I have also been working on my novel.  Gone back to my trusty Hallie Ephron book, ‘Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel’.  I have been letting this story stew for so long it feels like all of the pieces are coming together.  My goal is to have all development done by the 17th because I am taking a few days off then.  I will be attenting a writer’s workshop in Montezuma on the 18th and then have a few more days to spend working on my book.  My friend Sara has also decided it is time to write so we will be meeting on Tuesday mornings at a local library to put in some time working on our respective novels.  We decided to work in the morning then get together for lunch.     I have Saturday off and work Sunday but then get Monday and Tuesday of f this week, so plan some writing time over the next few days too.

Another writing related event is coming up next Tuesday the 7th.  Sara Gruen is launching her new book ‘Ape House’, at Hoyt Sherman Auditorium. She spent some time at the Great Ape Trust that isn’t too far from where I live, to do research for her book. Thus her reason for launching it here.  I do plan to attend that as well. 

The air is a little crisper and there is just a hint of fall – so where did summer go?  I feel like I let another one slip through my fingers. I don’t look forward to winter but I can enjoy fall.  May we have a long fall and may I please adjust to all the changes in my life so that I can get to the point that I enjoy each day, no matter what season.

I have been writing, mostly my monthly article but I have been putting lots of time in thinking about what direction I want my story to go. I do plan to write tomorrow since my BFF Sara is out of town and we won’t be getting together to chat like we normally do on my day off. 

Speaking of my monthly articles in Women’s Edition – the July issue is out and it was an interview with Foust Family Dentistry in West Des Moines. It was a challenging article because though all of my articles are profiles for businesses that advertise in the magazine, I also need to add my own twist and I found it difficult to write about dentistry. Everyone knows what they should do, brush and floss daily. Surprisingly, I did find information about teeth and wellness so was able to add that information as a lead.  The other surprise was that the morning I stopped in to interview Dr. Foust, I ran into one of his patients in the waiting room. The patient was A.J., one of my writer friends, who attends a critique group that I participate in occasionally. A.J. graciously agreed to let me interview him for the article also. That made it a little more interesting. A.J. knew that I wrote but I think it surprised him to find out that I actually freelance.

My next article for the August issue was the one I’ve had the most fun with so far.  It was for a winery and I dragged Sara with me for a tour.  I’ll tell more about it next month but until then I thought I’d share a photo I took while taking the tour. 

As I said, it is getting late so goodnight for now.

Virginia

Hate to admit but I think I’ve been fighting a little writer’s block.  Other than my monthly article, I’ve been finding it difficult to write.  I have had some personal issues that have zapped some of my energy so when I come home I really have to push myself to do anything.  A family member is gravely ill and so hubby and I have been dealing with that as best we can.  Time hasn’t been totally wasted, while driving to and from work I have been noodling with my story and think I may have a solution to some of the storyline that has held me up.  I have had that urge to sit down and write and plan to do so over the weekend.

Have been reading James N. Frey’s- ‘How To Write A Damn Good Thriller’. Have read some of his other books and picked this one up recently.  I think maybe that was part of my struggle.  I thought I was writing a mystery but maybe it is a thriller. After reading this book for a while, I realized that most of the stories I really like are thrillers. Maybe I was trying to jam a round peg into a square hole.  Will let you know later how this all goes down.

An update on the local scene as far as author events.  If you are in the Des Moines area this week – a friend, Mike Manno will be launching his new book, the second of his Parker mystery series at Beaverdale Books on the 14th at 6:30 pm.  I’m planning to be there. Was lucky enough to belong to a writer’s group so heard part of this story while he was writing it.  So looking forward to reading the whole thing now.

Will blog again soon, I promise.

Virginia

As much fun as that evening was, I have to say Tuesday night with Claire Cook was even more fun. It was the first time in a long time that I felt like I was one of the younger women in the room and trust me I am not young anymore but it was a good feeling. It was obvious the retirees love Claire’s writing.  If you haven’t read any of her books yet, you should give it a try. She is probably recognized most for the second book, ‘Must Love Dogs’ because it was optioned for a movie with John Cusak and Diane Lane in the lead roles.  Claire felt like a very down to earth lady and I enjoyed her little anecdotes about her writing career. She had a drawing for a miniature beach bag with a notepad inside. Really wanted to win it but I didn’t.  It took her a couple decades to finish a novel before she got the first one published when she was 45. By the time she was 50 she’d publised several books. She said one thing that made me stop and think. She said part of the reason it took her so long was that she thought she had forever and a part of her maybe was afraid of how success would change her life. But then she realized that if she didn’t get a novel finished, she’d never know if she could. That is exactly how I feel at this stage in my life. So maybe that was what I needed to hear. She is a very motivational speaker and would recommend going to see her anytime she is in town. She writes beach reads and most of her book covers reflect that. The one I read was Wild Women Walking Club and the cover on that one shows two pair of flip flops, blue and pink on a boardwalk. Her latest book is called ‘The Seven Year Switch’, about a woman who’s ex shows up seven years later. It sounded like a great read. She said it has a section about the character taking a trip to Costa Rica. She said she of course had to go, for research. I also loved her story about ‘Must Love Dogs’. She said her family was invited for opening night in Hollywood. She got to walk the red carpet and be interviewed by all the paparazzi. She said she told them, “Are you really the paparazzi, cause you’re not so bad.”  They also got to attend a party at a big Brentwood Mansion.  She said she had her daughter who was attending college, I think it was in Georgia, flown out for this party. She watched as John Cusack and Dylan McDermott both approached her daughter to introduce themselves.  Her daughter forgot her own name.

