Finding the groove

I admire those folks who manage to produce an entire manuscript on only a half hour to an hour a day of writing, or those who fit in their writing while watching the kids at the park. Why? Because I need at least two hours of focused time to produce something worthwhile. It takes me a while to get into the groove.

I usually start by re-reading the last two or three paragraphs I wrote the day before, re-fresh myself on each character's motivations and emotions, then dive in. But the first few sentences are painful. I write them, then rewrite them. Is this really how the character would act/speak? But bit by bit, word by word, the flow improves until I'm banging out the pages--and I'm fully immersed in the story again.

Not every day is this hard; when sections of the story are brilliantly clear to me, I can just keep writing, I don't want to stop, and I eat, sleep and breathe the life of my characters. Thank goodness for those days!

If you're a writer, do you find it easy to get into the groove?

Pitching

This year at RWA Nationals I'm pitching to an editor and an agent. I'm extremely fortunate to have these appointments as we compete for them with all the other interested members of the RWA. Only the fact that I'm a GH finalist made this possible, and I'd really like to thank the judges who read my entry and got me here.

I've heard a lot of writers say they find these pitch meetings nerve-wracking. And I'll admit that I get serious butterflies just before going in, too--it's a bit like a job interview. But here's the thing ... it's actually better than a job interview. In a job interview, it's you they're judging. In a pitch session, it's definitely all about the book. Yeah, the agent/editor is also checking to see if you look professional, but 90% of the questions are about your manuscript.

Isn't that a relief?

Harry Potter

Ok, I confess. I'm a Harry Potter fan. Not one of those uber-fans who shopped for the latest book starting at midnight, but definitely a fan. I bought Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince on the 16th--the first day it was officially available. Now, I love to read and as a writer I take great pleasure in the written word, but I have to tell you that when it comes to HP books, I buy the CD version.

Why? Well, for starters, I love Jim Dale's performances. It's amazing to me that a guy can have a unique voice for every character in the story and consistently play them so well that you start to hear Hermione's personality and can immediately picture Fudge. But mostly, I do it because my daughter and I used to listen to it in the car on the way to school/work. My daughter has always read extremely well, so I wasn't concerned about stunting her desire to read. And now, at book six, it's become a decadent habit.

So, are you an HP fan?

Writing time

It's summer, and my daughter's home from school. That means, of course, my normal writing schedule is anything but normal. But fortunately, I still get my favorite time of the day all to myself ... pre-dawn. Yup, that's right, I get up before the sun. 4 am to be precise. And from 4 am to 6 am I can write without interruption (providing I have a pot of coffee). Once the java is injected, this is the best writing time for me. I'm fresh, full of energy and enthusiasm, and have the benefit of ruminating on sticky plot issues over-night.

One of my critique partners lives in a different time zone, plus is mostly a night writer. This makes for a great crit situation--she writes like a fiend until she goes to bed and then sends me her latest stuff. Her bed-time is coincidently right around the time I'm getting up. I then do my own writing, crit her stuff in the afternoon and send it back to her--around her midday. With turnarounds like that, we get alot done!

What's your favorite writing time?

Voice

If you're a writer, you hear this word all the time. According to almost everyone you talk to, it's important to have your own voice and have it shine through your writing. It's what makes your stories unique from everyone else's.

I've been fortunate to get some delightful feedback from contests I've entered ... statements like 'You have a wonderful voice!' Still, the other day someone asked me what my voice was ... and I was stumped. I know I have one. If you read my excerpts, you'll find that across all of them, there's a certain consistent flavor. It's in my word choices, and the way I describe people and places, and in the things I choose to emphasize. But ask me to tell you what it is, and I struggle.

Have you ever tried to define your own voice? How did you do it?