Affected by Books?

It's no secret that I'm a complete Twihard. Hey, there's no shame in admitting it (unless you ask my husband) From the moment I first read Twilight I was hooked. Every time I would close the book I had to get another immediately. (Luckily for me, I started late and didn't have to wait for each book to be published) When I wasn't reading the books I was thinking about the characters, dreaming about the characters.

 

I was so infatuated with Edward, mesmerized by Jacob, and highly respected Charlie. These characters were real to me.

 

This kind of fictional reality doesn't happen often for me. There are only two other authors who have roped me in so intensely that I had remind myself the books weren't autobiographies, and the characters were never going to cross my path.

 

Rachel Vincent was one such author who sucked me in so much I had to take a couple days away from the books or I would have been committed into a nut house (joking, of course). If you haven't yet, definitely check out her Shifters series.

 

 

The world of Faythe, Marc, and Jace was addictive, sexy, dangerous, and did I say addictive? Yeah, I did but seriously worth repeating!

 

The third author to suck me into their fictional world is Stephanie Rowe. Holy cow! Her Calydons are beyond hot in the Order of the Blade books! She's what is referred to as a hybrid author as she is both Indie and traditionally published. I'll admit I have a major crush on Calydon Gideon!!!!

 

 

I can't be the only reader who gets so engrossed in a book they forget about reality for a time. Who is the author who changed the way you read? What book have you been obsessed over? I can tell you when I hear certain songs, specifically songs from the Twilight soundtracks, I feel the same way I did while reading the books. That is a fabulous feeling if you ask me. So tell me, I want to hear your naughty little confession!

 



Where do the readers hang out?

Oh, this poor neglected blog. I always have the best of intentions to write at least three times a week. Instead, I'm working on once a month. *sigh* Well, I'm here today. And boy, oh boy, do I have something to talk about.

I read a blog post today about writers and readers. The point was made that the writing industry isolates the readers. It got me thinking about all of my favorite blog stops and websites. The blog in question posted a quote from JA Konrath:

"Here’s the deal: Readers are my customers, not writers. Readers don’t even know who the Big 6 are. They don’t care.

I’m mentioned a lot in the publishing community, which is small, closed, and uninteresting to anyone who isn’t in it. But because we’re in it, and we care about it, we incorrectly assume that because writers know who I am, readers must as well." (Emphasis by the original blogger. Read the full article here.)  

Now, it's only 7:33am, and I've only had one and  a half cups of coffee so bear with me this morning. I'm sure this entire post will be riddled with mistakes and I may rattle on. If we're insulating our readers, how the hell does a newbie like myself reach these lovely people?   We're told, as writers, to have accounts on any and every site out there: Facebook, Myspace, LinkdIn, Goodreads, Google+, Wattpad...the list goes on and on. I've forgotten half of my passwords for these accounts. But are the readers on these sites, or are they only good for networking. Of course, most writers are readers, but a majority of readers aren't writers.

A voracious reader would have no reason to check out my LinkdIn profile. Why would they? Nor would they head over to She Writes to see what I'm up to. Notice I'm not linking these pages to my personal profile. I guess it would be smart to, but other than fellow writers, no one cares.   I have enjoyed getting to know so many people on Facebook, and get the opportunity to chat with authors whom I greatly respect. But, other than hardcore fans, readers aren't going to scour the social network for a new book. They're going to ask their friends for suggestions. They'll go to Amazon and scroll through the first few pages for a good read.   There is so much on the Internet about how to find readers, how to find your particular market. But these sites are almost always geared toward the writers, not the actual readers. Where are these people? Where are they hanging out? And, if you're not Stephen King, or JR Ward, how do the lowly newcomers get the people to come. If you write it, they will come? Nope. Doesn't work that way.    

                                                      If you build it, they will come.

