What Happens Here, Stays Here

I'm off again. This time on a work conference to Las Vegas. I know, I know, it's a very hard life I'm living right now.

Our plane took off from Orlando at the butt-crack of dawn, and we'll make the 5+ hour trip to Los Angeles (my first time in California, does it count?) and a connecting flight to Vegas.

Luckily, this time I'll have an internet connection and cell phone service. I'll be blogging about my experiences (and my writing status - NaNo isn't on hold). I might even give text-twittering a try (if I can make it work).

Find me at Twitter.com/themeganrebekah to follow my live action as I recklessly gamble a whopping $20 a day.

If you have money you'd like to wire to me to bet for you (we'll go halfsies on the winnings), email me and we'll work it out ;)

In the meantime, consider the comments of this post as your open forum to discuss anything you want to, because as the ad marketers say in Vegas,

What Happens Here, Stays Here

Buzz Around The Blogosphere

Buzz around the blogosphere...

Harlequin has created a new vanity/self-publishing line. Any and all aspiring authors can now publish their romance novel for as little as $600. Throw in $400 more for editing services, and $20,000 more for a Hollywood-worthy book trailer, and you're all but guaranteed to be the next Stephenie Meyer.

My thoughts? I don't see what the fuss is about. Harlequin is looking to increase their bottom line, and well, I can't blame them. Times are tight and businesses need any edge they can get.

Harlequin is a respectable and well-established publisher. They attempt to place good books into the hands of long time readers. But they've come to realize that not all authors are happy with Harlequin's publishing process. These frustrated authors might start to look for literary satisfaction from other, less reputable, venues.

Harlequin has stepped up and created a new line of business to help these authors.

History has shown that starry-eyed writers are willing to pay big money to be published. Why should some questionable second-rate print shop be the ones to rake in the profits? Why shouldn't Harlequin get in on that money? They're not creating the self-publishing industry, just trying to benefit from its established existence.

There are a lot of corporations that should be taking business advice from Harlequin.

Take Match.com for instance. Match is another large, well-respected business. They attempt to place good people into long-term relationships. I'm sure they realize that not all of their members will be happy with the results. Some members might remain single and frustrated. These frustrated members start to look for physical satisfaction in other - ahem - less reputable fashions.

Match.com should create a secondary line of business to help these disillusioned members (I'd call the site RedLightMatch.com)

History has shown that frustrated people are willing to pay big money to have their needs met. Why should some heavy-handed pimp living in a basement make all the profits? Why shouldn't Match.com get in on that money? They wouldn't be creating this profession, just benefitting from its established existence.

That's different. Right?

Change of Scenery

I do not write very well at home. It's a simple fact. If there are distractions around I am drawn to them like ants to a picnic.

I've tried writing outside in the gorgeous, sunny fall weather. Did I mention it was warm and cozy? All I wanted to do is lay on a blanket, relax and daydream. It's a great way to prepare for writing, or work through ideas in my head. But actual writing? As in hitting keys on the keyboard repeatedly in a manner that makes sense? Nope, not gonna happen outside.

In college I used to do most of my studying at Panera Bread for these reasons. I had learned even then that I couldn't work at home or outside. The Panera Bread in Tampa, by USF, had plenty of booths and I would stay for hours. I even had a favorite booth, right by the soda machine. If someone else was already sitting in it I would send them evil stares until they got the hint and skidadlded.

The Panera in my current town has only a handful of booths. Getting one takes a level of skill and fight that I don't possess. My glares just don't work up here.  Plus, only two high-top tables by the front door have outlets available. Not good if I want to stay more than an hour or two.

I've had moderate success at the library. I like that there are outlets available, and plenty of table space. I don't like that the library on a weekday afternoon is like a babysitter. Dozens of kids are running wild. Some have even stopped to stare at me while I work. Have you ever tried to get emotionally involved in a scene while a strange teenager is breathing loudly over your shoulder?

Now I'm back to square one. Where do I go?

