2nd Chances

The Dangers in Thinking You Know

 

The holidays were fraught with peril. My husband should know. He’s been up sh*t creek without a paddle since the morning of December 25^th. Now, what does his total lack of thought when it came to what to get his wife for Christmas have to do with writing?

Well, it’s the danger of giving to the reader what you think they want. Now, we all do this to a certain extent and it works. But…if you’ve known your reader for a long, long time… If your reader has taken the time to make a list of things she’d like to see in the next book (not all of them, but one or two would be nice), if said reader gave you plenty of time to include these in your book…and you then proceed to decide that none of that is germane to the reader you know and so you discard the list and instead…

I’m sure you get the picture.

What do you risk with this strategy? Well, hubris can be a lonely partner.

What are the methods for screwing things up? There is the screw the reader, I want to write this stuff instead’ strategy. (Might work, you might find another reader, even if you do risk alienating the one you have.) Or there is the reader doesn’t really know what she wants, but I do idea. (This might be gold, but it can be incredibly risky.)

What about getting the readers mixed up? And so you purchase…errr…write something you know one reader will like and appreciate and give it to the other reader. Knowing you can borrow it and let the second reader enjoy it. Nothing like telling the reader you also bought one for the other reader, in fact, the exact same thing! As if you are interchangeable with other reader.

This goes over really big with the primary reader, btw.

There is also the I can really use this story to help me so that’s what I’m going to write, I’m sure it can help my primary reader also tack. When primary reader has no use whatsoever for this story. In fact, has someone she pays to take care of these details for her. You know, details like negotiating.

Now, no one wants to write to just please the reader. You have to be aware that your reader is your reader because they find something about you (hopefully many somethings) interesting. So you can be a bit flighty and experimental and with enough sincerity, this book will fly. But if your reader is expecting one thing, since the list was given and received with a thank you, and you crumble it up and toss it out the window…you better have a good reason and you better have made the substitution something totally awesome.

We’ve all been disappointed by writers. Usually we make up and find some aspect of what they actually gave us endearing. And we move on hoping that the next book will do a better job in supplying what we want, what we desire. WHAT WE ASK FOR!

And sometimes, we say ‘screw this, I’ll go find another writer to read.’

Yeah, he really blew it. I’m making notes to be certain I don’t ever do this stuff to a reader. And yes, he’ll have other chances to make it up to me. Just as writers can generally make it up to their readers.

How did the holidays go for the rest of you?

Keep an eye out for me popping about on the web this week. I'll be doing the Jingle Ball blog Fest at the Long and Short Of It, per the banner at the top of the blog on Wednesday and on Friday, I will once again be telling a nice sexy story set on the Kraken's Tortuga, about a lonely werewolf on New Year's Eve at The 30 Days of Decadence. And I'll be giving away some booty. Last chance to comment and be entered in Decadent Publishings year end drawings for all sorts of wonderful flash! Do stop by!

ARGH!

Ever have one of those days? There I was, had over 400 words written and I did something with the keyboard...and BAM! They were gone. Sigh.

And my brain is fried, had a bad night and feeling really conflicted about something that went on yesterday. My husband attended a funeral in San Luis Obispo. I stayed home with the dog. He returned full of a sort of acute specific sadness, all tied up in seeing his cousins again. The last time he'd seen most of these people, they'd all been little kids together. He talked about them and he teared up.

I tried to understand, but perhaps I'm just missing this sentiment gene. I remember family gatherings with a great deal of fondness, despite the adult knowledge of the undercurrents that run beneath them at the time. I think, perhaps, I even had inklings back then to the darker threads. And maybe that is why I don't even own a pair of rose colored glasses for the past.

It's a quandry and it bothers me, that I can't really find it in me share his meloncholy. Everyone is doing fine, he enjoyed seeing them. And my lack of being able to relate didn't bother him the way it bothers me, even now.

Sigh.

I hope this isn't a sign for how the week could go!

I'm gonna be busy this week. I'm presently celebrating the season and promoting my book at The Romance Studio Party. Come by and comment, you might win a Starbucks card. (At this point, I owe Holly for her patience as this was my first foray into this sort of promotion and I've done a lot of things wrong. Thank you, Holly!) I'll be popping in and out of there until the party ends on the 23rd.

Tuesday is another dose of my brilliance on the Daily Dose of Decadence blog. And a discussion on creating your own holidays on Castles&Guns.

But for some real fun, be sure to check out the Romance Writers Revenge where five brave pirates will pillage standard holiday carols and convert them to the pirate way of looking at things.  This should be a lot of fun!

