Touring My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories by Heidi Hess Saxton

Like I said when I closed my book blog, Virtual Book Tour de 'Net, I would now and again review or tour a book if it really caught my interest. This is the first time this year.

I received My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories in the mail from Thomas Nelson. It was a complete surprise. My friend and fabulous author, Heidi Hess Saxton, had requested I get a copy. I'm so glad she thought of me! The book is wonderful--a must for Catholic parents of young children. This week, I'm touring Heidi and her book. Today, I'll tell you a little about the book. Tomorrow, Heidi will tell us about writing it. Wednesday, I'll review it. Hope you stick around!

From the Thomas Nelson Website:



My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories is a Catholic family treasure!

With almost 200 stories, this book is an excellent resource for children and families to grow together in their faith and knowledge of Catholic tradition. It uses selections from the actual text of the highly respected and readable New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, including stories from the Deuterocanonical Books.

Along with stories from actual Bible text, My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories includes additional elements. Each of these elements will help encourage the child to talk to God, to understand the meaning of new words from the passage, to learn quotes from saints and other important figures, and to go deeper in their faith by cross-referencing the CCC and applying the lesson to their lives. With its thorough teaching of Catholic faith, Bible stories, and classic art, this Bible Storybook will be a welcome addition to Catholic homes, schools, and churches.

Feb Tweet List: Conference Tips

Here are all the conference tips I tweeted in the month of February. Hope they help some of you:

1. Here's an incredibly detailed list of things to do to prepare for a conference or convention: http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com/archives/2006/05/conference_tips.html
2. Conference tip: Have physical materials to hand out--something with your name, website, book & its order info. Even a business card will do.
3. Conference tip: Memorize 30 second explanations of your books--those to pitch to an editor you meet & those to explain to a potential reader
4. Conference tip: On your nametag, add a book title, motto, even a doodle w/your name. It breaks the ice and provides a conversation starter.
5. Make sure your website, and social network sites are up-to-date. People will check up on your during and after conferences.
6. Swallow your shyness. Talk to folks. Ask them about their works, compliment their costume or something they said in a panel. If you're really shy, enlist the help of an outgoing friend.
7. Take notes on the people you meet: Jot down what you talked about. What are their interests?. Did you promise them something or visa-versa? Get their contact info. I often do this on the back of their business cards.
8. Ask folks about their work. You'll learn a lot and reflect favorably in their eyes. Also, connect people when you can. Talk favorably about other people's works. Building up others builds you up, too.
9. Ask folks what you can do for them. Do you review books? Let others guest blog on your site? If you're writing into he same genre, can you trade promotional materials to take to your own signings?
Here are some more tips on talking to people at conferences: http://entrepreneurs.about.com/b/2009/03/13/top-10-conference-networking-tips.htm
10. Follow-up. After the conference, write to all the people you met--thank them, follow-up on conversations, keep promises and remind them of promises made. Make a note to contact them next year at conference time.
11. Call the organizers ahead of time and offer to be on panels. Send them your qualifications and don't be afraid to offer to jump in if someone has to bow out.
12. Contact the book sellers attending and see if you can bring them some copies of your book to sell on commission at their booth.
13. Contact the local radio and TV stations and see if they might be interested in interviewing you.
14. Contact local bookstores and see if you can arrange a signing during (or just before or after) the conference.
15. Pack a small emergency kit: sewing supplies, Tylenol, tums, tissue... Not only will these come in handy for you, but for others as well. Be the hero!
16. Pack water bottles and light snacks. Easy way to save a few bucks.
17. Find out if there's a hospitality room and make a point to drop by and talk to folks there.
18. Freebie table? Think of others. By this, I mean if you know someone who might be interested in the freebie, snag it for them. You'll promote the author and help a friend.
19. Tweet to Meet! I know people at conventions who tweet their location and a request to meet folks. It's amazing how they hook up with others.
20. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes! Layer. Don't carry a lot of heavy stuff.
21. Heavy freebies or midday shopping spree? Ask at the concierge desk if they will hold your items for you for the day. (I learned this the day AFTER dragging around 40 lbs of books at WFC.)
22. Contact your local indie bookstore. Let them know you're attending the convention and see if they're interested in you taking anything or bringing them back anything.
23. Eat in the convention cafeteria at least once during high-traffic hours. Sit by someone you don't know if they seem amenable.
24. Someone you want to meet at the convention? Do some research on them so you can talk intelligently. This is especially true with agents and publishers.
25. Coffee is casual. Lunch is a commitment. If you want to keep a conversation going, invite the person to get a coffee or soda rather than join you for a full meal.
26. Let your social networks know ahead of time that you're going. See who else is. Get their contact info (cell phone number) or arrange a place to meet. Then you can start off with buddies!
27. Get out of the convention center! Enjoy the area! Check out other writing contacts. For example, I got to visit Ignatius Press and have dinner with a Tim Powers and his fans the day before WFC.
28. Set some goals for the convention. Know what you want to get out of it: Who do you want to meet? What do you want to learn? How do you hope to make this convention worth the money and time?

Why My Children Will Attend Their Father's Promotion Ceremony

As most of you know, Rob gets promoted to colonel today. It has to be a duty day, and the only time we could schedule it was in the morning, so we're taking the kids out of school to attend.

Amber has had enough illness this year that her absences have tripped the school radar. The Vice Principal voiced concern that she would skip school for the ceremony. "You're not getting promoted, are you?" she asked Amber.

We live in a non-military area, and I guess many people here don't understand what getting promoted to colonel means to a family. I've been racking my brains this week to come up with a civilian equivalent. Making vice president of a company? Being sworn in as a senator or judge? Frankly, these are fabulous accomplishments and earned through hard work, but they aren't comparable in terms of scope of responsibility and impact on the family.

In his career, Rob has led hundreds of people--from the 17-year-old airman just out of training to the crusty master sergeant who had seen it all. He has been responsible for equipment worth millions of dollars. He has been in charge of the maintenance of a nuclear arsenal. He has written national policy that affects not only the Air Force, but the State Department and other national government agencies. Yet there were merely steps toward becoming a colonel. As a colonel, the Air Force is saying, "We trust you to do more."

The Air Force is also saying, "We expect you to give with more." He no longer has a say in his assignments; he will go where needed and when. The "three-year tour" was never a guarantee, but now, one year assignments are not outside the norm. Neither can he request his location. The Air Force can put him in charge of something he's never done before, and expects him to get up to speed and lead in days--maybe even fix a problem in a unit or procedure while he's at it. If someone under his command screws up, he can and quite possibly will take the fall. We've seen it happen to some very good commanders.

This is indeed the culmination of a career. Yet, unlike someone making vice president of a corporation, or superintendent of a school system, or judge, making colonel means more change, more uncertainly, more sacrifice. It is a new beginning.

It also demands more of his family.

This is an achievement for our children, too. Like many children of successful parents, they have had Dad miss events, not seen him for weeks or months at a time when he's on assignment, or had days where he's worked so long, they've only seen him for good-night kisses. Unlike most kids in the civilian world, they are asked to sacrifice personally. The two oldest have lived in two countries and six states. They change schools and leave friends every couple of years. They face uncertainty on a regular basis, wondering if Dad will be deployed or where our next move will be. And by standing with their father as he pins on colonel, they are agreeing to support him in this new phase of his career, and to pick up and start over where and when the Air Force sees fit, even if it means attending four high schools.

There is no way Rob would have come this far--or would accept this promotion and the responsibility it brings--without the consent and support of his children. In fact, we have known other officers who turned down promotion because they no longer wanted to put their family through the moves and demands of a colonel's life.

