Technology: Ain't it grand?

Don't you just love techology? Yes, you did detect a faint note of sarcasm in that statement.

On Wednesday night I got absolutely no writing done. Microsoft Word on my laptop decided to have an emotional meltdown. I opened the chapter I was working on and I had the page and a ruler across the top. That is all. No toolbars, no menu bar, no function keys -- nothing. Just a ruler. I can't do jack-squat with a ruler. So I spent the rest of my writing time trying (unsuccessfully) to coax my toolbars, menu bar, and function keys back. Nadda. I was on IM with every computer geek friend I knew. Nadda. I brought my laptop to work with me yesterday and our agency interactive media manager was finally able to get Word back on its metaphorical feet. Thank you, Bill! We still don't know what happened, but at least he fixed it. Bill rocks!

Last night, Word is up, so I can get work done, but first I wanted to check in on the Cyber-Launch Book Party over at Enduring Romance (see link to the right) for my "author mom/mentor" Linnea Sinclair, whose latest sci/fi romance Down Home Zombie Blues hit the shelves this week. Go get this book! It's so cool. The party started yesterday and runs through tonight. Pop in and visit if you'd like.

I wanted to go to the party, but I had no Internet access! It's wasn't our house network, because Derek's computer worked just fine. Grrrr.

On the upside, I got a chapter finished for The Trouble With Demons, and Chapter 2 got too long, so I split it in half. I now have Chapters 2 and 2A. I really don't get to caught up in chapter numbering on the rough draft. Once I get in there and start digging on the second draft, chapters get moved around, chopped up, or even deleted. So in the first draft I just try to keep track of chapter order the best I can.

I hope to have my Internet back up and running tonight. Since Derek's computer had no problem, I'm going to ask Bill when he gets in was there something he might have done to futz-up my laptop's ability to get online. If not, I'll have Derek take a look at it tonight. I'm just a writer; I can't do tech support.

Coming up soon: Tomorrow's blog will be the Saturday Fun Pic. I don't know what it'll be yet, so pop by and find out. My full cover for Armed & Magical wasn't ready this week, so I hope to have it in the next week or two. When I get it, I'll post it. And Christmas week, I have a present for all of you, so drop by for that. And don't forget, if you'd like a postcard for MLTF just email your mailing address to me, and the name you'd like it personalized to.

Lisa

5 Things I've Learned About Writing -- Part 1 of 5

Over the next few weeks, I'll be doing a series of blogs on the "5 Things I've Learned About Writing" -- a challenge from the fabulous fantasy author (and booksigning partner extraordinaire) James Maxey. See the link to the right to go to his site and his own "5 Things" articles.

I thought I'd start with what every writer has to wrestle with -- taking a book one sentence, one scene, one chapter at a time. Some people are intimidated away from writing a book because they think we authors have the whole book in our heads when we start. Heck, most of us don't have the whole book in our heads when we finish. They think that it's all there, we write it down and we're done. LOL. Don't I wish.

Some of us (like myself) prefer to work with an outline. I've discovered that I like to work with a VERY detailed outline. Of course, I can change it (and I always do), but I know it's there like a security blanket. Other brave souls come up with an idea and just strike out on their own, no outline, no nothing -- they feel that to write anything down would sully the creative process. Most authors are somewhere in between. But all of us have one thing in common: we all have to write our books one sentence, one scene, one chapter at a time.

I absolutely MUST work this way. While of course I have my outline, when I'm actually doing the writing I have to force myself not to think much beyond the one moment in that scene that I'm writing. When the sheer enormity of what I have to accomplish pushes its way into my thoughts, my poor little brain just shortcircuits -- actually it panics. How am I going to get from here to there? Oh crap, I forgot to include that character. Do I really need that character? Should I save him and his subplot for the next book? How is that subplot ever going to fit in? In short, I try to do what I don't think any author can do -- have the entire thing in your head at one time. It's kinda like looking at deep space pictures from the Hubble telescope. Your jaw drops open at just how vast the universe is. The same is true (on a much smaller scale) of your books' universe. It's just too big to comprehend all at once.

And when you do that, you lose the immediacy of the sentences you're writing, the intimacy between the characters in that scene. You lose that emotional human (or elf or goblin) touch. The realness of two people who care about each other, or hate each other, or one is about to betray the other -- their intimacy/connection/animosity is lost unless you immerse yourself in their moment, get into their minds, and understand what they're feeling. Only then can you accurately convey your characters' emotions and make the words come to life on the page -- one sentence, one scene, one chapter at a time.

