Maven Darcy's At It Again

I just finished Maven Darcy's Her Wicked Ways and let me tell you, wow. You are all in for a treat! The bitchly heroine is utterly lovable, the secret identity hero makes me want to tear into his mask and the in laws will keep you laughing until you hit The End. Fabulousness.

All this fabulousness makes me sit back and try to evaluate how she did it. As with any really good book, I tried not to pay attention to the craft while reading it. Given I was in on the planning for the novel, this is a difficult task, but there was enough time between our cping and reading the finished full that I found it pretty easy to glide through without too much heavy thought. What I did decide was that Maven Darcy is really good at two things (among others, naturally): a) Her use of deep POV draws you into the story without being intrusive and without depriving you of sensory details and b) she managed to contain the story within a handful of characters and subcharacters so that it really feels like every line in the book ties up to a purpose.

I envy both of those successes. I envy her book! Great job, Darc. Now to read Maven Jackie's latest...

YOUR TURN: What's your craft tip of the week?

PS Our friends at the Romance Vagabonds nominated the Mavens last week for an Excellence in Blogging award, which we thought was pretty darned cool (not to mention flattering). The "rules" for this award are that the recipient, in accepting said honor, shall nominate ten other blogs for the same award. Since there are five of us, however, we thought we'd split up the task amongst ourselves, and each of us award to two blogs we particularly enjoy.

My two nominations go to:

Tessa Dare (who never fails to amuse -- where DOES she come up with her blog topics?)
inkygirl.com (I set a new background image at work at least once a month. Keeps my peers amused to glance into the quirks of a writer's mind.)

When to Listen...

There are at least three types of critiques in this world. There's the one that you shrug off: a typo or something completely off-the-wall. There's the one that makes you want to scream and beat the other person over the head with your point. And then there's the one that twists your stomach and makes you ill with fear.

I don't have much to say about any of them. I have the least to say about the last one. There doesn't seem to be much one can do when faced with the complete and utter destruction of her book, whether it's due to a pin-sized plot hole that leaks air so stealthily it's nearly impossible to trace, or a story that rambles and writhes and simply won't come out the way it seems in one's head. What about voice? I can think of at least four Mavens who've rewritten most or all of a manuscript because they realized too late they needed to put more dark here, more edgy here, more angst or historical tone there.

Plots: we've replotted entire books to make them make sense. Given TSTL heroes hope for a brighter tomorrow. Deleted reams and reams of subplots that weren't worth the ink it took to print them. Come up with tighter, more saleable books, better characters, and killer hooks.

It can be done. I know it can be done. But it's exhausting work. One wants to believe it never happens to other people. That everyone else writes perfect books the first time around--or, at least, marginally excellent books that require only mild editing.

It's not true, of course. In my head, I know it's not true. But when I think about dismantling a story to build it back up again, it makes me want to close my eyes and hide. What if I do it wrong again? What if it's better, but it's still not great? What about when I send it out for that all-important beta read, and she still finds enormous flaws? Do I just write something else? Is my entire genre, my entire voice then in question because one story won't hinge together without squeaking?

What do you tell yourself? What would you tell me? And if I told you I was going to steal those words of comfort and offer them to someone else, would you want to be quoted? :-)

Critique Partners as Crutches

Last Saturday, I finished the novella I started writing at the end of November. I intended to jot down a few notes so I wouldn't forget the idea, but the story simply started to flow out instead, and I wound up writing 22,000 words in just over twelve days. 22,000 words that I really, really liked.

I was planning to send it out for multiple rounds of critiques: a first round to find the "big" problems, a second to take care of the layering and smoothing, and possibly one more after that, just be "sure." But after getting it back from its first round (thanks, Emma and Ericka!) with almost no red marks on it at all, I decided to just clean those tiny things up and submit the story to Cobblestone to see how it would fly.

Of course, now that I'm waiting for a response, I'm wondering it that was wise. Maybe I should have gotten more feedback before I sent it on. What if something is horribly wrong with it? What if it sucks? What if...

But wait a minute! Do I believe in the story I wrote, or don't I?

