Control

Keep your head down. Mind your own business. Don't get attached.

In my latest manuscript, HIS HEART, HER HOME, the heroine Kelsey Albertelli lives by those rules. Now, in Kelsey's case, the rules pertain to personal relationships. And, naturally, because it's a romance, she quickly violates her own rules when she meets the hero.

However, I'm wondering if my imaginary heroine doesn't have a point.

Recently, the romance industry has been rocked by drama. I'm not going to rehash the whole sordid story here. There are more than enough writers' blogs doing that across the web if you're interested in learning more. Besides, as I slog through email after email filling my inbox regarding this issue, I've come to realize the outcome is pretty much out of my hands. The two main parties in this fight are large organizations, and while I'm free to share my opinion with either of them, in the end they're going to make their own decisions.

In other words, the outcome is out of my control. Like with so much of what happens in our industry, I can complain, I can wail and gnash my teeth, I can commiserate, I can try to understand, I can take a side, but the outcome will still ultimately be out of my control.

This doesn't mean I don't care. I care a great deal, and I have some very strong opinions on the subject. But, ultimately sharing those opinions aren't going to anything but clog people's email boxes and contribute to an already heated (and acrimonious) discussion.

So instead, I'm taking a page from my heroine: Keep your head down. And in this case, concentrate on what I can control. My writing.

Because in the end - no matter how this debacle shakes out - the writing is the only thing we can control. In the decade and a half I've been in this industry, I've seen many dramas ebb and flow, rise and fall. Maybe it's a cop-out, but they have a way of resolving themselves. In a year, positions and opinions could very well be forgotten, and the battle of the moment rendered completely moot. What won't go away however, will be our words. Words are forever. Therefore, I choose to use them to create an emotional, powerful story that readers won't be able to put down.

After all, it's the only thing I can control.

HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Transitions

This week, my family is leaving a home we’ve lived in for the past year. It’s been hard on us emotionally to say good-bye to the people and places we’ve loved and that I know whose absence will leave a hole in our lives. But at the same time, we recognize there isn’t anything we can do to stay. A door is closing on the old life and it’s time to move on and embrace the new life.

Yes, I wrote “embrace.” I’ve taken up meditation of late, and I’m getting clear guidance that more doors will be opening if we’re patient and allow ourselves to flow with the change. “Something even better is out there for you.” That’s the message I’m getting, and it gives me comfort.

Life is like that, isn’t it? “A time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,” says Ecclesiastes. To make the transition to the new realities easier, I’ve been taking small steps in preparation, like treating myself to wearing a new article of clothing that I love everyday, to psyche myself up and get used to the (happily) unfamiliar. On the writing front, I’m pondering my next book and I’m allowing myself to dream up all sorts of interesting scenarios, because I just may be at a crossroads here, too. After targeting one market for a few years, I recognize that, depending on the editor’s reaction to the current submission, it might be time to reinvent myself. I’m not interested in leaving romance, but maybe a new format, a slightly different subgenre, might be in the stars for me. We’ll see. Either way, I’m preparing myself for the next step.

The crown chakra is symbolized by the lotus flower, “the flower with a thousand petals.” It’s said that we humans are each born with a thousand talents, all different, and it’s part of our journey here on earth to recognize our talents and to share them with the world. How can we recognize our unexplored talents if we’re not forced out of our comfortable ruts and into new territory now and then?

So that’s me, sad but optimistic, and excited to move on.

What about you? Do you have any coping mechanisms to share for times of change? Big or small, I’m interested.

Giving Thanks

Next Thursday is Thanksgiving! It is one of my favorite holidays and I appreciate having a designated day set aside to give thanks. Having said that, I try to give thanks every day . . . even (especially) on the tough days when it's hard to power up that attitude of gratitude.

When I break down the pieces that make up my life, I realize just how many things I am grateful for. But the one thing that surprised me, was just how thankful I am for the writing. Writing can be one of the most frustrating endeavors of my day. Not enough time to write. Plots not working. Characters not cooperating. Story not feeling compelling enough. There are times when I want to rip my hair out for even trying!

But for all its frustrations, writing has brought me so much joy and goodness. Such satisfaction, challenge, distraction, hope, opportunity, and growth to my life. Not to mention some of my most cherished friends!

It's been a tough week here, but it is during these tough times when gratitude is at its most important! I am so thankful!

Seize the day!
-Jessica

Yeah, I know - I promised an update about the undisclosed location, but my deadline is at the end of the week, and I'm sure my editor would prefer I write words for her than this blog.

Quickly: This weekend netted abut 30 pages of usable material. I'm sorry I didn't stay two nights. And I highly recommend the "hide yourself and write" getaway to everyone, whether they are on deadline or not.

Now, scroll down and read Cathryn's post if you haven't already.

Happy writing! Barb

Home Courses for Writers--and a Tip on “Overcoming Creative Anxiety”

Don’t you love the internet? Years ago I had to take my writing classes only by physically traveling to community colleges or writing conferences. Now there’s been an explosion of writing classes--craft, industry, and writer’s life--available by internet. Most cost a nominal fee and some include feedback, often from multi-published authors. In the past year I’ve taken courses on character development, plotting, book promotion, and writing motivation. All have been worthwhile.

Which brings me to an interesting course available now at the Daily Om. I’ve enjoyed several of this site’s courses in the past (Balancing Chakras, Learning Ayurveda), but I was pleased to see they are currently offering a set of writing-related lessons from Eric Maisel, called “Overcoming Creative Anxiety.” Dr. Maisel, you might remember, has presented at the RWA National Conference and is an expert in counseling creative and performing artists, especially writers.

