New Year’s Resolutions – Make Them or Break Them

by C.H. Admirand

I stopped making New Year’s Resolutions about ten years ago. Why don’t I jump in line with the rest of those eager to start the year off right and make changes in my life for the better?

Ahh, that’s because I know me. I used to make lavish resolutions: Prepare fabulous gourmet dinners for our family of five; keep our home sparkling clean and photogenically (hmmm…probably not a word, but it should be) ready for when the photographers from House Beautiful and Better Homes and Gardens magazines show up on our doorstep; dazzle my darling husband until his eyes cross and his socks end up in our neighbor’s yard (if you don’t understand the reference, don’t fret, just email me at c.h.admirand@gmail.com for clarification); and write three un-put-downable novels in one year.

Are you still wondering why I don’t make resolutions? I suppose you’re still young and impressionable and haven’t hit the sandwich years yet (those of us who still have twenty-something children living at home and are taking care of a parent or parents, whether your parents live with you, or in a nursing home, etc. you are caught between two generations.) This year we’ve added yet one more generation with the birth of our grandson.

Life is so full of ups and downs that we have to remember to embrace the ups when we can, and forge ahead through the downs when we must—with dogged determination knowing that whatever we do, it will be the best we can do at that particular moment in time.

Which leads me to the part about writing three un-put-downable books in one year...a particular goal of mine, however, between writing deadlines, family, and a darling new grandbaby, I’m setting my sights and goals to be attainable: two un-put-downable books per year…working up to four or more for next year. And they will be the best books that I can possibly write at that particular moment in time.

As for the gourmet meals: our oldest son, Phil loves to cook, and for that we are all extremely grateful. The other night he wowed us with Beef Bourguignon. It was melt-in-your-mouth delectable. When I asked him where he got the recipe he laughed—apparently it’s my recipe—BUT he actually follows the recipe verbatim instead of my winging it and using the recipe as a guideline. He’s getting closer to buying his first house, and I’m still wondering what we’ll eat when he does. Probably go back to eating the 3 Ps when I’m on deadline: Pizza, Pasta, and Peanut Butter!

Keeping our home sparkling clean and ready for that photo shoot? HAH! Not happening until I earn enough for a maid, promotion for my books, attending reader events and conferences, and buying diapers to have on hand for when our darling grandson visits. LOL!

Now the one thing I do try to do is dazzle my darling husband. This actually ties in quite well with my on-going research for the love scenes in my books. You’ve gotta love a man with broad shoulders, sparkling green eyes, and a strong back. My darling husband Dave is my hero.

Soooo…this year, my resolution is once again, NOT to make a resolution, but to tackle each day as it comes, meeting my writing deadlines, and all of the other responsibilities that come with being a part of the sandwich generation. This year’s deadline is more doable than last year’s December 31st deadline. The good news is that I’m on schedule…tweaking the first book in my new Small Town USA series for Sourcebooks: A WEDDING IN PURITY which I will be turning in on schedule (Dec.15th), and the copyedits for JESSE’s story due five days later! Best of all, I still have time to buy Christmas presents!♥

With eight short stories and thirteen novels to her credit, this award-winning, multi-published author’s books are available in paperback, hardcover, e-book, trade paperback, and magazine. DYLAN will releases Jan. 2, 2012, JESSE will release July 2, 2012, and A WEDDING IN PURITY will release November 2, 2012 from Sourcebooks. To read excerpts, stop by her website at http://www.chadmirand.com/ .

BREAKING THE RULES

By Isabo Kelly

We’ve all heard them. The Rules of Writing: Write what you know. Show don’t tell. Write every day. Outline your story before you start writing. Be persistent and persevere. Never give up. Always have a critique partner or group. Have a writing schedule. Avoid starting a story with dialogue. Study the market. Learn proper grammar. Read read read! Revise revise revise! Don’t use exclamation points! Avoid all clichés. Write with a unique voice. Never ever use adverbs and adjectives. Murder your darlings. Stop writing for the day in the middle of a sentence…

For an art and a craft, there are a lot of rules to follow.

Okay, some of this is really more “advice” than “rule”, but they’re often presented as The Only Way To Succeed As A Writer. And to be fair, some of them are pretty good. Like reading a lot. Really, if you’re a writer, you should read. Being persistent and persevering is an important piece of advice too. That whole revising thing can be helpful.

However, some of these “rules” I think are a bit more flexible. And there are some I just don’t follow.

What rules do I break?

Well, I don’t write every day for one. Such a big no-no according to some. But the truth is, I have to work writing in around my life. And there are just those days when there is no room or brain power left over for writing. Also, it’s good to take time off and do other things. Makes a writer hungry to get back to her story. Normal jobs allow for time off for good behavior. Writing should too.

