Writing and Moving

I'm turning my blog over to my guest today, while I'm over at Barbara Vey's Publisher's Weekly Beyond Her Book Blog. Graham Harrigan from NOWHERE TO HIDE is joining me, and he's bringing his Death By Chocolate Cake in honor of the mystery theme of the day. Lots of prizes and giveaways. We'll be in and out all day along with lots of other authors. Drop by.

Today, I welcome Maris Soule to Terry's Place. Maris has had 25 romances published by Harlequin, Silhouette, and Bantam (Loveswept); has been a RITA finalist twice; and has won or placed in several contests. She is now writing for Five Star Publishing, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. This past year has presented new challenges.

March 2010 my husband and I purchased a place in Florida. That prompted a decision to sell our Kalamazoo, Michigan home, and move into our condo near Lake Michigan (which used to be our summer retreat). We plan on spending eight months of the year in the condo, and four in Florida. The last twelve months, however, have given me a new respect for any writer who has to move and still manages to keep up with his or her writing schedule. My schedule went down the drain.

A year ago I thought I would find time to rework a story that had been rejected by two agents. (That didn't happen.) I did have copy edits that had to be read, (Had to do that.) cover art to approve. (Thank goodness I liked what was proposed.), and later, advanced reading copy to read. (Another stage that had to be done.) In between the copy edits and ARCs, I packed and labeled boxes going to Florida; hauled books, clothes, etc. to the condo; held two yard sales; closed accounts; and visited a chiropractor on a regular basis (because all of this packing and moving was irritating a compressed disc).

Downsizing

Early on in my writing, when I was submitting, someone I'd send my manuscript asked if I'd ever considered writing category romance. If you're not familiar with the genre, these are the stereotypical "romance novels", virtually synonymous with Harlequin. There are dozens of imprints with several titles in each, and they're released each month.

They're also short. I'd be passing my own halfway point, and they'd be finished. Writing short is too much of a challenge for me.When I wrote my mystery, my target was to finish in 80-90,000 words, which is what the smaller presses are looking for. It came in at over 100,000, so I had to cut. Of course, every word was brilliant, but if I was going to try to market it as my first straight mystery, I couldn't exceed the guidelines. In short, I had only so much space for my words.

Now, assuming the house we've got under contract will actually be our new home, I'll have to take another look at downsizing. But this time, it won't be words, it'll be "stuff."

On the Road - and SleuthFest Sex Panelists

Normally, I'd have a Friday Field Trip posted today, but I've been taking a 'real' field trip, but at 70+ mph on the Interstates, there aren't a lot of nifty photo ops. Plus, I'm not exactly sure where I packed the cables that let my camera talk to my laptop, and my cell phone camera doesn't do anything justice. And, most of my travel shots are on my PC, not my laptop.


Some observations – interesting signs at one of the rest stops:
Also, I had to stop and think about the signage where one sign directed people to "wheelchair accessible stalls" and another to "ambulatory access stalls."

After the stress of trying to cram everything into the back of hubby's pickup and my Honda Fit (my neighbor made out very well with things that didn't fit), we did one last "I hope we have everything" pass through the house. The electric and water companies were timely in shutting off service.The closing was relatively painless. One last trip to Panera for a sandwich and WiFi, and we hit the road.

Hubby and I have different driving styles, so rather than frustrate each other, we set up rendezvous points at rest stops along the route. Tuesday night was spent in Tallahassee, and Wednesday in Hattiesburg, which is where I'm writing this. The Holiday Inn chains offer free WiFi, which means I can check in twice a day.

Scenery isn't breathtaking, although there are some glimpses into the wetlands with cypress trees festooned with Spanish moss. And there was the long-haired man wearing a backpack with a cardboard sign strapped into the back reading "I-10 West" walking along the highway with a small dog on a leash. Of course, questions arise, all of which would make for an interesting character. And man driving a pickup towing a U-Haul, with the woman obviously following behind, her small car stuffed to the brim with household possessions. Very similar to our situation, although we nixed the U-Haul after seeing the cost, and have managed to keep all the "stuff" in my car below the level of the front seats so I can see out the rear window. But one wonders if they're moving to something new, or away from something bad, or if they even know where they're going.

