I have reached that age when I’m supposed to be dignified and refined. Yeah, that’s not going to work for me. This is my true confessions blog. I’m going to confess and admit in public some embarrassing facts. Actually I’m not embarrassed; in fact I’d like to meet the people who think I should be embarrassed by my tastes.
I’m going to start with candy. You heard me. Candy. I don’t like dark chocolate. I don’t care if it has antioxidants, I don’t like it. I like milk chocolate, and it had better be filled with nuts or caramel, and from a European nation, preferably Switzerland or Germany. But chocolate is easy. I’m not a huge chocolate fan in any case. The candy I really like is bubble gum. The old school stuff--the stuff that’s pink and semi-hard: Bazooka, Dubble Bubble, etc. I also like Pixi Stix, Sweet Tarts, and Lik-M-Aid. That’s right, kid stuff.
I’m not a big drinker. I like my drinks with umbrellas and fruit. I don’t understand wine, and I’m not a connoisseur. I won’t drink red wine, I don’t like white much, but I will drink White Zin. I will also drink what I call Kool-Aid wine--those fruity wines that really have no right to call themselves wine and taste like fruit punch. I know, I know. I would hang my head in shame, but really, I’m fine with it.
I don’t drink coffee unless it has four packets of sugar and lots of cream. It has to taste like hot coffee ice cream. Or it has to be one of the International Coffees…but not the chocolate ones. I like hot chocolate, but I like the whipped cream on top more than the drink itself. I don’t like tea either, which is really a pain on cold mornings.
Pizza is far from my favorite food, I love sardines and liverwurst (although not together), and apples annoy me. I love Disney movies, cried at all the “Thanks, Mom” commercials during the Olympics, and enjoy big commercial movies more than deep artsy ones. I like to stay up late and sleep in late. I take two hour baths when I can and read in the tub, with snacks and drink. I’m afraid of moths (yes, moths, and butterflies don’t thrill me either), like snakes and rodents, and get thrilled when I see any animals of the non-insect kind in the wild, including the rabbits in our neighborhood.
So what about you? What confessions can you make?
--Gabi
What I’m reading now:
Finished my Rita books
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
The Dark Knight by Frank Miller
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Valentine's Day
I don't do Valentine's Day.
I know, I know. I'm a romance writer, but I still don't do Valentine's Day. I have nothing against it. Go out and celebrate. Get candy, cards, gifts, etc. Enjoy it. Think warm thoughts about your lover, husband, significant other. That's all good. But I don't do Valentine's Day.
My husband and I are both too contrary. I admit it. It is a major character flaw. If someone (whoever may hold that power) tells us we must celebrate or do something, we don't. (OK, I'm not talking about paying taxes or seeing a doctor here--I'm talking about the fluffy stuff.) While we agree that we need to show each other our affection, esteem, and care, we just choose not to do it on Valentine's Day. Although I did make him bacon this morning because I love him.
No, I believe that little tokens of love, gestures, favors, surprises are better when they aren't proclaimed by some day, when they come spontaneously and are truly a surprise. It's too easy for my husband to bring flowers on Valentine's or my birthday. It's too expected and gets him off the hook too easily. It's much more difficult to show those feelings when it comes from the feelings themselves.
Now that I think about it, it's really hard, and there are definitely times we both fail in showing our love for each other, but when we do, it means so much more. And I think I'll make a resolution for myself now (you did read my post that said I don't do New Year's resolutions either, right?): I will make more of an effort throughout the year to show my husband and family I do think of them often with love. And I'll try to cut the hubby a little more slack.
So happy Valentine's Day. It's always a good thing to celebrate love.
-Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Still working on the Ritas, but I've picked up several for my TBR pile when I've finished.
I know, I know. I'm a romance writer, but I still don't do Valentine's Day. I have nothing against it. Go out and celebrate. Get candy, cards, gifts, etc. Enjoy it. Think warm thoughts about your lover, husband, significant other. That's all good. But I don't do Valentine's Day.
My husband and I are both too contrary. I admit it. It is a major character flaw. If someone (whoever may hold that power) tells us we must celebrate or do something, we don't. (OK, I'm not talking about paying taxes or seeing a doctor here--I'm talking about the fluffy stuff.) While we agree that we need to show each other our affection, esteem, and care, we just choose not to do it on Valentine's Day. Although I did make him bacon this morning because I love him.
No, I believe that little tokens of love, gestures, favors, surprises are better when they aren't proclaimed by some day, when they come spontaneously and are truly a surprise. It's too easy for my husband to bring flowers on Valentine's or my birthday. It's too expected and gets him off the hook too easily. It's much more difficult to show those feelings when it comes from the feelings themselves.
