Alison Kent

Okay, I’m really really really curious.

What is the purpose of contests for published books - besides an ego stroke for the finaling / winning authors? RITA, Orange, Booker, Pulitzer, Nobel, Edgar, Nebula, Hugo, et al aside, why? Who are the contests for? Do readers really care that a romance novel has won the Golden Silver Bronze Violet Rose Lily Award? Is it solely to put on an author’s resume, website, or email signature? And who actually pays attention then?

There was a long hiatus between my June 2000 book and my January 2002 book. When ALL TIED UP and the following gIRL-gEAR books came out, I entered a plethora of contests. I know why I did so. A total validation that I still knew how to write. Which was stupid because obviously I did. The books had been bought and published to rave reviews at being fresh and original *g*. (<--Had to get that dig in there, LOL!) I didn't place, final, or win. Which was fine, because by then I'd gotten over myself and my insecurities and realized I could see absolutely no point!

I also have to wonder if it’s just the romance genre and the multitude of RWA chapters sponsoring these contests that make them seem like they’re coming out our ears. Do local mystery groups do this? I mean, I could see the purpose of publishers #1) kept winning books in print longer or #2) put the award graphic on the book covers. But except for the big ones, this doesn’t happen.

So, educate me!!!!

I dreamed about desserts last night. Perhaps because I am writing a scene describing several. Perhaps because I need a dose of seratonin-inducing chocolate. My husband (who shuns all desserts as a rule) ordered 6 pies, one of them a seedless pecan, which makes no sense. Sheesh.

This is my conundrum of late: To share, or not to share. To brainstorm, or not to brainstorm. To analyze, or not to analyze. Therein lies the question–and I’m not talking story.

I’m talking career.

I recently read an interview published in one of last year’s RWR magazines with a NYT bestselling author (48 out of 54 books!) and was struck with this comment she made: I strongly recommend that writers keep up with the publishing industry. To remain ignorant of your business can put you at a great disadvantage. Be aware of who’s doing what, what sorts of fiction are selling well, who the players are, recognize the trends for the simple reason that you can sometimes laugh your head off, but be aware. And always, always, keep a sense of humor.

This is the conundrum and it ties into my entry of weeks past about taking a breather from everything but my own career and craft. I love knowing what all my buddies are doing and writing and hearing from their readers and editors. But as the friend with whom I made my pact said, “I’m getting rid of almost all of my writing loops and am going to stay away from online boards and blogs. I’m a wimp–I’ll admit it. It completely paralyzes me and makes me doubt myself too much. I start comparing myself to people and doubting my abilities, and I just can’t do that anymore.

(And boy does that tie in to the recent hoopla I’ve posted about!)

I can’t imagine what it must be like today for aspiring authors who hang out online. I made my first cyberspace connections in 1992, with a 2400 baud dial-up modem and Aladdin’s Genie software. The two places to be during those days of DOS were Genie and CompuServe. Now, however, aspiring authors are connected everywhere - as are published authors. The information overload can’t be healthy - at least it’s not for me!!

I swore I wasn’t going to return to the electronic publishing discussion on Larissa’s Soapbox, but I did - and was blown out of the water by this comment from the same author questioning the originality of NY authors. (The first sentence is a quote from the post to which she is responding.)

*I wouldn’t be laughing unless you’re heading there with the same 5-figure advances I get before ever writing a word!* I’m sorry…you’re right…we should all bow before your greatness. After all, you are a *real* writer, and the rest of us are just…I dunno…wannabes? We should be ashamed of ourselves. Go hide our heads in the sand. Dare not speak in defense of our chosen career path. I want to save this thread…to remind me of what I DON’T want to be, once I’m published “for real”. LOL

::shaking head::

The original poster posted anonymously. ANONYMOUSLY. Do we know what that means? The snarky-toned response went out to . . . . well, it could’ve been Nora Roberts, for example. It could’ve been any published author, or a poseur. Think, people, think! I post here as Alison Kent. I stand by what I say. I also stand by what I’ve posted to Larissa’s site. And it floors to me think ANYONE would post something so offensive when they have NO idea who they’re posting to! The mind boggles!

