Unleashing the Incredible

Recently, I was part of something truly incredible. As a speaker at Darnyelle Jervey's three day conference - Unleash Your Incredible Factor 2014 - I expected to give me talk on the 10 Facts About the Law Every Business Owner Needs to Know, make contacts and maybe pick up a client or two while I learned more about marketing from Darnyelle and the other speakers.

I should have known better.

After all, I'd met Darnyelle before and knew how magnetic she is. We'd had a 90 minute coaching session that still stands as one of the best use of funds in my business. But I hadn't really internalized what who Darnyelle was meant, and would mean in a large group.

The experience was educational, transformational, inspiring, energizing, and invigorating. In short, incredible.

As a lawyer I need to take 12 hours of continuing legal education every year. As a writer I've been to a number of seminars. Hundreds, if not thousands, of seminar and conference hours. Most conferences are fairly boring. Or there are too many people to make meaningful connections. Or the speakers are guarded better than the gold in Fort Knox. Most "marketing" conferences are high on "rah-rah-rah" but low on content. Before Unleash I'd only been to one conference that was more. I've written about Superstars Writing Seminar before so I won't go into any depth here. One thing remarkable about Superstars is how close the attendees become during the conference. There's a reason we have "Tribe" t-shirts.

Unleash was a "business revival." One of the attendees at Unleash said that Darnyelle's pulpit is business, and I think the attendee had it right. Not only did the seminar focus on concrete steps to shift your business and life to their next level, but also there was something undeniably more happening.

While in some ways Unleash 2014 will be one of those things "you just had to be there for,"  I'm going to do my best to convey some sense of that more.

The more started on the first night. Well, maybe sooner, as Darnyelle started the conference by stating that she believed in God, and would refer to him during the next 3 days. It was okay if you called that force fate, universe, or another entity but for her IT was God. We came back after dinner for our night session (7pm - 9pm). Darnyelle had us to the whisper exercise in which one group would think about the word or phrase they needed to hear before they could move on to their next stage and then whisper that word or  phrase into the ear of the second group who stood with eyes closed. Even typing this now I get little shivers thinking of the event.

There were about 225 attendees for the conference and probably 180 people at the whisper session. It was impossible in the time allotted to whisper to or hear everyone. But somehow as we walked around that room or waited for the word the people with the right words found those who needed to hear them.

I don't think I've ever been to a conference with as much crying. Some tears were the slow quiet ones of joy and others were the body wracking ones of release. You couldn't be in that room without feeling Something More.

Darnyelle later said that the whisper exercise was usually something she did on the last day of her conferences, but she'd felt the need for the exercise on the first day. The sense of more continued through the three days. It's hand rested lightly on all of us. Moving some to speak stories they'd never told anyone. Some found their next purpose.

What I do know is none of us left the as the same people we were when we arrived. We'd shifted out mindset - both for our business and our lives.

So, what can I tell you about Unleash?

You need to go in 2015. Even if you don't have your own business. Yet. The marketing and business knowledge you will gain is well worth the price of admission. You can apply it to whatever job you have or want to have. You can use the information to take your business to its next level. The people you'll connect with are priceless. You'll be part of something more, something greater than any one person.

In short, you'll unleash the incredible inside you.

Thank you, Darnyelle and all your incredible staff!

2013 Roundup

 

 

2013 was a bit of a bear for me. I'm glad to see it in the rear view mirror. But before I bid 2013 a joyous farewell, indulge me one last look peak through the looking glass.

So how did I do on my 2013 goals? Some hits and some misses.

Of the three books I wanted to finish and submit, two crossed the finish line and are at publishers (Baen and Musa). Fingers crossed, and hopefully announcements soon. I had to slow down on writing the third novel to do a bit more research and try that outline thing with it. My new goal for Schrodinger Effect is to have the first draft done by the end of the first quarter 2014 (March 30, 2014), and have a final product by ThrillerFest in July. Unexpectedly, Musa Publishing included me in their cookbook of recipes in November, 2013.

I'm a few weeks away from my law firm's first anniversary. Being a solo practitioner has been an experience.  I'll blog more about this in the next week or so.


