A Not-So Trivial Pursuit

Wanted to say good luck to the hundreds of aspiring romance authors who have recently shipped out their Golden Heart entries. Deciding to enter the 2009 RWA Golden Heart contest gave me my very first writerly deadline, and it taught me how to finish a book in a timely fashion, to how to format a manuscript, bind it, write my very first terrible synopsis (of many), and most valuable of all, how to put a submission out of my head for months at a time and move on to the next story.

While I was home for the holiday weekend, I pulled this card in Trivial Pursuit, from the ever-classic 1997 Genus IV edition…

Pretty cool, huh? Oh, and since I know you're curious, the answer to the science and nature question is "the frog." So good luck, Golden Heart entrants—especially those I already call friends. Keep your brains trained on the next book, and keep those frogs tied to your jaws. You'll need firm teeth, after all, what with all the chronic grinding damage you'll incur once you inevitably publish. Got my fingers crossed for all of you!

Looking forward… (plus a contest)

This is a repost from the Blaze Authors Blog from Thursday, in case any of the Super Lucky #1 Fun Blog's visitors might like a chance to win a book.

Hey, everyone! Happy… Dear God, mid-November? When did that happen?

I know it's a bit premature, but I've been thinking about goals for the new year. Goals have been on my mind all through 2011, since I've been doing all those ridiculous monthly Lent experiments, and while I don't want to do anything as intensive and constant as Discipline Year again any time soon, I am still very much pro-goal. So what to aim for, in 2012? Some aims are obvious; write and sell as many books as I can. Stay healthy. Learn when to step away from the keyboard. And between July (no sugar) and this month, alcohol-free Novembooze, I'm eager to keep eliminating sugar from my diet (if anyone else shares that mission, I can't recommend this lecture enough as motivation). But here are some more measurable, targeted goals I've been kicking around:

1. Read more. I'd like to read one hundred books in 2012. That's two a week, and I know to some of you voracious types, that's laughable. You could read a hundred books by April, I bet! But in the past few years, since becoming a writer, my fiction-reading skills have taken a battering. Every book I open up turns into a lesson. Not drudgery, not homework, but I'm so semi-consciously preoccupied with seeing how other authors put their words and stories together, it takes me ages to read, now. I'd love to relearn how to read quickly, nuts to turning the act into a learning experience. So, a hundred books in a year. That's my first goal.

2. Cook new things. My vegetarian month, Meat-Free May, and our participation in a farm-share program (we get a box of fresh, local, seasonal vegetables every week) have reminded how much fun it is to try new recipes. I'd like to try a new recipe once a week in the new year, to keep my modest culinary repertoire expanding…and to make grocery shopping a bit more adventurous.

3. Run ten miles. I used to hate running. But in the last decade it's gone from torture to chore to routine to something I even look forward to, some days. But I've yet to run farther than five and a half miles without stopping, and most days I go about three. I'd love to be able to say I ran ten miles, even just once, just to know I can do it. I'm going to aim to reach that goal by my birthday (May 2), with a little help from a renewed YMCA membership once the weather here turns inhospitable. Which could be any second now. [checks watch]

4. Land an agent. I really need to get off my butt and do this! It's a scary goal, because of all the ones I've listed, it's the one whose success is ultimately out of my hands. I can try and try and try, but I could still fall short. But that's a stupid reason to not try, so come January, I'm an author on a mission!

So those are my goals. I think 2012 is going to be an exciting year! I'll be attending my first Romantic Times Booklovers' Convention in April, and those folks actually just nominated Caught on Camera for an RT Reviewers' Choice Award, for best series debut. Pretty cool. So cool, in fact, let's do a contest! Tell me a goal you have in mind for the new year, and I'll pick a commenter [from the original post's comments] at random to win a paperback copy of Caught on Camera (or if you've already read it and you're patient, I promise I'll mail you a copy of my next Blaze, once it's published). I'll even make the contest international, so go ahead—tell me what you hope to accomplish in 2012! I'll pick a winner on Sunday, around noon, EST, and announce it in the Blaze Authors Blog comments.

