Archive for May, 2011
Thursday, May 26th, 2011
Last May, I was working with my editor and my agent and my family and my doctor, to try and find a way to finish Secret Legacy. Because if I didn’t, there was a very real chance I’d lose my nerve and never attempt another novel. My health was in that bad a place. Fast forward 12 months, and this is me and Secret Legacy this May, at a spotlight signing at the Book Expo in New York City.
Both my beautiful mainstream novels were there, actually, repackaged as sci-fi/fantasy, because that’s what Secret Legacy became with each word I wrote and rewrote last year, until it emerged as a dream come true I hadn’t fully grasped until I held the finished draft in my hands.
The opportunity to sign at BEA came at a difficult time this year, when I could only make it for a day. But I went anyway, because when dreams call you, you go.
Yes, I was as tired as I look in the photo, from flying late the night before and not getting much sleep and getting up early that morning to catch car service into NYC. But I was surrounded by enthusiastic associates from my publishing house. And readers and librarians and book sellers who flocked around our table and got more and more excited about the dream theory and parapsychology and metaphysical concepts in my fiction, the more I answered questions and talked about what inspired me. And there the vice president of the publisher was, holding books open so I could sign them quicker because the line was getting ridiculously long. Amazing. Absolutely surreal and amazing, to feel that kind of support and encouragement and positive energy surrounding something that almost never was.
There were smiles and wows and surprised expressions from readers, and looks of satisfaction and pride on those publishing faces around me. And I was glowing. Exhausted, but glowing as I took the red-eye home to my family and the “other” life I’m so lucky to have here, too. That one day was, hands-down, the most exciting experience I’ve had with readers yet. And I’ve been doing convention and conference signing events for the last six years.
All just a year beyond me wondering if I’d be able to finish Secret Legacy or ever again travel to meet fans and readers and my business associates.
Some days are still hard, and sometimes my system’s still not back one hundred percent, but I couldn’t stop writing a year ago. And I’ll never stop wanting to connect with readers who love what I write, the way I was lucky to have the chance to this week. I’ll always be grateful for the family I have supporting me here at home, as well as the extended family I’ve built in my writing world that are always there for me, making amazing dreams like this one come true.
It’s been an amazing year.
Here’s to revising an even more fearless, exciting, dream-filled year to come ;o)
Tags: Anna DeStefano, anna's world, creativity & inspiration
Posted in Anna's "Soul of the Matter", Books, Publishing Isn't for Sissies | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
It’s been four months of HoWW craft talk, from characterization to planning to rewriting to drafting. Amazing! And Jenni and I are amazed by the growing enthusiasm for our #weWRITE Twitter hashtag. It’s time to put our money where our mouth is, and challenge our readers and fellow writers to WRITE EVERY DAY for a week. Not for a month. Not an entire novel or story. Not a perfect draft. Just write, fearlessly, until you plug into the energy that calls you to create.
This year, more than any other, that’s what this blog has been for me. If you follow my Revising a Yearseries, you know I needed something to daily inspire me to re-engage my creativity. I challenged myself to write something interesting and meaninful and creative, every day. And the various categories to the right have been buckets of inspiration that refuse to let me off the hook when I sit in front of a blank screen and the doubt demons begin to weigh in on whether I can put imagine on the page that anyone in their right mind would want to read.
Not just How We Write, though working with Jenni on this series has been an amazing experience. But talking about my teenager’s quirky view of life, and about the crazy things I hear throughout the day, and my shoe obsession, and how Publishing Isn’t for Sissies, and my personal challenge to visit all the waterfalls I can reach in North Georgia, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina. And some of the most amazing mornings have been writing about the dream theories and psychic realm parapsychology that thrives in my psychic fantasy novels.
But… That’s not getting the next book written.
Sure, I’ve worked on several proposals that are now with publishers. Still, the need to write books is always there, waiting for me to dive back into that flow. And I know many of you are in the same place daily. Will I write today? Will I make real progress toward my daily goal? Will I make that book or story or whatever real, when it only exists for now in my head???
