Sailing Through Summer

Wow! It's been awhile since I last posted, and I apologize. I can honestly say that I can barely remember the month of June, which was a whirlwind of end-of-school-year activities for my kids, one very special little girl's birthday, and of course, work!

Yes, my very lovely and inquisitive daughter Mia turned 10 on June 10. As cliche as it sounds, I really can't believe how fast the first 10 years of her life passed us by. I decided to also embrace this particular birthday for a different reason. I began freelancing after she was born and my career path was forever changed, for the better I do believe. It's been a roller coaster ride trying to juggle writing and editing jobs while raising two kids, but we make it work. I am happy to be at a stage in my life where I'm creatively fulfilled, earn regular paychecks and still get to be in the audience during my children's school plays throughout the year. I may not be rich but I'm definitely happy, and that's the most important thing.

Here's just a peek at what I've been up to this summer:

I contributed "How to Write a YA Psychological Thriller" to the latest WOW! Women on Writing e-zine. It doesn't get much better than getting the chance to interview some published authors you really admire!

I've written a few blogs for The Muffin and am working on my next one scheduled to run on July 10.

• When Fear Holds You Back
• Should You Self-Publish Your Own Work?

I've helped indie author Destiny Allison launch her blog tour for the novel Pipe Dreams through WOW! Details here. Congratulations, Destiny! (Review to come soon).

You can also find an interview with me in the Behind the Pages section of Lake Norman Currents Magazine's July issue (I'm on page 9). It was fun to be the subject of an interview for a change!

Also, I've been working diligently on turning the first novel I wrote into a YA book. I invested in a children's writing workshop and have gotten some valuable feedback on my progress. I also officially registered for the SCBWI Carolinas Conference in September and can't wait to immerse myself in the workshops and get the first 10 pages of my manuscript professionally critiqued. I spent many years thinking that I wasn't talented or even prosperous enough to invest in my writing career. I've moved on from that mindset and have made so much progress in my work once I decided I was a worthwhile investment. More to come soon!

So a Mom Walked Into This Blow-Dry Bar . . .

A few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting author and syndicated humor columnist Tracy Beckerman via social media. Oh, social media, how would I meet people in my field otherwise? That's a whole other story. Anyway, I was thrilled when I received an invitation in my inbox to Tracy's launch party for her "momoir" Lost in Suburbia. Yes, thanks to the fabulous reputation of Charlotte area writers and bloggers, we made the short list of six cities on her book tour!

However, I was a little confused when I saw the location was at a place called The Blo Out on Sharon Road. What exactly was a "blow out?" I thought to myself. I figured the location was some sort of salon or spa and intrigued by the thought of meeting Tracy in person and learning more about her book, I RSVPd.

Then, interestingly enough, in keeping with the theme of Tracy's book, I had to make my way out of suburbia in order to find said blow dry bar. Navigating I-77 around 6 p.m. during a weekday is never a fun time, but I finally made it. Inside, I found Tracy, many area bloggers, the event sponsors, and several women seated in chairs getting their "blow outs," which are basically wash-and-blow-dry hairstyles without any cutting. I knew that. My own salon does them, I just don't normally partake in them myself because I'm lazy.

Meeting Tracy was a delight, because in person she's just as funny as her book would lead me to believe. Oh, and I got to sample some yummy cupcakes from Cupcrazed Cakery that were almost too pretty to eat (ALMOST), sip on a margarita and steal a slice of pizza from Mellow Mushroom. This all the night before I was supposed to squeeze into a dress for The Queen City's Mom Prom. I barely got the dress zipped, BARELY!

Anyway, about the book. It gave me many laughs, because while I've never had a great job in television in NYC like Tracy, I did quit a job in public relations to move to the suburbs after having my first child and managed to lose much much of my mojo, which is what Tracy covers in Lost in Suburbia. While I highly doubt Tracy ever looked as frumpy as she described in her book, I know I sure as hell did. Mom jeans, velour jogging suits, stained yoga pants and unwashed hair--yep, I sported that look for many years. Tracy does a good job detailing her journey and though she is a Jersey girl herself now, her exaggerated imitation of her fellow New Jersey housewives is spot on. One of my favorite chapters in her book detailed a trip to a "spa" that she took with some of her girlfriends, complete with bed bugs, food poisoning, and mud treatments that left Tracy with a greenish hue for days afterward. I'm sure we can all relate to road trips that don't turn out exactly as planned, even when the kids aren't with us!

If you're stocking up your tote bag with fun summer reads, add Lost in Suburbia to your list. As Tracy would say, "Oh my Gawd, you won't regret it!"

