Why?

Why do I write?

Some days I question my sanity. I spend hours of every day thinking about characters that sometimes seem as real as my next door neighbors. There are nights I'll wake up in the pitch black with a solution to a problem I've been worried about for days or even weeks.

Even more amazing is when my characters tell me things that I didn't have a clue about. She went found teenagers beating up and kitten when she was eight? Really? His mother and father considered his birth an accident? Oh? She's afraid of the color pink? He loves cucumbers dipped in mayonnaise?

It consumes me. Even when I'm not writing, I'm thinking about writing.

Why do I write?

Because I can't not write. And isn't that the best reason?

Almost there...

I'm feeling rather excited... and a bit sick to tell you the truth.

If you look over at my word count widget, you'll see that I got quite a bit of writing done this week. Maybe not as much as I would have liked, but more than I expected to get done. I'm actually almost done with one of my shorter stories. So, now it's setting in... and I'm excited... and nervous. It's all that's on my mind right now: Will it be good enough to get it published?

I sure hope so!

Usually, I don't need anyone to hold my hand as I do things. But, this... this is different. This is a big deal to me, and I need a lot of hand-holding right now. How great is it that I have at least two friends to sit by me and hold my hand, and tell me that think I'm good enough? Pretty darned great! Between Mysti, Jenny and my super DH, I have plenty of support. So, here's hoping...

I'll keep y'all updated, and hopefully you'll see that widget disappear and a cover appear in it's place. Keep your fingers crossed!

PROMO OP: Guest Blogging!

We Wild Women will be hosting a guest blogger on this blog each Monday, beginning soon!

If you're interested in being a guest on our blog, please feel free to choose a couple of open dates (in case your first choice is taken) and send us an email with your dates and a subject, if you know one.

The only thing we ask is that the post is actually about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, we're not terrifically picky, but ... we'd like it to have a subject.

What do you do when...

you can't think of anything to blog about? You talk about your WIP :-) Well...no... that would be because my WIP was lost in a computer meltdown at Christmas and I've not had the heart (so far) to try to recreate it. I had ONE chapter saved from it...sigh. I've been searching on CDs I burned and my zip drive and hubs computer... zip. zilch. nada. nothing. It's gone. And.. I LOVED that story. I started writing it last year during 70 Days of Sweat with Sven and I was doing great. And then... my computer died. Still.. no problem.I had saved the stuff and emailed it to myself....so I used my hubs computer. Just got up early and worked before he would get out of bed. The words flowed. It was magical.

Anyway.... to cut this story short... something screwed up. I lost it (the story.. not my mind... shut up, Mysti and Kealie).

But... I've started to get "that feeling" back. I've been doing a bit of creative writing and I'm about ready to try "Steel Erections" again (don't you just LOVE that title?) So... hopefully, soon, my WIP widget will join Kealie's and Mysti's over there on the sidebar. Keep your fingers crossed...and if you feel like nudging... go ahead. Lord knows I can use it!

Thursday Thirteen #5: 13 Ways to Say "I Love You"

Thirteen Ways to say "I Love You"

13. Hawaiian – Aloha wau ia ‘oe

Did you know: The “Hawaiian Alphabet” consists of only 12 letters: 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 7 consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, w)?

12. Japanese – Anata wa, dai suki desu

Did you know: Japanese is a syllabic language that uses “inflection” in addition to spelling to indicate meaning. It’s one of the hardest languages to acquire, some say, because one word, for example “ma,” might mean mother in one inflection and something quite pofane in another. Inflections are a form of pronunciation emphasizing the sound low, med, or high. Sound complicated?

11. Norwegian – Jeg eisker deg

Did you know: The Norwegian alphabet consists of 29 letters, the first 26 or which are the same as the alphabet used in English. The three last letters are Æ, Ø and Å. In addition to the 29 official letters, there are several diacritical signs in use (somewhat more in Nynorsk than Bokmål): à ä ç é è ê ñ ó ò ô ü. The diactritical signs are not compulsory, but may alter the meaning of the word dramatically, e.g.: for (for), fór (have gone), fòr (meadow) and fôr (animals food).

