My baby is a 100 something pound lazy Rottweiler.

As a member of RWA, national and the local chapter, I know a few writers. Some are published with their books selling worldwide and others are chugging along to a publication and a few are in between.

And I've heard many authors refer to their works as their babies. Their poor babies that when they cut a scene or a word, they are in pain. Meanwhile, I don't feel that at all as I'll slash a scene with the same easy stroke Jason will chop up those stupid kids that keep on returning to Crystal Lake.

When I'm writing a story though I may love the idea, plot or characters even words. These aren't my babies. No, my only baby I had and lost was my Rottie.

My baby. Oh so cute.

Sometimes, I've wondered does that make me weird or am I realistic. I have no freaking clue.

Don't get my wrong.

When I write a story I feel the first pulls of excitement.  I'm willing to cut open a vein and bleed my heart onto paper. But I want to be realistic about writing and most importantly my writing. I want to know what works and what doesn't. I want to improve my skills, whether its vocabulary, grammar, character and everything else.  Can labeling a WIP really be a baby be a good thing?

This "baby" label can hold you back as well as feed your passion. Though, I tend to treat that much like I do the other advice doled out - write what you love. That topic is for another time. In my opinion, I think that as you revise, you have to figure what you love about the story and be honest with improving it.

So, why do writers say, it's my baby. Is it because of the time put into penning the work? Is because you're taking a risk by putting out your work? Is because of lack of confidence and a need to protect yourself? Or do people really think it is more.

Tell me what you think.

Female Friday

Of course, it being the end of the year I too have been taking stock of my life and my accomplishments, mishaps, setbacks--since I refuse to call them failures--and my sameness. We all have parts of ourselves or our lives we'd like to change. For me the most important and the focus of 2010, 2011 and no surprise 2012 is one single thing--drum roll please--To start my career as a published author. I've sold short stories but I'm going for the novel, the start of a long career I plan to have.


Publishing is a tough game with many growing and expanding even developing sectors. And I have to stand out from the countless others dreaming the same dream. This week, I turned on CW and there was the French designing genius Jean Paul Gaultier interviewing Lady Gaga.

Two of my favorite people. I watched it, waiting to hear what Gaga spoke about and the designs Gaultier would show her. But I learned something that helped. Gaga in her years as she sang in New York bars, she was like countless others playing those gigs. Sure she had the talent but nothing made her memorable. She decided to stick out of the crowd, for the world to take notice and listen then sing and dance along.
She's not forgettable now.


I admire her strength and smarts for changing and shedding normalcy. But she always inspired me. I guess you can say the light hit my disco ball. I too have to stick out of the crowd and make people remember me. Luckily, I have a name that certainly doesn't blend. You might not know how to pronounce it but you know it when you see it. This year at RWA Nationals, I went to get my book autograph from Christina Dodd. She looked at my name tag and said, "I know you. I remember your name from Twitter." If I was a Victorian lady, I would have fainted though my head felt like champagne popped open and fizz shooting foamy bubbles everywhere.


I'm working on the rest of it, adding the sticking out among the crowd to my business plan. And Gaga helped me. I admire her music, talent and...her Gaga-ness, you can say. She had a dream and used more than just her talent. She used her smarts to create a Gaga world.