I never outline. I did try this. Finishing a full novel is probably easier if you can outline. But I can’t. So I don’t. Simple as that. At least I tried.

“Write what you know” is just about impossible since I write science fiction but I’ve never been in space (yet) and fantasy but I’ve never wielded magic to do battle with evil elves (yet). I’ve always thought this should more properly be “write what you’re interested in” because you can do research to learn what you need to know to write a believable story. A lot of other really excellent writers agree with me on this one, so I give full permission to flout this rule brazenly.

Have a writing schedule. Wouldn’t that be nice? I’d love to have a regular writing schedule. At points in my career I have managed to have something like one. But sadly, no more. I write whenever I can squeeze it in—late night, early morning, on the subway, during toddler nap, on a scrap of paper in a waiting room. The general day to day chaos of my life means I’ve been breaking this rule for years.

The “avoid all clichés” rule…all I can say is good luck with that. If you can manage it, tell me how you do.

And finally, a piece of advice I believe in adamantly and think is an excellent rule if you’re going to succeed in this brutal business—never give up. Well, I break that one all the time too. I’m always giving up. I throw in the towel several times a year and think, “I’ll just be a reader. I don’t need this (insert expletive). There are plenty of things I can do instead.” Then I go right back to writing. I can’t help it. So I guess, in point of fact, through no effort of my own, I actually do ultimately follow this rule. But it’s pretty fun to say, “I quit!” every now and then.

So what rules do you break? What “absolutely must do” writing advice do you thumb your nose at? On purpose or otherwise? Bet they’re some pretty good ones, huh?

To read the “rules” of some contemporary authors, visit this Guardian (UK) article on the subject (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one). Some of the advice is very funny. And some of it is excellent—pay close attention. Some of it…well, don’t take it too seriously. After all, rules were made to be broken. ♥



Isabo Kelly’s most recent fantasy romance, BRIGHTARROW BURNING, has a dark tone, is written in her typical informal style, and is undoubtedly written in her unique voice (which took a lot of writing to uncover). For more on Isabo and her books visit her at http://www.isabokelly.com/.

SELF-HELP FOR ROMANCE WRITERS

 
by Anna DePalo

In my ongoing quest for spiritual illumination, the answer to the universe and the magic bullet for writing a powerhouse novel in the shortest amount of time possible, I’ve come to this conclusion: We Have Met The Enemy and She Is Us.

Procrastination, self-doubt, and perfectionism are just some of the enemies of the writer. Then, of course, there are the more mundane ones: bad grammar, poor punctuation, and pesky homonyms.

For the purposes of this article, I’ll stick to the spiritual (non-mundane). A good writers’ conference, workshop or talk is great for recharging your batteries, of course. But in between, I turn to other things for inspiration. Living is the best one: watch television, read a good book, get a massage, go out with friends, and keep abreast of the zeitgeist.

And then there’s what I call the “self-help for writers” industry, chiefly in--what else?--print. Here are some titles that I’ve found helpful therapy for my writer self:

TIME TO WRITE: MORE THAN 100 PROFESSIONAL WRITERS REVEAL HOW TO FIT WRITING INTO YOUR BUSY LIFE by Kelly L. Stone. Need a literate spanking? This is the book for you. Stone subtitles her manual “No excuses. No distractions. No more blank pages.”

WRITER MAMA: HOW TO RAISE A WRITING CAREER ALONGSIDE YOUR KIDS by Christina Katz. Have young saboteurs in your life? This book is for you. It is geared toward non-fiction querying of magazines, newspapers and the like, but the overall message—divided into sections on preparation, practice, professionalism and poise—is for anyone.

FALL IN LOVE LIKE A ROMANCE WRITER: YOUR FAVORITE NOVELISTS SHARE THEIR SECRET KEYS TO A LONG AND LASTING LOVE, edited by Amelia Grey. This one could be titled CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE ROMANCE WRITER’S SOUL. Not all the entries are about finding The One, but every one is a celebration of love in one form or another. The contributors are married, divorced, never married and widowed.

IF YOU WANT TO WRITE: A BOOK ABOUT ART, INDEPENDENCE AND SPIRIT by Brenda Ueland. It is a bit ponderous, but also a classic dating from 1938 and still available. Check out, in particular, Chapter X: “Why Women Who Do Too Much Housework Should Neglect It for Their Writing.”

And if none of the above works for you, get out the New Age crystals. Peace.♥




USA TODAY best-selling author Anna DePalo's latest book is IMPROPERLY WED (Nov. 2011). You can join her e-mailing list at http://www.annadepalo.com/, and catch her on Facebook or www.twitter.com/anna_depalo.