  We spend countless hours researching, traveling to conferences, attending online classes, improving our craft, reading EVERY SINGLE BOOK out there about writing and marketing....they don't help. Okay, they help with our writing, but they don't help us find the people whom would buy our books.   Does anyone know the answer to these questions? Have you found the secret room where the urban fantasy fans, or the paranormal lovers are hanging out? Are they peeking through the windows laughing at us? And, do they care if we're on the radio, or are interviewed on the morning news? Could they care less if we're highlighted on someone's blog? Sure, review blogs are helpful, but how many readers go to them? Are they, too, geared toward the writing world?   Please, if you have an answer to any of these questions, feel free to point the rest of us in the right direction.

Show Vs Tell - The neverending discussion

Anyone who has ever written a book and had it reviewed by someone other than their dog has been told at one point or the other to show, not tell. For the last few days I was reading a book in the paranormal romance genre. Now, it usually only takes me a day or two to read a novel (depending on what is going on at night, as that's the only time I have to read), but I was constantly pulled from the story. Why? Because instead of showing me what was going on, the author constantly told me.

Ex. "I felt the grass beneath me."
     "I saw him do x, y, z."
     "I heard x, y, z."

How does one show instead of tell?

Let's take the first example above.

"I felt the grass beneath me."

The author has told us what the character felt. But, if the character were allowed to show us what she was feeling, it may look a little like this:

"As I woke, something tickled against my bare skin, the ground was soft beneath me. I opened my eyes to see the stars bright above me."

Sure, that last sentence used a lot more words, and may not have been the best example, but you get the point, right? Let's try another one.

"Tenna was angry." (For those of you who have read She Who Hunts know Tenna can get pissy sometimes)

How does this look?

"Tenna jumped to her feet, stomped across the room, and slammed the door shut behind Jason."

Does the latter say the same as the former? Is it more interesting?

One of my problems with the show/tell thing is when an author "tells" me how a character feels, or sees, or whatever they don't trust me enough to come to the correct conclusion by what is going on in the story. If you tell me a character swipes their hands down their jeans before turning a doorknob, I will conclude that her nerves have caused her hands to sweat. You don't need to tell me "Jane was nervous. Her hands were sweating."

Here are five techniques you can use to avoid telling a reader:

1. Write from POV (point of view)
2. Dialogue is a fabulous way to show me what is going on
3. Use action verbs and picture nouns
4. Be sure to use all your senses. You know, smell, sight, sound, touch, taste (yes, even taste)
5. Write in scenes

Marta V Snyder has a great blog post going further into the five techniques. If you want to read further, feel free to head over and check her post out.

Do you have problems with telling instead of showing? Have you been drug out of a story because the author had a problem telling you everything?

Have I Invited A Demon Into My House?

While writing She Who Hunts I had an idea in my head, one of those 'what if' moments. I remember watching the news and after a murder had happened the news anchor interviewed a neighbor of the suspect. "He was such a nice guy," the neighbor said. It always seems that after someone commits some heinous crime there is someone in their lives who declare this person was such a wonderful person, the kind of person who would do anything for anyone. But, how the hell did the person just snap and become a serial killer? My first thought-maybe they became possessed.

Now, as I'm working on the second book, I've become almost obsessed with the idea of demon possessions, and evil walking among us. I have to admit there are times when it feels like someone is in the room with me, and not just the characters who are busily chatting it up in my head. Sometimes, when the house is really quiet, and I'm really into a scene, it seriously feels like there's someone standing behind me. I whip around, ready to yell at whatever kid snuck in and was now reading over my shoulder to find an empty room.

Have I possibly brought the demons from She Who Hunts into my own life? Or has the story just become so alive to me that I keep waiting for those things which go bump in the night to tap me on the shoulder? How about you? Ever get so creeped out by something you wrote or read that you checked under your bed before climbing in?

Too Much Sex?

I have a confession to make - I love to read bad reviews on bestselling authors. Yep. Even those of my favorites, it brings me a little sense of joy to see one and two star reviews. Maybe it just makes me feel better that I don't have all five star reviews. Or maybe, I feel like even those who are in the top of the game have those who dislike their work.

