I’m not ignoring this blog. I do think about it in a sort of fly by “oh man, I need to work on that” kind of way. I’ve been hideously bad with writing for the 23rd, too.
Got fiction on brain. Plus, I’m researching and the poor noggin is crammed. Believe it or not, back-to-school things are already happening in the Elliott household. Daughter starts marching band next week and it goes on pretty much until school starts which is not that far away.
I am enjoying my new critique group and since I’m in two, I think my old critique group is happy to get the new stuff. Maybe? Yes? Been with those ladies for around ten years if you can believe it. In that time, we’ve become unbelievably good friends and in a heartbeat, any one of them would be here for me if I needed them. I would do the same. Can’t imagine not having them in my life. In fact one of them, who will hopefully have a website soon, has an historical vampire romance coming out very soon from Samhain Publishing. I couldn’t be more excited!
The new group is a different sort. We have strict “at least a chapter per week” rules and we critique hard. I must have had a feeling because I set it up on Yahoo and named it Critique Me To Death. It can be difficult to have someone catch all those odd little problems you have as a writer, but it’s better to chuck that ego in the trash and really listen. For instance, I have this problem of getting lost in dialogue and pretty soon, it feels like my characters are just sitting in one spot, not moving and talking. This new group is so good at telling me to move the poor people.
It’s hard work but it feels like I’m accomplishing something on a consistent basis and that, my friends, is priceless.
So, I am trying to wrap my head around a full time writing schedule with husband and kids still home 24/7. Love the people who live in my house like crazy, but man, I produce faster when I’m alone. That is the beauty of school starting soon. Long, quiet days to myself. I love nothing more than to turn up the music, light candles (yes, even during the day– I’m a candle freak!), sip tea or coffee and plant the butt in the chair for the duration.
Enough jabber, eh? I have a couple of funny ways for you to procrastinate today. First of all, check out this wonderful cover. Okay, once again, Blogger has image issues. Grrr!
So, go here and look at the cover.
Amazon.com: Ill Wind (Weather Warden, Book 1): Books: Rachel Caine This is a fantastic cover that depicts the heroine of this book perfectly. The woman loves her freaking car. Now, go here and look at one of the foreign versions of the cover. OMG!!!!!!! Why? Why?
Also, a little while back I mentioned a contest for readers of the Smart Bitches to create their own book covers in a contest. The first set is up and I guarantee a laugh or two. I’m serious, pull these suckers up and even read the fine print. Lots of clever, clever bitchy readers out there. If I hadn’t been so busy, I would have tried this myself. Click on More,more more to get the covers. Romance Novel Reviews – Smart Bitches (Go back and look at the Amateur ones!)
Oh and since I vowed to do one new Write Snark design a week, here’s last week’s new offering.
Jr. Raglan > Could Be Worse > The Write Snark CafePress This design is on a lot of different products. I ordered this raglan myself to check size and color and it should be in any day now.