Applauding Writers!

I won! Okay, now I need to back that statement up. My debut erotica novella, Love Me Wild won the 2007 Night Owl Romance Award for Best Shapeshifter story (http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/NORAwards.asp)

Now this might not seem like a lot upon first glance but second place went to one of my favorite authors, Christine Feehan, so I’m taking this award and running with it. After all if I can’t applaud myself who will. And that’s the state of being a writer.

We often write in our own fantasy world, head down to shield out the rest of the universe, or we’re pounding away on our laptops huddled away in a corner at a café. Or we’re still wearing our pj’s determined to make our deadline as we type away at home, while ignoring the phone, the delivery person and the mess of our house.

If someone told me when I was going to undertake this career that the only person to congratulate me would be myself, I probably would have laughed at them. But it’s true. So true that after one year of writing, with only one good writing friend (and Karen Bagnell you know that’s you girl!) I decided I had to join a writer’s group or I’d go crazy. I joined not so much to gain recognition but to be with like-minded people who understood what I meant when I said, “I was a writer”.

What I discovered was my own local RWA chapter—the only one in Atlantic Canada. It’s a diverse group of people and the really weird thing is from day one I felt welcomed. I’m also now really proud of all of them. I never feel like I can’t tell someone in the group what I’m working on for fear they “might steal my idea,” because I’ve learned there are enough ideas out there for everyone. The talent in this group blows my mind. Recently the president in our group, Kelly Boyce, emailed everyone on the loop informing them her book, Desire and Brimstone won in the Windy City’s RWA contest for best historical and the double whammy was that her hero, Devlin made the cut for a new category “Hero-guaranteed to Blow You Away!” I wanted to take her out and celebrate with her. I just know this time next year she’ll be doing another happy dance to celebrate either the release of her book or a major publishing contract. Way to go, Kelly! Then there’s Judith who just signed on with Medallion Press for her book which I can’t wait to buy and I could go on about the others but I will save them each for a special occasion. But you get my meaning. They are all talented.

So back to my win! I won! I won! I won! I’m holding on to that for as long as my bubble allows and when it starts to deflate I’m going to write some more and then pat myself on the back.

Sunshine Through the Rain

Yesterday it poured buckets of rain and I felt like it was tears falling from heaven. I tried not to watch the TV but at times was glued to every sound bite and picture that showed what had happened at Virginia Tech, over and over again. For me, it brought memories of Ecole Polytechnic in Montreal, where all day I tried desperately to reach a close friend only to finally get a hold of her the next day, with that feeling of relief pouring into me. Thousands of questions, none with answers streamed through my consciousness. Why? Why? Why? And will it ever end?

So, what did I do? I went to Starbucks in the morning for the normality of it and poured myself into my edits. Last week I did my happy dance. I finished my new dark paranormal romance and I’m now working on a first thorough read-through. Then I will print it off, place it aside for a good two weeks, which will give me time to work on my third erotic novella (can’t wait to do that) and then get out my red pen and do first edits – something I’m not looking forward to at all. My goal, to have ready for a publisher by May…any publisher out there wanting a sneak peek, drop me an email at renee@reneefield.com

Late in the afternoon I got an email from Night Owl Romance informing me that my first erotic novella, Love Me Wild, was nominated for their new Night Owl Romance Award (me shouting with glee and joy). After I checked out the site and of course emailed as many people as I could, I settled down to absorb this tidbit. The breath quite literally left my lungs. My work in the category for best shape shifter was listed with amazing romance authors leaving me with that shaky feeling for the rest of the day. So, here is a blatant plug – check this site out and cast a vote my way - http://pub48.bravenet.com/vote/vote.php?usernum=4115228275

I can’t tell you how much fun I had writing my first erotic novella, which really enabled me to push the boundaries. Ellora’s Cave also signed on for the second novella, Love Me Tender, and yes, I had lots of fun with building my sexy fantasy world and hunk of a man, with that extra special ability (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). I’m working on the third and final in the series, in between my two-week break from my main work this year. And then I plan to finish my second Titan book in the series, which has an Alpha male, a sea dragon, a feisty female librarian who is not one bit bookish, a deadly undersea plague and much more.

So, even with the pouring rain that quite literally had my hair frizzy like you wouldn’t believe I grabbed onto that slice of sunshine Night Owl Romance sent my way and smiled, smiled and smiled some more. The TV channel has been switched to the entertainment shows because I’m going to hold onto my fantasy for as long as I can for the rest of the day.

Drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you. Tell me what boundaries you’ve pushed in your writing career (I promise, I can keep a secret). Email me at renee@reneefield.com or check out my website at www.reneefield.com

Everything You Write Matters!

I write every day. And it’s hard. It’s hard to make time to write or write to the timeframe you’re given. No matter, they are one and the same. And sometimes what I write can be prolific, inspiring, emotional, or a simple grocery list. Yes, you read that last line and I know you just thought, schmuck, that’s not writing. But, you’re wrong, and I’d bet you’ve never seen my grocery lists.

Sometimes next to that list of eggs, milk and bread flows a thought-provoking poem, or a rant that has to do with shopping, commercialism, material objects – ah, well, you get the picture. Some of those lists I’ve kept—tucked them neatly into my poetry journal to be re-read at another poignant juncture in my life.

Why do I write every day? Well, if I don’t I get cranky. I have many muses rambling around in my head and there are times I honestly feel if I don’t let those voices out, I will go crazy.
I also write every day because when I was in university studying my first literally passion, poetry, a dear professor called Irving Layton gave me permission to do just that. And while I have many delightful stories I could tell about the joys and angst of having every word you write examined by one of Canada’s top-notch poets, those I will share for another time. However, Layton was the first adult in my life who really encouraged me to let those muses free and I’m not sure I’d be the same/sane person I am today without his blessing.

So, I do write every day. I travel with a bulky black purse another writer friend gave me who knew I needed a bag large enough for all my favorite pens (yes I do confess to having a bit of a fetish where pens are concerned) and at least one notebook or journal. I view life as opportunities and lo and behold I should miss any simply because I didn’t have paper or pen at my disposal.

Some of my best poems, short stories and even my latest dark paranormal I am working on began as scribbled notes or outlines either at Starbucks or waiting in the van for the light to turn green.

I also thoroughly enjoy writing rants. Those I tend to write so fast I am quite certain no one could decipher my unique shorthand codes and scribblings. You’re probably asking yourself how is that productive? Well, let me tell you, writing rants has to be the best thing I have discovered in the last five years. Productive? One hundred per cent. First off, no one is judging me but myself and I long ago learned to listen to my inner-ear, smile and tune out the rest. No one is reading my rant and checking all my grammatical mistakes or reading it for content to see if it does make sense. Probably not! But ranting gets all that emotional junk out of the way so that I can really write. Ranting lets me vent my frustration, and then crumple it up and throw it away. I’ve discovered it’s the throwing away part that is key to this liberation. If I kept that rant, I know I’d take it out and try to make sense of it, but that would defeat the purpose. Ranting for me is telling a best friend all your dirty little secrets knowing that person would never betray you.

My best friend is a blank piece of paper. To me there is almost nothing as sacred as the crisp clean feel of a blank page or opening that first page to a new journal. So I write every day. Be it small, medium or large, I write simply because I’ve given myself permission to do so.

Write & Rant away! let me know what you thought of my blog. Check out my website at www.reneefield.com.