So. Here we are. We’ve talked the basics of writing craft. Jenni and I already have plans to cover more formal story structure, etc., because we get so many questions about the terms and techniques we use. And we’re approaching other authors to join us for guest blogs over the summer, to share how THEY write. But that doesn’t get those words on the page, and filling that page with amazing story is ultimately what HoWW and #weWRITE are all about. (more…)
Tags: #weWRITE, Anna DeStefano, brainstorming, conflict, critiquing, discovery, draft challenge, draft writing, drafting, editorial revision, fiction, fiction writer, Jennifer Talty, narrative structure, novel, novel deconstruction, novel structure, plot, plotting, revision, rewriting, writing, writing articles, writing coach, writing craft, writing resources, writing workshops
Posted in How We Write | 3 Comments »
Monday, May 23rd, 2011
Ever wake, overwhelmed by the emotion of what you’re dreaming? We’ve talked about feelings being the link between your sleeping and waking world. But how, exactly, does that happen, and what are we supposed learn from the residue of our fantasies, once we leave them behind?
Sheila English asked those very questions last week when, she interviewed me about Secret Legacy’s release for Blog Talk Radio. She LOVES talking about dream theory and lucid dreaming technique. So, naturally, we spent more time than we should have in the interview sharing our personal experiences. We just couldn’t help ourselves.
We both believe there’s something there, when we close our eyes and escape this reality. We both have experienced the power of that “something” crossing back into our everyday lives. And when you connect with someone who’s felt and believed the unbelievable things that have impacted your life, you don’t pass up the chance to revel ;o)
But where, exactly, does this energy come from? How is it that a dream can be so emotionally consuming and meaningful that it impacts your waking life?
Understanding the details of how some scientists believe this emotional connection works can help you better remember and process your dream work. And the more you know about how your mind’s working for you when you sleep, the more you can do with the wealth of information and emotion it’s helping you deal with.
An important start is to recognize the categories of emotional dreams we tend to have. This gives us a frame of reference for the powerful places we’re transported to when we sleep. And these places, remember, tell us a lot about the things in our waking lives, and within in us, which inspire them.
Don Kuiken, a Canadian researcher, found peoples’ emotionally intense dreams could impact their lives for days afterwards.
He categorized the emotional content of dreams in five distinct ways:
- Existential dreams, we’re told, are those where we’re dealing with feelings with separation and loss. These are emotionally distressing experiences that feel very real to the dreamer. They tend to contain strong sensations of sensory awareness (vision, touch and sound), as well as detailed references to the body, as you process the vividness of the emotions that you feel–feelings which often continue into waking, along with the knowledge for many that they were self-aware while they were dreaming. These are the dreams about dying or nearly dying, about losing something important and searching for it (a purse or a wallet), about giving birth or being born, etc.
(more…)
Tags: Anna DeStefano, contemporary fantasy, creativity & inspiration, Dark Legacy, dream color, dream emotion, dream interpretation, dream programming, dream science, Dream Theories, dreams, fantasy author, Gestalt, Legacy Series, lucid dreaming, lucid dreams, Secert Legacy
Posted in Dream Theories | 3 Comments »
Thursday, May 19th, 2011
Dorchester’s abrupt shift from a mass market publishing model to focusing on digital and trade paperback releases has been dissected and discussed and bandied about for kicks and giggles by just about everyone. Mostly by folks not involved in the ongoing change. But was it so abrupt? Was it Dorchester’s choice alone? Was the story really simple enough to be covered in a tweet or a Facebook update?
The emotions running high then and now were real enough. The circumstances weren’t great for anyone involved, either before Dorchester’s move or since. The publishing industry itself, never a source of enduring security for most who challenge it, was has been in a very public tailspin for the last few years.
Exactly how much of Dorchester’s move was about one publishing house’s floundering dynamic? How much of it was industry trends playing out on a small enough stage for us to dissect every bit of it and hopefully learn something new?
From the start, I wanted Publishing Isn’t for Sissies to be about seeing the bigger picture. There’s a larger story here. Every publisher and author is playing it out, in various arenas, trying to find their place in what we’re all about to become. I applaud the brave approach Vice President Tim DeYoung and the rest of Dorchester’s staff are taking to innovate and pioneer an uncharted path they’re determined to make work for their authors.