I deleted my post from last night about the epublishing controversy currently ongoing at Larissa’s Soapbox but now I have to bitch.

Today, an electronically publisher author says: I did a survey on the habits and preferences of romance readers who “hang out” online. Something I found interesting, considering the poster who mentioned she’d never felt “boxed in” by NY publishers, is the reason given by the respondents for turning to e-books. Overwhelmingly, these women mentioned “originality”. Now, if NY publishers aren’t restrictive in what they’ll accept, but readers are bored with what they’re putting out — maybe it’s the NY authors who aren’t coming up with the original ideas?

I’m steaming because my comments were the ones pulled out of context here. *I’m* bascially being accused of not having original ideas. I guess since I don’t write about men with tentacles for penises yet I break long held romance tenets by not writing “happily ever after” endings, or by writing about a hero who’s been held captive by Caribbean pirates, etc., that I’m not original. Uh-huh. Oh well. I have books to write - original or not! LOL! Guess I need to get back to that and remember what’s important in this biz - *MY* readers!!!!!

I got stung today by a wasp. Pain in the patootie. Actually, pain in the bird-flipping finger *g* as that was the point of attack. Thankfully, it was an air raid and the bastard just clipped me. (I was checking a blown breaker and he was building a comb in the box.) Thankfully, too, I’d just recently researched sting remedies as a week ago my daughter stepped on a bee. She’s allergic, though nothing requiring epinephrine, and I found these home remedies. I knew about the meat tenderizer as that was always the first thing my mother went for. What surprised me was the toothpaste. And let me just say, it works! I have a tiny residual redness, but the pain is totally gone!

(As a fun aside, I got this note from a reader recently: On the subject of erotica, a friend of mine who loves your Blazes is convinced that you’re also the Black Lace author Emma Holly! I said I didn’t know… Are you? Would you tell, if you were? ;-))

Well, Larissa did it today, LOL! (I have to wonder if there was a flurry of emails back and forth - or maybe on a loop - between the electronically published authors who posted comments to her entry since she wasn’t sure how they all found her post!) I have to give props to MOST posters *g* for stating their opinions so calmly . . .

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I’ve changed out my Featured Site to DreamForge Media’s newest design. I think it’s pretty damn awesome!! Check it out!

American Idol. Sigh. As great as Gloria Estefan’s work is, can we please not have her songs featured again? The kids couldn’t deal. I think only Jasmine and Diana actually pulled it off - almost. And both of them had a LOT of issues being off key. LaToya looked gorgeous but was way too overpowered by the Miami Sound Machine. And Simon was right. Fantasia sounded like a cartoon character. George was okay; again, overpowered by the band. And I’m not even going to mention John Stevens because it doesn’t need to be said. He’ll make it through tonight because all the grandmothers in America will have voted for him. Poor thing. He’ll put out his album and no one will buy it!

I’ve had the most irritating insomnia this last week. I finally slept six straight hours last night before the dog insisted on going out at 6:00 a.m. Saturday night, I actually ended up surfing on my daughter’s computer so as not to wake the hubby since the daughter was out partying and the hubby was snoring away. I didn’t write, but did read a few weblog entries since I’ve had no time lately to check out any but those of my critique and design partners. Here are some of the fun things I found.

Laurell K. Hamilton’s office walls and Poppy Z. Brite’s cats!

This from Meg Cabot: Anyway, Hellboy–oh my God, I LOVE Hellboy. PLEASE tell me there’ll be a Hellboy 2, because this movie was so, so good. I was a huge Beauty and the Beast fan (yeah, the TV series, and yeah, and I’m not ashamed to admit it) but I thought Ron Perlman was even better as Hellboy. Maybe that’s because Hellboy has more of a sense of humor than the poor Beast did. Although I guess the Beast didn’t have much to laugh about, living under the subway and all. But this raises–yet again–the problematic question of: Why are fictional mutants so often hotter than real life guys? This is just wrong. But really, Hellboy and Wolverine are way hotter to me than Orlando Bloom. Except when he’s Legolas. Then he’s hot too. What is UP with that?

This wonderfully romantic story from Zarina Docken, sigh.