So, no, my children are not getting promoted. However, this promotion is theirs, too.

My Novel's Journey: Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator: Format Fun

One fun part of writing a novel is experimenting. In Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator, I've had a lot of fun playing with formats aside from the standard narrative. Today, I'm going to cover the radio show.

Neeta and the Zombie Death Extreme contestants get interviewed on K-RTH, one of Los Angeles' radio stations, and the DJ will become Neeta's love interest for the book. I thought it'd be fun to actually have the show playing rather than always experience it in narrative from Neeta's point of view.

Advantages: Once again, it's shorter, and I don't need to worry about peripheral information like where people are sitting, what the station looks like, etc. Since I'm trying to keep this fast moving and funny, that helps keep my pace.

Disadvantages: Radio is about voices, so I have to make sure my cues for who is talking, when someone is joking vs. being serious, etc. are all done without visual cues, but I don't want to make it sound like a script. Also, radio employs a lot of sound clips--bits of music, taped sound bites, etc. that I need to weave in without confusing the reader.

This is from Brian and Cassie in the morning interviewing Neeta. Brian is more the straight man; Cassie is happy-go-lucky. See if you can tell them apart, and tell who Neeta is as well.

"That's great! We have just a minute before weather and traffic, and we'll get you that website. First, though... I don't want to be a downer, but I've got to ask you. You've had a lousy run of luck lately, Neeta: your mother died, you got sued, now this thing with Jorgenson--"

"--oh, yeah, poor Jorgie! He was such a hottie, too--"

"--so why do you do it? What makes you want to keep fighting zombies day after day."
"... I... Well, someone has to do it. People will die otherwise. Die and come back. I know what I'm doing, and frankly, I'm good at it. I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't do what I could."

"Wow. That's so... wow."

"Yeah. You're amazing, Neeta. I mean that. I'm glad you're out there protecting us.
"We'll be back to talk more with Neeta and her trainees after our K-Earth's own Roger Tellerman gives us the low-down on the low front coming our way. Roger, give us some cool news."

Playing catch-up on news

Catholic Writers Conference is coming up Feb 26. I'm very excited for it, and also glad to get past all the preparation and into the fun!

Rob gets promoted to Colonel Feb 26. THAT will be a big event. He had three goals for his Air Force career: Get a command, influence national policy, make Colonel. On Feb 26, he will have accomplished all three! What's next? New goals, though perhaps with less pressure. In three years, he can get retire as a Colonel, which means that he can stay in until he gets bored. I did tell him that if he makes general, then after that I get to decide when we retire!

Amber turns 15 on Feb 22. Her quinceanera is Feb 27. It's going to be relatively small. My dad (a deacon) is doing the blessing at our house, and she's having a regular birthday party rather than a big dance. So we'll have folks dressed in steampunk playing video games, watching Dr. Who and whacking the pinata. My Puerto Rican relatives are a bit baffled, but it's what she wants, and I'm all for it!

Dad and I are still working on our book. The title is decided: Why God Matters: How to Find Him in Daily Life. I think I'd like to change it to Why God Matters: And How to Find Him in Daily Life. We'll see. I have most of my chapters written and am working with Dad on his.

Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator is going strong. It's slowed a bit thanks to the other book contract and the CWCO, but I'm still writing some each day I can--about 3000 words a week until CWCO.

I'm still teaching my marketing classes and writing my marketing newsletter. Next class is Marketing Basics. Learn to make a marketing plan! It's 6 weeks, but independent study, so go as fast or slow as you like. Get details here. I've also put up a sample of my marketing newsletter on my website. If you like it, subscribe for the year!

Did I ever mention to all of you that we started a new housekeeping routine? We're following The Fly Lady. Sort of. I don't wear shoes and I don't make control journals, but I do wipe my sinks every day, do daily laundry and 15-minute declutter, plus the "Kelly's Missions," which are deep cleaning. The kids now have two chores for about 20 min a day. I'm shocked how well we're keeping the house clean. This month, Alex and Amber decided to declutter their rooms. Amber got rid of about 10 percent of her stuff and straightened up the rest. Alex will get rid of about 50 percent of his toys. Can't do yard sales here, so it all goes to Goodwill.

My Novel's Journey: Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator: Format Fun

For Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator, I'm playing with different venues for imparting information. Since the whole thing revolves around a reality TV show, I'm mimicking real life reality TV (Is that redundant?) by including some of the things they have--from candid interviews to commercials. Today, I'm going to share with you my experience writing a forum.

I used the forum format in order to foster a discussion about Neeta's financial problem and how it's affecting others' views of her and the show. I chose this way because I didn't have to give a lot of explanation, I could bring in a few opinions without introducing more main characters, and I could foreshadow a swell of support that will help her solve her problem in the end.

Advantages: It's fast and pithy, gives me the ability to bring in many sides to an argument, introduce some tangents in a place where readers expect tangents, and gives me a chance to parody current society.

Disadvantages: It's tough to format. I may have to work with the publisher on actually making it look like a forum, though I think that would be fun. Also, I didn't want to list all the entries, so had to create the equivalent of "..." Coming up with usernames was actually hard, too. However, I put out a call on Facebook and got all kinds of great ideas.

Here's a little bit of the forum dialogue:

BrainDeadHead:
500,000 dollars?! He sued her for FIVE-FREAKING-HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS?!?!?!?!?! For a little yardwork, a retractable awning and some paint?!

LOL on the GPC Redundancy, by the way. Government never should have bought out that computer company. Did you know the guy used the profits to make his own orbiting hotel? I want a reality TV show on that!

Trolll:
Its not just the damage, stupid. He was having a party for his cliants. She tramatized them and now he's loosing business. Its obvious none of you have any idea how the real world works, so go bak to waching your stupid tv.

I wuldn't feel to sorry for Neeta, either. Shes probably raking in the dow on this show. Wonder if she gets jorgies cut?

Spla77r64:
Sorry, got to chime in with Trolll here. I caught parts of the trial on TV. He did show that he lost a significant number of clients after the incident. Loss of clients=loss of income. I know she was doing her job the best she could, but she should have had more help, contained them faster, something. It was a botched job.

MANIC_MIND:
Seems to me he's losing clients (not loosing, btw) because they're questioning the judgment of a man who would serve pickled beets and blue cheese dressing at an outdoor party on a hot summer's day when he lives so close to a cemetery. Not to mention the fact that he actually thought his electric fence would keep them out. Frankly, he's lucky they hadn't invaded his home earlier, like at night when his family was sleeping. Besides, don't you think the zombie invasion was traumatizing enough? It would certainly turn me away!

Spla77r, it's easy to armchair-quarterback. If you followed the trial, you'd know she was the first to answer the 9-1-1 call, which didn't come until after they crossed his fence, even though people saw them approaching beforehand. By the time support arrived, she had taken them on, single-handedly.
Like someone said, hard core.

Pandarus' Valentine's Day Massacre

Pandarus' Valentine's Day Massacre
By Karina L. Fabian
For the Los Lagos Gazette


Los Lagos, CO--Thoughts of romance turned to terror Saturday as what shoppers thought was a store display cupid came to life and started shooting at the mall patrons. Pandarus, a Faerie cupid, was subdued by mall security personnel and has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, disturbing the peace, and distribution of a magically psychoactive substance.

Pandarus had apparently been hanging around the display window of Victoria's Secret at the Los Lagos Mall, unnoticed by the staff or patrons eager to shop for an extra surprise for their holiday celebrations. "I thought he was just part of the One Hour-My Spicy Valentine sale display," said assistant manager Dana Kline, as she rubbed her arm where one of the heart-shaped arrowheads struck her and leaned against her husband Jed Kline, an employee of Pretzelmakers across the hall.