Jason is doing photo shoots in the Everglades this week, so I'm hoping he'll have more of his great nature photography to share, if not next week, then shortly thereafter. I'm still open to guests sharing pictures.

And, for anyone who's been curious about the answers to the Sex panelists identities, here they are:

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1. At the age of 12, one read "Forever" by Judy Blume, and considers it a major literary influence. Our absentee panelist, Barry Eisler

2. One is a former hairdresser who once weighed 250 pounds. Amy Fetzer

3. One graduated from high school before being legally old enough to drive a car. Rhonda Pollero

4. One was a misfit in high school who sported a brown, black and gold Mohawk. Traci Hall

5 At a publisher-sponsored launch of this author's book, models with painted-on bustiers strutted on a makeshift catwalk. Leanne Banks

Character Skills

The movers arrived yesterday morning, a crew of two. These guys know what they're doing. I gave them a trip through the house to show what goes and what stays. The lead man walked through it once more repeating what I'd said, and he had it nailed. He said he's been doing it long enough that he can usually tell what to pack and what stays behind in about three minutes, even without a homeowner telling him. He's a third generation mover.


I didn't realize how much "stuff" was on our walls. Never paid much attention to how many pictures they're packing. I never thought about looking at the walls as containing "stuff" that had to be included in the moving mass.

I'd started laying out clothes for SleuthFest, but hubby checked the weather forecast. It looks like it'll be a good 10 degrees colder than last week's predicted temps. So much for my first thoughts. Out with the shorts, in with the longs. The dress for the pool party probably won't work either. So I need to rethink reorganize, and repack. Not my favorite thing to do. I tend to overpack because I can't seem to zero in on exactly what I'll need for each day, each planned activity. It's a skill set I'm lacking.

One thing I consider when creating characters is what they do for a living, or what they would rather be doing for a living. What skills do they need? Where did they acquire them. Or did they? Or maybe they aren't quite good enough at what they do, which leads to conflict.

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In Africa, I asked our Game Drive guide if he enjoyed his work (yes), and why he chose it (couldn't stand the idea of working inside). Do you ever think about all the jobs out there? How many people do you run into on any given day. Bank tellers, dry cleaners, gardeners. What about the person who holds that sign that says "slow" on one side and "stop" on the other when they're working on the roads? How did they pick those jobs? Are they satisfied?


In writing, it's important to give your characters "super powers" even if they're not the sort that one things of in terms of leaping tall buildings or running faster than a speeding bullet. The ability to walk into a room and figure out how many boxes it'll take to pack everything up is a "super power." Author Rhonda Pollero says her husband has the power to be invisible to waiters.

These skills add reality to your characters, and help make them distinctive.

I'm looking forward to getting away from the chaos of moving for a few days, no matter what the weather. Tomorrow's Field Trip is a preview of Colorado – my talented photographer son has supplied some breathtaking pictures of Garden of the Gods.

Please come back – and don't forget about me just because I'm temporarily without Internet and can't "advertise" my postings.

If you're enjoying this, please share.

Shaking Things Up

What I'm reading: Dark Rider by Kathrynn Dennis

The Move has become all encompassing. Garage Sale Day went well, although we weren't quite as organized as I'd hoped, mostly because there was just no room to put all the "stuff" until it was time to stage it for the sale. Early birds were out in force, cutting into our available time to set up, which meant that after everything was done, I found "stuff" I'd meant to put out.
However, none of that "stuff" was significant, so at most, we might have made an extra $10-$20. The "stuff" will get donated, and our tax writeoff will be more than what we'd have made had we sold it.

As far as the sale itself, the Hubster and I were of different mindsets. I didn't have the energy to price each piece, so I had a sign saying people should gather everything they wanted and make one lump-sum offer. Of course, they didn't pay attention and asked pricing for each little bit.

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Hubby took the "get rid of it" rather than "make a little money" approach. I found that where I might have suggested a price of 50 cents, people offered a dollar. If I thought two dollars, hubby would jump in with one. Or he'd say, 'Just take it.' He told me to ask $5 for the lawn mower. A neighbor said she wanted it, but had to confirm with her husband. I told her I couldn't save it unless she paid, and she was okay with that. So, when someone else asked about it, I said I had an offer (leaving the amount out), but that it wasn't binding. He came in at $25, so my system was the more lucrative.

