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Miriam Newman's novella, PEACE ON NEW EARTH, is part of SEASONS OF LOVE, a Christmas anthology published by DCL Publications and scheduled for a late November release. It’s Miriam’s first science fiction piece.
Sandy James’ book, TURNING THIRTY-TWELVE (BookStrand) won the Aspen Gold Readers Choice Award for best 2008 Contemporary Romance. Aspen Gold is sponsored by Heart of Denver Romance Writers. Two other manuscripts have finaled in the EPIC Contest, sponsored by EPIC, the professional organization for e-pubbed authors. MURPHY'S LAW finaled in the Contemporary Romance category, and FREE FALLING finaled in the Romantic Suspense category.
Michelle Miles has received a request from an agent for her “romantic elements” manuscript FIGHT OF THE PHOENIX.
Carolyn Matkowsky's Valentine’s Day-themed story, "Slightly Cinderella," will appear in the February issue of TRUE ROMANCE MAGAZINE.
Cynthia D'Alba was elected to the RWA Board of Directors as PRO Liaison.
Maureen McGowan’s entry, SWITCHING SIDES, is a finalist in the “Get Your Stiletto in the Door” contest in the Paranormal-Chick Lit category, and in “The Golden Pen,” contest in the Novel with Strong Romantic Elements category.
Misty Evans announces that PROOF OF LIFE, Book 3 in her Super Agent Series released Tuesday, October 20. She celebrated by going on a blog tour that week.
Mary Jo Scheibl, writing romantic suspense as Casey Clifford, announces the release of her debut book, BLACK RIBBON AFFAIR (The Wild Rose Press).
Vicki Batman’s short story, CHRISTMAS TIES, will be published in the December issue of TRUE ROMANCE.
Joan K. Maze w/a J. K. Maze signed a contract for MURDER FOR KICKS, the second book in her Mollie Fenwick Mystery Series and her third book for Red Rose Press (Book 1 is MURDER BY MISTAKE).
Finally, welcome to our new members, Chassily Wakefield, who writes fantasy romance, and Ann Charles, who writes mysteries with strong romantic elements.
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2010 Officers
President - Judy Dawn
Vice President - Lise Horton
Secretary - Victoria Kaloss
Treasurer - Nicholas Genovese
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2010 Golden Heart Contest Sign-up
Due to the possibility of up to 1,200 entries, RWA needs as many members as possible to participate in the judging process. Each year, RWA members use their skills as authors and readers to help determine the finalists for the prestigious Golden Heart award. We hope that this year will be no different, and that we can count you in as a judge for the upcoming contest year. Signing up to judge is very easy. Simply follow the steps below.
Judges need to sign up to judge every year. Even if you signed up to judge in the 2009 Golden Heart contest, you will need to sign up again to judge in the 2010 Golden Heart contest.
Sign-up Instructions
- Go to www.rwanational.org
- Sign in to access the Members Only section. (Trouble logging in? Please contact webmaster@rwanational.org)
- Once logged in, click on the words “My Account Profile” in the gold bar toward the top of the screen.
- On the My Account Profile menu, click on the “My Contests” link.
- On the My Contest page, you should see a link that says, “2010 Golden Heart Judging Preferences.” Select this link.
- The Judging Preferences form allows you to choose a minimum of three categories you are interested in judging. Judges cannot judge a category in which they are entered, so if you think you are going to enter a specific category this year, please do not sign up to judge it.
Many thanks for your participation in the 2010 Golden Heart contest!
Questions? Please contact contests@rwanational.org.
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What's on Your Roadblocks List?
by Cara Marsi
(AKA Carolyn Matkowsky)
We all have those pesky little roadblocks in our lives. You know what they are: those people or things that prevent you from doing what you want, or need, to do. Roadblocks are all around us, seductive little imps tempting us into throwing away our precious time. It takes a strong will to fight the imps. And sometimes those enticing little devils are us.
There are roadblocks in the corporate world and in our personal lives, but today we’re going to talk about those things and people that keep you, a writer, from writing.
What’s on your roadblocks list? What’s keeping you from sitting at that computer and writing? Why are you reading this when you should be writing?
When I worked fulltime, my biggest obstacle was my job. A corporate drone and cubicle dweller, I was forced into a dreary existence eight hours a day when I wanted to be home in my imaginary world, writing. Darn day job interfered with my creativity. Despite that, I managed to complete five novels (two published so far) and two short stories (one published so far). It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t fast, but I did it. I always told myself that if I didn’t have to work, I’d write more and I’d write faster.
I’ve recently been downsized from my job. No more cubicle eight hours a day. So, how am I doing with the roadblocks thing? Not so good. What are my biggest obstacles now? My husband and myself. Actually my husband isn’t so much a roadblock, but rather it’s my reaction to him that is.
He’s retired and home all day. Underfoot, one might say. Not a book lover, he can’t understand my passion for reading and writing. Although he doesn’t say it very often, he’d rather I spend my time with him than at the computer. So I feel guilty. And the very fact that he’s around distracts me. It’s a balancing act between family and writing, and one I’m still trying to work out. I could write all day, every day, and never come up for air. But then I wouldn’t have a life. And I probably wouldn’t have a marriage. So I try to compromise. A little writing, do stuff around the house, spend time with my husband. I think we all agree that family comes first, yet for our mental health and well-being, we have to make time for ourselves, including pursuing our passion for writing. I wonder how other writers handle the family versus writing thing.
