Putting things on hold (Merry Christmas!)

I've finished Nano, but not the novel.
I was going to get it all ready for SYTYCW but this year they wanted the complete book and there was no way I could have my Nano Draft 0 all polished and sent off by 15/12.
But I can still get it ready for The Clendon Award next year.

I was going to work on my draft this week and during my Christmas break, but preparations for my new job, as well as for the uni course (ohmegod, have I really got on to an MBA program??) are taking up a lot of time. All that on top of quite a lot of stress in my old job.
So the Nano Draft 0 is on hold.

I still want to write and I'm going to finish that b***y book in time for The Clendon Award. I need to however put on hold all twittering and blogging etc non-essential activities.
I will keep my Romance Writing Competition calendar updated though, and continue 'publishing' The Romance Writers Daily on Twitter. I also check my emails regularly, if case anyone wanted to get in touch.

Pohutukawa - NZ Christmas tree
by Kate Kyle

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Writing Year!!

Inspiration vs perspiration

So You Think You Can Write is over, but the website with the wealth of information is still there and if you haven't had a chance to look at it, I strongly encourage you.

I love Harlequin/Mills&Boons for being so new-writers friendly. This was one of the reasons I've decided to try my hand at writing for them.  All the published/contracted authors I've encountered at RWNZ conferences spoke highly of H/M&B's editors and how they practically learnt craft from them while revising/rewriting their books.
Those, who like me were still trying, were also very enthusiastic. SYTYCW and New Voices (in which I couldn't participate because according to the contest rules I was deemed published) are perfect examples of how supportive these publishers are.

For those of you, aspiring romance/woman's fiction writers who don;'t know yet I also recommend eHarlequin site - with writing advice, free online reads, and many pitching opportunities (check the For - particularlyThe Write Stuff section). great for inspiration.

I haven't had much time to seek inspiration as I have been heavily perspiring, working on my new NaNoWriMo project and rushing to get my SYTYCW assignments sent off before the deadline. I must admit I'm lagging behind with my NaNo- due to some health issues, and also SYTYCW. But I've managed to complete four out of 5 assignment - the opening page, gripping scene, synopsis and query letter, which will make my 5th assignment - actual submission in December much easier.

Anyway, since I'd managed to plot my novel almost completely prior to Nano, I don't have to wait for inspiration, just sit at my laptop and sweat the words out.
My novel is set in rural Northumberland, which is rather quite far away from where I now live. So I'm using this little space-travelling technique:

Eglingham Moor, Northumberland, England
by Kate Kyle

(this place plays an important role in development of attraction between my hero and heroine)


I've never had any of my SYTYCW assignments picked up for critique, whether last or this year, but I've read the editors' feedback with great interest- great stuff to learn from.
I've learnt bits and pieces from blog post and chats, too. My favorite was the article on synopsis and query letter. I'm still not an expert on any of them, by any means, but I'm feeling just a little bit more confident. And I'm sure I'll come back next year, even if I'll managed to get a contract with M&B by then :)

Have you been picked up for critique? Did you enjoy the event? Did you learn anything new?

It's nearly November

I've hardly noticed October - been so busy sorting out my next day job. Actually I've ben so busy that I've put writing on hold completely. But now, since I've got a new job (some call it promotion), went through the mill of a Very Important Assessment, sent my application to yet-another-uni-course in and awaiting results, and the spring is finally in the air it's time to go back to writing.

It's November - NaNoWriMo month again and I'm definetely taking part again this year. I'm also going to do SoYouThinkYouCanWrite2 with Harlequin again as I enjoyed SYTYCW1 last year.
I'm writing another medical romance - since the target length of 50-55,000 is ideal for Nano. I also hope I will be able to submit it at the end of SYTYCW2.

I have been neglecting my blog lately and unfortunately this is likely to continue in November because of Nano, but after that I should have more time for writing.
In the meantime, for those of you who are looking for an interesting writing workshop in November - have a look at a fellow romance writer Lacey Devlin's blog for inspiration.
I'm off to get prepared for NaNo - I've got heaps of stuff to do.