10. Swahili – Naku panda

Did you know: Swahili is a combination of African tribal languages, Arabic and Portuguese.

9. Spanish – Te quiero / Te amo / Yo amor tu

Did you know: New Mexico has Spanish as an official language?

8. German – Ich liebe Dich

Did you know: In German all nouns are capitalized?

7. Finnish – Mina rakastan sinua

Did you know: Unlike "sexist" languages such as English, Finnish provides the gender-neutral word hän, which translates as "he or she".

6. Dutch – Ik hou van jou

Did you know: The original meaning of ezel, the name seventeenth-century Dutch artists gave to the three-legged stand we know today as an easel was named for the Dutch for "donkey" because, like a donkey, it too carried a burden.

5. Arabic – Ana Ahebak / Ana Bahibak

Did you know: Arabic is one of six official languages used at the United Nations.

4. Hebrew – Ani ohevet ota

Did you know: Hebrew is a straight-forward phonetic language, which means that there is only one way to spell a particular word.

3. French – Je t’aime / Je t’adore

Did you know: Ma petite chou-chou is an endearment in French that translates into "My little cabbage". Something like "pumpkin" in English, do you suppose?

2. Indonesian – Saya cinta padamu

Did you know: The name Indonesia derives from the Latin Indus, meaning "India", and the Greek nesos, meaning "island".

1. Afrikaans – Ek is lief vir jou

Did you know: Afrikaans originated from the 17th century Dutch language and Afrikaans and Dutch are largely mutually intelligible.

What Mysti Needs

I was bloghopping (yes, I admit it ... anything to put off fighting with my characters) and saw this interesting blog challenge: Go to Google and type in your name and "needs" and list the five funniest things that show up. Since my brain is pretty much out of original thoughts right now, I thought I'd try this.

1. Mysti needs an Atkins diet buddy

Are you saying I'm fat? Honestly, I'm ... ack, I can't believe I'm admitting this... but I'm forty pounds heavier than I was when I got married twelve years ago. Doing Atkins a few years back got me within spitting distance of my pre-marriage weight... so maybe I do need an Atkins diet buddy...

2. Mysti needs our prayers

Well, yanno... lots of prayers are never a bad thing!

3. Mysti needs a job at the bunny ranch

Is that like Mustang Ranch meets the Playboy mansion? Or...are we talking cute, fluffy bunnies? Either way, I'm rather intrigued...

4. Maybe Mysti needs another friend

Well, heck, you can never have too many friends!

5. Mysti needs to reverse a spell

Maybe THAT'S why I've had trouble writing... someone put a spell on me!!

And, just cuz they're funny, here are a couple more!

6. Mysti needs a chance to explore her other strengths and talents.

Ooh... so, I have an excuse to NOT write! I need to explore my other strengths... yanno, like eating! *G* I mention that because:

7. Mysti needs pie!

Why, yes... yes I do! French silk, preferably. Mmmm....

What about YOU? What do YOU need? If you decide to play, let me know and I'll come visit.

One Can Only Dream...

Or, maybe not!

I have been stuck on the topic of vacation lately. Taking one, being on one, wishing for one. Mysti got me thinking the other day, whether she meant to or not, lol (hope I didn't steal your thunder, hon!). What would be my Dream Vacation?

Now, as I'm an author of erotic stories, we're gonna suspend reality for a bit. Aside from my true dream vacation (Ireland with the hubs), what would I do, where would I go and who would I do it all with if reality were... other than what it is?



I would love to get away to this gorgeous beach, just look at that water. White sandy beach, beautiful clear water. Long walks through the gardens, relaxing in my cabana, cold drinks, warm man...



No phones (notice I didn't say no computer), no stress, just Juan (or Carlos... they're twins... MAYBE BOTH, have to ask Jenny) to massage coconut oil into my skin and keep me entertained...



Okay, he probably wouldn't be doing THAT. I would hope more along the lines of:



*sigh* There's an image for ya! I'm SUCH a visual kinda girl. So, strictly dreaming, wouldn't it be nice? What would be YOUR dream vacation? Anything you see above appeal to you?

