Faith, Fiction and a Whole Lot More

This past weekend I participated in the Faith & Fiction Retreat in Orlando, Florida. It was a well-planned, well-executed event that I truly enjoyed, thanks to Tiffany & Brent Warren and the F&F staff.

I made plans to attend as soon as the conference info was released, but up until last week, my attendance was seriously in doubt. But God has a way of opening doors that I cannot see! Angela Benson needed to find a roommate to take her place since her mom was joining her at the conference. That meant I could afford the hotel costs! My uncle came up with the airplane ticket at the last minute and off I went!

After landing in Florida, the first person I met on the shuttle to the hotel was Rhonda McKnight. Though we’d never met in person, we’ve chatted online for months. Rhonda is so sweet and knowledgeable and we talked the whole trip to the hotel. She was so kind to introduce me to some of the other participants at the meet and greet. (Praying for you Rhonda!!!)

After checking into the Villas of Grand Cypress (which is an amazing and elegant resort), I headed for the Meet & Greet in our hospitality suite. There I reconnected with Daphine Glenn Robinson (my BWRC friend) and met my roommate, Linda Leigh Hargrove. Linda is a an author and such a down to earth, sweet person with a terrific sense of humor. (Okay, she thought I was funny, but that’s not saying much.) I also met Angela Benson (first time in person) and other authors and readers. Tiffany and her staff made us all feel so welcome, and we spent time getting to know each other and share in our love of reading and writing (among other things).

The next day, I overslept and nearly missed the first session. But the entire day was filled with wonderful discussions. Authors Angela Benson, Pat G-org Walker, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Tiffany Warren, Tia McCollors, along with Linda, Daphine and Rhonda were all excellent presenters with so much information to share. Our book discussions with Tiffany, ReShonda, Angela and Tia were so much fun.

Lunch and dinner allowed for us to just enjoy each other’s company in informal settings. All the authors were funny and kind and willing to share everything about the writing process and the industry itself. (The Author Mentoring Q & A  was my favorite session.) We had spoken word by Stella and Ashe, which was another highlight.

Sharing with the book club reps was also a treat, as we were able to introduce them to new works and they in turn shared how they choose new books and were able to tell us what they enjoyed about our writing.

The only hiccup was the book orders that did not come through. This was in no way the fault of Tiffany and Brent (who were so apologetic and upset themselves) but in the book chain they had worked with who failed to do their job properly. (It’s a national chain that I’m not going to call out, but if you want to know, email me.)

I left with a renewed sense of purpose and energy in my spirit to continue writing what and how I do. Now if I can just get my body to cooperate!

I’m going to post a more detailed account as soon as I can get my energy up!

Write Time, Wrong Way

So I’m all set to work on my WIP. I’ve got a couple of hours blocked out and the juices are flowing. I look for my portable USB drive that goes everywhere with me.

It’s nowhere to be found. Curses!

It looks like I may have left it at home during one of my many purse changes this weekend.

Instead, I decide to work on my presentation for the BWRC, reviewing the presentation and jotting down my notes.

It’s on the USB drive. Which is at home.

Fortunately, all is not lost. I remember that I emailed it to my friend to review. At first, I can’t find the email. But after much searching, it turns up. Great! At least these hours won’t be a total waste.

Besides, it gives me something to post here.

Memo to self: email all WIP’s and presentations to myself after each draft. That way I can always access the latest and greatest without having my USB drive. And find a way to keep that USB drive handy.

Congratulations, Mrs. Deloney! It’s a Book!

Well, well, well…

I am officially a PUBLISHED AUTHOR!!! Got my copies in the mail yesterday afternoon and I am loving it!

When authors say that writing a book is like having a baby, I completely understand what they mean. For those of you who don’t, let me explain.

First, there’s the twinkle in the eye, just the thought of having a baby. This is the period when you think to yourself or say out loud, “I’m going to write a book.”

Then there’s the conception. That’s when you get your first idea of what book to write. You don’t even know if you can do it, but you jot down notes, ideas, snippets of dialogue.

Next, you find out you’re pregnant. This is when you put your first chapter on paper, either with a pen or on a computer.

So what happens now? You tell everyone you’re pregnant. Or rather, you tell everyone you started working on a book.

Then the morning sickness takes over. You tell yourself you’re crazy to think you can write a book. You throw out the chapter you wrote and then retrieve it. You may do this several times.