It's Been a Zoo Around Here!

A photo from our recent trip to the North Carolina Zoo, which I wrote about for an article about North Carolina day trips.

Wow! It's been a crazy past month. I apologize for being scarce around here. But here is a peek at a few things I've been working on:

I've been playing around with ways writers can use Pinterest to promote their work and aid in the creative process. You can read more about that here.

I helped author Jennifer Richardson launch her memoir Americashire: A Field Guide to Marriage through a WOW! Women on Writing blog tour and am working on organizing a new tour for another author as we speak. Learn more about Jennifer's book at her website.

I turned in two new articles for Lake Norman CURRENTS and am getting ready to begin work on an assignment for July.

We have frantically been working to put out the latest issue of Little Ones magazine, the bi-monthly parenting publication in Charlotte I help write content for and edit.

I'm taking an online children's writing class and diligently revising my YA work-in-progress. Fun and tough!

My family has been traveling a lot, mostly for conference and writing assignment purposes. It's always fun to mix business with pleasure, but I'm looking forward to some lazy June weekends really soon.

What have you all been up to?

Would You Like to Be Part of a Project Involving 100 Book Clubs?

If you are a fan of literary fiction and/or YA, this post is for you. I recently interviewed author Jennifer Miller and she told me about a fun project she is putting together to promote the release of the paperback version of her novel The Year of the Gadfly. Here are the details:

During the month of July, Miller is trying to set the record for the most book club visits in 30 days. Any group of five or more will receive a copy of the book and a 30-minute chat with Miller via Skype during evenings and lunch hours. Participants will also receive entry into her "Prep School Pack" Giveaway, which is a gift pack of Miller's favorite prep-school novels, movies and after-school snacks.

Here is the page on Miller's site where you can find out how your group can participate.

Here is the Amazon description of the book:

Iris Dupont, a budding journalist whose only confidant is the chain-smoking specter of Edward R. Murrow, feels sure she can break into the ranks of The Devil's Advocate, the Party's underground newspaper, and uncover the source of its blackmail schemes and vilifying rumors. Some involve the school's new science teacher, who also seems to be investigating the Party. Others point to an albino student who left school abruptly ten years before, never to return. And everything connects to a rare book called Marvelous Species. But the truth comes with its own dangers, and Iris is torn between her allegiances, her reporter's instinct, and her own troubled past.

My First Conference Experience

This year, I've decided to try and get out of my comfort zone more often when it pertains to my writing career. The first step I took was to join Twitter. Yes, I know that sounds silly, but I've been stuck in Facebook Land for so long that I wasn't even sure how to get started. (Micro blogging? What the heck is that?) But I actually had to get on Twitter for one of my clients, and I found I really enjoy it. It's a fabulous networking tool, I get to stay on top of my love of celebrity gossip, get expert writing advice and see which agents are looking for new material. Score!

Next, I decided to attend my very first writing conference. I've been freelancing for years now and have attended a few workshops here and there, but have never braved a conference. I vowed to stick to my new resolution of advancing my career so I registered for the Write Now! Conference put on by the Triangle Area Freelancers in Raleigh, N.C. It was extremely affordable and my family and I had an excuse to take a fun weekend trip. The husband and kids dropped me off at the conference bright and early this past Saturday morning and then hit the museums. Here's what my schedule looked like:

8:00 to 9:00 a.m. - Registration and breakfast
9:00 to 9:50 a.m. - Keynote address, "Santa Claus, Small-Town Murder and $10,000 Restaurant Tab: 10 Stories that Taught Me (Almost) Everything I Know About Writing Non-Fiction," given by Zac Petit, managing editor of Writer's Digest.
10:00-10:50 a.m. - Freelance Writing for Beginners
11:00-11:50 a.m. - The Good, The Bad and the Nightmare Query
12:00-12:50 p.m. - Lunch
1:00-1:50 p.m. - Strategies for Simplifying Your Writing
2:00-2:50 p.m. - Write Like a Renegade: Breaking the Rules for Freelance Success
3:00-4:00 p.m. - Ask the Freelancers Roundtable

As you can see, it was an action-packed day. I was hesitant to attend the Freelance Writing for Beginners session, but I'm glad I did. Don Vaughan gave an excellent talk and I picked up a few ideas for developing stories. Conference attendees chose from two tracks during each hour and I opted not to attend sessions on taxes, memoir writing, copyright and legal questions and writing for religious and spiritual markets. However, each attendee received a CD with handouts from every single session, which I found to be a great bonus! My packet also included a list of tips for making the most of the conference, which I thought was a nice addition.

