writing
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It’s Official!
I can hardly believe it!
Have you ever worked toward a goal for so long that you lost track of the finish line?
My writing life is divided into a series of goals. Some I’ve accomplished quicker than I’d imagined. Others seemed like I’d never get there.
So, what did the finish line look like for my latest goal achieved?
Simply, my name.
My name listed under fiction authors represented by The Steve Laube Agency.
Yep! I’ve signed with Karen Ball. I’m so blessed!
No time for more right now. I’m off on the next race.
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All’s Well That Ends With Chocolate!
After a crazy day of packing, kid hauling, paper signing, and traveling to the OCW Summer Coaching Conference, I settled in for an afternoon of encouragement and learning. My first workshop was taught by Jeff Gerke. We learned about dialogue and handling profanity.
Yes…PROFANITY!
After the workshop I was starving. Okay, maybe not starving. I’m an overfed American. Really hungry is not my norm. As it turns out, while I packed every bit of clothing I own, I failed to put in even the smallest snack.
So when dinner time rolled around, I had to concentrate on not mowing down the competition for the buffet. Luckily I’d met up with Gail Sattler. Her great conversation provided the restraint needed for me to appear relatively polite.
After dinner Jim Rubart enchanted us with his encouraging keynote. By the time he was done speaking, I was ready to jump off a cliff. That’s a good thing!
Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck taught an amazing night owl session. They took a synopsis and tore it apart. I consider synopsis to be a form of enemy. I’ve read blog and books on the subject only to feel just as incompetent as I did before. But I think they’ve done it. We’ll see as I finish up my new synopsis.
And the night ended with CHOCOLATE! Thanks to Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck, we binged on popcorn and candy while learning more about what My Book Therapy has to offer.
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I’m Here – OCW 2012
Packing should not be done the way it was today. Lately, time is a precious commodity, and like gold, I have very little. The consequence is a suitcase stuffed with almost every outfit I own. No order, no plan. I have no idea what I’ll be wearing tomorrow.
But…I have arrived at the 2012 OCW Summer Coaching Conference. Despite the heat, everything is wonderful. The location is beautiful. The instructors are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. And I remembered my curling iron this year. Big cheer for that one!
I’m thrilled to reconnect with wonderful people, learn, and hopefully not melt. The temperature is expected to be in the 90s all week. For Oregonians, that’s hot!
And the big Nelson news…We signed those pesky refinance papers today! Yes, I know that is not writing related, but we’ve been in this process since March. Bravo to my financially savvy husband.
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Writing for the Fame of it?
Funny, huh? Seriously…How many writers would you recognize if they walked by you? If I wasn’t a writer, I think my answer would be somewhere around four, maybe five. And really, I think that’s higher than average. Correct me if I’m wrong.
I often read Rachelle Gardner’s blog. Her “Why Pursue Publishing” post really got me thinking. Why do I pursue publishing? It is definitely NOT for the fame.
As with many who commented on that post, I think affirmation is a major reason I seek publication. I work hard. This isn’t just a fun way to pass the extra minutes while I wait for kids to finish at practice, or an excuse to delegate the dishes.
Writing is tough. It keeps me up at night pondering how a character will react to what I have in store for them. It puts a dent in my shoulder where I sling my giant laptop case, often causing me to walk like I’m in the Crooked Man’s house. Do you have any idea how much stress comas add to my life?
But it’s more than affirmation.
For me, it’s the chance to allow a reader to be lost in a story for 300 plus pages, and emerge at the end with a renewed sense of hope.
And…I don’t think I could stop if I wanted to.
Questions:
If you’re a writer, why do you write?
If you’re a reader, what do you want from a book?