Take care! Can’t wait to hear what your goals are.

Meg

Prepare yourself…

Move over, shifters and vampires, SEALs and cowboys and sheikhs—2012 is going to be the Year of the Lumberjack! Sharpen your axe, fluff your beard, and stay tuned for exciting contest details in the coming weeks…

My book, you knows you wants it.

Quick note—it's my day to post on the Blaze Authors Blog, and as it's St. Patrick's Day, a holiday all about luck, I'm giving away a paperback copy (or perhaps two) of my Blaze debut, Caught on Camera (out in bookstores next month). Head over HERE for a chance to win!

DA BWAHA 2011: It's ON!

Sorry to cross-pollinate again, but my erotica-writing alter ego Cara McKenna's novella Willing Victim got tapped for DA BWAHA 2011 (the March Madness-style book tournament put on jointly by the romance review blogs Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books) and shameless self-pimping by the authors is compulsory. The deadline to create your bracket for a chance to win mad-good prizes is midnight tonight, CST. Voting begins shortly on the DA BWAHA blog!

The man-titty war has officially begun, set off by this gem from Meljean Brook. Well I didn't earn that BFA in graphic design to just let my Photoshop skillz rest on their laurels when the shrapnel begins to fly.

Mike Myers presents…

Remember a couple of weeks ago when everyone's favorite one-man blog harem stopped by to announce his intentions to pen an entry for our chapter's unpublished writers' contest? Well, wouldn't you know it, Mike's got an update for us! And make no mistake, he's earned the title of High Exalted Procrastinator yet again…

PART III: Contest Edition! 

Welcome to a special Procrastinator’s Guide to Writing—Contest Edition! My local RWA chapter holds an annual First Kiss Contest for unpublished writers. I’ve submitted each of the past two years and have yet to final. “How can that be?” you are probably asking yourself, right? The answer could be anything from getting assigned judges who were just having bad days (doubtful), the writing wasn’t up to snuff (likely) but I’m guessing the biggest culprit is that for two years running I’ve waited until the last possible day submissions are accepted to put pen to paper and write the darned things. And surprise, surprise, here we find ourselves at our Third Annual What Do You Mean the Submission Is Due Today? Day.

Some of you might suggest I blow the contest off but that’s just not an option. First of all I committed to entering, and while I am notoriously unreliable in keeping personal deadlines, I’d like to think that when I commit to someone other than myself I come through in most cases. Secondly I am entering because the contest is run by great friend Jennie Brown and it would be criminal of me not to take advantage of the opportunity her hard work (as well as that of the volunteer judges) provides. Third reason for putting myself through this? Because I really, really would like to final one of these times. And yes, I realize it would seem if I really wanted to final so badly I’d put a little more effort into crafting my entry. The issue is that putting that much effort into a single aspect of my book would run counter to my current “just write it and worry about it later” mindset, or at least that’s the justification I’m using, so please just indulge me this one delusion.

Okay, so you’ve been brought up to date. I’m off to work where I’ll brainstorm during the commute and start writing during my lunch break. By then we’ll be down to about twelve hours until the submission deadline having yet to write word one of my entry. Hope the muse has her thinking cap on.

* * *

Deadline—12 hours: Lunchtime at work. Had a co-worker pick up an Italian sub so I wouldn’t have to go out myself and therefore can use the entire thirty minutes writing (hey, you don’t get this kind of inside info in just any blog post). Wish me luck. (BTW, has anyone seen my muse milling about? She was supposed to meet me here ten minutes ago. Lazy good for nothing <inaudible grumbling and questionable cuss words omitted>...

Deadline—9 hours: Operation Lunchtime/Crunchtime Writing session didn’t go as smoothly as planned (I know, who’d have thunk it) as an emergency came up at work that’s kept me busy until now. So as of this minute, Hours Remaining: 9  Words Written: 0

I have to admit I’m not all warm and fuzzy on the productivity front thus far. And on another side note, should I be worried that I found a picture of my muse on the side of my lunchtime milk carton? That can’t be good. Oh well, let’s give this another shot. Well hello blank page...we meet again.

