8.20.11

From Murderati 8.19.11

Don’t you love having epiphanies?

Those lightning bolt moments of awareness, enlightenment, insight that alters your consciousness, your actions, even the course of your life?

I’ve been on the road a lot over the past two months. Florida, New York, Florida again, Colorado (where I am now) and then to Florida once more, then on to St. Louis for Bouchercon. Six roundtrips in two months – for me, that’s a lot of on the road time. A lot of out of the groove, snatching time to write, long stretches without Internet access, and even, blessedly, some downtime. I have been writing the whole time, and I’ve also been sick. Those of you who saw me in New York got to witness that first hand, and now I’m catching another little summer chest cold. Ugh.

But along these crazy paths, I’ve gotten time to do some thinking. About my work, and my life. About what I want to be doing, and where I want things to go. And with that kind of Jack Handy deep thoughts come the epiphanies.

The first was along a darkened road in Florida. This one was so hand to forehead smackingly obvious that I felt like a true idiot when I figured it out.

I’ve been blogging for many years now. First weekly, then bi-monthly here, and also infrequently on my own blog, Tao of JT. I’m sure every blogger in the world who also writes novels has the same issue—you tend to think every moment spent away from your novel is a moment lost. But it’s something we need to do. Each and every moment in the real world can be mined for blog material. At least that’s my thinking. I’m always examining moments and situations and wondering, “How can I turn this into my Murderati blog?”

I went through this when I first joined Twitter. I started thinking in 140 character updates – how can I share this experience in 140 characters or less, make it relatable and also funny? Thankfully, I trained my mind away from that, because it’s just too easy to get lost in that kind of thinking.

Blogging, Twitter, Facebook – the sharing of information we find important, but the vast majorities of others don’t.

I’ve always viewed these extraneous activities are relatively unhealthy endeavors. Outside of blogging, which has taught me the discipline of deadlines and getting butt in chair to write, even if it is non-fiction.

My epiphany was thus: I’m a novelist, damn it. I shouldn’t be mining my moments for blog material. I need to be using those little vignettes in my fiction.

Ding. Dingdingdingdingdingdingding!

I think I knew this unconsciously, because so many of my vignettes do get poured into my fiction. But realizing I was thinking in terms of what to blog instead of what to write was revelatory for me. And of course, my first reaction was I must stop blogging.

We at Murderati have seen a rash of authors having this revelation lately. The more we focus on our fiction, the more books we can produce, and in the current environment, which is undeniably rough, the more good books you can write, the better off you are.

Since I’m prone to the drastics sometimes, I forced myself to take a step back, and talked myself off that particular ledge. At least for now. Instead, I have been working very hard to reprogram myself to think in terms of fiction instead of non-fiction. To separate what is story, and what is information. What is narrative, and what is insight.

The second epiphany was during the writing of a book I’m working on. I’ve always said writer’s block is your story’s way of telling you you’re going in the wrong direction. I hit a point in the story that just didn’t feel genuine. Something was very wrong. I started trying to talk it out – to Randy, to my parents. I’d just decided to go ahead and call my agent and get his take when it hit me. The part I was concerned about wasn’t the issue, it was 15,000 words earlier – an action the heroine takes that is … well… I don’t want to be too hard on myself, but the course of events was just plain STUPID. As in stoopid, stupid.

When I saw that, the path to the next act became very clear. Phew.

The third epiphany came early last week, when I sat down to a beautiful long clear writing day and got exactly jack shit done.

I was so mortified with myself that I figured I needed a public tongue-lashing. I wrote a blog and detailed all the things I had done instead of creating – and the responses gave me an interesting thought.

Sometimes, I need a little external motivation. I know people think I write fast, but as we’ve discussed, I am a bulimic writer – I gorge on words during marathon writing session instead of doing a good job of the daily grind. Take one look at my travel schedule and you see how that’s playing out for me. It’s cacophonous. My good habits have been broken. I need to reset, majorly.

I used to be able to do the daily grind. Before conferences and promotions and book tours – all the things that have to happen if you want to get your name out there.

I am a writer. My JOB is writing. So damn it, writing is what I’m going to do, even if I have to publicly report in what I’ve done that day to get myself back on track.

So if you’re interested in that daily grind, I’m writing it up on Tao of JT. I’m posting at 5pm each weekday, just a little snippet of what I’ve done that day – the good, the bad, the ugly. I of course have been feeling a little guilty about this – as I went into last week looking at ways to cut back my non-fiction writing, and instead seem to have quadrupled it. But I know myself, and I know what I need.

The fourth epiphany came just this morning, as I was reading through my RSS feeds. It isn’t exactly a revelation to you that I try to follow a minimalist lifestyle. I am working on finding my inner zen, because the more serene I am, the more serene my surroundings, the better I work, and the happier my family is. This journey has been fraught with setbacks, but I finally feel like I’m making progress. This morning, I was re-reading “30 Lessons from 30 Years” by Joshua Millburn of The Minimalists, and his number 10 slapped me across the face.

10. Finding your passion is important. My passion is writing….

My passion is writing.

Ding. Again.

My passion is writing. Writing. Whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, the manipulation of words to convey meaning, emotion and story is my passion.

