How many spaces again?

Inevitably, unpublished writers obsess about page counts, word counts, and format. It's hard to understand how your masterpiece in progress stands up, length-wise, to your favorite stories if you don't know how format is done. I think this post by Jessica Faust over at Bookends will help.

Basically, don't obsess. :) I write in TNR 12, though I've tried 14 and I've tried Courier 12. When I want to know how many words I have page-count-wise, I put the whole thing in Courier 12 and do the 250 words per page thing for an estimate. Inevitably, this differs from the actual computer count.

For an explanation why, go see the blog post. It might help. Or it might simply confuse the issue further. :) Just make it readable, and understand whether the publisher you are targeting wants computer count or page count. But don't sweat the small stuff, really. Story is key. Not margins, and not font.

So have you encountered the format nazi? The one who tells you your pages MUST be in Courier 12, or else? I think I was that person once. *sigh* It's what I was told. But, OTOH, I did encounter people writing in TNR 12 and estimating total word count by 250 words per page. Obviously, their count would have been quite a bit short....

David Cook wins

OMG, I'm so thrilled! I wanted DC to win Idol. Yeah! Love this guy.

Wasting time -- or, this is Process

What's your writing routine? Do you write early or late? Most creative between the hours of 10 & 2, but only if you've had a cup of coffee, a candy bar, and got out of bed on the left side instead of the right?

I'm on a deadline. Or a couple of deadlines, to be truthful. Self-imposed, certainly. And I have been hitting the keyboard regularly, staying for hours, writing more than I ever thought I could do in one day -- and yet, there are still a few things I end up doing that I can't seem to stop.

I get up around 7 usually, make coffee and come upstairs to my office. I check email. I read and comment on blogs. When Idol is going on, I check the Idol recaps. And then that thing known as procrastination sets in. My document is open, waiting for me on another screen. All I have to do is click over, read a few paragraphs, and start work.

But I keep finding things to do. I don't want to click over. I don't want to work. I can waste an hour (after the hour of email and blogs) avoiding work. Why?

Darn if I know, but it happens all the time. Once I get brave enough to face my manuscript, I'm off to the races. But it's the getting brave part I have trouble with. This seems to be a nearly non-negotiable part of my routine. I can force myself to click over. But then I stare. And stare. The brain won't function.

I think, maybe, I need that distraction of other stuff while my mind readies itself. Even when I start work, I'll often click back to the Internet side when I finish a scene. I'm thinking about how to start the next scene. Sometimes, a hot shower is in order. Sometimes, like yesterday, I'll vacuum or start laundry (no choice -- inlaws arrived last night).

It sounds an awful lot like making excuses, doesn't it? But it seems to work for me. Yeah, there was a time when I kept up the blog-hopping and surfing all day because I was S-T-U-C-K. I can't do that anymore. People are waiting on me to get stuff to them. And I will not fail because I couldn't face myself if I did. I certainly couldn't face my hubby.

Unfortunately, I think a certain amount of time-wasting is part of my process. I just need an hour or so to play before I work, I guess. What about you? Do you waste time? Or are you a machine who works set hours and never deviates?

Guest Blog

Today's post is here. Come read about finding your voice, and give me a shout!

TV stuff

Can you believe this is the last week of Idol? Tonight, the Davids face off. I already know which David I want to win. I've bought every last one of his Idol songs, and I love to listen to them. David Cook is the one for me. But, David Archuleta is likely to win because of the pre-teen/teen texting fan base who are in love with High School Musical and think he's tres cute. *sigh* So popularity and some talent will probably beat the mega-talent. Not that I'm all that worried for David Cook. He'll do fine, and I'll buy his first post-Idol CD when it comes out. I will not buy Archie's, however.

In other most rotten news, CBS canceled Moonlight. What the hell are they thinking??? Paranormal romance is one of the hottest genres going, and Moonlight was drawing respectable numbers, especially as the plot thickened. The first few episodes were cliche, true, but they seem to have found their stride now. And the writers' strike couldn't have helped. Viewers faded away in disgust. They'd have probably been back next season.

My favorite show, Life, will be back on NBC this fall. This is a cop drama I loved. The dialogue is good, and the guy who plays Charlie is fun to watch in action. This is a revenge/justice show with money, Zen sayings, and a lot of fruit. Great stuff.

My other show is ABC's Pushing Daisies. It'll be back too, thankfully. I don't know how far they can take this one, but I'm in it to see. Cracks me up every week.

In case you've been on, oh Mars or something, the last few months, here's one of David Cook's best live performances. He's amazing. Wait for the high note....



What shows are you looking forward to? Did they cancel any of your favs? What about Idol? Who do you want to win?

Weekend fun

OMG, it was so fun! This was my first Heart of Dixie luncheon, though it was actually the 11th annual occurrence of it. Our guest speaker was the fabulous and dynamic (and truly one of my favorite authors) Roxanne St. Claire. Not only is she gorgeous, but she's nice, funny, and just a great person to be around. After two dinners, two parties, and lots of chatting with Rocki, I know she's the kind of person I really admire and enjoy hanging out with.

