Lynn Raye Harris

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 Going nowhere is the greatest sin committed by the unpublished writer, I think.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?

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?

This is an easy one: lose weight. How many people set that goal every year? The majority of resolvers, I’ll bet. I was watching TV the other day, something on HGTV no doubt, when Valerie Bertinelli popped up with her new Jenny Craig body. OMG. I was practically reaching for the phone, y’all!

Valerie looks awesome. She’s 47 and she looks amazing. I want to be that thin again. I held off calling Jenny, but it’s in the back of my mind should I fail on my own. Now, I know that losing weight is difficult, and programs like that really work because they portion out your meals and take all the planning away from you. But I’ve lost the weight on my own once before (and I’ve lost it on NutriSystem) and I know I can do it again.

I sound like a yo-yo dieter, don’t I? I’m not, though. I’ve been overweight twice before and I’ve lost it both times. This is the third time in my 40 years I’ve let it creep up on me. Not exactly a yo-yo, but a pain in the butt nevertheless.

When I was 20, I needed a program. Lost 40lbs on NutriSystem and kept it off for 12 years. Then I did Body for Life with the hubby, which taught me how to eat and work out. Lost the 25 lbs I’d let creep back on. Now, I need to lose 30lbs. I gained this weight while not exercising and eating all this great Southern food. I knew it was happening, and I let it happen, and I’m not happy with myself about that.

So, I’m back to doing it myself by planning my meals, avoiding the bad stuff (except for one day a week), and exercising regularly. I know how to do this. If I decide I need Jenny, then it’s because I’m not sticking to my plan well enough on my own. And that’s a possibility, but I’d really rather do it myself. It’s cheaper, first of all. It puts me in control, second.

Here are my diet tips if you’re contemplating such a thing for yourself. I offer this as someone who’s succeeded in the past. I’m not an expert, but this worked for me.

1. If it’s man-made, don’t eat it if you can help it. I make an exception for Kashi cereal. And, in this go-round, for Lean Cuisine. Avoid the center aisles of the grocery store like the plague. No chips, no sodas, no cookies, no rice cakes, no boxes of stuffing mix or macaroni and cheese.

2. Don’t eat seconds.

3. Portion control. A portion of something is the size of your fist or your open palm.

4. Protein/carb balance. Don’t eat tons of carbs (pasta, bread), and don’t avoid meat (if you aren’t a vegetarian, I mean). Get a balance at every meal. For example, a snack I like is a stick of cheese (protein) and a yogurt (carbs).

5. Small meals throughout the day. I like six over all (and this includes the cheese and yogurt snacks).

6. 20 to 30 minutes of exercise 6 days a week. Get your heart rate up and keep it up. Don’t kill yourself, and don’t think you’re going to jog for an hour on the treadmill. And don’t forget that working out with weights also keeps your heart rate moving. You will not get big man muscles if you use weights. Trust me. I’ve bench pressed 100 lbs at my best and never looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Other small tips to consider — don’t deny yourself. If you really, really want a slice of pizza, eat it. So long as you don’t eat the whole thing, and so long as you don’t stray every single day, you can reward yourself from time to time. I like one day a week to eat what I want without recriminations. Also, if you’re a drinker like me (love my wine!), cut it back to two or three times a week instead of a glass a night. Most importantly, everything in moderation.

I’m not saying how much I weigh, but I’d like to lose 30lbs. I lost 3 before the cruise and gained it all back onboard. *sigh* Goal for next week: 2 lbs. I’ll let you know…..

Yesterday, I did something you are never supposed to do. I bought a dress that’s too small because I loved it and I intend to get into it. It’s not way too small, but I have a few pounds to go if I want to wear it.

How could I pass up a Calvin Klein formal gown on markdown at Ross? I couldn’t. I’ve gained nearly 20 pounds since moving to Alabama. This does not make me happy, as you can imagine. Too much good Southern cooking, and not enough exercise. In Hawaii, I could walk to the track. Year round. There’s no track close to my house now, but that isn’t a good enough excuse.

So now I’m motivated to get into this dress by the National conference. I want to sashay through the hotel in this gown. I want to feel like a million bucks in a gorgeous designer dress.

I know it’s wrong to buy clothes that don’t fit in the hopes they will. Typically, I don’t. But, well, it’s Calvin Klein. It almost fits. It’s gorgeous.

Have you ever bought clothes that don’t fit because you just couldn’t pass them up? Because you wanted the motivation? Did you succeed in getting into them?

How does Monday creep up on me every week? I don’t know about you, but the older I get, the faster the weeks go by. In August, I was looking at Caribbean cruises to book. Now, it’s less than two months before I get on the ship. Where does the time go?

It also means that, once again, I’m facing the end of a year in which I haven’t necessarily accomplished the things I wanted to accomplish.

Every January, I feel like a new woman. I have goals and plans and by golly I’m going to do everything I can to reach my goals. I guess I can’t complain about this past year too much since it entailed a complete change in my life — a transition from military life to civilian life, a new home in a new state, a new RWA chapter, new friends, etc. I really LIKE where I am in my life. And I have been working on my goals, so I can’t complain too much.

But the new year is approaching, and that means new plans. It also means a reevaluation of old plans. I have to decide what’s working, what’s not, and what more I can do to get where I want to go. It’s only November, and I’m thinking about it, probably because I have a busy two months ahead of me. Company for Thanksgiving, company after Thanksgiving (hubby just informed me of this one over the weekend), parties, events, a cruise over Christmas, and who knows what else will pop up between now and January.

It’s never too early to consider goals and plans, IMO. One of my goals is to write the first draft of a new book during the 70 Days of Sweat. How am I doing with that? Since finishing my other WIP on Wednesday, I’ve written only about 300 words. Been a busy few days. Guess I better get cracking if I’m going to reach my goal.

Are you on track for your goals this year? Need to reevaluate? Thinking about next year already?