To see a bit more of that bigger picture for yourself, spend a few minutes looking at our publishing world through Tim’s eyes…
******
Some people have asked me why Dorchester turned from mass market centric publishing to a digital and trade model. The response to this question involves an understanding of the marketplace and the changes within.
I don’t think anyone will disagree with the statement that the biggest trend in the publishing industry is the extraordinary growth of the e-book. Articles, blogs, and editorials are everywhere you turn, trumpeting the demise of print. There is no question that e-books seem to be the future, what with all the new platforms springing up, some that feature interactive participation or even the use of color. Still, even with the fantastic growth in the last couple of years, e-book sales are far overshadowed by the sales of physical books.
Several years ago, the wholesale marketplace started going through very real upheaval. (more…)
Tags: Anna DeStefano, Chris Keeslar, digital promotion, digital publishing, Dorchester Publishing, ebooks, ePublishing, gallies, indie publishing, Legacy Series, NetGalley, PR, promotion, reviews, Secret Legacy, Tim DeYong, writer, writer resource, writing, writing articles
Posted in Publishing Isn't for Sissies | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
Plan, understand how you rewrite on the other side of your rough draft, then challenge yourself to WRITE! We’ve been talking writing craft all year here at HoWW, and drafting all month. And we’re thrilled with the hundreds of you who join our blogs each week. Last Wednesday, we launched the #weWRITE twitter hashtag and had a blast chatting writing craft all day (and ONLY writing craft–no promo, no links whatsoever).
We’ve kept the #weWRITE community and conversation going over there ever since. Now Jenni’s kicking us off this Wednesday with her HoWW post and #weWRITE questions, challenging you to commit to YOUR plan to complete your WIP.
We both believe in the value of NANOWRIMO and other writing challenges–but only after you’ve–
- planned as much of your plot and character arcs as you need to know what you’re going to write (or at least what direction you’re going to write in) each time sit own to work
- observed your writing and “other” world, and figured out the best place(s) and time(s) to draft each day, so you have a effective plan in place to consistency give yourself the time you need to work
Last week, I got specific about what blocks my drafting process and what I do to push past the fear. Today, Jenni’s talking about her plan over at her place.
But the gist of this month’s posts are–what’s your plan? (more…)
Posted in How We Write | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
I’ll actually have a guest blog up over there on Friday. But check out Authors and Appetizers today for my “Dream in a Glass” Guest recipe post.
Frozen Brandy Alexander. Yummm…
Posted in What About Everything Else? | No Comments »
Monday, May 16th, 2011
I’m talking psychic twins, paranormal phenomenon, and parallel realities–but also straddling different worlds in my career (writing both classic romance and psychic thrillers)–on Dorchester’s Community Blog today.
Join us for your chance to win a trade paperback or digital copy copy of Dark Legacy AND Secret Legacy!
Tags: Ann Faraday, Anna DeStefano, contemporary fantasy, creativity & inspiration, Dark Legacy, dream color, dream emotion, dream interpretation, dream programming, dream science, Dream Theories, dreams, fantasy author, Gestalt, Legacy Series, lucid dreaming, lucid dreams, Secert Legacy
Posted in Books, The Psychic Realm | No Comments »
Friday, May 13th, 2011
Dream Interpretation… NOT an exact science. But there’s so much our minds are trying to do and tell us while we sleep, we can’t afford not to listen. Look at it as work. How well do you understand the issues you’re consciously and subconsciously dealing with? Your sleeping world(s) might just know more than you do.
Since my psychic twins’ books launched and their dream adventures become fan favorites, I’ve gotten a good bit email and questions about dream interpretation.Now first, a disclaimer. I’m not a dream scientist, but I do play one on TV… No, I’ve been studying and fascinated with dreams my whole life, and I’m fascinated with my own and others’ dream worlds. I’m happy to chat with anyone about what they’re remembering of what their sleeping minds explore, and about how to use and access even more of that valuable insight.
It’s hidden gold, what we don’t see until we turn the rest of the world off. This is the first of three Dream Theory posts about some of the ways that I look more deeply into my own and others’ dream memories.
Anna Faraday, in her 1970’s books, Dream Power and The Dream Game, pioneered much of modern dream work. She believed dreams have three potential meanings, on three different levels of understanding, that all should be explored.
