Realizing The Dream

I know I haven’t posted for a while I know…but there really is a great reason for this…and I hope you’re all as happy as I am about this.

I posted this message on my critique group loop on Friday, April 16, 2010 while still at the Desert Dreams conference in Scottdale, Arizona. Since that time, I have been working on what I’ve always called my breakout novel. You know it, I’ve been putting the first few chapters up here as my blog the past few times to keep it alive for me. Read this and you’ll see jus how alive it is!

Okay...I've got to tell you a story...and how it made me speechless. I know, I know...next to impossible...LOL!

Part of this trip has been for me and a friend to get away. My friend, Brenda, loves books and has gone to an RT conference with me before. She's also an aspiring writer that I'm trying to get interested in RWA. She's also had a horrible time this year with her husband losing her job and 3 kids under 18. So this was my Christmas and birthday present to her. So today we did some girl things and didn't get back to register for the con until about 4 this afternoon.

I get my registration packet and start looking at everything as we'd found a quiet, out-of-the-way place to discuss where, what and when. I found my Realizing the Dream score sheets and pulled them out. I thought the score terrible, 48 out of 50, and knew I blew it. I put it back in the envelope and found my appointments with an editor and an agent. This is really why I came here and entered the contest. For the contest, you had to be an attendee and not published by a NYC house or represented by a NYC agent.

At the time I entered, I talked extensively with the contest chair as I had so many books epublished and I didn't want to take advantage of the contest. She assured me that the contest was for someone just like me. They wanted entrees from every genre and at every level. I sent off my entry and forgot about it until this week. And when I saw my score, I felt I had blown it because I know people do get perfect scores.

So, we're at the genre dinner tonight and they make some announcements, they do the raffle and then they turn it over to the contest chair. I don't pay attention because I've blown it in my mind. The first finalist was a gal sitting at my table and she jumps right up plus her enthusiasm is contagious. The next name they call is...mine...and I'm blown away. My friend Brenda pushes me out of my chair toward the stage and the gal at my table walks up with me. The third gal is from the middle of the room and we're all on stage.

The contest chair states how close the scores were and still I'm thinking, 'No friggin' way' and 'what am I doing up here?' And she announces the winner...and it was me...and I was speechless. I can barely say thank you to everyone because I am shaking so hard. The whole time back to my seat I'm thinking/saying 'OMG, I can't believe it.' And it took me twenty minutes of people talking to me to get me grounded.

I have an appointment with two editors tomorrow, Laurie Rauch of Samhain and Kate Sevier of Berkley Sensation, and one agent, Miriam Kriss. All these people were on the seven or eight (I'm not sure) judging committee who voted my proposal the best.

And can you all guess which one it was? Sigh. "Where's My Underwear?" garnered the top spot in the Realizing the Dream contest. Another thing, I would not be here if it weren't for each and every one of you. All of you had input to this story and have helped me every step of the way. I owe you all dinner and plan to take you all out when we can do it.

One more thing, I can guarantee they want changes...LOL! I hope you all are up for a final round of Underwear. I'd start now but I don't have everything here.

Thanks for all your support...let's see if I can bring it home!

This was one of the best things to happen in a very, very long time. I’ve been on Cloud 9 since it happened. I’ve also been working my butt off as every editor/agent I saw or described this story to all want a peak. So I’m polishing up the proposal and re-editing the rest of the story.

So see…I haven’t forgotten you…I’ve just been really, really busy. I’ll be back next week with an update on my progress. See you all then!

Lynn

The Art of Goal Setting

First, I would like to thank everyone who commented on this blog regarding the Haiti donation. I am extending the time and posting much the same on one of my other blogs so check it out there as well.

But let’s get on with today’s lesson. Today, we’re talking about goal setting, what it is, why you need them and how to set them. Now, all of us have goals but maybe you don’t know that it’s a goal because you never thought of it that way. Most goals can be broken down to short term and long term. Short term goals are things you can see happening in the immediate future, usually 1 to 60 days at the most. Long term goals are items which you wish to attain within 60 days or more.

