jessica Alba, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and my all time fave Drew Barrymore. But I never really told many people how much I love JLo.

She's not the greatest singer out there, but I love some of her songs still to this day. She's not the greatest actress, but I loved Selena and the Wedding Planner, I didn't even mind the Back Up Plan, well, because Alex O'Loughlin was in it...and he's super hot.

She is, however, one hell of a dancer. She's beautiful, smart, funny, seems rather genuine on AI, and has really branded herself well over the years.

Since watching her on AI, my appreciation for her has grown.

Last night, brother and I were talking about her and playing some of her videos on the iPod, I came to a realization that she could totally play Lucky. I'm sure a little make-up would give her that slight Asian influence in the eyes, add a wig (or super tight perm), and a pair of contacts, BOOM! Lucky. She's tall enough, curvy enough, and has the right look for Lucky.

If Lucky does well, I may have to start an online campaign for her to read the book and option it for a movie. HAHAHAH I crack you up, don't I?

Hey, it worked for Betty White and SNL, why not me? :-)

But seriously, I love trying to find celebrities to play my characters. I based my latest MC Hero on Jeffrey Dean Morgan....yum.

Do you have celebrities in mind when you write your characters? Do you know the perfect celebrity to play one of your characters?

Who is your guilty pleasure?

Tell me, I'm curious!

Self Pub on Kindle

Yes, I've decided to take an OLD YA-ish novella and put it on Amazon Kindle. Why not? It's a great little Sci-Fi Time Travel story about two siblings from the future who get stuck in the 21st Century. Lots of action and fun and a Star Trek Convention!

No, I have not lost my faith in the publishing industry. In fact, I've learned to adjust my way of thinking about it.

When I first started submitting, (way back in 2001) I wanted to find a big time publisher for my really crappy book. Boy did I learn a lot! The second and third books, though better, didn't go anywhere either. But in the last ten years, the number of good legitimate ebook publishers has skyrocketed! After I finished Lucky and submitted to all the big guys who take slush, I realized that I wasted a good year trying to "make it big" instead of starting smaller, building up a reader base, and creating my platform.

So that's where I am now.

I'm super excited to see things moving along now. Taking some of my older stuff, re-editing them, and self publishing doesn't seem like the crazy move it did all those years ago.

Amazing what a few years and an explosion of technology can do, huh?

Stay tuned for details about Time Healers: Book One!

Liberty States Fiction Writers February Blog Tour

Just wanted to remind my friends about my writer's groups blog tour!

Check it out!
http://www.libertystatesfictionwriters.com/blog-read-around-the-world/