PROMO OP: Guest Blogging!

We Wild Women will be hosting a guest blogger on this blog each Monday, beginning soon!

If you're interested in being a guest on our blog, please feel free to choose a couple of open dates (in case your first choice is taken) and send us an email with your dates and a subject, if you know one.

The only thing we ask is that the post is actually about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, we're not terrifically picky, but ... we'd like it to have a subject.

To Wear or Not To Wear, that is the question

I've been thinking a lot about clothes. Why we wear what we wear and what that says about us.

Me... I'm a jeans and t-shirt kinda gal, most of the time. Or shorts. I like shorts. But, the point is... I like to be comfy. As a matter of fact, I prefer nearly no clothes at all. Point of fact, right now, I'm in my robe. Period.

But, there are times I like to dress up and be girly-girly. (Mysti would say I'm more girly-girly than I admit, because even with jeans and/or shorts, I refuse to leave the house without my makeup, but that's another day's topic.) Those times I go all out.... flirty little strapless dresses and high higher heels. Blink on my ears and around my neck.

I'm just curious what our clothes really say about us.

I love watching What Not to Wear, but don't want to be on the show. I know they would cringe if they looked into my closet. I would be one of those people whose entire wardrobe gets thrown into the trash can (not the least because some of the items in my clothes, I can't get my fat rear end into now if I wanted to!... but, that too is another day's topic).

What do YOU think? Does it make a difference to our success in life how we dress? To be a successful writer, should I figure out what successful writers wear and follow their lead?

Bending the Rules

How do you feel about rules? Are you a follower, a bender, or a flat-out breaker?

From the moment I started learning about fiction writing, I'd heard you shouldn't use flashbacks.

On my current WIP, I essentially begin the story with a flashback. I agonized (and, honestly still agonize) about this and considered all the different ways of beginning this, including real time of the same event, but nothing else felt right.

I admit... mostly (at least when it comes to writing), I'm a rule follower.

I'm a POV purist and despise head-hopping, even when done smoothly. I think head-hopping within a scene is just plain lazy, and if you try hard enough you can figure out how to get your point across while staying in one character's head.

I like commas where they belong.

And, please (whatever you do) don't confuse peak, peek, and pique when you're near me.

So, it was a great surprise that I opted for the flash back.

What about you? What writing rules you keep, and which do you bend?

So, tired...I need a vacation from my vacation!

I've been rather busy lately, and without giving a whole bunch of details about my life, let me just say life has been insane in my household. I have gotten NO writing done lately... and I absolutely hate that!

I was reading JennyKat's post the other day, and almost cried. I know we're supposed to be moving down this new road together, but I'm having a hard time moving forward. Each step is dogged by something that sets me back... holds me up... or just plain makes it hard to write. So, I'm frustrated. I have voices in my head that are talking non-stop, not to mention the voices of my children as I mutter to myself trying to flesh out a scene. It's just a bit... disheartening. All I want to do is write... get my stuff done and subbed. And it's not happening. "Life is what happens when you're busy making plans." I had set up a schedule that worked ... for all of a week. My older kids would be gone to play for a few hours, and the baby would nap... blessed silence... lots of writing!

Now,the baby is demanding attention most of the day (he's teething and fussy), my other obligations feel like they falling behind (and they ARE) and I'm not getting a lick of writing done... and I want to cry at the loss. I know this isn't really an upbeat post... but I'm not really feeling all that upbeat. So, well, here it is.

My DH recently took a "trip" and got away, no business, all play. And, I found that I was incredibly jealous. I would love to just get away from EVERYONE and work (in my own way)... just write and not have to deal with any of the typical day to day stuff that stops me when I'm just too danged exhausted to do anything else beyond sleep.



If you had the chance to just get away, a retreat of some kind. Would you consider your writing to be an escape to take along with you? Or, would it be considered work and be left behind for the duration of your "vacation"? Because, I'd really like a vacation, but I know for a fact I'd be taking my work with me.

