How the Rockville 8 spent our Summer Vacations

Wrapping up the summer here at the Rockville 8, and turning our thoughts toward the fall. What did you do during YOUR summer vacation?

Marjanna Bogan:

Horseshoe crab. Stuck on the rocks. You have so many legs and a very spikey tail.

Horseshoe crab. Stuck on the rocks. Are those really eyes on your shell or just camo?

Horseshoe crab. Stuck on the rocks. Stretching your stretchless exoskeleton to free yourself.

Horseshoe crab. Stuck on the rocks. If I rescue you, am I going against nature?

Horseshoe crab. Stuck on the rocks. I feel you are a metaphor for my summer.

This summer.

I buried my father and rescued a horseshoe crab that was stuck on the rocks.

Technically, we threw Dad under the boat.

I did, however, actually pull the horseshoe crab free from where he (she? who the hell knows) was wedged in the rocks by the surf.

I also drank a lot of vodka. With and without family and friends. I'm not sure if one or the other makes it taste better. Perhaps I should experiment more with that.

But I expect I have the autumn for that.

 

Nichole Christoff:

Twisted! That sums up my summer. First, the spring weather got twisted and thought it was summer. Then, summer cooled down and behaved like spring. That make for great opportunities to get outdoors--until I twisted my ankle. My high grade sprain should be all healed by New Year's. In the meantime, I'm ready for full-on fall. Bring on the pumpkins and falling leaves! I'm nearly done with my latest novel and I'm starting a new day job. I'm an adjunct professor at a small, private university. So no more twists and turns, please. At least, not until winter.

Misha Crews:

This summer my husband and I celebrated our anniversary with a trip to our favorite getaway: Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. If you've ever been there, you'll completely understand why we're in love with the place. If you haven't had a chance to see it for yourself, then you should go. Now. (I'm not kidding, get going!) The time away from work, phones and even (gasp!) the internet gave us a chance to decompress and reconnect with each other. And it even brought me to a breakthrough on my latest writing project. It was a winner, all around! I hope that everyone reading this had a wonderful summer, and best wishes to you for a beautiful and happy autumn!

Mackenzie Lucas:

Low-key summer for me. Pretty much my full vacation encompassed RWA Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia in July; the road trip to and from Atlanta on the I-81 corridor through the Shenandoah Valley (two nights down, two nights back); and a trip to Pittsburgh to take my oldest to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for a Summer Studio program so he could figure out if he’d be interested in applying to their Game Art & Design program after high school. He’s sent in his application and is waiting on letters of recommendation from his high school teachers. Sigh. Yes, we’ve started the college search and application phase for No. 1. The other two will follow in quick succession. So hold on for the ride! The big news for me this summer was that I sold my first manuscript to a traditional publisher. My debut contemporary romance novel Essence will be published by Soul Mate Publishing in spring 2014 in e-book and six to eight months later in print. I’m very excited about working with Soul Mate Publishing on this project! That’s about it for me this summer. Ready for fall to commence. ;0)

Lisa McQuay:

Summer is my favorite season of the year.  I’m happiest during this time of year.  I love all of the daylight hours we have.  Being able to run out the front door without bundling up.  Not having to study with my daughter for a vocabulary quiz or run around and get tons of things for a school project.   Walk the dogs in the evening after the day cools off. 

This past summer was a busy one for me.  Working full time, volunteering as treasurer, attending the RWA National conference, and shuttling my daughter between summer activities, doctor, dentist and orthodontist appointments left little time for deep introspection.  The week long vacation to Nags Head, NC was a welcome break that ended all too quickly.    

My father’s birthday always falls somewhere around Labor Day weekend, so a family party is always on tap sometime in the three days we’re off.  This weekend, the party falls on Sunday so I’m busy baking a cake, making macaroni salad and buying a gift.   My brother volunteered to bring the ribs so I took him up immediately on his offer. 

I did some writing in between all this but not as much as I wanted to.  So, now that fall is around the corner and school has started, I’m rededicating myself.  Right after the birthday party…

Evie Owens:

Evie is on deadline, hard at work finishing up a piece for an anthology, so she was not able to submit something for this blog piece. We’re super excited for her coming publication. Go, Evie, go!

