by Charlene Teglia | Sep 24, 2005 | Uncategorized
I’m just about done with revising Wolf, and I’m really pleased with the story. It’s a very ambitious kind of story, especially for the length and I love how it works. Lots to do today so I’m going to blog and run and maybe post some more later if I get a chance. Picture me with my nose to the grindstone and one eye on the calendar.
Forgot to add: Romance Junkies gave Catalyst 4.5 Blue Ribbons. Review won’t post until Cat re-releases, but I got an advance copy. : ) Here’s a quote from reviwer Chrissy:
“CATALYST had me laughing out loud over the antics of Sebastian in all his territorial male glory. I could easily picture this mangy tomcat acting like the lord and master over Veronica and running off any men that come into the vicinity. Veronica’s obsession over the need for coffee and the loss of the coffee bean grinder is what initially brings Veronica and Scott together, but a mutual need for each other keeps them coming back. Charlene Teglia’s CATALYST is fast paced, a pleasure to read, and will have you smiling through to the end.”
I should have some news on the status of Catalyst after my editor gets back from vacation. I’ll update the book page as soon as I get more information.
by Charlene Teglia | Sep 23, 2005 | Uncategorized
Sheesh, the days go by fast when you’re raising small people, writing, and packing in preparation to move. I feel better today after a couple of days of taking it easy. Only got a couple of hundred words yesterday, so today I’m back at it. The cleanup is going pretty well. I only really have a consistency issue in the scene I already know I have to rewrite (and how I’m going to do it), but it does raise a point I have to clarify early on, so I’m working on that.
Yes, I’m obsessive about my story cleanup and refining before I submit. I always worry that I’ve missed something. My editor appreciates it, and that’s always a good thing, a happy editor. I don’t think any author can afford to be the one who’s difficult to work with, creating uncessary work for others. Editors do a very vital job, but no editor should have to do MY job for me. If it’s something I could’ve fixed myself, it’s just sloppy not to. I have a Thing about sloppy work. It’s fine to be sloppy in the draft, but clean it up afterwards.
I’m very pleased with Wolf overall and I’m also happy that Jane’s Addiction is clicking along, too. I have that top of my list to kick out the door next, or I’m probably going to get lynched by people who have waited far too long for When Sparks Fly #2. And then the next Hal’s Heros installment. And then…yeah, I’m going to be busy into the next century. But today, I clean up more of Wolf.
by Charlene Teglia | Sep 22, 2005 | Uncategorized
I keep seeing all these, well, rules. Rules about how to blog, how to attract more readers to your blog, what an author should or shouldn’t on pain of death (or loss of book sales) blog about. It’s all kind of depressing. Reminds me of those books that used to tell me I wasn’t a real writer if I didn’t write a 20 page outline and use 3×5 scene cards to plot my story in advance. And that GMC stuff.
In some ways I can see the point; if a blog is so offensive that it drives away readers, that’s a Bad Thing from a marketing standpoint and I can see why publishers and agents would frown on that. But a blog by its nature is personal, at least to a degree. And honest. And there’s that Julia Cameron quote I love about it being nearly impossible to be honest and boring at the same time. If I write a dishonest blog, I wouldn’t want to keep doing it and I can’t imagine why anybody would want to read it. Also, if I want to make stuff up, I go write fiction and get paid! I don’t get paid for blogging. So I think I should at least be free to ignore The Rules. After all, anybody who doesn’t like my blog is free to not read it. ; )
I’ve finished The Blurb for Wolf and I’m pretty happy with it. It’s solid, maybe needs a little minor tweak before I send it off, but a good blurb. I have story cleanup to do, but the bulk of Wolf is done. I’ll be spending the next few days polishing, refining and tweaking and then it’ll get sent off. I’d be done sooner, but I seem to have come down with bronchitis so I’m going to take it easy the next few days. (If you’ve ever had it before, that ache in the chest is unmistakable.)
by Charlene Teglia | Sep 21, 2005 | Uncategorized
I’m nearly finished with Wolf now. Something I wrote yesterday bugged me, it felt not quite right. So I gave up and slept on it. This morning I know what’s wrong and what to do to fix it. It’s better on many levels, for reasons I can’t explain without giving away the story, but it’s always nice to identify what doesn’t work and what would.
This is one reason why reading is so useful to writers. Whenever I read something that doesn’t work for me, I pay attention. What didn’t work, and why? What would have worked instead? I probably get more from reading a book that doesn’t work for me than one that does work, although I do the same with those. Why did it work so well? What was particularly well done? How did the writer do it? I’ve always loved reading, but now I read on multiple levels and I get so much more out of it. For instance, I’m still reading Three Men In A Boat and there’s a thing the author does repeatedly that shouldn’t work, but it does. It fascinates me.
Anyway, I’m solid on my ending for Wolf. I need to fix yesterday’s scene with the improved version of events, get my ending scene done, and then go back through and do cleanup, flesh out anything that needs fleshing out, clarification, etc. And then it’ll be time to write The Blurb.
The Blurb would make a good horror movies for writers, wouldn’t it? Much more terrifying than a blob of jello.
by Charlene Teglia | Sep 20, 2005 | Uncategorized
Can’t think of any exciting blog topics today because my head is full of story. It tends to sort of take over near the end, and I’m there. I actually ended up with 2k words yesterday because I got a second writing session in after getting the kids to bed. And now I’m at the “why can’t I write constantly” stage because it’s snowballing downhill to the end. Worked out a couple of potential plot kinks and the logic holds, so I’m very happy with what I’ve got. I will see how far I can get today, I’d love to be able to squeeze in another two sessions. But if I get one, I’ve met my goal.
Oops, forgot to add: Catalyst is now off of Read For Relief and I’ll get my site updated ASAP to reflect that. It has to be completely off the market to proceed with Cerridwen. I’d have taken it down sooner but didn’t know how and the husband has been working a bazillion hours and didn’t have time. All proceeds from Catalyst will continue to go to Katrina relief.
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