BATON BLOG HOP

The Baton has been passed on to me for the Baton Blog Hop from contemporary romance author Carrie Nichols. Now, a bit about her:

Carrie Nichols has always loved writing. She worked as a freelance journalist in her hometown in Western Massachusetts, specializing in human interest stories. When her husband's job meant a move to East Tennessee, she gave up writing for a while. A year ago when her youngest son graduated college and moved out, she turned his old bedroom into her home office. She turned to her first love, writing romance, to help fill the void of an empty nest. She entered Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write 2013 Contest and the first chapter of her romantic suspense, Heroes and Heartache, was a top 50 finalist. She entered Tempted To Write sponsored by Mills and Boon and won day five of the short story contest. The editors called her winning entry "fun, fab and sexy". Carrie is also very active in the Writer's Circle Forum on eHarlequin and enjoys the 1k Writer's Challenges. Five of her six entries have won first place and a sixth one coming in at second place. Carrie is currently at work on two contemporary category romances, Rescuing Riley and The Sheriff's Little Matchmaker. Both feature characters created during  those 1k challenges. Carrie is a member of RWA and Georgia Romance Writers and a founding member of Chattanooga Women Writers.

Link: www.carrienichols.com


Carrie says inquiring minds want to know a bit about me, too, so here are the long awaited answers! :-)

 What Are You Working On??  I'm working on a series of western romances geared toward the Harlequin Desire line. The stories are set in a fictional town amidst the rugged beauty of Montana. The first book features an independent veterinarian and a confirmed bachelor rancher. I think some sparks will be flying.

How Does Your Work Differ From Other Author's Work In The Same Genre? I'm hoping my in-depth characters, sexual tension and dialogue set my voice apart from other authors. Of course, it's something we all have to work at daily, and I want to do that work so I can claim my voice.

Why Do You Write In Your Genre? First, I'm a die-hard romantic. I still blush at all things sexual, and love to read and see the unfolding love building between characters in fiction and real life!

How Does My Writing Process Work? I started out being neither a pantser or a plotter! I just wrote! Then I go back and see if there's a theme there. Online classes have helped me put it all together to make believable characters and stories from all the gobbledygook I write! I credit Laurie Schnebly Campbell, a great critique partner and encouragement from other writers for keeping me on track to accomplish my daily goals and dreams.

So, there you have it. If you want to participate in any of the contests mentioned here, or would like to participate in the Baton Blog hop, let me know. I've got the answers. 

Curiosity

One of my favorite blogs is Writers in the Storm. Once again, I'm not sure how to post that link, but I can copy and paste the link on the post I want to comment on: http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/becoming-an-engaged-writer

The article, by Fae Rowen, translates to me that in order to keep our readers interested we need to be more observant to what goes on around us in order to create in-depth characters that our readers won't find boring. Everyday life is a story, and we need to be aware of how it affects us as writers. Be curious. Observe. Open up your mind to the whys?, how comes? and let our creative minds run away with it. I left the comment about my fear of the answers to those questions stifling my writing. Fear shouldn't even be in our vocabulary unless we're writing horror or mystery. I write neither.

So how do I overcome this fear? How can I be more observant to be able to create the memorable characters I want my readers to remember, and ask for more of their story? The answer for me is to take off my blinders. Look sideways, up, down, and really listen to what is going on around me. Overcome the fear of getting too close. That's where the stories are. I shouldn't be afraid of using the people, places and things I observe as characters, settings and themes/plots. I'm a writer, I can twist and turn them so no one recognizes them as the real thing. 

Get out there. Observe. Be Curious. Use all of your senses to absorb what is going on around you. Don't be afraid to really look. And stare. Now, take those observances and write something about them. Rewrite if necessary. Good Job!

Now, I need to send this memo to myself.

Writer, here

Well, I've worked on this blog all day, and it's a testament to my expertise of technology and the inability to understand all the jargon. Which means I know nothing, nada, zip, zilch about what I'm doing. I know all my faults, and admit every one. Besides being directionally challenged, I stink at computer stuff. "Nuff said. I'll get to my other numerous faults later.

The real reason for this blog is to record my daily thoughts, words and life happenings. I'm attempting to complete a series of romance books for the Harlequin Desire line, and on these pages you'll witness my struggles and triumphs. I'm putting it out there for all to see. Pull up a chair and enjoy the show.

First of all, a bit about my life-long yearning to write. I started when my only child, a daughter, was very young. Fast forward about thirty-five years, and here I am...beginning again. As I said to a fellow writer, I'm at the back door of my life, but the passion is there,  and that's what I'm counting on. Not to mention, lots of reading, my critique partner, encouraging emails from other authors and classes.

Maybe as I try to post something everyday this blog will get better looking. I also know as I write everyday I'll get better at that, too.