I also groaned when I walked into the "Strategies for Simplifying Your Writing" seminar and received a handout with grammar exercises, but as it turns out, I needed a refresher in active and static verbs, intensifiers, adverbs and the like. My writing definitely needs to be freshened up from time to time. One of the highlights of the conference was the chance to play "fan girl" and introduce myself to Linda Formichelli, co-author of The Renegade Writer. She gave a great presentation and I'm glad I got the chance to let her know how much I love her book.

All in all, I had a great time geeking out at my first conference. I passed out a few business cards, chatted with some fellow writers, picked up a horror novel from a local author, took away some valuable tips and scribbled pages and pages of article and blog post ideas throughout the course of the day. I didn't let myself drown in fear.

What have you done lately to get out of your writer comfort zone?

Review: The Shy Writer: Reborn

I picked up the book The Shy Writer: Reborn because, for the most part, I consider myself an introverted writer, especially when it comes to writing fiction. I've had to take a long, hard look at my career in the past six months and I came to a realization--I could be doing so much more!

I've admired author C. Hope Clark for quite awhile. I subscribe to her weekly newsletter, FundsforWriters, and have even sold a few articles to Hope for use in the newsletter. I was curious to find out more about the self-proclaimed "introverted" writer and how she found success, all while handling the minute details of a writing career, such as pitching and querying agents, presenting at conferences and handling publicity for her mystery book series.

Here's a synopsis of the book:

As an introvert and a writer, you feel stretched to choose between the lesser of two evils – marketing to people who’ll most likely criticize you, or putting your writing on the back burner. Introverts have strengths that make them marketable, creative, and successful. Forget those people who tell you to change, to put on a different personality, to dance like a monkey before crowds. Here is the support to be a writer and remain who you care to be . . . genuine.

I've personally worked as a successful freelancer for more than 10 years, but fear has kept me from cracking many of the national markets, querying a host of agents and publishing houses with my projects and attending large-scale writing conferences. The Shy Writer: Reborn has helpful advice for  writers in all genres, whether you are a seasoned writer struggling with making personal appearances or a writer trying to pitch your first article to a magazine or newspaper. I found the chapters on "Passion and Platform," "Priorities, Preparation and Promotion," and "Blogging" especially helpful. I even finally had an epiphany about what I should use as my platform!

I've been slowly getting braver with my work (there are days when even hitting the "publish" button on this blog terrifies me!) but I know there are steps I need to take if I want to become a published author. This book helped push me to revamp my blog and website, register for my first writer's conference and make the decision to sign up for an online class/critique group so I can get feedback on my YA novel. I would highly recommend this book for any writer (not just the introverted) trying to determine what the next step in her career should be.

Thanks, Hope!

"I Never Had Any Friends Later On Like the Ones I Had When I Was Twelve . . ."

Having grown up in the 1980s, I have always loved the movie Stand By Me, and the Stephen King short story "The Body" that inspired the film. I've memorized the dialogue of the entire movie, and I never tire of watching it.

It's interesting how a film such as this one takes on more meaning the older you get. I remember being drawn to Wil Wheaton's character, "Gordie LaChance," from the very first time I saw the movie, but it is only now that I realize why I related to him.

Gordie was quiet, introverted, creative, and often teased for his daydreams and timid demeanor. In the movie, his brother Denny served as a buffer between Gordie and his overbearing and ambivalent father, but all that changed after Denny's death. I never had any siblings growing up, but often felt as if I had to stay in the background because I didn't have anyone my age I could relate my ideas and feelings to. Chris Chambers, played by the late River Phoenix, came from the wrong side of the tracks and carried the weight of his family's bad reputation on his shoulders. He had always been told he would never amount to much, and he believed it. I too, struggled with feelings of low self-worth all throughout my childhood, and still do from time to time.

An older Gordie, played by Richard Dreyfuss, actually narrates "Stand By Me," telling of the adventure the boys had when they went off in search of a young boy's dead body in the woods. I think that's one of the aspects of the movie that strikes me now, as I am working as a professional writer and am finally starting to consider opening up and telling some of stories from my own past.  I'm sure most of us have experienced the ebb and flow of various friendships, just like the four characters in the story did.

I find it haunting that as the film ends, and the older Gordie describes how he read about the death of Chris Chambers, the image of a young River Phoenix walking down the road fades. As we all know, River Phoenix passed away at the young age of 23.

We all have our own "coming of age" stories to tell, and this is the one I relate to most for some reason. There have been friends in my life that may not still be around, or that I don't talk to as often as I'd like, but they made a lasting impression on me during the time we spent together.

What part of "Stand By Me" resonates with you the most?