Behind the Scenes

Okay so i haven't been adding to the word count lately, but not all writing is writing, right?

I have been doing research for Ten Night's Only, Billie Martin and Cooper Wilde's story. This story is set in Windy Wellington, New Zealand and i used this for my competition entry for the Harlequin competition.

I've been doing things like researching penthouse suites, the Plimmer Steps, Wellington Architecture and today i have done the most important of all. Which i perhaps should have done at the very beginning!

Character Interviews. All the author (published) blogs i follow have touted how important it is to really know your characters and the best way to do that is through interviewing them.

Today i took a sheet of questions i'd printed from Nicola Marsh's blog under her Write Whisper series of writing tips and applied them to Billie and Cooper.

I feel i have unravelled truely deeper, rounder, better characters as a result. Sadly, or maybe even not, i think i am going to completely scrap my first chapter and a half and start again as i have discovered things about these characters i hadn't known that has thrown them into totally new positions, no pun intended ;), occupationally speaking which i hope will throw them more favourably into view with the editors at harlequin when i re-submit this story.

The premise is the same. That is, the core problem and situation that i had them in to start with the same, but their individual goals and situations are different, and i hope better.

Next week, once i am at home and at my own computer - in my new office nook (will have to get that up and operation asap!) that word count will hopefully reflect this new inspiration.

In the meantime i will be working behind the scenes to make sure it will be clean sailing as much as possible for these two rocky lovers ;)

Creative outlet

One reason i haven't been pounding the keyboard and getting that word count up is my other creative outlet.

I make cards. Recently i started a project of mini photo albums for the grandparents. They were supposed to be for Christmas but they have taken so long, i decided they are just a 'because' thing!

They are mini scrapbooks and have 18 pages each. Photos on each side, so they took forever!

They have turned out remarkably well!

The photos don't do them justice. The time it has taken is well worth it - the kids are worth it and i know the grandparents will appreciate the albums! Of course i made an extra one for myself.

Now that they are completed, i can pack away my craft stuff and shift to the new house and then get dedicated to the word count ;)

Love and Heroes

Seeing as February contains the traditional day of romance and love, Nicola Marsh, is hosting a special event on her blog featuring authors from Mills and Boon and the Heroes that inspired their stories.

You may even go in the draw to win copies of their awesome books!

Who are your favourite heroes?

My all time literary favourite is Mr Darcy. There are not enough words to write...who am i kidding, there is not enough SPACE to write about him. I loved his transformation from stuffy arrogant man to being brought to his knees by love but still proud of who he is. sigh.

And Julie Garwood's magical highlanders in Saving Grace, Ransom, The Secret, and Honour's Splendor.

I dream of being able to write such magical heroes and settings....

Career

I have often heard Romance Writing as a career being scoffed at. Read about it. Other writers or other genres generally don't think much of romance authors touting us as substandard.

But we know differently right?!

What do you say to people when they ask you what you do, or want to do as a career?

Kaily Hart has an interesting post along this line on her blog.

Romance Writing is HARD. Important, it teaches about people and life. And is very very popular.

Various studies - i don't have the ability to attach a document to a blog but i have the figures that show romance writing is the top fiction genre read worldwide.

Why would we be scoffed at and smirked at then for saying we are aspiring if not authors or romance?

Why do you think this happens?

A reason for the lack...

Well thought i would share the good news behind the lack of the word count.

We are on our way to joining the ranks of home ownership!

On Monday late afternoon we put in an offer which was negotiated and then accepted - we now have to wait for all conditions to be accepted and then we move in on 10 Feb!

This is really fast and just in time as we have to be out of our current place by Feb 12th. So the house is covered in boxes and we are furiously packing the cleaning, so alas no word count.

I hope to have this creeping steadily upwards from 23rd Feb onwards.

Billie and Cooper WILL get their HEA, just like we are!

Word Count Meter

Yay. If you care to look to the right you will see my word count meter! If anyone else wants one i got it from Writertopia. I finally figured out how to get it to work.

I feel so proud to be able to display it - even though i still haven't added any actual words to that count yet this year, but our Little Princess is due to start Kindy in a few weeks so with both her and Little Man out of the way for two mornings of the week i shall have plenty of time for writing! Watch that counter bar go up!

Cooper and Billie will finally get a resolution and their Happily Ever After!

So exciting.

Lack of Word Count

Man, it is already the end of the second week of the new year and so far no word count! So much for my goals for 2010:

Ten Nights Only will be finished by March 31. and submitted through normal lines.

Logan's Angel will be finished by June 30. and submitted through normal lines

Secrets and Lies will be reworked and edited and finished by December 31st.

Or course i had thought i had another goal there too, an as yet untitled Princess story that has been burning in my brain for ages too, so i'll add that now:

Untitled Princess story written and edited by December 31st.

In light of my lack of word count so far, so early into the new year maybe i shouldn't have so many goals afterall. But surely once our housing dramas are over with and hopefully my health improves (snorts!) i can get underway. I will just knuckle down regardless. Will have to pull out the husbands work laptop and pound out the word count every spare minute i have. I really, really want to succeed and only way i will achieve this is to put in the hard work.

After all:

No pain, no gain.