But she wasn't the only fabulous person at the HOD luncheon! In fact, I couldn't name them all without having a post a mile long, but I sat with the amazing Debra Webb during lunch. Deb's table was full of readers and we had a great time talking about romance. I learned so much from these ladies this weekend, and came away inspired to write my tail off (oh, if only it were that easy -- talk about killing two birds with one stone!).

The one funny thing that happened to me this weekend, however, was on Friday when I hauled my luggage up to the 9th floor and to the opposite end of the hotel from the elevators to join my roomies. I knocked. No one answered. I knocked again. The girl next door (and I do mean girl) answered her door. I called one of my roomies (who, it turns out, left her phone in her car). I didn't have everyone's cell numbers, so I called the only other person whose number I had -- she was at the restaurant with Rocki, waiting for the rest of us to arrive. Somehow, I managed to make it to the room of yet another person I knew (on the 4th floor) who hadn't left yet and who let me stow my luggage. Whew! Then it was off to dinner, and back for the party.

I didn't get home until midnight Saturday. Yes, midnight. And then I couldn't sleep right away, so had to check email and flip through a magazine. At 1:30, I woke up my sick and therefore grouchy husband for his NyQuil dose, then went to bed and ended up sleeping until 9:30 Sunday. Ahhhh.

How was your weekend? Any writing inspiration? Any fun or embarrassing hotel stories in your past? (At least I didn't get locked out in my underwear...)

Socializing for introverts

I am an introvert, as many writers tend to be (not all, it's true), though I'm pretty good at putting on the public face and socializing. I'm not shy, I don't get tongue-tied (much), and I can meet and greet like a professional. Not sure where I acquired these abilities, though I think it comes from being married to an extrovert and watching him in action. It's also a function of age -- realizing that it doesn't matter what someone thinks, I'm me and that's that. :)

But, I always DREAD the start of these socializing events. Today is the start of a busy two days for me. The Heart of Dixie Readers' Luncheon is tomorrow. Today, there are preparations to make -- bags to be stuffed, dinners to attend, and a party for a friend who sold to Mills & Boon a couple of weeks ago.

And yet, I always always dread it, even when I want to see everyone and have fun. (I feel this way about conference too, even when this year I have a lot to look forward to.) I hate the preparation -- the thinking, planning, packing (it's one overnight in a hotel 15 miles from home and yet I stress), the schlepping, getting situated, etc. I know I'll have fun when it starts, but it's the getting to the start I hate.

Some people are naturals at this kind of thing. I am not. At conference last year in Dallas, I got so overwhelmed at one point I went back to the room and was grateful my wonderful roomies were still out. I sat, drinking wine by myself (uh-oh, look out Hemingway), and tapped out the beginning of a new story on my AlphaSmart. I seriously needed that decompression time. If I could afford it, I'd spend the entire conference in a room to myself. But at $225 a night, that ain't happening. :)

OTOH, like I say, once I get there this afternoon and start chatting and celebrating and talking writing with people who GET IT because they are writers too, I'll be as happy as a pig in mud. If I could just figure out how to stop the stressing stuff beforehand, I'd be all set.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Have trouble with socializing? Any tricks you use to prepare yourself? I don't have any, but like I say, once I get started, I'm fine. It's the getting there and getting into that frame of mind -- and for longer events, like Nationals, some alone time.

Perspiration

You know that saying that inspiration is 90% perspiration? (Hope I'm not mixing my sayings up!) Well, I sure do know something about that right now. Two books in the works. One is a revision for a full request. After I chopped out 72 pages, I darn near cried. Then I set to work rewriting them. Now, the end is in sight. HOT PURSUIT is almost done with the 3rd rewrite. I will not rewrite this book again without direction. I finally feel at peace with it. If an IP tells me I need to do something to it, I will. But the revisions for me are over. Well, almost over -- have to finish first. :)

Secondly, I'm working on my Harlequin Presents. I love these characters!! They are so much fun in a delicious, angsty way. :) Who knew that I'd find such a natural fit (or so it seems to me as I write) in Presents stories!? I thank Harlequin Mills & Boon daily for having the Instant Seduction contest. Without that incentive, I'd still be talking about how I was going to write a Presents someday. You just never know where you'll find yourself, where your voice will want to go. Don't ignore that voice when it speaks to you, that tingly feeling you get when you just *know* something is right. It's there for a reason. :)

This weekend is the 11th Annual Heart of Dixie Readers' Luncheon in Huntsville, Alabama. I'll be there, hanging with my chapter mates and other visiting authors, having fun and meeting new people. I believe we're partying Friday night for a certain chapter mate who just sold to Mills & Boon. Woo hoo!

Next Wednesday, I'm guest blogging over at The Last Word, a blog by my fellow Golden G8r, C.J. Redwine. And throughout it all, I'm writing. Because writers write. Right? ;)

Any moments of perspiration to share? Triumphs at the keyboard? Favorite inspirational sayings?