The answer is, I do believe in it. Is it perfect? No. But a thousand critiques won't make it perfect. And if there's really something terminally wrong with it, another critique probably won't help!

The truth is, I wrote this story very differently than I've written anything in a long time. I simply let myself go. I didn't send it to anyone scene by scene to "check" that it was okay. I tried not to second-guess myself for a change and simply told the story I wanted to tell, waiting until I got to the end to find out if it worked or not.

Doing that and then being brave enough to submit it to a publisher even though it had only been read by two other living souls made me realize how much I've come to rely on my critique partners' to write my story. And while I'm not for one single, solitary second bad-mouthing my fabulous CPs or the concept of getting critiques, I see now that my critique partners had become something of a crutch to me. Their input and reassurance absolved me of the responsibility to think for myself and trust my own instincts.

In retrospect, I'm sure that one of the reasons Unbridled finally ended up in the rubbish heap is that I had too much feedback on it. Too many cooks spoil the broth; I was trying to please so many different people and their idea of what the story should be that I lost my story altogether. (And here, I have allow Maven Lacey to crow, "I told you so!" She did, at least a year and a half ago, and I stubbornly refused to agree with her. Well, she was right! She's welcome to hit me over the head with the clue gun she tried to give me back then if she'd like.)

This isn't to say I'm giving up on having critique partners altogether. Mais non! I wouldn't dream of it. I just know I need to be more judicious about when I get feedback and from how many people. I'm going to keep smacking myself on the hand until I learn to wait until after I've written "the end" to hit send!

YOUR TURN: How/when do you get feedback from your critique partners? Do you feel you need someone to read the story as you go so you know your plot isn't based on an unbelievable premise, your hero isn't a jerk, and your heroine isn't TSTL? Or are you able to write your story all the way through to the end and then turn it over to your CPs, knowing full well they may tell you that you've just written 90,000+ words of complete garbage that can never be redeemed?

Contests: Giving & Receiving Criticism

In keeping with this week's theme on criticism, the Manuscript Mavens are pleased to announce Guest Maven Anne-Marie Carroll who will be blogging about criticism as it pertains to all aspects of writing contests.

Hello, contest divas, and all of you who want to be or will soon become one. A dazzling tiara is your reward, with publication hopefully soon to follow.

Today I'm going to talk to you about the contest world, so I hope I don't wear you out with my rambling.

To fill you in on my contest history, I've worn all contest hats. Contest chair, judge, and contestant with numerous finals, which include The Maggie, The Laurie, and The Molly.

The first thing I'd like to talk to you about is entering a contest, and what to expect from it. A detailed rulebook isn't included, but I've highlighted what I believe to be some definite do's and don'ts in entering a chapter contest.

First, ask yourself why you're entering. Is it solely to final or for feedback as well? Or is it to hear the little canary sing only praise for your talents as a storyteller. If it's the latter, your first couple of contests may come as a shock to you. Especially if you've only let family and friends read your story, or you didn't at least consider sound advice from reputable critters on characterization, plot and conflict, stilted dialogue, style and pacing.

Well, here goes the rambling on some do's and don'ts of entering a contest.


Do...

* Read and follow all contest rules and instructions.

* Make sure you formatted your entry correctly and the font you used is what the contest specified.

* Check for spelling and grammatical errors. Don't laugh at this one. I've seen some entries...I won't say any more.

* Make sure the goal, motivation, and conflict is evident in your entry. If you can, try to bring your conflict out in the first couple of paragraphs---if you can.

* Limit backstory. Only use what is absolutely necessary, because backstory can slow the pace.

* Check out a sample contest score sheet and judge yourself to see whether you've covered everything that will be judged in your entry.

* Show action instead of telling it.

* A search and find on overused words, and passive and telling words. The words I check for are that, was, be, feel, felt, wonder, smell, hear, and see, to name a few.

* End your entry on a hook. This is the one time it's okay to piss off your judges because they don't have any more pages to turn.

* Send thank you notes to your judges, whether you agree with their comments or not. Your judges have taken valuable time away from their own writing to judge your entry.


Don't...

