Colorado Romance Writers conference a winner

CRW's Romancing the Rockies conference is being held at the Radisson Graystone Castle

I’m energized and inspired after the first day of the “Romancing the Rockies” fiction writer’s conference. It’s being held this year at the Radisson Graystone Castle, so appropriate for me since I write historical romance set in 15th century England.

My character workshop went well. I was nervous before presenting _ I always am. Perhaps it helps stir some adrenaline and makes my delivery better.  I even worried that I had somehow managed to drive to the wrong hotel, just the creative short-circuited thoughts of a writer, haha. I was so relieved when I saw Elaine Levine, CRW President, near the “medieval” portcullis.

My presentation was attended by a group of alert, interesting writers who asked good questions, all a presenter’s dream. It always thrills me when I see the look of discovery as a writing concept is learned. It’s said that, to learn something, teach it and you’ll never forget it. Perhaps that’s why I like to present–it solidifies the concepts for me, and I love sharing what I have learned.  I invited those who attended my workshop to visit my blog and ask additional questions, so if you were there yesterday, thanks for attending, and welcome!  I hope you enjoy my articles on craft and the writing life.  Read, enjoy, share by clicking the “o comment” link (I know it’s weird; it should read “click here to comment.” 

Sherrilyn Kenyon was the keynote speaker last evening, and her story was entertaining and surprising. I had no idea her writer’s journey was so rock-strewn. At one time she resorted to living in a car, and she also spent time on welfare, still receiving brutal rejections from New York publishers. Then she presented her manuscript on the desk of the right publisher at the right time, and now she’s a #1 New York Times best-selling author. She’s gracious, generous with information, and in spite of her considerable success, she has not let it in any way taint her vision or personality.  You can learn more about her journey on the video at http://www.dailyinquisitor.com/sherrilyn/intro.htm

I enjoyed seeing my fellow author friends – Robin Owens, Margie Lawson, Jeanne Stein, Lynda Hilburn, Diana Rowe, Melissa Mayhue – and making new friends.

I visited with many wonderful romance readers, several of whom bought my books, Tabor’s Trinket and Emerald Silk. Thank you all and I hope you enjoy my stories!  And to the handsome young man who served all those tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, thank you for your service to our country, and good luck with your fiction writing.

A ”novel” moment during the conference: When a young fan dressed in a sleeveless, low-backed dress asked Sherrilyn Kenyon to sign her BACK (yes, the skin on her back) instead of one of Sherrilyn’s books.

Funniest moment: when a laptop computer was accidentally locked and cabled onto my presentation table, and after several attempts to open it failed, the resourceful CRW writers stripped the table and simply carried it from the Nobility Room, where I presented, to the Kingdom room, where the laptop was needed for a Powerpoint presentation. It proved that those theft-proof laptop cables really do work!

The power of dreams and free characters

Free-range characters control their own destinies, make their own mistakes and ultimately triumph using their own resources.

I’m presenting a workshop today at the Colorado Romance Writer’s conference.  It’s my first time at this, the Romancing the Rockies conference.  My presentation is called “Range Free Characters,” and it’s a craft workshop aimed at making fiction novels stronger by freeing a novel’s characters to pursue their own dreams, learn from their own mistakes, and triumph as a result of their own efforts.  Expressed another way, it’s about allowing the protagonist(s) own inner story to drive the outer story, as opposed to the other way around.  Stories that progress from the inside out makes character-driven stories shine.  Well-known examples of this method are the storylines of the movies Titanic, Silence of the Lambs and the animated movie, Cars. What other well-known stories take full advantage of this concept?

Trust your talent

The Bard and the Balladeer

“Leave the bottle full for others
Thank you kindly,” Desert Pete

In 1963, the Kingston Trio recorded what became a very popular song, Desert Pete.  A man “thirsty down to his toenails” comes across a water pump in the desert.  A glass of water sits atop the pump; the man’s challenge is to resist his impulse the drink the water and, instead, trust that there’s water in the well and prime the pump so not only will he enjoy all the water he needs, but he can leave a glass of water for the next needy person who comes along.

“You’ve got to prime the pump, you must have faith and believe
You’ve got to give of yourself ‘fore you’re worthy to receive
Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face, cool your feet
Leave the bottle full for others, Thank You kindly, Desert Pete”

The complete lyrics can be found at http://www.lyricstime.com/the-kingston-trio-desert-pete-lyrics.html

This catchy tune fits well with writing.  We must believe.  We must keep faith in our talents, even during those times when we feel broken by rejection or events beyond our control (reviews, bad timing, difficult market, etc.).

“You’ve got to give of yourself ‘fore you’re worthy to receive.”
It takes courage to write what’s in our hearts, but that fresh, cool magic pumped up from your soul is what refreshes your work, brings new life into your words. Trust your talent, and take that chance!  Prime your pump and go ahead, splash around and enjoy the abundance that comes forth.

Prime that pump. I’m wishing you a great writing day!

Face-to-face praise — you deserve an Oscar

You deserve an Oscar!

We DVR’d The Oscars last night and watched the second half, which was fabulous.  I admired the set, which is always so elaborate, but seemed especially misty and dreamy this year.  What really inspired me, though, was when five Oscar-winning actresses appeared on stage and personally delivered praise to the nominees for Best Actress.  Incredible!

Some say this was awkward when Sophia Loren paid tribute to living legend Meryl Streep, but I thought it was wonderful to hear why they were nominated, and what the Academy felt they had accomplished with their roles.

