=)

carrie

I’ve rewritten the first sentence probably 86 times, I’ve lengthened, I’ve shortened, I’ve tightened, I’ve loosened. I add in one arc after another, tossed in the black moment and ended up with an HEA on the side.

Fly free my little synopsis!!!

=)

carrie

It’s not because mine isn’t sharp enough, it is. It’s not because mine isn’t creative enough, it is. It’s because sometimes it’s little wires get twisted and I can’t find a way out of that creativity and sharpness.

Eh?

I know, hard to follow. But here’s what happens. I work on this stupendous story, and it’s brilliant, if I do say so myself. Then someone, usually a crit partner or a friend (hi Jen!) will come along and say why? Why does she do that?

Because.

Because why?

Well, I just don’t know. I’ve thought up this wonderful masterpiece, this book of brilliance, until someone says Why?

Drives me buggy.

Just go with the flow, I want to say. She (the heroine) just does it.

They give me the “look”.

Crap.

What if…..

And that’s where the brainstorming starts.

When inventing a story line, my brain seizes the story idea and runs along the train tracks, thinking this! and then this! and then this! And that parts a blast, let me tell you.

And then I write….and I write this! and then whoa..this! and what happened there this!

And then, someone says….why?

And my brain train derails.

Because it was up there in party central, zooming along with happy ideas and brilliant thoughts and creative maneuvers…but the darn thing never questions – why?

Possibly there’s a brain training course I can take. Possibly I should put sticky notes all over my computer monitor that say WHY?

Or possibly I can just call upon my critique partners and friends and say hey….if this situation happened to you, what would YOU do?

Brainstormin’. It’s not done with just one brain, it’s picking the use of several other people’s brains to get yours back on the track to writing the perfect story.

Got a brain? Fire it up. I’m coming to get some ideas from you!

=)

carrie

*please, ignore the dangling participle*

So who is RU and what do they do? And what on earth am I doing there?

RU was started by Kelsey Browning, Adrienne Giordano and Tracey Devlyn a year ago after the three had met at RWA Nationals the year before. It’s a way to provide free education, lectures and even advice from editors and agents to the romance writing population.

And what are they doing with me? I’m still learning the ropes, baby. I have my first interview tomorrow, May 18th, interviewing those three ladies on their first anniversary.

SQUEE!

Yeah, I’m sending out links to everyone so they can read it.

Oh, here’s one for you!

Romance University

Stop on by and see how they met, what’s coming up next, and what they’ve learned over their first year.

And what they have in store for me. =) eek

Top o’ the world Ma! (well, of COURSE I sent a link to my mother. And both of my sisters. And my entire facebook group)

(ok, I only have 11 friends on facebook, but it’s the thought that counts right?)

I did mention I was proud of being part of the group didn’t I?

Oreo’s and champagne for all!

=)

carrie

Big deal right? Go ahead and say it, I know you want to.

But this is a special book. It’s about line editing.

What’s line editing? hellifiknow, but that’s why I bought the book! Pay attention, girlfriend.

So anywho…this book is about the correct lining up of your sentences, so you don’t end up with those dangling participles or predicates in the wrong place.

I can’t read it. Seriously, it puts me to sleep within 5 minutes.

I’m going to recommend a copy to everyone over at Insomniacs Anonymous. If you can get past page 3, you are a professional insomniac, and there is no cure.

My problem with sentences started in seventh grade, with my English teacher, Mrs. Carver. She hated my guts. The feeling was mutual. She’s explain over and over and over again about adverbs, pronouns, subjects etc. Then she’d draw line graphs on the board demonstrating why you HAD to have a predicate in your sentence, why you CAN’T dangle anything off the end, and God FORBID you should put an extra comma where it didn’t belong.

Bored. Me. To. Tears.

But now, I’m starting a writing career. I should know about these things right? I should care whether my adverb is preceded by the correct pronoun or not.

Well I don’t.

So there.

phllllbbbttt.

I’ve tried for over 2 weeks now to not only read, but understand this book. My eyes swim with the extra small spelling, words dance like mutant spots in front of my eyes, my attention jumps to important things like belly button lint and wondering if I can touch my tongue to my nose. (yes, I can)

I’ve shortened my reading time down to just one paragraph. If I can make it through, and comprehend, that one paragraph, I get to do something fun! Like read a real book!

No can do.

My next plan is to get the book on CD, slip on my headphones and zone out for the night.

Learning English through osmosis.

It’s the only way to go.

carrie

Until….
(insert jaws theme here)

You lost your hard drive. You got a virus. You upgrade to a new computer.

Suddenly, everything you’ve worked so hard for is gone. Alllllllllll gone.

Or is it?

First of all, I’ll mention my DH. Brilliant with computers, hates them with a passion. But he can usually, almost always, save your “stuff”. Once we put a woman’s laptop in our freezer, and after 6 hours saved her 8 years of book keeping that had never been backed up. Once we put a woman’s hard drive in our freezer, then set it on a heating pad while sucking off the info. We’ve used hammers, pliers, software, expensive software etc. to save this all-important if-i-lose-it-i’ll-just-die information for people.

Hello???? Just back it up! For Pete’s sakes! If it’s that important that you’re going to a> lose the farm b> lose 8 years worth of work c> cry hysterically THEN JUST BACK IT UP!

And this goes for you writers too! I know you’re shaking your heads…wow, how could some lady not back up her business for EIGHT years? so answer me this, when was the last time you backed up all of your stories?

*tapping my foot and humming a happy tune*

c’mon…you can tell me…..last month? two months ago? what if tomorrow you turned on the ‘puter and it said GAME OVER…? would you be calling your computer tech and crying and beating your chest?

oh yeah…i know…some of you are even now surreptitiously backing up your files and saying who??? me??? i always back up…snort!

The point being, you can lose WEEKS worth of work, just because you don’t back-up. Go out tomorrow, to wal-mart, staples, wherever….get one of those 250GB+ back up hard drives, plug it in to your USB and back up back up back up.

You’ll thank me for it someday. Honest.

carrie