* Throw the rules away before you've read them - word for word.

* Leave your goal, motivation, and conflict for the judges to guess.

* Have pages and pages of backstory. You want your judges to drool over your entry, not sleep on it.

* Ignore some aspects of the score sheets and think it won't be noticed. Chances are, your judge has judged several contests in the past and knows the ground rules.

* End your entry in the middle of a sentence or scene.

* Try clever ways to get more of your entry judged by fiddling with the font, margins or by formatting part of another chapter into your entry that doesn't end on a satisfying hook.

As a contest chair, I noticed that many authors who have a great voice didn't final because they failed other criteria (for lack of a better word) in their contest entry.


Judging...

It is the judges' job to comment on any aspects of your entry where they marked down, not to give a detailed crit unless they want to. It's not, or shouldn't be, expected.

A judge should never be too harsh or include personal comments, i.e., market information, how they hate the polka dots your heroine is wearing, etc. Don't even ask me about comments on religion or politics. I'm cringing, and believe me I don't need help in getting wrinkles. At my age, I have that one covered all by myself, my kids, my grandkids, and let's not forget my darlin' supporter, my husband.

If two judges offer you similar feedback, you may want to consider revisiting and potentially revising. Although, please don't revise word for word what a judge recommends. This is your baby. You burp it the way you feel best doing it.


Okay, I'm off my soap box now. I hope that at least one of my tips help you into becoming a contest diva, like our own little Erica who was a triple finalist in the TARA contest recently. Way to go, Erica. Fingers crossed for a win.

YOUR TURN: Please share your contest experiences with us! Have you been an entrant? A judge? A category coordinator? In charge of the whole shebang? We'd love to hear the ups and downs, and any tips to get the most out of giving and receiving contest feedback.

Who's to Blame? Surviving Rejection When it Really Matters

I'm done with my book. I love it and fully believe there is someone out there who will love it, too. The rest of it should be easy, right?

1. Pore through my RWRs, websites, friends' experiences, favorite author acknowledgements, etc and find agents to submit to
2. Collect them into a spreadsheet for tracking purposes
3. Type up personalized, targeted query letters to my top agents
4. Assemble the query letters into envelopes or emails
5. Send them out
6. Wait for worldwide fame to find me

Ok, maybe not precisely easy.

Certainly, sending my little manuscript into the big, bad world is a huge deal, especially to me. (As opposed to you, who may not care if I actually get off my couch this weekend and do some work.) But what happens after that?

I know, I know. I work on something else. *But, guys...* What if the agents hate my stuff? What if I start getting rejection letters that say things like, "Dear Author, You will never be published this side of the Apocalypse. Please burn all your existing manuscripts and throw yourself on the knife Erica was talking about Monday."

Won't it ruin my mojo?

The short answer is yes, of course it will sting. I don't wake up every morning hoping today's the day I'll be rejected. There's that cute little salesman saying that "Every rejection is one step closer to a sale," but... psh! Whatever!

The long answer is that I shouldn't let it get me down. A rejection, whether it's for a query or a partial or, God forbid, the full manuscript, is just one person's opinion. Each of us has to find the one or three people who 'get' what we're doing, and that's not usually going to happen right out of the gate. B.E. Sanderson once compared finding an agent to dating. Well, I will compare the entire writing process to dating.

It's a wonderful, magical world of Suck.

You meet a guy. He seems into you. You're feeling into him. He starts rambling on about all the cool things going on this weekend. You smile and say, "Wow, that sounds fun." He seems to take that as encouragement to talk about more fun things. (We're to the part where the agent requests the full manuscript, if you can't keep up ;-) You go, "Definitely invite me to things like that. Sounds like a good time." He smiles a heart-stopping, hazel-eyed smile and talks about more fun things. (This is the part where the agent starts writing you glowing emails at every chapter break but has yet to offer representation.)

So then you walk away, feeling pretty sure that even if he's busy this weekend, next weekend he'll invite you out for a rousing good time. But when you see him again on Wednesday, he just starts talking about the fun stuff going on this weekend. You begin to wonder if he thinks you're too stupid to find fun things to do yourself, or if he reads the Entertainment section of the paper in lieu of Sports. Maybe the only small talk he has is about Things I'm Not Going to Invite You To Do, But Boy, Don't They Sure Sound Fun?

