Get fit for RT, for national… for life : Motivation

Well everyone,

It’s been about 7 weeks since my first post on fitness and I did it. I lost some weight. I have not lost my ideal 7 pounds but I am close and lost 5 pounds.

No I was not perfect.  I never made it to the gym to lift weight and my cooler was pretty scarce, but I did skip junk food and walked on most weekdays for an hour. All this during the American Title networking madness (vote here if you want to help me!)

So I am pretty happy.  I was told most contestants gain weight during the contest, but good fitness habits help me lose my little extra. Which gets me to my last topic in my series… motivation.

How to stay motivated…

It’s almost bikini season (although I prefer a cute swim dress when I run after the kids LOL) and RT is coming and of course Nationals. There is not much time left, to time to give up!!!!

How do you stay motivated to keep going:

Just do it. Just like the ad says. For me this is what work. I don’t think about it. I just put my clothes, get the kids on the bus and go. I don’t look at the rain or the cold or the wind. I don’t question how tired I am. I just do it.

Make it convenient. If your exercise is complicated, a long drive, fancy equipment, partners that cancel on you, it will be harder to be motivated. Same with food, it’s hard to plan fancy cooking every night. A quick healthy dinner may be more motivating.

Track your progress. A food and exercise journal does wonders for motivation. Most fitness competitors do that and I kept faithful journals while losing the baby weight after both my pregnancies (35 and 40 pounds). Do you really want to record that piece of chocolate cake or that you didn’t do your exercise class that day?  It’s so nice to look at your week and see that you kept your commitment.

Make it fun. It’s a lot more fun to think about going to a Zumba class than do 30 min. on an exercise bike in the musty basement. If you look forward to the activity, you will not miss it. My fun when I walk is to listen to music. It clears my head and helps me survive the stress American Title. Fun may be different for everyone, just finds what works for you.

Make a date. Ask a friend to join you. Walk and chat with your buddy. Lift weights together, plan to go for coffee after that (nonfat milk, no sugar!). I love to teach seniors class and get together afterwards to chat with them. They are so motivated to come to class and their exercise is a big part of their social life. Better than staying home alone and watch day time TV.

Include variety. In your work-out and in your diet, make sure you don’t stick with the same old same old. Spring is coming, maybe it’s time to step outside for your exercise. Or eat more salads instead of soup (I was suddenly craving greens yesterday).  Try something new when you feel less motivated. Change your routine a little bit. Try a new class or that new cardio machine at the gym. It’s good for your mind and essential in your fitness program. Our bodies adapt very quickly. If you do the same thing over and over, you reach a plateau and don’t improve. I usually change my whole weight lifting routine every 3 months. All body builders do this. You need to “surprise” your muscles for them to be challenged again.

Invest in your health. Being healthy shouldn’t be expensive, but if you invest a little in it, then it tells you that you matter. Get proper exercise shoes, maybe a gym membership, some exercise videos or music to listen to when you work out, a nice gym bag. Buy exotic fruits and vegetables. All within your means of course, I dream of a treadmill but can’t afford it. But I can skip the take-out food and buy healthy groceries instead. It’s all a matter of priority and if you invest in your health, you will be more motivated.

Celebrate your body. Don’t hide under tent-like clothes, at whatever weight you are. Be proud of all the small steps you take towards a healthier you. Get some nice exercise wear. When I feel a slump in my exercise routine, I go shopping for new gym clothes! And it’s not just at the gym and when you exercise, but also during the day, take a little extra time to care for yourself and your appearance. Do your hair, your nails, put some nice lotion on, wear your nice clothes and jewelry, celebrate every day.  It’s not vanity, it’s saying that you matter. And especially women, we tend to put everyone’s need before our own. Yet, if you don’t take care of yourself, you cannot take care of others.

So go out there, feel proud that you are healthier than you were 2 months ago. Think of how you will feel in a year from now, 5 years from now. You do matter!

Just do it!

I have one more fitness tracker to give away. As I said, it’s a great way to stay motivated. Leave me a comment and the tracker may be yours!

Contest Wisdom Interview: Kris Kennedy

The winner of the online course is Alleyne Dickens. Congrats!!!!

Hi everyone,

 

Today I am thrilled to host author Kris Kennedy, a double Golden Heart finalist and whose novel, THE CONQUEROR will be released by Kensington in May, 2009.

