I May be Back...

...but my mind is still on vacation!  We got back late Sunday trading the veritably sunny skies of FL for the leaden, powdery ones of OH.  Remember when I said I missed the snow?  Well, I didn't miss it quite this much.

I love to look at the white stuff from the comfort of my home, but make me step foot in it, and I balk.  No, really - I do.  For example:  we've been gone for nine days so our house needed to be put back in order.  You know, groceries, books (in my case), the return to a regular exercise routine (my hubby), diapers, baby's food/snacks/milk...well, you get the picture.  Do you think I went out to accomplish all these things?

If your answer was yes, you are sadly mistaken.  Twice in two days, I found ways to convince the husband to get the necessities (and not-so-necessities) for me.  I'm such a sweetie.  :)

In any case, it is good to be home.  Baby and I have already laid down in front of the Christmas tree several times to look up at the lights, I will no longer complain about my bed as this mattress is far superior to the one I occupied last week, and even the cat was happy to see us, though he's taken to "crying" at three in the morning just to make sure someone's around to hear him.

I have yet to write/revise, but give me time.  I'll get to it.  My mind's still recounting palm trees.

~Hetal

Greetings from Florida

For some reason, I thought the weather would be better...but I shouldn't complain.  The variable 65-75 degree temperatures in Orlando are much better than the 30 degrees with flurries currently painting my hometown a pristine white.  That is, until the snow plows get ahold of the powder and turn it a slushy gray.  Still, for those few hours before the city comes out en force to clear paths to workplaces/schools/other, the world is like the inside of a prismatic crystal.

I'm kind of missing the snow right now.

~Hetal

Countdown

To a family vacation!  We leave for Florida on Saturday, but this is not your typical family getaway.  Oh no, we're doing it Desi style (Desi just refers to us as Indians).

My mom was really the mastermind behind the idea, but all planning has fallen upon the shoulders of my sisters and I.  My parents, three sisters, one cousin, hubby, baby, his brother's son (nephew in law?), and I will be down in Orlando for nine days.  Hopefully we'll see Mickey as the nephew's eight and would really enjoy it and my baby sister probably doesn't remember meeting him the first time.

Thankfully, there will be two cars for the sixteen hour drive down, but oy!  Can you imagine the potential dramas/crisis' that will arise?  Relaxing this will not be.

Oh well, why am I complaining?  At least I'll get out of the frigidness that is Ohio for awhile.   ;)

~Hetal

A little rant about sore losers

I only have one rejection under my belt, and the disappointment was crushing, but I believe that I handled it pretty well.  The dejection settled in me for a day, maybe two, numbing my normally hot temper and silencing my ever active tongue.  I couldn't write, didn't want to go back to that particular piece, and reading - my favorite outlet - was off the agenda.

You're thinking, where's this bit about "taking it well"?   LOL  I'm getting there, be patient!

The thing is, I looked at my rejection objectively.  My first (and so far, only) submission was for an anthology through an e-pub I particularly love.  I saw it on their site twenty days before the open call deadline.  I frantically worked for sixteen of those twenty days (my baby became ill and my mom hat was securely on my head).  You wouldn't believe the hours, the rewrite, the editing, and the polishing, all without the eyes of any reader or CP, though any of them would have gladly helped me out.

Mine was probably one of a hundred (maybe more) entries, and I missed the deadline by one minute - read above where baby was sick and I lost days.  There were quite a few grammatical errors both in the MS and the synopsis, and my "world building" was incomplete. 

Maybe my writing was just that bad.

Any of these factors could have contributed to my rejection.

I didn't take it personally.

Neither should you at the iHeart site.  The competition was fierce, as always, the editors looked for those pieces that fit their line, as always; your rejection wasn't personal, and the winners deserve their justified applause for all of their hard work.  Please don't minimize their achievement because you feel cheated.

As many other hopefuls and published authors have stated:   your catty behavior will only jeopardize your possible future relationship with that house.  Be gracious.  Thank the editor's for their time, this wonderful chance to have your work read, and hope that you get some constructive feedback.

Okay, done venting

Stopping By

Ironic to "stop by" one's  own blog, no?  Yet, here I am, just making a pit stop while multi-hued marbles roll around in my head.  I tell you, the clacking of those little glass balls bouncing off one another is almost deafening in the otherwise writing silence.

It's not that I've run out of ideas or direction, it's that I'm not sure which thread to focus on.  I have revisions aplenty to tackle before I can submit either of two already complete manuscripts, but the work is neither simple nor quick. Because I'll be revamping much of the history/storyline, the edits will probably take weeks.