LET YOUR HERO BE MALE

By Shirley Hailstock

How many men do you know who hunker down on snowy evenings with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa? I don’t know any. All the men I know, regardless of weather, want a bottle of beer, a loaded pizza, and a 55-inch television tuned to any sporting event where the possibility of blood exists. These are real men, not fictional characters, but the ones we live with -- the ones with body odor and dirty socks left wherever they discard them.

In writing, we want our men strong, characters we can love and fall in love with time and time again. Giving female qualities to a male character (and vice versa) will throw a reader out of a book as fast as lack of motivation or bad writing. Maybe I don’t want my hero to be the guy on my couch, but I do want part of him, a composite of a real man. This is not a stereotype. Many men are sensitive, but they are also male.

Other than trying to fix every situation and buying GPS’s by the truckload so they never have to ask for directions, what do males do? How do they react in situations? The answer lies in their character, who they are and what or who you, as the author, have borne them to be. Is he an alpha male or a beta male? Alpha’s are take-charge guys, no holds barred, shoot first and ask questions later kind of guys. Think Jason Bourne, Wesley Snipes, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Beta’s are the sensitive guys, those who think through the situation, weigh the options, make a decision and then act. Think Jack Ryan, Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington. Not that a beta doesn’t act quickly. His thought processes can be a split second in length, but he’s sized up the problem and discarded every option that has no chance of success.

To say men and women are different is a no brainer. There are times when women have to act with strength and there are times when men need to show their sensitive side. These usually arise from the situation, not from choice. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule and we know in writing there are no rules that can’t be broken. Writers develop characters that fit the plot of the book. If the story calls for a woman to be physically strong, i.e. Angelina Jole, a police officer, CIA agent, or for a man to not be part of the Monday morning quarterback brigade, the character still needs to have the qualities that go with their sex. There is no need for her to be a beauty queen or him to have the bulging muscles of a body builder.

Think about the characters that populate your novel. Who do they think they are? When they are alone, what do they do and what do they think? Are they artisans or hunks? Would Heathcliff decorate his living room? Could you imagine Gerard Butler distinguishing the difference between mauve and pink? Would Annette Benning resort to physical assault?

These are all characters that have a type of expectation. When it comes to the male character, the reader also has an expectation and a good book with a cup of cocoa are not on the list. You want to keep the reader in your book. Don’t give them a reason to put it down.♥

Shirley Hailstock began her writing life as a lover of reading. She likes nothing better than to get lost in a book, explore new worlds and visit places she never expected to see. As an author, she can not only visit those places, but she can be the heroine of her own stories. A past president of both New Jersey Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America, Shirley’s 27th book was released in 2011. Visit her at http://www.shirleyhailstock.net./

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS?

  
By Rosalie Brinn

“By a vote of 77 for and 10 voting against, this New Year Resolution is hereby passed and …” Wait a minute. Is there a Congress in our minds? Do we put the things we do to a vote? Every New Year it seems we do. Yet no matter how many resolutions we write down and enact into law we all break them. Fortunately we never have to face a Senate subcommittee or hire a lawyer lest we go to jail for said offense.

Yet as each year draws to a close the ending is always the same. We run to get paper and ink to admit what we have left undone by what we plan to do.

Is your list always the same? Going to the gym and losing weight are always favorite number ones. But why try to lose weight in winter when our bodies are in opposition to this goal? And why do we have to go to the gym in order to lose weight? Can’t we knit or crochet in front of the TV so that we can’t munch out as we watch Sex and the City? An exercise DVD done at home, alone or with a friend is easier and more likely to be done.

Now we are coming to the big one. Since we are all writers, we must find time to write. But we never have enough time. It is true we all have to do some kind of work. In this case work is defined as anything except writing. Yet somehow work seems to prevent us from writing as much as we would like to.

Help is on the way. When traveling it is possible to write a paragraph or two. On paper if by bus or subway, in the mind if driving a car. While walking, especially across a street, the mind method is recommended. Also look closely at your fellow pedestrians, one of them may provide a prototype for one of your characters. Then one can pen a few words while on hold and even dash down a paragraph or two while in the midst of a boring meeting.

The main case against resolutions is that we really don’t need them. For heavens sake don’t we know the lacks in our lives? And although Ann Landers and Dear Abby are both gone, collections of their letters of advice are available and if carefully read can guide us for solutions to our current problems.

December is young as I sit here. I did not wait until the last moment of time to write this and maybe not write it at all. Now I can, with a clear conscience, concentrate on Lady Alyse and her myriad of problems. She is, disguised as Louis a young French page, about to meet Santousha a fortune telling gypsy. Who knows what will happen when Santousha has her palm crossed with silver?♥



Rosalie Brinn lives in Long Island. She started writing as a child and now considers it her passion and true vocation.  This article was previously published in the RWANYC newsletter, Keynotes.