What didn't sell were our two heavy desks, and hubby's office bookshelves. The desks were a royal pain to deal with, as they were the sort that you put together inside. We ended up taking off a door to get one out, and they were major muscle strainers to get outside. Then, when the sale was over, we had to move them back into the garage, and they'll have to go back out again for pickup.

What I've discovered is how disrupting it is to have your surroundings changed, and how much you take for granted. We no longer have the family room couch or the chaise in my bedroom, or my recliner in the living room. I still haven't adjusted to there being no furniture in our bedroom and keep wandering in looking for the dressers when I need to get dressed.

With no television in the living room, I can't watch tv while I fold laundry or write my blog posts, two routines that have become ingrained. We still have a set in the den, but there's no couch to sit on, only a pair of bucket chairs, and they're not very comfortable.

Our offices are deskless, which means my PC is on the floor, and there's no comfortable way to sit and work. I have a lot of files on the PC, so I do need to access it as long as possible, but I'm now working on the laptop, The keyboard's a different size, the screen is tiny, and the kitchen table isn't the same height as my desk. I have a different mouse, one without the handy buttons for copy, paste, and open a browser buttons – all these details that one never notices until they're changed. And it won't be long before we have cancel our cable and our modem will disappear, taking our in-house Internet along with it.

And we now have no dishes, no silverware (except the good stuff, which I'm not using), hardly any pots, and I had to snag the last frying pan out of the donation pile because we bought eggs this morning for breakfasts – and on and on. We're using what's in the fridge, the freezer, and trying to get rid of as many pantry items as possible, but there's definitely nothing remotely resembling "cooking" going on.

Do you throw changes at your characters? How do they deal with them? No need to have everything be of earth-shattering proportions. Does your hero have to borrow a car, one he's unfamiliar with? Does your heroine have to start her day without her usual caffeine fix? What if a character needs something delivered on Tuesday, but that's the one day the company is closed? How to they cope?

As for stress reduction, I'm getting better at getting things done in smaller stages. Today was "get out everything for donations." Tonight we're going to make time for our usual Sunday visit to Stonewood Grill, just as we had time for our last Sunday morning Panera get-together with friends. I think we've met them there for coffee most Sundays for the last 3 years. Tomorrow night we'll have dinner with hubby's colleagues.

During the day, I'll deal with the next phase, which will be separating what the movers will put in the van, and what we'll need to take with us. I have a Wednesday deadline for that step, because the movers will be here first thing in the morning to pack up all the stuff I don't want to deal with (or risk breaking).
And how does this relate to the writing process? Sometimes you have to shake things up a bit. Try a new technique, like when I started my idea board. Write at a different time of day and see what happens. Try writing a chapter without going back to edit. Or, if you don't edit, try fixing it as you go and see if that makes a difference.

Tomorrow, my guest is author Mary Eason who's going to talk about dealing with writing the dark side of dark romantic suspense. I'll be packing!

Narrowing the Focus

What I'm reading: The Laird Who Loved Me, by Karen Hawkins

Note: This post is more about my 'real life' than my writing life, but I'm a guest at "The Writing Bug" talking about Beginnings and Endings if you're looking for a little more meat.

After reading Marie's Tuesday post on procrastination, I'm looking at our upcoming move. I know what she meant when she talked about things being overwhelming. I've tried to force myself to compartmentalize, because when I look at "moving", it's enough to make me want to give away everything we own and start from scratch. Kind of like thinking, I have to write a 100,000 word novel and all I have is a screen that says, "Chapter One." For me, prep for the move would be easier if we knew where we were going to end up. "Colorado" is a pretty wide target, just like thinking about "The End" when I start writing. I know in a romance, it'll be the HEA, and in a mystery, the crime will be solved, but that's about it.

I was going to illustrate this post with pictures of what our house looks like now, but I decided to spare you that.

We've narrowed our move down to two general vicinities, but can't really do serious looking until our deal is closed. Each step forward gives us more confidence; our buyers have already forked over some bucks for inspections, etc., and are looking for finance options that will skirt the need for an appraisal. Those are good things. But nothing is for certain until after we close.

However, since our Realtor has scheduled the day and time, we're assuming it's all a go, and have our "to-do" list. And a peek at the calendar says it's less than two weeks away!

