So, I spent the last thirty minutes arguing with an AI bot...

Seriously, you guys, the slowness of publishing has finally got to me. While trying to distract myself from the waiting game, I spent the last half hour arguing with an artificial intelligence bot that insisted on calling me Sean and it threatened to perform witch craft on me. I only wish I was making that up.

To see for yourself go here.

Blog Chain: If at first you don't succeed...

This round in the blog chain was started by Sarah. She asked:

How do you handle revisions? Do you revise as you're writing, or do you wait until you've gone through beta readers and crit partners to revise? How soon after you finish do you begin your revisions?

This question is so timely! I've always been one to revise chapter by chapter as I write. Last year, I went to several conferences where I heard time and again professional authors telling the crowds before them, "Do not revise while you write. Just keep plugging forward and revise when you finish."

All right, I thought. I'll give it a go. After all, how can so many authors be wrong?

So I sat down and wrote. Lo and behold, a month later I had a finished novel. Sounds good, right?

Wrong.

What I had was a mess. Which, I know is to be expected after only a month. But what I discovered is, I don't revise well with a novel in that bad of shape. In fact, it took me over a year - A YEAR - to get it to the point where I felt comfortable just showing it to my crit buddies.

This was just another case of what works well for one writer may not work for another. I discovered, that I write faster and stay motivated if, after writing a chapter, I go back and revise, send it to my crit buddies, and plug forward. That way I don't get discouraged, forget plot points, loose motivations, and stray from my story arc.

But again, this method might not work for you. How about it? How do you revise?

Check out the always astounding Abby who posted before me and the really rad Rebecca who will post tommorow.

Another Fun Website

You know me and my affinity for goofy/weird/fun websites. I found this one courtesy the YA Highway girls.

You just plug in your text (at least a couple paragraphs) and it compares your writing to another author's.

Here's who I got:

I write like
J. K. Rowling

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I think I'll have my agent include this badge in my future submission packets.

"See? It says so right here. My client writes like J.K. Rowling. Now buy her book!"

Think it'll work? Hee.

Now you tell me - Who do you write like?

Blog Chain Post: Finally, a corner office - with a window!

Today's blog chain was started by Bonnie who asked:

Is there a place you like to write that's extra special? Have you carved out a writing niche? Is there a certain time of day (or night) when the words fall into place, and your brain is focused on nothing but writing?

This is a funny question for me because I am so particular about where I write. In my old house I used to write at the kitchen table. I soon discovered this was a big problem, because the kitchen, as it happens, is where I keep all the food. So...yeah...

Then, I tried writing on the couch. But this was also a problem because I can not write amidst chaos (it's an OCD thing, I know) and with a toddler running around, the living room became a giant, sticky toy box.

So, most of KATANA, along with its revisions, was written at Riley's Coffee & Fudge(I miss you - RIP), Starbucks (Please forgive me Riley's Coffee & Fudge!!!), and St. Louis Bread Company (known to the rest of the world as Panera).

But then, after years of searching, my husband and I stumbled upon a 3,000 sq. ft. mold-infested, leaking, wreck of a foreclosure. It was PERFECT!!! So perfect we had to fight for it - so much so that we launched a congressional inquiry into the auction practices of Fannie-Mae. (Looooooooong story. The short version is, after six months - and a lot of crying on my part - we won the house!) **Just a reminder, people - if you're being screwed over, contact your congressman or woman. They're here to work for you.**














Anyway, add in an additional three months for rehab and, BEHOLD, I finally have an office all to myself!!! **BLISSFUL SIGH**

Okay, so really it's just a small corner in the upstairs family room, but it's mine. ALL MINE. MUAH HA HA HA!!!

*Ahem*

To see other writerly spaces check out Abby's post here and after the holiday check out what Shannon has to say.