While going through an author's reviews, an author whom I used to love her work, I noticed a trend in the reviews - too much sex. I won't name the author, as I'm not into giving bad reviews (or at least giving out the names), but I will tell you this is a bestselling author who happened to have a great series...until about halfway through the series. It then turned into bestiality fetish erotica. The storyline just disappeared.

Now, obviously, I have nothing against erotica, or really great sex scenes, but this author seemed to have decided as long as someone was having sex she no longer needed a plot for the books. Many of her previous fans have dropped both series and opted to find other new authors.

This whole thing got me thinking; what would it take for your most hardcore fan to turn their back on you?

When we pick up a book, whether this is a new-to-us author or someone we've been reading for years we expect a certain kind of writing. With the author I spoke of above, we expect the character to be stubborn, and almost paranoid that every male is a chauvinist. We also expect gory murder scenes, great plots, a little suspense, and a great crime solving ending. However, in the last half of both series, it seems the author got either bored, or was being pushed too hard to complete too many books in such a small amount of time. I don't know which, and probably will never know.

In a way, it's kind of like certain genres of books or movies; in romances, we expect a happily-ever-after. In suspense, we expect a great who-done-it. In horror, we expect to feel like we should be reading/watching through our fingers. What we don't want is a romantic hero who decides at the very end he doesn't really love the heroine, and wants to now become a celibate monk. We don't want to watch a suspense where you can guess who did it in the first five minutes. And we really don't want characters who had certain opinions about sex and monogamy to suddenly become oversexed sluts with a tendency to screw animals.

I'm sure some of you know which author I've been talking about, but we'll let the name stay anonymous. In the meantime, have you ever stopped reading your favorite author because they suddenly stopped playing by the rules they created? What really turns you off about a book?

Why is it your favorite genre?

I write urban fantasy, and have dabbled in paranormal romance. I've also tried my hand with a little erotica. Obviously, these are my favorite genres to read. But, as I lay in bed thinking about a book I'm reading, I got thinking...why? What brought me to these genres? Why not regency romance, or maybe literary fiction? Or maybe even nonfiction books?

The first book I can remember falling in love with (and only wanting to rewrite the ending instead of the whole book) was Charlotte's Web. But, CL, that's not supernatural, or paranormal. Oh, you think it's not? Hellooooo, a talking pig and a writing spider. Have you ever seen that in real life? I know I haven't. (If I had, I may not be so freaking arachnophobic!) The only part of Charlotte's Web I rewrote in my head was the ending; I didn't want Charlotte to die.

As I search my memory of books that stand out in my head, I always go back to Stephen King. I first discovered the master of horror in fifth grade. Yes, you read that right; I read Stephen King in fifth grade. Did it scare me? Yep. Did I love it? Yep. Something clicked inside my head when I read Pet Semetary (I always tried to read books before I saw the movies); I needed more monsters, more horror, more action. Give me a horror flick or action movie over a chick flick any day!

But again, I ask why? Why is it I find things that don't exist (or do they?) to be so intriguing. I think I've come up with the answer - because the rules don't apply! In supernatural, paranormal, horror, etc, the characters don't have to play by the same rules as the rest of us. They can fly, read people's minds, kill the bad guys, rematerialize anywhere they please, and some live forever. Who wouldn't want to lose themselves in that kind of universe, if only for an hour at a time?!

But here's another thought; I don't read Science Fiction. Of course, there are rules in these books which don't apply to the rest of us, yet I find it distracting to try to imagine these technological worlds on top of trying to follow the storyline. I'm sure some SciFi fans feel the same way about the paranormal worlds, so maybe I'm not too weird.

Now it's your turn - Why do you read your favorite genre? Why do you write the genre you do? Was there some major turn of life which brought you over to the "dark" side, or have you always been fascinated with make-believe?

