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OCC’s Upcoming Meeting and More

November 6, 2012 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , , , ,

I’ve missed OCC! I was unable to get to the last two meetings because of family travel plans, but I’m in town now and am delighted to say I’ll be at the Saturday meeting.

Both speakers sound interesting to me. In the morning, Tara Lain will be speaking about blog tours–and I’ve participated in quite a few. I’d love to learn other people’s perspectives about them. I try to utilize a few different social media avenues to let people know what I’m writing, and blogging is one of them.

I’ve said this before, but once upon a time, when I started writing, I thought that was all it was: you write, get published, and things are great from there on. It turns out that, yes, things are great, but there’s more to it than that. These days you write, publish and promote. As a result, I’m always eager to learn about other promotional opportunities.

For example, I’m participating in a blog hop tomorrow. Come visit my post at KillerHobbies.blogspot.com and learn more about me and this particular blog hop.

I’m delighted to say that I’ve signed up for the SoCal RWA Conference in March. Have you? I belong to two of the four participating RWA chapters and have for years. I’m really looking forward to this first SoCal RWA joint conference.

How about you? Do you blog? Are you going to the SoCal RWA Conference?

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Writing Camaraderie

November 3, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as , , , , , ,

“How’s the Writing Going?”
It’s one of those questions that writers love and hate. If the writing is going well, we love to talk about the process. If it’s not? Well, it can be a little painful to answer.
No one quite understands the writing process like another writer. Earlier this year, while working on the third book in my The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolfseries, A Threesome Wedding Adventure, the “writing” actually wasn’t going all that great at times. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I didn’t care for one secondary character much. He was a disappointment to my main character, and not very pleasant. Unlike some villains who are just so fun to write, this one wasn’t.
At home, the writing exists in a sort of vacuum. If I’m on deadline, my husband tends to ignore the overabundance of mess in the household, and will take our daughters to birthday parties, etc. in order to give me time. That said, he never, ever asks those magic words.
Every now and then, my mom does. She’s an artist, and understands the creative process. When I hadn’t talked about my writing a lot, she ventured forth to test the waters.
More than anything, you know what helped? Coming to OCC/RWA meetings. Believe it. Every single Saturday, Brenna Aubrey would look at me and ask, “How’s the writing going?” and we’d talk. She knew to ask, and even that little push helped. Member Nikki Prince has mentioned that knowing she’ll get a rose for a sale also acts as an incentive. We understand.
Coming off the OCC 31st Birthday Bash and the Pajama Parties, and heading into 2013 and our very first Book-in-a-Year push, headed up by Beth Yarnall, who did wonders for the EVA chapter, and the SoCalRWA Conference in March 2013, I’m feeling the love of the writing camaraderie.
November 1 also kicked off NaNoWriMo – a month of insanity where writers all around the world push to crank out 50,000 words in a month. They don’t have to be the best words ever … just a working draft. We have many members of our chapter taking part. Check out Twitter and Facebook, and share in those high word count days, and those that were a bit harder to get through.
And come Saturday, Nov. 10, when we gather together to listen to the magic of Tara Lain and Darynda Jones, remember to turn to the person sitting next to you and ask, “How’s the writing going?” 

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Some Howling Good Calls (for Submission)

October 31, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as , ,

This month features one call for submission with “bite,” a first-time vampire anthology by Ravenous Romance, a nostalgic look back at mixed tapes and a new shared world series on Cupid’s Conquest.
First Bite

Ravenous Romance is extending the deadline for their virgin vampire anthology FIRST BITE. While the main point is for the characters to have a virginal experience, (first night, first bite, first vamp ménage, etc.) the stories already selected to be in the anthology have created a blood cocktail with a twist. Most stories incorporate a plot twist or discovery that neither the narrator nor the reader see coming. For a cohesive anthology, please include these details in your stories: virgins with a twist, who doesn’t love those? We are open to all types of couplings, but are still looking to fill the voids of ménage, m/m, f/f, and vamp/vamp.

Submission Guidelines: Email your 2500-6000 word short story to Fidencia@literarypartners.comas a word doc, including a short story query letter and your bio. The Deadline is November 30, 2012. Payment is a flat fee of $25.
Mixed Tape – An Anthology Based on Love Songs
Okay, be honest…how many made one? Had one given to them? What? You don’t know what I’m talking about? Way back when, when you needed to tell that special someone how you felt instead of writing a note you put together a compilation cassette tape of MUSIC. Songs that reminded you of that special someone, songs that told them how you felt so you didn’t have to say it to their face (just in case they didn’t feel the same). I’m putting together a MIXED TAPE of stories inspired by love songs (especially from the 1980s). So break out those cassette tapes, acid wash jeans and neon colors.
Stories will:
  • Range between 5 and 40k
  • Be inspired by a love song that plays a part in the story (some suggestions: Air Supply, Chicago, REO Speedwagon, Duran Duran, to name just a few)
  • Flashbacks, paranormal, contemporary, historical (okay, is the 1980s really historical?) all welcome
  • Must abide by MLR submission guidelines (M/M)