Keely Thrall:

Summer seemed like it took an awful long time to get started. All that rain and cool just didn’t say summer in DC. It wasn’t until July that things kicked off for me – I attended RWA Nationals mid-month, then was home for a week before heading to Paris for 4 days (see my post on that here). August has seen me get loads of writing in, as well as happily receive the news that I’m a finalist in the Lone Star Writing Contest (paranormal category). Looking forward to more writing this fall and reconnecting with my WRW pals.

Shellie Williams:

Sometimes life IS a bowl of cherries and like "sudden fame" a lot goes on before the bowl of cherries arrives. This summer I had to dance with my own special devil: patience. I'm not good at patience. I'm more of an action kinda girl. But all summer, I had to wait and be patient. Would I get the job I had set my heart on? Would I final in the Claymore Contest for unpublished authors writing in mystery, thriller and crime genres? Patience, grasshopper was my mantra...and my reward. Yes, I got the job and I've already dreamed up a story idea: Murder at the Arts Barn. (Yeah, the title needs some work.) Lastly, I finaled in the Claymore contest. I was one of 10 finalists. Killer Nashville hasn't released the final winners yet, so I'm still practicing patience.  Breathe, grasshopper, and have a cherry.

Paris Through a Camera Lens – Story Prompt

I’ve always been fascinated by the stories a photograph can tell. Why take that picture? Why not aim a few inches to the left? What would happen if you zoomed in? Took a panoramic view? Shot from below? Who do we include in our photos? Who do we ignore? How do we edit the images – do we crop out unnecessary detail and how do we decide what’s important to keep? How do we present the images to craft a linear understanding of time and place? Do we edit for theme, style, humor? I guess it’s no surprise that these questions perk along in my brain. Photography is just another form of storytelling, and I’m a storyteller.

What if you didn’t know the story behind the image? What if the story you’d always thought was true turned out to be a fantasy? I thought for YEARS that my uncle had two little girls that “we just didn’t talk about” since his first marriage ended in divorce. YEARS. Because I’d seen a photograph of him with these two kids and somehow cobbled together a story that didn’t really make sense (we’re not the kind of family to shun children, for goodness’ sake). But to my young mind it made enough sense that I didn’t question it until I was a young adult. Turns out the girls were his nieces by marriage and when the marriage ended, so did that relationship. Quite an elaborate fantasy to build on the basis of a single photo seen once as a youngster.

At the end of July, my dad and I traveled to Paris for a few days. It was a delightful trip (if way too short). Between us, we took 244 photographs. All those moments of choice – this window display, not that one. This vista from this angle. This monument, this slice of life moment, this image bound in pixels forever and ever, amen.

It got me thinking.   

1)   What if that photo of a daughter and her father toasting their time together in Paris was actually documentation of a nefarious scientist and her trusty lab manager celebrating their newest plot to take over the world? (Taken in the courtyard of the Hotel Athene)   

2)   What if this swanky hotel restaurant was the rendezvous location of their annual SPECTRE board meeting (instead of just a really great place to have Sunday brunch; The Royal  Monceau Hotel). Heck, they have an image of Sean Connery on the wall. Could James Bond be far behind?  

3)   What if their evil plan included syphoning off all the champagne in the world, storing it in the Eiffel Tower and then making people pay even more exorbitant prices for a bit of bubbly than we already do? One meeellion Euros anyone?  

4)   What if, in addition to stealing the world’s champagne reserves, this mad scientist took a page out of Dr. Frankenstein’s diary, but instead of reanimating human corpses, she decided dinosaurs were her thing. Dinosaurs painted gold, with a thing for Louis Vuitton (Look closely at Dino's mouth.). I think I like where this is going… 

5)   What if, to appease this crazy smart evil, yet charismatic seductive and alluring scientist, the powers that be offered her ownership of Versailles and a never ending supply of Veuve Cliquot?  

