Last night I spent some time with my husband. Imagine that! The past few nights I’ve been on the computer, poring over blogs, writing, or brainstorming my website redesign. So it was a very nice, relaxing break. We watched Proof, a movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal (so cute!), and Anthony Hopkins, but one I’d never heard of until I read a little snippet in my husband’s Popular Science magazine. It was about mathimaticians and was, I thought, quite good…funny. Gwyneth’s character was one of those you have mixed feelings about. She’d taken care of her father but was bitter; she was horrible to her sister, but said sister was intrusive and irritating. She was stand-offish and rude, but still, you were rooting for her. I thought it very interesting, and a nice change.

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of good, quotable quotes–the pithy, humorous kind that leave you with that, ‘so true’ feeling. But once I read them, they disappear from my memory almost instantaneously. I won’t wear any CafePress gear emblazoned with the sentiments, I don’t put little plaques up around my house, I don’t keep a journal, so what is there left to do but read them and forget them? But wait…this is a journal…maybe this blog should be the future depository for these witty quotes! Here’s a sample…

“She is too fond of books, and it has addled her brain.” -Louisa May Alcott

“Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, always paddling like the dickens underneath.” –Michael Caine

More to come…you’ve been thusly warned.

Check out this cool feature for an author with a book in print at Amazon.com. The collage is showcasing my own book cover (just personal preference), but just click ‘Back to Home’, and enter the title or author of your choice. As far as I can tell, it will only work with one-word entries. Found this on Joan Reeves blog.

Now onto the behind the scenes nitty-gritty…

My writing life is no different from the rest of my life. I’m a loner in all respects. I started writing as a new mom and kept completely to myself. Only a few people knew I was writing at all, and none of them were writers or had any connection to the publishing business. Then, four years later, I had a book, but no writing friends, no internet buddies, no one cheering me on as I decided to self-publish it. Then again, maybe no one would have cheered that decision…

I joined RWA about five months after I published my book and started participating on Yahoo loops. A little later I started blogging; I attended my first writing conference, and started feeling like I was part of the club–a little.

Now still, my writing is private. I don’t really discuss my WIP with anyone, and I don’t have a critique partner. In truth I have mixed feelings as to whether I’d really work well with one. Sure I’d love to have some feedback on my own writing, but it would need to be from someone who’s opinion (and likely, whose writing) I respect. Most comments I’ve received from the few contests I’ve entered have left me feeling confused and irritated by others’ opinions. Many judges seem to have a short attention span or else they’re obsessed over the ‘Rules of Romance’. I could never gel with these people. My point is, I’m almost afraid to seek out a critique partner. Even if I pick someone who’s great for me, what if I feel overwhelmed in critiquing her work? What if I don’t like the genre she’s writing in…or moving into? And think of all the time it will take…. Maybe I’m not someone who would do well with a critique partner.

Then again, maybe I’m over-thinking. And maybe I’m terribly high-maintenance.

I’ve heard so many great things about those wonderful, invaluable critique partners. I’ve had a fellow RWA member critique an article for me, and her comments really made it so much better. Alas…she has a critique partner. How to stumble onto someone just perfect? Everywhere I go, writers already have their CP’s. And even if I could decide that I wanted one, I’m not even sure where they’re hiding.

And so…I’m off to write in solitary splendor…

I guess it’s going to get a little quiet around my blogosphere haunts for a little while, what with everyone going to Atlanta for the RWA Conference. So, maybe I’ll use that time to find some worthwhile new blogs. Or maybe I’ll just get some work done…

Before I start on my topic of the day, first let me say CONGRATULATIONS to Sophie Jordan, debut author of Once Upon a Wedding Night! Today is the official release date for her book, and let me tell you, it’s worth every penny. I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy, and have posted my review on Amazon and B&N.com. Go pick it up!

Well, yesterday I posted on plotting as it relates to a book’s overall theme. And today I was going to blog about critique partners, but there have been some exciting new developments for me. I was reading Diana P’s blog and saw the picture she posted of herself in front of a post-it covered storyboard. Well I’d intended to whip one of those up once upon a time, but never really committed myself. Now…with the help of some generous commentators on Diana’s blog, a follow-up post by Diana herself, and an article on Roxanne St. Claire’s site, it all makes such beautiful sense. This way, I won’t need to worry about getting caught up in the main storyline and leaving little bits of minor plot lines stringing along. I’ll now be able to see visually–in a colorful frenzy of post-it’s–where I need to beef things up.

I’m also going to borrow another tip from Ms. St. Claire. She writes that she’s not a big pre-plotter (much like myself), so she makes a list of things that must happen in the course of the book. She puts each one on a post-it and carefully places the ones happening early in the book and scatters the rest of them, shifting things around as she writes. Just like the tag-line, query letter, and back-cover blurb, I think this task will help me insure that I have everything lined up to write my story with fewer revisions.

A girl can hope.