 Red Room Writer Profile
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Terry Odell's Blog
November 6, 2009
- I'll be one of about 20 authors signing books on Saturday. I know the majority of you aren't local, but this is our RWA chapter's annual event to raise money for the Adult Literacy League in Orlando. Twenty percent of the proceeds will be donated to the organization, thanks to Barnes & Noble. Literacy is near and dear to me, and I've been a volunteer for the Adult Literacy League for over a ...
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November 5, 2009
- Like countless other children, I was encouraged—with the fear that children all over the world might starve otherwise—to finish whatever my mother put on my plate. Most of the time, I liked her fare, but like countless other children, there were some things I found less palatable than others. Veggies often fell into this category. Still, we were expected to eat them. Not understanding how not ...
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November 4, 2009
- I've now reached the point in my mystery WIP where writing becomes a job. I'm close to the end. I had the revelation about where the "secret" that's been the focus of the book really is. I ran it past hubby over drinks, and he gave it a positive "that's good" as opposed to a grunted, "could work." So now I just have to wrap things up. The plotting is behind me. I've ...
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November 2, 2009
- I hope everyone is recovered from a surfeit of sugar, and remembered to switch clocks (or, if you're not where you switch your own clocks, that you remember that those who do are now an hour off.) It's November. We're looking forward to having Thanksgiving dinner with one of our daughters and her husband's family. They've got a time share not far from us, and have invited us to join them. Should ...
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October 29, 2009
- A question frequently asked of authors is how they do their research for their books. Answers are as varied as the books they write. Some might spend months doing research. Some have budgets that permit travel to research exotic locales. While I take advantage of any travel I do, I've yet to reach the point where I can write it off as a legitimate business expense, since I'm pretty sure the IRS ...
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October 26, 2009
- Where do those covers come from? People ask if authors design their own, or hire artists to create them. No, the publisher has an art department, and someone there is responsible for the cover. So far, all my publishers provide a questionnaire, and we fill in things like locale, time period, tone, theme, any special symbols, and character descriptions. The artists don't read the book. They are ...
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October 21, 2009
- Life is almost normal again. At least the routines are settling in. I enjoyed a leisurely second cup of coffee while I did some blog-hopping, catching up on all the sites I hadn't visited while I was away. Of course, as Murphy's Law would have it, I was about to shower and get back to reading the galleys for Nowhere to Hide when I got a call from a Realtor who wanted to show the house. In an ...
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October 20, 2009
- Today, I have a guest at Terry's Place, my Google blog. Sheila Deeth is talking about her experiences with self publishing. Since I didn't write it, I'm not going to copy it here, but if you're interested, you can find it here: http://terryodell.blogspot.com/
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October 16, 2009
- I've been out of town (Quebec City) all week. After turning in my revisions, I mentioned to my editor that I had originally written a different sort of ending for the book, and since she was having trouble with the way the current ending was going, I said I'd send it to her. Luckily, I had an old, old draft on my laptop with that first ending.I didn't want to spend TOO much of my 'vacation' ...
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October 10, 2009
- My editor was pleased with my revisions--thank goodness. She said: You did a really awesome job. I couldn't stop reading last night. The parts that are missing from before I didn't miss at all, can't even seem to remember what they were, and the new parts blend in seamlessly, like they were there all along.She also said: I only have a few comments, which I will include, or you might think ...
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October 5, 2009
- I've mailed my edits to my editor. We'll see what she thinks. I took a day off from working on my current manuscript to unwind as well as to regroup and pick up with the other plot and characters. I admire anyone who can work on two projects at once. I find I have to immerse myself in a single story, or else my plots and characters start getting intertwined. My crit partners have had to point out ...
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October 2, 2009
- To continue on with our Editing topic (which began yesterday, so if you haven't read the previous post, scroll down so you read them in order). And, as a reminder, my posts refer to the edits you make after an editor has presented you with that marked up copy. Self-editing is critical before you submit, but your job won't end there.Yesterday, I ended with my preference for reading for edits on ...
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October 1, 2009
- All right. I've already addressed my story board technique for keeping track of plot points and characters when I write, which is just a different way to accomplish the same goal we all have. Making sure our manuscript gleams before we turn it in.Now, on to the next step. The publisher wants your book. You have a contract in hand. That gleaming manuscript now goes to an editor. And then it comes ...
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September 28, 2009
- I just realized we're in the middle of Banned Book Week and thought it was worth putting up a second post today.Remember to celebrate the freedom to read whatever you choose.And for those in the romance community, editor Kate Duffy passed away. She will be missed. Sarah, at Smart Bitches, summed it up when she said, "She's the Julia Child of Romance."
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September 23, 2009
- Since my last post, yes, I've opened up the manuscript with the edits. And I'm dealing with them. Sometimes with a bit of tooth-gnashing, but it's all part of the writing process. Can one say what's right or wrong, good or bad in a piece of fiction? If there were absolutes, where would the fun be?Once you move beyond the mechanics of basic grammar and spelling, you're left with opinions. I'm ...
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