Tag: It's Worth It

It’s Worth It

GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR MY FAMILY

by Kitty Bucholtz

‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. – Alfred Lord Tennyson

There will always be disagreement about the truth of that statement. The same person might even change their mind about whether they hold that belief depending on where they are in their lives. It’s much harder to believe when you’re in the midst of loss.

When I went to Australia three years ago, I knew I’d be gone at least three months because of my husband’s job. Three months turned into thirteen, and we definitely felt the loss of our friends, our church, and for me, my OCC family.

I just returned from the chapter meeting and I’m feeling euphoric and nostalgic and full of gratitude even though I know I’ll be feeling a deep sense of loss this time next year when I’m back in Australia. Shannon Donnelly’s presentation on writing a synopsis was exceptional – the most pages of notes I’ve taken since Michael Hauge was here. Sue Grimshaw gave an excellent presentation about the Borders book buying process and what authors can do to promote themselves. Not sure if it was because she’s from Michigan (Go Wolverines!) or because she’s such a nice person with a great presentation, but I felt really inspired to keep going afterward even though I’m still unpublished.

But it’s not the professional information that makes OCC my family. I spent the day teasing friends and getting teased back. Several friends encouraged me to not give up on the kind of writing I want to do regardless of whether I’ve seen anything like it in the bookstore. A lot of people shared my excitement in moving back to Australia and listened with saint-like patience as I extolled the virtues of life there. One friend told me I would be missed and filled my heart when she said she would start missing me now. Aw! (Guys, it’s a girl thing. 😉 )

So what do I think? Is it better to have made friends and poured time and energy into them and found they became another family? Networked and shook hands and passed out business cards to strangers for years? And then up and leave for who knows how many years?

Yup. No question.

It’s worth it.

Kitty Bucholtz is a co-founder of Routines For Writers, a new web site to help writers write more. She writes light urban fantasy novels with a romantic comedy spin – and loves every minute of it! Read her article ORANGE YOU GLAD YOU THOUGHT OF THAT? in September’s RWR magazine. Even though she loves talking about, writing about, and teaching about writing, she’s pretty sure she knows at least three people who aren’t writers.

It’s Worth It

READER COMMENTS – OR THE LACK THEREOF

by Kitty Bucholtz

When my Internet browser opens, I have it set so that several web pages come up at once. Several – like the Slice of Orange here – are industry blogs that I’m keeping up with. I often find myself nodding and agreeing with the writer, or I’ll think of something about the topic I want to share. But I usually don’t have time to read and comment.

That made me think about my own blogs and how few comments there often are. I realized that a lot of times people are probably thinking what I’m thinking – I either don’t have time, or I don’t want to write “I liked that” or “I agree” because the comment seems so inane.

Keep that in mind when you’re writing. I’ve had dozens of magazine articles and devotionals published and – with the exception of my recent RWR article – I’ve only received one note from a reader. (Thank you, friends, for your outpouring of electronic high-fives on that RWR article!) People will like what we write and be nodding their heads, or shaking their heads, or thinking about it for a while, and we’ll never know. While sometimes my words may not affect a single person, a lot of times they will, if only one. We need to keep writing. Don’t stop. It’s worth it.

Kitty Bucholtz writes light urban fantasy novels with a romantic comedy spin. She is a co-founder of Routines For Writers, a new web site to help writers write more. Read her article ORANGE YOU GLAD YOU THOUGHT OF THAT? in September’s RWR magazine. Even though she loves talking about, writing about, and teaching about writing, she’s pretty sure she knows at least three people who aren’t writers.

It’s Worth It

ROUTINES FOR WRITERS

by Kitty Bucholtz

Write every day. Make each book better than your last. Write what you love so that your passion fills every page. Oh, and by the way, make time for blogs, web sites, social sites, teaching classes, and writing articles to get your name out there as much as possible.

Not to be a naysayer, but wow! That sounds like so much work! I’d rather do the first three things than spend so much time on marketing myself that I have less time for writing. But once a business school graduate, always a business mindset. How could I do both?

One day, it occurred to my two critique partners and me that our weekly conference calls were such a huge part of all three of us getting more done – why didn’t we find a way to share our conference call with more writers – and promote ourselves? Thus the idea for Routines For Writers was born.

Launched on September 1, 2008, the web site is meant to be a discussion-starter for brainstorming ways to get more and better writing done. The three of us only blog once a week, but that gives readers new material each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. (It also gives us real and attainable deadlines.) We’re writing “pillar articles” – longer articles that go into more detail on a particular topic. We’ll post helpful spreadsheets and documents for tracking progress, making goals, and other helpful items. And we’ll have guest bloggers from all areas of the publishing scene.

Instead of stressing about whether we three unpublished-in-novel-length-fiction writers should have three web sites already, we moved the synergy we’d already developed into a joint web site. And the web site is on a topic we’re (gasp!) passionate about! All three of us love teaching, love sharing what we’ve learned with others. (I helped a new writer while eating lunch at the Costco food court last month. It was great!)