Now is the gestation period. This is when you commit to writing. The story starts to take shape. You start doing research using writing magazines, blogs, classes.

Halfway through, you take tests to see if the pregnancy is progressing. You hand off your sample chapters to a few trusted friends and/or family members. They give you feedback, hopefully more than, “It’s good.”

Now closing in on the last trimester. Instead of Lamaze classes, you join a writing or critique group. It helps to know that there are others going through what you are and you benefit from their advice and feedback.

The doctor says you’re gaining weight, which is good. You’re working through your first draft and it looks like you can see the end of the tunnel, or at least the end of the book.

You start shopping for your essentials. This is the time to seek out an editor, possibly an agent, and what publishers might be interested in your book.

It’s time for the baby shower! Edit, revise, submit! Edit, revise, resubmit!

You’ve hit your due date. The final draft is complete. You got the deal with an agent and/or publisher.

The labor pains begin. More editing, more waiting. What will the cover look like? Who will buy it? How will I promote it? What if something happens and the deal falls apart?

You’re fully dilated now. The publisher gives you the date the book will be released. Time to spread the word to everyone you know and everyone they know.

Time to push! Push that book out there. Get out on Facebook, MySpace, blogs, groups – let anyone and everyone know that it’s coming!

Finally, the moment arrives: your baby has come. The postman delivers your “baby” – your book – in your hands. You nervously check out your baby – the cover art, the spelling of your name, the photo, the typset. You glide your hand gently over the cover trying to take in the wonderful moment.

And though you may have other babies in the future, nothing is as precious as delivering the first one.

We Interrupt This Program…

Yesterday I was thinking about The Brady Bunch. Yes, the iconic 70’s television series that will never die. For some reason, I was thinking about all those quizzes on Facebook and I thought, “Which Brady kid am I?” My answer was Jan.  Like Jan, I was the smart and funny one, never quite sure of her place in life and always feeling a little like the one that no one noticed, even though everybody did.

The best “Jan” episode was “The New Jan Brady”, the one where blonde Jan decides she’d rather be a brunette to distinguish herself from her other blonde sisters. She purchases this hideous (even for the 70’s) brunette beehive wig and goes to her friend’s party, where everyone laughs and mocks her new look. She runs home in tears only to have brother Peter come home with all the party guests to tell Jan she looked better as a blonde. (Apparently, they thought the wig was some kind of weird joke.) Jan happily goes back to the party and lives in apparent anonymity until she is once again thrust into middle-daughter crisis. (Stay with me, it’s going to get interesting.)

So I was thinking about all this when my dark and twisty* inner writer took hold of it. What if there were a remake of the show? Not the awful where-are-they-now “The Bradys” show. (Now that was a hot mess. Marcia was an alcoholic with a frequently out of work hubby; Jan was infertile and she and hubby adopted a little Korean girl; Cindy was having an affair with her boss; Bobby was a paraplegic after crashing his race car; Peter was a playboy who couldn’t settle down. Only eldest son Greg managed to have a fairly normal non-neurosis life.)

No, my dark and twisty inner writer wanted a remake of the teenage Brady Bunch. (I promise you “90210” – in any form – was not the Brady Bunch reincarnated.) So this is my proposed pilot for the 21^st century Brady Bunch.

Cue music… Here’s the story, of a lovely lady…

Our story is narrated by Alice, the house manager of the Bradys. She is the repository of all the Brady secrets. Alice knows everything but not everyone knows just how much Alice really knows.

Alice knows widower Mike Brady met divorcee Carol Phillips online. They met, married, and brought their respective families into the Brady mansion. Mike is a very successful businessman with large corporate holdings. He’s not above bending (or possibly breaking) the law to get what he wants. There’s been talk that the first Mrs. Brady died under suspicious circumstances. But Mike Brady has enough money and power that no one is willing to investigate.

Carol Phillips-Brady has been married several times and each time, she’s come out exponentially richer. She’s also a functioning alcoholic. She and Mike look good together, but it’s clear that it’s also an act, especially since Carol is lusting after the pool boy. Problem is Mike may be lusting after the pool boy too.

Eldest son Greg is a high school athlete. His dirty secret? He’s on steroids. Anything to be the BMOC and please Papa Brady.