Nano preparation checklist for plotters:
1. Story premise - check
2. Title - check
3. Heroine's goals, motivations and conflict - check
4. Heroine's arc - needs some work
5. Hero's goals,  motivations, and conflict - check
6. Hero's arc - needs some work
7. Plot outline - very patchy, several plot holes - needs fixing
8. Minor characters - haven't been conceived yet.
9. Happily Ever After - check!
10. A week off day job - request not submitted yet!
11. Put a new word counting widget on my blog - not done yet!

I haven't included a supply of chocolate as I have to lose weight I've put on during all that work-related stress in October but will have to find something to fuel my during those long early morning hours.


Who else is doing Nano this year? Are you a plotter or a pantser? How are you preparing?

Romance writing competitions

Looking for romance or women's fiction writing competition?
Check my calendar - just updated it with more upcoming contests. Every note contains a web link to the contest site - check it for more details.

Good luck!



Ps. After much deliberation and asking around, I've decided that I wasn't eligible for New Voices, so I'm not entering (but reading entries). Instead, I've entered Strictly single competition (RWNZ) again this year. This year I've entered a completely new story, something I've thought out a couple of years ago as a chick-lit, but since chick-lit is no longer hot (or even worse: editors are not buying new authors any more), and since my story was never conceived as a bit city story I've changed some elements. Now, it's a (single title) contemporary romance, set in a small town (apparently this is HOT!). The characters' arcs have changed, too and becuase I haven't had much time to smooth it out, they're not as goo as they could be.
It was a bit of a touch-and-go with the deadline, as I completely forgoten about it. But I've managed to churn out 6,500 words and a synopsis.
Fingers crossed.
Now, back to my current WIP, which I've been writing for... let me think... 7 years now.


Have any of you entered or is going to enter any contest now? Any of you doing New Voices?

Being an aspiring writer...

for me it means that I should focus my efforts and time to finish the unfinished (it's been 7 years now...), polish the finished and start sending it out whether as a query or for feedback (contests - see my Calendar for upcoming contests, are perfect opportunity for getting feedback on your work from other writers, also published, if not agents and editors themselves!).

Unfortunately, recently instead of writing I've been spending my time
- trying to get a new day job with - surprise, surprise! - more responsibilities and a steep learning curve
- polishing my CV so it matches the requirements for the potential new job
- learning new stuff so I can perform at interviews for the new job
- making sure that I've got the look for the job (cue new hairstyle, advice from a stylist and a few rather painful shopping trips - have you ever tried to radically change your style?)
- going to conferences (well, at least one was to do with writing - another great RWNZ conference, where I met in person my fab online romance writing friend Serenity Woods)
- enjoying time spent with friends (waving at Serenity and other lovely people I've met recently)
- trying to come up with not-so-social-animals-friendly promoting strategies for my book on OCD, which is just out
- thinking about a new post on my blog (long overdue, I humbly admit)
- learning at an online workshop how to manage day job, family, life, have some sleep AND still write more than one book in a year (by fabulous Kerri Nelson)
- feeling overwhelmed with all the above and the guilt that I'm not writing that I often end up playing stupid flash games

A lot of procrastinating, isn't it?

I feel being an aspiring writer is so much about fighting your urge to procrastinate.
Fiona Maddock wrote a brilliant post on being unknown and unpublished writer once. And what does being an unpublished/aspiring writer means to you?

But hopefully it's about to change.
At the conference Lucy Gilmour, Mills&Boon's medical romance editor, suggested that I sent the first 3 chapters and a synopsis of my novel to her (it's not a proper request as I didn't quite pitched to her - she just told me to send it to her as they look at all submissions anyway), so at the moment I'm polishing these while sneaking out from some boring conference sessions (this is not a writing conference though!). I have to have it ready by Friday.