Well it is getting late and tomorrow is another work day. So hope this finds you all busy writing. Will post something again soon.

Virginia

Got up this morning, put on a pot of coffee, made a batch of brownies and relaxed with a book while they were baking.  Then took off for a walk around the lake.  Sunshine on the water and a few people fishing and good mornings from other walkers as I enjoyed the fresh air and water fowl.  Love watching the baby ducks and geese swim along or waddle along behind the mommas. Think I’ll walk around the lake again tomorrow.

I managed to get the first draft of my July article for Women’s Edition written Saturday.  Been tweaking it a little. Hopefully will have it polished and ready to send out in the morning.  I like to get it out before my deadline so I can have some time to work on my novel before my next assignment.  July’s article is an interview with B.J. Foust with Foust Family Dental Care in West Des Moines.  He is a very personable dentist and since my old dentist doesn’t accept my new insurance, I think I may have found myself a new one.  The day I met with him for his interview, I happened to run into one of my writer friends who’d stepped into the waiting room ahead of me for an appointment.  Since I always try to interview a client as well, I asked him if I could interview him as well.  After asking him my questions, I then met with Dr. Foust, he agreed that A.J. would be a good choice.  Love when I kill two birds with one stone.

Haven’t spent as much time with my novel as I had hoped this weekend and I am feeling a little guilty.  I’m meeting with friend Sara for lunch tomorrow, probably Macaroni Grill or Rock Bottom. We have both been trying to complete a mystery for about the same amount of time now.  We usually get together for lunch and then coffee and time to critique or chat about what we are doing at the cafe in Barnes and Noble.  There’s something about being amongst all those books that we both like. 

Since it’s past midnight and I do have a lot to do tomorrow I’d better call it a night.  Will write later this week.  Now that my cold seems to be getting better. Oh, yeah, that’s why you didn’t get a post last week.  Between sneezing, hacking, and coughing, I spent the week focusing on my real job and trying to get better. It worked because I’m feeling like maybe I’m gonna make it. 

Virginia

Our program this morning for IRN involved discussing the book ‘The Last Will of Moira Leahy’. I was one of the three people who actually read the entire book and from the way it sounded, I was the only one that actually enjoyed reading it.  I don’t have a problem with that because everyone has different tastes in reading. I read a wide range of books. I was surprised at the different impressions we had from reading the same book.  To me, this book felt a lot like reading Anita Shreve, Elizabeth Berg, or even Alice Hoffman because of the little bit of woo-woo factor in the story line.  Some people liked the beginning and some didn’t. Some liked the twin story line and others didn’t. I thought it interesting that one person who didn’t like the twin stuff was a twin herself. She didn’t feel it was authentic.  She mentioned several aspects of twin dynamics that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. It made the discussion that much more interesting because of her personal experience of being a twin.  In the end, we all agreed to disagree which is fine, we have a diverse group of readers with lots of interests and our differences are what make us interesting.

Afterwards I met my friend Sara and her husband for lunch at Chili’s in West Des Moines, one of our favorite meeting places. After a leisurely lunch we headed on over to Smokey Row coffee shop for the Sisters in Crime meeting. This was our second meeting and it involved a little more business, electing officers and discussing future programs. I agreed to serve as Secretary for the next 18 months. After hearing that we only have to have two business meetings a year, I thought I could handle that.  Marylee is our President, Anita is Vice President and Laura is Treasurer.  Friend Sara and Cindy have agreed to help chair some committees. Because the organizational part of this venture is going to take a little bit of time and while we are still promoting for more members, we decided to ease into the program part of it so next month’s program will be about discussing the sub-genres and what makes a good mystery.  It’s nice to be part of an organization that is just starting up and I am thrilled to see so many people volunteer to do the things that need to be done to make the whole thing work.  We had two new members this month, Missy and our first male member, Steve who has a couple of his own mysteries coming out next year.  Steve is an old friend of Sara and mine.  

The day made me want to come home and write and I love when that happens.  I also decided to check out Mayhem in the Midlands, a mystery writers conference in Omaha, Memorial Day weekend.  Looks like Sara and I may get to join Marylee and Anita for the Saturday sessions, will know for sure once Sara has talked to her hubby.