Now that I think about it, it's really hard, and there are definitely times we both fail in showing our love for each other, but when we do, it means so much more. And I think I'll make a resolution for myself now (you did read my post that said I don't do New Year's resolutions either, right?): I will make more of an effort throughout the year to show my husband and family I do think of them often with love. And I'll try to cut the hubby a little more slack.
So happy Valentine's Day. It's always a good thing to celebrate love.
-Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Still working on the Ritas, but I've picked up several for my TBR pile when I've finished.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Inspiration
I’ve been waiting for inspiration to strike me for my next blog.
OK, let me say that’s a major error on my part. Inspiration doesn’t need to strike a writer. A writer has to write anyway. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like it, you have to do it. If you are a writer. If you are a dabbler, then by all means write when the mood or muse hits you. But if you are a writer, then write. No excuses.
If you want to pursue this as a career, if you want to be a professional, you sit your butt in the chair and write. Even if every line feels like it has to be yanked from your soul with serious tongs. Even if every word makes your brain hurt. Even if you’re tired, lazy, unhappy, giddy, or not in the mood. You write. How do you expect to fulfill contracts if you don’t get in the habit of writing anyway? How do you expect to last in the business if you don’t produce?
The funny thing is usually, once you get started, the words will come. Sometimes they don’t, not even if you’re diligent, but usually they will start to flow. That’s because the muse is shy sometimes. Sometimes she wants to hide, so she leaves you without the inspiration to create. But if you start creating without her, she eventually wants to take part because it’s fun. There’s that lovely sense of accomplishment when you’ve finished with a short goal (2000K words or one chapter or any such goal you may have). You’ve added to your manuscript, you’ve revised, whatever, but you’ve taken concrete steps in your career or toward publication.
And see? Even though I had trouble getting this blog up and going, once I started, the words came and now it’s done.
--Gabi
P.S. I received my ARC’s for THE WISH LIST. Yippee!!
Books I’m reading now:
Still the RITA books, the titles of which I am still not sharing with you.
OK, let me say that’s a major error on my part. Inspiration doesn’t need to strike a writer. A writer has to write anyway. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like it, you have to do it. If you are a writer. If you are a dabbler, then by all means write when the mood or muse hits you. But if you are a writer, then write. No excuses.
If you want to pursue this as a career, if you want to be a professional, you sit your butt in the chair and write. Even if every line feels like it has to be yanked from your soul with serious tongs. Even if every word makes your brain hurt. Even if you’re tired, lazy, unhappy, giddy, or not in the mood. You write. How do you expect to fulfill contracts if you don’t get in the habit of writing anyway? How do you expect to last in the business if you don’t produce?
The funny thing is usually, once you get started, the words will come. Sometimes they don’t, not even if you’re diligent, but usually they will start to flow. That’s because the muse is shy sometimes. Sometimes she wants to hide, so she leaves you without the inspiration to create. But if you start creating without her, she eventually wants to take part because it’s fun. There’s that lovely sense of accomplishment when you’ve finished with a short goal (2000K words or one chapter or any such goal you may have). You’ve added to your manuscript, you’ve revised, whatever, but you’ve taken concrete steps in your career or toward publication.
And see? Even though I had trouble getting this blog up and going, once I started, the words came and now it’s done.
--Gabi
P.S. I received my ARC’s for THE WISH LIST. Yippee!!
Books I’m reading now:
Still the RITA books, the titles of which I am still not sharing with you.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
How to Write a Romance--Research
So, research. The word alone makes lesser mortals tremble. I’m kidding. Research is the stuff you do that isn’t actual writing but you need to make your writing better. Besides, you shouldn’t be afraid to learn new things or learn things more in depth.
I can’t think of a writing project I have undertaken that didn’t require research.
For THE WISH LIST, I didn’t have much research to do. It was my world, my rules. But…the story is set in San Diego. I went to college in San Diego. My husband grew up in San Diego. My father-in-law lives in San Diego. Nevertheless, I had to do research on places. So not only did I ask my husband about all his memories of the city, I also played on Google Earth for days, pored over maps, and visited hundreds of web sites. And when we went to spend the holidays with my FIL, we drove around the city itself. I found the cottage that appears in my novel. And since then I have written the second book, SPELLBOUND, but before I finished we drove around Del Mar just so I could get a feel for the place.