(I have no idea where this part fits into my analogy.)

SO THEN you finally hand him your number and say "Call me if you actually want to do one of those things." (This is when the agent finishes your manuscript, sighs contentedly, and writes you an email that says, "Hey, Lacey, now THAT'S a story!")

Only, he never calls. (She never emails you again.) Either way, you feel unwanted, unloved, and like you were this close but now you have to begin all over again, starting with finding another agent just as hot.

You know what I mean.

And even if you do make that connection, sell your manuscript and become a NYT Bestselling Author, there's nothing to say you and your agent won't get divorced 15 years down the road. Nothing--nothing--in this world is guaranteed. We have to accept things won't always go our way. And we have to move on.

So what's your mode of getting up and on with it? Chocolate? 20-minute pity party/rant fest? Call up your girlfriends and talk about what an indecisive dork he is? Wonder if it's something you did, something you could do better, and have a very, very hard time NOT running off to fix "yourself" before you start shopping again?

Do you accept the "It's not me; it's him!" thing or do you start rationalizing? Maybe the agent has too many clients (the guy has a girlfriend). Maybe the agent is checking around with her peers to find someone who isn't as busy or loves your genre more than she does (maybe he's indecisive). Maybe the agent hasn't had time to write you back (he's busy). Maybe the agent is afraid to find out you already have 5 other agents vying for your attention (he's shy). Maybe the agent is afraid they can't shop what you have (maybe he's gay). Maybe the agent totally doesn't get you at all (translation: nothing short of throwing yourself naked into his arms is going to clue this guy into the fact that you're into him).

Me, bitter? Nah :-)

Everyone's a Critic

So, I actually used to be a movie critic. For a small, local newspaper. I did it for about a year for a coworker who founded the paper with her husband. No paycheck, but it was hella fun. My favorite column was about female action heroes entitled, "Dye Hard." We (I wrote several columns with my best friend) wrote that just after "The Long Kiss Goodnight" came out. (Coincidentally, that movie inspired a book I started writing and plan to go back to some time.) We loooooved that movie. Was it a cinematic wonder? A critically acclaimed masterpiece? Um, no, but Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson kicked major ass. My friend and I began giving movies a PEV, Pure Entertainment Value, rating. Because sometimes a movie is just a movie, you know?

As you can see, everyone can be a critic. I did not attend "movie critic school" to write my column, nor did I subscribe to anything that might guide me in my criticism. I merely saw movies I wanted to see and shared my opinion. And there is the operative word in critique, opinion. A critique will always be someone's opinion. Never more, never less. Are some people's opinions more important than others? Sure, but only you can decide whose opinions are most important to YOU.

Opinions vary and come from very different places. Some people opine because they're expected to (see professional critics and critique partners) and others do it because they think that's what you want. Beta reader/family member/coworker/Joe Schmo reads your ms and tells you exactly what they think, down to the selection of your character's names and all you wanted was an overall thumbs up or thumbs down. Maybe you asked for that and maybe you didn't. When we begin sharing our work...everyone's a critic.

As writers, it's important to take each critique for what it is, who it came from, and most importantly, what we want it to be. Erica so aptly said in her post that these are OUR stories and it's up to us to decide how much (or how little) we take of people's input. I get feedback from lots of places: my CPs, contests, virgin readers, and occasionally my husband. Do I take Mr. Burke's feedback at the same level I take my CPs? No, but that's not to say his feedback isn't important. It's just different. He's going to be reading from that PEV perspective while my CPs are reading much deeper.

I think it's important to realize what stage you're in with your ms, because that will drive the kind of critique you're looking for. First draft, revision, polish, done. All of those require a different type of critique and even then you can crit a "done" ms six ways from Sunday. And you're going to get crits (from whatever source) that you simply don't agree with. That's okay. Repeat it with me, that's okay. I think sometimes people put themselves into the role of critic (even going so far as to make a mountain out of a molehill or, gasp, out of nothing at all) because they think you want something. So, take everything you get with a grain of salt and learn to be your own best critic.

