Newspaper interview for NaNo

My days are just one glamorous event after another. Between fetching Vyolette apple juice and running from bats in my garage, I've penciled in an interview with several of my NaNo peeps for Northern Virginia Daily this afternoon. I doubt there'd be any action shots aside from me trying to get Vyo off the shelves (she's a climber) and my laptop will be covered with Disney stickers so if I make it in the shot, I'll be the one looking gorgeous and allergy-striken (read: tragic eyes).

Should I mention zombies or not?

Headshots & Headstones

My friend, LaMishia, is a bucket of awesome dipped in awesome sauce. Hmmm, that didn't come off as yummy as I thought it would. Nevermind.

She's a professional photographer and novelist so when she threw out the idea of headshots for my upcoming NaNo project The Zombie Dating Guide, I had to say yes. Who else could understand the subtle nuances of losing a limb for their art?


We had scoped out graveyards before (see photo) but for the shoot today we hit the big time with a Civil War era cemetery in Winchester, Virginia. So, nestled between the stubby headstones of Confederate soldiers, I had my first photo shoot complete with suitably goth makeup for a 41 yr old woman.

I'll get the proofs back next week and I'm working on my long lost WIP: Pocket Full of Posies. Busy week!

Photo by LaMishia Allen Photography at Grace Episcopal Church in Berryville, Virginia

What dreams may come

I don't usually dream, at least not the kind I can share on a blog *eyebrow waggle* but last night both Stephen King and Sharyn McCrumb stopped by for a critique on my book. Awesome. Both authors I respect very much and would normally LOVE to see but apparently I was moving and had been overrun by cats I don't currently own. King had a terrible allergic reaction to the cats and I spent a goodly amount of time digging through boxes for Benadryl so he wouldn't swell up and pass out on my couch. While searching, we discussed the plot and he hated it while Sharyn thought I was marvelous. This may be why I own all of her books and not as many of his. ;)

Stress? Novelist jitters? Abnormal adversion to cats? Or just the SlimFast diet bar I snuck in before bed?

BookMooch

How can you resist a name like that?

I'm all about sharing the love so when I discovered BookMooch today (via facebook, where else?) I signed right up. After becoming a member, you enter 10 titles that you are willing to give away to a good home. After listing the titles, search for titles you'd like to come round your place and request a mooch after you earn Mooch points. There is a system set up and a couple of rule/guidelines so people don't get too crazy and build some freakish library with a complete set of troll dolls to act out plot. Wait, that's just me.

Illustration credit Andrice Arp, courtesy of BookMooch.com

How's that social networking working out for ya?

Writers are generally thought of as hermit-like creatures, mumbling incoherently as they work out plot holes and twitch at the thought of the new Dan Brown book being released. And I try to uphold that vision at all times BUT I've fallen into the facebook trap, cleverly disguised as my grandma wanting photos of my children. By the time I'd figured it out, they had suckered me into Farmville and buying cows. WTF?

I quickly escaped and put myself into the no-Mafia zone, finding solace with others who had only bruises and the faint smell of salami wafting in the room. While I enjoy connecting with adults who had shared the halls of my high school (Hi Robin!) twenty-ahem years later, I find my closer connections are with fellow writers; those who have drug themselves away from their WIPs, unplugged the coffee IV and shared a piece of themselves I wouldn't have ever known about otherwise.

I'm curious to see how facebook and twitter will change the face of business. So far it's very bad manners to hawk your business on status updates. Peer pressure can be a lovely thing. But how long until facebook becomes an ad farm? I've already blocked those who tread too closely to the line if I haven't "fanned" their business page; think they'll learn from it? Most likely not.

What do you use your facebook/twitter for? Family? Business? Friends or games? Or is it just a lovely time-sucker that is socially acceptable?

MomGadget gig

With this many kids, I've tested my share of diapers, baby shoes and Hannah Montana sparkly earrings, making me a shoe-in for becoming a MomGadget reviewer. They've done everything from sunless tanners to the WineRack Wine Filled Bra - and now they've unleashed me on the unsuspecting gadget world, muhahaha.

Have something you'd like me to review product-wise? Free advertising, people, I'm easy! Write me at flibbityg AT gmail.com and we'll get started. Though I gotta tell you, the bra is hard to beat. ;)

First post is UP at MomGadget for the Silly Shirt Shop!

Time management for writers

Or as I like to think of it, "how not to f*ck away your time while the kids are busy."

