I recently got in some books and this DVD from Writers Digest Book Club. Scribes is basically a conference on DVD. Shot at the Surrey International Conference in 2003, it has great writing advice and one-on-one interviews with bestselling authors like Diana Gabaldon, Anne Perry, Terry Brooks, John Saul, Jack White and others.
The director spent most of the DVD trying to get an interview with Donald Maass and when he does, several things stood out.
One is something we all finally figure out in the end. You hear it over and over but until it really sinks in, you won’t get it. Set your butt in that chair and write. It’s the only way.
Another was that writers can never be “too” good. They all have things to learn and the best selling ones know this. I’ve been writing a long time and I picked up a thing or two from one of my new critique partners. Hopefully, I’ll have bits of knowledge to share with her as well. I just love those “a ha” moments, don’t you?
He also admitted that about 7500 pieces of mail come through his agency a year and maybe six authors will be picked up during that time, giving us odds of about 1000 to 1.
This kind of number used to intimidate me. Not any longer. If I become good enough, I’ll break through, but what’s made it easier to take is belonging to a writer’s group. I get to watch my friends smash through those odds and it gives me hope. Makes it more real if that makes sense.
Speaking of writer’s groups, here’s a photo I swiped off from Deb’s Blog. I really wish I’d brought a camera because I could have had great blackmail shots.
Friday night, a bunch of us went to watch our friend, Betty Sanders, renew her wedding vows with her husband of 25 years. The ceremony was so nice and yes, I’ll admit to a couple of moments of wet eye. Hearing people get up and talk about the couple and watching them say the same words they’d spoken to each other 25 years before did a little something good for my heart.
And okay, there were more fun things in store that night. I made a list.
1. Of course, wine. You all know I love wine. But!!! I did stop early since I drove and took Amanda McCabe as my passenger. And I only missed two turns despite what she says here. Books, self-centered musings, and chocolatinis!
2. Giving Gena Showalter a hard time for double-booking a chat that night. She really had no choice since she was one of the stars, but hey, we need every bit of ammo with this lady. We wanted to hack the chat but no one else had brought their computer…
3. Watching Jill Monroe do the electric slide then “vogue” all by herself on the dance floor in a sexy red dress.
4. Being Gena’s rebound bit—er, woman when she dumped Jill. Alas, twas but temporary. I think. She never really dumped me, but she left with Jill, so…
5. Picking out high priests with Cindy Marolt and plotting a horror story involving Kool-Aid and the scary, round alien speakers the DJ had set up.
6. The Unitarian Frenzy. (Basically, requesting a song to cheer up a bored looking Jill then realizing it’s IMPOSSIBLE TO DANCE TO JESSIE’S GIRL, so we all held hands in this big, dorky circle and bopped around like idiots.) Except for Cindy, who coined our dance. (And somehow escaped the pic.)
7. Seeing Shelia, who always makes me feel good. She’s just one of those people, you know?
8. Talking in Amanda’s driveway in my running car for over an hour when we got back.
9. Seeing Betty’s face when her husband surprised her with a horse-drawn carriage as they left.
10. Hearing a naughty joke pass the lips of Betty’s wonderful daughter, Jen, in the playground outside while we waited for the horse-drawn carriage.
11. Being told I was sheltered by the pierced carriage driver when I asked if the next block was really all that dangerous. Please. Sheltered. Me? Okay, maybe I don’t get out much.
12. Meeting Cindy and Deb’s husbands and knowing they thought we were all a bunch of whacked-out weirdos. Until I saw Deb’s husband with his eyes closed and singing one of the songs– you know the kind that get played at these shindigs. Now? He’s cool.
13. Oh, and Mikki looked hot. Seriously, that purple dress and those long legs? I’m surprised she didn’t get picked up by one of our high priests…
14. Spending the evening watching two long time lovers renew that love and then waiting for the streak which never came…
15. Hanging with romance writers because they sure know how to have a damn good time.