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Category Archives: Writing

First readthrough (SP)

So, I did the first readthrough on my NaNoWriMo novel, The Spanish Patriot, this weekend. I hadn’t looked at it since Nov. 30 — actually, I never had looked at it, just kept typing typing typing. When I started reading it Saturday, it was as if I’d written it years ago–no emotional attachment. Waiting works! [...]

Posted 06 February 2012 † nickyp § Learning § Thinking ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Writing resolutions 2012

This year, I will: • write every day • spend 2 hours or more every week marketing my work • travel to Spain for research • finish another print-worthy novel • have something I wrote for sale (or bought) by November • volunteer to judge or coordinate 3 writing contests • continue to volunteer as [...]

Posted 02 January 2012 † nickyp § Books § Learning ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

Writing successes 2011

This past year, I: • spent more than 300 hours writing (not web-surfing or sitting, but writing) • spent more than 120 hours doing volunteer work • finished 1 print-worthy book (!) • submitted my work to agents and editors, and got good critiques and notes • wrote 1 good short story and started 2 [...]

Posted 01 January 2012 † nickyp § Books § Learning ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

Where do you get your ideas?

As part of my prep for National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo.org), which starts next week (eek!), I’m reading through issues of the London Times from 1808. My story this time will be that of a British journalist sent to Spain to cover the start of the campaign there against the French. Amongst the reports on [...]

Posted 25 October 2011 † nickyp § History ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , ,

Writers do New York

Romance Writers of America has taken over the Marriott Marquis in Times Square for its annual convention this year. This year’s theme is “Bright Lights, Big Stories,” and with more than 2,100 writers attending, there are a lot of great stories here. And books — I have three dozen already. Need another suitcase! Here’s the [...]

Posted 30 June 2011 † nickyp § ‡ Comments (0) °

Retreat = moving forward

So, the Washington Romance Writers annual retreat was this past weekend. This is my home chapter, and my favorite writer’s confab, mostly because it feels more intimate (and so, so supportive) than the bigger events. It feels so different I didn’t even tweet during the day and a half — a true retreat from the [...]

Posted 04 May 2011 † nickyp § Marketing § Thinking ‡ Comments (0) °

Everybody’s an editor

Cleo offers some guidance on my mind-map for the next story.

Posted 25 April 2011 † nickyp § Just fun § Thinking ‡ Comments (0) °

Paperback writer?

So, I’m working up a proposal for my next historical, after rough-drafting a contemporary in February and March. A bunch of the same issues keep cropping up, or is it the tree pollen distorting my field of view? Story-wise, I seem to be building another set-of-three structure, with three pairs of protagonists-antagonists and interlocking stories. [...]

Posted 21 April 2011 † nickyp § Marketing § Thinking ‡ Comments (0) °

Conventioneering

This week, I’m headed to Los Angeles for the RT Booklovers convention. It’s put on by RT Book Reviews magazine, formerly Romantic Times magazine but it’s branched out to cover most genre fiction (mystery, fantasy, horror, etc.). I’ve not been before, but I hear it has fun parties and good workshops. Unlike the other writing [...]

Posted 04 April 2011 † nickyp § Books § Marketing ‡ Comments (0) °

Release the queries!

So, I’ve started shopping my latest story. Here is the work-in-progress description. Next week, I’m thinking of adding another excerpt on the blog from later in story. Like the news lately, it’s about unarmed people gathering together and facing threat from armed forces. [UPDATE: Uh-oh, the scene also has a couple spoilers in it, so [...]

Posted 21 March 2011 † nickyp § Books § Marketing ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , ,