Lori Devoti, paranormal romance and urban fantasy author

First, my dryer isn’t working again. If you are considering buying a Bosch–think again. It has been over a week since the dryer repair man thought he had fixed the darn thing. I got three loads dry then poof–it quit working again. Now I am waiting for a part and living in crunchy clothes.

Continuing my whine fest–it is cold here and supposed to be getting colder. I used to live in Montana so I shouldn’t whine–but I was younger then and had no kids. Dragging a five year old behind you who doesn’t seem to understand that 5 degrees means WALK FASTER does not improve the experience.

This weekend I am off to Love is Murder in Chicago. I have major concerns that my friend’s car will not want to start after two days sitting in a hotel parking lot in ZERO degree weather–but at least I will have reason to not go outside at all for those two days. And I have AAA. We can get a jump–right?

Tonight is the science fair at my daughter’s school. Her theme? What really killed the dinosaurs? I am even going to venture out into the 5 degree weather and cheer her on. :)

That’s it for me. I’m only 200 words from hitting my word goal for the day, which I feel pretty darn cocky about. Earlier I really just wanted to flip on my gas fireplace and press my body to the glass.

Okay, I’m done whining for now. Talk to you after the thaw.

Lori

Am I the only one that has these little moments of pure fear when you haven’t been writing for a bit? The–oh, no, I won’t be able to do it this time. I’m used to this disturbing phenomena now, so I stomp the feeling down and plow ahead, but it is always there, and sometimes it lasts a day or so before it completely goes away and I feel comfortable again.

I am sure this little condition is what stops some people from writing all together. It’s a nasty little thing–if it had a body I’d imagine it to look somewhat like the gravelings from Dead Like Me. Which actually would be nice because then I could chase it around my house smacking at it with a broom or maybe sucking it up in my vacuum never to be released.

Anyway, today was my day to smack it down. I hadn’t totally not been writing. I had been revising another project, but that is different. This was my first day to completely start creating all new stuff–facing that darn blank page. It went smoothly. I easily hit my word goal for the day, but that feeling it’s still lurking, waiting to attack again tomorrow…

Doesn’t this look like a great writer tool? But it’s expeeensive. (me whining)

part of my plan is to take my writing more seriously. To do this I’m doing the agent switch thing, having my web site and blog redone–and MAYBE changing the guest room into an office.

Anyhoo, Frauke at CrocoDesigns has been working on a new site look for me. I LOVE it. I’m just wild about the little wolf–take a gander. :)

Every book I’ve written I’ve approached differently. Like a yo-yo dieter, I try every plot-quick gimmick that comes along. But now, as I get ready to start the heavy lifting on my second Nocturne–I think I have settled into a method. It scares me.

Here’s how it works.

1. Come up with an idea–usually for me this involves characters, then something that happens to them
2. Start writing cold–as in no pre-plotting really except the bit in my head. I have to get at least the first scene out (although this may not stay as the first scene), but no more than three chapters (even that is pushing it or I will be looking at major revisions).
3. Write a synopsis. Scary, I know, but I approach it like I’m telling a story. I just make up what happens, then what happens next and so on.
4. Revise horrible synopsis–cause it is going to stink up Denmark.
5. Revise again, and so on, and so on.
6. At some point when I think the synopsis is a little less ripe, I do the plot point check. I take a highlighter and highlight turning points–making sure there are enough to keep the book moving–you know that something continues to happen past that first scene.
7. Revise synopsis again–cause I’m going to find something that just doesn’t work. On my latest synopsis this amounted to about 10–that’s right 10 pages. Yanked them and put in all new “happenings”.
8. Finally, sit down in front of my writing program (Write Way) and work out an outline. Write Way let’s you make a place for chapters and scenes that you can title, move around later, etc. So, I figure I’m going to write however many chapters I think are appropriate for the type of book, break them into Acts (based on turning points) and then add scene titles. The scenes match my synopsis. I even copy the scene descriptions from the synopsis into “note cards” in the program. This way when I get ready to write that scene I already have a brief sketch to follow.
9. Right the darn thing. Scenes may change–they may be split between chapters, but I have a good solid direction to go. I also have a good idea if I have enough “happenings” to carry the book.

So, there’s my method. It works for me–maybe it will for you too. :)

Lori

So, I watched the new SciFi series The Dresden Files. It’s based on the books by Jim Butcher–kind of. Harry is in it, but he isn’t as tall and gawky as I think of him, and he isn’t a smart a$$. How can it be Harry without that? Oh, and he seemed to have electricity in his apartment, and wine glasses. Does Harry strike you as the type to have wine glasses?

No Mister.

And Bob–what is up with Bob? They gave him a body. I don’t think it works for him. And also no jokes. I mean, don’t we all think of Bob as a wise-cracking skull? He still has his skull, but didn’t spend much time in it.

Murphy is brunette and apparently has a kid.

No necklace from his mother–instead they had her leave him the shield bracelet. They probably thought we would all wig out on the pentacle thing. They so don’t get us–do they? And there were A LOT of flashbacks with his father–very Psych for those of you who watch that USA Network series.

Overall not a bad show, but not the Harry Dresden we follow.

I think I’ll keep reading.

Lori

Really, I do–but crackers are evil. It’s true, you will grow a third eye and spout bad poetry to everyone you meet if you eat crackers. Or at least that’s what I’m trying to convince myself of.

I wonder what would happen if I ate half a cracker…

I just ordered one of these…

That’s right–mammogram day! Woohoo. Yet another joy of being a girl. ;) Actually, the squeeze part doesn’t bother me so much–it’s the Twister aspect to the whole thing. Point your toes this way, now lean out back, look to the side, lay your arm right her–oh and hold your breath. Good!!

Such fun.

On other fronts–queries (all but one) are in the mail. The one wanted a synopsis and since mine is…uh, less than perfect, I’m tweaking a bit before mailing that one.

Think good thoughts–and schedule a mammogram. They really aren’t that bad. :)

I’m doing laundry. Why am I excited? Because our very expensive, less than one year old Bosch dryer is now working–as in it hasn’t been working, or has been intermittantly working for the past three months. Every time I did laundry I would hold out my hand tenatively over the “start” button and say a little prayer. I was beginning to question my sanity–maybe if I turned in a circle three times then hopped on one foot, this time it would start. Please, please…Yay!! or nothing, just a taunting light glaring at me while my clothes wrinkled and molded inside.

The repairman just left. $145 later the dryer works.

Getting a Bosch was my husband’s idea because he was tired of buying appliances that don’t hold up.

He says I’m not allowed to yell at him. I don’t remember that in our wedding vows.