Research isn’t always so physical, but it will happen in one form or another. Most romance writers think research is only necessary if you’re working on a historical. Wrong. There’s always something. Now that I’m working on the third book of the series, TOIL AND TROUBLE, I needed to do research on weaving. (My heroine weaves—she couldn’t be a German teacher, no. she is a weaver.) The worst thing about my research on weaving is that I suddenly started thinking that I want to learn to weave in reality. Don’t worry. I talked myself off that ledge pretty easily (Like I have time to add a hobby.) But the research was so cool.
Whether you need to find out if a person who gets knocked out, then rouses to have a conversation with the heroine, then passes out again, would live in the Middle Ages (It helps if your critique partner is a nurse—Thanks, Brenda) (Oh, and by the way, he probably wouldn’t) or if you need to know which poison works the fastest, its all about gaining knowledge. Knowledge is power.
Research is crucial because you WILL receive letters or comments from people who do know more than you. I remember reading a story set in Venice, Italy, and within the first three chapters the hero and heroine were driving around Venice in a coach and four. Really? In Venice? Uh, no. I read a romance set in New Mexico where the hero ate a dinner of typically New Mexican food: red and green chili. That’s not a meal. Red and Green CHILE are condiments. Even expertise in an area doesn’t make you immune to criticism. I have a friend who has owned or ridden horses her entire life. She participated in equestrian events as a child and still has horses today. She entered a contest with a manuscript that has horses in it. The judge dinged her on her horse information, then wrote that she had been around horses her whole life and if my friend needed help with horse stuff she could contact the judge.
I haven’t written one…yet…but I would wager that elements of sci fi stories need research.
The danger of doing too much cool research is using way more than you need in your story. Most people don’t read romances to learn about a topic (although you certainly can learn from romance novels). In using what I learned about weaving, I didn’t think I had to go into all the parts of the loom. I needed to know about it so I could write comfortably, but my goal isn’t to educate the reader. My goal was to be knowledgeable enough about the subject not to make mistakes when I wrote about weaving. I don’t want to receive letters that tell me my heroine couldn’t do that (Of course my heroine knows magic, so who’s to say she couldn’t weave that way with her powers-heeheehee).
So where do you begin? Wherever you wish. There is no right way to research. There are sources available everywhere, and all kinds of sources available. If you want a short list of sources you may not have thought of, visit my web site and click on the “For Writers” page. There you will find an article on Historical Research, but many of the items apply to all kinds of research.
So plunge into the research and don’t be afraid that you’ll do something wrong. Knowledge is good, and knowing more is better. And who knows, maybe you will teach yourself and readers about whole new worlds. How can that be scary?
--Gabi
Books I’m reading now:
My RITA novels, and I’m not telling you what they are—confidentiality must be maintained (For you non-RWA readers, the RITA is the award given for the best romance novels of the year.)
I can’t think of a writing project I have undertaken that didn’t require research.
For THE WISH LIST, I didn’t have much research to do. It was my world, my rules. But…the story is set in San Diego. I went to college in San Diego. My husband grew up in San Diego. My father-in-law lives in San Diego. Nevertheless, I had to do research on places. So not only did I ask my husband about all his memories of the city, I also played on Google Earth for days, pored over maps, and visited hundreds of web sites. And when we went to spend the holidays with my FIL, we drove around the city itself. I found the cottage that appears in my novel. And since then I have written the second book, SPELLBOUND, but before I finished we drove around Del Mar just so I could get a feel for the place.
Research isn’t always so physical, but it will happen in one form or another. Most romance writers think research is only necessary if you’re working on a historical. Wrong. There’s always something. Now that I’m working on the third book of the series, TOIL AND TROUBLE, I needed to do research on weaving. (My heroine weaves—she couldn’t be a German teacher, no. she is a weaver.) The worst thing about my research on weaving is that I suddenly started thinking that I want to learn to weave in reality. Don’t worry. I talked myself off that ledge pretty easily (Like I have time to add a hobby.) But the research was so cool.
Whether you need to find out if a person who gets knocked out, then rouses to have a conversation with the heroine, then passes out again, would live in the Middle Ages (It helps if your critique partner is a nurse—Thanks, Brenda) (Oh, and by the way, he probably wouldn’t) or if you need to know which poison works the fastest, its all about gaining knowledge. Knowledge is power.
Research is crucial because you WILL receive letters or comments from people who do know more than you. I remember reading a story set in Venice, Italy, and within the first three chapters the hero and heroine were driving around Venice in a coach and four. Really? In Venice? Uh, no. I read a romance set in New Mexico where the hero ate a dinner of typically New Mexican food: red and green chili. That’s not a meal. Red and Green CHILE are condiments. Even expertise in an area doesn’t make you immune to criticism. I have a friend who has owned or ridden horses her entire life. She participated in equestrian events as a child and still has horses today. She entered a contest with a manuscript that has horses in it. The judge dinged her on her horse information, then wrote that she had been around horses her whole life and if my friend needed help with horse stuff she could contact the judge.