This from Laurell K. Hamilton: I need to rediscover the things that helped me re-create myself, outside of books and writing. I think so many of us get so caught up in our work, and just surviving from one family activity to another that we forget ourselves. Forget who we are as individuals, because the real world swallows us up. I finished the book weeks ahead of where I’d pessimisticly aimed. I finished in time to take a pair of binoculars, some books, a back pack, and go out and see the spring mirgration before it all goes away for another year. I think it’s a message that I need to look up more, out more, and remember that life is not narrow, but very wide.

Today has been absolutely gorgeous after a week of clouds and a weekend of wild thunderstorms. The sky couldn’t be any bluer, the air any clearer. The breeze was actually cool, which was nice since the sun definitely baked and freckled my skin. Lydia said recently that she couldn’t imagine working outside in Texas beyond April. I’m hoping that I’m conditioning myself to tolerate the temperatures at least into June. After that, I may be heading to Starbucks a few days a week as I can’t stand being forced to write inside the house. Weird, but true.

I think the insomnia is partially due to all the ideas I’ve been turning over in my head. I have an amazing arsenal of unsold, unfinished, and undeveloped synopses that have been germinating in my subconscious for years. My ‘Books’ folder in ‘My Documents’ has thirty-seven sub-folders of story bits and pieces.

I’ll be finishing my Smithson series for Brava in two months, and need to have a direction to head next. Either that, or I’ll go ahead and write my next Blaze due in December for an August 2005 release. (Or maybe I’ll write my November 2005 Blaze novella since my contract came today, LOL!)

My agent and I talked about this one time, about how editors are anxious for an author’s work as soon as she can deliver, but how they often forget that a big chunk of the creative process involves letting an idea simmer long before the writing begins. This is why I have this compulsive need to plan out a year or two of writing in advance.

Of course, part of that is also just because I’m compulsive. And even a bit obsessive, LOL!

lucubration \loo-kyoo-BRAY-shun; loo-kuh-\, noun:
1. The act of studying by candlelight; nocturnal study; meditation.
2. That which is composed by night; that which is produced by meditation in retirement; hence (loosely) any literary composition.

“A point of information for those with time on their hands: if you were to read 135 books a day, every day, for a year, you wouldn’t finish all the books published annually in the United States. Now add to this figure, which is upward of 50,000, the 100 or so literary magazines; the scholarly, political and scientific journals (there are 142 devoted to sociology alone), as well as the glossy magazines, of which bigger and shinier versions are now spawning, and you’ll appreciate the amount of lucubration that finds its way into print.”
–Arthur Krystal, “On Writing: Let There Be Less,” New York Times, March 26, 1989

Lately I’m wondering how I managed to get done everything I accomplished while writing and working full time. Perhaps it’s just taking on additional website projects lately or the grueling two-month writing schedule I’m enduring that’s making life so insane. I guess I used up my allotment of down time the first two months I was home and now I’m back on what feels like a 24/7 treadmill. Argh!

I need to relax and read a book, and I have dipped into a couple recently, but neither grabbed me as thoroughly as did Jodi Picoult’s MY SISTER’S KEEPER - the last one I read. Oh, to write with that sort of insight! Okay, the insight I feel I could pull off. The research, however, would kill me. Wrapping my head around such intricate technical details . . . let’s just say unless I get this ADD under control, it ain’t gonna happen any time soon! LOL!

In addition to writing more books for Blaze, it looks like I’ll also be writing more for Brava beyond my Smithson Group series. No details yet, but I’m excited. Especially since a steady income is a very good thing. And with the end of April coming up and those nice twice-yearly Ty-Vek envelopes being mailed from Switzerland and Harlequin Enterprises, S.A., I’ll be able to pay rent & utilities for another few months!

I realized today that I’m probably going to yet again take my hubby’s advice (Hubby Knows Best!) and insert a ‘Rambaldi device’ into my SG-5 series. It won’t be a real device, of course, but a piece of the overall plot arc that will eventually result in a cliff-hanging climax of the Alias variety! Seeds have been planted already, so all I need to do is nurture them throughout the next three episodes. Yeah. I like the idea. I like it a lot!

It’s already shipping from Amazon - I had no idea! You can read an excerpt here and then buy it here!