Not everything was sunshine and happiness in 2013. In fact, the second half of the year was marked with loss. Cancer took my second mom, Phyllis Hussey, in June. Three of our four cats moved on. I was down for two weeks with a nasty stomach virus. My Dad had another stroke and his Lewy Body Dementia has been getting worse.

On the, can't anything go right? page, was the call I received from my bank on Black Friday letting me know of suspicious activity on my debit card. Needless to say, I wasn't the person buying 5K worth of Apple products, $350 at Radio Shack, Facebook credits, a Match.com membership and pizza at Papa John's. I think I'm most offended by the fact the hacker bought pizza and dating with my money. Match refunded the money immediately. Radio Shack took about two weeks to refund $299.99 (I guess they didn't credit the shipping). I'm still waiting for Apple to do something. Needless to say, the unexpected drain on my finances changed our holiday plans a bit.

The upshot is 2013 is over, and I have a brand new year to look forward to.

What's on the horizon for 2014?

I'm waiting to hear back on the two novels I've submitted. I'll definitely have at least one new book out in 2014!

I've been accepted as a co-author on Sandra Yancey and the EWomen Network's new project. When I saw the proposed title, I felt it fairly aptly summarized my life. Succeeding Through Doubt, Fear & Crisis will be a cutting-edge multimedia book with embedded audio and video (available on iPad  and other digital platforms) and traditional print book. The expected publication date is August, 2014 for the annual meeting. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

My conference schedule is pretty full.

I'm getting ready for Superstars Writing Seminar in Colorado Springs. I've written a lot about Superstars on this blog. Since I'm 'sure your tired of hearing me rave about it, let me direct you to Brad Torgersen's and Nathan Barra's fabulous posts on how Superstars changed, well, everything, with their writing careers. Really, folks, this is a must attend seminar.

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April will bring the American Bankruptcy Institute annual conference in DC. (Yes, I know, that's the boring lawyer stuff. But since the conference lasts 3 days, I figured it deserved a mention). Balticon in May (Memorial Weekend) is on the list. I'm hoping to attend ThrillerFest in July. August will see me at the EWomen Network conference and book launch for Succeeding Through Doubt, Fear & Crisis.  DragonCon in September (Labor Day Weekend) is a possibility. World Fantasy is in DC in October and I already have my tickets.

We've started on some necessary home repairs, and have some family time planned. Overall, I'm looking forward to 2014.

What's my number 1 goal for 2014?

In the words of James Artimus Owen - My goal is to be the kind of person who makes things happen.

Draw out those dragons!

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

At a recent conference the keynote speaker said that 14 was the number of deliverance so that 2014 would be the year of deliverance. All I can say is: Amen to that. During an audience participation segment the speaker asked us (a group of about 40 women and 1 man) what did "success" mean for us. One woman stated that for her it meant being grateful. She had a point. No one gets anywhere in life by his or herself.  Thanksgiving is one of the times we reflect on our blessings. And it's time to consider mine.

I am thankful for my ever supportive and the opportunity to return the favor as he works on a large appeal due on December 16. My boys are both a source of joy and frustration. I am not thrilled about the questions about sex that are starting to appear on a somewhat regular basis. But heck, they are that age and I'm grateful that they feel comfortable coming to me to ask those questions. I'm  a romance writer, right? I should be able to field those questions. Right?

Despite serious health issues my father is still with us. I am humbled by the many many sacrifices my parents made for my siblings and I and for the person they helped me become. While it wasn't my Mom's idea, or even desire, I am glad that they sold their house near Tampa, FL to move into their house in Orlando, FL where my brother lives so he could help with my Dad's care while I was hundreds of miles away. I am eternally grateful to my brother for what he does for our parents, and his long-term employment with Disney so we can get into the park for a lot less than we would otherwise. I am sure my sons echo that last point.

I am thankful for the invitation to become a staff member for Superstars Writing Seminar. I've written about this before so I won't belabor the point but I am eternally grateful to the friends and fellow Tribe members I've met over the years at Superstars. Being part of the Superstars Tribe and the Flash Fiction Online family has done wonders for my confidence in myself as a writer and person.