I haven’t written one…yet…but I would wager that elements of sci fi stories need research.
The danger of doing too much cool research is using way more than you need in your story. Most people don’t read romances to learn about a topic (although you certainly can learn from romance novels). In using what I learned about weaving, I didn’t think I had to go into all the parts of the loom. I needed to know about it so I could write comfortably, but my goal isn’t to educate the reader. My goal was to be knowledgeable enough about the subject not to make mistakes when I wrote about weaving. I don’t want to receive letters that tell me my heroine couldn’t do that (Of course my heroine knows magic, so who’s to say she couldn’t weave that way with her powers-heeheehee).
So where do you begin? Wherever you wish. There is no right way to research. There are sources available everywhere, and all kinds of sources available. If you want a short list of sources you may not have thought of, visit my web site and click on the “For Writers” page. There you will find an article on Historical Research, but many of the items apply to all kinds of research.
So plunge into the research and don’t be afraid that you’ll do something wrong. Knowledge is good, and knowing more is better. And who knows, maybe you will teach yourself and readers about whole new worlds. How can that be scary?
--Gabi
Books I’m reading now:
My RITA novels, and I’m not telling you what they are—confidentiality must be maintained (For you non-RWA readers, the RITA is the award given for the best romance novels of the year.)
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Rebuilding
I know I said I would write about research this time, but sometimes life has other plans for us.
I just built a new web site. Building something new is an interesting idea right now. Two night ago, my mother's condo was destroyed in a fire (read: she left the building with nothing but what she was wearing. No shoes). Don't worry; she has insurance, and everything will be replaced. My mother doesn't care a lot about "stuff".This is the third time in her life my mother has lost everything: first time was when she left Hungary with nothing but the clothes on her back and my father; second was when my father died and within the space of a year she was robbed and then her house was seriously damaged in an earthquake; and now this.
But all the photos, mementos, and tangible memories are gone. We'll be able to replace some things, but the beret my father wore (they all wore berets in Eastern Europe then) when they left Hungary is gone, as is my baby book and the old family photos. But they aren't important. She is safe and unhurt. And we will rebuild.
That it happened in the same week as the Haiti earthquake puts many things into perspective. But they will also rebuild. With help and money and other aid, but I have no doubt they will rebuild. That's what we humans do. These trying times bring out the best and worst of human behavior.
I choose to focus on the best.
And rebuild.
--Gabi Stevens
Books I'm reading now:
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Born of Night by Sherilyn Kenyon
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I just built a new web site. Building something new is an interesting idea right now. Two night ago, my mother's condo was destroyed in a fire (read: she left the building with nothing but what she was wearing. No shoes). Don't worry; she has insurance, and everything will be replaced. My mother doesn't care a lot about "stuff".This is the third time in her life my mother has lost everything: first time was when she left Hungary with nothing but the clothes on her back and my father; second was when my father died and within the space of a year she was robbed and then her house was seriously damaged in an earthquake; and now this.
But all the photos, mementos, and tangible memories are gone. We'll be able to replace some things, but the beret my father wore (they all wore berets in Eastern Europe then) when they left Hungary is gone, as is my baby book and the old family photos. But they aren't important. She is safe and unhurt. And we will rebuild.
That it happened in the same week as the Haiti earthquake puts many things into perspective. But they will also rebuild. With help and money and other aid, but I have no doubt they will rebuild. That's what we humans do. These trying times bring out the best and worst of human behavior.
I choose to focus on the best.
And rebuild.
--Gabi Stevens
Books I'm reading now:
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Born of Night by Sherilyn Kenyon
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
A Season for Gratitude
When I next pick up the “How to Write a Romance Novel” thread, I’ll speak about research, but it’s that time of year that requires introspection and resolution. Except I don’t make resolutions. I love new beginnings and making plans, but the contrary in me refuses to do so at this time of year. I’d rather look back on some dates. Like February, when I acquired a new agent, or April, when I sold my series. Those dates mean more to me. And I have dates to look forward to. I have to finish the third book in the TIME OF TRANSITION series, tentatively titled TOIL AND TROUBLE. I have new proposals to write and new novels to finish. I’m attending RWA national in July this year, and I’m still thinking about attending RT at the end of April and RomCon in Denver in July. Most of all I’m looking forward to May 2010 when THE WISH LIST comes out.
