Lynn Raye Harris

Today, we have a commercial for Mac. Specifically, for a Mac application called Scrivener. Oh, the love I feel! The L-O-V-E. Really, I could break out in an interpretive dance here (if I could dance).

I am a Pantser. Meaning I sit down with an idea, a character or two, and start writing with no rhyme or reason or idea where things are headed. Wish I could outline, but frankly, the thought of outlining freezes me into a catatonic state of inertia (is that possible, or have I just won the prize for most amazing redundancy?).

Anywho, Mac + Scrivener = love. And here is why.

The corkboard, ladies and gentlemen. You can break all your chapters down, make notes about each, and then pin them to the corkboard. You can color the pins any color you want — like red for romance, blue for suspense, etc. When you lay out those index cards with the pins (click of the mouse), you can then see your plot progression and how much you are devoting to each aspect of the novel.

The corkboard also can be viewed in outline format. Notice the colors of the outline. You can have your outline display the colors you chose for different aspects of your plot. At a glance you can see the progression and how much you are devoting to romance or suspense or subplot A, B, etc.

Another cool thing is the research area. You can pull in photos, webpages, etc, and make notes about characters or settings. I’ve started putting photos into my research area. When I want to get the mood of the swamp or of a plantation home, I click on my research tab.

The skinny: the Scrivener folks will let you download the application to try for 30 days. After that, if you want to keep it, it’s $39.95 — and anyone with MS Office knows what a bargain that is.

The truth: I downloaded the program months ago, played with it (but didn’t take the tutorial on how to really use it), and didn’t buy it. I figured I didn’t need it, even with these cool features, because I had Word and would be writing in Word because it cost so much. But, I came across a blog post the other day where someone was talking about the infamous plotting board. I’d tried it before, getting a big dry erase board and colorful stickies and graphing out the plot. It was okay for me, but I hate messing with all that real estate, you know?

So I thought about Scrivener again. And this time, I took the time to actually DO the tutorial. It’s not long, and it helps you see the full capabilities. That’s when I realized how cool the program is. I do NOT write in it, btw. I write in Word, I paste the document in chapter chunks, and then I go for the labeling and notes. I have both programs open and I go between them. It works for me. You can import a complete document into it, which I did, and you can break it out into chapters — which really helps for the labeling. I’m not sure this program will work for me in the writing stage, but in the revising stage, it’s perfect.

The photo I pasted into my research folder to inspire me when I’m writing my hero?

Victoria Beckham is one lucky lady, don’t you think?

Hubby asked me the other night if, once I sold a book, I could write two or three a year like Other Writers. Not sure which Other Writers he meant, but I was kind of surprised at the question. I don’t think he was trying to insult me, but he knows how long I’ve been working on this particular book. And yeah, it’s ridiculous how much time I’ve spent rewriting the d*mn thing. So I understand his concern.

The answer, I told him, is yes. And I said it without hesitation because I know it’s true. Yes, I am capable of writing fast. And writing well, I believe, while doing it. So why the wheel spinning this time? Because for the longest time it was just me and WIP. No critique partner, no beta reader, no editor or agent to tell me the idea wasn’t viable the way I’d written it. Me, writing like a maniac, then stepping back and saying, “Uhhhhhh, hmm….”

It’s taken me time to figure out what works and what doesn’t. There’s a lot that goes into a manuscript, much more than pretty sentences that read perfectly. I’ve read a lot of beautiful contest entries that go nowhere. Going nowhere is the greatest sin committed by the unpublished writer, I think. Because the published writer has an editor saying, “Hey, that lovely scene where your heroine drives to work thinking about how she got to this place in her life and how she’ll never find love and how her last boyfriend was a jerk? It’s got to go because it’s not the real beginning of the story. The story starts on page 15 when the secret agent bursts into her office.”

My process has improved with the right critique partner. Tanya keeps me on track. She’s the one who told me my heroine was doing a lot of reacting and not a lot of acting. And then, when I asked, she told me how to fix it. She gave me suggestions that made sense. I didn’t use any of them, because I rewrote everything, but I used the gist, the core, of what she told me. My heroine doesn’t react anymore. She’s not passive, and she doesn’t let the hero take control. I think Tanya will be proud when I send her those pages again.

Yes, I’ve rewritten this same book 3 times now. I mean throwing out hundreds of pages and rewriting. I have a discarded scenes file that’s longer than the book is. Scary, huh? But I believe this is right. I believe I’m making the right choices this time. I believe the final product will be good. This time is the last time. This version goes out the door. I’ll take editorial suggestions gratefully, in full knowledge that I CAN fix what needs to be fixed. But this is the final rewrite on my own. The next time is for an editor.

And I haven’t completely been spinning my wheels. I’ve written and submitted two entries to the Harlequin contest, and I’m working on a Red Sage novella. I also have the second book in my special ops series planned and the first pages written. With every word, I get better. Every word, whether discarded or polished to a shine, propels me forward and makes me a better writer.

Yeah, honey, I can write more than one book a year. I’m getting faster and better all the time. My choices are better. My instincts sharpen with usage. My wheels have found purchase in the muck. I’m moving forward.

Any lessons you’ve learned lately? Can you write more than one book a year? How many rewrites are enough for you?