When I left a second firm in less than 9 months in February, my clients came with me. I can't thank them enough for that leap of faith or their patience with me as I figured out going it on my own. One individual spent several hours tracking me down through three firms and my Linked In profile because I'd worked for one of his company's vendors more than a decade ago, and when they had a problem of a similar nature I was the one they wanted to handle it. I helped several clients get the benefits they were due and that, in turn, made their lives a little better, a little brighter. There are very few things better in life than knowing you were able to help someone who needed it. I thank my clients for giving me the opportunity to serve them.

I am humbled by all of you who spend a little bit of your week with me on this blog.

So, while 2013 has been full of challenges there was a lot of good too. I hope life is kind to you and your family and your life is full of things to be thankful for.

When does something go from being an event to something more?

We all have events in our lives - the kids need to be picked up from school, time to worm the animals- you know the every day in and outs of living. I've been to lots of events. Marketing meetings, seminars and fund raisers. I've seen some of the shows that redefined Broadway productions.Sometimes what we expect to be an event with the little "e" becomes an Event, capital "E." The capital E moments are the ones that leave their impression long after the incident is over. There are good Events - graduation day, wedding days, the moment your child is born - that often are the culmination of lots of small events. There are the horrible Events that steal your breath away and fundamentally change you - September 11, the death of a parent or child, the diagnosis of cancer or the loss of innocence.

But when does an occurrence cross the line from just something that happened to an Event?

For me, the crossover happens when there's a fundamental change in how I see or interact with the world. Sometimes we're lucky enough to realize when an Event is happening. Other times we only recognize the paradigm shift in its aftermath.

 The first time I heard Tracy Hickman tell his story about how one of his stories touched a soldier was one of those moments. The first time I heard James A. Owen tell his story and draw his dragon was another.

I spent the year between the 2012 Superstars and 2013 Superstars in professional turmoil for my day job. My law firm of 5 years was splitting up. I could join the D.C. office, but my title of "partner" would be just that - a title. Rather than do that, or go out on my own and face the uncertain income stream that entailed, I decided to join a firm that promised to treat me like an equal, and in six months we'd renegotiate my compensation (base salary plus a percentage of the collection) and my status in the hopes of making me a full equity partner.

That situation didn't work out like I'd hoped. After the managing partner blew off yet another meeting about my future with the firm to get a haircut - yes, you read that right, he left to get a haircut, or at least that's what he told me-, I had a decision to make. Having the managing partner skip out of a meeting with me for a haircut was a wake up call. Now what was I going to do about it?

The firm offered me insurance and a regular paycheck. I wanted those things for my family. My husband has run his own firm or been part of a two partner firm for most of his career. There are months where he won't bring home any income, followed by a month with LARGE checks from his court appointed work. Right now he's working on a case that, if he's lucky, will pay him in February 2014. Yup, you read that right too - 9 months from now. So, I thought about James.

James has a saying, "Never give up what you want most for what you want most right now."

What did I want most - to be part of a firm where what I could do and who I am was valued. Where I didn't feel like the partners were sabotaging me.

What did I want most right then? A paycheck so I could keep my kids in their school and keep their life somewhat stable.

When I thought about it that way, the choice was clear.

So, because the managing partner refused to meet with me, I quit by e-mail and gave him ten days' notice.  That decision caused about three months of hassle with the old firm and I still have a target on me as far as they are concerned. But, it was the right choice for LOTS of reasons.

Anyway, I hung out my shingle on February 1, 2013. I agonized about taking a week off for Superstars 2013, but then I'd already committed to Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta to help out. What I want most is to be a person of her word. Again, the choice was clear.

Superstars 2013 was an EVENT. Not just for me, but for lots of people.

I could quote all the blog posts about it., but it's better, I think, just to send you to them.

Nathan Barra wrote - Expectations and Hope Rewarded - you can find his post at:  http://www.nathanbarra.com/2013/05/expectations-and-hopes-rewarded-superstars-writing-seminar-2013-in-review/

Sam Knight wrote "A Lightning Strike on Your Writing Career: Seriously you NEED to read this one." You can read it.here.  If you've read my short story collection, Paths Less Traveled, you know lightning strikes has a special place in my heart.

Terry Odell shared her insights from the seminar in a multipost blog starting here.

Mark Leslie wrote - Top 10 Takeaways from Superstars Writing Seminar. You can find that post here

To Mark's quotes, I'll add the following:

"It does not matter if you are published, it matters if you are READ." - Tracy Hickman.

"It's the bad books that make you a better writer." - Joan Ann Johnson.

Superstars  is an Event for me. Not only did I get to see lots of friends from previous Superstars and meet fabulous new people. I got to look behind the curtain and make Kevin and Rebecca's life easier. As part of the non-session outing to Star Trek, I met a lovely family and got to talk to a young man about his dream about being a writer. And discovered that his father also harbored the dream.

Like Sam, I saw the lightning sparkle and strike for many people this year. Sure, some of those strikes won't ignite the rocket Sam refers to, but surprising number will.

Really, people. Why weren't you there? I hope I'll see you next year.

The Garden of the Gods

One of the perks of going to Superstars Writing Seminars this year was I got to visit The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Co. To borrow from its website:

Garden of the Gods Park is a registered National Natural Landmark. Imagine dramatic views, 300' towering sandstone rock formations against a backdrop of snow-capped Pikes Peak and brilliant blue skies.

The park has become one of my favorite places. Not only are there amazing rock formations (and the pictures in the post don't do justice to the place or give you a sense of the sheer size of these rocks. I went shortly after sunrise. The sound of the pigeons in the cliff face was a constant thrum in the background. Rabbits calmly cropped grass while I stood less than five feet away.

I'd heard the rocks change as the lights hit them. And they did.  Even though the main track through the park was only a mile long, I spent three hours meandering through the cliffs. I'm going to try to swing by again before the conference ends.

If you are ever in Colorado Springs, The Garden of the Gods is well worth the trip. I know I'll be back.

Getting Geared Up for Superstars

After a lovely breakfast in bed and the gift of flowers from my boys (all three of them), I spent the better part of my day on a plane headed to Colorado Springs, Colorado for the Superstars Writing Seminar. The seminar officially kicks off on Tuesday, but there's lots of unofficial getting together and airport runs tomorrow.

Kevin J Anderson just posted the updated schedule. And I have to say, we have some great presenters this year - Kevin, of course, Rebecca Moesta, Eric Flint, James A. Owen, Tracy Hickman, Lisa Mangum, Joan Johnston, Jim Minz, Mark Leslie Lefebvre, Peter Wacks, and Superstars Alumni -  M. Scott Boone, and Moses Siregar.

Superstars is still by far the best way to learn about the business of writing.

I'm taking bets on who wrings more tears from  the audience - Tracy or James. I'm going to be posting from the seminar. So  stay tuned this week.

Editing versus writing

I'm currently editing two novels. It struck me the other night how fundamentally different the process of writing is from editing in one aspect. When I write a story, I'm always looking at my increasing word count. My goals are based on how many new words I add to the story each week. There's that moment of excitement when a story passes the "short" length and into novella. Then there's the sheer joy of crossing into novel length.

But then, I type "The End" and panic sets. One of the down sides to being a discovery writer is that I write long. Too long. I might have 50 pages before I figure out where the story starts. As I start to push the upper edge of genre appropriate word count. I start thinking about how much is left and how much I'll need to cut in the edit phase.

When I switch hats from writer to editor, I reverse the process. I have a minimum number of words I need to lop off. It's a bit disheartening when I start the process, but then just like the moment of watching the word count rise, watching it decline becomes a thrill. Not only am I  bringing the beast into genre acceptable limits, but I'm watching the story lines tighten, making my prose cleaner and meaner. Once I chip away excess words, I find themes I hadn't realized I'd written in.

So, right now I'm in the process of taking a 130,500 word behemoth back down to something closer to 110k. Three thousand words to down, seventeen thousand to go. Oh yes, and did I mention I wanted this edit complete before I leave for Superstars Writing Seminar on Sunday (May 12)?? Well, I do. So it's back to work for me.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Looking Forward (Not Resolutions)

Last week was a week for looking back, recalling those good old days, and launching into the new year without the last year's baggage. If you can figure out how to make this work, please let me know.

This week is all about the future. In the upcoming year, I'm scheduled to attend three writing seminars: Superstars Writing Seminar - Colorado - May; ThrillerFest - NYC - July; and World Fantasy (WFC)- Brighton, England - October. I may try to sneak down to DragonCon or up to Balticon (more likely) since they are relatively close to me, but family, workload, time and money will dictate whether I make those two. WFC will mark the fourth time I've been out of the United States, and the first time my kids will leave the country. Come the fall, my oldest will start high school. How in the world did that happen?

My goal is to finish the current WIP this month, with a submission to my publisher in March. I've committed to writing 50,000 words on a new story in the next four months. I need to have this one completed and ready for submission by ThrillerFest (July). I also want to finish the re-write of the novel I took to Dave Farland's Novel ReWriting workshop by the end of February, with submissions starting in May.

Then, of course, there's the family time. I also want to spend more time at the pool with the kids and get my garden planted this year. Last year I managed to get the garden beds ready for planting, but changes in my law practice ate up all my "free" time this past summer. 

Speaking of my law practice, I need to finish setting up my new office in Fairfax. I want to grow that law practice in 2013 to the point where I can justify having a full time associate (junior lawyer) or paralegal.

So, 2013 looks to be as busy as 2012, and that's just the stuff I know about. I can't wait to see what 2013 holds. I hope you join me for the ride.

Everything I needed to know about the business of publishing, I learned at Superstars Writing Seminar

Three years ago my life changed.

Before dismissing that statement as being melodramatic, just hear me out.

It was 2010 and I was thinking that I might actually be interested in maybe someday pursing a writing career. I was receiving Dave Farland's Daily Kicks, and he mentioned he was putting together this seminar-thing (okay, he was far more eloquent than that) with a bunch of other top-notched and top-selling fantasy writers about everything you needed to know about the publishing industry but no one was willing to tell you. The other instructors - Kevin J. Anderson, Eric Flint, Rebecca Moesta and Brandon Sanderson - all had equally impressive resumes. The seminar-thingy was the Superstars Writing Seminar. I figured what the heck, I'd been going to "skills" seminars for about 5 years now, maybe it was time to get an insider's look at the industry I wanted to be part of.

Best (professional) decision of my life.

Why? 

The information and insight into the publishing market, including the self-publish v. traditional publishing debate, was invaluable. Knowing the risks inherent for a publisher in taking on a new writer, I understood (and could work to circumvent) the barriers to publishing.

The time with the instructors was unprecedented. Remember that I said I'd been attending seminars for 5 years. Even with instructor intense workshops, there wasn't a whole lot of out of class time with the instructors. Superstars blew that distance out of the water. We went to lunch with the instructors. We went out drinking with Kevin Anderson. If you wanted a few minutes of their time, all of them where happy to oblige.

The instructor time ties in with a very important point. Brandon, Dave, Eric, Kevin and Rebecca are some of the nicest and most open people you could every want to meet. They genuinely want to help other writers succeed. They are invested in helping them do so. They are a wealth of information on many disparate topics and are more than happy to share that knowledge whether its publishing, queries, hiking, micro brew beers, mafia, European history or whatever.  For the price of asking, they've given us hours of their time to help the Superstars attendees move their careers forward.  The picture above is Brandon Sanderson talking to a group of Superstars alum at the 2012 World Fantasy Con. He gave us three and a half hours of his time to talk about anything and everything. I could spend many posts talking about the other instructors and how they've helped my career as well, and probably will in future posts. And the guest speakers are just as open and wonderful as the regular instructors.

Then, of course, there's the connections you form with the other attendees. The Superstars attendees are as amazing as the instructors. A group of the 2010 Superstars alums formed the a writing group We blog about writing and the writing life at Fictorians. The picture to the right is of some of us at World Fantasy 2012. In addition to Fictorians, Superstars alums have an active Facebook group. We encourage and commiserate with each other. We are our own best cheerleaders. That network of people going through exactly what you are is invaluable. It's also how I found my publisher.

