It’s been BUSY lately here!!!! This might be a little random, but sometimes I think my blog degenerates into pimpage about “stuff” (workshops, other people’s releases or books I’ve read, reviews, etc.). I’m sure you all are wondering what’s happening behind the scenes.
Well, first I joined a “Fast Draft”. If you’re not familiar with this process, it’s where I make a “goal” to write some ridiculous amount in a short time and I’m held accountable by fellow sufferers-er I mean, writers. On January 1st, I began my “50K in 30 days” fast draft to finish “EYE OF THE STORM”. The great thing is that I pound out those words. The not so great thing is I don’t edit. LOL. When this sucker is done, there will be a lot of revising. But it will be DONE. And since this is VERSION FOUR of this book, I’ll be relieved to write “The End”. As a result of this push, I’ve pounded out tons of word count and will definitely make my goal for this month. The best part is that I finally got Kevin back on The Bering Sea crab fishing which was the way the series was intended to be. He’s a much happier character as evidenced by the ease of which I’ve written his story this time.
I’ve also started (because it wouldn’t leave me alone) a Christmas story featuring a character who reoccurs in “THE SECRET SHE KEEPS” and “THE TRUST SHE YIELDS”. Pamela is a fem dom. There’s not a submissive bone in her body. She stunning, mysterious and in complete control…on the outside. Inside, she’s frantically avoiding a fact she doesn’t want to face. She’s desperately lonely. Loneliness makes her vulnerable, as it does all of us, but Pamela doesn’t do vulnerable. And her counterpart, Christian, is Mr. Easy BDSM. He doesn’t get the power exchange or the BDSM dynamics. He’s dabbled for years, called himself a “switch” but the truth is, he doesn’t know WHAT he is. Even after ten years going to clubs and “playing”, he stays on the outer fringe and never delves into the true joy that others enjoy in the lifestyle.
Then, he meets HER. It’s currently called “THE CHRISTMAS SHE RULES”. Pamela has been bugging me for MONTHS and I just didn’t want to write her. My last fem dom, “Resisting Command” was loved by critics, but book buyers gave a luke warm response. I’m not sure if it’s because I suck at writing female dominants or because readers just don’t like male submissives. None of the male submissives I’ve had talk to me (Paul Lestrano and Christian Dolan) are “weak” or milk toasts. Paul was a reluctant, even rebellious submissive. Chris is a confused I-didn’t-know-it-could-be-like-this submissive. Both are dominant in their real lives, but sexually, they like a woman who controls everything. Can you tell I REALLY have to write this story?
On the home front, my BIL has moved in. It’s a long story, but he’s here and it’s kind of weird. Let’s just say there have been a ton of changes lately. Demolition Boy is still struggling at school and I have another FABULOUS meeting with his teachers in the next week. I’m just hoping I won’t kill someone. Maybe I’ll leave the chainsaw at home.
My Christmas tree is still up.
The Redneck has hit a rough patch in his poetry. After posting his poetry on the Absolute Write forum, he has gotten a mixed response. But mostly he’s gotten (as all writers do) crickets. I’ve often said “I don’t care if they rip me to shreds but DON’T IGNORE ME!!” The Redneck also hates being ignored. I’ve tried to tell him that it’s part of the process, but he’s not buying it. He’s become morose and has a nasty case of writer’s block. There’s not much I can do. I’ve gone through it. Either a writer keeps writing through it, or they give up. As Yoda would say “Do. Try not”. Depression, frustration and Isuckitis is common among those who reveal their words to the rest of the world. There’s a reason Hemingway was an alcoholic and Poe used drugs. There’s a reason Kurt Cobain offed himself and wrote the song “Rape Me” about how music executives bastardized his work. Writers (whether fiction writers, song writers, poets or even bloggers) are a mixture of brilliance, angst, arrogance, depression and self-involvement. We can be the most generous spirits and yet, the most selfish monsters. But whatever we are, all of us (I think) understand the agony of crickets. Bloggers hate to see “0 Comments”. Writers hate to see “0 sold” or form rejections or worse than anything, NOTHING, nada, silence. It’s called “Hearing Crickets” and it applies no matter what stage of the writing game you’re in.
When I was a newbie writer, I got form rejections or, often, no response at all. My blog had no traffic. I was ignored, a ghost on the internet, a nobody. Then, when I began to get responses, reviews, rejections with comments, often times they were luke warm, as if my work had put them to sleep. ANGST! DEVASTATION! LOL. When my work was being sold and accepted, even favorably reviewed, readers didn’t buy my stuff. Books of my heart had less than stellar sales. Man, did I WHINE. Okay, I STILL whine. LOL. My understanding is that the process doesn’t improve when a writer gets to the Big NY contracts. Granted, it’s the agent that hears the “no” on a manuscript, but it doesn’t make it any easier. And the waiting is MUCH longer. So, writer angst is common.
It’s just weird having to listen to it from The Redneck. LOL. Poor guy.
Anyway, that’s the behind the scenes.
Redneck Romance Writer 