January 5 is another date I celebrate. It’s my 25th wedding anniversary. Yes, I do have a family and apparently a husband who still loves me. We are a team, Bob and I; he pulls me back to earth when I am in danger of getting lost in my emotions and imagination, and I make him fly when he’s too focused on work. I don’t like to talk about my family here, but this time I think it deserves some attention. I certainly don’t feel as if I’ve been married to the man that long. We have too much fun together, and I am not that old. OK, maybe I am, but I don’t think it, and it’s largely because Bob keeps me young.
The holidays are over, and the new year is coming. It’s just a date and a number--fairly arbitrary if you ask me. But I love the holiday season: time off from the day job, my family is home, and I am grateful for so many things this year. So instead of resolutions, I’d rather just bask in family, enjoy where I am in life, be grateful for the having the joy of writing. I hope you can bask in your life too.
--Gabi
Books I’m reading now:
Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts
Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Spirited Brides by Amanda MacCabe
January 5 is another date I celebrate. It’s my 25th wedding anniversary. Yes, I do have a family and apparently a husband who still loves me. We are a team, Bob and I; he pulls me back to earth when I am in danger of getting lost in my emotions and imagination, and I make him fly when he’s too focused on work. I don’t like to talk about my family here, but this time I think it deserves some attention. I certainly don’t feel as if I’ve been married to the man that long. We have too much fun together, and I am not that old. OK, maybe I am, but I don’t think it, and it’s largely because Bob keeps me young.
The holidays are over, and the new year is coming. It’s just a date and a number--fairly arbitrary if you ask me. But I love the holiday season: time off from the day job, my family is home, and I am grateful for so many things this year. So instead of resolutions, I’d rather just bask in family, enjoy where I am in life, be grateful for the having the joy of writing. I hope you can bask in your life too.
--Gabi
Books I’m reading now:
Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts
Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Spirited Brides by Amanda MacCabe
Friday, December 11, 2009
Agent appreciation day
A fellow writer told me about this day, and I thought it was fantastic. OK, Jen K Blom is also a client of my agent, but, nevertheless, I am ready to gush.
Marlene Stringer is wonderful. She is never too busy for her clients. She answers my questions and responds to my e-mails promptly and with great wisdom. I can bounce ideas off her, get as much or little support from her as I wish, and I trust her. Trust her to tell me if my work isn’t good, and trust her to tell me if it is.
I went through a long drought with my writing. Oh, I was writing, but I wasn’t selling. My confidence was low to the point of non-existence. I had won or finaled in contests in the meantime, but I had no confidence left in my writing.
The day Marlene e-mailed me, I burst into tears. After I talked to her, I was even happier. Here was an agent who knew the business, understood authors, and who wanted me as a client.
Well, she sold my novel (THE WISH LIST, May 2010) and two more a month after we had submitted it. I know it’s about the work and whether the editor likes the submission, Marlene added her insight to my novel and knew which editors to submit to.
I still have major doubts about my writing (a drought will do that to you), but knowing I have a champion in my corner helps me lift those doubts and think that maybe, just maybe, I can write.
So I thank Marlene Stringer of the Stringer Literary Agency for giving me back my confidence and giving me the strength to face this fickle business. It would have broken my heart to quit because I can’t imagine doing anything that would satisfy me more than writing.
--Gabi
Books I’m reading now:
The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig
Marlene Stringer is wonderful. She is never too busy for her clients. She answers my questions and responds to my e-mails promptly and with great wisdom. I can bounce ideas off her, get as much or little support from her as I wish, and I trust her. Trust her to tell me if my work isn’t good, and trust her to tell me if it is.
I went through a long drought with my writing. Oh, I was writing, but I wasn’t selling. My confidence was low to the point of non-existence. I had won or finaled in contests in the meantime, but I had no confidence left in my writing.
The day Marlene e-mailed me, I burst into tears. After I talked to her, I was even happier. Here was an agent who knew the business, understood authors, and who wanted me as a client.
Well, she sold my novel (THE WISH LIST, May 2010) and two more a month after we had submitted it. I know it’s about the work and whether the editor likes the submission, Marlene added her insight to my novel and knew which editors to submit to.
I still have major doubts about my writing (a drought will do that to you), but knowing I have a champion in my corner helps me lift those doubts and think that maybe, just maybe, I can write.
So I thank Marlene Stringer of the Stringer Literary Agency for giving me back my confidence and giving me the strength to face this fickle business. It would have broken my heart to quit because I can’t imagine doing anything that would satisfy me more than writing.
--Gabi
Books I’m reading now:
The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig
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