so peculiar

So I’m driving down the highway the other day, and there’s this town called Peculiar. And that got me to thinking about the word peculiar. Say peculiar a couple of times. It’s kind of funny. Well, that got me to thinking about the word funny.

In the English language we have several words that basically mean peculiar. There’s weird. There’s odd. There’s strange. Now wouldn’t you think with those four very capable descriptive words, we wouldn’t need to take another word and change its meaning so that it pretty much says the same thing as odd or strange or weird or peculiar?

But that’s what we’ve done with the word funny. How often do you say ‘that’s funny’ and not really mean that’s humorous? Funny is supposed to be about humor, about making you laugh. Now, granted some things that are funny are also weird or odd or peculiar. But generally, I’d say most things that are odd or weird are not also funny, and when we say, ‘that’s funny,’ we don’t mean humorous at all.

I suppose it’s one of the things that make learning the English language difficult for foreigners. It’s a little confusing. Perhaps, even, peculiar.

Now published!

It's official!
My debut novel, Unexpected Legacy, is now available in digital or print version! It's been a long journey, and putting it out there for public purchase and viewing makes me a little nervous. But it's a huge, exciting milestone, as well.
The finished product represents a leap of faith that something good can come from being laid off after 21 years in corporate America. I hope you'll check it out! Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Legacy-Darlene-Deluca/dp/1481021737/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357491425&sr=1-4&keywords=Unexpected+Legacy

Also up and running are my Facebook, Amazon and Goodreads author pages, as well as my website http://www.threewritersofromance.com.
Would love to have you as fan/friend/follower!

Burst my Bubble

So, I was sitting here working on my current novel. The one that's almost "done." The one that's at 80,000 words, but needs to get to 90,000. The basic story is done, with the exception of a few scenes, some transitions. So, I was feeling pretty good about the forward progress, then I made the mistake of taking a little break and checking twitter.
One of the entries said something like "You've written The End. What's next?" Well, I clicked on the link, and it was a blog about revision. First revision . . . Second Revision . . . After Editor revisions . . .  Not to mention putting the manuscript away for a couple of weeks . . . a month . . . or more.

Of course I know that revisions and rewriting and editing come next. But it's such a long process. Sigh. For a minute there, I thought I was getting close!

So Little Summer

The kids go back to school today. August 14th. Barely half-way into the month of August. Still summer.
It's so sad. I hate that our local school district robs the kids -- and their parents -- of half a month of summer. Actually, they rob us of almost the entire month, because registration and enrollment happens even earlier. Sports and camps start even earlier. In fact, they've gobbled up pretty much the entire month of August, leaving only June and July for summer.

On an airplane coming back from vacation yesterday, the woman next to me struck up a conversation, and during that I lamented about the school situation. She sort of agreed, but then made a comment about maybe it being for the best because the longer break made it more likely that the kids would lose their study skills and focus. What the hell is wrong with that?!
Kids, and parents, need a break! There's more to learning than going to school. What about summer jobs? Is it really worthwhile for a potential employer to hire a high-school student for an eight-week summer? By the time they get trained and up to speed, they might be efficient, capable and available for six weeks.

What about all the other cool opportunities kids have during summer break? Vacations to interesting places, for one. What I told the woman was that my children have always done interesting activities during the summer, and I hate to see those opportunities cut short. Nature camps, language immersion camps, church camps, band camps, debate camps, art classes just for fun, etc., etc.
And there's plain old down time. Everyone needs it. Sleeping in, lazy days at the pool, a weekend at the lake, hanging out with friends . . .
Summer is a precious time. Let's embrace and enjoy it!

On gatekeepers

I read an article a couple of days ago that has stuck with me. Actually, I’ve decided it offended me. It was about gatekeepers – agents, editors and publishers as gatekeepers. About the need for gatekeepers to regulate who gets in and who doesn’t.

All of this is with respect to self-publishing, of course. Because without gatekeepers, mediocrity will reign, and books and publishing will go to hell.

I have to agree with one point: without the gatekeepers keeping people out of the book business, there’s going to be some trash out there. I believe that’s true. But so what? Isn’t one man’s trash another man’s treasure? I’ve paid good money for books I ended up disliking. I’ve read published books I thought were trash. I’ve purchased many a product over the years that didn’t live up to its billing or my expectations. Don’t we live in a buyer-beware society?

Here’s my problem with the gatekeepers. They’re the brick wall (the last lecture by Randy Pausch). They may be keeping people from achieving a dream. How long does an author have to wait to get through the gate or over the wall? Is it a certain number of years? Must they have a certain number of dusty manuscripts under the bed? Or a specific quota of rejection letters? A certain amount of money spent on workshops, classes and conferences? What’s the measurement?
 We hear all the time how busy and overworked agents and editors are. It seems to me, there simply aren't enough to go around.

This is America, where we’re supposed to be able to follow our dreams. We tell our children they can be anything they want. Yes, that might require a lot of years of hard work. It might mean making some sacrifices, but we tell them it will pay off in the end, that hard work and perseverance will make their dreams come true.

But what if it doesn’t? What if Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help, had decided sixty rejections were as many as she could stand? She’s said it was number sixty-one that finally gave her a chance. What if an author never finds that one agent/gatekeeper that clicks, and agrees to crack open the door? Why shouldn’t an author have other options?

Now, I happen to love libraries and bookstores, and I want to see them survive, even thrive. And I really want to see one of my manuscripts published and sitting on the shelves in one of those places some day. I would like to feel the validation of being plucked from obscurity by a gatekeeper. But that’s not to say I’m willing to beat my head against the brick wall indefinitely. Finding a way to go around the wall, or punch out a brick or two, to take another path is the way of survivors and entrepreneurs. Having an alternative is a good thing.

Ready for RWA

Just completed my registration to see an editor and an agent at the RWA national conference in July.  Can't wait to get some actual face-time with these people! Hoping to get to ten or twelve workshops, learn a lot about the craft and industry, meet a ton of people, and have a little fun with my critique partners.

Thumbs Up

The results are in! Four out of five judges in the RWA Golden Heart contest liked Surprise Son! One of them gave the manuscript a perfect 9! Woo-hoo! Unfortunately, there was that one judge out in left field, the lone dissenter who kept the manuscript from finaling. That's sad, and annoying. But the good news is that if the judges mirror real life, and real readers, four out of five thumbs up is fabulous. That tells me that if I end up self-pubbing, I've got a good shot at connecting with readers. And that, of course, is the goal. I'm encouraged!