In the meantime I'm spreading the word about The Liebster Blog Award, which goal is to showcase up and coming bloggers with fewer than 200 followers, like me :)
I have got the award from Sara Furlong-Burr - one of my favourite bloggers (thanks Sara!).

The rules are simple:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who bestowed the award on you 
2. Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog 
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog 
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love 
5. Have bloggity-blog fun!

It's taken me a while to choose my top 5 bloggers for this award, but finally I've gone through the (long) list of blogs I follow and was really surprised to find out that some of my favourite blogs have fewer than 100 followers! Here's my list of  bloggers worth following- they're all writers (some write romance, some not), and their blogs burst with superuseful writing advice:

1. Nan Cormague - a romance writer, who has gone quiet a little but I hope she's back soon to continue posting

2. A.J. Humpage - a fiction (short and long) and non-fiction writer with many years of experience and excellent posts on story mechanics and the use of language.

3. Morton S. Gray - a fellow romance writer and The Mutual Admiration Society member

4. Liz Fielding - another romance writer, a very experienced one, who is always happy to share her knowledge and at the moment is giving advice on New Voices competition.

5. Jodi Henley - discovered only recently organic writer and the master of subconscious writing process which is ... (check her blog!)

I hope you all enjoy reading these blogs.
Now I have to send off that manuscript and go to another (boring) conference session.

Writing drought and other misterous conditions

Since the beginning of April I have been struggling to write. At first, I though I was just tired - there were good reasons to feel so - February and March were very intensive with revisions and rewritings for my OCD book, research and attempts to get a first chapter and a synopsis finished on time for Great Beginnings contest, Alzheimer blogging competition, an online course to learn to write better synopsis, writing for this and the other blog, tweeting, and on the top of that big decisions to be made in my day job.

I thought: I need holidays. So I went to South Island. I had nice time, but came back disappointed with Fiordland. It was well below what I expected to see. Maybe except for Queenstown, which pleasantly surprised my with its autumn colours and almost European feel. This is the best photo out of 115 I took while visiting Queenstown, Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound.

Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown, NZ
copyright by Kate Kyle

So I came back, well rested, shortlisted in Alzheimer's Blogging comp, did not submit my entry to RWNZ contest, never wrote that synopsis for the e-course, still unable to write.
I keep calling it 'writing drought' but it's not really a drought  - I have lots of ideas for novels, non-fiction books, articles and even a textbook! It's not a writer's block, because I know that if I sit for long enough I would just got it out on paper.

It may be something to do with not being able to commit myself to writing. I keep thinking: 'It's a brilliant idea I need to write that book proposal, but which publisher I send it to?' But there are so many publishers that I could submit my book proposal to, I don't know which one to chose. So I then think that I need a agent first. But I need a book proposal to submit a query about. But how do I write a book proposal if I don't have a publisher in mind. And da capo al fine.
I just can't be decide, and so I spend another evening watching one of my favourite sitcoms on DVD and pottering about, feeling like I still have time, while I don't.

Has any of you ever had a similar problem? How did you overcome it? Any ideas how to break that blimmin' vicious cycle?

Moving on

photo by Darren Robertson
www.freedigitalphotos.net

I've been busy.

I've got over the rejection at Harlequin SYTYCW contest and now my My NaNo manuscript, rewritten and hopefully improved (it did take my a couple of hours to get to grips with ARC format) has been sent to The Clendon Award (the closing date has just been extended becuase of the earthquake).

I've sent an application to RWA (Romance Writers of America) and will follow up with an application to become a PRO (the rejection email from HQ will come handy)

I've just got a boud copy of my nonfiction book for the last fine proofreading.
A proposal for another book sent off. Two more are waiting for more time te be brainstormed. One is brewing.

I'm getting on with my new blog and building the platform for my nonfiction writing (you may notice a different pen name - that is deliberate, as previously considered). Drop in and say what you think of it, if you have a minute.

I'm thinking about my next post on characters, conflict and emotional bagage. I'm pleased to see you like it. Anyone has any special orders regarding the next post?

And what have you been doing?