Eldest daughter Marcia is pregnant. She’s not sure if the baby’s father is her secret boyfriend Darnell (who’s Black or Latin) – or her stepbrother Greg. She’s also not sure of what she’s going to do about the pregnancy.

Middle son Peter has a very nasty habit. He’s into online poker in a big way. So far he’s been able to pay off his debts by tapping into his trust fund left to him by his late mother. But he’s getting in way over his head and finding out that his debts are about to be collected – maybe at the expense of brother Greg’s career.

Middle daughter Jan is a straight-A student who puts enormous pressure on herself to break out of the shadow of her elder sister. She’s bulimic and a shopaholic. She uses her money to buy companionship and has trouble distinguishing who her real friends are.

Baby girl Cindy has daddy issues. She’s been sleeping around with much older men. It started when a much older man slept with her when she was much, much younger. Her father? One of her other stepfathers? She’s currently involved with newest stepfather Mike’s best friend. But Mike’s best friend has plans for Cindy – and they’re definitely not nice.

Youngest son Bobby has mommy issues. He wants to know what really happened to his mother on the night she died. He’s been quietly hacking into his father’s computer and learning just how ruthless his dear old dad can be. The secrets he uncovers could take down the Brady family for good – or cost him his life.

So that’s my take on a revamped Brady Bunch. What do you think? Sherwood Schwartz would probably keel over if this ever went on the air.

One day I’m going to do dark and twisty Dora the Explorer. At the very least, it would make a good SNL sketch.

*Yes, I know I stole “dark and twisty” from Shonda Rhimes and Grey’s Anatomy.

Write and Wrong – Part 2

To recap: At a book signing last Saturday with author Bettye Griffin, a young man asked for writing advice. His statement to us, “I don’t want to be known as an African American writer,” had us laughing out loud. Bettye responded, “We’re laughing because we know what the real deal is.”

Bettye began to explain to the young man that the deal is once your work is bought by the publisher, you have no control on cover design, how it’s marketed and where it’s placed (if at all) in bookstores. Borders segregates because of customer feedback. And if you sign up with a AA imprint, if the bookstore buys your book, they will put you in the same category as all AA literature, fiction and non-fiction.

I also explained to the young man that while what he may see on the surface in the AA section is so much – I’ll use the word nonsense, there’s a great deal to be read in that section. Because it’s all lumped together by the color of the author’s skin, he wasn’t aware that there was more than just urban lit and erotica. Thrown in were mysteries, horror, Christian/inspirational, literary, historical, romance, women’s fiction and mainstream just to name a few.  But because the stuff that was turned out featured – I’ll say again, nonsense covers (this side of porn), he just assumed that all that was there was of lesser quality. (I didn’t even get into a discussion of the quality of the writing in street/urban lit and erotica, as I’ve never read them and have no basis to make a judgment, though I am really disgusted by those covers.)

The young man rightfully said that by dumping the works of AA writers into one section you can potentially limit your revenue stream. We agreed on that point, but also said that it was up to the author to promote and market the book to a broader audience.

I explained to the young man that as a fledgling screenwriter/novelist, it was next to impossible to control who gets your work and what they do with it. However, I pointed out to him that he should look at Tyler Perry as a role model. Perry, who was homeless before his first play took off, now has his own studio in Atlanta. Everything he does – from writing to directing, casting, marketing, etc. – is controlled by him. And as everyone knows, he’s frustrating the heck out of Hollywood. They have seen Perry’s success and they want their piece of it. Unfortunately for them, Lionsgate was the only studio that was willing to take a chance on him and they are riding high on Perry’s box office and television successes.

By the time he left, I think he had a little more understanding about what was ahead of him. He still has a lot to learn and I hope he doesn’t give up.

As I’m new to the publishing industry, I know I still have so much to learn. But learn I will. And I won’t stop until I get to the top.

Write and Wrong – Part 1

So, this past weekend, I was privileged to join author Bettye Griffin at a book signing at the Borders in Matteson, IL. (Bettye’s new book, “A New Kind of Bliss” was released last week.) In addition to purchasing several copies of her books (including a few as Mother’s Day gifts), I assisted Bettye by putting “Autographed Copy” stickers on her signed books and updating her display. I also tried to draw in potential customers doing my best carny imitation. (“Hey c’mon, meet the author, buy a book!” One lady actually did, so that was cool.)