At 6:45, as the store swelled with anxious shoppers flipping through lacy underthings and squabbling over the last Size 14 babydoll nightie, Pandarus is said to have positioned his bow, shouted, "Let Love In!" and pelted patrons with arrows.

The screams and subsequent stampede alerted Roy Alberts, mall guard and his partner Katie Robbins. They subdued Pandarus after a brief altercation.

"Roy caught him. He was so brave!" Robbins said, with a heavy sigh. Alberts, blushing, insisted he could not have snagged the cupid by his ankles if Robbins hadn't distracted the archer at just the right moment.

"And she took a shot. For me! We're such a great team," he said.

Although at least ten patrons--including Robbins and Alberts--claimed to have been hit by cupid's arrows, none needed medical attention, and in fact refused medical care in order to return home to their spouses, or left with another patron, lacy underthings forgotten.

"I have done a good thing here!" Pandarus is said to have shouted as he was carried off. "You will thank me! I have brought you a happy Valentine's Day!"

Pandarus was on his way back to Faerie Greece after a being filming a commercial for the Venus and Eros online dating service. He is being held without bail.

***

POLICE BLOTTER: Jed Kline, 25, and Dana Kline, 24, were arrested and charged with indecent exposure at Victoria's Secret changing room. Mrs. Kline was found under the influence of a cupid's arrow and declared not guilty, but Mr. Kline, who was not struck, was fined $150 dollars.

ENGAGEMENTS:
Robbins and Alberts: Katheryn (Katie) Marie Robbins and Roy Manuel Alberts announce their engagement and summer 2010 wedding plans. Robins is the daughter of Rae and George Robbins of Raleigh, NC.

My Novel's Journey: Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator: Format Fun

Normally, I tend to write in the 100,000-word range, but I want Neeta Lyffe to be shorter and punchier, so I'm playing with ways to impart information that are quick and fun. Since I'm parodying reality TV, I'm adding in a lot of different communication tools: video blogs, documentaries, and forums. Over the next couple of entries, I'll share what I've learned about each. Today, we'll start with video blogs.

Like a diary entry, a video blog can give quick insights into someone's thoughts. However, since the characters are blogging for reality TV, they can also snipe, complain and backstab at a distance without having to deal with the immediate reactions of others.

Advantages: I can focus on the person without worrying about the group.

Disadvantages: Introducing that this is a video blog gets monotonous. There are only so many ways to say it.

Here's a clip from Roscoe, one of the contestants on Zombie Death Extreme:

Back in his trailer, Roscoe leaned back in his computer chair and turned on the webcam. After checking his hair in the image projected on his screen and mashing his lips to give them more color, he set it to record. "Okay, so LaCenta said it first, and she was a totally out of line for saying it when she did, but honestly..."

He leaned in close, sharing a secret. "...we were all thinking it."

He checked the file, saved it and uploaded it to his Zombie Death Extreme blog.

"And then there were five!" He wove his fingers together and moved into a yoga stretch.

Oh, gawd, was there any high better than surviving another episode?

An Unexpected Blessing and a (Nonfiction) Book Contract!

I had an unexpected blessing happen this weekend.

I was looking at my Yahoo groups and came across the post: Looking for a Catholic Writer. I figured if I couldn't help, someone in CWG could, so I replied. It turned out the publisher, Tribute Books, needed an author to write a quick little book about living the Catholic life. They had a book lined up and the author pulled out at the last minute.

I looked over the old manuscript and asked a few questions. The format is straightforward, and along the lines of things I'd done before, though not quite in this way. It was something I knew I could do, but I wasn't sure I should. I was also concerned that this was written by a man and as such, had a distinctly male point of view that I could not mimic.

Sunday, I was mulling about it during Mass, and in the homily, Fr. Joe talked about loving our parents and it hit me--I have a deacon father! Even more, I have a deacon father who adores writing homilies and sharing them with his writer daughter.

I IM'd my dad after church and proposed we do the project together. He's very excited about the prospect of working with his daughter--and I'm glad to be able to share this common interest with him.

The book is tentatively called Why God Matters, but the publisher is thinking of changing the title and I'm drawn toward "His Breath in Mine" from St. Patrick. If we can get it done in time, it will be out May 2010 from Tribute Books. We've got to work fast, but I already have two stories written, and know what I want to do for the others. My dad is brainstroming his right now, but he's also got nearly a decade of homilies to draw from. We're aiming for a mid-March completion date.

My Novel's Journey: Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator: Origins

Since my computer snafu and subsequent loss of Gapman and Discovery, I decided to forge ahead with a novel I started on New Year's Day: Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator.

I have to credit this novel with The Writers' Chat Room, www.writerschatroom.com. A bunch of writers of all experience levels, genres and interests meet in the chat room on Wednesday evenings to talk writing, answer questions, share news, victories and rejections, and get silly. Get very silly very often.

During one of these silly episodes, we somehow got the topic of zombies and cookbooks merged. On that day, publisher Kim Richards came up with the idea of an anthology The Zombie Cookbook. She asked us to contribute stories and I came up with "Wokking Dead," where zombie exterminator Neeta Lyffe deals with a zombie invasion of a Korean restaurant. It was silly fun, full of jokes and political satire and something I figured I'd never revisit again.

Then in a chat in December, Kim mentioned that someone asked her if they'd ever see a novel with Neeta Lyffe. In that chat we also started talking about reality TV, and someone shared what he thought was the greatest first line of a novel he'd read: They ate Jorgenson first. Those two ideas got my imagination going, and on the drive to whale watching on New Year's Day, I decided to play with the idea of Neeta training up new exterminators in a reality TV show in 2037.

It's turned out to be such fun, and Kim did ask, so I'm setting aside the others to finish this one. I'm averaging 1000 words a day, 4-5 days a week, so if I can keep the momentum, I'll finish in March. Then I'll try to rediscover Discovery and begin anew with Gapman.

So join me in my novel's journey with Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator.

Here're a few lines from the opening scene:

They ate Jorgenson.

Dammit! Neeta thought. I was still training him.

The zombies were gnawing on his leg, his fine, tanned leg, while he screamed and blubbered and somehow still managed to make his surfer-blond hair flow effortlessly.

Not that anyone noticed. The zombies, contained unfed for the past week in the abandoned brewery, had more interest in his meat than his pelt. There were only eight, but was too many for a bunch of unwashed trainees, particularly with the idiot film crew hounding them and getting in the way. Around her, seven panicky apprentices screamed and flailed with their tools, forgetting everything she'd taught them over the past six weeks, while through their headpieces Dave shouted directions that had more to do with good drama than good tactics. One cameraman continued to film while another had abandoned his camera and had fallen to his knees vomiting.

Grunting, screaming, someone calling for her mother...

Wait, that was Neeta. And she wasn't calling; she was apologizing. She just knew Mom was spinning in her grave.

31 Days of Resolutions, Goals, and Organizing Posts

Each month, I try to make a post a day on Twitter about some interesting topic. I decided to then post them here for those who may have missed a day.