You Know What They Say About Assumptions

What I'm reading: Sleepless in Scotland, by Karen Hawkins

Thanks, Marvin for holding down the fort while I was running around all day yesterday.

In prep for moving, we've been getting estimates on moving our worldly goods from Florida to Colorado – eventually. Since we need the money from the sale of the house before we can buy, we don't have anywhere to live out there (aside from some imposition on the kidlets). Movers are happy to store your stuff until you're ready for it.


Since we don't know where we'll live, we don't really know which furniture will fit in a new place. Plus, the décor aspects of Florida vs. Colorado have to be considered. That which works here isn't going to look right in a mountain home. Our prospective buyers want to keep a lot of our existing furniture, which is fine with us.

But movers charge by the pound. While we're happy to ditch the bedroom set, dining room, wall units, and lots of kitchen accoutrements, parting with books is much harder. And books are heavy. I checked the USPS website, looking to see what the options were. I discovered that you can send books and other media, as long as that's all that's in the box, at a price of about 1/3 of what the movers charge per pound. Our daughter and son-in-law in Colorado said they'd be willing to store boxes of books until we find a place.

Selling is Selling – And you can win a book

What I'm reading: Second Chance Pass by Robyn Carr

I've got a giveaway today. Be sure to leave a comment.

Today's the day. Is it the beginning or the end? The house is freshly painted. Most of the inside repairs are finished. The window man hasn't called back, and we still have to find the right hinges for the guest bathroom cabinets, but we've met the goal of having it ready to list. The POD is going away this afternoon.

I started thinking about how much getting the house ready for market is like getting a book ready to sell.

In my case, I'll write the initial manuscript, which will undoubtedly be long, and there will be a lot of precious words that aren't really vital to moving the story forward. Much like the 'before' picture of hubby's office.



When it's finished, it's going to need a lot of editing. Each scene has to be considered. Is it needed? Is it in the right place? Should I save it and put it in my 'cuts' file to be used another time?
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The realtor had us remove almost everything personal. My dining room wall that used to display memorabilia from all our travels? Bare. No family pictures. And, of course, no more skulls. Even my silk plants are gone (okay, they were on the dusty side, but they did brighten up the place).

The edits begin, and continue. The process is different for every writer. Just as hubby and I approached the "house editing" differently, one author might try to have a polished chapter before moving onto the next, while another might write straight through from page one to the end without going back. I think in the long run, it takes about the same time from start to finish.

But what happens when you finally have that manuscript as gorgeous as it can be? It needs to find that special buyer. That one editor who's going to fall in love with it, accept that it might have flaws, but be willing to work with it. So, you start sending it out. And then, it's out of your hands. You wait.

Our realtor is the "agent." His job is to find that one buyer who will love our house. So, although our goal has been met, and our house is ready, we're really just beginning the journey.

How will we deal with the pressure of waiting, not being able to do anything? It's kind of like waiting for the mail each day. Will there be a request for a partial? A full? Or a rejection?

And then there's the down-and-dirty reality. Or, should I say, the 'down-and-clean' reality? The house has to be ready to show. Maybe for months and months. No leaving dishes in the sink, or clutter on the counters. Wastebaskets empty.

I'll confess here. When I went to work full time years ago, the contingency was that we hired someone to do the cleaning. Up until now, I've managed to keep that in the budget. However, given our new financial circumstances, I've cut back to every other week. Of course, we've always done the laundry, made beds (although hubby wonders why, since we have to unmake them to get into bed every night), wash dishes, etc. all on our own—but the vacuuming, mopping, and serious cleaning was left for the service. It's been a long time since I did some of those basics myself.

And, just as the technology my characters use in my books has changed, so, apparently, has the housecleaning variety. And, since we figure we're going to have to keep things spiffy on a more frequent basis, I thought I'd try one of those gizmos I'd seen on tv that looked faster and easier than a vacuum cleaner for our wood and tile floors. (Not to mention it took me a while to find the 'on' switch for the vacuum cleaner).

So, after the carpet cleaners left, I had the humbling experience of trying to assemble a Swiffer. No words, just pictures on the box in lieu of instructions. It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out how to attach the pads to the base unit.