Not so bad in itself, if only I didn't have other characters clamoring for attention.  They used to timidly wave their hands; now they full on slap the insides of my brain demanding that I transcribe them to black and white.  Go figure their determination, it's what I deserve for writing strong heroes and heroines.  No wimps in my pool, not even the background characters.

Ever had this problem?  Any suggestions about getting them in line?

Resetting Goals

I know, I know, I shouldn't be changing so many elements of my piece Divine Injustice so soon after completing what is a pretty good (IMO) novella, but I really want to stretch my writing "legs".  I want to know how far I can really go, if I can surpass the boundary in my mind.  Because I have the bones already completed, it seems easy to add details I'd previously cut out and see where the story will now take me.

Wonder why I bother?  Well, after much practicing, I realized I can restrict myself to writing fewer than 15,000 words (the max word count for submitting to Nocturne Bites), but trying to reach 70,000 with this paranormal (per the Silouhette Nocturne guidlines) seems impossible.  Though I still hope to submit to them - someday - I honestly don't see it happening right now.

What these changes will entail:

• Reaching a word count of 50,000 - minimum
  
• Adding secondary (or tertiary) characters
• Lengthening existing secondary character's parts
• Reworking elements to suit the new path my story will take
• Playing out my Hero and Heroines background
• A lot  more dialogue (not my strong suit)
• Probably adding more sensory details, visuals being a main one as I skimped in this shorter piece

*Sigh*  I doubt I'll meet my original goal of finishing by the end of '09, but if I can complete - and submit - by Jan 31st, '10, I'll consider this a win.  Even if I don't get picked up by either of my first choice places, I hope it will end up somewhere it can be loved.

~Hetal

Procrastination is such a dirty word.

...and so the theme of my life at the moment.  I've been putting off my writing for various reasons - none of them good - and have sworn to myself I'll get back to it tonight.  First and foremost: updating this blog. 

So , here I am!  After a week at my parent's home where I didn't even touch this computer to check emails, I'm catching up with the world and the various boards/blogs/sites I frequently visit.  Unlike myself, everyone's been hard at work.  I feel so ashamed!

Still, the time away was good for me.  My mind was rejuvenated and a previous dead end opened up for my current WIP.  All in all, a good "vacation".  I plan to pound the keyboard tonight and maybe get out five new pages (being very optimistic here).

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Turkey Day tomorrow!

But, shh!  Don't tell my mom how much I love the stuff.  Yes, sadly, even after twenty nine years, I let my mom believe that I'm vegetarian because we're Hindu.  It's a little white lie that let's her have peace of mind and hurts no one, so I don't argue it.

Anyhow, I'm only quickly dropping in to say Happy Thanksgiving to all.  Enjoy the family and friends and food, and I'll catch up with you after the holiday.

~Hetal

Breakthrough!...or more confusion?

So I'm reworking a previously submitted piece and last night I thought of a way to really mix up the story.  It won't be conventional, probably not even acceptable in some people's eyes, but I'm going to do it anyway.  The problem:  this development has me evaluating my "rules" once again.  Let's just say I'm going to have to expand on them and find ways to incorporate them without intruding on the story line.

There are many authors excellent at doing just this thing; I am not one of them.  With dialogue and interaction comes exposition, but I haven't found the right balance of primary and secondary characters for this piece.

How much should each person know?  How often should they show up in the story?  When should they be introduced?

If I have any insights, I'll let you know.  :)

World Building

As stated in my first post, I love paranormal's (both romances and urban fantasies) in an unnatural way.  They give me that taste I need for another place and time historical's once provided me, which is why I strive to write them myself.  I want to be able to transport you, the reader, to a place totally at odds with what you've been taught to believe.  I want you to believe in the unbelievable and for one minute, revert to childhood where anything was possible - even if my transportations take you to darker, more dangerous places, I want you to believe in what I "know".

But this is easier said than done.  I troll many sites, am a frequent visitor to blogs and boards, and recently, this problem plopped onto the screen by a fellow aspiring PR (paranormal romance) author.  She said:  "I've heard so many horror stories...about the amount of world building publishers prefer and how hard it is...that it gives me pause" (Go to:Discussion)

Now, this makes me think of my rejected piece.  Had I built my world thoroughly?  Had I thoroughly explained the rules for my supernatural beings? Did I mention the consequences for breaking rules early enough?

In my mind, I had, but as one of my readers pointed out, the details were slow to reveal themselves and she was distracted by the need to know.  I thought I was doing a good job of drawing these things out, of "revealing" as I went, but perhaps not.  I might have built up the anticipation in my mind because I knew what was coming and expected the reader to do the same without the same knowledge.