As writers, we hope to accomplish many of the same goals that these actresses achieved – effectively conveying the emotion of loss, suffering, triumph.

Let’s don our imagination hat today, writers: close your eyes, create this glamorous stage in your mind, and see the television cameras that will broadcast this moment to millions of people.  You are sitting there, and Barbara Kingsolver, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Michael Crighton and Scott Turow step onto the stage in a column of spotlight, and one of them turns to you and says, “Your characters are so finely drawn that I slipped right into your story.  Your plot was amazing, and your ability to evoke emotions impressed me, from the first page to the last.”

Ahhhhh.  Do you feel it, that golden, magic aura?  It slips right into your bones and kisses your soul!  Yessssss!  This is one example in life where I wouldn’t at all mind being one of the losers.

Praise yourself for your strengths and accomplishments.  I’m wishing you a great day of writing!

Give yourself permission to write

A few years ago I attended New York Literary Agent Donald Maass’s one-day workshop, “Writing the Breakout Novel,” hosted by the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.

Maass would give us some kind of writing prompt, then he would instruct, “Now, write!” and we would all drop our gazes to our paper or keyboards and do just that.  At one point, he made a joke of it.  He said, “Now, write!” and all our heads bobbed to our papers.  Then he said, “Stop writing” and we all looked up. Then he said, “Now write!” Half of the writers dropped their heads down dutifully to their papers, while the other half caught on to his tactic and laughed.  After strutting around a little (he does an amusing Elvis impersonation), he asked us why we had to rely on him to give ourselves permission to write.

Why do the words flow so much more smoothly when we’re instructed to write?  Why can’t we summon up that free flow ourselves when we face a new scene or challenging re-write session?

Two parts discipline and one part inspiration, I’m guessing.  It could also be the hum of creativity that swirls when a room is filled with writers.  I’ve discovered a strategy to harness the energy and creativity and keep the words coming.  Borrowing from Anne Randolph’s “Soup Kitchen Writing,” we started a “soupies” writing group from willing members of our on-line critique group.  Every Thursday we meet from 6 to 9 pm, enjoy some soup and conversation for a half hour, and write for the remaining time.

This communal writing environment gives us permission to write.  We enjoy our soup, then someone sets a one-hour alarm, and we write.  It’s amazing how quickly the alarm goes off.  We take a five minute break and set the alarm again.  After it goes off the second time, we visit briefly and take whatever time we have left to wrap up.

One writer friend has added her own twist to the concept: coffee instead of soup.

The menu isn’t important.  The camaraderie is.

If distractions, free-floating anxiety, or lack of focus have been taking a toll on your writing productivity, try a soup night.  Or coffee night.  Or ice cream night. Invite some writer friends, gather at the kitchen table with your laptops and watch your pages fill up!

Too hot? Remember Jack London’s “fine powder of frost”

We’ve just come off of an all-time record heat wave in the metro Denver area – over twenty straight days with temperatures above ninety, which included a reading of 101 degrees F. on Sunday. For air-conditioning hold-outs like my family, that meant sweltering nights with fitful sleep as the fan whipped around the air of Hades in an impossible effort to cool the room.

And in the heat of the night, I thought of a dog with its “fine powder of frost,” of ice, and air so cold that spittle crackled and froze before it hit the ground. Yes, I was thinking of one of the most memorable short stories I have ever read, To Build a Fire, by Jack London (1876-1916). I recall learning that London wrote that story from a beach chair on one of the Hawaiian islands, and my initial disbelief that anyone could write such convincing prose about the perils of death by freezing – while he lounged, carefree, the sun warm on his skin. Such was London’s skill, and such is the magic of fiction. We can change our environment any time, just by stepping into the pages of fiction. No matter how oppressive the heat, our minds are free to roam cooler worlds. We need only our imaginations and, thankfully, given the current financial climate, it’s free.

You can read this amazing short story at http://www.kingkong.demon.co.uk/gsr/fire.htm

Do you recall a time when fiction took you to a radically different world or environment? A time when, like a welcome balm, fiction healed or rescued you from harsh reality? If time permits, please share.

Lifting our faces to life – risk-taking

A sudden downpour inspired this beautiful music lover to soak up the elements at this past weekend's Keystone Jazz Festival

Photo opportunities come when you least expect them, and I stumbled into this gem at last weekend’s Keystone Jazz Festival.  I admired this woman’s zest for life and her natural reaction to the rain.  Falling in late afternoon, the sun slanted into the pavillion from the west, golden sunshine that made the cascading droplets of water sparkle as they slid down the curved edges of the tent.  Outside, the rain had let up to a sparkling drizzle.  I didn’t capture the golden rays of sun from this angle because I was fighting for a straight shot through a dozen other photographers, but I captured her mood and the splashing raindrops. 

     Her spirit of adventure inspired me, reminded me that we harbor too many inhibitions in life; that letting go can provide more of the special moments in our lives, the “nows” that arrive unexpectedly, a surprise gift that we often refuse because we don’t want to get wet, run our mascara, ruin our hair–our freedom cut short by other’s expectations instead of our own good instincts.  She had more fun that day than I did.    

     This is the kind of adventure I like to capture in my novels.  My protagonists are more adventurous than me, more spontaneous, less fearful.  Fiction is great fun because we can take more chances.  What kind of risk-taking have you savored in fiction, spontaneous actions you wish you could do in real life?  Have you lifted your face to the rain since childhood?  Something to think about when the showers come again.