The Daily Om course is available here. Enrollment in the 16-lesson course, one lesson emailed to you every four days, costs as little as a dollar for the entire course (you decide how much you want to pay). I’ve been actively working on the first lesson, and already it’s helped me. See the above photo? That was taken off the coast of Cozumel just before a storm, and it symbolizes how my body feels when I'm facing anxiety. But I used a suggested tool of Dr. Maisel's to power through my Golden Heart entries yesterday, and now they’re snug in their box on the way to Texas. (Please wish me luck!)

Good luck with all your creative endeavors this week! And please share if you've taken any good internet classes lately--I'm always looking for new tips.

A Few of My Favorite Things

What do you get for the writer who has everything?

With the holiday season fast approaching, I thought it might be fun to brainstorm some gift ideas for the writer in your life. For most of us writers, when we see something we think will be helpful to our writing life we go out and get it -- whether it's an impulse purchase (I just have to have that craft book!) or the end reward after that long haul to THE END. (I have my eye on a few pieces of jewelry for my rewards list.)

But there are other, smaller, practical and out-of-the-ordinary gifts that writers could use to help us get from page one to the finish line. They may not be sexy, high-end items, but they help!

Here are some thoughts, and I hope you will add wants from your wish list to the comments section below!

Microwavable Heating Pad - On first thought, receiving a gift like this might feel more like getting a vacuum cleaner for your wedding anniversary, but trust me when I tell you that throwing a heat pack on your back or shoulders after a long session at the computer feels like a treat from heaven. I have a therabead heat pack and all it takes is about a minute in the microwave to deliver relaxing heat therapy to my sore muscles! And the best part is that the pack is reusable and will last forever.

Magnetic Therapy Bracelet - Magnet therapy is the application of magnets to the body for purported health benefits. These benefits may be specific -- healing certain wounds, for example -- or more general, such as increasing energy and vitality. I am always looking to increase my energy levels and magnet therapy may be my next step! There is a whole host of jewelry magnet therapy options, but I think I am partial to the bracelets.

Treadmill Laptop Stand - I should first put a treadmill on my wish list because I have gotten more sedentary and less active and I feel the weight effects of every additional ounce. (Ouch!) But between work and writing and life and other things, I am having the hardest time trying to carve out that extra hour for exercise. One solution I would like to try is to write while I walk on the treadmill . . . and there are a number of products out there that serve as a shelf for your laptop, whether on a treadmill, a stationary bike or an elliptical machine. The product I'm looking at is a treadmill desk called the Walk N Work.

Writing Blanket - This time of year, I always catch a chill when I sit for long periods of time. And at the risk of having rotten produce tossed my way, I thought I would add the Snuggie to my list.

Fingerless Gloves - In the same spirit, I thought I might add fingerless gloves to the mix. Those of us that live in drafty, old colonial homes can attest to the fact that our extremities tend to get chilled. Fingerless gloves let us be a bit warmer while still trying to be productive.

Time Management Planner and Calendar - I am always looking for tools to help me better plan and organize my time relative to tasks and projects. I have yet to come up with the system that works best for me, but one tool I may look to try is The Franklin Planner. Their web site has prime examples of planning options and even has a section where you can design your own planning system.

Gift Cards - I have yet to meet the writer who does not covet the gift card. Some writerly favorites include Borders Books and Music, Barnes and Noble, Staples, iTunes. When it comes to writers' gifts, you can't go wrong with books, mood music, or office supplies.

If you're looking for more whimsical and fun little treats to buy for the writer in your life, I like the list posted on the InkyGirl blog. You can find her list in the post entitled, Holiday Gifts for Writers or Holiday Gifts for Writers, Librarians, and Bibliophiles.

So what about you guys? Anything else you want to add to the list -- practical, fun, or otherwise?

Seize the day!
-Jessica

Of Deadlines, Juggling and Undisclosed Locations

This weekend I'm doing something I've never done before. I'm pulling a Dick Cheney and heading to an undisclosed location where I can immerse myself in work for twenty-four hours.

I'm both excited and nervous about doing this. Excited because it's like embarking on an adventure. Nervous because all of a sudden twenty-four hours doesn't seem nearly long enough.

See, whenever I have a deadline, there comes a point where panic sets in. I look around and realize that while I still have pages and pages left to go, my myopic obsession with getting the novel done has led to a messy house, a lack of groceries, a checkbook that's woefully unbalanced and a teenager yelling "Mom, I have no underwear!" It's at that moment I realize I have way too many balls in the air and there's no way I can juggle any of them. Something's going to fall between the cracks.

Thus is the dilemma of being a mother/writer in a nutshell. When did it become a rule that we had to juggle everything? My husband, who is also under a tough deadline, has no qualms about going to the office for the weekend and letting things slide. Why can't I do the same thing? And why, if I want to truly put my writing first, do I have to physically remove myself from the house and family to do so? What I wouldn't give to bury myself in work - at home - and not be peripherally aware that there are dishes piling up in the sink.

But getting back to my undisclosed location. I'm taking great pains this weekend to make sure I have no distractions. I've arranged for an early check in. I'm bringing snacks so I won't need to make a "snack food run", I'm bringing extra drinks, I'm planning on ordering room service, and I'm ignoring my husband's suggestion that I bring a bathing suit so I can visit the hot tub. I'm even forgoing my laptop in favor of my alphasmart so I won't be able to play on the Internet. The only thing that remains is planning my time so I'm most effective. With luck, I'll emerge twenty-four hours later with a whole lot of pages.

Do any of you have suggestions to help me make the most of my sequestering? Items I need to pack, tips for making the most of my time? I'm open to anything, so suggest away.

I'll report back next week on how I did.