Today was day two (for me) of the Fast Draft class. I must say that before I began I was quite skeptical of the claim that you could complete 280 pages in fourteen days. I’m not quite on track to match that page count, but I’m not far off. Wednesday, I managed to put down 18 pages of notes into my WIP. Thursday, finished out with a strong 14. It’s only the beginning of day three and I can’t wait to jump in there and see what I can accomplish. I have to say that if nothing else, Fast Draft does wonders for building momentum. I will tuck this lesson into my bag of tricks for whenever I need to pull a rabbit out of my hat. Hell, I may just start writing this way for good. It certainly beats the ol’ stare at a blank screen thing. For those of you who are participating in Fast Draft, how’s the progress coming along?
For something more interesting, you can find me here.
Archive for January, 2007
If you’re like me, you fight with every synopsis you attempt to write. I come out bruised half the time and that’s after only two and a half pages. 
If I wasn’t going to be in Japan for part of the time, I’d definitely take this class. 
So check it out if you need help with synopsis writing. And really, don’t we all need help in that area?
If youve ever wrung your hands over writing a synopsis, heres a hint: try pretending its an ad. An advertising copywriter for 25 years, Laurie Schnebly Campbell presents techniques of making people want to buy your product whether its a mansion, a masque or a manuscript.
This month-long series of email lectures includes homework assignments to sharpen your skills. Some people chat about their work and ask questions, others do the work but stay quiet, and some print emails off the website to read at leisureso its just a matter of what works best for you. Registration is $25 at www.WriterUniv.com
SYLLABUS:
Thurs 2/1 Introduction (you’re not alone)
Mon 2/5 Advertising (name a good ad)
Wed 2/7 Target Market (identify your own)
Fri 2/9 Know Your Product (characters)
Mon 2/12 Unique Selling Points (first worksheet)
Wed 2/14 Condensing USPs (Unique Selling Points)
Fri 2/16 Summary/Opening (second worksheet)
Mon 2/19 Attracting Interest (vote like an editor)
Wed 2/21 Just The Beginning (name a bad ad)
Fri 2/23 Brainstorming (third worksheet)
Mon 2/26 Strategy (last worksheet of the class!)
Tue 2/27 Your Synopsis (outline; no homework)
Wed 2/28 Format & More (Q&A and door prizes)
From past workshop participants:
What a fresh, but extremely logical, approach to writing a synopsis!
JoAnn Weatherly
Please keep me informed of any upcoming opportunities to hear you speak on anything. Linda Lael Miller
A fellow author has been raving about [your worksheets]. She said they worked so well that she plotted an entire book in 2 1/2 days. Deb Cowan
I’ve finished the edits for the Blaze. YAH!!! I’m going to print out another copy and mail it off tomorrow. I still have to write (rewrite) my RTB entry and work on my Fast Draft. The fun never ends. *ggg* What are you doing this week?
I had a whopper busy weekend. On Friday, I edited 200 pages. Saturday, I began to read through the pages that I edited. (Still doing that now. Halfway through and counting.) We went to a concert Saturday night called Video Games Live. It was a combo choir, orchestra and visual entertainment show based on the music from video games. (Don’t laugh. It was terrific.) For those of you who don’t play, the music in video games has been getting better and better. We’re talking movie level scores. It was a wonderful show. I’m glad dh talked me into going.
We left Sunday morning for the Kitt Peak Observatory. The night was spent staring at quasars, galaxies, Saturn, and various suns in 9 degree weather. It was beyond beautiful and the coldest I think I’ve ever been in my life. Our guide, Kevin is currently putting together a CD of our photos. As soon as I get them, I’ll post some of the pictures here. If you guys ever get a chance to spend the night at an observatory, jump on it. And remember to dress for the Artic if it’s in the winter. *wg*
I’m currently reading through the last half of the Blaze edits. I’m behind in the Fast Draft. I plan to remedy that tomorrow. Instead of ending on the 29th, like everyone who started on Monday, I’m going to write through to the 31st. I want to make sure I get the full 14 days. I also have a RTB entry due on Friday. :-/ So if I’m scarce, you know why.
EMBER, come on down. You are the next contestant on the… Oh forget it, just send me your address. Congratulations!!!
I edited 200+ pages of my Blaze yesterday. I have 80 something left to go. YAH!!! I’m going to finish editing those today and start reading the manuscript from the beginning so that it can go out to Harlequin next week.
I’ve decided to participate in Candace Havens’ Fast Draft. It starts on Monday, but I’m going to start on Tuesday. (long unimportant story) The goal is to write 280 pages in 14 days. Yep, you read that right…280 pages. Yikes! I plan to work on the urban fantasy, since I don’t have that many pages needed to complete it. The class is pretty much down and dirty writing. They expect 20 pages a day any way that you can get them. Yeah, this one is going to leave a mark. *ggg* Actually, I’ll be extremely pleased if I can have a rough draft finished before I leave for Japan. It would be such a relief to check off the boxes for the urban fantasy and the Blaze. I’d certainly enjoy my vacation more.
