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Friday musings
Putting on my promo hat, I've ordered the custom M&M's for the new book, and hope to have some to hand out at Lunacon. Will also be ordering and designing post cards. Last time I bribed my friendly graphics designer with pizza--she's now living a pizza-free lifestyle so I'll have to come up with a new bribe. Will try to get the new book cover up here and on my website sometime this weekend.
In response to the Ask Me Anything meme, I've posted answers to the first batch of questions. Click on the questions below to read, or click on the link above to submit new questions.
How long have you been writing?
I've been writing since I could pick up a pencil. I starting writing novels in 1993.
How long did it take you to sell your first book?
Trick question. I didn't sell the first book I'd written, I sold the second, in 1996. About three and a half years from the time I seriously sat down to write till the first contract.
How do you pick your titles? Have you ever been asked to change a title for one of your books?
Two questions for the price of one. The only title that I've even been in love with was JANE AND THE BLACK SHEEP, the title of the first book I sold. I loved the inherent pun, since it referenced an actual sheep, not a dissolute nobleman. Sadly Zebra wanted the book, but not the title, so it was published as A LONDON SEASON. Since then I haven't been too terribly attached to any book title. Sometimes the title I pick stays with the book, sometimes they ask for changes and I wind up sending in a list of alternatives and letting my editor pick. FWIW, DEVLIN'S LUCK and THE FIRST BETRAYAL were both my original choices.
Windows. I use Windows at the day job, and find it easiest to be consistent by having a Windows PC at home. The last two novels have been written in Microsoft Word (ugh!) but prior to that I wrote everything in Lotus AmiPro or Wordpro, which I still prefer.
Do you have a critique partner/beta reader?
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jennifer_dunne has been critiquing my writing (and vice versa) since she convinced me to join the local writers' group in 1993. It helps that she works at the same company I do, so during crunch times I can drop off pages on her desk for her to critique at lunch :-)
My all-time favorite TV show is Farscape, hands down. As for what's on the air now, Showtime's Dexter was amazing last fall, and I'm looking forward to new episodes later this year. For genre TV Heroes is my only must-see. I also watch Criminal Minds, and CSI (Las Vegas and Miami). For some reason CSI New York never clicked for me, but I watch the other two shows, particularly the reruns that air at 7PM which is usually my time to decompress after the day job. Stargate Atlantis is also watchable, as is the new Dr. Who, and I'm hoping that Torchwood makes it across the Atlantic soon.
List some of your favorite beers.
What I'm drinking depends on what the local establishments have available. I tend to drink darker beers in the colder months--right now I'm partial to Ithaca Nut Brown Ale which is made up the road from me, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and Smuttynose Stout. In bottles it's Old Speckled Hen, and I recently tried Arrogant Bastard Ale on draft--will have to try it again to see if it holds up. For Saint Patrick's Day it will be Harp or Guinness, depending on where I wind up drinking--green beer is an abomination.
For wine, right now in the house I have a few bottles of Lindemans Cabernet Sauvignon, which is from South Africa. It's the first South African wine that I can recall drinking, and it's quite nice. And, of course, I'm still on the Pinot Evil kick. It's a decent wine, but the implied pun (complete with the three monkeys on the label) is what makes my day.
Added 3-3-07 What drew you away from romance to fantasy, and how would you compare writing in the two genres?
From the very beginning I always intended to write in more than one genre. I've always enjoyed reading different genres so it seemed absurd to think I would limit myself to writing in only one.
I started by writing Regency romances which were fun, but then the restrictions of the genre began to chafe. These romances had a strict word count, and, like all romances, a requirement to wrap everything up with a "happily forever after ending." I tried to push the envelope, to move to a longer format romance, but there was no support at my publisher.
I began writing epic fantasy because it allows me to tell bigger stories, and to tackle richer themes. Freed from the constraints to focus the main story on "one man, one woman" I can weave many different plot threads together.
It's not that writing one is easier than the other, but rather that I wanted to tell a different kind of story. There are many authors who write one wonderful romance after another, but that wasn't going to be me. And, by the way, epic fantasy isn't my last stop. There will be a space opera some day, and an urban fantasy is likely as well. And I have an idea for a detective story….
That's all!
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It's hardly microbrew, but do you like any Genesee beer products? I used to know a guy who'd go up to NY to buy cases of Genny, which I thought was a fine session beer, particularly in summer. I'm frankly a little puzzled as to why their cream ale is so widely available, and their other pretty tasty beers not at all.
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Genny is the beer to drink for people who grew up in this area--one of the guys I used to work with retired down south and when he came back to visit family he would load his car with cases of Genny Cream Ale to take home with him. It was so popular with other upstate New York transplants that he eventually convinced his local tavern to start carrying it.
I'll drink Genny (but not the cream ale) if someone has it at a party--it's popular for summer barbecues.
Marketing wise, I think Genesee missed out--Yuengling successfully positioned themselves as a local beer/microbrew and built from there, but Genesee really doesn't have the draw of a big national brand, nor is it perceived as a local brand in a way that would inspire upscale bars and restaurants to keep it on tap.
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Sweet. Why does that sound just like what I say. Only difference is you're published. And you have more discipline. And get more exercise. I need to buy that bike.
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You can learn to be disciplined or learn to fake discipline, which is how I write. Being published follows from having the discipline to actually finish stories, and to try to improve yourself each time.
As for that bike--if it wasn't for the annual bike trips I'd be a complete slug when it comes to exercise. I loathe going to the gym but have forced myself to do so by buying a full year membership. I'm now down to an average cost of $40 per workout, and it's dropping each time I show up :-)