Later, Bettye and I cruised Borders (she for some music, me to do some rearranging of displays in the AA section, but that’s another story) and then headed for lunch at Panera. Bettye is one of the warmest, most generous people that I have met. Besides being a great author, she’s also one of the most gracious, offering words of advice and encouragement when asked.

Which leads to my thoughts on an encounter we had with a young man while at Borders. The man was obviously impressed with meeting a real author in person and proceeded to ask her a question about acquiring an agent. Bettye gave him some excellent advice and I directed him to several books in the reference section that would help him. He told me that he was in school and wanted to write screenplays and novels. It was clear that he was just starting out as he had never heard of any of the resources I pointed out to him, including The Writer’s Market.

I went back to Bettye to continue my hawking and the young man came back. He asked Bettye about her writing career, the types of books she wrote, how much she got for royalties. Bettye, gracious as always, answered each question (though she clearly didn’t talk specifics on money). At some point, we got into the issue of publishing and book placement. The young man said, “I don’t want to be known as an African American author.” (Did I mention he was African American?) Bettye and I laughed. Then he turned and gestured towards the AA section and said, “I’ve seen the stuff over there and the quality isn’t that great. That’s not what I want to write.” Bettye and I laughed again (me more so to keep from knocking him upside his head). Again, Bettye graciously explained why we were laughing. “We’re laughing because we know what the real deal is.”

I’ll explain the “real deal” in the next post.

Ramblings and Ruminations

I had a radio interview scheduled last week and I was very excited, as it was my first. The time came for me to go on the air – then nothing. Dead silence. Seems that system that hosted the show crashed. Ah well, these things happen. I was annoyed, but I got over it. I know the show host and she’s a lovely woman who was mortified at the turn of events. Hopefully, I’ll get rescheduled soon and all will be well.

On the upside, I heard from my publisher that my novel got picked up by a new book club as it’s book of the month in June! Woo-hoo! I have to give props for my publisher, Brian W. Smith at Hollygrove Publishing. The man is a hustler – and I mean in a good way! He’s been doing everything he can to push my book out there. One of his strategies is cutting the price of the book so it’s more affordable in this economic climate. He’s taking a hit out of his own pocket to make sure that I and other authors in the HG family get out there. I don’t know of any other publisher willing to take that chance. Way to go, Brian!

Last week, I was forced to watch some of my talented colleagues and friends be let go by our company. It was not easy situation for anyone involved. Having been on the receiving end of such news, I know how devastating it is to have your world shot to hell in one moment. It’s even tougher because of the economy. But I know these people will land on their feet quickly. I’m proud of the way they have handled themselves with grace and dignity. I’m equally proud to have worked with them and call them friends. I’m also very grateful to still be employed. Though I often dream of being a stay-at-home mom/full-time writer, the reality is that it’s not going to happen anytime soon. But the minute Oprah comes calling, look out!

I have one child that I love to death, but he is a handful. My hubby and I often joke about what we would have done had he been twins or triplets. I still want another child, and I realize that it would impact our financial status in a big way. Which brings me to my next point:

Nadya “Octo-mom” Suleman brought the first two of her octuplets home to a media circus. As much I was first fascinated then angered by this woman’s choices, I have to admit that my thinking about the situation has changed, thanks to Dr. Phil. No, I haven’t spoken to the man, but I read he gave Suleman an on-air baby shower. To quote him, I thought, “What were YOU thinking?” That’s when my thinking changed.

It’s about the children.

Regardless of how I feel about the choices this woman made, it’s her kids that I’m concerned about. None of them asked to be born, especially not to her. But they are here and they need help. They’re the ones who will have to live with her decisions, the media circus and the teasing that will surely follow them for a long time to come. They need food, shelter, clothing. Some of them need special educational help. All of the octuplets will need additional medical care for a long time. And while I don’t personally plan to contribute to her cause, I respect her need to raise money in whatever way she can to support her children.

Despite all of this, I hope Suleman truly loves her children and do what’s best for them. And I hope the vultures will give her the space to try.

Finally, I’m just going to say to all those who hate the new Facebook – either stop complaining or quit using it. Hey, here’s a thought: if everyone who hates the new Facebook stops using it, maybe it’ll convince the owners to go back!