Stories due by March 15, 2013 to special_submissions@mlrpress.com
Questions should be sent to me at KrisJacen@mlrpress.com
Amber Allure
For the first time in its long history, Amber Quill Press is opening submissions to the general public. Although this open submission call is for only a limited time, we may extend it in the future, so please check back in the months ahead to see if submission deadlines have changed.
Additionally, at any time in the future we may also have specific “series submissions calls” listed below. Typically, submissions for these series are open to allauthors, those already contracted with Amber Allure and those aspiring to be published with us. See below for any current series submission call(s) and the detailed guidelines associated with it/them, and (important) please note that the acceptable word counts, guidelines, etc. may be different from the “General Open Submissions” requirements.
For more information, visit http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/AA_submissioncalls.html
Cupid’s Conquests

Cupid’s Conquest is a new multi-author, shared world series unique to Evernight Publishing.
The series focuses on contemporary romance between unlikely pairings or those kept apart by forces internal or external who are brought together by the magic of Cupid’s arrows. We’re looking for heroes and heroines readers will want to see overcome the odds against them. 

Cupid’s been a bad boy…
After years of letting love languish on Earth, Cupid has been banished to the surface until he teaches humanity to love again. One couple—or more—at a time. 
  • 15,000-35,000 words.
  • Evernight Heat Level 2 or higher
  • M/F, F/F & M/M 
  • Combinations of above considered.
  • HEA required. 

http://www.evernightpublishing.com/special-lines/
For more information on requirements and how to submit, please contact: Seleste deLaney at selestedelaney@gmail.com and include “Cupid’s Conquests” in the subject line.
— Louisa Bacio
Starting Nov. 12, I’m teaching the Online workshop “Submission: Writing the Short Story for Anthology Call-Out” for OCC/RWA. For more information, visit http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassNov12.html

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When You Learn, Teach

October 19, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as , , , , , ,
“When you learn, teach, when you get, give.” Maya Angelou
 
“One hand reaching forward, one hand reaching back”  Orange County Chapter Romance Writers of America

We sometimes forget as we dash through our days full of deadlines and proposals and promo work what it was like to first put pencil to paper, to first send out a proposal, or meet with an agent at a conference.  We might have buried the memory of that first rejection letter, or the second, or the fiftieth except as an anecdote while we share our (current) success story. 
When a newbie writer asks a question so basic we feel they should have learned the answer in elementary school, how many of us remember angsting over lines per page and perfect format as if that alone would guarantee acceptance by one of the publishers?  Or buying the best quality typing paper we could afford in hopes of recognition.  I sure do.
In discussion with authors from chapters across the country, I hear stories of chapters imploding from expectations of unpublished authors who demand help from the published.  On the other hand I hear stories from unpublished authors who can’t even get an answer to how to set up a blog.  Somewhere in the middle is that healthy place of compromise and share.
Orange County has that great program of “Ask An Author,” but OCC has been innovative in so many ways. But it’s not just the published authors who can step up.  Anyone who has attended a GMC talk can tell a neophyte GMC stands for Goal, Motivation, Conflict.  NaNo refers to a mad dash to produce a book in a month, at the end of which you either love or hate your characters and it’s a tossup whether your  hands or your bottom are more numb,  All of us have knowledge to share.
I’m hoping these ideas spread to other chapters, large and small, to keep the chapters and RWA healthy and supportive of romance writing.

Monica Stoner writes as Mona Karel, and has two books available for your perusal
Teach Me To Forget and My Killer My Love
When she’s not blogging about basic promo or low carb cooking Mona’s Blog she’s enjoying life at 6500 feet in New Mexico, surrounded by a bunch of silly skinny dogs. And writing, writing, writing

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emaginings: Tarot For Writers Revisited

October 17, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as , , , ,

Yesterday was the New Moon, an auspicious time to begin new projects. I am starting a new story and need ideas for scenes. So I turned to my trusty tarot cards. Since this is a spicy story, I used the Sensual Wicca deck. In the process of interpreting the cards, I dragged out my copy of Tarot For Writers by Corinne Kenner. Once again, I was impressed by how helpful the book is.

I received some insights from using the Celtic Cross for Writers spread, and the spread for three-act structure, but the most helpful suggestion was to simply draw ask “what happens next” and keep drawing cards. I gave it a try. I shuffled the cards and kept turning them over until I had a baker’s dozen of idea, from she seduces him to a debt is repaid.

I realizes this kind of visual aide doesn’t work for everyone, but if you are at all inclined towards the mystical approach, I do recommend this book. You can read my original long review at my Flights-A-Fancy blog.

Kenner’s website can be found at http://tarotforwriters.com/

My comments on the Sensual Wicca deck can be found at my Lyndi Lamont blog.

What do you do to jump start a new story?

Linda McLaughlin/Lyndi Lamont

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