Meanwhile, I hope your week goes well, with no haunts of the past poking you! And don't worry, I'll work mine out. Probably toss it into something I'm working on...might do well as I tackle the second book set in the Kraken's Caribbean... ;-)

Power of Laughter, part two

 

I had a good week. The second story is going well, I talked with my agent, and received reassurance that things are going well from my publisher. I’ve had more energy, due partly I think to a shift in medication.

 

And the writing is moving along. I had a fabulous blog day on my birthday and I want to thank everyone who came by the 30 Days of Decadence blog to wish me happy b-day and compliment me on the hot little story I posted. I’ll be back on that blog on New Years Eve with a short about a wandering werewolf. (Yes, my Tortuga has werewolves, among everything else.)

 

I had fun spotlighting my friend, Barb Riley, and her fabulous cake decorating skills aboard the Revenge on Friday and it was delightful to fool so many of the pirates with the first picture of a turkey that was a cake.

 

But what really cranked up my holiday spirit was on a slow night, looking for something on the television, I checked out the DVR, not sure what might be lurking there. And I found several goodies waiting for me! An episode of Bones I didn’t realize I’d missed began the evening. Very thought provoking episode and a wonderful way to show Brennan’s emotional growth.

 

Then? Ah, the real hilarity ensued. First, the husband and I watched the Christmas episode of Warehouse 13. The impish behavior of Claudia, trying so hard to make it ‘the best Christmas ever’ just had me laughing loudly and the lure of the original mistletoe was delightful!

 

From there we watched the holiday episode of Eureka. Not as full of total laughability, but all in all very sweet and interesting. I still want to throw Fargo off a bridge, but his happiness at getting a Steve Austin lunch pail did put a smile on my face.

 

I’m not normally a huge fan of holiday episodes. Usually they are simply too syrupy. Though I will never forget watching a Christmas episode of Northern Exposure where Shelly was feeling homesick for a Midnight Mass. Holling surprised her and sang Ave Maria for her on Christmas Eve, in a tiny little chapel, just the two of them. It still sends shivers down my back. Most loving thing I’d seen on television in years.

 

The week brought my holiday spirits back up and I did more Christmas shopping, even tackled a long overdue cleaning of the bedroom. Next year, the husband and I have pledged to have the house in good enough shape to bring out our holiday decorations, without fear of losing them in the clutter.

 

Now, what holiday episodes of your favorites series makes you smile? I’m not talking the once a year specials, but the ones where you get to see the people you’ve grown fond of actually take part in the season. Tell me about it!

Power of Laughter

I've had a hard time with the holidays this year. Can't really pinpoint what is going on, though I know it's been a very busy year and I've been stretched. My November bout with shingles wiped out my energy level, earlier in the autumn I had some terrible trouble with sinusitis. I'm going through the 'change' and my metabolism has really ground to a halt. Heck, I'd be tempted to say that it's gone into reverse!

Yet, somehow, in the middle of all of this...I sold a book and I'm on the verge of another I hope to be bragging about in a few weeks.

But I haven't felt the season. In truth, I still don't. But I'm better this week. Two things helped me out.

One, I went holiday shopping and my first visit in the mall was the wishing tree, where kids  in need put up ornaments requesting certain gifts. the Salvation Army was sponsoring this tree. I picked three of the ornaments and went shopping for two teen girls and one preteen girl. It was the perfect way to start my day and after I picked up a tote bag, an assortment of earrings and a watch, I went on to shop for family and friends.

I highly recommend this to everyone who is out shopping. Take care of kids who have less, first.

Second thing that happened? A new blog that literally had me stifling my laughter in Starbucks, trying not to explode with tears of hilarity as I read it. Especially for those who have dogs, read Hyperbole and a Half. Yes, the cake one is good, Texas is fun to read, as are all of them...but the dog ones slay me, totally. I had to stop reading, as I was in danger of uncontrollable chortling and being asked to leave the cafe. (Probably never happen, but that day...as loud as I was? Maybe!)

So, I hope your season is going better than mine. That carols aren't weaving visions of swimming underwater as a means of escape to you. I'm going to attempt to just slide back and enjoy the rest of the month. I have a birthday on Tuesday, am guest blogging twice this week. I'll be at 30 Days of Decadence on the 7th, with a sneak peak at the world of The Kraken's Mirror and a nice chance to win some sparkle. That day also sees me blogging on Castles&Guns. I'm not sure about what yet!

Friday it's the Romance Writer's Revenge and the question, When is a Turkey Not a Turkey? Then Saturday it's Show & Tell on the Daily Dose of Decadence. Great chance to see how I costume!

Won't be long before I have a release date for The Kraken's Mirror, so I'm pushing myself to blog often. Did I say force? Yes, we all know that really isn't something I need to force!

A good week to all!