The Scribble Pad
The mental meanderings of a slightly loose screw.
Friday October 30 - Where the white women at?
(Apologies to Blazing Saddles)
My critique partner Tanya writes on this fabulous must-see blog called Southern Fried Chicas. No, really, if you're into romance, drop by.
This week she did an entry on the lack of quote multicultural unquote (read: non-white) heroes in mainstream romance. And God bless her, she has a point. Where are they?
Well, I went off on a rant on her blog, and I'm not going to repeat it here, so go see for yourself.
What's been buzzing round my mind in an intense but I-don't-want-to-raise-any-hornets'-nests kind of way, though, is related. We non-white romance readers and writers grew up reading romance written by white chicks, right? Barbara Cartland, Janet Dailey, Kathleen Woodwiss, yadda yadda. It was what was available to us, so it was what we read.
And even though AA romance has been on the market since the mid-90's, (and we embraced it feverishly!) ain't nothing wrong with reading what we're used to, is there? I still read the women I grew up on, be they black, white or khaki. I don't mind saying that Linda Howard is hands down my favourite romance writer. And from the Kimani blogs, It seems to me that my fellow romance readers and writers have no problem reading the books featuring white characters.
My question is, do white women read "multicultural" books in the same way? Does the average white reader pick up a Kimani with the same ease and nonchalance that I'd pick up the latest Linda? Would she find the hero attractive? Would she identify with the heroine? Or would she be afraid she'd be judged by the cover of the book she's reading?
In other words, how many white women read our books? Serious question, and I'm opening it up for discussion here. Please, if you have an opinion, share it. Enquiring minds need to know.
Thursday October 22 - God damn you, Farmville!
I hate Farmville. I really, really do. It's the most obsessive-compulsive, pointless time waster on the 'net, a black hole of productivity. And all I've been doing these past few weeks is buying virtual cows, planting virtual squash, and coveting virtual farm equipment.
You have to access it from Facebook, and the disease has gotten so bad I don't even read other people's Facebook posts anymore, much less post my own. All I do is scroll through the pages for bonus coins and ugly ducklings that need adopting.
I should be shot. I was driving home this morning and found myself planning my next move, how to buy a farmhouse, where to put my next plot, what crop to plant, when to reap, and I thought, I HAVE TO DELETE THIS THING. Really. Aren't I supposed to be working for a living here?
Thursday October 16 - Easy does it
Guess what I typed this week! Hint: it starts with 'THE' and ends with 'END'! Yeah, I finished the draft of my new novel. Which doesn't mean it's one. I now have to edit the thing, then print it and proof it.
And here's the point where I'm so excited about it, so anxious for it to be done and dusted, that I have to resist the urge to rush through it.
So I need to pace myself, breathe deeply, and take it easy.
But if I do say so myself, The Irrisestible Mr. Cooper looks like a winner!
Tuesday October 13 - Life happens
'Member how John Lennon said "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans"? I know what he means.
I find myself at night too tired to read, too tired to surf the 'net, too tired for a decent conversation with another adult, much less to have sex. My 5-times a week exercise routine has dropped to once a week, and I can see and feel the difference.
Every night as I stagger into bed I convince myself that tomorrow I won't be so tired. Tomorrow I might take a few hours off, bake some cookies, read the paper, instead of spending the measly 5-6 child-free hours I have every day pounding away at the computer or chasing down clients, hoping that this will be the month in which I break even and actually make enough money to match my expenses.
Fat chance.
And every day I work until it's time to leap up, grab the keys and go get my kids, I type right down to the wire until I know if I wait 5 minutes more I'll be late, and I'll find them standing in the schoolyard, glaring at me.
I've convinced myself that next advance will be better, and I won't have to work so hard. Next royalty statement will actually have a check in it. Next week, maybe, I can actually take a day off.
Yeah, keep on dreamin'.
Friday October 9th - Binge Alert
I always know when I'm under stress: I can feel the hunger coming on. Not an ordinary housed-in-the stomach hunger, but a deep, pervasive, undeniable soul hunger that goes to my brain and makes me irrationally famished and unquenchably voracious.
And when that feeling sneaks up on me, oh, it's on. I've been a bit down in the dumps lately, struggling to keep my WIP coherent and on track while at the same time wondering if it will ever be sold, and if my wonderful characters will ever see the light of day, And I got to tell ya: that's stress.
And my body and mind are fighting back. Yesterday I found myself in the supermarket, prowling like zombie. I bought a pound of chocolate, two quarts of ice cream (rocky road and cherry vanilla), two bags of chips (premium, very expensive), hickory smoked almonds, ranch dip, and a bunch of nasty Chinese licorice prunes. I told myself I was buying treats for my children (poor, poor dears) but I knew what I was about.
By the time I'd got to their school, a mile away, I was halfway through the bag of chips. By the time we'd got home again, we'd jointly demolished the chips and had begun on everything else. Yes, I fed my kids ice cream for dinner.
A sure sign that I need to lighten up, wouldn't you say?
Friday October 2nd - SIMcerely yours
Sims are good for lots of stuff. You can play with them, taunt them, help them find true love, or drown them in a pool.
They're also good for making movies! I just spent about 30 precious hours of my life creating Sims that look like my characters, building sets, teaching them their moves, shooting footage, editing, voicing...and voila! My first book trailer for Meet Me in Paris. If you want to have a look, here it is.
You can also find it on YouTube here - be sure to give a rating and leave a comment!
How was it? Great fun, but a little obsessive and exhausting. It's intense work, sitting at the computer for up to 8 hours in one day. Not to mention how temperamental Sims can be. It's like working with child actors: they don't always do as they're told, they get bored and antsy, they need their egos stroked, they need to go to the bathroom, and when you've got them all dressed and ready to do their lines...the light's faded and you have to wait 'till the next 'day' to shoot!