I don't belong to your Clique!!!!

This weekend I went out to dinner with a close friend, then went to watch my husband's band. If you saw the two of us together you'd end up scratching your head. My friend is very put together, wears beautiful clothes, her hair is always impeccable, and her makeup is always perfect. She reapplies her lipstick several times a day and checks her powder to make sure her skin is flawless. Me? Yeah, I was wearing a black skirt, t-shirt, two-tone fishnet tights, black sparkly Converse shoes, cat eyes and red lipstick. But we have so much in common and have a blast together (even if we do get looks when we go out).

In high school I had my group of friends I hung out with after school, but was friends with everyone. I didn't restrict myself to one clique. I had friends on the cheerleading team, football and baseball teams, nerds, freaks, etc. I never discriminated.

What's my point, you ask?

Cliques!

I've noticed that with every form of art there is a clique that follows. My youngest sister is a painter and deals with it in school. My husband is a musician (and artist) and he sees it, even among adults. And I'm a writer....Yep, I see it everyday.

On Facebook I have over 1200 friends. Now, I don't "know" all of these people, but interact with 95% of them on a weekly, and sometimes daily, basis. With the exception of family and friends, these are people in the industry - other authors, editors, agents, publishers, illustrators, book cover artists, etc. When I see a fellow author get a great deal, or even a movie author I'm ecstatic. Why wouldn't I be? I know firsthand how much time it takes to complete a novel, perfect it, find an agent, etc. I know the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into every chapter of your baby. But, I've noticed not everyone is like that.

Sometimes, just like in high school, you come across a person, or group of people, whose jealousy (or maybe just lack of personal life) forces them to bash anyone who may have success. They stalk blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and make snarky comments to anyone who will listen.

I'll be the first to admit I don't comment on people's blogs enough. The truth is, I don't know how to find out these people have a new blog post unless they share it on one of the social sites. I'm not a very tech savvy person. Also, if someone has said what I was thinking, what's the point of going "yeah, what he said." I know every time there's a comment on a blog an alert goes to their email, so I'm sure they don't appreciate the equivalent of a texted "k", or "lol".

I no longer belong to a writer's group, my critique partners are online, people I've me through social networks. I no longer reveal personal information to anyone I don't know on an extremely personal level, and I don't get involved in the bickering on boards. I don't have the time. Between writing, researching, editing, housework, raising three kids, two dogs, chickens, lizards, and cats...oh, and a wonderful husband, I just don't have the time for any added drama. Save the drama for your mama.

How about you? Have you experienced any cliques, or backstabbing in the creative world?

Can Giving A Bad Review Kill Your Writing Career?

I finished a book last night that started out so strong, yet left me...well, wanting. There were a lot of errors - their instead of there, your instead of you're. But, I can always overlook that when the story is strong enough.

Now, I have no intention of naming the book (which I'll explain why later), but the whole thing got me thinking about several issues with writing and publishing.

First of all, what's with the convenient endings? I've read sooooo many books that just...end. What?! Where's the huge climax, the fireworks, the big bang? This particular book started out with so much violence and action I couldn't wait to read the rest. Then, about halfway through, it just slowed down and never picked back up. I was so disappointed by the the last page I could've screamed!

I've been told before that at times my story slows down. Honestly, I do that intentionally to give the reader a breather. But, sometimes I fear I've slowed it down too much. As long as I don't have one of those silly convenient endings I'm satisfied.

Now, on to why I won't name the book...because I have my own books out there. Yep, I've heard horror stories of disgruntled writers giving their reviewer's books bad reviews as revenge. I'd prefer to get a bad review in earnest, not as payback.

I will soon be reading and reviewing books, yet they will not be under my own name. And, no, I will not review your book if you approach me through this site. Okay, maybe I will for some of my beloved followers, but please don't send others here. However, if you want a book review, feel free to head over to All Things Books.

How do you feel about convenient endings? And more importantly, would you leave your name on a review?