 

And Kris offers a free online class at Heart through History to one lucky commenter today!

 

Welcome, Kris. Can you please tell us which genre of romance you write?

 

I write hot, sweeping historical romances. At present, that means medieval, but I intend to write in other time periods too.

 

That will be fun, although I am very intrigued by medieval. Can you tell us which manuscripts you have that finaled and in which contests?

 

I’ve only entered 2 mss in contests since I began writing, but it’s been spread out over many years, due to an almost 4 year break after I had my son (Who knew sleep mattered to creativity?  Not the up-all-night-for-a-few-nights-b/c-the-muse-is-hot” tiredness, but the-omg-he’s-up-AGAIN” tiredness.  And the unending vigilance of “oh-no-he’s-going-to-kill-himself-if-he-toddles-over-there-save-the-child!” kind-of tiredness.  J

 

Anyhow, the first ms I started entering, WANTING FINIAN started finaling about a year after I started entering it.  I had no crititque partners, so was very reliant on the awesome advice I got from judges, as well as craft books.  It ended up finagling in every contest it was in, so I took it out of circuit, and me, for the aforementioned three+ years.

 

Then, in 2007, I started coming out of my bleary-eyed cocoon, and I entered The Kinds of Wanting (now THE CONQUEROR) in the Golden Opportunity contest, finaled, and got a request for first a partial, then a full.  After I worked on this like mad, (and it took way, way too long!) I decided to enter both manuscripts in the Golden Heart, which I’d never entered before.  Like a strike of lightning. both of them finaled. 

 

Which really doesn’t mean they were both so fabulously much awesomer than anyone else’s stories.  In ways, it’s a cr*pshoot, depending on which 5 judges you get, and how they like your particular brand of romance, and maybe how they’re doing that day.  An important lesson not just for the contest circuit, but the writing biz, but we’ll get to that later.  J

 

Oh, and the cr*pahoot thing?  There’s an upside: it’s also the reason persistence rules the day.  J 

 

I’ll remember that on my down days! What do you consider your most prestigious contests and why?

 

Well, that would have to be the double GH final.  It is such an honor to be a finalist, and I don’t even care how much of a cliché that sounds like. LOL It’s just true!  I met the most amazing circle of friends as a result, and we continue to be extremely tight and supportive group of women.

 

Finaling in the GH also opens doors, I think. It doesn’t get you published, but it does get people to look at you.  When I sold, I do believe people looked more closely at the manuscripts because they’d finaled. 

 

Which is why I encourage anyone who thinks they have a manuscript ready for an editor, to enter.

 

I still haven’t been brave enough to enter GH but some Musetrackers have! How do you choose to enter a specific contest?

 

I think there’s stages.

Stage 1, you’re new, and know nothing (flash image of me 7 years ago).  Enter for: Feedback from a wider world than your chapter mates and/or critique partners.  Enter for suggestions on how to make all those craft-related strategies apply specifically to your story.  So things like, “don’t do info dumps” or “switching POV mid-scene is confusing” have relevance.

 

Stage 2, you’re getting better. Enter for: To check in on how the wider world sees your work, but mostly, work with cps.  Hone your craft.

 

Stage 3:  You’ve nailed the craft stuff and are working on developing and expanding your Voice.  You may now be breaking rules & that’s okay, because you’ve learned them already.  Cp’s love your work, you’re finaling in contests.  Enter for:  Upon a time, I’d have said enter for the final round judges.

 

Now, I think that if you keep finaling, or if you’re getting consistently high and low scores—i.e. across the map scores—skip contests and start sending it to agents.

 

Check how many requests come from contests. Check how many sales appear to be generated as a result.  Few.  Very few.

 

You’re better of querying agents, using your time and money to build networking and relationships and websites.

 

Just my 2 cents.  J  And I’m a big fan of contests: I help run one!  J

 

I really like your 3 stage approach. I wish I had known that when I started entering contests last year. What do you think are the advantages of entering contest?

 

Contests are absolutely fabulous when you’re starting out, when you’re learning some basics of the craft, and if you don’t have critique partners.  Or, even if you do have CPs, but want some more varied, & anonymous, opinions.

 

I’ve learned so much from entering contests, especially early on.  I remember my first contest judge’s feedback—poor thing, to have to wade through my ms!  J – and she told me about point-of-view.  I was shocked and excited about the novel concept, and wow, it really changed my writing.  LOL

 

So, I think contests serve an almost invaluable niche for newer writers, or people needing/wanting a fresh read on a manuscript.

