by Charlene Teglia | Feb 19, 2005 | Uncategorized
Until I was asked to join Romancing The Blog as a columnist, I didn’t bloghop. I’d read Wil Wheaton’s blog for years, but I didn’t read anybody else’s, except Laurell K. Hamilton’s blog, which I periodically check for book release news. And then I saw the RTB site and I was impressed and curious about my fellow columnists. Who were these people in my neighborhood?
I did some bloghopping and now I have some favorites that I check regularly. I’ve met some new virtual neighbors and I like them so well I’d invite them over for coffee. It’s actually expanded my view of the romance community.
Here’s a list of some of the blogs I now drop in on with my coffee cup in hand:
Sylvia Day
Suzanne McMinn
Larissa Ione
Emma Gads
Jordan Summers
Jaci Burton
I’d visit Cheyenne McCray’s blog, but my browser crashes every time I try to load it.
I’m enjoying this virtual neighbhood of romance writers. And without RTB, I might not have even thought to look for it, let alone guess it was out there.
*I didn’t put links to all of these because I have a pile of work to do and it would be time-consuming, but you can visit all these blogs via the columnist list on RTB. Just click my columnist button and there you are!
by Charlene Teglia | Feb 18, 2005 | Uncategorized
I have lots of new blog readers now, so I thought I’d give an overview of my writing process. I sometimes sound very organized and plan-oriented. And other times I sound like I’m working with no rules at all. This is because I believe in giving the right job to the right brain.
When it comes to story (and creative innovation outside of story), the brain in charge of symbols, dreams, and making the impossible reality is the one for the job. When it comes to planning a career, choosing an agent, targeting a publisher and so on, you need the tool-using logic-oriented brain in charge of things.
Terrible results happen when you give the wrong job to the wrong brain. Creativity is stifled, plots and characters are lifeless. And the creative mind run amok in your marketing, eeek. I see plenty of writers out there who I can only conclude are spending their hard-earned dollars as their little voices tell them to, instead of putting those voices in charge of writing new stories and putting logic in charge of spending.
Marketing is my current hot button in the business. It’s completely derailed me from my POV rage. Marketing is important, yes, so important your career might depend on it, so be smart! Get a marketing plan. Marketing plans include actual numbers that prove that there’s a reason to spend your money in one place as opposed to another. Put those little voices in charge of stories, put your whims and fancies there, too, and put logic in charge of the business.
Logic is useful in the editing and revision process, too. Let creativity run wild to get a story down in the first place, and then logic can be of real help. Is it topheavy over here and undersupported over there? The thinking, reasoning brain will point that out. I revise to the best of my ability before I send a story in, and my editor tells me it’s a pleasure to work with such clean manuscripts*. Then the next stage editing begins and once again, logic brain is immensely helpful. Creative brain is, too, and both of them need to be on the right job.
Editor says we need to achieve X goal. Logic brain confirms this is true and looks for ways to go about it. Creative brain is called in. Is this possible? Oh, yes, sure, just do blah blah blah, easy, see? Can I go play now? Logic brain works out the particulars, creative brain skips off to start making new scenes, new dialog, even a new subplot if it’s called for or a way to develop a potential subplot that’s been overlooked.
Writing is a complicated thing, the writing business is complicated, too, but all of it can be done without losing your mind if you put the right brain in charge of the right job. Works for nonwriters, too.
*note* I mention this because we don’t get to choose the amount of talent or brains we get, but we CAN control how easy we are to work with. You don’t have to be the best or the brightest. But in today’s competitive marketplace, suppose a publisher has to choose between two equally good manuscripts but one will be twice the work?
by Charlene Teglia | Feb 17, 2005 | Uncategorized
Yes, I’m singing the great revision hymn. Got the edits back on Dangerous and have been exchanging emails over proposed changes with my editor. In a nutshell, this book is too short for stand-alone in print and we both think it would be better if it were stand-alone length. So I’ve been poking at the plot to see logical places to add more scenes. I’ve already planned another chapter and will be going through the whole thing today to see where else I can add or expand already existing scenes. This is an interesting challenge, because the goal is to add to the overall structure, not unbalance it, and it’s more like being a story architect than anything else at this stage.
So that’s what I’ll be doing on this fine Thursday. My plan is to have my strategy mapped out and approved by the weekend and make this my BIAW project next week. BIAW starts Monday, good timing.
by Charlene Teglia | Feb 16, 2005 | Uncategorized
One week until Rockets releases. WOW, what a long time coming! It’s hard to believe it’s almost here. I loved the line edits on this book, btw. Nothing like pulling up flags to read, “Great sentence!” “Hilarious!” It made the process actually fun. And if you can entertain editors, who do this stuff morning, noon and night, it’s a hopeful sign for readers.
Speaking of entertaining editors, my wonderful EC editor emailed me this morning to tell me she ponied up her hard-earned cash to buy a copy of Yule Be Mine and LOVED it. I was so wowed. It’s not like she doesn’t have enough reading to do without seeking it out! I’m very happy that she likes my humor so much that she went out of her way to read more of it. (Yeah, I know the blog’s not all that funny but my fiction is. That’s because in my blog, I think. When I write fiction, I don’t think.)
And an update on Dangerous Games, it looks like tentatively an April release date. Not confirmed, rumor stage only. I won’t be posting any date for Dangerous on the front page until it’s set. But that’s what we’re shooting for.
Today’s RTB column on the freebie sluts made me laugh out loud, btw. Click on my columnist button to read it!
And my final thought for today: I don’t know where my brain was yesterday, but it wasn’t until late last night that I realized RWA just DID this whole “redefining romance” business. Seriously. Added a new Rita category and everything. Whyinhell are we doing this again?
by Charlene Teglia | Feb 14, 2005 | Uncategorized
I’m actually going to have to contribute to the RWA debate on what currently constitutes romance, if the current definition needs to change, and if so how. This is important and worth my time and brain cells because if the definition is altered to, say, exclude my publisher from RWA recognition status it means no publisher participation at events like RWA National.
Ellora’s Cave publishes romance. Yes, they’ve started a mainstream line and an erotica line as well, but most publishers diversify. Very few only publish one kind of book. Many established publishers sell self-help books and cook books right alongside romance under different lines and imprints. But that isn’t really the issue, the issue is where to draw the line in the sand and say RWA represents THIS kind of book.
Tough job. Romance is broad. I re-read The Thin Woman by Dorothy Cannell recently and if you asked me if it’s a romance or a mystery I would have to say both. The two plot lines seem equally strong and run parallel. You couldn’t leave out either one without ruining the story. Katie Fforde’s books are romance, in my opinion, but they’re called Chick Lit. Jennifer Crusie’s books, although marketed as “women’s fiction” are absolutely romance. Marketing is a fine thing but do we need to let marketing labels disqualify good books, good publishers and good members that are perfectly legitimate examples of romance?
Which brings us to the question, what exactly is romance anyway? Well, if we RWA members can’t figure that one out, nobody can. I’ll be working on my answer because I’m concerned about the outcome.
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