I don’t need to feel guilty about blogging. That isn’t necessarily time away from writing. It IS writing. It’s all writing. Every time I put my fingers to the keyboard, I’m creating.

Duh.

Sometimes I feel so new to this game. I imagine my more experienced colleagues are reading this and laughing behind their hands at my naïveté. But hey, we all have to have our own realizations. No one can tell you exactly how to climb the mountains. They can just wave when they climb back down and tell you how exhilarating it is when you reach that zenith.

So, ‘Rati, tell me - Have you had any epiphanies lately?

 Wine of the Week: Layer Cake Primitivo Super yummy!!!

8.19.11

Lordy, I am so far behind today! I couldn't get online because I'd set my Freedom for four hours accidentally, a byproduct of that crazy 10K day.

But making great progress on the revision. This is the word by word pass, the last chance to make substantial changes pass, the I just used that word on the last page pass. Which means it's painstakingly slow. And slow doesn't fit my mood today.

I am happy! I am giddy!

I have absolutely no idea why.

C'est la vie, right? You never question those moments of happiness, you just shake their hand, say, "It's so nice to see you," and enjoy.

I did get a fun email this morning, which contributed to my good mood. The art for the May '12 book has arrived! It is stunningly gorgeous, very moody and different from the Taylor books' art. I keep having to remind myself that this is trade paperback art, which is different. I really like it. Sorry to tease, but there it is.

Also had a nice chat with my agent this morning. A check in call, just to touch base on a few things. He does that. It's nice.

Let me give you some unsolicited agent advice.

Pick one you're going to enjoy working with.

The agent author relationship is like a marriage. You need to find someone you're compatible with. Someone who gets you. Who will call and check in for no reason. Who you like. Who has YOUR best interest at heart. Who you trust.

Because if you don't trust him or her, you won't listen to him or her. And that's not good.

I happen to trust my agent implicitly. So that's a good thing. I like him too. He's cool. And he gets me, which is really nice. I can say bad words and tell naughty jokes and not wince. That's also very nice.

I happen to be one of those authors who doesn't need a lot of hand holding but sometimes my agent and editor like to hold my hand. So I have to let them. And that's nice too.

Had a blast from the past today. When I was in college, CLOSER TO FINE by the Indigo Girls was one of my favorite songs. I was really into Taoism, and fancied myself a great philosopher, so of course it would pique my interest. But I haven't heard it in years. I'm talking at least a decade. It came on the radio this afternoon and I started to sing, and remembered all the words. How is that possible? I have a horrid memory. And yet I nailed it - and the harmony too. Yay me! (I forget, there are new people here. I can't sing. Trust me on this. If I hit a note on key, it is truly a divine miracle.)

That's all, folks. I'll be working very hard over the weekend to get all the words in proper wordly order for the May '12 book. I plan to turn it in by Wednesday. Also get to have coffee with the insanely talented Paige Crutcher (@pcrutcher on Twitter) who is interviewing me for an upcoming magazine article. I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday morning.

See you Monday! I'll trace my path to writing then. If you have questions, leave them in the comments. But I have one for you. What was your favorite song when you were 19?

8.18.11

Home again, home again, jiggity jig. If you laugh, you don't like figs.

According to The Writer's Almanac (if you're not reading it, you should - very cool) on this date in 1958, Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita was published in the U.S. to mixed reviews. Lolita is my all time favorite book. I read it for the first time in college. The opening lines captured me:

Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.

Wow. It's always amazing to me to see genius in action. It's a brilliant book. Highly recommended.

Hubby caught the flu whilst I was away, so I've been nursing him today, and finally settled in the the manuscript at noon.

Liz asked about the epilogue - I can say with all certainty that I am not writing the epilogue of the last Taylor and Baldwin book. Nor is it my first epilogue - almost all my books do have a semblance of post script - though THE COLD ROOM had an actual "epilogue" at the end. We usually don't use the term, simply because for some odd reason, some people don't read prologues or epilogues. Which strikes me as quite strange, because those are perfectly valid parts of the story. Would you ever skip the prologue or epilogue? I wouldn't.

But I will admit, this book is not a Taylor book. And that's all I'm going to say until after #7 comes out. : )

And to answer both Liz and Rachel - yes, I intend to rework that original manuscript as a prequel to the series, but not for another year or so. I think we all want to see how they got their start.

After the week of cake and pies and green chile and burritos and fish tacos, I need to eat clean. So this is what I had for my elevenses today:

Jamie Oliver's Pea, Broccoli & Feta Pasta Salad
(as seen in People Magazine, modified a bit)

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. whole wheat penne
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into small florets
• 6 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. honey
• 5 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 c. Athenos light crumbled feta cheese
• lots of sea salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook penne in a pot of boiling salted (sea or kosher salt is best!) water according to package directions. Add the broccoli florets for the last three minutes of cooking. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, mustard, honey and olive oil in a small container (that has a lid) with a pinch of salt and pepper. Shake well with the lid on.

3. Toss the pasta and broccoli with half of the dressing in a large bowl. Stir in the peas and red pepper flakes and leave to cool.