1. Did you make New Year’s Resolutions? Here’s mine: http://www.fabianspace.blogspot.com
2. 8 tips for making resolutions that stick: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2002/making-new-years-resolutions-that-last/
3. How to make resolutions that matter: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/79/mgoldsmith.html
4. Just to tie in with yesterday’s post on resolutions that matter… http://site.despair.com/images/dpage/priorities03.jpg
5. My own way to make goals: spend 15 min deciding my old year’s regrets, 15 on old year’s successes, and find goals to address them both.
6. Resolutions are not goals-Resolutions are general; goals specific. Learn more: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/79/mgoldsmith.html
7. Here’s more on the SMART concept of goal-setting: http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/smart-goals.html
8. Still need help goal setting? Here’s a tutorial! http://www.about-goal-setting.com/
9. Here’s a whole website dedicated to goal-setting tips: http://www.success77.com/
10. For the graphics-minded, here’s a goal-setting chart. http://www.blog.iqmatrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/goal-setting-process.jpg (Scares me!)
11. Is one of your resolutions this year to keep a cleaner house? Cut clutter? FLY lady takes you baby step by baby step. I’m going to try her this year. http://flylady.com/
12. Authors: Is one of your goals to market your books better? 30-Minute Marketer is a weekly newsletter of marketing tasks (not just tips). I tell you what to do, how and when. http://www.karinafabian.com/index.php?name=Content&pid=24
13. Once you have big goals, break them into smaller goals: http://eliteteam300.com/?p=80
14. Step-by-step in the planning process: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/GREENHOUSE/nursery/guides/econ/chgoals.html
15. How to build a smarter to-do list: http://www.43folders.com/2005/09/12/building-a-smarter-to-do-list-part-i
16. Need your to-do lists online? Here’s an assessment of 25 services (including free ones) http://www.solutionwatch.com/450/25-to-do-lists-to-stay-productive/
17. Rob showed me iGoogle’s homepage maker. I love the aps--calendar, a to-do list, a sticky note, and gmail instead of news and force-fed entertainment. http://www.google.com/ig
18. Authors: Having trouble knowing what to do for marketing? 30-Minute Marketer schedules tasks for you. http://www.karinafabian.com/index.php?name=Content&pid=24
19. Is your goal to organize your home? Cut clutter first! Here’s FLY Lady’s advice: http://flylady.com/pages/FLYingLessons_Decluttertips.asp
20. Here’s a whole website for cutting clutter: http://organizedhome.com/articles/cut-clutter
21. My own cut-clutter ideas: Keep 4, toss 1. When we do it quarterly, esp. with the kids’ toys, it helps a lot!
22. Cool website for organizing in the workplace: http://managementhelp.org/orgnzing/orgnzing.htm
23. Cut the clutter in your writing: http://grammar.about.com/od/words/tp/clutter_tips.htm
24. Computer cluttered with programs and other junk? Get the decrapifier: http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ (Rob uses it on any new computer we get)
25. On Facebook? Here are some ways to cut clutter and increase effectiveness: http://www.mba4success.com/pages/opinion/opinion_content.php?ID=1851&post_title=WCW/Management/Social-Networking/Special-Report:-Effective-Steps-To-Maximise-Facebook
26. Some good ideas for organizing yourself and your time. (Warning—site has a lot of ads) http://www.askmen.com/money/how_to/27_how_to.html
27. Good organizing tips: http://www.successfulacademic.com/success_tips/Manage_time_organize.htm (My fave: tackle worst first, tho I tackle most important first)
28. Writers: Here’s an article about managing your writing time. http://www.writing-world.com/life/organize.shtml
29. Writers: Here’s one on organizing your writing space: http://www.literary-liaisons.com/article048.html
30. Authors: Don’t have your marketing tasks organized? For $12/year, I do it for you: http://www.karinafabian.com/index.php?name=Content&pid=24

Closing Virtual Book Tour de Net

Many of you know that I have had a regular blog, Virtual Book Tour de 'Net, where I posted information about people's books, interviews with the authors and the occasional review. I started it a couple of yeras ago after the first MuseOnline conference. My original idea what I post about a book, and the author in turn would post about one of the books on the blog or about one of mine. However, very few people followed-up on that, and I quickly gave it up as a bad idea and started posting as a service to others.

Over the past two years, however, I've found that not only has my blog not garnered a lot of attention, but so many others are doing what I'm doing--and more effectively--that authors aren't getting much from it, so it's not worth the time I spend. In the meantime, two of my kids have entered high school and need more of my attention again. Time to re-prioritize my time.

As a result, I've closed that blog as of yesterday. I really enjoyed doing it, and learning about others' books, but it's time to move on.

I may at times review a book on this website, but it'll be ones I've chosen to read just because rather than by request.

W000t! Magic, Mensa and Mayhem Places 4th!

Magic, Mensa and Mayhem, the first DragonEye, PI novel, placed 4th in the Preditor and Editor Polls for best sci-fi/fantasy novel. W00t! Thanks, everyone!

Surely you know about DragonEye, PI, but if not, learn more here. Be sure to register before Valentines' Day--I have a present for DragonEye fans!

Catholic Writers Conference Online Feb 26-Mar 5

CONTACT:
Karina Fabian Ann Margaret Lewis
E-mail: karina@fabianspace.com e-mail: annlewis@joesystems.com

For Immediate Release

Registration for Free Catholic Writers Conference Online Ends Feb 15

World Wide Web—Are you a Catholic writer? Looking for an opportunity to learn more about writing and marketing, a chance to meet like-minded authors, and get an opportunity to pitch your work? Want it all for free—and without leaving your home? The Catholic Writers’ Conference Online, which will be held February 26-March 5, 2010, is for you. Hurry, though—registration ends Feb 15.

The conference is held via chats and forums at http://www.catholicwritersconference.com. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild, the online conference is free of charge and open to writers of all levels who register before February 15, 2010.

"Each year, we have about 300 writers and around 50 presenters participate," said organizer Karina Fabian. “This year, we’re thrilled to have added small-group critique sessions with well-established authors and editors, plus more pitch sessions than ever before!”

Publishers hearing pitches include well known Catholic publishers like Pauline Books and Media, large Christian publishers like Thomas Nelson, and small secular presses like White Rose. Thus far, eleven pitch sessions are scheduled, running the gamut from Christian romance to Catholic theology.

In a new program, dozens of attendees will have the opportunity to have pieces of their work critiqued by successful editors and writers. In addition, there will be forum-based workshops and chat room presentations covering topics from dialogue to freelancing to how Catholic fiction differs from Christian fiction.

"Even in good economic times, it's hard for writers to attend live conferences," said Fabian, "but this year, we think it's even more important to help careers by utilizing an online format. We're so grateful that our presenters are willing to share their time and talent."

Although the conference is offered free of charge, donations are accepted; proceeds will go toward future conferences. For a $10 donation, one receives a copy of the conference e-book containing chat transcripts, forum workshop posts, handouts or informational materials from the conference. Non-Catholics may attend, as long as they respect Catholic beliefs and the conference's Catholic focus.

To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com.
# # #
Graphics, interviews and further information available upon request.

Zombie Defense no Laughing Matter--or is it?

Truer words have never been spoken.

Incidentally, I am about 20,000 words into my latest novel, Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator. This was actually a suggestion/request from Kim Richards of Damnation Books. I wrote "Wokking Dead" for DB's The Zombie Cookbook, and readers liked Neeta so much, they asked if she would get a novel. (Neeta exterminates zombies for a living. She'd rather do roaches, but no one calls her for that, anymore. Must be the chain saw.)

There's no guarantee it'll get accepted, but it's a lot of fun to write. I'll tell you more later.

March for life!

WHERE'S MY HEALTH CARE?

I'm joining the virtual March For Life. God bless those who are there marching today. God bless those taking a stand against the murder of innocents. And God bless mothers-to-be who are being told this is a "choice." Guide them to right decisions.