Speaking of vacations, or at least mental ones, there are SO many books coming out in the next few months that I want to read. Here’s my ’short’ list: Karen Chance’s Claimed by Shadow, Alyssa Day’s Atlantis Rising, J.R. Ward’s Lover Reveled, Vicki Pettersson’s The Scent of Shadows and the Taste of Night, Lara Adrian’s Kiss of Midnight, Richelle Mead’s Succubus Blues, Joe Hill’s Heart-shaped Box, Rob Thurman’s Moonshine, Wild Thing anthology, and the On the Prowl anthology with Patricia Briggs et al. I know the last one won’t be out for a while, but OMG have you seen the authors in that thing. Seriously OMG! I’m drooling.
What is your ONE must buy book this year?
I officially started my blog in December of 2002. I know I mentioned that I opened with the stellar, ‘Testing. Testing. Testing.’ line. I decided that as amazing as that entry was I’d still delete it. *g* What am I getting at? Well if you glance down at the bottom of the page, you’ll notice that as of this month my blog has been running for four years. :-O
In those early years, I pretty much talked to myself since not many people were blogging at the time (ie other writers/readers/etc.). The blogging world has come a long way, baby. New ones are starting everyday, while us ‘oldies’ are trying to figure out what else we can say that hasn’t already been done to death. *ggg*
I’m sure you’re wondering if I have a point. I don’t. I just wanted to let everyone know that this is my four year blogging anniversary. To celebrate, I’m giving away a copy of Somewhere in Time by Julia Templeton and myself and Atlantean’s Quest 1: The Arrival. A name will be picked at random tomorrow.
Lori Perkins of the L. Perkins Agency has started a blog about agents in mid-career. Stop by and check it out.
Also, Keith Snyder has some stellar writing advice. I found it very useful indeed. Particularly the part about adding description. Blush. Well that solves that mystery. 
Thanks goes out to Alison for putting up the link.
Now, I have to get back to revising my Blaze. If you’ve seen any other great links out there, drop me a note. I’d love to read them.
I know I’ve mentioned it in passing, but I’m a HUGE Scooby Doo fan. I have loved that dog, since the first time I caught him on television as a kid. Yes, I’m old enough to remember the original series. :-O
Today, the creator of Scooby Doo and many, many other memorable cartoon characters has passed away. I want to thank Mr. Takamoto for all the years of happiness he has brought to my life and to the lives of ‘kids’ around the world. Domo arigato gozai mashita.
I’m not sure when the book will be out, but here’s the cover.
Yesterday was busy. It was my brother-in-law’s birthday. Happy ‘belate’ Birthday, J!!! I had a hair appointment at ten. I decided to go back to having bangs. I know I’ve mentioned that the photo on my site is as old as the hills. I hope to take it down when my new website is done. I haven’t had bangs for several years. They’d grown out and been about as long as the rest of my hair. Anyway, I had the stylist give them to me again. It was a nice change. I was bored with my old style. My hair looks closer to the photo again, just a tad updated.
Last night dh signed us up for a couples yoga class. It’s the first yoga class I’ve done in quite a while. We had a really good time. I just wish my muscles weren’t so tight from Dance, Dance Revolution. Makes for sometimes painful poses. That said, I do hope we do another one after we get back from Japan.
We’ve been trying to up our activity level. This week we’ve taken several walks, along with the yoga class. It’s been quite nice. I’m going to miss our afternoon walks, since he has to go back to work on Monday. Yes, I know I can go by myself and probably will, but it’s not the same.
This weekend will be spent on organizing the house. We haven’t taken down the X-mas decorations yet. That will happen today, along with a good clean. I can’t stand looking around the place and seeing a mess. Perhaps when we’re done, I’ll clean the clutter out of my mind. *ggg*
I’ve ordered several books that have arrived on my doorstep. I have a few more coming at the end of this month, when they’re released. Let me start by saying that I was in no way compensated for mentioning these or any other books (beyond my own) on my blog. With that cleared up, I ordered Lora Leigh’s Harmony’s Way (been following and loving her Breed series for years), Jaci Burton’s Surviving Demon Island (thought it had a fun premise), Steve Niles’ Guns, Drugs, and Monsters (love his stuff), Eileen Wilks’ Blood Lines (terrific writer, cannot say enough good things about this series), and Over the Moon anthology by Angela Knight, et al. (all this anthology needed was her name). I’ll receive Dangerous Games by Lora Leigh (she’s an autobuy for me), Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franko (I read an excerpt and really liked his voice.) and Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs (I have been counting down the days until this book is released. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED her book, Moon Called.) at the end of the month.
As a complete surprise, I just went to the post and found a package from my brother. Guess what was in it? Yep, more books. I now own Retrieval by Jeanie London, Unleashed anthology by Sue Kearney et al. and The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason. The latter is about a Regency set female vampire slayer. Got to love it.
So what books have you purchased so far this year?
Patrice tagged me for this. I’m plotting my revenge now. *ggg* I figure I’ll have few friends by the time you all read my answers. LOL!
Five Things about me Meme
1. I had premonitory dreams until I was eighteen.
2. I got my first horse at age five.
3. One of my great-grandmothers practiced a little voodoo, while the other swore she could see and talk to dead people.
4. I was Prom Queen.
5. The grew up in a hundred year old haunted farmhouse.