Guest Blog: Stacy-Deanne - pubished author

Continuing with the writing by and for writers series, I have Stacy-Deanne with us today. I have long been a fan of Stacy-Deann and feel honored to call her a friend.

I had the privilege of interviewing the unbelievable talented and beautiful Stacy-Deanne:

Thank you for joining us! Can you tell us what kind of novels you write?

My primary genres are crime fiction, mystery and suspense.

When did you know you wanted to write? And how did you decide to write what you do?

I began writing at 19 when I got my first computer. I've always been a mystery and suspense buff so those are the type of stories I have the most interest in. I am a huge Alfred Hitchcock fan and seeing how he is my idol I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

When did you get your first contract for publication?

The end of 2003

Can you tell us, as best you can, how long it took from the time you sent your first query until your first book appeared on shelves? Feel free to go into detail as much as you’d like…

Wow, let me see if I can remember. My first book was published in 2005 but it wasn't the first book I went on submission with. I'd written about eleven books before then and had subbed about half of them. My debut book wasn't even fiction but a compilation biography centering on female musicians. The very first query I ever sent was probably back in 1997 or 1998. I subbed several different novels for years and out of all those earlier novels I've written, only one of those have been published. So as you can see the first book you sub most likely is not the first book that will be published and most times your first book isn't ever published. Since 2005 I've released three more books with my next fifth on the way. I consider all those earlier novels I wrote as practice so I am not sure if I would ever go back to subbing them one day or not.

When you’re not writing, what books do you enjoy reading?


I love to read the same types of books I write. I love mysteries, thrillers, detective stories as well as historical romance.

Do you have a favorite author?

I love mostly the classic authors but two of my favorites are Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe.

In your opinion, what is one of the biggest mistakes new authors make? And how do you feel about the new craze of self-publishing?

A lot of new writers are too impatient. They don't wanna put in the time and effort it takes to sell a novel. It's true that every road doesn't fit every writer but I feel like too many newbies expect it to be easy these days. I am seeing less and less of people who take time to fix up their craft and work on their writing and more of the people who want instant gratification or who think that all you have to do is write a book, throw it out there and people will buy it. That's an insult to writers who take their craft seriously and the truth is every book isn't worthy of publication. But if you want the rewards you gotta work hard for them. There's no shortcut. As for self-publishing the craze isn't at all new. Self-publishing has been around for generations, except now people are self-publishing ebooks. I have mixed feelings about it. I think it's good for some writers and damaging to those who don't know enough about the business and who expect it to be a quick and easy recipe for success.

Do you have any advice for those of us still trying to break into the publishing industry?

One of the most important things is to learn the business and how publishing works. Also work hard on your craft. Be patient and don't worry about time. If you love writing and are doing it for you then there is no need to rush. You don't wanna regret a decision you rushed into later. Make sure your book is the best it can be. Anyone can write a book but not everyone can write a book that deserves to be published and that people will wanna read. Also welcome positive criticism because it only makes you a better writer. Too many new writers think that their work is perfect and that they don't need any input but that's not realistic.

Again, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to answer these questions.

Thank you for having me!


Where can we find your books and keep up with your news?

My books are available wherever books are sold. Keep up with me by visiting the sites below. My upcoming release, "The Season of Sin" will be released February 2012 (Peace in the Storm Publishing).

http://www.stacy-deanne.net
Facebook
Twitter

You asked, I answered. This is how I write...

Dozens of people have asked me over the past year how to write a book. Normally, I say...just write. That doesn't always go over well, but I don't always know how to tell someone who's never written a short story how to write a novel. While trying to go to sleep last night, an analogy I heard once on one of the writing boards I stalk started playing through my head. I just added a little to it....

When starting a book, you have to think of Adam and Eve.

Want a bite?