How do you organize the crits you get? Do you communicate what you're looking for? What type of critic/critique do you prefer at each stage? What kind of critic are you?

Preparing for the Harshest Critiques of All

So, what could be worse than a critique from a contest judge or other reader who trashes your manuscript and makes you consider tossing the whole thing in the Microsoft Windows Recycle Bin? A review of your published book, of course!

How could that possibly be worse, you ask? After all, if it's published, that means someone somewhere loved it enough to take a chance on it in the first place. Isn't the fact that you got published validation enough for you? What more proof do you need?

Well, here's why I think it could be worse: it's too late to fix it! At least with a critique from a judge or beta reader, you have an opportunity to correct whatever she found wrong with your story (assuming you don't decide her advice is all wet, of course). But if you get a poor review of your published book and think, "Hey, Mrs. LaughAMinute has a point: my heroine really is too stupid to live and there's a plot hole the size of the Grand Canyon in the first chapter," there's nothing you can do it about it. The thing's already printed and done; there's no going back.

Much as every unpublished author wants to make that leap to being published, to being read, that milestone brings with it a different kind of vulnerability. Before you get published, you worry about whether you're good enough to get published. After you get published, you worry whether you're good enough to stay that way. Is my work really worth $4.50 (or whatever the cover price is) for people to read? Will they feel they got their money's worth or cheated? Will they love me or hate me?

Writing is very personal (or is it for me, at any rate). While my characters and stories aren't about me or my life, they are very much mine. They come from my head and my heart and I'm invested in them. In some fundamental sense, if you don't like my book, maybe it means you don't like me.

Now, I realize that this is rationally untrue! Even if you buy my book and decide it's a complete wallbanger and a rip-off, you probably won't come and toilet paper my house for revenge. (I'm not telling you where I live, anyway, so even if you were considering it...) You might not even hold it against me when my next book comes out. Maybe you'll think the crummy book of mine you read was a fluke and I'm really not as a bad as all that. Even authors whose books I typically love are capable of producing books I don't particularly like, so I'm certainly a firm believer in not assuming a writer is a hack based on one bad book. And even the divine La Nora has a book that's panned now and then, right?

Still, I've been mulling my fear of reviews since about a week after I sold my Jackie Barbosa-branded erotic novella, Carnally Ever After, to Cobblestone Press. For the first week or so, I walked on air. Then, reality hit me! People are going to be reading my story. People I don't know. People I haven't conversed with in email or sat around a table drinking with at the RWA National conference or otherwise interacted with. And now that I have release date, August 17 (yes, just ten short days from now!), I'm doing my best to prepare myself for the inevitable moment when someone says, "Your story sucks."

Now, since I know the Mavens will give me a dope slap if I don't point this out, there is an excerpt from Carnally Ever After in this month's Cobblestone Quarterly newsletter. I didn't know Deanna was going to put it in there until after she'd done so and after Emma Petersen (a fellow Cobblestone author but apparently not a plant, LOL) launched a thread on the Romance Divas Forum gushing over how much she loved it and couldn't wait for the release. This was followed by several more very kind comments by other people (most of whom I've never met) who read the excerpt and liked it, too.

Needless to say, I basked in the glow like the complete hedonist that I am, doing my best Sally Fields imitation ("You like me, you really like me!"). It felt wonderful.

But I still worry about how I'll react to people who don't like it. Mostly because if they don't, there's nothing I can do about it. I'm an inveterate fixer. If something's wrong, I want to make it better. It's just my nature. But Carnally Ever After is already as good as it's ever going to be. It's done now and there's no going back. (And I truly never thought those words would be as terrifying as they actually are!)

If you want to be published, if you want to be read, you have to make the leap of faith and show your stuff to everyone and anyone who wants to look. It's exhilarating and a little scary. As I said on my own blog the other day, it's a bit like getting naked with a guy you really, really like for the first time. It could have a fantastic payoff, but it could also be devastating. (I wasn't going to repeat that particular analogy, but Leigh said she liked it and it does seem very apt.)