Yeah, right, like that’ll happen. If the owners were smart, they’d do like Yahoo did and give the members the choice of which layout they prefer. With so much backlash against the new format, it would be unwise for them to not listen to their consumers.

Oh wait. That’s exactly what AIG did.

What I Love About Writing

I’m a procrastinator – not the best trait for someone who aspires to write full-time. I often put off writing until the very last minute. I did it all through college. As it happened, some of my best papers were done under deadline. It’s as though the fear of missing the deadline freed me from all the constraints of my inner critic/editor and the words just came pouring out.

The same thing happened this weekend.

For some reason, I had been stalling on the short story that I had to create for an anthology that I’m contributing to. I kept saying I was working on it, but I always found other more interesting things to do, such as reading blogs or writing on my own blog (yeah, right) or hanging out on Facebook. (That’s an entirely different post for another time.)

Finally I couldn’t put it off any longer. I had a week before my deadline, so I hunkered down to the computer and began typing the story that had been causing me to lose sleep.

Then a funny thing happened.

Without any notes, the story began pouring out of me. But the more I wrote, the story began moving in an entirely different direction. You see, just before I sat down, I prayed and asked the Lord to give me the words and to allow someone to be touched by the story for his glory.

And he did just that.

I’m about halfway done but I’m not worried anymore. I know where the story is going and I’m confident I’ll make my deadline.

But just as important, my inner critic has been silenced and the voice that gives me the words to write is loud and clear.

I remembered what I love about writing – writing.

Geek-speak

I was sitting on the train yesterday, playing Bejeweled 2 on my iPhone, and I overheard these two men chatting about their work. It was clear that they were both involved in IT. (I originally wanted to call them computer geeks, but I realized that anyone who works in IT has to be incredibly smart and patient and they have my undying gratitude.) They were going on and on about some problem they were having. It was mildly annoying but interesting at the same time.  Though I didn’t understand a word of what they were talking about, I understood their mindset. They were very serious, almost passionate, about their work.

I thought about that on the way home. At first, I was amused that anyone could get so wrapped up in computer geek-speak. But then I realized that I’m the same way – when I’m with other writers.

Part of the appeal of writing conferences is the need to be around others who think like you do, people who understand what a WIP is, who know the perils and pitfalls of self-publishing and writer’s block. Because writing is such a solitary pursuit, trying to explain writing (and editing and publishing) to someone who doesn’t understand tends to be like those IT guys trying to explain what they were doing to someone who only knows how to turn the computer off and on.The average computer user just wants the computer to work when they turn it on, and for it to be fixed if it’s broken. They don’t want to know what the IT folks do to get it running and keep it running.

The average reader has no idea how much goes into producing a book – and I’m not talking about money, either. The average reader doesn’t care. They just want a story. They don’t want to know how the author labored over the words and images. They don’t want to know about disagreements with editors or lousy advances (if any). They really don’t want to know that the average writer has a “real” job to pay the bills because they would starve and be homeless if they depended on writing to make a living.

That’s why conferences are so needed. It’s the only place where writers aren’t average – they’re extraordinary. And we can writer-geek speak to our hearts’ content without anyone wondering what we’re talking about.

Feeling Fine in 2009

As each year dwindles down, I typically make my resolutions for the new year. By January 2, most of those resolutions have been broken.

This year is different.

I have not resolved anything.

I have, however, set some goals.

For my health, my goal is to start working on losing 20 pounds. To that end, I am watching what I eat and trying to lay off the Pepsi. I am also going to finally crack open that exercise DVD that I’ve had for over a year.

For my family, my goal is to spend at least 10 minutes a night reading to and with my son. I also vow to kiss my husband more frequently and randomly (excluding our hello/goodbye pecks). My other goal is not to take my family for granted.

For my writing, my goal is complete my WIP by May 15. I will complete my short story by January 31 and get it to my editor by February 1. And somewhere in there, I will promote the heck out of “Journey to Jordan” and participate in “The Write Stuff” program. I also plan to blog at least once a week and not get hung up on Facebook and Twitter.

For my spirit, my goal is to read Scriptures at least once a day and pray more often – concentrated prayers, not just grace and the one I rattle off before I fall asleep.

That’s about as many goals as I can handle. Now that I’ve actually written them down and put them out there, I have no choice but to honor them.

Anybody willing to hold me accountable?