Here are some of the places I've considered:
Starbucks.
+ It seems fairly low-key, has plugs and if you find a nice barista, the refills are free. No one will think twice if I sit around for hours. And I don't have to leave a tip. (Do I?)
- Is it too trendy and snobby? Look at me, I want to show the world that I'm a writer who's uber-cool.

Crispers (a deli-type restaurant chain).
+ Plenty of booths and space available. I can eat dinner. Drink refills are free.
- I don't know about the outlet situation. Do some of the booths have plugs? And is it acceptable for people to sit there for hours, like they would at Starbucks and Panera?

Barnes and Noble
+ Being surrounded by books has to be inspirational. I always love the atmosphere of B&N and feel giddy whenever I'm in one.
- Their tables are tiny, and only located in the Starbucks part of the store, which is always crowded. I don't mind other people being around, just not bumping my elbow. Plus, a general lack of plugs.

My Kitchen Table and a Roll of Duct Tape
+ It's free. I like the place. The dogs are here are pretty cool.
- The duct tape will keep me in place, but will probably pull out all my arm hairs upon release. Ouch. Plus, who would tie me in so that it's nice and tight and I can't escape?

Help! Where do you write? How do you stay focused and on task with the use of duct tape?

Playing Favorites

Do you have a favorite book?
A group of us we were recently discussing books, and everyone was asked to name their favorite.

Someone picked The Grapes of Wrath. Another said The Outsiders. There may have been a mention of Twilight.

And what did I pick? Nothing. Not a single book.

I don't have a favorite.

I wish I was deep enough to say something philosophical, like I don't have a favorite because it hasn't yet been written.

The truth is, I love too many books to pick a singular favorite.

I have books I love, books I want to live inside, books I can quote from memory. At different times (years, months, days, hours) a single book may become an obsession, but that changes. No one book is "the best of the best of the best" (bonus points to anyone who gets that reference).

To me, every novel is unique, and presents its own entertainment and enjoyment. I can't compare Anne of Green Gables to Perfect Chemistry or Hunger Games. They're all amazing in their own right.

Maybe I read too much. Maybe I'm too wishy-washy and need to make up my mind. That's probably it.

Hmmm... I could hold a cage match (Mad Max style) between my list of favorites, let the books duke it out here on the blog, and see who emerges victorious.


What's your favorite book?
Do you have one favorite book? Or a long list of books that you could read a million times over?

I'm Baaaack

It feels good (and also strange) to be back in my blog world.

What happened in the last week? Quite a bit actually...

--} I learned that cruises and hurricanes don't mix. Our ship tangled with Hurricane Ida, and the passengers were the ultimate losers. The boat swayed until no one could walk a straight line except for the inebriated. We missed one of our ports and had an extra day at sea instead. All in all, it was still a fun trip. I let myself relax and unwind, only writing one of the days.

--} I found the perfect writing spot on the cruise ship. It was a long, padded window seat that overlooked the ocean. I may have spent more time watching the waves than the computer screen, but wow! it was gorgeous. And now Anomaly is international!
--} I turned one year older. Ick :(

--} I fell in love with those itty-bitty mini-laptops! My little sister lent me her 10" laptop for the cruise and it was so great to travel with and carry around all day. And it wasn't as difficult to type on on as I had expected.

--} I bought some new books that I'm excited to read. Woohoo for Jenny B Jones, Laini Taylor and Sarwat Chadda.

--} I discovered some new twists and hidden secrets of Anomaly. It amused my family to new end when I casually mentioned that I found out something unknown about one of the characters. They don't understand that not everything is planned, and even the author can be surprised by what takes place.

Finally
--} I booked a trip to NYC in January for the SCBWI conference, along with my fabulous writing group. It's going to be so much FUN! Since I've only met Karen in real life, Marie and Natalie were gracious enough to agree not to turn into homicidal maniacs and kidnap/kill me.
Anyone else going to the conference?


That's about all that's going on from my end. What about all of you? What have I missed? Do all of you have agents or publishers now? Has everyone but me already completed NaNo?


Current NaNo word count: only 8,000 words, but I think they're better than any other set of words so far. I read through them last night and actually smiled!