 

Their limitation is: 1) you rarely get published as a result. Seriously, if you start finagling in lots of contests, stop entering them.  Go finish the rest of the book to the same high standards and start sending it out to agents.  And 2) You can get rule-bound as a result of too many contests.  When you’re starting out, you need to learn the rules.  As you get better, you need to start breaking them.  J  Or at least, appying them in an intuitive way, knowing when they serve the story, or when you need to break them.  “Story’ has to be the final guideline.

 

I think it’s the first time I hear someone express so well the whole conundrums of rules. Thank you for this wise take on this. How to you cope with negative feedback or really low score if any?

 

I have been blessed with diligent judges.  They may have had harsh feedback, but they always said where and why the problem was a problem, and therefore, I could focus on improving.

 

But I think you have to see it as a truth of this biz: it’s subjective. Get used to it. LOL

Oh, and honestly, the element that scores low, well, chances are, it really does need revisions.  Yes, maybe the judge didn’t ‘get it.’  Or…maybe you need to revise.

 

Or, not.  J 

Thus the brutal beauty of the subjective world of . . living. And writing.

 

I think some of this answer depends on why you’re writing.  You have to love revising, and you have to love the CRAFTSMANSHIP of writing more than you love your ego, or feeling good.   Otherwise, you’re not going to get better.  Some people are quite good to begin with, naturally.  But even they will not improve unless they see it as a study, as an apprenticeship of sorts.  It is a craft; it must be learned and honed and practiced.

 

Speaking of craft, what are the main writing points that you check to ensure your entry is the best ?

Well, one important thing to do is look at the scoresheet, b/c that’s how they’ll be judging your entry. 

Unless you have a certain amount of knowledge, there are things you just won’t be able to do just yet.  But that’s the reason to enter contests and get better.

If I had to give one suggestion to ensure an entry is ready for a contest or an editor: pick up the pace.  Move things along.  If you find yourself explaining something, cut it.  If you find yourself mentioning the reason WHY something is happening in the first page, cut it.

Almost guaranteed, for almost every entry, it will improve your chances, b/c it will engage the reader.

I’ll remember that. Can you give us your overall opinion on writing contests?

Like most things, they are great until they’re not.  LOL Used wisely, contests are an invaluable additional aid for writers to improve their craft.  But if someone overuses contests, or uses them but dismisses the feedback when it what she wanted to hear, well, that’s probability just a waste of money.

I pretty much believe in the parameters I mentioned above: if you’re new, if you don’t have CPs, and/or if you want to test out a new manuscript on new readers, enter a contest.  The anonymity, the scoresheets, and the wide variety of potential judges make it incredibly useful.  

What is the best think that happened to you from entering contests?

Finaling the in the GH, without a doubt.  It did not sell my books, but it could have. Both of my finaling manuscripts were already with the editor who bought it by the time the contest judging occurred, but all the final rounded judges asked to see more of both mss, so if I hadn’t had my agent shopping it by then, it would have got me a lot of editor requests. 

But more importantly, the GH was about those astonishing relationships.  Especially with the other finalists.  It doesn’t always happen, I hear, but the 2008 GH finalists I mentioned before—Pixie Chicks as we have come to call ourselves—are am amazing bunch of women, I’d say they are the biggest fringe benefit I could ever have imagined  J  And they are selling like crazy, which is great news for readers, because a TON of great debut books will be coming out in 2009 & 2010.

What are the most important things that a writer new to contests should know before they enter?

The biz is subjective. Be ready, and if you can, learn to love it. 

Where on the web can people find you if they want to know more about your writing? http://kriskennedy.net

My website, with a newsletter sign-up!  Do come join!

http://MamaWriters.com  (A blog of romance writing moms, with weekly guest bloggers who run the gamut from Roxanne St. Clair to Julianne MacLean to Allison Brennan and Eloisa James)

http://heartsthroughhistory.com/workshops

 I am teaching a 2 week, online workshop in March, called “Powerful Openings: How To Grab ‘Em and Hold ‘Em From Page One.”  I would love to see people from here!  J  I’ll look for Mustrackers at the class–Pop me an email and let me know you came from here, and I’ll be especially gentle.  LOL

And ONE COMMENTER today will WIN a free workshop certificate, to take my or any other HHRW workshop in the next 6 months!