 Yep, that's what I said-Adam and Eve. Everything has to start with the bones. Not everyone does this part the same, but all stories end up the same way - the skeletal form of a novel. Some choose to outline. Some choose to wing it. I'm a little of both. Sometimes I have a fabulous idea, but have to sit down and type out a few things to see if I can make it work. Other times, I outline nothing more than the character or world building. When I write a story I want to know where the characters went to school, their favorite colors, their fave food and drink, why they act the way they do, even if they've ever had an ingrown toe nail. Now, of course a majority of this never makes it into the book, but it helps me get to know the characters better.

Other times, I know what I want to happen, but I'm not sure which order, so I outline the approximate events. A lot of times this will tell me if I even want to include certain events, or eliminate them completely.

The next part is adding the meat. Obviously, we can't walk around as nothing but skeletons. It would cause mass panic, and people would try to hunt us thinking we were zombies.

Gr. I'm a zombie..

This is where after planning what I want to happen, or maybe even after doing the mad dash to get the story out of my head, I'll go back and add details. Maybe I need to add more description of the room which will play a huge part in a scene. Maybe I need to add more description to a fight scene to make it more intense. Or maybe I need to do a little more research about a certain species of creature, or illness someone is inflicted with. The story is now resembling a real novel.

Now, at times, we women (and some men) want perfection. Therefore, we have to go through the book and remove the moles, warts, blemishes, and all imperfections. Beauty marks may look good on a woman, but they don't in a novel. Well, at least not a lot of beauty marks. You don't want to send a novel into the universe covered in zits!

I'm sexy and I know it...

What I mean by imperfections is all those repeat words, the excessive 'that's, and all of those annoying adverbs! Kill them! Kill them all!!!! Okay, not all. But adverbs should be like any seasoning...used in moderation.

There. Hopefully this short description helped someone. How do you write? Do you have some advice for those who are finally sitting down to write the book they've always dreamed of?

Self-Publishing Vs Traditional Publishing (Take Two)

As an author, the biggest dream we have is to have our work in the hands of the masses. We want others to not only read our work, but be inspired, their lives changed, their hearts warmed. Actually, for myself, I just want to know someone, anyone has read my book and enjoyed it. One of the greatest joys for my writing career thus far was finding out I had sold copies of my paranormal romance, A Repeating Life, in the UK.

So, which revenue is best for an aspiring author: traditionally using a literary agent, or self-publishing through the many resources available? There is absolutely no way for me to include all the information I found on the web in one blog...at least not without making it ten pages long. Therefore, this subject will be broken down into a few Mondays.

To start, let's look at some of the success stories. The first one who pops in my head is the infamous Joe Konrath. Mr. Konrath was traditionally published for many years before opting for self-publishing. He has been known to sell 18,000 books in one month. He broke the chains from his publisher and went off on his own. Obviously, this is an exception, not the norm, but can you imagine selling this many copies of your work without having to share your income with several others?

Another seriously noted author is Amanda Hocking. In her early twenties, she wrote a couple of books, self-published them, and - voila - she's rich and successful. Okay, that's not quite how it happened. In Ms. Hocking's situation, she continuously worked on new books, reached out for review, and constantly put out new books. Eventually, all of her hard work paid off. But, as she says here, it a whole lot of work. Of course, with a traditional publishing house you'll still be doing a lot of marketing for yourself, but not nearly as much as when you self-publishing. You do all of your own marketing, your edit all of your own work or pay someone to do it for you (way smarter than relying on your own eyes), you make your own cover art (again, pay someone else to do it unless you're a graphic art graduate), format your book for both e-book and paperback, etc, etc, etc. I think I personally spend more time on everything but writing most days.

It needs to be said that Amanda Hocking recently signed a four book deal with St. Martins recently. You can read about it here.

There are many other success stories through self-publishing, but obviously way more through traditional publishing. I am in no way pushing for one more than the other. You need to find what works best for you. Would I go traditional if I was offered a decent contract through one of the big houses? Hell yeah! But I refuse to sit around and wait for fate to come to me...I'm beating on her door demanding some attention!!!!