My new Armed & Magical promotional postcards

I thought you all would like to see the postcards I'm having printed to help promote Armed & Magical. (Book cover on the front, teaser copy on the back.) I mail them to booksellers, hand them out at book signings, and always have some with me for handing out around town. I am a shameless self-promoter with these things. ; ) I'm also having A&M bookmarks designed. I'll post those for you to see as soon as I get them. I'll be using up the last of the Magic Lost, Trouble Found postcards in the coming months. Hmmm, would any of you like for me to send you a personalized MLTF postcard? Or an A&M postcard when those are printed? Just email me your name and address to lisa@lisashearin.com, or if you'd like for me to personalize it for a friend or family member, I'd be glad to do that, too. I'll even pay the postage -- until demand exceeds my postage budget. ; )

Update on The Trouble With Demons: I had a fabulous writing night last night, and I finished Chapter 1A. Whew! For those of you who haven't checked in during the past week, I've had to drop back to the beginning, add Piaras and Talon (he's a new character. Scan down to the past few previous blogs to get the lowdown on him) and generally firm up the book's foundation. All is finally going well. My goal is to be back up to Chapter 11 by the end of this coming weekend. I may not get all the way there, but a girl's gotta have a goal.

Lisa

Some days you just can't do it

You may think that becoming a published author makes the writing process easier.

Nope.

Yes, it's more rewarding because I know my words are being read, and my characters loved. That's what I worked all these years for. That's why I do it. Well, that and my head would explode if I didn't write all that stuff down. ; )

But as to the writing process itself -- one day I'm giddy with the joy of a new plot or character discovery and more pieces of the puzzle click into place. Then the next day, I think I'm writing swill and I am quite certain that I suck. This probably sounds plenty familiar to your writers out there. ; )

Last night's writing was . . .well, let's just say it didn't leap off the page for me. In fact, it just lay there, limp, flaccid. . you get the picture. I think the main reason why I kept getting stuck in previous weeks was not only had I not included Piaras and Talon, but that not having them in from the beginning kept the book's foundation from being as solid as it needed to be. I didn't have a solid foundation to support the story and subplots that I was building on top of it. And as we all know, a building without a solid foundation will fall -- so will a book. So that's what I'm doing now -- shoring up my foundation.

The other problem with yesterday's writing was simple exhaustion; it was just one of those days. My alarm went off at 5:45 (my normal time), I worked pretty much non-stop at my day job, pounded out three pages of The Trouble With Demons during my lunch break, and then went non-stop at work for the rest of the afternoon. I drive home, feed and potty all of the dogs & cats, cook dinner, feed me and Derek, and it's 7:30 by the time I got upstairs to my office.

It's no freaking wonder I got next to nothing done. After an hour and a half of sputtering around with the 8 pages that I have on this chapter, I decided that the best thing I could do for me, those who have to live with me, and the best thing I could do for the book was to stop, take a shower, and go to bed.

Some days it the writing just doesn't happen. And when that happens, you can't beat yourself up over it. By the time I got to my "writing time" last night, it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other, let alone one word in front of the other.

The most productive thing I could do for myself and the book was to get a good night's sleep. A good night's sleep will make the writing that you thought was sucky swill look not half bad the next day. ; )

Always be willing to cut yourself some slack. You deserve it.
Lisa

Monday miscellaneous stuff -- a LOT of stuff

Update on The Trouble With Demons: After a weekend of much needed brainstorming, I am really and truly unstuck and am back on track! *big, huge grin* I figured out what the problem was -- the plot train pulled out of the station and left Piaras and Talon Tandu behind. Yes, that's the name of the character I said I couldn't tell you about because it'd be a spoiler for Armed & Magical. Well, telling you his name isn't a spoiler, so there it is. And I don't think telling you that he's a gorgeous, 18-year-old, aqua-eyed, half goblin/half elf would spoil the surprise either. Talon would be the first to tell you how hot and utterly irresistible he is. And ladies, there's no girlfriend in Talon's immediate future -- he thinks it'd be cruel to womankind if he limited his attentions to just one. He's also a smart ass -- I love this kid. ; ) I'm now writing Chapter 1A (fits between the Chapter 1 and 2 that I've already written). I wrote half of 1A yesterday and hope to finish it tonight. Then it'll just be weaving Piaras and Talon into what I've already written. The goal is to get that done this week and be back on Chapter 11 by Saturday.

I'm guest blogging today over on The Bradford Bunch. Thank you to Anya Bast for the gracious invite!

And if you didn't see them on Saturday's blog, I posted my Glamour Shots --huge hair, feather boa and all. (It was 1990, big hair was still in). Scroll down and check 'em out.

I've also accepted a blog challenge from fellow fantasy author James Maxey. He's written five articles on The 5 Things I've Learned About Writing. (See the "James Maxey" link in the list to the right to read his posts. They're great!) And he's challenged four other authors including myself to do the same. So this week I'll post my first article. I haven't decided which topic I'll start with, but I've come up with the following as my 5 Things I've Learned About Writing:

1. Persistence pays.
2. One sentence, one scene, one chapter at a time.
3. Trade your skin for rhino hide.
4. You gotta want it BAD.
5. Writing is a business.

Late last week, I got my copy of the Feburary issue of Realms of Fantasy magazine in the mail. This means it's either available at newsstands and bookstores now, or will be in the next few days. Barnes & Noble and Borders sell it. My ad for Magic Lost, Trouble Found is on page 14 in the middle of the cover article on The Golden Compass movie. The cover of this issue is the movie poster, and it's gorgeous! And the previews for the movie look fabulous! Daniel Craig = yum.

