Lyn's Licks & Laughs...with alter egos Bobbie Cole & Sunny

Spring Cleaning

What with harsh things on the news, political intrigue, and summer heat already getting to many people, I’ve noticed a definite shift this last week in attitudes among writers. Many are ready to shuck the winter woes and clothes, do some spring cleaning, and air their opinions on everything from whether or not writing is art to what must be done about our own concepts of ourselves. I prefer to think of it all as 'updating'.

Julie Leto was guest on Romancing the Blog a day or so ago, and her post about Promo Whores was quite interesting. Seems many are sick to death of writers who are constantly in someone’s face begging for attention and money. [See Sunny Lyn’s own bitch session on the subject here if you just want to waste time.] You could do much worse than to read Julie’s blog some time if you’d like honest opinions and answers to questions on writing romance.

One of the things I love best about writing is that there’s so much to learn, and I’ve found that I rarely learn when all I hear is the sound of my own voice. Doesn’t exactly win me many friends, either.

I also enjoy the silliness at times. Cece had trouble coming up with a title for her latest submission, and as writers are prone to do, several chimed in with their own rendition, and before anyone knew what had happened, the titles were flying. Vanessa Jaye’s blog for last Thursday is funny, rife with the goofy type of metaphor meltdown writers need at times. Cece did eventually get a title, by the way, and not one of those proposed on this site. *grin*

Want to point you towards a fine writer of romantic suspense while I’m thinking of good books. Tracy is funny, witty, charismatic, and I read much of her first book, Repo Chick Blues, as it was being conceived. The heroine was someone I could hang with from the first, but when she kidnapped Buddy…the dog? I was hooked.

It's nice to see writers I've known do well. I can't help but feel great when someone with whom I've shared a laugh, a cry, research information, and cyber hugs sells that first book...and then another...

Trace is the writer who turned me onto the works of Dennis Lehane, for which I'll always be greatful. I'd lost touch with her for a few months--my fault--life got in the way. But I recently 'found' her, not that she was lost, and I thought I'd let you know about Repo Chick Blues.

I enjoy rifling through memory banks this time of year as well. I like spring cleaning, everything fresh and new, but it's comforting to keep pieces of the past, like some favorite patchwork quilt I use for comforting me one night and displaying as a work of art the next. It's nice to reminisce about old friends, such as Cheryl Anne Porter, who have passed but whose lessons will remain forever. I still can't believe I won't see her when I attend an RWA function.

Regardless of what I keep as I update myself, the writing, memory banks, or the ever-present To Do lists, I rather like bringing in the new yet tucking away what and who has worked for me in the past. It's nice to be able to say that I truly enjoy those who are in my life. When I don't? Well, there's always this...(thank you Carla for the funnies today):

posted by Bobbie (Sunny) Cole @ 6:29 PM 6 comments