Many writers struggle with the concept of sitting their butts down and facing the blinking cursor o'doom. Okay, we all do but it sounded more scholarly to not paint everybody with the same slacker brush. How the heck do you get those words down when facing a deadline?

• Start keeping a log of how much time you're actually writing. Trust me, when you see how many times you're running to the fridge, vacuuming the house twice, breastfeeding the neighborhood children, etc to get out of writing, you'll be gobsmacked.
• Get an obnoxiously large calendar to write down deadlines. Nothing like a date circled in pink to get you motivated.
  
• Have a blog? Write down your own editorial calendar of topics on the calendar so when you sit down to fill up that blank blog, you'll have something to work with.
• Keep a list. Ideas - deadlines - To do - whatever you want to categorize them as, lists can keep you on track and hold you accountable.
• Post your goals. 500 words a day? 1667 for NaNo? Write it down and post it next to your computer/notebooks. That visual can boost your confidence that it's an attainable goal. On a message board or participating with a community of writers? Post it at the beginning of the month and report back at the end. Support from your peers can go a long, long way.
• Put the writing books down. We love to read but those books can be a huge time sucker, taking away writing time while you "learn" the craft. They're not doing much good if you don't put them into practice, no?
• Schedule your 'work' time. No facebook, no message boards, no laundry. Treat it like the job it is. ;)

What are some of your best tips?

NaNo Rebel

I'm a rebel. Or a complete boob. It sort of wavers between the two, quite frankly. You've seen my NaNo promises and chants raging against the machine that I'm going to do a short story collection this year instead of novel-length fiction. Out of the bowels of the zom rom comes my new idea: The Zombie Dating Guide. You think you've been stuck with the date from Hell, wait till you meet some of my fellas.

Want to help? Send me your dating questions (or nightmares) for inclusion in the book. Email me at: flibbityg AT gmail.com

What to do with those ideas that won't sell

I made the classic newbie mistake of writing a piece before I sold it to a pub. Fine. Shoot me. However, it was for one of those awesome contests at Absolute Write and won me free skittles for a year so I don't mind. However, I'm left with a great how-to piece that I can't bear to part with on ehow.com and it's sitting on the shelf gathering dust, glaring at me.

That got me thinking about ideas that you think are bloody brilliant but they never quite made it off that shelf; never were fully realized and coddled until they bloomed. Okay, I'm done with the fluffy stuff. Since I'm switching to fiction full-time now (I know, the mags will be heartbroken not to turn down another piece of mine), I'm breaking out the idea file and working them into my WIPs. Brilliant, eh? Wish you'd thought of it, right?

We'll see how this bad boys works out. So far I have ideas on:

• bees
• zombies
• presidents' pets
• Halloween traditions and crafts/recipes
• Teddy Roosevelt (yeah, he'll slip in nicely)
• haunted houses -- out the butt. Where did I GET all these things?

Think I can wiggle this into something marketable and yet oh, so fulfilling? pffffftt - piece of cake.

This little fella above, by the way, is a nod to that winning piece. There were zombies... and cheese dip. The tiara was to make myself feel pretty.

Writer goodies

I love me a good planner. I collect the darn things with every intention of filling in every minute with thoughtfully planned out activities, seamlessly meshing family life with writing life. Many fall by the wayside due to boxes too small to fit in my fabulous schedule with my huge flowery handwriting but I still endeavor to find the *perfect* one. Besides, what fun would it be to give up the hunt? ;)

Here's a few of my current favorite finds online, what's your favorite kind of notebook? Slimline? Fat Daddy? Voice recorder? Electronic?

The Ergonizer Deluxe merges my dream of a white board with my monitor. I have reoccurring dreams of 10' wide white boards with fruity scented markers covering the walls of my office. Then the kids show up and draw lifesized outlines of the dog, right over scene 14. GAH. Okay, it's not a "planner" but this thing would be a lifesaver for plotting!

Etsy.com is a fabulous place to support your fellow creatives. I'm whipping out my credit card for this 4x6" notecard binder for NaNo! And this re-purposed book makes a great sketchbook/journal. Mmmm mmmmm good.

Random thoughts on monkeys and writers

So the girls and I are watching the American Talent show thingy and the acts going through to the semi-finals have apparently been picked by monkeys with active fingers. Not that the acts aren't worthy or good enough or worked as hard as the rest but only some are chosen to advance. Much like book publishing. After the sweat and crying and promises to give up whatever vice you took up while writing the thing, you still rely on the public to be kind after you've gone through the wringer of getting it in print. I'm just glad y'all don't have buzzers. ;)