PROMO OP: Guest Blogging!

We Wild Women will be hosting a guest blogger on this blog each Monday, beginning soon!

If you're interested in being a guest on our blog, please feel free to choose a couple of open dates (in case your first choice is taken) and send us an email with your dates and a subject, if you know one.

The only thing we ask is that the post is actually about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, we're not terrifically picky, but ... we'd like it to have a subject.

Janus/ JennyKat What's the Difference?

I'm kind of tagging along on Mysti's coattails this week. Her post made me stop and think (which is not very easy for a blonde, you do understand that, right? Okay... now that that's cleared up.)

Anyway... I was thinking about the two sides of an erotic romance writer...especially if they have an alternate identity. And, that made me think of the Roman god, Janus.



According to Wikipedia, Janus is "the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings." He also lends his name to the month of January and to the occupation of janitor (but that's another story...hmmmm... I've just had an idea... but back to the post).

The menagerie authors are entering into a new beginning in our writing careers. We're not leaving behind the past, the different; we are picking another doorway to go through for a while. What will that doorway lead to? We don't know. And that's the beauty of the life of a writer. The world is waiting for us.... many worlds. We can stay on this world; we can journey to far-away worlds; we can, like me, create our own world.

As writers, we need to be like Janus. We need to be able to see both past and future. We need to have a vision. And, we need to be able to share that vision.

How about you? What vision do you see for yourself? If you are a writer, what is the world you see in the future? If you are a reader...where do you see yourself in five years time?

Have a vision. Have a dream. And pursue it.

In Hiding

My name isn't Mysti Holiday, and I write erotic romance.

Yes, it's true -- my legal name is NOT Mysti Holiday. The picture on my profile is not my leg. I'm a closet erotica author.

My mother doesn't know. My kidlet doesn't know. My family, my in-laws, my neighbors... they don't know either. Most of my friends (except for Kealie and Jenny Kat, of course)... they're in the dark, too.

I can't imagine coming out of the closet any time soon. I'll be the one at the book signing wearing a Zorro mask, or maybe even a Chewbacca costume.

Of course, my DH knows... he'd wonder about my questions ("...does the human body bend this way?") and my, um, behavior if he didn't. He happily supports me, but I imagine he'd be horrified if any of his friends knew. He'd be like Roger in "Lethal Weapon IV" when he had to tell Riggs that all that money... you remember, the money that came from his wife's bodice rippers...

I does make me wonder, though. How many erotica authors write under their legal name? How many proudly announce their occupation to their family, friends, neighbors and people they meet on the street? And, even more importantly, how many of those family, friends and neighbor's aren't shocked? Are even, perhaps... supportive?

How does one come out of the erotica closet?

Inspiration Is ALL Around Me!

That's right, I see inspiration everywhere. Which isn't always a good thing.

I've actually had a chance in the last few days to sit down and WRITE! WOO HOO! My word count widget doubled in the last day (which really isn't all that much, but with my busy schedule... I'll take what I can get). I loved getting to know my characters better, but I felt a bit inundated with information.

As a writer, how are we supposed to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak?

I personally, seem to have a hard time with this. I get started on a project and it's going great guns, then... inspiration hits! I see something... the way a man walks, or a woman wrinkles her nose when she smiles. I hear something... a song that just speaks to me, the way a man clears his throat. Or I just get a flash of inspiration. And I'm off on another tangent. I almost feel that I have to force myself to stop the new voices and nudge the old ones into action again. Which in and of itself is irritating as I then hit a brick wall.

I haven't found a system that works for me yet, as I'm just starting out. I'm hoping to implement a system, and was wondering if anyone else out there has advice. How do you silence the other characters in your head so that you can JUST FINISH ONE STORY?

What works for you? Do you just put the idea down on "paper" or Word document and file it away for further consideration later? Do you just write it down on a napkin and hope you can find it later? Someone... anyone...

HELP!!!!

PROMO OP: Guest Blogging!

We Wild Women will be hosting a guest blogger on this blog each Monday, beginning soon!