What are the little tricks that keep you from going crazy with having to become neat-freaks? And the bits of magic that make the house irresistible to buyers? I don't think I'm going to be baking cookies every day so the house smells like a bakery. It's hot, and I hate turning on the oven (and besides, using it will get it dirty!)

Any advice? Share a suggestion in the comments section. It can be a hint for making the house look good, or a hint for keeping the marriage intact during the process! I'll give an autographed copy of What's in a Name? to one commenter.

Looking at the New Old Days

What I'm reading: 7th Heaven by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro; Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch, by B.J. Daniels; Colby vs. Colby, by Debra Webb

First: Catherine Kean will be announcing her winner after 5 PM today, so there's still time to read her post, leave a comment, and be entered in the drawing.

This is a very short post today, as we met with our realtor last night and he said we need to have the house ready to show before the Memorial Day weekend. As I type, the painter is working up his estimate to do the interior painting required to make the house presentable. It's turning into more work (and money) because the realtor also said that our walls had too much "stuff" on them, which means if we take it off, that leaves nail holes, which means we need a lot more painting done. Since the walls haven't been painted in years and years, there's no way the same paint color is the same paint color -- fading, etc.

So, as we scramble to get things ready, I'll leave you with a couple of cartoons that actually triggered my thoughts for Monday's Good Old Days post.

The first is "Pickles" by Brain Crane




The next is "Mutts" by Patrick McDonnell



Don't forget - read and comment on Catherine Kean's post by 5 PM today. And check back to see if you're the winner.

Clutter Clearing Continues - with a contest

What I'm reading: In Their Footsteps & Thief of Hearts, by Tess Gerritsen

First, thanks to Beth Trissel for taking us on a trip through Virginia's countryside and history. And thanks to everyone who stopped by and left a comment.

Second: be sure to read the entire post. I've decided to have a Clutter Clearing Contest! Details at the end.

Our moving plans are moving. S-L-O-W-L-Y. Getting a house ready to put on the market is a stressful endeavor, and when the market is as down as it is now, it's even more so, because you have to make your home stand out—in a good way.

So, each gaze raises the tri-fold question: Donate, Take it with us, or Trash?

Two things I've discovered:

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One: It's Deductible. This is something that came free with Turbo Tax – I don't know if it's free otherwise. But it tracks all those charitable donations, and gives fair market value for just about everything. We're on our second donation load—and still the closets seem too full.

Two: Freecycle. There are things that don't make the donation grade, for one reason or another. Freecyle is a vast number of local networks that puts people who have stuff they don't want in touch with people who want it. I've signed up for the group in my part of town, and have already found homes for my 9 years of National Geographics and my 7 years of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. And tonight, someone's coming by to pick up bags and boxes of miscellaneous craft items that I will never use.
(Do you think anyone would want hubby's fish squirt gun?) Meanwhile there are the serious projects, starting with curb appeal. We've already painted the outside of the house. Re-screened the patio. Have someone coming to take care of windows that don't open properly, etc. Hubby has spread 2 truckloads of pine bark mulch in the yard. Then there are the little things inside. Touch up painting, cleaning the carpets, and heaven only knows when hubby will pack up the skulls. Somehow, those probably won't show well.



We still have to get rid of enough "stuff" so we can do the inside painting. Right now, there's no way anyone can get to the walls. So, I thought I might find another place to get rid of some of my "stuff." How about a contest? Winner will get a grab bag of whatever I can fit into a priority flat rate envelope. (Has to be the US, though – sorry). What will it be? I don't know yet. I have a LOT of stuff that won't be making the move. (No worries – you won't get a skull)



How to enter?


1. Check with your library and see if they carry my book, When Danger Calls. If they do, let me know which library. If they don't, please request it. Give them the title (When Danger Calls) , author (Terry Odell), ISBN 978-1-59414-723-4, Publisher: Five Star Gale/Cengage. Let me know you've requested it.

This is the honor system, but it won't cost you anything. Most libraries will probably let you do this over the internet.

2. Answer any ONE of these questions (answers on my website.)

a. What were the draft and final word counts for Finding Sarah?
b. What word did I have to use in the short story that let to Hurricane Breeze?
c. Who reviewed When Danger Calls in Orlando Magazine?

Email your answers to contest@terryodell.com.