That said, I think it's worth the risk! (And I'll let you know for sure in about, oh, three weeks.)

YOUR TURN: If your work has been published, how did you react to poor reviews when you got them? If you haven't been published yet, have you thought at all about what it will be like, both good and bad?

P.S. Posting extra early because I have a fever and I'm going to bed!

Spectacular Launch Party Jamboree

Welcome to the Launch Party! As promised, today heralds the first ever Manuscript Mavens comment contest!

Comment Contest Rules & Prizes

To celebrate the official launch of manuscriptmavens.com, the mavens are giving away their time and expertise to four lucky winners. Commenter #100 to this post will receive a multi-maven critique! You may choose the chapter of your choice, up to 20 pages. (If not the first chapter, you may include a 2 page synopsis/setup.)

Three random visitors who link to this post and leave a note in the comments to let us know will receive single-maven critiques--Even if you're before or after commenter #100!

As with the grand prize, you may choose the chapter of your choice, up to 20 pages, and a short setup if necessary. Are we already on your blog roll? Then bless your heart, you're well ahead of the game. (Don't forget to leave a note in the comments to let us know. We want to visit you, too!)

At our discretion, we reserve the right to award even MORE prizes than mentioned here. *g

Mondays with Maven Erica

What up, party people! So glad to have you all with us for the official Manuscript Mavens launch party.

Since I designed this bad baby (based on clever Maven feedback) I'd like to call your attention to a few things. See those TVs on the right? Those aren't stock photography models--that's really us! Aren't we just darlin'? <g> Links to our web sites and blogs can be found beneath our headshots. Do drop by. =)

And did you have a chance to check out the rockin' Maven Timeline over there on the left, underneath the list of blog posts? It's in reverse chronological order (most recent on top) and will be updated continually as we further our movement toward complete and utter world domination. (Wait. That's not a Maven goal. That's my personal objective.)

Not too shabby a list, eh? Would I be honking our own horns if I pointed out that all four of us have completed multiple manuscripts and finaled and/or won industry-respected writing contests? Yes, definitely tooting our own horn? (Oops, sorry. *g)

Actually, not sorry. I figured you'd want an explanation for why we figured we could call ourselves something so lofty as Manuscript Mavens. Well, that list over there answers the "maven" part. As for "Manuscript"...

We're no better than any other aspiring author out there, except we set goals for ourselves and go after them 100%. We network at workshops and conferences, we improve our craft by reading advice and analyzing keeper books, we give back our time by volunteering on loops and on chapter boards, we give and receive critiques almost every day of the week (we're CPs and contest judges) and above all... we write.

We write even when we don't have time to write.

Every day, we're improving. And we want to share that with you. From our knowledge and experience, such that it is (and isn't--we're not outselling J.K. Rowling just yet *g) to a basic sense of community, all of us writers, published or not, book one or book one hundred, all of us in this crazy industry together, writing stories and making friends.

I know you have amazing experiences and knowledge and frustrations and achievements of your own to share, so please don't be shy in the comment section. I want your thoughts, opinions, and viewpoints, even when they contradict mine. Maybe especially then, because how else do we learn new things and affect change?

So jump in, speak up and speak out, and feel free to be as encouraging or as snarky as you like. =)

Thanks for joining us!

Maven Erica


Tuesdays with Maven Jacqueline

Damn, it sucks to follow Erica. She’s so darned witty and funny and upbeat and I’m so... um... not.

Well, okay, right now, I’m not mainly because it’s 1:30 in the morning and I’m up writing my launch jamboree post because I screwed around all day and didn’t do it before now. What was that Erica was saying about us Mavens setting goals and going after them 100%? I think I’m in need of the Passion Slaves’ wet noodle. Fifty lashes, please!

Regardless of my wit or lack thereof, you’re stuck with me on Tuesdays :-).

