The "I" in Writer? We're Not So Alone, Anymore...

I write, therefore I am

Writing keeps me sane (ish)

I am a writer. It's what I do. I love it. Not to mention, it probably keeps me sane.

I know that overall writing is a solitary endeavor. Who knows your characters, stories and intentions better than you, their creator? No one.

But... these days being a writer isn't all about solitary confinement. There are so many avenues to keep a writer on the road to success that I'm sometimes overwhelmed by the opportunities.

There are professional organizations in most genres that help maintain a sense of community and keep a writer up-to-date on the ever-changing world of publishing and reader preferences. If you haven't found one, do a little research and see if there's a group in your area.

Chances are there is both a national organization and smaller, regional chapters.

Input from my multi-genre group made this book stronger.

There are also writer's groups that form in public arenas such as libraries, coffee houses, book stores, colleges and art houses. A lot of these independent groups are multi-genre. These can be supremely useful when you're looking to ensure you're hitting ALL the readers the right way. The first time I ever shared a romantic portion of my novel Knight of the Mist with my multi-genre group, I was absolutely blown away by the responses and dead-on critiques from the action writers, the poets and the ghostwriter. They didn't write in my genre but they had insight that was invaluable. Different ears hear different things.

Again, check around for these groups. Make friends with your librarians and book store owners/managers because they are often in the know about what groups are around and just waiting for you to join.
More than once I've seen a smaller critique group be born from these larger groups. It's not a bad thing, it's just a smaller and more concentrated setting with like-minded people. I would not abandon the multi-genre group for a smaller group, though. Find a way to work both into your schedule.

A lot of authors work with only one or two critique partners, too. Decreasing the number greatly increases the individual time and attention your work receives from them.The closer the partnership, the more they will know about your stories and characters and the deeper and more intuitive their critique can become.
But it's not all about having a critique group/partner. I know plenty of authors who don't work with one and put out some genius work.

Are they solitary? Nope. They're on the other end of the spectrum - the social aspect. They hang out in writer forums just to talk shop or with readers to talk the fun stuff. We can hook up with the world in ways that make us less isolated and more animated.

I enjoy being on Facebook and chatting with various people in various niche groups. I talk all the time so Twitter is pretty perfect for my random thoughts. I try to attend chats given by authors I enjoy or reader groups with whom I'm involved.

The world is out there and as writers we are no longer relegated to the status of hermit.Bury ourselves and only come out once a quarter.

It feels good.

It feels liberating.

So for me, the I in writer means Invigorated, Informational, Interesting,In-depth, Investigative... It really means I'm not alone and I'm very glad for that.

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

My favorite ways to procrastinate

Last week I mentioned that writers are neurotic. It's the truth. We have more foibles and superstitions than baseball players (but cleaner laundry. Probably).
Anyway, one of the things we ALL do is procrastinate. We could be doing it to put off writing THE END on a project (my current procrastination). It could be to put off starting a new project. Or maybe the middle of the book is driving us nuts and won't cooperate, so why not procrastinate?
Yep, however many words there are in any given project, there is an equal number of ways and reasons to procrastinate writing.
Oh, eventually it'll get done. Probably. There's a great likelihood. Mostly.
But for now, when you need that little writing "time out", I thought I would share some of my favorite ways to not be writing until the last possible second:

Come on B7. BINGO, damn it, BINGO!

1. Video Bingo. This is a new one for me. I found www.gsn.com on both my computer and my iPhone. Tragic. Now I have TWO ways to procrastinate. GSN has all sorts of fun games like slots and video poker but my absolute favorite is Video Bingo. You don't win anything (except the glory of yelling Bingo!) but I find the excitement of begging the uncaring electronic unit for B7 for the win. It usually goes something like this: "One number," I'll mutter. "One number for a double bingo. There are 16 numbers left to call. Surely I'll get it. Come on. One number and I score 10,000 tokens. Do you know how many cards that is? That's three games of three 1,000 token cards with 1,000 left over. Come ON! B7! B7! Wait, that's B3. Not what I need. Oh, G57. I see, you're taunting me now. Whatcha gonna do next? Throw me I17? Oh. No. You. Didn't. I hate this game. So uncool. Come on, B7. Wait a second. O69? Bingo!! Yes!!!" And so it goes... It can get disturbing.

2. Sorting. I know. You're thinking "What the hell is she talking about?" But seriously, sorting is a great time waster. Especially if you have multiple items of multiple items. I, for one, am well known for my office supply fetish. It's a sickness and no, I don't plan on seeking therapy for it. I have so many pens, notebooks, journals, highlighters, paper clips and index cards that I could open my own storefront and probably never run out. So, when I'm feeling peckish about where the book is going and I need to "think" (by the way, this is a code word for procrastinate, don't let anyone tell you different) I will pull out my office supply apocalypse box and start sorting. First, I sort out the above mentioned supplies from each other. I now have lots of lovely piles. Then I start channeling the Hogwarts Sorting Hat (without the royalties, more's the pity) and sort into smaller piles. The pens get sorted by ink type (gel or roller or ballpoint) then by click or cap then by ink color. If I'm feeling REALLY procrastinate-y I will sort them by barrel color. This can get even deeper because then I have to do it all over again. Next, I'll move on to the notebooks. Color, size, wide ruled, narrow ruled... you get the drift. And so on and so forth. When I'm done, it all goes back in the box for another day. Hey, I never said it was logical. It's procrastinating for Pete's Sake!