The picture above is a fetus at EIGHT WEEKS. Still don't think it's human? Then consider what my husband says: "If you leave it alone, will it become a human?" Then it's a baby, and killing it is murder.



Join the Virtual March for Life: http://www.virtualmarchforlife.com/join/

Small Steps Making Big Progress

Some of the things I decided I wanted to do this year was walk away from my computer when the kids come home from school, keep a cleaner house, and pay more attention to my kids. We're three weeks into 2010, and I've not had a perfect record, but I'm really amazed at the progress I've made.

First, I changed a couple of habits. For one, I cut out a lot of stuff. In a way, losing my old computer helped; I didn't have a lot of garbage calling to me and I was able to start anew on my schedule. So for my writing day, I've set aside the morning two hours for writing--then walk the dog and check e-mail at lunch, then the afternoon hours for projects--a specific one per day, rather than bunches of small ones throughout the week.

Next, I thought small. I broke down big projects into small steps and will allow myself to make as much progress as I can instead of pressuring myself to get it all done. This is especially true of housework, which comes to my next point:

I looked for outside help. In the case of the house, I enrolled in flylady.com. She helps homemakers break down the upkeep of their house into small steps. Now she has a lot of stuff you can do, including control journals and other things. Me, I just wanted the daily routine and the "Kelly's Missions" that break deep cleaning into 15-minute daily chores. Two things in the routine have made an amazing difference:

Daily Laundry: Usually, I saved my laundry--six loads--for the weekend. With six in the family, I dealt with huge piles and had full baskets for the kids which often didn't get put away or were shoved haphazardly into drawers. With a load a day, I'm doing a few more loads, but things get put away more regularly because it doesn't look as intimidating. Also Rob had clean pants every day without worry!

"Swish and Swipe": Each day, I take a rag and wipe down the bathroom sink and then the toilet and run a brush over the inside. Takes two minutes, but it makes a difference. I knew I got annoyed at the toothpaste buildup, but never realized how much of a difference it made to not see it each day.

I talked to the family, and we all agreed to do 5- to 10-minute chores instead of fussing for a couple of hours on the weekend over the chores. Each day, I give them a short chore--wipe the light switches, vacuum just one room. Weekends, they clean their room. And they each have a "swish and swipe" duty--the older have their bathrooms, the little ones straighten up the living room. The house is a lot cleaner and we're a lot less stressed.

Even if this is as far as I get this year toward my goals, I'm proud of the progress I've made with just a few changes and some determination.

I Gots a New Computer, "Courtesy" of Best Buy

It was the last straw.

Dec 17, I took my computer to Best Buy because the touch pad wasn't working. After being reassured it was probably a hardware problem and knowing I'd backed up everything that morning, I turned it in for service.

Dec 25, I got a net book. I hooked it up to my external drive and discovered the backup--which both I and Rob double-checked, did not back my files up. All we can guess is that when we double checked the D drive (back-up), the computer pointed right back to its own hard drive.

Dec 26, I called Geek Squad and told them to get my computer back and back it up. They told me "Oh, they just changed the motherboard. No need to worry about the hard drive." I asked them to tell the service center if they had to do anything with the hard drive to send it back first. They agreed.

Jan 10, I was told it was ready for pick up. That's when I discovered they had replaced the hard drive without backing up my data. To add insult to injury, the new hard drive failed in the store--and the only reason we knew was because I asked them to check it. (I was hoping against hope the ticket was wrong.) They said they'd fix it in store and get it to me the next day.

Jan 13, they're still running checks. They'll call me.

Jan 15, I called them. They said it was ready. I said, "Are you sure? Are you really sure?" They agreed to double check and call me back in half an hour.

An hour later, I called and find out they were going to return it to the service center because "there's a crack in the palm pad that's affecting the touch pad."

At this point, I asked to speak to the manager. The gentleman said, "I'm the supervisor; you can talk to me." I demanded a new computer. He said they couldn't. I said they would. I outlined again the whole FUBAR story. He said he was sorry and they were going to fix my computer. I said it was too late for that--I lost 6 weeks of work and the tool I need to do it and the work of the month in the next 2 weeks is the one they want to send back tot he shop. I didn't have time to wait or confidence that they'd get it right this time. He offered a loaner. I refused. I needed one I can put my data on. He said, "Let me get a manager."

At this point, I laughed.

Fortunately, the manager was not only nice and apologetic--as everyone I'd talked to had been--but he also authorized me to get a new computer.

Icing on the cake: the supervisor warned me that if I got a replacement, my warranty on my old computer would be void.

I found the people at Best Buy/Geek Squad invariably polite, friendly and sympathetic. I found their working relationship and communications with their service center stinks. I think their service center stinks in general, frankly, and got the impression the manager agreed. I am glad thankful that the manager finally agreed to put an end to this fiasco and was very gracious about it. I'm grieving the loss of my data, and am very stressed out at the amount of work ahead of me in the next six weeks, but at least I can accomplish that work on a new computer.

(Incidentally, I have a new Toshiba Satellite E105-S1802. It's got 500GB memory and 4GB of RAM and a backlit keyboard which will come in handy at night when inspiration strikes. We're still putting software on it, but I'll let you know how it works. I intend to put it through its paces in the next 30 days!)

Another Rejection

This is one of those days when it stinks to be a writer. Got one rejection; got another who said the story I sent wasn't contemporary enough for their anthology, but could they have it for their e-zine? Payment: a copy of a future magazine.

I want to cry. I want to rant, but would just be self-pitying and accomplish nothing--and isn't fair to the agent or editor who wrote me. I'm not mad at them; they're doing their jobs to the best of their ability, and are very kind besides. I just want to know what secret ingredient I'm missing that will get my work in paying magazines and on the shelves of B&N. I am arrogant to think I'm good enough--but am I really so wrong?

I'll keep at it. Write. Polish. Submit. Repeat. I love what I'm doing, and I love my characters. In the meantime, I'll keep hoping the secret--or the bit of luck--will come my way.

But now, I'm going to walk the dog then come home and write about zombies. That should cheer me up.

A chance to start clean

Most of you may already know this but the service center ended up replacing everything on my computer. Here's the long story short:

--touchpad was not working
--I backed up the files, checked to make sure the backup was successful
--turned it in to Best Buy, where I have a warranty. They sent it to the service center.
--discovered that for whatever reason the files that were backed up no longer showed on the external hard drive
--called service center in a panic, was told they did not need to mess with the hard drive; told them if they did, back things up and I'd pay
--they replaced the hard drive and did not back up
--I can do nothing about it. I suggested several avenues and they tried a few themselves. The data past Oct 26 (my last successful back-up) is gone.
--I am establishing a triple-redundancy back up plan for the future.

Please do not give me any well-meaning advice. I double checked my back-up and did everything I could. Someone in service did an idiot move, probably out of ignorance of my request. Now, it's time to move on and consider this an opportunity instead of a tragedy.

Last year, I had determined that I was going to simplify my writing and marketing life, cutting out things that weren't effective but that I was doing out of habit, reducing my on-line work time, and focusing on the things that matter. This tragedy had enabled me to get a clean start. Since I no longer have the clutter of bookmarks, I can begin again, this time better organizing them. Ditto for my files--I can pull off the external hard drive the ones I really need on a daily basis and leave the rest in storage (although I plan to back those up on a second source.)

My e-mail list was full of people I barely spoke to, but who had written me once and thus got into my contacts list. Now I can begin again with that, organizing them into groups so that if I want to write all my friends, I have one group; all my business contacts, another, etc.