6)   I think the scientist said yes, fell in love with her new home – and the head gardener – and lived happily ever after.

What about you? Have you ever made up a story to fit what you think you’re seeing in an image? Was it as extreme as two missing cousins? Does looking at photos give you story inspiration? 

And Two Hardboiled Eggs: My Favorite Marx Brothers Moments

It doesn't take a lot to make me happy. Butter on my popcorn, ice in my soda, and something to make me smile. Popcorn and soda aside, the Marx Brothers have been making me smile ever since I can remember. And because a smile is more fun if you share it, here are a few of my favorite Marx Brothers moments. I hope you catch my case of the giggles!

And Two Hardboiled Eggs – A Night at the Opera

Released in 1935, A Night at the Opera is unquestionably the Marx Brothers' masterpiece. Groucho stars as Otis B. Driftwood, a wannabe player in the Italian opera. Chico and Harpo are Fiorello and Tomasso, scatterbrained but loyal to their friend Ricardo (the handsome Allan Jones) who is in love with Rosa (Kitty Carlisle). When Rosa has the opportunity to go to New York, Fiorella, Tomasso and Ricardo stow away on her boat. Otis discovers the loverboy and his trusty sidekicks in his stateroom, and is pressured into helping them to stay concealed. Part of this is ordering the starving men some food. The following video shows why, whenever I'm making a grocery list, my husband calls out "and two hardboiled eggs!"

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The Mirror Scene – Duck Soup

In this 1933 political satire, Groucho plays Rufus T. Firefly, the president/dictator of a bankrupt country called Freedonia. Chico and Harpo are Chicollini and Pinky, two silly spies from Sylvania, Freedonia's neighbor and enemy. In the following classic scene, Pinky (Harpo) must fool Firefly (Groucho) into believing he's actually Firefly's reflection in a mirror. My favorite moment: when the two men swap positions, smiling at each other all while!

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The Password Scene – Horse Feathers

I remember seeing this 1932 movie on television when I was nine years old (which would make it about twenty years ago, right? Ahem, moving on…). Groucho plays Quincy Adams Wagstaff, the president of Huxley University. To win the football game against the school's rival, Darwin U, Huxley recruits Bavarelli and Pinky (Chico and Harpo) to play on the team. These fellas are "icemen" (deliverymen of bootleg liquor), and are recruited through a series of misunderstandings. In the following scene, Wagstaff is trying to get into a speakeasy, and Baravelli is guarding the door.

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…And We Gotta Go Back – A Night at the Opera

And we're back with my favorite Marx Brothers film, A Night at the Opera. Here, in order to evade the authorities and successfully get off the ship, the three plucky heroes impersonate a trio of famous aviators. Wearing the aviators' beards (which they cut off and pasted on their faces – what could possibly go wrong?) and uniforms, the men happily march off the ship. Only to find that they are now expected to make a speech about their heroic journey. This scene explains why, when I'm asked about a journey, I'll sometimes answer "we almost got there, then we ran out of gas and had to go back."

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What makes you smile? Do you have any favorite Marx Brothers moments?

One Is Silver and the Other Gold

With the end of summer right around the corner, we in the Christoff household are making the most of the fleeting season. You can find us in the great outdoors nearly every weekend now. And if the evening is crisp and cool, you'll find us gathered around a campfire.

A Christoff Campfire

Do you remember that old campfire song? The one about friendship? You know the one I mean. It reminds us to "make new friends, but keep the old." Why? Because "one is silver and the other gold."

These words were never more true than this weekend when one of my oldest friends brought her family to my campfire circle. She and I were kids ourselves when we met at camp almost thirty years ago. But if you'd have seen us this weekend, you might've thought we were still kids with the way we joked and laughed.

Around my campfire this weekend, my friend reminded me of who I used to be--and who I still am. Seeing myself through my friend's eyes, I remembered my strengths. And I remembered those strengths had always been a part of me. Best of all, in the golden glow of the campfire, I remembered those strengths had been with me for so long, they probably weren't going to go anywhere without me.

