Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Bumpits

Bumpit. It sounds like a dirty word doesn’t it? Or a cushion for your behind? It’s actually a hair piece that allows you to create a pretty fantastic updo without a nervous breakdown.  Would I turn this down? Would I turn it away? Not when I have a wedding to go to at the end of August!

I am the queen of cheating when it comes to my hair. One day I’ll work out how to keep it perfectly clean and brushed without having to wash or brush it ever again…just give me time.

On a writing note, synopsis has become a dirty word in my house. It’ll earn you a glare in a good week or hysterical crying if I’m actually working on one. It’s two double spaced pages of torture to me and what comes out of that work at the end is often laughable (and not in a good way). Right at the moment I don’t have to worry about my synopsis. Why? Well, because I’ve managed to develop a block when it comes to writing them.

Having never experienced writer’s block I can now officially tell you it sucks, and staring at that blank word document is enough to make you go cross eyed and start slurring your words. So how do you combat this? Do you hope like hell that Harlequin suddenly decides they don’t want a synopsis anymore?

Yes. That’s exactly what you do!

Right at the moment I’m tempted to print of a sheet with my next ms stating that there is no synopsis because I’m incapable of writing one. Let’s see if they remember me then!

I think the problem is that I’ve changed my writing processes. Lately I’ve been struggling with the synopsis after I’ve completed the ms, so I decided to write it first (which I’ve done before so it didn’t seem like such a stupid idea at the time). The result is I can’t write anything at all! Genius idea huh? I’ve gone from being unable to focus or draw out the correct elements, resulting in a synopsis I’m bored with (and I imagine the editor will be too!) to not being able to write anything at all!

Is anyone else writing a synopsis? Want to come and cry on my shoulder? Want me to encourage you to go on strike and write that note?

Dear Editor,

There is no synopsis. There will never be a synopsis. The synopsis is a figment of your imagination.

Sincerely,

Lacey Devlin


No? Too many words? How about one: STRIKE.

The great synopsis strike of 2009, with writers all over the world refusing to… I can hear the little reporter’s voice in my head already.

To anyone writing a synopsis you have my greatest sympathies!
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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Working That Delete Button

I’ve been AWOL while I’ve tried to desperately finish my manuscript for the Desire pitch competition, a manuscript that I hit the delete button on only a couple of hours ago. That probably sounds a little insane because it’s thousands and thousands of words down the drain, but I’ll admit to being a little frustrated with myself. I don’t want to write a book, I want to write a GREAT book and none of my work to date has been that (or at least I don’t think it has been).

The problem is that I can’t pinpoint the problem! Somewhere in the middle something goes splat and that’s about the end of it, which has me thinking I’m either in the wrong profession, the wrong genre, the wrong category, or there’s something very, very wrong with my brain. Either way the days are numbered for any of the manuscripts saved on my computer.

For those of you who are a little less radical, and perhaps a little more optimistic, sharing Nora Roberts philosophy of revamping previous attempts and selling them I give you a link to Susan Meier’s Can This Manuscript be Saved? Which helps you to identify your problem as either scene, story or word. It’s fascinating stuff for anyone who has an intense dislike for editing (probably because that’s what they’re doing at the moment).

On a disheartening note my pitch for the Silhouette Desire contest wasn’t chosen, I’m not sure if that means I put Diana to sleep with two simple sentences but it certainly doesn’t speak well for me that I can’t write a riveting logline. I think it will be a very long time before I get up the courage to pitch in person :). A huge congrats to the NINE (not five) finalists I’m hoping for nine full manuscript requests :).

For those of you who have Modern Heat (Sexy Sensation) or Modern Romance (Sexy Romance) manuscript waiting in the wings, get over to www.iheartpresents.com who will be having their second Instant Seduction competition in July. I won’t be entering this year (since I’ve deleted all my work ;) ) but I will be cheering on all of you who do so let me know if you’re entering so that I can find my cheerleading costume and get a banner done up :)
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Thursday, June 11, 2009

AND...SEND!

So yesterday I hit the send button on my pitch and was vaguely disappointed when streamers didn’t erupt from my computer. Usually I’d wait until the last second in case some extra information pops up that I need to incorporate but this time I’m trying calm over totally panicked self-doubt. So I hit that button and off it went, paper bag please.

Today I have ice packs strapped to my face. I look great, if I do say so myself… kids scream at everything these days right???

I’ve just had my wisdom teeth out. I got lucky since my scheduled surgery is in September but someone cancelled so yay for me! If you can call having three lots of stitches in your mouth a “yay”… I’ll let you be the judge. I’m doing it the fun way—no pain killers—and so far so good. That’s possibly because it’s numb ;)

What I should really be doing is perfecting my manuscript etc for the pitch so I don’t get caught out but if you can’t act wounded for a day when you have chipmunk cheeks when can you?

Anyone participating in the 30K in 30 Days challenge is being productive enough to counter act my entry into blob world (come on in, we do a lot of sitting here, and… nothing).

I take my hat (or my ice pack) off to you!
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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Down The Toilet



“There are days I’d rather clean the toilet than write”



Ahh the words of B.J. Daniels, who writes Intrigue, and who, let’s face it, has spunk! I’m not quite tempering an urge to clean the toilet but I probably could stand and bash my forehead against a wall for an hour rather than read my own work again. Not because it’s particularly bad (although it very well could be) but because my characters aren’t eagerly awaiting me to tell their story and have been going out of their way to make me work for every single word for the last few weeks.

This is what happens when I write only one story at a time (you would think I’d have seen it coming) and because I’m writing to a deadline I don’t have the luxury of putting my work aside and chatting with two different characters who actually want to cooperate with me.

Enter the skim reading phenomenon.

Have you ever found that you’ve read your story so many times you’re no reading it but skimming over it? I blame years at university for permanently damaging my ability to read like a normal person. The little perfectionist imp on my shoulder is cracking the whip and is definitely not happy with the finished product but procrastination has kicked in and now I fear I’m a goner (at least for today).

Right now, I could quite happily delete the entire thing out of pure frustration. Aren’t the characters supposed to do as they’re told? Would someone please tell mine that? Perhaps I’ll change their names to something completely ridiculous as punishment… Snugglepot and Cuddlepie come to mind…


“What an amazing profession: getting paid to give life to your imagination” – BJ Daniels

Perhaps my imagination has a little too much life at the moment?
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© 2013 Lacey Devlin

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