If you're interested in being a guest on our blog, please feel free to choose a couple of open dates (in case your first choice is taken) and send us an email with your dates and a subject, if you know one.

The only thing we ask is that the post is actually about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, we're not terrifically picky, but ... we'd like it to have a subject.

Friday and Jenny Kat is late late late...

... for a very important date. A date with all of you!

This has been a terrific week.... a week full of fun, fabulous fun. Why is that? Because I've been able to work on my tan as well as work in my garden. My garden of delights, that is ;-)

What can you find in my garden of delights? Well, it's not like this Garden of Earthly Delights...although there's a lot to inspire any erotic romance writer.

It's not even the Beastly Garden of Wordy Delights, although if you ever wanted to know that the collective noun for alligator is congregation and that you can have a shrewness of apes, that's a good place to start.

Of course, you could visit The Garden of Delights Bed and Breakfast and have some lusty fun in Massachusetts (are people in Massachusetts allowed to have lusty fun?)

But... my garden of delights included lounging around... reading... drinking a nice tall Tom Collins. When it's hot outside, who can ask for anything better?

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Mysti on Menage

Hi! I'm Mysti Holiday, the only member of the Menagerie without a Cabana Boy. I may have to remedy that at some point.

I live where it's cold most of the year and dream of the tropics. This is where DH wants to be, and I suppose love means never being able to get warm if your sweetheart asks it of you.

Thankfully I have a very vivid imagination. I need one, because you see, I have a confession to make. Aside from this writing group, I've never been part of a menage IRL.


Yes, it's TRUE.

Here's the problem, though.

I'm writing this story right now that involves a husband and wife and I knew how I wanted it to end when I started it... but now, NOW, the characters are telling me I might consider a menage.

WHAT??

Um...no, that wasn't part of the story. That may work in other stories, but not this one. THIS story is about how a monogamous couple finds their way back from the brink of divorce. How does involving another person in their relationship work with that?

I've been fighting them on it, and as a result the story just isn't getting done. I'll sit down to write, and nothing happens. I go to type and they say... "Uh, hello... we told you what we need to resolve all our issues."

What's a girl to do? I still don't want them to be unfaithful, despite the fact they've given me permission to include another person in their sexual relationship. So, I'm looking for a compromise... and I think I may have found one. Tune in tomorrow and see if my word count widget moves.

I have high hopes.

What about you? If you're an author, what do you do when you have everything planned out and your characters throw a wrench into things? Do you revise your ideas in their favor, or do you force them to listen to you, their creator?

Words to Make You ... Blush!

Hi everyone, I'm going to formally introduce myself. Some of you have seen my Saturday Hottie post, and I did appreciate your appreciation! LOL

I am Kealie Shay, and I am the third in this ... AHEM... menage.

I really wasn't sure what I was going to blog about today. As I'm just starting out in this great big wide world of writing, I'm not always sure of the direction I'm heading in. I know what I like, and I know what my characters say to me. But they aren't always so helpful when it has to do with writing about ME.

I have to say right now before it seems that I am fearless, that I DO have a hard time writing the "f" word, the "p" word and all the other "" words. I'm sure that as I get further along in my writing career it will get easier... okay, I'm HOPING it will get easier. But, as of right now, it's really not something that I excel at... no matter what I tell Mysti! I don't start out with the words in my work, I can't, I start typing and my fingers ssssttttuuuutttterr on those words... so I leave them out of my first draft. I really don't know what else to do. Yep, it's true... As I write, I just put in the flowery term or the first word that comes to mind as I'm going (which sometimes doesn't make any sense when I go back and reread it). When I go back through for my first edit I add the HARD words to my work. Does that make me silly? Does that make me a wimp? I don't really care, as long as it works for me! And isn't that part of our journey as writers? We try, and we tweak, and we find what works for us.

So, if you're a writer of Erotic Romance, or Mainstream Romance or you just have a character with a potty mouth I have questions for you: What do you do when you sit down to write and you know that your character is thinking the word, but you just can't get your fingers to type it? Or, do you even have that problem at all? If you DID have that problem... does it get any easier as you move forward in your career?