There are many different theories and ideas in regards to goal planning and at the end, I will add a few links where you can look at these BUT in essence, goal setting is just making real the things you want to do in life or in this case, your writing career. Some books talk about goals being immediate, short and long term with different time frames than I have here.

The whole idea is to make everything digestible chunks which you can manage successfully. The old adage don’t bite off more than you can chew is very true when setting goals. The only item from all the books that I adhere to 100% is the fact that if you write something down, you make it real to yourself. You see it in black and white, on the page and suddenly, it becomes tangible, something you can strive for in your life.

Let’s look at some examples of short term goals for a writer. They could be as easy as the following:

Write 1000 words per day
Take a class monthly
Commit to writing daily

True, these are simple but they are specific. They are something a person can commit to doing then do it. One problem people have with goals is that they don’t write something specific. They use the words try or might instead of action words like write and commit. Remember all the lessons you’ve had regarding passive writing? Well, the same applies for setting goals. You must be specific and your goal needs to state an action you will take.

Long terms goals are a little different because they take place over a longer period of time. Here are some examples of long terms goals for a writer:

Get a agent in 2010
Submit to an NYC publisher within six months from today (1-26-2010)
Commit to doing a daily blot in 2010

I’ve made these long term and specific in what I want to achieve and when I want to achieve them. And these are actual goals on my 2010 list. These are some of the things I will do this year. I’ve written them down and I own them.

When I was a struggling writer, meaning I wasn’t published and it was hard to motivate myself, I did things like make a dream book where I could write down all my writing goals for five years. I made a page for each year and wrote down what I wanted to do during that year. I also had a page in the beginning of the book which outlined my daily and monthly goals. These could change daily as items get completed or they evolve into something else. I also made mock covers, interviews and anything else I could think to make the writing life real to me.

I still have that book and quite frequently look at it to see how well I may or may not be doing.

Here are some links regarding goal setting:

http://www.cignabehavioral.com/web/basicsite/consumer/educationAndResourceCenter/articleLibrary/working_person11.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal-setting_theory

http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html

http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/smart-goals.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal_setting

But the bottom line is if you don’t write it down, it won’t be real to you. Now go and make your short and long term goal list. Let me know what you see as some of your goals and don’t hesitate to ask questions. I might not always know the answer but chances are I know someone who does.

Goal setting and planning go hand in hand which is why I will talk more in depth about planning next week.

Here’s hoping that you achieve all your daily and weekly goals! Until next week...

Lynn

Gobsmacked

Before I get into today’s blog ~ Congrats to Afshan for winning a free book by commenting on my birthday blog!

Okay, I’m gobsmacked. But before we get into why perhaps you’re wondering what the term means…From http://www.thefreedictionary.com
gobsmacked
Adjective
Brit, Austral & NZ slang: astonished and astounded
Adj. 1. gobsmacked - utterly astounded
colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech
Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom
surprised - taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment; "surprised by her student's ingenuity"; "surprised that he remembered my name"; "a surprised expression"
(Side note: I love British slang. Stick around me long enough and you’ll hear me use it in everyday speech. Lol!)
So why am I utterly astounded? Have you heard of Susan Boyle? I’m sure by now you have. She’s the television and internet singing sensation from Britain’s Got Talent. What a great story. Her dream ~ to be a professional singer & at 47 years of age she finally got her wish to sing in front of a large audience. If you haven’t had the chance to hear her sing in the famous episode, go to this youtube link and check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZYWow! Right? What a voice! In my internet travels I also came across another song she did for a charity album ~



Absolutely beautiful. & those who know me know I don’t gush over things normally but this woman deserves credit and deserves to have her dreams of a singing career come true.
And what’s the lesson to be gained from this? ~ Keep dreaming, dream big & work to make your dreams come true. It’s never too late. As Susan stated in an article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/18/susan-boyle-britains-got-talent), "I expected people to be a wee bit cynical," she says. "But I decided to win them round. That is what you do. They didn't know what to expect. Before Britain's Got Talent, I had never had a proper chance. It's as simple as that. You just have to keep going and take one step at a time and one day you will make it. You just don't give up."
I’m gobsmacked.

