Making It Count

BLOOD BROTHERS

I've been a little busy. Sorry for the lack of posts during the last week.

My son's school play is about to hit the stage - full dress rehearsal tonight with an audience, and they're on every night through Saturday. Ambitious for a school play? Perhaps.
But for these young thespians, some like my son, who have just another year of school left before college, know they need to make it count.
And they do.
It's a valuable lesson for anyone who needs a boost with whatever they're struggling with at the moment. These kids have been in rehearsals since September. I've only been helping out the past few weeks and I'm already tired. I know how hard these kids have worked. I know they have to be exhausted. But the time has come. They will let their talent speak for them this week.

I will tell my son what I've told both my kids ever since they were old enough to understand.
Do your best, the rest is out of your hands.
I have to remind myself of this constantly as I go through life as a writer, doing my best to make it count.
As I get stuck into an other round of revisions, I wonder if it's going to be good enough.
Doubt creeps in.
I know I can do it. And I want to make it count.
Another important life lesson that I want my kids to get is this.
When it's not fun anymore, stop.
I don't mean that in the sense of when life gets hard, hit the road. Not at all.
I mean to say, enjoy what you're doing! If you love your work, be it on the stage, out in the mission field or behind a computer, you will persevere through just about anything because you know it's going to be worth it in the end.
So as we enter the busiest week of the school season for us, I'm going to keep these things in mind.
Whatever you do this week, make it count.


Sarah in Swaziland this past summer


Chris in last year's production - Little Shop of Horrors

Let's Talk E-Publishing!

I had a phone call from a writer friend last night. Actually, it was a Skype call, love that thing!
It was really cool to connect with Michelle since I missed the ACFW conference this year. We caught up and talked books, which of course is what writers do. If you haven't checked out Michelle's books yet, do. She's a very talented author.
Anyway we got to talking about E-Publishing. She's got a couple of books coming out with Desert Breeze and mentioned that they're actually seeking romances that take place during different eras. I checked. Vietnam is specifically mentioned. Which got my attention. If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you'll know why and I won't bore you with the details.
I've never been a huge fan of electronic publishing in the past. Of course the dream is to hold my very own book in my hands and ooh and aah over it. (Narcissism at its best). However, given the fact that I'm totally in love with my iTouch and the Kindle application, I can definitely see the merits of going this route now. I know we're in the Electronic Age, and more and more people are reading books online. I'd still be holding a book in my hands, it'd just be on my iTouch.
So here's my train of thought:
The plusses - my book would be available to the masses (assuming it were to be accepted for publication). Adoring fans would be begging for more...okay, I know, enough already.
I still get paid.
I become a published author. Aaah.

Minuses - no actual hard copy. Yet. Not to say that the company won't be able to do this one day, but at the moment they're only publishing electronically.

At the end of the day, its just another publisher to submit to. But if my manuscript was accepted, I'd have to decide if this what I want.
Something to think about.

What are your thoughts on E-Publishing?

Shaping Exercises

Relax, I'm not going to make you drop and give me fifty.
If you are so inclined, you can do that on your own time.
My title refers to what I've been doing with my dog.
I want him to perform certain behaviors on cue, like touching a target with his nose or paw.
Bringing back a frisbee and actually letting me have it.
There are a number of 'shaping exercises' I can do with him that teaches him to work with me and shows him that it's fun too! Hopefully the lessons will stick and in a few years, we'll be able to work as a team out on the agility course.
Doing this kind of training with Noah has made me think about all the lessons that have 'shaped me' over time.
It's amazing really, when I actually take the time to go through my past experiences, the good, the bad and the ugly, the things that have stuck. Some things that have, I wish hadn't, and vice versa.
For instance, I took maths for my entire school education, extra lessons even. I still can't do a simple calculation without freezing. Don't ask me to pay the bill and add gratuity. It's really not pretty.
But I know how to keep a clean house and put on a mean dinner party. Thanks, Mom.
The ironing lessons didn't go so well however.
It's funny isn't, what gets stuck inside our heads forever.
Well, let's play a game. Aren't you excited?!
This has been done on a number of blogs lately, and I thought it might be fun to do here.
I'm going to give you a few words, and you have to tell me what you think of when you read them! This should be the first thing or two you think of. Don't give yourself time to ponder!
If you're a writer, this is also a great game to play with your characters.
Okay, here we go.

Pink
Clock
Window
Shoe Polish
White
Chocolate
Telephone
Paper
Pine
Salt
Key

Since it's my blog, I'll go first.

Pink - Little girl gone, living forever in our hearts
Clock - Waiting.
Window - outside, where I long to be
Shoe Polish - My father's shoes. Making them as shiny as can be
White - Nurses, doctors, hospital. Fear
Chocolate - Heart shaped box
Telephone - Anticipation, dread, annoyance
Paper - white, blank, looks better with words on it
Pine - Christmas
Salt - the ocean. Stinging eyes
Key - Home

What Are YOU Working On?

They say writers love to talk about themselves. I used to laugh at this. I'm generally quite shy, and don't tend to be a conversation starter. I certainly avoid being the center of the conversation. If you've ever attended a writer's conference, you can just imagine my discomfort at certain times.
Pitching, for instance. Yes, I know, you make your appointments, go sell your stuff. Nobody forces you to do it.
Ahem. I beg to differ. You all know who you are.
Then there's the meals. I usually dig in and keep my mouth fairly full so when my turn comes I have an excuse not to talk. But usually, at some point over five days, somebody is bound to ask, "What are you working on?" or "What do you write?"
The latter is much easier to answer. Spit out a genre and move on. But what am I working on? This second? What did I come here to pitch and hope to get a good response for?
Yeah.
I need to work on my marketing skills. And a bunch of other issues I have.
If I ever do sell a book, it's pretty much going to have to be one of those million dollar babies that just sells itself. I'll be the reclusive writer hiding away in a cave in an unknown land, such treacherous territory that only the stupidest of journalists would brave the terrain to get an interview.
That's my dream, but it's not very realistic, is it?
So I thought we should all band together, suck it up, and get some practice in here. We've only got nine months until the next ACFW conference!

You can do a full pitch if you want, or just tell me what you're working on at the moment. I'll be nice, I promise. I've had coffee.
I'll go first.
I'm working on a short contemporary romance that we'll pitch to Steeple Hill. It's an old manuscript that I'm rewriting, pretty much completely. So far so good. I haven't worked out a pitch yet. Ha. Good excuse, right?!
I'm also working on getting down some ideas for a new book idea that's rattling around in my brain. It's going to take place in Thailand. I think.
And I'm working on finding a home for my Vietnam book. Am I a little masochistic or what? Time will tell.
Well, that's me.
What are YOU working on?

This post is cross-posted over at Writers' Rest
Why? Because I'm lazy. And I'm actually supposed to be writing all day today, not writing blog posts.

New Blog Launches Today!

Today is the launch of International Christian Fiction Writers!
I am so happy to be a part of this exciting new venture. I would love for you to stop by, leave a comment, and then spread the word however you want, Twitter, Facebook, your blog!
Thanks so much and happy reading!