 

I’m also at Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1306876142&ref=name#/people/Kris-Kennedy/1306876142

Do you have any writing wisdom to share with new writers?

Okay, well, yes, but it isn’t mine. It’s Calvin Coolidge’s.  Darn.  Maybe if I were president, I could think of cool things like this to say.  J

“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent.”

Thank you so much for your visit Kris. What wonderful advice for both new writers and seasoned ones.

No, thank-you!  I think a blog targeted to new writers is a fabulous thing. I love new writers, and am honored you asked me here to chat today!

Please everyone, don’t forget to leave us a comment and you can win a free online class at Heart through History. Check the line up here: http://heartsthroughhistory.com/workshops 

And don’t forget to bookmark your calendar for the release of THE CONQUEROR, Kensington, May 2009.

And speaking of contests, if you have a minute in your busy day, please help make one of 4 aspiring writers dream come true by voting in the AMERICAN TITLE V contest, now in Round 4 at: http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php

Caution: Men at Work

Song of the day: Addicted by Saving Abel

There’s a traffic light by my house that is particularly long. Normally, I wait impatiently for the darn thing to turn switch. I tap the steering wheel in agitation and try to “will” it from red to green. It really is ridiculously long.

But lately, I haven’t minded the wait. A filling station at the corner had been recently torn down and a group of construction workers milled about doing their construction worker duties. One, I noticed almost immediately, struck me as very, very easy on the eyes. He stood waist deep with a shovel in a hole, digging away with masculine grace. I drooled, um, admired him. His body was well-built, he wore dark shades and his dirty jeans fit just right on his lean hips. Instead of “willing” the light to change, I found myself “willing” him to remove his shirt. Darn it, the light changed instead. The one time my telepathic thoughts work and it had to be on the traffic light.  Stealing another appreciative glance, I thought about rushing home for a lawn chair, snacks and a cocktail. Would the lead man at the construction sight run me off after setting up camp to stare at the hottie with the shovel? Probably.

This got me to thinking about all the attributes and tendencies of men that drive women wild. How many authors model their heroes (undeniably Alpha) after real life hunks? Where do these inspirations come from?

Let’s ponder on that for a moment. Let’s explore some of the little things that can set a yummy hero apart from an average Joe, making a woman nutty.

Picture, if you will, a gorgeous guy in any one of these scenarios: Straddling a Harley. Riding high in a saddle atop a powerful steed. Testosterone induced concentration on the field during a sports game. Suggestive grinding and shredding on a guitar. Effortless shooting of a .50 caliber gun (and that’s a big gun!). Precise gear shifting in his shiny sports car. Muscles straining against a tight t-shirt. Dirt or grease smears from a hard day’s work.

We women undoubtedly go to pieces over the quivering, wicked smile. We get chills from the tortured, intense stare. And we melt over the possessive, deep kiss, the rough hands, the authoritative voice, and the perfect round butt. Mmm-mmm.

I think many of us also value a sexy 5 o’clock shadow, a playful sense of humor and a possessive hand resting on our lower backs.

These traits can be found in everyday guys. Guys like detectives, firemen, mechanics, surfers, musicians, baseball players, cowboys, bikers, steel/factory workers, jet fighters, soldiers, next door neighbors, hot sexy guys with shovels, and, of course, the ones we love most.

Depending on the genre, an author can go crazy amping up their own Alpha nuances by studying the men around them.

There are other not-so-obvious quirks and physical characteristics worth noting. Let’s not underestimate the power of the minute details. Imagine taut muscles rounding his calves or the twitching of the tendons in his forearms as he grabs, maneuvers or caresses. The way his lips wrap around a beer bottle. The walk, wide and confident, yet relaxed. Envision the way the hair on his arms, legs and chest smooth against his body when he’s wet.

Oh my. I’d better stop there. I could go on and on.

So, what kind of obscure manly trait or action do you go bonkers over? Come on, share.

Contest Wisdom Interviews: Anne Barton

Contest Wisdom Interview: Anne Barton

by Marie-Claude Bourque

 Today, I am thrilled to receive the very talented and gracious Anne Barton, Regency historical romance writer and Golden Heart finalist. She has nicely accepted to part with her wisdom on the pros and cons of entering RWA contests and shares some tips for us.