I'll be checking today with my editor's assistant (the wonderful Cam Dufty), and see if the art department has finished the complete cover for Armed & Magical yet (front, spine and back). With luck I'll be posting that this week. Keep checking back.

And finally, I have a special gift for all of you that I'll be posting the week of Christmas.

That does it for now!
Lisa

Brainstorming -- It's a beautiful thing

Happy day after Thanksgiving for those in the U.S., Happy Friday for everyone else -- though if you're in the U.S., you're probably not reading my blog right now, you're out shopping. If you haven't hit the stores yet, remember: Magic Lost, Trouble Found makes a fabulous stocking stuffer for that fantasy adventure-loving friend or family member. ; )

Update on The Trouble With Demons: I've figured out why I kept getting stuck at various places in Chapters 1-10 -- the plot train pulled out of the station and left Piaras and Talon Tandu behind. Yes, that's the name of the character I said I couldn't tell you about because it'd be a spoiler for Armed & Magical. Well, telling you his name isn't a spoiler, so there it is. And I don't think telling you that he's a gorgeous, 18-year-old, aqua-eyed, half goblin/half elf would spoil the surprise either. Talon would be the first to tell you how hot and utterly irresistible he is. The boy definitely doesn't have low self-esteem issues. ; ) So today, in addition to putting up our Christmas tree (and going to FedEx to send the contracts for my next two books back to NY), I'm brainstorming; and what I'm coming up with is exactly what Chapters 1-10 needed. It deepens the plot, and best of all, I don't have to get rid of anything I've written (just add and tweak). I'm going to take the time I need to brainstorm. I started last night, and I just might continue through the entire weekend. Fleshing out a subplot will be worth losing a couple of actual writing days.

And I got my copy of the Feburary issue of Realms of Fantasy magazine in the mail on Wednesday. This means it's either available at newsstands and bookstores now, or will be in the next few days. Barnes & Noble and Borders sell it. My ad for Magic Lost, Trouble Found is on page 14 in the middle of the cover article on The Golden Compass movie. The cover of this issue is the movie poster, and it's gorgeous! And the previews for the movie look fabulous! Daniel Craig = yum.

On Monday, I'm going to check with my editor's assistant (the wonderful Cam Dufty), and see if the art department has finished the complete cover for A&M yet (front, spine and back). So hopefully I'll be able to post that next week. Keep checking back.

And tomorrow's the first Saturday "fun photo" blog. I have some Glamour Shots that I had done when Derek and I first got married. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Glamour Shots, you go in and the staff does your hair and makeup like a model, and then you wear fun clothes for a photo shoot. For "clothes" for some of my photos, I went with a feather boa. Like I said, fun stuff. So if you want to see me with really big hair (the photos were taken in the early 90s) and wearing a feather boa, stop by tomorrow. ; )

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the U.S., and Happy Thursday to everyone else! ; )

I've got my computer set up in the kitchen this morning while I make my contribution to our family Thanksgiving dinner. I'm making deviled eggs and sweet potato casserole for 23 people. My mother-in-law is having the festivities at her house, bless her heart. ; ) I'm also getting a little writing done on TTWD -- am I a multi-tasker, or what?

By the way, I got my copy of the Feburary issue of Realms of Fantasy yesterday in the mail. This means it's either available at newsstands and bookstores now, or will be in the next few days. Barnes & Noble and Borders sell it. My ad for Magic Lost, Trouble Found is on page 14 in the middle of the cover article on The Golden Compass movie. The cover of this issue is the movie poster, and it's gorgeous!

For today's blog, I'm doing a repeat post of an oldie, but goodie -- movies I like. And don't forget to check back on Saturday for some fun pictures of me. (Scroll down to yesterday's post for details.) I'll be posting on Saturdays now as well.

Here's my movie list, enjoy!

The Classics
Captain Blood -- This was Errol Flynn's first movie, and in my opinion, his best.
Casablanca -- Simply superb.
North by Northwest -- Great, classy thriller.
Charade -- Great thriller, and it doesn't get more classy than Audrey Hepburn.

Then there are the movies that if I'm clicking through the channels, and it's on, I just gotta sit down and watch.
The Mummy -- The first one with Brendan Fraiser, not the sequels.
Young Frankenstein -- Just too many great lines to quote just one.
Ghostbusters -- Again, the first one, not the sequels.
Big Trouble in Little China -- Mysticism, martial arts, mayhem -- how can it get any better?
The Hunt for Red October -- International intrigue and Sean Connery. Need I say more?
Highlander -- The original movie, not the sequels.
Moonstruck -- I simply adore this movie.
Star Wars (the original first three) -- This choice goes without saying.
The Pirates of the Caribbean (all three) -- Johnny Depp. Enough said.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind -- This movie just rocks.
Alien -- The original. Saw it in the theater. Scary as hell. Sigorney Weaver kicks butt!
Poltergeist -- The original. Likewise saw it in the theater. Likewise scary as hell.
LOTR -- How could I forget? All three movies. All three breathtaking.
Galaxy Quest -- If you're an old-time Star Trek TV fan, you gotta see this. Hilarious!

