RWA

The Best Reason to Blog

November 25, 2010 Random Musings
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Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S.  The day we eat too much food, roll our eyes at the antics of our extended family, and think about all the things we’re grateful for.  Or in my case, have epiphanies. So there I was, trying to think about my manuscript’s last-minute revisions while taking my shower, when [...]

Tagged as: blogging, dreams, happiness, Jami is insane, muse, RWA, writing contests

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When Is Faking It Okay?

October 14, 2010 Random Musings
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After disclosing in my last post that my Muse is a perv, he’s been rather quiet.  So apparently he’s also shy.  Or the strong and silent type.  But that means I have no inspiration for today’s blog post.  That’s okay—I’ll fake it. Yes, yes, I know, I railed on faking story tension in another post.  [...]

Tagged as: dreams, Edittorrent, life balance, muse, organized, perfectionism, plotter vs. pantser, RWA

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Unlike Life, Stories Aren’t a Journey

August 23, 2010 Writing Stuff
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We’ve all heard the saying: Life is a journey.  Often this thought will be accompanied by—enjoy the ride—or something along those lines.  And that’s great advice for life.  But what about for stories? At the RWA conference, I attended the Inside Scoop workshop with Robin Perini and Claire Cavanaugh.  During the workshop, they critiqued opening [...]

Tagged as: advice for writers, feedback, RWA, Skip to the Good Parts, story openings, workshops

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Do You Know What Will Make You Happy?

August 18, 2010 Random Musings
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My blog-home-away-home, Edittorrent, had another thought-provoking post yesterday.  You really should go read it, but if you don’t have the time, their point boils down to this: Know what will make you feel like a success as a writer.  I think this same idea can apply to just about anyone—not just writers. Know what will [...]

Tagged as: critique partners/groups, dreams, Edittorrent, happiness, Jami's rants, life balance, Margeanne Mitchell, RWA, sacrifices

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What Agents *Really* Want in a Query Letter

August 11, 2010 Writing Stuff
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First of all, if you weren’t at the RWA conference, check out my contest for a free book from the RWA registration bags. The deadline to enter is midnight, August 16th. So my new RWA-buddy, Roni Loren, posted a great article on her blog about the QueryFest workshop.  When I kept finding myself wanting to [...]

Tagged as: advice for writers, agents, conferences, feedback, high-concept hooks, queries, Roni Loren, RWA, workshops

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How I Got 80 Free Books & a Contest!

August 10, 2010 News
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Woo Hoo!  It’s time for my first contest on this blog.  I’ll be giving away the book Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran. But first, the answer to your question… Why did I get so many books? Several times at the RWA National Conference, I heard this advice:  The best way to determine if your [...]

Tagged as: authors, book giveaway, conferences, RWA

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When does a Perfectionist call something DONE?

August 6, 2010 Over-Achieving Perfectionist
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This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, but people have asked me about it, so here goes: I’m not perfect. Yep, it’s true.  Just because I’m a perfectionist does not mean that I am, in fact, perfect.  Far from it to be honest.  It only means that I really, really, really want my work [...]

Tagged as: advice for writers, conferences, deadlines, editing, Jami is insane, perfectionism, RWA, writers are insane

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Are Writers Conferences Worth It?

August 4, 2010 Writing Stuff
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I’ve now recovered enough from the RWA National Conference to talk about my experience.  *takes deep breath*  Er, or not… The word “overwhelming” was invented for experiences like this.  I can try to describe it, but I fear I’ll run out of words (a horrifying thought for a writer!).  It was fabulous to meet so [...]

Tagged as: agents, authors, conferences, dreams, high-concept hooks, Jami's rants, queries, risk, RWA, sacrifices, Twitter

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What Are You Willing to Risk For Your Dream?

July 27, 2010 Random Musings
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I leave today for the RWA National Conference in Florida.  After weeks of planning, shopping, and packing, and after spending way too much money on  airfare and a new wardrobe (my usual Arizona t-shirt and shorts wouldn’t cut it at a professional conference), I find myself wondering if it’s all worth it. The answer is [...]

Tagged as: conferences, dreams, Jami's rants, professionalism, risk, RWA

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The Mega-Huge Ultimate RWA Packing List

July 21, 2010 Over-Achieving Perfectionist
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I’m leaving in a couple of days to attend my first ever writers’ conference—the RWA National Conference, the mother of all big genre conferences.  So, how does a control-freak perfectionist prepare for this overwhelming experience?  With color-coded, prioritized spreadsheets to keep track of all the hundreds of workshops (last weekend’s project) and lots (and lots!) [...]

Tagged as: blogging, conferences, Jami is insane, Margeanne Mitchell, organized, perfectionism, RWA

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