Doubts and Desires

Posted on May 19, 2005 by Annie Rayburn/Carol Burnside

Lately, I’ve been reading Desires, hoping to re-immerse myself in the feel of the line.

I feel like a slug. Two days now without any pages added to my WIP, and I’ve committed myself to posting my weekly productivity report (wouldn’t ya know it?). I joined in on an eHarlequin Desire chat yesterday, hoping to learn something and was disappointed that they seemed more interested in just chatting than talking about their books and writing. Maybe it was I who missed the whole point?

I went back to reading. Three Desires later, I’d refreshed my memory of the tone I need to set. It’s all about what’s going on inside the characters, their feelings and emotional growth. Desire heroes and heroines have baggage to overcome, and secrets to reveal. They’re full of emotion and angst with heavy sensuality and sexual tension throughout. It’s not so much outside forces that are keeping them apart (although they use them as excuses at times) but more their own insecurities and emotional hangups.

I can do that. I can. I’ve written short, angsty and sensual. I can complete character arcs and find a HEA within 55,000 words.

Now if I can just keep the doubt demons at bay. I think my personal demon must be named Damian. He’s a scary bastard, and sometimes brings his friends along to play with my head.

If he isn’t careful, I’ll sic my new hero, Mason, on him. Think TDH–the Highlander type. Uh-huh. That’s right. Alpha-sexy. His love interest is Leilani, a half-Hawaiian/half-Mexican beauty with a mind and will of her own.

While Mason’s holding Damian at bay, I think I’ll go write.

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Waiting…

Posted on May 18, 2005 by Annie Rayburn/Carol Burnside

>Still waiting to hear if Kathryn received P&F. Maybe they don’t acknowledge receipt. Maybe she’s too busy taking over Jude’s duties while they’re trying to increase production. Maybe I just need to relax.

Then again, Insight is due to be released in, oh, 9 days. Yikes! I’ll probably be surprised at how anti-climactic it is, right? I mean they just transfer it from the Coming Soon page to the page where it can be purchased, and it could happen without my knowledge. People could be buying and reading my erotic story of love without my knowledge.

I’m feeling snarky tonight. I should just hush.

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Crazy Thinkin’

Posted on May 17, 2005 by Annie Rayburn/Carol Burnside

So here’s the thing. I want to enter something in the Maggie’s. Listen up, people. I’m talking (basically) two critiques from published authors for $25–even if I don’t final. Can’t beat that with a stick.

I have completed WIP’s I could submit. Trouble is I’ve already entered them in a couple contests each. I have the feedback, even have a Harlequin rejection on one. The other finaled, but the editors weren’t wowed.

So I’m sitting here waffling because I’d like to enter one of my new WIP’s to see if I can write Silhouette Desires better than Harlequin American Romance or Silhouette Special Edition. I’ve just started writing both and neither would be near finished–well, closer by the time the finalists are announced, I guess, but still. Entering means writing a Synopsis for a book I haven’t written and I don’t plot ahead. Scary!

I’ve already had the experience with FKoG where I thought I’d enter two contests for collective feedback and finaled in both, much to my shock. Oh, wait. That was a good thing, wasn’t it. Even if I did get a bit discouraged from the comments, I learned something. Hmmm. Okay, maybe I’ve figured out my own dilemma.

Enter… let whatever happens, happen. I still get the feedback–right?

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