The Trouble With Demons -- 1/3 finished!

Update on The Trouble With Demons: I finished Chapter 10 last night, and since my books typically have 25-30 chapters, I'm a third of the way there. Yea! That is, I think I am. I found myself going back to earlier chapters last night after remembering, "Oooo, I need to add this to Chapter 2, and I'll need to put this in Chapter 7." Then there's the realization "Oh crap, where's Piaras (and the other character who can't be named because it'd be a spoiler for Armed & Magical)?" So today through Friday, I'll be pondering Piaras. He plays a very important part in TTWD, but he hasn't shown up yet. That's a problem. But then, it's just the first draft. Even though I know the story, I'm still having to feel my way through the details of the story (if that makes sense). I know it'll get there. And hey, if I have to cut some of the chapters and replace them with others, you'll get to read them in the "Outtakes from TTWD" in another year or so. ; ) After A&M comes out in April, I'll start running some A&M outtakes since you all enjoy them so much.

And for those of you who didn't see yesterday's blog, I posted the first MLTF ad that will be running in the February issue of Realms of Fantasy magazine.

Even though tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the US, I'll still blog. And as I may have mentioned, I think I'll start a Saturday blog and post fun photos. If I can get Derek to scan them in, I have some Glamour Shots that I had done when Derek and I first got married. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Glamour Shots, you go in and the staff does your hair and makeup like a model, and then you wear fun clothes for a photo shoot. For "clothes" for some of my photos, I went with a feather boa. Like I said, fun stuff. So if you want to see me with big hair (the photos were taken in the early 90s) and wearing a feather boa, stop by on Saturday. ; )

Contracts, and galleys, and ads -- Oh my!

Updated post Tuesday night: Here's the ad I talk about in the last paragraph of today's blog. Hope you can read the copy.

Original post Tuesday morning: I'm back at the office today -- I'm still coughing, sneezing and blowing my nose. The tip of my snoz looks like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Oh well, I'll just consider myself pre-Christmas festive.

Update on The Trouble With Demons: Even being sick I managed to get five and a half pages written yesterday on Chapter 10. I'd love to finish it up tonight. And yep, I'm still having first draftitis. I'm having to remind myself that it's on the second pass that my books come to life. On first drafts, I feel like I'm constantly doing CPR. The difference between my first drafts and final manuscript are rather jaw-dropping. Editing & rewriting -- it's a beautiful thing.

The FedEx guy came yesterday, and the dogs went into a barking and surging frenzy to the front door. That and the doorbell ringing danged near made me jump out of my skin. It was my publisher's contract for The Trouble With Demons and Bewitched & Betrayed. Yea! I've been waiting on these. A lot of time can pass between when an offer is made to buy a book to when the FedEx guy scares the crap out of you tossing your contract at the front door. The editor/publisher makes an offer, the agent counters that offer, the editor/publisher counters the counter offer. And on it goes. Needless to say, this is the nail-biting part for the author. My job was to wait, and receive email updates from my agent. If all goes well, when the dust settles, everyone is happy. And with this contract, all went well, so everyone is happy. Last night I read over the contract to see if I had any questions (I didn't). So I signed it (in triplicate), and will FedEx it back to New York.

Next week I should be getting the galleys for Armed & Magical. This is my last look at the manuscript before it is printed. It's typeset and looks just like the final book except it's not bound. I can catch most of the boo-boos at this stage because it's not Times New Roman 12 pt (which is what I write in). A different typeface makes those typos jump off the page and smack you in the face. Proofreaders at Penguin in NY are reading it at the same time, so between all of us, we hopefully will catch everything.

And I've started advertising my books in Realms of Fantasy -- the industry's top magazine for Science Fiction and Fantasy. It's super-slick and gorgeous. If you don't already subscribe, you should. My ad is in the February issue (it'll be on newstands soon). The cover article is on the upcoming movie version of The Golden Compass. My ad is on page 14 right in the middle of the cover article -- which is primo placement. I was very happy, to say the least. I'll be advertising in two issues in the spring/summer -- one right before Armed & Magical comes out, and one afterward.

I'll see if I can post the ad for you all to look at. I won't be able to get to it until later, so check back.

Lisa

Sniff, sniff, cough, cough

Congratulate me, I finally caught the cold that's been making the rounds in our office. It hit me yesterday morning, and this morning (since I'm contagious until at least tomorrow), I thought I'd break the infection cycle and stay home. Since I'm the editor/proofreader at the ad agency where I work, I literally touch every job that comes through (we use job jackets). Since it's only three days until Thanksgiving here in the U.S., I thought my co-workers would appreciate me being considerate and keeping my sick self at home (my dogs are pretty thrilled, too). No one wants to be sick on Thanksgiving--all that food and not feeling well enough to eat it would suck big time.

If you didn't see Saturday's post, scroll down and take a look. A too cute pic of Derek and Lucy, our Jack Russell Terrier. And I think I'm going to start posting regularly on Saturday's as well, but with a twist. I'll post a fun picture. While Derek and I were unpacking the last of our boxes from our move 8 months ago (yeah, we're on top of things), I found my Glamour Shots from the year Derek and I got married. I think ya'll would get a kick out of them, so I'll have Derek scan a couple of them in and post them this Saturday.