4. Once the pasta is cool, add the chopped herbs and feta. Toss with the remaining dressing, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Truly delicious - and good for you! Next time I make it, I'm skipping the mint and doubling the dressing.

Tomorrow is my day at Murderati - I'm talking about epiphanies!

8.17.11

Back on a plane this afternoon, heading home. I'm always sad to leave Colorado - and of course, my parents. But my life is in Nashville, and so to Nashville I go.

It's a three hour flight. With all I've done this week, now seems like a good time to write the epilogue for the May '12 book, so that's what I'll do. (And shhh.... I did download the new movie version of Jane Eyre...)

Donna asked about my beta readers. Betas are a very important part of the process for me. I don't like writing in a complete vacuum. Nine novels in, I have a lot of confidence in my work, but I still love to get feedback. My husband is my number one beta reader, my Dad is number two. I also have friends I've made along the way who read for me - my critique partner and literary twin sister, Jennifer Brooks, is my go to gal - and my comma cop. Laura Benedict reads for me as well - she is an amazingly accomplished writer whose opinions I trust implicitly. You'll see the dedication of WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE goes to her - the book just wasn't working, and she made mention of something that made it all click for me. Joan Huston, a reader from the great Northwest territory, has been my beta from day one as well - she even read the first manuscript that wasn't ever published, so she's one of the few people who actually knows Taylor and Baldwin's backstory. And no, she won't share ; )

That's my core, those five. Now my newest critique partner, Paige Crutcher, reads, and I always farm out to some experts - a cop, a medical examiner, a death investigator, and a military man, just to make sure I get all the details right. Once I get everyone's opinions, then and only then do I feel ready to submit to New York.

I also do have a critique group. We meet every two weeks and bring 10 pages to read. That's a huge help as well - just to see if things are working.

Here's the deal: Having friends that you respect and trust is vital to your life, and that's especially true in writing, where hooking up with the wrong people can actually hurt your career. Nora Roberts said in her keynote luncheon speech at RWA last year that finding a cadre of friends you can trust, who you can travel this crazy path with, is incredibly important. I agree with that sentiment. I've been blessed to find some of my dearest friends in the literary world.

So with that in mind, a little something for you to nosh on - 11 Literary Friendships We Can Learn From

See you tomorrow!

8.16.11

What a lovely day. Got up early to do some research before driving up into the mountains to have lunch with a friend. Brilliant lunch at a fine Mexican restaurant, a nice visit. Then drove down the mountain in what turned into a massive thunderstorm - wind driving the rain sideways, trees bent at the waist as if bowing to the road, cloud to ground lightning piercing the darkened sky. It was awesome. But sadly, we have no electricity, so I'm doing this on my iPad.

Today's escapade was also a three hour round trip drive, so I had a chance to do some thinking about the projects I'm working on. Thinking time is highly underrated. But it means when I get the manuscript back open - remember, no power, ergo no laptop - I will have tons to get down on paper.

Tammy asked about the kind of planning I do for the story arc for my series. I will admit to giggling a bit when I read the question, simply because I never knew I was writing a series. I had written a book that I liked a lot, and sent it to an agent who also liked it alot, but it didn't sell to the New York houses. My agent pulled it from submission and told me to take the same characters and write a new book. Me, being a young writer with no real thoughts past the end of my nose, did, simply picking up the story where the last one ended. That books was ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS, and when I finished it and sent it in to him, I did what made sense, which was start the next story, right where the second left off. So when Mira bought Pretty Girls in a three book deal, I had the next book well underway.

But I have to admit, when they asked for three books, I panicked. I hadn't thought about these characters as having the kind of longevity they'd need to sustain a multi-book series, Taylor begin a rather inflexible sort, and not much for change in her personal thinking - really, heroes don't change too terribly much over the course of the books.

So I had to do a lot of thinking about how to make the series sustainable. All I knew for sure was I didn't want Taylor to age. So I set each book seasonally. Which means over the course of books 1-4, only one calendar year has passed. The same holds true for 5-7. Taylor has only aged about 16 months during the first seven books.

So I guess I did give it some thought....

I had an idea for the third book, and my agent was okay with it, so I gave it to my editor in our first face to face meeting. I had a great idea for the fourth book in the series, but I had no second contract at the time, so I was being all kinds of clever and holding back the idea as an incentive to get another deal. My editor, who was also a clever sort, loved the fourth book idea. She told me not to worry about the next deal, and took the idea as the third in the series. That was JUDAS KISS. Thankfully, they gave me a new contract for books 4-6 soon after.

I never saw this series past three books. Suddenly I needed to get it stretched to six, and soon thereafter, nine. The further in I got, the easier it was. But I never thought more than two books in advance, so all kept fresh.

What's cool is if you have great characters, you can always find a story for them. So my advice is, plan a bit, but don't get yourself married to a story arc. Things change. Characters change. Editors change. Having a loose idea of where to go should be more than enough. I know where I want Taylor and Baldwin to end up. But I want them to find their way there on their own terms, not mine.

It is my dad's birthday, so if you'll excuse me, I have a dinner to attend. And cake to eat! More tomorrow, and feel free to ask questions in the comments!