Romance on my mind...

I'm sitting up at 12:45am, listening to the Eclipse soundtrack. It happens to be the song played in the background when Bella and Edward come close to making love. It's got me thinking heavily about romance tonight.

What is romance? I watch movies and sigh in want. You know, the scene on The Notebook where they lay in bed as an elderly couple and drift off to Heaven together. Or, movies like the Twilight saga where the two people are so madly in love they'd rather give up their own lives to save the other. But is this what we want in real life?

When Billybob Thorton and Angelina Jolie were married they each wore a vial of each other's blood around their necks. While others found this morbid and disgusting, I found it incredibly romantic. I had even planned on giving my husband a similar gift, until I found out he felt like the rest of America...EEK!

Now, I write romance...I breathe it, read it, write it, dream about it. But, each time I sit down to write, read, etc my image of romance is different. Is it what we dont' have? Is it what society tells us is romantic? Should I base all my stories on the same concepts as every other romance writer? Hell no, that would be boring.

But, if I write 'romance', and what I find to be the most romantic gesture (like when my husband told me to go ahead and spend the extra money to buy myself both a laptop AND a Dyson vacuum) isn't viewed as others as romantic, then what the hell am I writing?

My good friend, Norma Beishir, recently wrote a blog on our dream man. What is that? What is the true dream man? Sounds strange, but I found mine; he works overtime so I can focus on writing, he loves my kids as much as I do, and he tolerates my obsession with reptiles. Oh, did I mention he got me a cat for my birthday a few years back, even though he's allergic to cats? 

Sorry, I digress. Is our dream man flawed? Does he have the perfect body? Does he have...bodily functions of which we won't discuss? Or is he real? My ideal man doesn't have a hard body. Oh, don't get me wrong, I like a nice physique, but those 'perfect bodies' you see in ads spend entirely too much time in the gym, and don't allow themselves the yummy foods I love to cook. I want a man with a little extra meat on him. I want him to have a scar. I want him to cry when his heart breaks; but not cry because he stubbed his toe.

In my books, I always try to make both my lead characters flawed...but is that considered romantic? Should my heroine be perfect, without a hair out of place, no discerning characteristics, just your atypical heart shaped, pouty lips, full breasts, and an hour glass figure?

I'd love to know...what is your idea of romance?

Oh what shall I write about today?

While I never have a shortage of thoughts, I always have a shortage of fingers with which to type. My husband and I were watching television the other day, and after seeing a commercial, I had a fantastic idea for another book. Is this odd? Nope.

As writers, or artists, we are constantly bombarded with inspiration, ideas, and character makeups. At any given point in time you could pick up a manuscript from a writer you're friends with and see some of yourself in there. Everywhere I go I see something, hear something, smell something that begs to be written about. So what to do with all these thoughts? Where to put all of these ideas?

No, seriously, I'm asking you. Where do I put all of them?

I carry a memo pad in my back pocket day in and day out, but that doesn't seem to help organize all my thoughts. I bought a voice recorder, but I used it until it gave up. So, where to put all these thoughts?!

Every book you've read came from an idea that popped in author's head while they were driving/working/napping/showering, etc. These ideas usually come in the form of a "what if". What if there was no such thing as trash pickup? What if a elementary school prodigy created time travel? What if a sheltered teen had telekinetic powers and set the prom on fire? Okay, that last one was from Carrie, but you get the idea.
The next step is fun; we get to daydream and call it a job. I'll sit there and dwell on that idea, embellishing it, putting characters into the scenes, building more of the world. How many times has something happened and your mind ran with it? That's what it's like for writers on a daily basis. Our minds won't let us just see something for what it is. Rather, we see things for what they could be...you know, add in a few vampires, or nymphomaniacs, or whatever. We get to create the world in any way we want.

But there's still that nagging problem...what to do with all the ideas while we're busy working on that one, or in most author's cases, those four stories?!