Update on The Trouble With Demons: I started Chapter 10 on Saturday evening (life got in the way of writing during the day). Yesterday, I got halfway through the chapter (and discovered yet more cool things about Tam and Mychael that I didn't know before). I'm also introducing a new character, she's a professor in the Conclave college's demonology department. At least she was a professor, now she's the head of the department (the former/late department chairman was killed by a demon at the end of Chapter 1). She's a very cool and tough and funny lady. I haven't decided on her name yet; it'll have to be just right. Between naps, I'm going to try to finish Chapter 10 today.

And if you're interested in finding out more about the hard-working and fabulous editorial staff at Ace Books, they're running a blog where each editor tells a little about themselves.
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/blogs/index.php Friday's entry has Cameron Dufty, my editor's awesome and amazing editorial assistant. If I need it, Cam gets it done. Then scroll down to Thursday to meet my editor Anne Sowards, who I think coined the phrase that I hear from so many of you: "More Tam!" ; ) I am blessed beyond belief to have Anne as my editor. She is simply the best.

I'm off to make myself some hot tea and get some writing done.
Lisa

Derek & Lucy

Derek got a new digital camera for his birthday, and today was my first attempt at using it. Lucy, our Jack Russell Terrorist, is attempting to bend Derek to her will. That's her "you want to give me all of the cookies" look.

Update on The Trouble With Demons: I finished Chapter 9 last night (finally!), and I'm working on Chapter 10. My goal is to have it finished by tomorrow night, but if it doesn't happen, that's okay. If I don't finish it, I know I'll be close.

There's nothing like pen & paper

First of all -- thank you, Laurie for the fabulous review you posted over on Amazon! Part of her review described Magic Lost, Trouble Found as "The Lord of the Rings meets The Sopranos." I love it; that's just priceless! ; )

So how did it go with trying to write my way out of the muck on The Trouble With Demons? I've realized I'm having my usual case of "first draftitis." While most writers love the discovery of the first draft, let's just say that it's not my favorite part of the process. I just want to get the story down as close to how I want it as possible, THEN the fun part starts for me. I'm an editor; I love tearing a manuscript apart, moving stuff around, then putting it back together, embellishing, polishing -- that's when the book comes to life for me. Don't get me wrong, some good stuff comes out of those first drafts -- about a quarter of the chapters from the first draft turn out to be what's on the bookstore shelves with few changes. But for the most part, I have to endure first drafts to get to the stuff I really enjoy. I like fixing things, and if I haven't written it yet, I can't fix it.

Which brings me to what I did yesterday. For you writers, if (or shall I say when) you ever get stuck, I can highly recommend writing the old fashioned way -- pen, paper, imagination. Without my computer, I didn't have access to my notes. No notes means no sidetracking, no confusing the core story with things I thought I might need to include. That makes for a crowded brain; and for me, a crowded brain is an unproductive brain. My only reference notes yesterday were the ones I have between my ears. Lately, I've been wondering if that space wasn't hollow, but from what all I got done yesterday, apparently it isn't. Thank God!

Writing longhand also keeps me focused on the scene I'm writing, which helps immerse me into the scene, so I can get honest, genuine dialogue, and dig deeper into the story rather than skimming the surface by trying to fit in everything my notes say I should. Having no notes to refer to also makes it harder to put words in my characters' mouths (which is a big no-no). It makes me shut up and listen. And when I truly listen, I find myself in the writer's "sweet spot" -- where I'm not writing dialogue, I'm taking dictation. : )

Back to the basics

Pen. Paper. It's how I used to write before computers. It's also what I use when I get really stuck. Okay, I know I've said a couple of times over the past two weeks that I was stuck, but managed to get unstuck. If I were a car stuck in the mud, I would have moved a couple of inches, but I'd still be in the mud.

Same here. There, I've said it to you and admitted it to myself. I've heard that the first step to getting rid of a problem is acknowledging its existence. Hence, the pen and paper. The Word document file for Chapter 9 of The Trouble With Demons is a jumble of bits & pieces of dialogue, and chunks of several scenes. Actually, the chapter is half written. There's nothing wrong with any of it, but it's just not quite right. Like pieces of a puzzle that don't fit. I need to get back to basics to figure out why.

As I've said before, my writing brain simply will not let me go forward until I'm on the right road. Right now, I'm writing around where I need to be, but I haven't hit the bulls-eye yet.

I have the day off from work (early morning dentist and allergist appt. for me, and a dental cleaning for Lucy the Jack Russell Terrier. They're probably gonna have to pull one of her teeth, poor baby. I just need a filling -- I didn't expect that.). Since I've taken the whole day off, after posting this, I'll turn off my laptop and pick up the pen & notepad. It's a cold and rainy day, perfect for curling up on the couch and writing my way out of the mud in longhand. I'll be back online tonight.

Wish me luck. ; )

Lisa

Revealing too much too soon?