Most of all, what Superstars did for me was give me the confidence to say, "I am going to be a professional writer." It's not a crazy dream. It's a goal. Superstars gave me an understanding of the business side of the industry that I couldn't get anywhere else.

So, I'm a repeat offender for Superstars. The 2013 session (May 14-16, 2013) will mark my fourth attendance. If you are interested in a career as a writer (or even if your just curious), I highly recommend you attend Superstars Writing Seminar, which will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado this year. Prices go up on 12-21-12, so sign up now.

Feel free to e-mail me off-line if you have any questions about Superstars. And I hope to see you there.

Happy Thanksgiving.

For most of us in the United States today is a day we pause to reflect on the good things in our lives. And, to be truthful, eat far too much turkey and fixin's.

So, what am I thankful for?

I'm watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade with my sons. Although, my husband growled something about being in the next room where he could hear the parade was close enough for him, thank you very much. Hurricane Sandy did not hit Virginia with force it was originally expected to. My families, birth, surrogate and by affinity, are still intact although members in each group still struggle with serious health issues.

I've had a fabulous year with my writing, including being published in an anthology, having two short story collections and a novella published by my fabulous publisher, Musa Publishing. Because I've had a fabulous year, I was able to meet lots more people in the industry. I joined Flash Fiction Online as a staff member and will attend this year's Superstars Writing Seminar as staff. I am thankful for all of you who read my blog and who have bought my books.

Sure, there are things I can complain about. There always will be. But today's not a day for complaints. It's a day to rejoice in what we have, and realize that there are always others who struggle through with less.

So, thank you. I am deeply moved and honored that you take the time out of your day to spend a little of it with me.

I hope you and your family have a joyous Thanksgiving.

Drawing Out The Dragons - Superstars 2012

There are dragons out there if we just believe and search for them.

Yet again, this year's Superstars Writing Seminar (http://superstarswritingseminar.com)  exceeded expectations. Presenters included: Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Eric Flint, Brandon Sanderson, David Farland/ Wolverton, Dean Wesley Smith, and James Owen. James Owen drew the dragon pictured above as part of his presentation - Drawing Out The Dragons. Each year, one presentation inspires awe. The first year, 2010, for me the title went to Brandon and how he was chosen to complete the Wheel of Time series for Robert Jordon. There was no doubt that last year's title went to Tracy Hickman's story about how our writing touches our readers. You can hear that story on the Superstars website. James Owen stole the title this year.

A little about James for those of you who don't know him. He started his writing career as a comic book artist in middle school. His life has been punctuated by moments where most people would give up. He never did. At eleven he was diagnosed with a rare blood disease (read this as "the doctors didn't know what was wrong with him but he was dying.") and not expected to survive. He found the will to do so. As an adult, when it looked like success had finally found him, he was in a car accident. The doctors told him that he was lucky because he'd only injured his right hand (you know, the one he drew with), and that even though that hand would never be 100%, he'd be fine unless he needed his hand for his job. James said that he did because he was a comic book artist. In response, the doctor replied, "Not anymore."

James is a comic book artist.

He has more courage than anyone I know. I hope that if I'm ever faced with some of the choices the was I will have the internal strength to make the choices he did to stay true to what he wanted and not compromise them for the thing he needed at that moment.

Here's the thing: writing is tough. It's easy to give up or compromise.

Indie publishing (whether e-publishing or self-publishing) changed the writing market. Writers can directly interact with readers without the Big 6 traditional publishers. Whether this is a good thing or not is a different issue. What was true before the e-pub world continues to be true - No one can make you an international best seller. Only you can do that.

People will help me open the doors, but I still need to decide to walk through them. I need to live with purpose and make the tough choices. I need to ask for help and be willing to accept it. I have to make things happen for me. I will make things happen for me.

I will draw out the dragons even when everyone else can't see that's what I'm doing.

James Owen can be found at http://www.coppervaleinternational.com and http://coppervale.livejournal.com