Change: Courage vs. Control

Whereby you see me wax philosophical...

This month I am mostly being light and fun, and I promise not to drag on for too long, but there are a couple topics I've been thinking about for a while and so when the letter hits, I think I'll go with it.

Change is Coming

The publishing industry is going through major, wacky changes... I don't see that they know where they are going, and I think writers risk being swept away. There was a time when due diligence was our best friend. Know everything you can about what is going on and how the industry is going, and you had your best shot at catching the golden ring.

But friends, the horses have left the carousel. This is very hard for control freaks (of which I confess to having a healthy dose and married what I lacked for good measure). This is not a time for followers. Writers with the COURAGE to take a chance... to CREATE something truly innovative or tap something nobody else thought of... THOSE are the writers who will catch, NOT the brass ring, but the tail of the shooting star. The potential prizes, I think, are bigger than ever, because we define the rules, but I think it will just be harder and harder to be noticed from the growing array of people who are trying.

It is exciting if we are willing and able to let go of that control thing... And if we Commit to Craft, so that nobody ever can call us a fraud when our feet finally hit ground again.

Speaking of Courage

I talk about it in our writing world, but there is a woman in my building who humbles me each time I see her. I suspect she has some sort of nerve disorder, though the only interactions we've ever had have been me helping her into a cab and holding a door. She walks with a walker, but walking is a great exaggeration. When I left work one day, I passed her in the hall, stopped at the bathroom and did my business (which I do daily, as I have a 45 minute walk ahead and HATE to be walking and hafta go (sorry for the TMI). When I came out... call it 90 seconds... even with the hand washing, I'm efficient... but I think she'd walked 20 yards.

What courage every act takes when life throws something like that at you. So while I am calling on all of you to have courage, also keep in mind what REAL courage looks like and how lucky we all are to only need the kind that is 'facing the unknown, but able to act'.

And for my finale... Cali the Cat...

From her perch above me... always ready to pounce... those are the first drafts of my books below her... (I wish she didn't always close her eyes for the camera...)

We have a wall in the basement we had to take down to access a leaking pipe... the funds have not been around to put up a NEW wall, so I hung some old curtains across it... there is a shelf in there and Cali likes to get in there and peek out at us (this is behind the table where our desktop sits--the computer hubby and son share--daughter and I each have our own laptops)

and here she is in her favorite spot... okay... so it is tied with the bathtub... but she loves to be IN something.


And FINALLY... My C blogs to share...

Clarissa Draper is a mystery writer from Mexico who is doing a FABULOUS series on forensics. If you are plotting a real murder, I'd rather you didn't go there, but if you want to write about one, she is a GREAT resource.

And Constant Revision. Simon is my Man Tart twin. He is full of snark, but is ALWAYS good for several laughs.