First of all, thank you so much to those of you who've posted reviews of MLTF on Amazon or Barnes & Noble! The more the merrier! Many potential book buyers base their decisions on what they read on Amazon or B&N. They also pay attention to the number of reviews a book has received. They think, "Hmmmm, if this many people liked it so much that they took the time to post a review, then it must be a fabulous book. I'll buy it." So if you loved MLTF and would like to post a review, I would really appreciate it. : )

Now on to The Trouble With Demons: I had a roadblock again -- actually I think it was more of a speed bump. What time I could spare yesterday was spent going over my notes, brainstorming and pondering (also known to non-writers as daydreaming). Only writers can be staring out a window and be working furiously. You gotta love it. ; )

A danger to an author who knows almost everything that happens in a book -- basically the "who does what to whom and why" -- is revealing important information too early in the book in an effort to get the story down and the first draft finished. I think part of the problem I've been experiencing is that I'm trying to put the cart before the horse, so to speak. I have a lot of choices about the next few chapters (too many choices actually), and while none of them are necessarily wrong, only one of them is The One.

My editor's voice is kicking in and in the interest of staying on schedule, I've got to get it to shut up and back off. The first draft isn't for being perfect, it's for getting the story down. Once I have the story down, then I can go back and fix it. My problem is that I'm trying to fix it while I'm writing it. And that'll just make you crazy, or at the very least bring all writing to a grinding halt. I'm telling myself, "Just get the story down, Lisa. Then you can fix it. You can't exactly fix something you ain't written yet."

Dreams can come true

My agent, Kristin Nelson, has a marvelous blog that's become one of the industry's must-reads. Last night she posted something that if you haven't already seen it, you should. Warning: Kristin says in her blog that the YouTube video is a Kleenex alert. It is, but in a wonderful and inspiring way. Dreams can come true.

Update on The Trouble With Demons: Chapter 9 got off to a great start last night. And yet another unexpected tidbit popped up: Tam has a second profession that Raine didn't know about (and neither did I). It's amazing what cool things your characters will tell you about themselves.

I have a favor to ask -- For those of you who've read and loved Magic Lost, Trouble Found, could you take a few minutes and pop over to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and post a review? Positive reviews do wonders for my rankings, and they also encourage others to order MLTF. I'd really appreciate it!

TTWD Update -- It was one of those weeks

I finally finished Chapter 8 of The Trouble With Demons last night. I was supposed to get Chapters 8 and 9 done last week. Didn't happen. Got sick. Normally this time of year is way past my normal allergy season, but apparently not this year (no rain and very dry). Must be some stuff floating around that my sinuses aren't used to dealing with. And as you writers know, when you get sick, productivity goes bye-bye. It can't be helped. Sick happens (just like that other four-letter word that begins with an "s"). I'm better now, but still sneezing my head off. So this week is Chapter 9 and 10. And when I finish Chapter 10, I'll be 1/3 of the way through the book. (My books usually run about 30 chapters.) A minor milestone is within reach -- yea!

Chapter 8 took a little longer not only because I was sick, but because it was Raine and Tam's first chapter together in this book; it was also an important chapter for another reason. Raine figures out who the real bad guy is, realizes who's framing her and Tam for what he and his minions did, and most importantly, why.

I have a favor to ask -- For those of you who've read and loved Magic Lost, Trouble Found, could you take a few minutes when you get a chance and pop over to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and post a review? Positive reviews do wonders for my rankings, and they also encourage others to order MLTF. I'd really appreciate it!

Too much stuff for one book

What I said yesterday about weaving in subplots made me realize that once again I have too much stuff to fit into one book. It happened with Magic Lost, Trouble Found. For those of you who haven't read them yet, on the "Interviews" page on my site are chapters and scenes from MLTF that didn't make it into the book due to space considerations. Read and enjoy! And Armed & Magical has a whole book's worth of discarded material. I ditched 80% of the first draft content and started over. (Let me tell you, that was a lot of fun. Not.) There was nothing wrong with what I wrote, it just didn't fit with the story I needed to tell.

My books tend to "split" -- what I thought was one book ends up being two. Raine's world is becoming so vast that I just can't include everything, as much as I want to. I have to take one slice per book. I'm not complaining -- it's a wonderful problem to have. I will definitely never run out of material.

Now for The Trouble With Demons, I just have to weed out the extra stuff in my plot to get at the core story. I can always save the extra stuff for the next book. ; )

Writing a book is the ultimate mind puzzle

After last night's writing session, it occured to me that writing a book is the ultimate mind puzzle, brain teaser, whatever you want to call the contortions the human gray matter has to go through to weave in subplots. It also is a reminder (as if I needed one) that writing is hard work -- incredibly fulfilling -- but hard work.

I'm writing Chapter 8 of The Trouble With Demons (an entire chapter of nothing but Raine and Tam). I'm buzzing along nicely, making progress, when I realize I think I may have missed a main character's cue to "get out of his trailer and come on the set." Piaras to be exact. Well, Piaras and another character who I can't name or refer to in any detail because it'd be a spoiler for Armed & Magical. Sorry, folks. So in the interest of avoiding a problem further on, today I'm going to stop writing Chapter 8 and ponder Piaras, determining when he's supposed to enter the story and make sure it weaves seamlessly into what I've already done. (Hopefully the seamless weaving will be possible without having to change what I've done because I really like what I've already done.)

