Craft

I usually don't blog about the craft of writing much on this blog because my intended audience has never been other writers. Oh, I have a few here—hi Sarita and Maria!—but the majority of you are friends, family, readers and cat lovers. A few of you end up here because of an Internet search—usually LOLcats or Crossfit or Ben Barnes Smoking (still not sure why my site comes up for that!) And a few brave souls are sent here by the Blogger next blog thingy. I did that once and can't erase what I saw from the memory banks. Never again...

But craft is important. I was reminded of that last night when I read a fantastic article called The Essential Invisible Thing by Harper Collins editor Molly O'Neill on the Write On Con website.

All I can say is wow! A great read for this writer.

It isn't always easy to work on craft with tight deadlines, but it's one of those things I make time for, even if I feel like I'm taking baby steps when it comes to my writing.

A former critique partner used to tell me it's time to put it, usually a specific scene or part of one, under the microscope to make sure it worked right. That meant looking at each word, each sentence, each reaction one by one. It took forever, but made such a difference and taught me a lot.

I often feel like the more books I write the more I need to learn. My first (and so far only) RITA finalist novel came after taking a Michael Hauge 2-day workshop sponsored by my RWA chapter and for the first time, incorporating all of the finale beats to Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet. Coincidence? I think not.

I recently received two new writing books from Amazon. Both came recommended by people I know. My friend Amy tagged me on Facebook about this one and Harlequin Historical author Michelle Styles let me know about the title of this one in the comment section when I was in Anaheim for the RWA conference. I'm halfway through one of them and enjoying it immensely. Will the book improve by craft? I don't know, but it's given me lots of food for thought.

Improving my craft is the reason I told hubby all I wanted for my upcoming birthday was to attend one of Margie Lawson's Immersion classes. He said yes, cashed in FF mileage to cover the plane ticket and mailed a check to Margie. I'll be flying to Colorado in September with—fingers crossed—a complete of my current work in progress to work on during the session. I can't wait even if that puts some pressure on me to be more productive with my page count right now. But I think it's worth it! I hope when that book is out sometime in 2013, my readers agree!

Hope you enjoy your Wednesday!