When autumn comes and winter is finally here, and all the pressures of daily living put a damper on my spirits, I'll look back on those summer evenings, both recent and long ago, with my friend. I'll remember what it is to be a friend. And, thanks to my friend, I'll remember I can be myself.

As I look forward to the seasons to come, I hope I'll always make new friends. I hope I'll always keep the old. Because one is certainly silver, and the other is the truest gold.

Now it's your turn to talk to the Rockville 8. Do you have a friend who's as good as gold?  What does her friendship mean to you?

The Road to Success from Atlanta RWA 2013

It’s taken me almost a week to recover from the RWA national conference in Atlanta. The conference was amazing. The speakers were awesome. And the opportunities for networking were astounding. I had a great time and I learned a lot. While I came away exhausted--because the days were long and the nights were short--I also came away recharged and encouraged about the book industry and my place in it. Maybe it’s because I went into this year’s conference with a different energy and expectation that I got more out of it. But I think it was more than that, too.

R8 Members: Evie, Me, Lisa, and Keely

The landscape is entirely different than it was even a year ago. The most popular workshops seemed to be those directed at learning about indie publishing. There were still our old favorites: regular spotlights on traditional publishing, craft-oriented workshops for beginner to pro, an arena sized book signing for traditionally published authors, PAN workshops, pitch sessions, and networking parties. But this year RWA shifted the focus slightly and allowed indie publishing to take a place at the table. Successful indie authors shared their secrets about their success and RWA sponsored a book signing & giveaway for indie authors. The energy was high, and the mood was collaborative and positive.

The clear message? This is the best time to be a writer because of all the options available to us. We can traditionally publish, we can publish with a small press, we can publish with an e-publisher, we can indie publish, we can hold our digital rights and sell our print rights, and so on and so on. Or, we can be a hybrid author who does all of the above. If we want. We have choices. Writers hold the power card.

The trick is knowing what you want. What brings you the validation that you require to continue writing what you want to write? Is it seeing your book in print? Knowing that readers are reading it? The distribution? Is it being able to make a living from your book sales? There’s a lot of self-discovery necessary these days to make your way in the book industry. You need to know what you want and why you want it. But if you’re honest with yourself and willing to work hard and write, write, write, there are no limits, and there’s no single pathway to success.

 

 Have you thought about what success looks like for you? When will you know you've arrived?

If you attended RWA Nationals in Atlanta this year, what was your favorite part?

Scratch and Sift

How familiar is this? You attend yet another writer's conference, and the keynote speaker has just regaled the audience on how she wrote her breakout first novel, which of course not only became a bestseller, but also launched a movie franchise. She tells us that she'd never written before, except maybe a sweet little article for a parenting magazine. But one morning, after a pitiful night's sleep due to 3 sick children and a dog that ate her husband's socks, she awakened with the entire plot for the book. Complete with sparkly skin. And she's never read books about leprechauns, either.

It had just come to her.

Maybe she was also down on her luck, living on food stamps, and one dream later, she's wearing Prada to walk the dog. She demurs, she giggles, she tells us we just have to pay attention to our dreams because an absolute fabbie story is just waiting to pop out with the morning bowl of cornflakes.

I don't know about you, but I find these inspirational stories kinda depressing, and more likely to send me to the gentle comfort of cheesecake and vodka than to my notebook. Because Ima Bess Eller didn't mention the seven drafts that she went through or the edits her editor demanded just to make the book saleable. No, as far as I know, that best seller was birthed from her forehead like Athena springing from Zeus. And perfectionist that I can be, I don't want to start something that doesn't arrive fully written.

This week, I signed up for a design class taught by WeeksRingle. In the intro, she mentioned Twyla Tharpe's book, The Creative Habit, and shared Ms Tharpe's idea of "scratching". Chickens walk through the yard - at least the free range ones do  - scratching for corn. They don't know for sure if there is grain. Sometimes they pluck up a pebble or stone. But they still continue to scratch and sample, seeking all day long for something tasty.

Like chickens, artists, choreographers and yes, even writers, must learn to be continuous scratchers, living in the expectation of the spark of an idea. And then not to be bound to that idea, either, because sometimes an idea is simply the doorway to the next one. 