My bad!

What did this teach me?  Don't take fantasy for granted.  There's more leeway with conventional rules of our existence when building another "world", but  like all things, we want to know them early on.  Not in a big chunk, still a bit at a time, but maybe not as spaced out as I had done.  I'm definitely going to keep this in mind as I go through edits and rewrites.

Points of world building:

1. Identify rules for why things are and how they operate and make sure you adhere to them (making notes is a big YES in this case)
   
2. Even though many conventional thoughts can be set aside, keeping "real world" elements will definitely help your reader buy into what you're trying to sell (ex: cell phones are so prevalent now - I can't step out of the house without mine - but if your world doesn't allow them, should probably explain why)
3. You must believe in every aspect of your "world" in order to portray the elements honestly and concisely.  Trust me, it'll reflect in your words.

Happy writing!

~Hetal

UPDATE: AAAHHHHH!!!!

So, I received a very polite response from the editor that my story was not chosen for the anthology.  *sigh*  I'll be honest, I kind of suspected as much.  I haven't looked at my piece since my submission, but glaring holes have managed to flash through my mind in the meantime.  I'll be going back and fixing those (and countless others) soon.

To the other chosen authors, congratulations and high fives.  I'm so excited for you all.  :)

Giving it a day, then right back to the writing board.

~Hetal


My nerves are killing me.  I should maybe find out tomorrow whether or not my story is a good fit for that anthology I mentioned before.  I have a feeling I'll be checking my email every hour or so hoping for good news.  But, even if I get the big "R" (the dreaded rejection), I have plans for expanding this novella into a full.  I have the backup, now I need the info.

Fingers (toes and eyes) crossed.  :)

What's in a name?

Ever wondered the origin, the meaning, behind the names you sometimes pick for your imaginary friends, or in my case, characters for stories?  I must admit, I'm a bit obsessed.  Not only do I need to pick the perfect names for my characters, but each has a particular taste in my mouth.  Soft and sensual or strong and determined, I feel naming should not be taken likely.

Now I'm finding the hardest part is picking the appropriate surname to go with the stand out first name I've chosen.  If I weren't trying to make sure each had the same origins, maybe it wouldn't be so hard, but there's the sticker.

Lately, I've been drawn to Greek names.  Of course, I don't think about this until I go researching the meaning of the name I've picked, but they're invariably Greek.  I don't know how to fix my problem here as there seem to be no resources specific to listing Greek last names.  Should I diverge and pick something that sounds right?  I don't know, nothing but what is right gels in my mind.  Guess it's something I'll have to workaround, don't you think?  :)

Speaking of names, I had an epiphany last night.  Since the beginning of my writing, I've debated whether or not to use a pen name if I ever get to published.  I love my own name, think it suits me well, but I don't feel it would catch a reader's attention if they're skimming over shelves.  To solve this problem, I think I've picked out a eye popping one.  Of course, I've got to check on its meaning and then maybe, I'll get around to sharing.  ;)  Happy writing.

Holding my nose, hoping to make a huge splash

Almost a year ago, I became absolutely obsessed with writing stories, and not just any, mind you, but those often scoffed at, surreptitiously read romances many of us love and secretly adore. I have been a fan since my adolescence. Started off on Kathleen Woodiwiss and Johanna Lindsey. I was a sucker for those historical settings and colorful characters you just don't meet anymore, and never failed to imagine the settings they painted for us. I loved the way they talked and dressed, their manners and double-entendres. The heroes were so heroic, the heroines so likable despite their helplessness. I was always sucked in.

So you'd think that when I started writing on my own, I would have gravitated toward the historicals. Not so, not for me. I'm more of a paranormal romance girl. Blame it on cultural superstitions which ruled my life as a child, but I can better imagine ghosts and fairies than men of the past, sad as it may seem. I strive to explain the unexplainable in new ways, and you know what I've found out? It ain't so easy.

Seems my new favorite authors have done the job for me in much better ways than I can imagine. Jennifer Rardin, JD Robb (Nora Roberts), Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Gena Showalter now rule my life and thoughts. I look to them for inspiration and direction, hopefully searching for the next great "other world" to coming knocking in my head.

Maybe I finally succeeded; most likely not. :P After a painstaking year of writing several short stories, reading, learning, researching, and studying, I made the leap. Last Sunday, Nov 1st, I submitted my first ever manuscript, a novella to an ePub for an anthology. I felt so sick and excited that for a whole two hours after, I couldn't sleep. My work, something I am highly proud of actually, is out there in the world. Being read by an editor, it's fate hangs in the balance.

Will it be accepted? Who knows, but I'll keep you posted. :)