I had a task list that numbered past 500. Now I don't have that pressure. Instead, I can port over the ones that really matter and ignore the rest without guilt.

The irony is that I lost 6 weeks of data, but it will take me several months to rebuild. I lost a year's worth of newsletters for 30-Mintue Marketer. Those I need to rebuild as a group, as I have a plan I'm following--and thank you, God, that I didn't throw the handwritten plan away. I've lost the most brilliant changes to Discovery, but I'll just have to trust that God will help me recapture that brilliance and maybe even take it to another level. Gapman is also lost, but, thankfully, I wasn't too far ahead and I should have all the fun scenes I developed during MuseCon. The worst is the loss of the data for the Catholic Writers Conference, but I can get that back from the original sources--and I think the e-mail files (which were backed up a different way) might be saved.

Believe me, I cried bitter, anguished tears over this, and I may cry again, but I also know that in the scheme of life, this is minor. I have a loving, supportive husband. My children are smart, intelligent and happy. Yesterday, my teenage daughter announced that her friends think we're the geekiest cool parents they know. I live in a lovely house, have plenty to eat, have great friends, and am blessed with an overactive imagination. Now, I have a chance to do something I've wanted to do--start fresh.

Time to get to work.

Hey! I belong in Hitchhikers

Still waiting on my main computer to come back with all my files--and biting nails that they didn't get corrupted or lost in the repair process. I hate when back-ups fail!

Anyway, I took this quiz for fun, and wouldn't you know--I'm on the Heart of Gold!

You Scored as Heart of Gold (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) You are a light and humorous person. No one can help but to smile to your wit. Now if only the improbability drive would stop turning you into weird stuff. Heart of Gold (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) 75% SG-1 (Stargate) 75% Enterprise D (Star Trek) 69% Moya (Farscape) 63% Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix) 63% Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda) 56% Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) 56% Deep Space Nine (Star Trek) 56% Babylon 5 (Babylon 5) 56% Serenity (Firefly) 50% Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica) 44% FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files) 38% Bebop (Cowboy Bebop) 38%

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS A LOT OF POST-CONSUMER ELOQUENCE

I came across this article, which I wrote in 1994, and thought it's still a lot of fun, so I'm sharing it with you!


Are you vertically enhanced? Visually challenged? Vocationally displaced? If you even
understand these questions, you must be politically correct.

The language of political correctness--oops, cultural sensitivity--is a rich and varied one. In fact, there's even a Politically Correct Dictionary. My husband bought this as a joke for a friend, but boy--oops, youth--I wish we had kept it. I could write a whole series of articles with words from it. Of course, that would be plagiarism. Well, not in the 90s--what's PC/CS for "plagiarism?" Surely Congress has come up with one. Man--oops, Humyn--I really need that dictionary...

Why PC/CS? Well, "cultural sensitivity" might imply an allergy to yogurt and I wouldn't want to alienate any yogurt lovers; plus being correct is usually a good thing. However, being political often isn't good, but sensitivity is... I'm just covering all bases. "CYA" is always good PC/CS.

Here in the United States (Land of the Free, Home of the Brave, Place of Really Good Mexican Food--oops!), we've come across some great examples of PC/CS vocabulary. It started on our flight home. Remember the "Airsickness bags" of old? Now, they are "for your travel discomfort." (Actually, larger seats and more legroom would do a lot more for my travel discomfort.) Can you imagine this scenario between the flight attendant and a passenger?

(Wait! What's PC/CS for "flight attendant?" "Airborne Services Coordinator" comes to mind, but that may be the company clerk for the Screaming Eagles. How about In-Flight Quality Assurance Executive? Further, we can't call the passenger "Sir" or "Ma'am" or "Miss." Too gender-insensitive. Comrade? Or is that too Former-Soviet? Let's just omit it.)

IN-FLIGHT QUALITY ASSURANCE EXECUTIVE (IFQAE): May I help you?
PASSENGER: Yes, I seem to have experienced some travel discomfort. Could you deal
with this? (Hands her a bag.)
IFQAE: (Nose turned up.) I am an executive. I don't "deal;" I manage.
PASSENGER: Oh, good. Manage this bag, too.

We encountered our favorite PC/CS word in Seattle on National Public Radio in a story about a recycling convention, all quite fitting, somehow. The story featured a woman--oops, Fellow Earth Inhabitant--who made belts and purses out of post consumer products. (Does this include bags of travel discomfort as well?)

Post-consumer products. Isn't it nice to know Americans no longer generate millions of tons of trash? Now, we "reallocate post-consumer products." Trashmen are a thing of the past; we have Post-Consumer Product Reallocation Technicians. Remember the phrase "talking trash?" Now, it's just post-consumer eloquence.

PC/CS has invaded our homes. The change from "housewife" to "homemaker" is welcome; I'd never marry a house (though none has ever asked), though "homemaker" makes me feel like I'm in construction. Now, however, this new vocabulary is invading our appliances! One game show prize offered for second place contestants --i.e., the victory challenged--was a Home Nutrition Preparation System. A title like that, and I expected the Frugal Gourmet artificial intelligence kitchen, or at least a food processor. No such luck. The Home Nutrition Preparation System was pots and pans. Now, you, too, own a Home Nutrition Preparation System. Amaze your friends!

A lot of the old--oops, temporally challenged--sayings have changed. No one "does a good deed" anymore; that's too passe', too square--oops, rectangularly inclined. (No, wait. That's a trapezoid, and since zoids are on the endangered species--when's the last time you saw wild zoid running free through your neighborhood?--it'd be politically incorrect to encourage trapping one. Rectangularly oriented--that's it!) Now, we "commit random acts of senseless kindness." Sounds RASKy to me.

Can you imagine when PC/CS really hits the military? No longer called anything as violent or archaic as "military" or "armed forces," it will take on the title "Cooperative of Conflict Resolution Specialists (CRSs)." How does this affect the individual services? In the Navy, seamen (A title which probably ought to be changed, anyway. Why, if we have seamen and airmen, don't we have groundmen and beachmen?) would be known as "Aquatically-Oriented CRSs," and marines "Post-Aquatic CRSs." (In Navy-ese, one would say "AqOrConResSpec" and "PosAqConResSpec." Don't bite your tongue on that.) Airmen, of course, take the title, "Altitudinally-Inclined CRSs." (Or is "altitudinally-inclined" another PC/CS for tall? Nah,that's "vertically inclined;" unless you're lying down, in which case, it's "horizontally inclined," or does that mean...? Ah, never mind.) Soldiers would take the official name of "Ground-Related CRSs," although in informal circles, they'd be called "Ground-Related Undesirables Negation Technicians," or the applicable acronym.

Don't know about you, but all this PC/CS post-consumer eloquence is making me want to fill my travel discomfort bag with post-consumer products. Where's the In-Flight Quality Assurance Executive to commit a random act of senseless kindness and reallocate it?

marketing newsletter, classes for 2010!

Is one of your resolutions to better market your books? If so, I have some programs to help. I offer easy but comprehensive online classes on fun but effective marketing tools and have a weekly newsletter that guides you through the marketing process.

Here are the classes I’m offering for January, and info about the newsletter. This is a terrific time to subscribe to the newsletter, as I’ve re-organized the entire 54 weeks into a comprehensive marketing schedule. To register for any of these, please go to http://www.karinafabian.com/index.php?name=Content&pid=24.

The 30-Minute Marketer Newsletter: Marketing can seem a daunting task, but you can make inroads with only 30 minutes a week. But where do you start? While other newsletters give you dozens of wonderful ideas but no direction, The 30-Minute Marketer has organized those ideas and the well-known standards of marketing into a scheduled plan for you to follow. It also tells you how to accomplish these tasks. Don’t get overwhelmed - get organized with The 30-Minute Marketer!