Which brings up subplots. I'm being reminded that writing one scene beings up more questions. Questions that require setup, hints, clues to be carefully placed in the chapters that I've already written. Nothing like subplot to suck the life out of my writing schedule. It's time to go back and insert notes into my nice, clean copy. Add this, hint at that, set it up beforehand, so that when Raine figures out who is responsible for opening the hellgate and turning the demons loose on the Isle of Mid, that her conclusion doesn't come out of the blue. Clues have to be laid, bad guy motivations must be hinted at -- but the reader can't figure it out before Raine does. Sigh. Like I said, not easy. But there's nothing like getting everything untangled and on the page. Kind of like working that last knot out of a string of Christmas lights. Exhausting, exasperating, but intensely satisfying.

BTW -- As always, if you have any questions about the writing process, either email me at lisa@lisashearin.com, or respond with your question on today's blog. Don't be shy; that's what I'm here for. ; )

The inner voice of writing doubt

No, Gracie the greyhound isn't the "inner voice of writing doubt;" what she did last night comes later.

Writing The Trouble With Demons isn't going fast, but it's going well. I think. Paranoia rears its ugly head every half chapter or so, and I stop and ask myself if what I'm writing propels the story, develops the characters, and won't make all of you fall asleep. The answer thus far is "yes" to the first two questions, and "no" to the last. What I've written so far propels the story at a shot-out-of-a-cannon pace, you'll discover new things about the main characters (and meet some really cool new ones), and it definitely won't put anyone to sleep. I read over what I've done and I'm very happy with it, but every writer has that inner voice that whispers insidiously into their ear at 3:00 in the morning, saying: "It sucks. You just don't know it yet. You'll have to rewrite the whole thing." Then the SOB inner voice skips away, happy in the knowledge that you'll be awake for the rest of the night.

Though what kept me awake last night and has me bleary eyed this morning wasn't the "SOB Voice of Writing Doubt" -- it was Gracie the greyhound with an upset tummy. Nothing messy (thank God), but yesterday she didn't eat as well as she should have, and she wanted to be snuggled. So last night (after I gave her something to settle her stomach), Derek and I let her sleep with us. We have a king-sized bed, so in theory, this should have worked. It didn't. Derek had enough room to sleep, but I was left with about a foot of bed and almost no covers because Gracie wanted to sleep sideways. Not just sideways, but sideways between us, up at our pillows. Derek got the cute, brown-eyed end -- guess what end I had next to my face? I managed to push her over enough so I at least wouldn't fall off the bed and I had enough blanket to cover up with. I didn't want to wake her up and make her move, because then she'd think that we wanted her to leave (her feelings get hurt easily). Since I knew she didn't feel good and really wanted to be close to us last night, I just slept as best as I could given what little mattress and blanket I had.

I'm such a sucker for big, brown, I-don't-feel-good-mommy greyhound eyes.

I'm off to get more life-giving coffee.
Lisa

TTWD progress and what I'm reading

Update on The Trouble With Demons: Okay, getting Chapter 8 started last night didn't go so well. It was like trying to squeeze blood out of a rock. Ladies, this is Tam's entrance chapter. ; ) And believe it or not, Tam's not giving me trouble; I think it just needs to simmer in my head a little longer. The problem is that simmering and staying on a schedule don't exactly go together. Oh well, it can't be rushed. I think today will go much better. I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. My brain decided that was the time to start working out the writing tangles from last night. I've got a lot of ground to cover in the next three chapters -- and a lot of action. Of course there's always action when Raine and Tam get together, but there's also a kick-ass swordfighting scene. Those take time to write. I have fencing experience and I want to get the details as accurate and realistic as possible. If I get in a snare, I can always call Wes Caudill (my fencing coach) for some consultation.

What I'm reading right now: the Bible (I'm up to the Book of Luke), and Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco, a fabulous and incredibly well-done take on the detective novel. The victims are fairy prostitutes and the detective is a druid working with the Boston PD. It's a race against time to solve the ritualistic murders before the culmination of the spell being worked by the killer brings about a worldwide cataclysm. Great stuff!

Andy and writing updates & news

Andy (racing name "Nimble Andy") is the newest retired racing greyhound in the Shearin household. He made the adjustment from race track to home with no problem whatsoever. And as you can see, it didn't take him long to figure out what a bed and pillows are for.

Greyhounds are trained to run fast -- not to climb stairs. While I'm upstairs working in my office, Derek stays downstairs with Andy and Gracie (our beautiful girl greyhound) -- but mostly Derek stays downstairs for Andy. Andy wants to go everywhere that I go (and I do mean everywhere). Eventually he'll go lay down with Gracie, but my writing sessions in my office upstairs usually start like the picture above.