Now I’m back to reading Murder at the Vicarage. Have to work tomorrow and if it is as slow as I suspect it will be, I should have time to make good headway with this book.

Virginia

With the training winding down, I have been able to turn my focus back a little more toward writing.  Besides my real job, I have started free-lancing one article a month for Women’s Edition.  My first article will appear in the May issue in the Healthy Living section.  I interviewed the owner of The Iowa Vein Center.  I have already received my next assignment for June and will give you more information about that at a later date.

Avid (Authors Visiting in Des Moines), an event the Des Moines Library puts on each year has taken off.  I had a fantastic evening out with my Ya-ya sisters to see Peter Hedges.  If you ever get a chance to go to one of his book signings, go.  He is very entertaining.  Maybe it is more interesting because he is from West Des Moines and whenever he appears, he always has family, friends and former school teachers show up to hear him.  He gets all emotional always makes me laugh and cry.  Got his latest book,  ‘The Heights’ autographed and it sits in my to be read pile. 

I have been a member of the local Romance Writers of America chapter for a while now and this past weekend became a charter member of the local Sisters-in-Crime chapter.  I have been working on my Nano book this week, trying to get myself back into the story. I’m re-working my character sketches and trying to put together a novel binder. This month’s speaker at my Iowa Romance Novelist meeting was Cheryl St. John and she talked about the story setting.  She also shared her binder she uses for each story. It contains all the information she needs to help her write her book.  So I have been trying to put this information together in a binder for my story.

 I have given up with the notion that I can post a “Write a Novel with Me” blog so will just try to post frequently about my own writing progress and if it helps with yours, that’s great.  Do, as always feel free to comment and share your experiences with me, I am a great listener and like to immerse myself in the process.

I have been reading a non-fiction book, ‘Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks.’  Along with it, I decided to read her novels.  I’ve finished ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ and ‘The Secret Adversary’.  Because I have so many books to read, I plan to slip a few others between the Christie novels.  I just started reading ‘The White Garden’, a novel of Virginia Woolf after my friend Sara recommended it.  I will probably try to write a few book reviews for some of the books, in the future.

I do have a few more author interviews to post and would love to help promote other authors too, so watch for more interviews as they become available.

Have a great weekend and keep writing!

The trailers for the movie ‘Shutter Island’ drew me in and I bought the book the other day.  Could not put it down.  Stayed up till 2:00 AM this morning and had to go to bed because I couldn’t keep my eyes open.  First thing this morning, I put on a pot of coffee and sat in my cozy reading chair and finished it.  It was so good.  I won’t spoil anything by telling you more about the story but if you like suspenseful mysteries, you have to read this one.  Now I am counting down the days for the movie.

Spent the afternoon with my writer friend Sara.  We like to get together at least once a week.  We usually meet at Barnes and Noble and we discuss writing and books.  We have both been struggling with finishing our most recent attempts at novel writing.  We have both been struggling with either trying to find a job or supporting a spouse who is trying to find a job.  I do think that has taken a little bit of the drive to complete the work – out of us.  On top of it, she had a trip to the Emergency Room recently and is waiting to follow up with her own doctor and because of a debilitating headache has found it hard to do anything, let alone write or read. 

I have gone back to basics and started reading ‘The Writer’s Book of Days’ again and doing the daily writing prompts.  I actually wrote a pretty good short story the other day, if I do say so myself.  Since I have published one short story in the past, I think I can tell when something might be worth sending out and this is the first story in a while that has jumped out at me and encouraged me to submit it somewhere.  This week I will edit and polish and start looking for a home for it. 

Doing the prompts has helped pull me out of whatever was holding me back with my writing.  It gives me something to warm up with before I jump into the story I started in November.  I think part of my problem was Nanowrimo.  Though it is a great way for me to get a huge amount of words written on a project, it also leaves me feeling a little disenchanted when it is all over.  I know it isn’t supposed to be perfect, it is a first draft but I spend so much time pumping it out that by the time the end of November comes, I’m getting burned out with the whole process.  I lose my desire to write.  The other thing that has made me slow down and reassess what I’ve been doing is the fact that though I am thrilled to be starting a new job next week, I know I will not have any time to take off to attend any kind of writing conference this year.  That fact took a little steam out of my sails.  But now I have something to look forward to next year.  I am going to take a little more time to finish my novel, continue writing some more short stories and start another novel this year.  Hopefully I can start planning to attend a few conferences in 2011.

I will have a new Write a Novel with Me post – hopefully tomorrow.

In the meantime keep writing,

Virginia

Carla Cassidy has a new release this month – Pregnsia.  You can find it at your favorite bookstore.

Lois Greiman is part of an anthology that came out in June  – Faeries Gone Wild – at your favorite bookstore.

Watch for new author updates  and interviews coming soon.

August -

Richard Jay Parker, Lori Wilde, and Kylie Brant

And as always, if you want more writing related articles, check out Cheryl’s www.learntowritefiction.com 

Keep writing and of course keep reading.

Virginia