Welcome Anne. Can you please tell us which of your manuscripts have  finaled in RWA contests?

Three of my manuscripts-Midnight Promises, The Kissable Companion, and The Trouble with Twilight-have finaled in contests.  This year I was a Golden Heart finalist and won the Historical Unpublished Maggie.  I’ve finaled in four other RWA chapter contests.

Very impressive, 3 award-winning manuscripts. How long have you been writing and how long have you been submitting to writing contests?

I started writing 2 ½ years ago and entered my first writing contest about 2 years ago.  I bombed my first time out . . . but I’ve been hooked on contests ever since.

How do you choose to enter a specific contest? 

I like different contests for different reasons.  I look at the number of pages you’re allowed to enter, the number of first round judges, and the score sheet.  Sometimes I might need feedback on my synopsis, my query, or a part of the book other than the beginning.  There are contests for just about everything.  On average, I enter about one contest a month.

Wow, that must keep you busy. What do you think are the advantages of entering contest? 

For starters, you get honest, objective feedback.  Contests are a great way to get readers’ unbiased reactions to your story-and the reader’s response is really what it’s all about.  We can write a story that’s technically perfect, historically accurate, and loaded with conflict, but if it doesn’t create an emotional response in the reader, it will flop.  Contests provide a good testing ground for our stories.

When we’re lucky enough to final in contests-and there’s definitely an element of luck involved-there’s the added benefit of getting our work in front of the final round judge (usually an editor or agent).  Although I’ve only had one request for the full manuscript from final round judges, I think the mention of contest finals (especially in well-known contests like the Golden Heart) helped me to get additional requests off of queries.

 A third advantage of contests is that they’ve given me “deadlines.”  I wrote like mad to complete three manuscripts in time to submit them to the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Golden Heart Contests.  Then I get to spend the rest of the year revising them. 

The biggest boon I ever received from a contest, however, (and this will sound incredibly sappy) was the friendship of my fellow 2008 Golden Heart finalists-aka the “Pixies.”  In the first days after calls went out to the finalists, one of the Pixies set up a Yahoo! loop for us.  In the months since, we’ve given each other advice, support, and encouragement.  We’ve consoled one other and celebrated successes, which have been many . . . by the latest count, 25% of the Pixies have sold.  It’s really inspiring, and I feel SO lucky to be a part of this fun, talented, generous group of writers.

Yes, from what I hear the Pixies sound like a really tight bunch. How wonderful for you.

What is the best feedback you ever got from judges?

Ooh, this is a fun question.  If by “best feedback” you mean the most flattering, that’s easy.  A few judges have said “I can’t wait to read the rest of your story” or “I hope to see this in print soon.”  Another wrote that my heroine is “someone she’d like to have as her best friend.”  Knowing that the judges truly enjoyed the story and/or characters is the best compliment of all.

But if by “best feedback” you mean the most helpful, I’ve received lots of that kind too.  I learned about point of view from my first contest entry.  I learned the finer points of internal conflict from a later entry.  And I’ve gotten wonderful advice on my query letter and synopses from several contests.

 I  have a folder on my hard drive where I’ve saved every score sheet and critique I’ve gotten back from contests.  Whenever I get contest results I read them eagerly-whether they’re good or bad-because each offers a unique perspective on my writing. 

I like how you reworded my question! What was the least useful feedback you got? 

Hmmm.  Here I go again.  If by “least useful” you mean the most humbling, that would be when a judge told me she was “having a hard time continuing to read this.”  She was referring to the fact that I confused “rein” with “reign” two times on the same page.  Now, you might think this sounds nit-picky, and I’d agree.  But then I realized that the judge was zeroing in on these types of infractions because of a bigger problem . . . she wasn’t swept away by the story.  So even though the feedback was negative it taught me something important.

On the flip side, I’ve had fabulous scores with very few comments.  Much as I love receiving great scores, I know there are countless ways I could improve my writing.  Without written feedback, it’s hard to know what aspect I should focus on first. 

Your attitude towards feedback is very healthy. I wish we could all act like that in the face of criticism. How do you cope with negative feedback or really low scores if any? 

I’ve received my fair share of both.  We writers tend to be sensitive types, so rejection stings-especially since we pour so much time and energy into our stories.   But that which does not kill us . . . . right?  Actually, the negative feedback has toughened me up a bit, and that’s necessary for survival in this business (or so I hear).  I also try to use negative feedback to light a fire under my backside.   