AJ and the Amazing Technicolor Building

By AJ Llewellyn

As I prepare to fly to Hawaii tomorrow in the first step of planning a new life there as a book store owner and erotic fiction author, it struck me how hard I worked to achieve my life as I know it…how I have craved security and certainty…and a place in the entertainment industry. From the time I was a small kid I was obsessed with Hollywood. I loved movies. I loved old movies, new movies…I was the know-it-all that drove my family crazy with detailed knowledge of background, scripts, producers, directors…I learned everything I could.
When I finally got to move here 25 years ago to go to school, I began my up and down relationship with Hollywood as I went about the business of trying to make it as a writer.
And then I got my first studio job. I was in heaven. I worked at Odyssey Pictures (RIP) doing screenplay coverage which in turn got me work at Paramount and other companies…in the meantime I was a prolific journalist working as a bureau chief for a group of Australian newspapers. A chance meeting landed me my favorite gig reading screenplays for an independent production company at Universal Studios. I loved it. I loved the studio, loved the work, I loved the people. I took the studio tour many times a week, a nod to the little boy in me who first took the tour aged 10, screaming at the special effects.
I still do.
I was laid off a year ago along with many others thanks to the WGA strike and again two months ago owing to the pending SAG strike. I didn’t take it too hard. I thought I’d get some freelance work and I have, but man, I miss that place. A few days ago my former boss called and said the studio needed some one to read a couple of projects and I dutifully drove over there the following evening.
I have not missed the car inspections, the scrutinizing of my driver’s license now I no longer have my own pass…but once I was on the lot, the joy came flooding back.
The Technicolor Building looked exactly the same and I love that building…I think because in Australia it took us so long to get color TV that I am obsessed with it today. I remember exactly where I was when I first saw a TV program in color. I was skiing with my family in Perisher Valley in Mount Kosiusko and the owner of our ski cabin turned on the TV when we came in and proudly showed us…the infamous “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” episode of The Brady Bunch…
But I digress. I forgot how much I missed this little city within a city. I’ve missed high-fiving the security guards who patrol the lot’s cross walks give you for making it across James Stewart Way safely. I took the path to the building I was meeting at…I had a few seconds…I ran around the corner and stopped in my tracks.
The building where we’d worked was gone…a monolith was being erected in its place. I couldn’t believe how far and fast this work had gone. I found out it’s the new Tonight Show building and will be ready for lift-off when Conan O’Brien takes over the reins.
I checked on my favorite places. The Psycho house is still there, Mama waiting in the window. The Bates Motel set just below it waits…the village square so famous for the Back to the Future movies is being restored in painstaking detail thanks to a fire last year. Most people don’t know this square has been used for countless productions, most recently the TV series The Ghost Whisperer.
The sets from The Princess Diaries are gone, replaced with lavish store fronts that could be Dubai…could be London.
I took an appreciative sniff of the balmy evening air. I if I could snag this freelance position, I would still belong to Hollywood…via email, which is largely how my work has been the last couple of years anyway. I prayed to my mother in heaven for a little good luck and ran to my meeting. I called my lit agent who made a joke when I said that the offices were all the same down to framed movie posters, shelves of screenplays and the odd touch of whimsy…this particular executive favors lunch boxes.
I have no idea why they are so popular but many creative types love them…anyway, I left fairly confident of getting some work and in the fading warmth of this heady California evening, I reminded myself I haven’t strayed far from my dreams. I remain entranced. And I am still here. And so is the Technicolor Building.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia,
A.J.