What’s mad about today? No idea, but it sounded catchy. No, in fact, there’s nothing mad about today. Except I can’t seem to get myself started with my revisions. I left off on Friday in a good spot — basically, I’m rewriting a scene from the hero’s POV instead of leaving it in the heroine’s. I know what happens next, know where I have to go. But I guess I’ve been second guessing some choices I made in the novel. Should I axe this character and subplot? Does he do anything to forward the story, or is it confusing?

I’ve already axed one character and subplot because it was unnecessary on the rewrite. Now I’m wondering if this other character is unnecessary. *sigh*

Hubby helped me with an idea for a different book last night. It was fun bouncing ideas off him and, as usual, he had a really good idea for the heroine that I hadn’t thought of. This book is simply in the concept phase. No pages written, no names picked out, nothing. But I think it could be a cool book. Naturally, it’s in a different sub-genre than what I’m currently focusing on. Though, in fact, there is a military character, but it’s more of an urban fantasy.

On tap for today: finish the d*mn scene. Go get propane for the grill. Write pages of a different book for a contest. Straighten up living room before mother stops by for a visit.

(Why a rocket? Because this is Rocket City, of course. Photo by hubby.)

How’s your Monday Madness going? What do you do when the little voice tells you to cut characters from the book?

Hey, I like this video. Love it when a 40-something woman proves she’s still relevant. Paula may seem flaky, may not have the pipes of a Christina Aguilera, but she’s still cool. Jeez, I remember her in a Janet Jackson video from way back…

I’ve been tagged twice this week with the same one, so I get to cheat and do it once. Kathy Carmichael and Carol Burnside tagged me. Ha! Six unimportant things about me. But first, the rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.

4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.

5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.

SIX UNIMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I won the 5th grade spelling bee. I didn’t study. I went to regionals. I still didn’t study. I got 2nd place.

2. I’ve met Bill Clinton twice when he was a governor. He did not harass me.

3. I showed competitive jumpers (horses, y’all) when I was a kid. I was a Regional Reserve Champion.

4. I was once approached by a pervert in Paris. I was with a college friend, we’d had wine, and we thought it was hilarious. The poor man gave up and left.

5. I am a Daughter of the American Revolution.

6. I drove 900 miles across Europe by myself.

I’m violating the rules now. I’m not going to tag. Because I think this one is going around virally, so if you read this and want to do it, go for it! And let me know because I’d love to read your six things.

This week, I submitted two entries to the Harlequin Presents contest. I’m feeling good about getting those two stories out there. Even if nothing comes of it, I’ve actually pressed the send button. Yay!

Now, I must get my revised entry back to the Gotcha coordinator for forwarding. And I have to finish the rewrites on this book.

Oh, and I’m thinking about the Red Sage contest.

And Sven starts again on March 1st.

Sometimes, I really love being a writer.

Finally, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Any accomplishments you’re proud of this week? This month? Any special plans for Valentine’s?

Okay, so it wasn’t really a weekend, it was only a day. And there were 150 other people in the room too, so I guess I wasn’t strictly spending time with Bob. But writing is about the hook (and, frankly, about lying), so there it is.

L to R is me, Misty Wright, Danniele Worsham, Bob, and Kim Kerr. We’re the Heart of Dixie members who drove to Atlanta for the workshop.

Bob had lots to say about writing. Some of it I won’t do (outlining). Some of it I will (lots, actually). If you can’t go to a Bob Mayer workshop, pick up a copy of The Novel Writer’s Toolkit, which the workshop comes from. The book is pretty good, though Bob’s in-person delivery is better.

I also got to meet the fabulous and hilarious Jennifer LaBrecque. Here we are again, sans Misty, with Jen. I sat next to Jen throughout the day (8:30 to 4:00) and she kept me laughing for much of it. You can find Jen blogging over at The Soapbox Queens.

I also got to see my buddy Carol Burnside! No pics of Carol, but that’s because I was dumb and didn’t take my own camera. I “stole” these pics from Danniele, who is smart enough to have her camera everywhere she goes. I must remember to take the camera!

I returned from Atlanta feeling energized and ready to work. Good speakers do that for you. Bob doesn’t paint rosy pictures of writing, but he doesn’t tell you you’ll never succeed at it either. I’ve met those types, the ones who say don’t give up your day job and you’ll never make enough money to support yourself. Yeah, I know the odds are long, but the reality is that some people do make a living at writing. Not everyone is a J.K. Rowling (most aren’t, in fact), but it’s damn possible to support yourself if you work hard.

One of the most interesting things Bob said (I thought) was that we’re in the entertainment business and we have to remember that our books are products. You are producing a product, not a baby — even though you’ve put your heart and soul into the work. You have to be able to see your book like a reader sees it. Because that’s how an industry professional is going to evaluate your work. They want to sell it, not wallow in the lovely and amazing words you slaved over. Painting a pretty picture, getting lost in linguistic gymnastics simply because you want to do it, isn’t the goal. Creating a compelling story is. Make the reader care about your characters, not your pretty sunset.

And now, to take the hardest part of the advice Bob gave, I’m off to use my computer for writing, not surfing.

Have you attended a workshop or class that inspired you? Changed any part of your process because of it? Did it work for you or did you go back to the old way of doing things?

Go congratulate Nalini Singh on making the NYT list!!! Yay, Nalini!!!!!