3. Investigation Discovery aka Discovery ID. Dude, they even have their own hash tag on Twitter #IDAddict) There are only a few shows that I won't watch. I love 'em all. I'm always intrigued by just how dumb criminals can be but also by how incredibly smart and scary they can be. Plus, I'm always looking for new ideas and what better place than an entire network devoted to crime?! Hm, so would this count as research and not procrastination? I think I have a good case for that.

4. Jeopardy! This is a great procrastination vehicle because it's got a time limit. It's only 24 minutes long (less if you have a DVR and can skip commercials). Plus, it makes me feel smarter or dumber, depending on how well I do in the categories. I usually rock baseball and music ones. Math and Geography are my Achilles Heel(s).

Ah, the smell of fresh laundry.

5. Laundry. I know what you're thinking. WHAT? Are you nuts? But not really. It's kind of like sorting as mentioned above except I get the added benefit of clean clothes. AND I get to use my handy dandy Flip N Fold. If you don't have one of those, get one. They are freaking awesome. They fold shirts, pants and towels quickly but they also smoosh them down to a smaller size which means more clothes fit in the drawer which means you can buy more clothes which leads to another fabulous procrastination technique - shopping!

There you have it! Five fun ways to procrastinate. But do not abuse these methods or that book will never get written. During the final pages of Empowered [Sexual Magic 3] I admit to using Method #1 a lot. A LOT, A LOT. But the book came together and will be available in two short days. So, procrastination, when used for good, can really help. It's just a matter of knowing when to say when.

Happy reading!

Jennifer

Chips, Salsa & Sex Toys

One of the greatest things about being a writer is all the research we get to do. Through various forms of media, I’ve been to Scotland, in a dungeon, on the battlefields with William the Conqueror, fitted for chainmail and in the midst of many intense whipping scenes (God bless YouTube!).

However, nothing beats hands-on research. Or, failing that, personal recommendations. I have a group of friends with whom I lunch now and again. We are all erotica writers and, inevitably, the conversation turns dirty. How soon just depends on how quickly the margaritas start flowing. Which is usually when we sit down. I mean, really, chips and salsa are awesome, but chips, salsa, margaritas and sex talk rock the universe.

During one of these gab sessions, I heard about a fantastic new toy that is guaranteed to drive a woman absolutely wild. As in money back guarantee (but don’t think about the returning of such an item, it’ll just freak you out.) This led to a discussion of some of our favorite toys ever. Here are just a few of the samplings:

Don Wand Pink Glass Nubby Boyfriend

Don Wand Crystal Wands - These lovelies are available in myriad shapes and sizes. They are absolutely fantastic. Made of a Pyrex, they are chip-resistant (but you must be sure to examine them before each use), easy to clean and easy to use. One handy little side benefit to a Don Wand is that you can immerse it in either hot or cold water before play to heighten the sensual experience.

NJoy Pure Wand

Pure Wand - The all steel dildo! Just looking at it gets a girl’s motor running (among other body parts). This hefty, 24-ounce pleasure toy is curved to hit the G-spot and features two sizes of balls on either end. It, too, can be warmed or cooled with water. Don’t put it in the freezer though. I especially enjoyed the visual feast that is the Pure Wand’s display: a jeweler’s quality box with lined material.

Womalia

Womalia - This European concoction will drive you wild and to extreme orgasmic heights. It’s curved to hit all the right spots and warms to different intensities based on user settings. The Womalia has nine different settings to blow your mind. Keep a towel handy. The only downside (and it’s so small I feel ridiculous mentioning it) is that prior to the first use, the wand requires a 12 hour charge. A small price to pay for ultimate indulgence.

Tantus Little Secret Spoon

Tantus Little Secret - these discreet yet powerful vibes are just the thing when you don’t want to pull out the big guns but you want big orgasms. Each model has a different feature such as a flickering tongue, scooped “spoon” and clitoral stimulation, among others. This is not the best for penetration, but it definitely gives a good ride.

OhMiBod Freestyle G

OhMiBod Freestyle G - I love music. I love orgasms. Put the two together and holy crap! Now that’s a screaming O accompanied by a crescendo of your favorite playlist. Connect this badboy to any mp3 player and it pulses in time with your music. Beginners are urged NOT to try the 1812 Overture the first time out. It is a bit pricey, but it is worth the money.

So, while none of these made it into Enlightened, book 2 of my Sexual Magic Series, I did use quite a lot of the information gleaned to tease and taunt my heroine into many, many orgasms - forced and spontaneous. Hey, she’s a sub. She got in trouble.

Figging, anyone?

What about you? What’s your favorite toy?

Wishing you many naughty thoughts!

Jennifer

Twitter: @jennifer_august

Facebook: Jennifer August

Email: JenniferAugust@JenniferAugust.com