What Makes You a Writer?

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          This is a sign that hangs in my classroom. The sign, the construction tape, the hardhats--they go with the theme.

           For me, deconstruction is an integral part of the writing process. I write, I delete, I pare down, I rearrange, I tighten.

           Which leads me to what I think is necessary for a writer. A writer must be willing to cast off words/lines/pages. They have to be able to do the work, to get the writing done... and then, to delete parts of their WIP.

           They also need a thick skin. If a writer really and truly wants to get better at their craft, they have to ask fellow writers to be honest. 

Does this suck or is it any good?

Which parts do I need to discard?

Which parts are weak and therefore, need to be overhauled?

           What do you think it takes to be a writer? Delete-happy minds want to know...

Too Much of a Good Thing?

         I've been toiling away on my WIP. A year or so ago, I was worried I wouldn't have enough wordage. Would anyone buy a book made up of one haiku? (I was pretty sure I could come up with 17 syllables. I know at least Shay would buy it, since she loveslovesloves haikus.) If I got the story finished in 13 pages, could it be called a SS novella--a super-short novella?

         Currently it's closer to 87,000 than 86,000. But just barely closer.

A picture of the first page of  my WIP,
albeit  a bad photo...

          Now, I'm worried about something else.  I claimed I would be able to finish this draft by the end of February. February 2016, that is. 

       That means I only have 9 more days.

       Whoops. February has only 29 days, so I only have 7 more days... and today is almost over.

        I'm also worried because I have a bunch of words/sentences/pages written, and I still haven't gotten to a major part of the story. A big something still has to happen (luckily, I know what the something is) and then a substantial loose thread needs to be taken care of. (I know how that's going to get tied up, too.) 

       So, will this WIP end up long and way-too-drawn-out? 

       Or will I end up sucking on my car's exhaust pipe?

       Time will tell...

Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday #2

     So, it's the second week of Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday. An opportunity for fun every week. In case you missed it last week, here's the scoop:

• There's a photo--for your inspiration--posted every Friday. This picture is the front cover art of a prospective book. You pick the genre. 
• You get to write a book blurb--150 words or less--for your book. Craft a title. Make your blurb so enticing, readers will rush to to buy it.
• Post your blurb--along with the photo--on your blog. Then, link your blog to this blog, via Mr. Linky. (It's really easy. If I can do it, even your dog can do it.)
• The photo for the next week will also be posted at the end, so your creative juices can start flowing early.
• Try it. It's an exercise in writing in a tight and compelling way. 

       Here's the photo for this week, along with my attempt at a blurb:

Fabienne's Hand

       Every Tuesday and Thursday, Fabienne came to his door. Every Tuesday and Thursday Olivier sat on his red velvet couch, smoking, as he waited to hear her knock. Every Tuesday and Thursday they ate a simple lunch and then made love, his tall bedroom windows standing watch.

       It was a time that belonged only to them.

       But then Fabienne came no more. No explanation. No adieu. She was simply gone.

       Olivier survived the loss, of course. He plodded along... for the next forty-five years. But Fabienne was never too far away. You see, he'd had a door knocker made to look like one of her lovely hands.

       One Autumn afternoon, a gray-haired woman pulled on the knocker. When Olivier opened the door, there was Fabienne.

      What kept them apart for forty-five years? What brought her back?

The answers will surprise you... (144 words)

           Think about playing along. And next week, here is the photo so you can think ahead and get some ideas together before next Friday:

Calling All Photos

        Are you a great photographer? Have you been able to capture some great shots?

        If so, you could help me out and in the process, become famous get scads of money in payment get nothing except a bit of admiration.

        I'm looking for a variety of pictures for my newly-launched Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday. Every Friday, a photo--that would be the front of a prospective book cover--will be offered to my thousands many two followers. It will then be their challenge to write a blurb--a description of 150 words or less--to entice any possible readers.

       If you'd like to see the first two photos, so you can see how low I've set the bar, please check it out here.

       I of course will give you credit for the photo. If you have any pics that would perfect for the front of a book--any kind of book--please send them to me at sroslawski(at)yahoo.com

      And in advance, thanks for reading and thanks for considering...

I'm a Believer

        I'm a believer,
        I couldn't leave her
        If I tried.

        I will spare you the video of me belting out out the Neil Diamond song. (What is that noise? Did a cat get caught in a car engine?) But the lyrics fit what I'm writing about today.

      I started reading Lisa Ricard Claro's book, Love to Believe, Saturday night. I got through two chapters. Figured it would take me a few days to read it. Maybe by the end of the week I'd be finished. Or so I thought.

       Yesterday--all day--I neglected everything except reading that book. I didn't grade papers. I didn't do any housework. On the way to dinner and a movie * with my husband, I even took the book (because it was a 30-minute trip). All day I did nothing except read and read and read that romance novel... until I finished the last page a little before midnight.

      Yikes!

      If you didn't already know, I am about as far from the typical romance reader as you can get. I love sad books--books with unhappy endings. I don't ever buy books that have women's heaving bosoms or Fabio-looking men on the cover. In fact, Lisa Ricard Claro's first novel in this series--Love Built to Last--was the first romance novel I'd ever read. And I was hooked.

      This second book in the series is no different than the first--again, a compelling read. Again, well-crafted. Again, humor and heat in well-balanced amounts. In this book, you're rooting for Sean and Rebecca to get together for good... But be prepared for some twists and turns on the path to happily ever after. 

      Because of Lisa, I'm a believer in romance novels (but only if they're written by her).



*  The movie we saw was the Coen brothers' "Hail, Caesar. Seven of us went and at the end, we all said, "What was that about?" In my opinion, it was awful.

Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday #1

        

        Years ago, before Lisa Ricard Claro became a famous novelist and got swamped when she snagged a 3-book publishing deal and started her own editing business, she hosted Book Blurb Friday.

        It was fun every Friday to stretch as a writer... to get the chance to practice a succinct synopsis--one that would seduce the reader into buying the book. Lisa gave us a picture every week, along with the photo for the next week (to give us some think time), along with the parameters:

• The blurb should be 150 words or less (not including the title).
• The genre is wide-open.
• Each blogger should include their blurb on their own blog, along with the photo, and link back to this post.
• Have fun with it. Go to the other posts and comment on the other blurbs. 
• You can do fancy techy things with the photo. (I'm unable, having two left cursors.) 

       Here is the first one. I'm sorry the photo is not more inspiring. I just got my whole laptop wiped out cleaned out, and had very few photos of mine to choose from. I might have even sent this to Lisa when she had the call-out for photos. Below is my back-of-the-book blurb (and it's really lame--my tech work with Mr. Linky sapped me dry).

Father Time Hits the Road

               Father Time got tired of merely keeping track of the seconds... the minutes... the hours as they passed. Weary from life passing him by, he hit the road for a rollicking, terrifying trip. Join him on the beaches of France. The DMV line. Amusement parks. Doctors' waiting rooms where--shudder--there are no clocks. 

           On his journey, the people he met, the moments he savored, the memories he made--they all led to a difficult decision: should Father Time go back to his old existence, and never experience life again? Or, should he shirk all his responsibilities and continue to truly live? 

          And if Father Time never works again, what will happen to our world? Will clocks and calendars and countries collapse, no longer having a system of keeping track of the time? 

          With the world in chaos, everyone waits for Father Time's decision... (141 words)

        So, try your hand at a book blurb. It's an exercise in tightness (which is something my stomach has not experienced in decades).

        Here is the photo for next week's Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday #2 (so you can think about it between now and next Friday):