What can you do to harness synergy that’s already begun in your writing world? How can you get more done with less work? How can you get your name out more without cutting into your writing time? (And without, say, forgetting to go to the bank and the grocery store as I did this week. Scene 1: Enter husband looking through bare cupboards…)

If you have some ideas, share them here. And come on by our web site and see what we’re talking about each week. We’d love to have you join in the discussion!

Kitty Bucholtz is a co-founder of Routines For Writers, a new web site to help writers write more. She writes light urban fantasy novels with a romantic comedy spin – and loves every minute of it! Read her article Orange You Glad You Thought of That? in this month’s RWR magazine. Even though she loves talking about, writing about, and teaching about writing, she’s pretty sure she knows at least three people who aren’t writers.

It’s Worth It

AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES

By Kitty Bucholtz

I finally recovered from the RWA National Conference that I attended in San Francisco last week. Whew! What a week! I drove up with my friend Lori and her husband and son (both of whom are sweet and cute and fun!). Then I stayed with my friend Marcy for a few days while we brainstormed all kinds of writing-related ideas including weighing the pros and cons of me getting a Master’s in Creative Writing degree. (I think I’m going to do it!) Remember in last month’s column I was stressing because I needed to see my friends’ little baby Grace? Saw her! Spent the whole day with them and I wasn’t even asked to change her diaper – excellent!

After such a great start to the week, I was eager for the conference to begin. It was a wonderful combination of fun and work. I had “not dinner” with some OCC friends (the restaurant was so backed up, we had to leave before we got our food, so we only had bread and wine and water – which Lori termed our Biblical dinner), went to a couple of parties (remembered the next morning why I don’t generally drink champagne), and went to every single workshop session but one. And at the last workshop session, two agents gave us the secret password before the recording began. Those who query them with the secret password get bonus points for having shown up in person when everyone was so tired. LOL!

One of the best parts for me was hearing someone say, “Send it to me.” I tracked down an agent and an editor who I’d researched a few days before the conference, and both want a proposal from me. (Yea!) We heard some great keynote speakers (Victoria Alexander was a hoot!), learned from some great teachers (Eric Maisel’s “Creativity for Life” might have been my favorite class), and met a lot of people! Lori and Lynn and Kimberly and I made a challenge the last two days to give out at least 15 business cards each – and we did it! (Networking made easy!) We also made a point of spending two of our meals together brainstorming, and it looks like we’ll be getting together to do it again now that we’re home. (Plot problem solving made easy!)

The trip was expensive in terms of money and time, and it took me a few days to get my energy back and my life back in order once I returned. But as Lori mused on the long drive home, we received an embarrassment of riches. This wealth is pushing me to work harder and faster than ever before (remember those two proposals I need to get out?), but it feels great, and I totally believe it’s worth it!

Kitty Bucholtz writes romantic comedies because, well, she lives one! She wrote her first book in the NBC cafeteria, the second snowed in at a Reno hotel, and the third from a tiny apartment in Sydney. Even though she loves talking about, writing about, and teaching about writing, she’s pretty sure she knows at least three people who aren’t writers.

It’s Worth It

GETTING READY FOR CONFERENCE

by Kitty Bucholtz

Can you believe how time flies? The RWA National Conference is only three weeks away! I’m not ready! I haven’t booked a flight – oh wait, I’m driving up with my friend Lori. I haven’t booked a hotel room – oh wait, Lori already did that. Can you tell I’m used to doing everything myself? So if everything is in place, why do I feel a little stressed about it?

Thinking about it for five seconds, I realize it’s not the conference so much as the fact that I’ve been doing a lot of traveling in the last several weeks and I’m tired. And more than anyone at the conference, the one person I really want to see lives in a suburb outside San Francisco – and is only a couple months old! Once I iron out a time to see little Grace, I’ll probably be much more relaxed about the whole trip. ☺

Taking that bit of stress out of the picture, my mind suddenly goes into tentative “play” mode. The last few conferences I’ve attended I’ve been one of the presenters. I love teaching, but it does make for an exhausting weekend. This time I’ll be able to go to any class I want, spend as much time as I like talking to anyone I run across, free of the ticking clock telling me where I have to be and when, free of anyone approaching me in the bathroom with something they want me to read. When I think of it that way – WOO-HOOOOO!!! Now I’m really beginning to look forward to it!

If you haven’t been to a writers conference yet, I highly recommend doing a bit of research and picking one. As writers, we need to continue to be both teachable and willing to teach others, and writers conferences are often a wonderful way to do both. There is always something you can learn, even if it is only to be reminded of something you once knew, and there is always someone who can use your advice about something.

If you don’t know how to pick a writers conference, or how to prepare, or what to expect, check out my class, “Getting Ready for Conference.” It’s an online class with lectures and interactive discussions on everything relating to conferences. Only $15 for two weeks, the class starts this Monday, July 14. See you there – or see you at a writers conference! They’re worth it!

Kitty Bucholtz writes romantic comedies because, well, she lives one! She wrote her first book in the NBC cafeteria, the second snowed in at a Reno hotel, and the third from a tiny apartment in Sydney. Even though she loves talking about, writing about, and teaching about writing, she’s pretty sure she knows at least three people who aren’t writers.