For those of you who didn't pop by Friday, the big news is that Armed & Magical will hit bookstore shelves Tuesday, APRIL 29, 2008 -- a full month earlier than I expected. WooHoo! Webmaster Todd will make the updates on my site in the next week or so to reflect the new (and improved) on-the-shelf date. ; )

Coming up for November: I hope to have two very exciting things to post this month for your viewing and reading enjoyment. Stay tuned for more details.

Update on The Trouble With Demons: Good news there is that I'm past the writing roadblock and moving forward again. This weekend's writing was especially productive -- and surprising. I never expected Raine to run into the Grim Reaper (or "The Reaper" as he's refered to in TTWD). He's attracted by all of the souls inside the Saghred. It was a complete surprise to me that he showed up, but I guess it's not all that surprising since collecting souls is his job. Problem is, he wants Raine's soul as well -- and you know she's not gonna let that happen.

Have a great Monday (or at least as good as possible)
Lisa

Weekend news update

For those of you who didn't pop by yesterday, the big news is that Armed & Magical will hit bookstore shelves Tuesday, APRIL 29, 2008 -- a full month earlier than I expected. WooHoo! Webmaster Todd will make the updates on my site in the next week or so to reflect the new (and improved) on-the-shelf date. ; )

Coming up for November: I hope to have two very exciting things to post this month for your viewing and reading enjoyment. Stay tuned for more details.

And for you writers, Kristin's mini-seminar on her blog about how to write an attention getting query letter ended yesterday. I think it ran for a week and a half. For those of you about ready to start submitting your work to agents, it's a great look at what works, what doesn't, and why. Her website is http://www.nelsonagency.com/, or you can click on the "Agent Kristin" link to the right.

Update on The Trouble With Demons: Good news there is that I'm past the writing roadblock and moving forward again. Last night's writing was especially productive -- and surprising. I never expected Raine to run into the Grim Reaper (or "The Reaper" as he's refered to in TTWD). He's attracted by all of the souls inside the Saghred. It was a complete surprise to me that he showed up, but I guess it's not all that surprising since collecting souls is his job. Problem is, he wants Raine's soul as well -- and you know she's not gonna let that happen.

Have a great weekend!
Lisa

Big news & book brainstorming

First, the big news -- Like MLTF, Armed & Magical was originally scheduled for a late May release date. Yesterday I asked my editor if she had the exact date. She did. Armed & Magical will hit bookstore shelves Tuesday, APRIL 29, 2008 -- a full month earlier than I expected. WooHoo!

Secondly, still big news but not nearly as flashy -- I think I've figured out what was wrong and am hopefully unstuck on writing TTWD. Yea! During my brainstorming yesterday, I came to the conclusion that I hadn't actually done anything wrong -- yet. I had merely reached a transition point in the book, and while I knew in a vague way what happened next, I didn't have anything concrete on exactly what needed to happen. I think I've got that figured out now, and can get back to work on Chapter 7.

I don't think it's a coincidence that my stumble happened at the precise place where Tam comes into the action. He's trouble, he's always been trouble, and he always will be trouble. ; ) I had the same thing happen in Armed & Magical. If I don't have Tam's "grand entrance" worked out to his satisfaction, he will put the brakes on the entire writing process. It's the movie star equivalent of going into his trailer and refusing to come out, so production stops until he's happy. My solution meets with Tam's approval, so he's out of his trailer (and looking fabulous). ; )

One thing I also did yesterday that I find incredibly helpful, especially as I get further into a book, is to open a Word document and entitle it "chapter summaries." Here, I do a 1-3 sentence summary of each chapter, highlighting only the major action. When I've got a complicated plot (and I always do), and I get to Chapter 20, I can't tell you how much it helps to be able to go back and track the action back to Chapter 1. It's a quick & dirty summary of the book/action and is critical to keeping me on track. If you're a writer, you might want to give it a try. I can't recommend it highly enough. You just take a minute or two after finishing each chapter and write up a quick summary.

If I find out any more big news, I'll do an update today or post this weekend.

Happy Friday, everybody!
Lisa

Trouble with The Trouble With Demons

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. The first major roadblock. Chapter 7 of TTWD was going well, then it wasn't. It stopped. Dead in the water. Has ceased to move forward.

Crap.

I hate it when that happens, but it does happen and I know why -- I'm about to screw up. Big time.

I know the signs. Whenever my writing grinds to a halt and I get that uneasy feeling, I've learned to trust my gut and just stop. To try to write my way through it would only make it worse, kind of like gunning a car engine when you're stuck in the mud. I know from experience that I'll just get myself in deeper. Pushing forward may work for some writers, but it doesn't do it for me. I'm on a schedule and a deadline; I don't have time for a major screw up, only minor ones. By stopping, I'm keeping a minor inconvenience from becoming a major screw up. If I lose a day or two from my schedule by figuring out what's wrong with the direction I was going, so be it. It beats the heck out of a major rewrite later on. That I don't have time for.

Time to go back over my notes (about 200 pages worth), consult the All-Powerful and All-Knowing Synopsis, open a fresh Word document, and brainstorm my way out of this. Fast.

Wish me luck. ; )

Lisa