Another obstacle: my husband and I share one computer, my laptop. Some days when I’m working at the computer dear hubby paces the room, asking how much longer I’m going to be because he needs to check his email or the Internet. At the end of February I bought him a mini-laptop for his birthday. It’s not set it up yet, but once it is, the two-people, one-computer problem will be licked. I hope. I highly recommend more than one computer in a household.
For the past year my laptop rested on the breakfast room table--a very busy area filled with distractions. When I found myself suddenly home during the day, and writing, I knew something had to give. We converted the guest room into an office, complete with fresh paint and a new desk. Having my own space to write has helped tremendously.
A smaller roadblock for me is housework. The thing I hate about housework is that you need to keep doing it. For God’s sake, can’t the dust stay off the furniture for at least six months? My husband does his share of work around the house, but there’s still plenty for me to do. I can hear everyone saying, “Housework? Who does housework?” I know, but when the dust bunnies commandeer the bedroom and attack the cat, I’ve got to do battle. So housework cuts into my writing time.
My biggest roadblock by far is myself. When I worked and had less time, I learned to make every minute count. You’d be surprised how much writing I could get done on a one-hour lunch break. Now that I have lots of time, I find excuses not to write. I check email, peruse the Internet, make a few phone calls. And I’ve added another time gobbler—I’ve just joined Twitter. Having too much time can be bad, very bad. I tell myself, “I’ve got time. I’ll write later.” But sometimes later doesn’t come. I wonder how other writers fight this particular demon. I need a schedule, but I was on a schedule during my years of fulltime work. I’m sick of schedules. However, I work best on deadlines and schedules, so I will get organized. I promise. As soon as I dust the living room and check Twitter.
Many writers find that their families and friends sabotage their writing time, sometimes subtly, sometimes openly. I once knew of a woman who was said to be an excellent writer. Everyone who read her work predicted she had the talent to have a successful writing career. But her husband and children resented the time she spent writing. And they were openly hostile about it. They wanted her at their beck and call. She gave up writing. This is not an unusual occurrence, especially for women. If you really want to write, you’ve got to fight the family attempts at sabotage. Some female writers, perhaps out of inborn guilt, won’t assert themselves and say no to family and friends.
Some spouses and friends are very good at finding subtle ways to undermine a writer’s time. The husband just happens to make plans for them to do something together on the very day that the writer needs to sit down and work on a project. Or friends call constantly, just to talk, or cajole the writer to go shopping or out to lunch. When friends and family know you’re home during the day, they feel your time is their time. This is where we writers need Caller ID and an answering machine. And we need to learn to say “No.” Firmly. Don’t answer that phone unless it’s the State Police telling you there’s a chemical leak and the neighborhood has to evacuate.
I did a poll of writer friends and asked what roadblocks kept them from writing. A few said lack of confidence in their writing or their need for perfection keeps them editing and editing and not moving forward. They feel that whatever they’ve written is never good enough. This is a real hurdle and one that will take work and determination to overcome. But it can be overcome.
I understand the role fear can play in keeping us from completing and submitting our stories. I’ve just finished a paranormal romance that I should have submitted to editors and agents months ago. I keep tweaking it and coming up with reasons why I have to wait just a little longer. I’m afraid to let my baby go because that means the rejections will start coming. I know I’m supposed to think positive, but in my mind I keep seeing those rejection letters or rejection emails. I plan to stock up on red wine and potato chips, my comfort food of choice.
Negativity can be a real obstacle. One time, in an effort to enlist Fate’s help to sell my books and wipe out my negativity, I performed a ritual using a Native American sage stick. I got the sage and the idea from a shaman, who also happens to be the woman who waxes my eyebrows. At her instruction, I lit the stick and waved it over pages of two manuscripts spread on the bed. I asked that all bad vibes be cleansed from the manuscripts and only good and positive thoughts cover them. I dropped the stick while it was lit and almost set my bed on fire. Not a good sign. One of those manuscripts did get published, but the other is locked away forever. Did the ritual work? Maybe, maybe not. I’m willing to try almost anything once.
Other writers are struggling to write while holding down fulltime jobs and raising young children. My son is an adult now, but I didn’t start writing seriously until he was eleven. I don’t know if I could have written when he was very little. Many women with small children make the time to write. It takes a lot of work and perseverance for these writers to continue and they deserve our respect. An obstacle for some stay-at-home writer moms is volunteering. They’re committed to volunteering at their children’s schools, or in their communities. It’s important that we give back to our schools and our communities, but at times volunteering becomes another roadblock. Busy moms, who refuse to let the dream of being a published author die, yet find time for volunteering, also deserve our support.
Other writers have told me they get leg and back pains from sitting at the computer so long. This is a problem that I’ve not encountered, but a potentially serious one, on many levels. Imagine if you could only sit for a short period every day. How much writing would you get done? Your health is important, and whether or not you have a bad back, you need to get up from that computer during the day and move around.
I’ve told you what some of my roadblocks are. What are some of yours and what have you done to resolve them?
"The Three I's of Query Writing" by Misty Evans here.
"Ten Life Lessons I Learned" by Cara Marsi (aka Carolyn Matkowsky) here.
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