Deadline—3 hours: Better progress on Lunchtime/Crunchtime Take 2. Words were actually written which I’m assuming is an improvement over my earlier attempts of utter failure, so now I have a couple hundred words to get me started. Kids are finished fighting (please let them be finished fighting) and watching a movie. Dinner is ready and a quick TP run to the market (we were down to half a roll) has been crossed off the to do list. Time to get cracking. Down to one hundred and eighty minutes to get this puppy in the Sent Mail folder.

Deadline—2 hours: I’m actually happy with the progress so far. Miss Muse decided to stop by for a visit after all and since I was too focused on deadline to ground her for abandoning me earlier today I let her go about her business and assist in transforming my drab pile of monosyllabic words just the slightest bit more interesting. Had to take a break to put the kiddos to bed. I read them part of the scene and they laughed in all the right places, so that’s got to be a good sign, right? Now back to work.

Deadline—1 hour: Starting to get a tad worried. I think I can tie it all together but I just remembered there’s also an entry form to fill out as well as a set-up page to write. This is going to be tough. Can’t stop now, gotta write...

Deadline passed: Wow, what a wild and crazy three hours that turned out to be. In the end I finished the scene, with a whole seven minutes to complete the entry form and write the overview leading up to the scene. In the end I e-mailed it at the very last minute. Can’t procrastinate any better than that right? Or maybe, “Can’t procrastinate any worse than that” would be more appropriate.

For those of you who enter contests in the future, please let this be a lesson to you. Mark the deadline for the contest on your calendar, then schedule dates for each part of the creation process. First draft, read-through, second draft, read-through, polishing, feedback, and for heaven’s sake make sure you have the paperwork and set-up sheet filled in before the clock’s striking midnight. My heart is still racing.

Whew, mine too. Whenever I read Mike's posts I get violent flashbacks to that opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Watch out for those angry natives, Mike. As always, everyone be sure to follow and stalk Mike on Twitter @MikeMyersWriter. Harass and distract him ad nauseum, because as we know, it's what he loves best.

Mike doing what he does best…

…procrastinating like hell then signing himself up for extra credit assignments that border on masochism. Now that's a writer! Without further ado, please welcome Mike Myers for a quickie guest post.

Okay, special treat for everyone today. The New England Chapter of Romance Writers of America is holding their annual First Kiss Contest. The deadline had been extended until October 15th at midnight, which is tonight. So in true procrastinator style I put off writing the scene as long as possible. Now I've awakened to discover that the entry is due today and I've written nothing. And of course this couldn't be on a kid-free weekend where I can focus on writing ten pages and getting it out the virtual door (don't you love the invention of the e-mail submission?). No, today is a work day, and a Friday no less. On top of that it's a kid night to boot so I have my work cut out for me.  So what would anyone with any common sense do on a day like this? Why add a little more onto the pile of course, so not only will I be writing and editing a contest submission from scratch, but I'll be writing a companion article on it as well to share with my Procrastinator's Guide readership (yup, all eight or so of you).

Here's my challenge to all of you. If you're an unpubbed newbie like myself, head on over to http://www.necrwa.org/kisscontest.html and enter the contest as well. Chances are you probably already have the scene written, and even if you don't, you're in the same boat as me except without an article to write. I'm throwing down the gauntlet. You don't want some talentless hack (and a guy no less) to have any legitimate shot at finaling in a contest with a submission he threw together at the last minute, right? (Hey, it could happen.) So get motivated, roll up your writing sleeves, polish up that first kiss scene, search the couch cushions for the $15 entrance fee and make sure you check back later for a recap on how my own Contest-a-palooza Day of Joy turned out. And remember, don't put off until tomorrow that which can be put off even longer.