Also, I always send thank you notes to judges and contest coordinators afterward.  It’s hard to be gracious in the face of harsh criticism, but that’s when it’s most necessary.  At the very least, I can sincerely thank them for taking on such a tough, time-consuming, and often thankless job.  Usually, though, I can mention several things I learned from their comments or edits.  A few judges have even written me back with further encouragement, which is pretty awesome.

How very true. I have not judged yet, but I can see how time consuming it can be. As a judge, what are you looking for in an entry?

I’m really glad you asked this, because I think judging contests is a great way to improve our own writing.  Finding the strengths and weaknesses in others’ writing can help us see them in our own.  It can also be very fun when you score a great entry, or an entry that you can tell will be great with a little polishing. 

To answer your question though, as a judge I’m looking for an entry that makes me forget it’s a contest entry, one that leaves me breathless when I reach the last page.  I always adhere to the contest guidelines and score sheet, but it basically comes down to that. 

What sort of steps to you take to polish the format and presentation of your entry? 

I check the contest rules to see what should be in the header.  Some contests like you to submit a title page too, so it depends. 

The only other thing I do is to format my entry so that it ends on a hook.  Since contests allow different numbers of pages, I sometimes need to use Times New Roman instead of Courier (most contests allow either, but you can fit more with TNR) in order to end at a good spot. 

I don’t alter the working document containing my manuscript for each contest; I just cut and paste the parts I need into a new document and save it with the contest name and year for future reference.

Thanks for the advice, the format was always something I worried about. What are the downsides of entering contests in your opinion? 

The biggest danger is that you spend so much time polishing the first couple of chapters you never finish the book.  The experience of writing a complete story is really necessary for us to grow as writers.  With each book we finish, we see how we can make our stories bigger, more complex, and more compelling. 

Do you have a specific contest format you prefer?

Not really, it just depends what stage I’m at with my work-in-progress and what aspect of my writing I’m working on.  But I do like getting critiques on different parts of my stories.  When I wanted feedback on a love scene, I entered the Merritt Magic Moment Contest.  (It took me a while to work up the nerve for that one, but I’m glad I did.)  I recently entered the ending chapters of a story in the Happily Ever After Contest too-I can’t wait to get the feedback on those pages because only a few people (like my mom and my neighbor) have read them.  

What contests do you consider the most prestigious for the unpublished romance writers?

RWA’s Golden Heart seems to be one of the prestigious, probably because it’s well-known and the competition is fierce.  Attending the RWA conference as a finalist is an honor.  You get first pick of agent and editor appointments, priority seating at the awards ceremony, and a nice ribbon to wear.

Having said that, I think each contest is unique, and the answer to your question might depend on the genre you write.  The Royal Ascot is a highly respected contest for Regency romance, as is the Daphne du Maurier for romantic suspense.  To sum up, the best contest to enter is the one that helps you meet your writing goals.

What are the biggest misconceptions people have about contests? 

Oh, I can share an embarrassing one I had.  When I finaled in the Golden Heart I thought the three final round judges would read my entire manuscript.  Why else would I have submitted it?  It was weeks before I discovered they only read the partial and synopsis, and I remember feeling really let down.  (The real rules make a ton of sense since some categories have as many as eight finalists.)  A kind soul suggested I read the chapter of the RWA Policies & Procedures Manual, which is available on their website in the “Members Only” section.  Everything is spelled out very clearly there.  :) 

Another common misconception is that a contest final automatically translates into landing an agent or even a publishing contract.  Contest finals can certainly help, but (unfortunately!) they’re no guarantee.  The exception would be winning American Title. 

You are so right about that and I don’t think that even winning the American Title would guarantee an agent. This business is very unpredictable. What is the best thing that happened to you from entering contests?

 Meeting savvy writers (like you!) and finding a great critique partner.

You are too nice . It is certainly inspiring to follow your progress on Amy Atwells’ Goal in a Month loop. Where on the web can people find you if they want to know more about your writing? 

My website:  http://www.annebarton.com

My blog:  http://annebarton.blogspot.com/

Do you have any writing wisdom to share with new writers?

You’re not alone.  Romance writers are some of the nicest people in the world (not that I’m biased) and connecting with other people who share our passion motivates us and makes writing even more fun. 