Level 1, Looking Outward:Does the dream and its symbols or setting or actions tell you anything about the dreamer’s world? I’ve talked about this a good bit in Dream Theory and Psychic Realm blog posts and comments. If we don’t deal with external events while we’re awake, they (or some symbolic reflection of them) are likely to show up in our dreams. Voila! There you have the simplest explanation for the basis of my first to Legacy books.
The key? Looking outward from a dream, especially when the outward meaning is a direct one, can serve as a warning or a reminder. (more…)
Tags: Ann Faraday, Anna DeStefano, contemporary fantasy, creativity & inspiration, Dark Legacy, dream color, dream emotion, dream interpretation, dream programming, dream science, Dream Theories, dreams, fantasy author, Gestalt, Legacy Series, lucid dreaming, lucid dreams, Secert Legacy
Posted in Dream Theories, The Psychic Realm | 1 Comment »
Friday, May 13th, 2011
Brenda Novak’s annual cure for diabetes auction is in full swing. There are so many chances to win yummy goodies, including at my COACH boutique!
Like…dessert with a romance cover model!
Come to New York’s famed Serendipity for dessert with model/actor Bill Freda and me during RWA Nationals in New York City this July.
Does Bill look that great in person??? You tell me.
Yep, that’s him in the center of some of his Romantic Times cover model buddies. And, yes, those really ARE his abs.
Sigh… My job as a roving photographer can be quite trying at times. But I’m willing to serve when I must.
Or, if getting sticky and sweet (eating desert, that is) isn’t your thing, how about one of these amazing Coach bags?
There are awesome totes and fun wristlets and cosmetic bags and even a satin evening bag and a signature Coach flap duffel. Don’t tell me you can’t find something to bid on here!
Bid often and enthusiastically.
As someone with extremely low blood sugar, which means diabetes is most likely in my distant if not near future, I’m thrilled to give you so many yummy things (and men) to tempt your pocketbooks!
Thanks again to all of you who come out each year to support Brenda’s auction and my boutique and all the other authors who’ve donated so much to help a great cause!
Tags: Auction, Bill Freda, Brenda Novak, Coach, Diabetes, RWA National Conference, Serendipity
Posted in What About Everything Else? | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
We all draft story differently. We all find our own way to create something magical from raw creativity and intuition. HoWW today is about finding your own way to draft AND helping each other grow!
Jenni shared last week all the amazing, structured, spreadsheet-y ways she keeps up with details while she writes “freely” during her drafting phase. It’s pretty impressive. I tried it that way for a few books–NOT a pretty picture, me drooling in the corner, clutching all my charts close and whining because I can’t be creative with the analytical part of my brain engaged…
But I’m REALLY glad it works so well for Jenni, and that she looks so cool and professional with all her screen shots and all. You know, while geeky little me left show and tell behind when I was talking planning and rewriting, and all I’ve got to share now is my, “I can’t do anything but free write when I’m drafting, or my imagination shuts down…” advice to share.
Let me look. Maybe I have an image to help you visualize what I’m feeling as I write this…
No, it’s not that bad.
But Jenni and I DO draft that differently. She has to keep up with the details or she shuts down. I have to write blind, or I never let the details of what I’ve planned and already written go long enough to actually create something new.
If you’re someone who starts a book and months (even years) go by and you never get any further than chapter three or four, you might be one of “my” people ;o)
More than that, if you find yourself stopping your forward momentum too often and never achieve a rhythm in the drafting phase of your process–if you never feel that swell of knowing you’re in the right place with your story and you could keep writing forever it feels so good–SOMETHING is stalling out the imagination and confidence that feeds you.
If that’s the case, then it’s time to take a closer look at how YOU’RE writing. (more…)
Tags: Anna DeStefano, brainstorming, conflict, critiquing, discovery, draft writing, drafting, editorial revision, fiction, fiction writer, Jennifer Talty, narrative structure, novel, novel deconstruction, novel structure, plot, plotting, revision, rewriting, writing, writing articles, writing coach, writing craft, writing resources, writing workshops
Posted in How We Write | 5 Comments »