Back in the day when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was in high school, my creative writing teacher had us read. All the time. To see how other writers handled words, conveyed ideas. We looked at theme and cadence, at conflict and arc. Then we would do writing exercises. My writing teacher had no expectation of any story or poem arriving fully formed. Nor was every idea that we scratched about with meant to become a completed story. I can't tell you where the transition was made in my mind. Perhaps my procrastination forced my perfectionism's hand, or vice versa. But I love the freedom in trial and error, even if I haven't the patience always for gathering and trying and drafting and thinking. But I think my writing will only get better if I allow myself to just scratch about and see where an idea might carry me. 

Yes, You Really Are Special

This week the Rockville 8 is honored to welcome NYT best selling author Cathy Maxwell. Her latest book, The Devil's Heart, is available in stores now!

Cathy gave the closing talk at our local chapter's retreat this past April, and I'm thrilled to be able to share her wisdom with you here.

Thank you so much for joining us, Cathy!

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Yes, You Really Are Special

gift noun \ˈgift\
1: a notable capacity, talent, or endowment
2: something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation
3: the act, right, or power of giving
Merriam-Webster Dictionary

When my friend, the writer Felicia Mason speaks to student groups, she will ask, “Who hears stories in your head?”

Several hands will go up.  Not many, but a number.  Felicia will point out that those who raise their hands are the storytellers and although it may seem simple to them to weave tales, it is mystery to the rest of the world. What they have is a gift they are born with.

And the gift for story telling, just like any other innate gift such as a talent for math or athletic ability, needs discipline to be developed. That means that of the small number of students who raised their hands, maybe only one will become a writer.

I admit, “discipline” is one of those more-than-four-letter words that annoys me. It has taken me years to come to terms with it—and I admit to far too many relapses.

So, if you are storyteller who longs to share your stories, here is a thought or two on how to develop DISCIPLINE:

1. You don’t need to write the whole story in one sitting.  Books, scripts, any writing always begins, for me, in fits and starts.  A good sentence can make me happy.  One sentence leads to a paragraph and then a page.  Sometimes, to help my concentration, I’ll set a timer.  I bargain with myself—let me give fifteen minutes to the discipline of writing and then after that, I can go do something else and I’m not picky what that is.  I burst out of my office like a fifth-grader on the last day of school.
2. Recognize when your best creative time is and then use it.  There is no point in forcing a night owl to rise with the sun to write. Or vice versa.  I’ve discovered my best writing time seems to start at one in the afternoon and last until six.  After that, I’m shot.  So why battle my natural inclinations?  Oh, by the way, I used to write first thing in the morning, but my creative clock changed.  Sometimes it resets for the a.m. I roll with it.
3. Good books are in the rewrites.  I run into people who believe the first draft is the product.  Not so.  The first draft is to fill blank pages and develop a story arc.  It is like a big, ugly lump of clay.  Once I have an idea of where I want to go, then I can finesse.  And finesse.  And finesse again until I have it right/write.  
4. Goals help.  I have daily writing goals and monthly writing goals.  I have used critique groups, workbooks, software programs, voodoo, and sage burning to help me achieve them. Fortunately, I’m competitive enough that goals work for me.
5. You aren’t going to be happy until you try.  The stories will keep swirling inside you.  I did mention this is a gift?  That means it is unique to you.  It was born inside you and is part of what you have to offer the world.  Please, don’t back away from it.  Embrace it.  Using your gift isn’t about becoming a mega-millionaire writer (trust me, there are easier ways to earn money that story-telling).  It is about bringing yourself into the fullness of your being.  This is one of the many things you can offer the world that others can’t.  It is worth the exploration . . . and the discipline.  Trust me.

Cathy Maxwell has been in publishing over twenty years.  Over the course of those two decades, Cathy has written over twenty-five historical romances, hit the New York Times and USA Today lists, been nominated for and, occasionally, won some nice awards, made dynamite writing friends, and has had the time of her life.