Thank you sooo much for your visit to Musetracks, Anne. It was a pleasure to have you. I have learned a lot just from this brief visit. 

Thanks so much for having me.  Now I have a question (similar to one you asked me) for anyone who’s game.  What’s the most exhilarating judge’s comment you’ve ever received?  Please share–I’d love to hear it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chasing Away the Winter Blues

Song of the day: Summertime Girls by Y&T

Monday was Groundhog Day and a certain famous furry mammal named Punxsutawney Phil emerged from slumber amongst anticipation, laughter and flashing bulbs to tell America that winter will last another six more weeks.

Six more weeks? Why, oh why?

I’m not much for winter. Aside from the holidays that only seem festive with cooler temperatures (and that’s debatable IMO), I really don’t like cold weather. I become dormant, like a reptile or, perhaps, a hibernating groundhog. I curl up into a fetal ball to conserve energy. It’s pathetic.

Okay, I know I’m a wuss. I don’t even know what a real winter is like. Shimmering snow-covered nature, glistening ice and happy people frolicking in the bliss of winter are nothing more than beautiful pictures. I’ve never seen more than a half inch of slushy snow in my life. Being from Southeast Texas, our winters are mild by comparison to much of the country. However, if the thermometer dips below, oh say, 70 degrees, I’m cold. Miserable, even.

So why do I bellyache? Movement is slow. Productivity is slower. How can I possibly be a creative, coherent writer if I can’t hear myself think over the sound of clattering teeth? I should mention it’s quite difficult to type on the keyboard while wrapped tight in swaddling praying for spring. And my mood is as gloomy as the gray sky outside. Instead of writing romance, I’m apt to pen out dark stories where everyone Dies! Dies! Dies! If I’m able to write anything at all, that is. I know for many the winter woes do not hinder them as writers. Oh, how I envy them.

I’ve got to be careful. With the melancholy mood, depression can seep deep into my bones like the chilly air. It’s destructive and once it snags a hold, it can be a struggle to break free.

Certainly, I’m not alone. I can’t be the only wishing for the speedy return of warmer days. So I’ve come up with a list of ways to help fight away the winter blues. This is for all you winter wimps like me.

Do the obvious – eat right and exercise. Eat fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains and foods containing vitamin D will give you energy and help maintain your immune system. Exercising also gives you a boost in energy and gets that blood pumping. It’s hard to be cold while your sweating to the oldies.

Catch that sunshine – if the day is sunny, get out there and soak up the rays. Open the windows and welcome the light in. Instant mood enhancer. Sometimes you can find me following a patch of the sun around the yard.

Read a book – that’s right. Get lost in the pages of a book. A good read doesn’t have to be set in an exotic locale. It can be a steamy romance, a hot paranormal, a romantic comedy, or whatever genre that brings you joy and helps you forget the dismal weather.

Watch a movie – this is the same idea as the book. Get whisked away, even for a couple of hours, to leafy jungles, desert sands, tropical paradises. I prefer comedies. Naturally laughter lifts the spirit and I’m less likely to turn feral on stubborn husbands and demanding children.

Treat yourself – get a manicure in bright colors or brave a new haircut. Nothing like a little pampering to make you feel refreshed. Right now, I’m sporting Frosted Celestial Ice blue on my toenails.

While you’re at it – get a massage. Have the cold days bundled in your muscles kneaded away. It helps if your masseuse is a masculine hottie with magical, healing hands.

Speaking of the hottie – write a quick story about a gorgeous pool boy or a forbidden rendezvous with an island god.

Listen to music – get your mojo going by rocking out to loud music, grooving to jungle beats or chilling with Jimmy Buffet. Crank up Grease’s Summer Lovin’ and sing a duet with John Travolta.

Slather on some lotion – heighten your senses by choosing scents like coconut, freesia, or fresh cucumber. You’ve got to smell good and feel silky soft while writing about that bronzed hottie.

Organize yourself – clean up your work space. An uncluttered area leads to an uncluttered mind. Your literary genius will shine through.

Get coffee/tea/cocktails with a writer buddy or two – hanging with these friends can really stir the motivational pot.

These suggestions may give you the added boost to make it through the long final weeks of winter. The important thing to remember is to keep active. Move your body and your mind. Don’t go back into hibernation like Phil.

Do you long for milder temperatures? Do you have any ideas you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you.