CLASSES: REGISTRATION ENDS JAN 4:

"Virtual Book Tours": Learn how to arrange and conduct your own on-line book tour! We'll cover finding blogs and podcasts, getting the gig, coordinating the stops. You'll come away with a tour for your book. REGISTRATION OPEN. CLASS RUNS JAN 4-FEB 5, 2010.

"Video Book Trailers": Creating your own book trailer video doesn't have to expensive or difficult. With free pictures, free music and Windows Movie Maker, you can make your own in a weekend. This class will take you through the basics. Must have Windows MovieMaker or some movie-making program you are familiar with. REGISTRATION OPEN. CLASS RUNS JAN 4-FEB 5, 2010.

Happy new year!

I Gots a Netbook!

My wonderful husband bought me a netbook for Christmas. It's small and super light, and just what I wanted.

This past year, I've been on the go a lot. I've gone to conferences and out-of-town signings, plus just running the kidlets around. I've been lugging my laptop everywhere, and despite the durability claims the salesman at Best Buy made, it's definitely shown the wear-and-tear. That's probably why the poor thing is in the shop right now. In addition, my shoulders are just sore from hauling it and a copy of each of my books around. (I never travel without copies to show off in airports, etc.)

So Rob got me an Eee PC Seashell for Christmas. The whole thing is almost as light as a paper notebook, and lighter than the 3-ring-binder I use as an organizer. In fact, I think this thing would fit in one of those big zippered organizers if I were so inclined. However, the keyboard is just right for my hands--in fact, I'm noticing fewer typos on it. The memory and processing is sufficient for my needs, which are writing, e-mail and word processing, with Yahoo IM in the background. It lacks a CD drive, which is weird, but I hardly need that, anyway, except to add programs, and I don't have a lot I want on it, anyway.

I'll be putting it through its paces until I get my laptop back, then taking it on the road. I'll let you know in a couple of months if it's living up to its promise, but right now, I just have to say...

EEEEEEEE! I gots a netbook PCEEEEEEE!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

I love to watch these! Merry Christmas!

Dead computer

My computer bit the dirt this week. The touch pad stopped working, among other things I was ignoring, so I took it to the Geek Squad (it's under warranty.) They said I should get it back in 3 weeks. In figured this is the best time to get it fixed, anyway, as I have the Catholic Writers Conference Online to get ready for in January and Feb.

In the meantime, I'm working off Rob's but also giving myself a break. You'd think this would be the ideal time, adn it is. I'm spending time with the kids, working on Amber's quincenera party stuff (dress and party favors), and reading and daydreaming. However, I'm also itching to write stories on my computer, and the newsletters I was working on are on hold unless I re-create (or get another laptop that I can then hook up to my back-up drive.)

So, My novel's journey and My editing journey are on hold. I'll blog a little about what I'm doing with all this computer-free time. It really is like a kind of technical detox: I have substitutes and withdrawal, find myself going to my empty desk, feel restless like I should be DOING something, and am leraning to focus elsewhere.

Rob's shopping with Amber, so I'm closing now to go check online e-mail and some groups. Merry Christmas!

My Editing Journey: Dialogue in Discovery

I'd said one of the things I needed to do was change Ann's way of speaking. Let's explore that today.

Dialogue is a great way to show your character: their education, their interests, their thought processes. Sometimes, as the character develops in your mind, her way of speaking changes. That happened to Sister Ann. An orphan rescued and raised by the Sisters, she has an unusual background and a mind like a sponge. She can absorb and process technical manuals like a child's game. She does the same for other writings, but philosophy and psychology are harder for her to understand. Her experience with the outside world is limited to living at the convent and rescuing spacers. Her faith is strong and at times, visionary, but she's never thought much about it being unique.

As the ship and its crew get into deeper danger, she is receiving Divine Guidance through the help of prophets and saints. This was such fun to play with, but since I didn’t set her up as a mystic and a little odd, it looks like she's gone mad. Also, I needed her to be more odd to begin with to justify the crew's reaction to her, particularly Dr. Thoren's, who considers her a threat to their mission.

The best way to show this is in her speech (and later in her interior monologues). Here's one of the first conversations she has. She's just quoted Brother Jubal about his life as a hermit on the moon.

Original:

"Yet God called him to go minister to the Drake Lunar station. He left the life he loved and as a result, came to love life more. But could he have done it if he hadn't had that revelation of God's love? Then, there's St. Gillian: she loved the grandeur and beauty of Earth. She grew up on a ranch and used to go riding in the mountains--on an animal!"

"A horse. Lots of people ride horses on earth."

"A horse! Yes! But her husband got injured when the gravity generator he was developing blew up, and could never return to a heavy gravity world, and she came out into space to minister to him. For love, she could do it, but it was love for her husband."

Rita wondered if the change of subject was to ease her own fears; if so, she welcomed it. "But her faith in God and her hope that He would bring something good from her sacrifice gave her the strength to live on L5. And of course, with her help, R Charles perfected his gravity generator."

"Her nagging, you mean!" Ann laughed. "Have you ever read his dairies? They're very funny." Her voice deepened as she quoted, "'I finally just went to work so she wouldn't keep telling me about the martyrs. Martyrs! Torture! A shrew for a wife--that's torture!' She knew he needed to work to take his mind off his pain, and she loved him enough to risk his wrath and make him do what he wouldn't do for himself. Despite his grumbling, he understood that, and he loved her all the more. Human love is a powerful force, too, isn't it?"


See how she's very straightforward in her expression? It also feels too much like telling. I have to admit, the conversation bothered me from the beginning, but only until I knew Ann better did I understand why. Here's the second draft:


"Yet God called him to go minister to the Drake Lunar station. He left the life he loved and as a result, came to love life more. But could he have done it if he hadn't had that revelation of God's love? Then, there's St. Gillian: Nowhere do I feel closer to God than watching the sunrise across the mountains. God made this world to suit us; and us, uniquely suited for it. She rode animals."

"Horses. Lots of people ride horses."

"And shrews ride people."

"What?"

Ann's voice deepened as she mimicked a man's snarl. "'Research! Work! Give your pain to God!' Vaccing shrew rides me like one of her horses. R. Charles Hawkins was very cranky after his accident. He wanted to give up work on the gravity generator and die, and Gillian left earth to be with him full time at L5. I guess it's easier to ride someone in zero g."

Rita had long broken the habit of smacking her own forehead, but times like these brought back the urge. "I think he's speaking figuratively."

This is more "Ann": making some leaps of logic that no one else understands (R. Charles called his wife "shrew" + she rides him = shrews ride people), shows her literal thinking, and isn't as straightforward as the first conversation. It's also 100 words shorter, an advantage.

Catholic Writers Conference Online Provides Practical Help

This is a press release I invite you to share with others. Folks can contact me for more information.

Catholic Writers Conference Online Provides Practical Help

World Wide Web--This year's Catholic Writers’ Conference Online, which will be held February 26-March 5, 2010, will focus on the practical things the writer needs to succeed.

The conference is held via chats and forums at www.catholicwritersconference.com. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild, the online conference is free of charge and open to writers of all levels who register between October 1, 2009 and February 15, 2010.

"We've always concentrated on workshops and chats that teach the writer skills or provide information in the areas of crafting, publishing and marketing their works, but this year, we're adding critique workshops and some incredible opportunities to pitch to leading publishers," said organizer Karina Fabian.