And since I had the very good fortune to sell a novella, Carnally Ever After, to Cobblestone Press last month and the even better fortune to attend a fabulous seminar on book (and self) promotion at the San Diego chapter’s meeting last weekend, I’m going to start off by sharing some thoughts on that subject with you. I can’t steal the whole seminar and regurgitate it verbatim, of course, but I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction!

Because I’ve decided to have my edgier, erotic novella(s) published under a different pen name than I use for my more traditional, full-length historicals (meaning I now have more names than completed manuscripts), I’ll also probably write a little about pseudonyms and branding along with (possibly) multiple personality disorder.

When I exhaust that subject (which may not even be possible!), I’m sure there’ll be something else. Like how to take unfavorable reviews with grace. (I’m expecting to need that lesson myself. Anyone out there like to give it to me now?)

So, sit down with your coffee, tea, or Cherry Coke (Darcy) and join me on Tuesdays. I’m sure we’ll all learn something from the experience!

Maven Jacqueline


Wednesdays with Maven Darcy

I'm sorry to inform you that my husband and I already have a concrete plan for World Domination. I could tell you about it, but then I would have to kill you. Are you sensing a theme here? The Mavens are driven, type A people. Hmmm, no wonder I feel at home.

I hope you'll feel at home--no need to be type A, but driven is good. And driven by what is entirely up to you. I am driven to do lots of things: write, drink great wine, dominate the world (ahem, I guess we covered that), and occasionally I am even driven to tears. And I am always driven by my wonderful children (I have two little ones), though sometimes (okay, often), Jacqueline and I refer to them as the IE (interruption express). In all seriousness, my family is the center of my universe, which is, IMO, as it should be.

So, welcome, welcome one and all. If you manage to pick up a small tidbit on my Wednesday posts to help you on your way, I'm glad (and perhaps a scoosh surprised - the other Mavens are pros at this blog thing and well, y'all were here for the cherry-poppin'). I'm confident I'll learn more on this journey than my overloaded brain cells can handle. But what a ride!

Maven Darcy


Thursdays with Maven Lacey

First of all, I'd like to point out that I had a Plan to Rule the World long before Erica decided she was going after World Domination.

Now, I can understand how it might seem as if I only meant "at work." How I plan to rule the world "at work." However, I'm a greedy little whore and I'd really prefer to rule it all.

Lucky for you, I don't mind competition and I'm more than happy to share my plans, so on Thursdays with Maven Lacey you'll come to expect a pretty good share of My Opinion coupled with the odd Random Piece of Advice.

Like Erica, I prefer to be argued with (lie lie lie) so feel free to bring it on. You should especially watch out for posts on critiquing craft. I'll be sharing my thoughts on the books and manuscripts that come under my nose--all blessedly nameless, naturally, because my cuppa tea isn't necessarily yours (and also because last time I checked, my name was neither Nora nor Julia Quinn).

Damn.

Maven Lacey


Fridays with Guest Mavens

And now, heeeeeere's Guest Maven Janice to introduce the Launch Party Jamboree Comment Contest!

Do you want the truth about your manuscript? If you're not certain, don't vie for the honor of a Maven critique. These girls will break your heart. For although they have renamed themselves the Manuscript Mavens, (makes them sound sweet, doesn't it?) they remain brutally honest.

Don't believe me? This is not my original post. They trashed the first one! Said it was too formal. Well, I tried to rewrite it with my usual smart mouth charm but couldn't. Being critiqued is serious business, especially for the uninitiated. Like many first times--and no, DH, I'm not talking about you--it can be painful and disappointing. But if you want to be published, (warning: I'm about to state the obvious) you have to hand over your precious baby to an agent or editor. Trust me, you DO NOT want that to be your first time. If you're unlucky, they'll throw the kid back without comment. If the universe deems it your day to hit the cosmic lottery, they'll throw it back after pointing out all the numerous reasons it's ugly. Either way, you're probably getting it back.

Have someone else read your manuscript first. Ask for honesty, and when you get it take a few minutes to let the pain wash over you, then gush your thanks. Someone just did you a huge favor.

Guest Maven Janice

Critique veterans, what was the best and/or most painful comment you've received?
To the uninitiated, what do you expect from your first critique?