This year, publishers hearing pitches include well known Catholic publishers like Pauline, large Christian publishers like Thomas Nelson, and smaller presses like White Rose. Thus far, eleven pitch sessions are scheduled, running the gamut from Christian romance to Catholic theology.

In a new program, at least fifty attendees will have the opportunity to have pieces of their work critiqued by successful editors and writers. In addition, there will be forum-based workshops and chat room presentations covering topics from dialogue to freelancing to how Catholic fiction differs from Christian fiction.

"Even in good economic times, it's hard for writers to attend live conferences," said Fabian, "but this year, we think it's even more important to help careers by utilizing an online format. We're so grateful that our presenters are willing to share their time and talent."

Early registration is recommended. Although the conference is offered free of charge, donations are accepted; proceeds will go toward future conferences. Non-Catholics may attend, as long as they respect Catholic beliefs and the conference's Catholic focus.

To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com.

My Editing Journey: Things to do to Discovery

Lots of slicing and dicing to do, some re-arranging, and a whole lot of re-write!

1. Cut down the first chapter. There's too much talk and it moves too slowly compared to the rest. I spend a lot of time explaining things I can show later, and have details that turned out to be unimportant when looking at the entire thing.

2. Cut out some characters. GenSup Hayden didn't prove to be important to the plot. I'll cut him and spread his tasks among other characters. Similarly, a new character showed up that I adored, but he could not accomplish his goals. Meanwhile, the ship's doctor was perfectly suited to accomplish his mission, but had no use until near the end. I can combine them into one character.

3. Make Sr. Ann speak in snatches of quotes, technical specs and insights. She started out as a sweet, straightforward girl, but in the last half started having visions and speaking in gibberish that makes a lot of sense to herself and to the readers (for the most part), but not to everyone else. I came to realize that she was always like this to some degree, but stress will make it more pronounced. So I need to re-write. Besides, she's much more fun when she's talking like River from Firefly!

4. Foreshadow events by developing other characters earlier on. Several characters end up playing a bigger role and having some major issues toward the end. I need to go back and give hints. Ian needs compulsive handwashing, for instance.

5. Cut the talk. I'm a dialogue person, so there is a lot of talk in the NaNo part of the book. I need to be brutal in chopping out the unneeded stuff, putting in some action or a couple of one-sentence summaries.

6. Give characters their names. Too many times, I wrote GUYNAME when I couldn't decide who would do what? Or I'd forget someone's last name or title.

7. Detail check. My rescue bags had air for 12 hours, then 30 minutes, then 2 hours. You'd think I'd remember how much air was in this piece of equipment.

8. When do I write tech that would have solved a problem? If so, I need to write it out or change the problem. Done that once already, and it made for a better ending.

9. Make sure characters are consistent. I'm pretty certain a few changed personalities mid-book.

10. Polish the timeline.

So, you know, not much to do...

My Novel's Journey: Found--One Supervillian Plot

As you know, I've been searching for a supervillian plot for Gapman, as my original idea didn't seem big enough for the book. Like so many things, I mull over stuff until I go nuts, give up, watch TV and get a perfect inspiration!

This time, it was the 2012 movie commercial that did it. What could be bigger than bringing about the end of the world?

Of course, I already did that during Live and Let Fly, so I needed a new twist. For a long time, I played with the Mayan calendar/2012 idea, but I've discarded it for a few reasons:

--I already did Ragnorak in Live and Let Fly, so a legendary end-of-the-world is redundant.

--I didn't want to get into the tangled research I'd feel obligated to do to get this right. I looked at a few websites, and was amazed at the depth of thought people have given this, along with tying in all kinds of other end-of-world prophesies. I wish I could say these people have too much time on their hands, but since the world will end in 2012, I don’t see how that's the case.

--It really doesn't tie into Faerie, and the other subplots I've been developing: the Mundane's re-emerging distrust of the Faerie, especially the Faerie Church; the fact that Satan is trying to bend the rules by establishing a beachhead of Faerie evil in Los Lagos; the mysterious murders of Gap scientists and mages (which I plan to develop fully in Damsels and Knights); the appearance of the unique magic/chemical drug, Puck.

--It ties my universe to a specific date, which I've been avoiding.

--I can do funnier than a defective Mayan calendar.

So, the current Supervillian plot is:

--Author predicted that the opening of the Gap would herald the end of our worlds.

--20 years later, this STILL HAS NOT HAPPENED

--Frustrated author (who is published by a vanity press posing as traditional and has sold a whopping 24 books) is trying again--this time asserting the weather experiment will destroy our ecosystem

--As the world's biggest publicity stunt, is drilling into the poles, where he will pour the frozen ice into the molten core of the earth, stopping the magnetic field, creating a steam cloud that will envelop the earth, yadda-yadda. That way, he gets to have big "I Told You So!" and sell his latest book, a guide to living in the ruined Earth. (need a cathy title).

--He's using magic in his factory to combine titanium with Faerimet. The byproduct happens to be Puck. Yes, people are snorting industrial waste. Is it really that different from real life?

As a side plot, someone's going to ambush Vern and do something nasty to him that won't really show itself until the next DragonEye, PI book. BWAHAHAHA! If you read carefully, you'll see Vern's changing just a bit. At least, if I write it well, you will.

I have to admit though: right now the changes to Discovery are taking up my imagination, so Gapman is moving much slower than expected. That's fine, though--no one's accepted Live and Let Fly yet, so I have time.

My Editing Journey: Discovery--Five Steps for Editing

It seems appropriate that so soon after over a hundred thousand people participated in National Novel Writing Month, I should be hard at work editing the novel I started as NaNoWriMo in 2006. It had been put aside for several years, but played on my imagination, so this year, I finished it off.

I will never write a novel like that again, half-starting it, then setting it aside. I've lost too much of the original enthusiasm and the ideas had changed with my experiences. Driven as I felt to complete it, I found myself fighting tooth and nail for each scene. At one point, I was ready to scrap the whole thing and stick the plot on The Love Boat, when my insightful friend, Ann Lewis, remarked, "That's because you're not treating it like science fiction. You have this fabulous ship and you're not doing anything with it."

I realized then the fatal mistake of my NaNo work--because it was so fast and seat of the pants, it was limited in its scope. When I realized that, I started writing a much grander plot and a father-reaching theme. I also involved the other characters in ways I never expected. My mind was afire with ideas.

Of course, the end result is that the last third does not match the original two thirds. This will be the most extensive editing project I've ever done. I invite you to join me in the process and perhaps learn something from my mistakes and frustrations.

I expect the editing will take more than my usual five passes, but I'll share those with you now. Next week, I'll tell you my general plans for surgical editing of Discovery, and then each Thursday, I'll report my status.

Five Steps For Editing a Manuscript:

1. Spell and Grammar Check: I do this as a quick check, and I don't believe everything Microsoft says about grammar. There's a lot the word processor doesn't understand. However, it's a good start.

2. Use the Find function for spotting passive voice and other common problems I have. If you use the Find function for words like is, was, were, very, etc., you will discover the passive-voice sentences. I also use it for other common problems I have--words I tend to overuse; names I may have misspelled (I find the misspellings, or use the Replace to change them all.)

3. Print and read it. I always catch more stuff when it's on paper than when I have it on the computer.

4. Read it out loud. This lets me check for flow of narrative and hard to follow sentences. Also, by reading it to my kids, they will tell me what works and what doesn't.

5. Read it backward, one sentence at a time. By isolating each sentence from the narrative, I can better analyze it.

Usually after that, I will give it a final read, beginning to end, on the computer.