Transformations

Posted on November 13, 2011 by RoseAnn DeFranco

Clearly I have been absent from this blog for a long while.  So long that it might appear that I’ve abandoned the world of writing romance.  That isn’t exactly the case but I have certainly transformed myself, my approach to writing, and WHAT I’m writing.  So much so, that I’m contemplating changing the name of this blog. 

Here are some blog titles I would have written during this time:

“I’m a Full Time Writing Student”

“Enjoying the Fine Art of READING For Fun Again”

“Finding My Footing in a New Genre”

“I NEED My Fanny in Order to Have My Fiction!”

Back in the spring I started a journey that has transformed me and left me more excited and energized about writing and my current WIP than I can ever remember.  This has evolved over a series of steps.

Step One: Online writing courses.  Since the beginning of the year I have taken 7 online writing courses.  Topics: Jane Austen, Past Life Regression, Senses, Rules of Six (TAKE THIS ONE, WRITERS!), Writing Category Romance, Book In A Week (TAKE THIS ONE TOO!) and Deep Story Techniques (don’t walk RUN to this one!)

Step Two:  Read and watch TV for enjoyment.   I took a break from my current projects and went in search of inspiration outside of what I thought was my comfort zone.  Instead of only reading the work of published authors in my target line, I broadened my reading scope and it led me in a new direction and to the genre that I was most likely meant to live in for a long while.  I’m currently working on a YA Fantasy that I hope will evolve into a series.  It is still set in my perfect Jersey shore town of Audubon Springs…sort of.  I’ll explain a bit more about my very special 16 yr olds in future blog posts.  For anyone that isn’t familiar, YA stands for Young Adult.  The most obvious example out there right now is the Twilight series, but I am NOT writing about vampires! 

Step Three: My fanny.  Okay…I know that I’ve made my fanny the…um…ur…butt of several jokes on this blog, but I think I finally understand why I blogged about it in the first place.  I joined Weight Watchers this summer (again) to lose the same damn fifteen pounds I’ve been gaining and losing my entire life.  Honestly, I didn’t think that I had time to juggle counting points, exercising and writing, but I discovered an amazing thing…when I’m eating better and exercising, my ideas flow much faster and come to me more fully formed.  In fact, I have flown off the elliptical on numerous occasions in order to attack the notepad or computer to get the idea down.  In fact since the second week in October when I started the first draft of my WIP, I have written 45,000 words.  That is pretty darn fast for me! 

In essence, while I’ve been absent from this blog, I haven’t been absent from writing.  It has been a part of my every moment whether consciously or subconsciously.  All this transformation talk doesn’t mean that I plan to abandon my previous work.  I still believe in and love those stories with all my heart.  I’m determined to find them a home for publication.  In the coming weeks, I plan to start the process of pulling them from the current editorial office where they have been sitting for far too long without any activity and submit them to other houses that previously showed interest.  Another development in this transformation is a Pen Name!  I have wrestled with this but now that I will be seeking publication in two genres, I decided that these YA Fantasies with Romantic Elements will carry my real name and Desiree Rose will pen my Contemporary Romances.  What do you think of the name?

Posted in Inspiration, Transformation | 1 Comment

Jane in My Pocket

Posted on February 7, 2011 by RoseAnn DeFranco

My previous post was about staying connected.  Immediately following, my thoughts turned to staying inspired and motivated.  I recently purchased an iPhone.  It was not an item that I wanted or even thought I needed.  Our old phones were on their last leg, and for the price and value, the iPhone seemed practical.  I had no idea what I was missing!  I was never and will never be one to update my Face Book status every 16 seconds.  Personally, I think that there is such a thing as too much information on the web.  I really don’t need to know that an old friend is about to step into the hot tub with her husband.  Just step in!  It’s none of my business, but since you mentioned it, I’m really happy for you, so enjoy!  On the whole staying connected is much easier with the iPhone.  I can respond immediately to emails, I have my calendar programmed with alerts which helps me juggle all my worlds and stay organized, plus I use the notes feature for my shopping lists and other reminders.  I no longer run the risk of leaving notes and lists back at the house or in another bag. I have all that I need to stay on track right there in my pocket.

This leads me to Jane Austen.  Interesting segue, right?  Some of you might know that Jane Austen is one of my heroes.  Talk about inspiration!  Honesty in relationships is important to me in my life and in my writing.  From my perspective, Jane covered it all first.  Every important relationship dynamic and structure can be found within her complete works.  My husband once challenged me on this topic.  He listed characters from movies or books and for every relationship I told him within which of her books Jane wrote it first.  Of course, ultimately she might not have written it first, but for me, she wrote it best!  I find that while I don’t write in the same style or voice as Jane, my writing is stronger when I’m reading one of her books.  This brings me to the title of this blog.  I found a Jane Austen App for my iPhone!  I now have the complete works of Jane Austen at my fingertips at all times.  I will never be caught waiting in a line or doctor’s office again without having something to read, and not just any old something, but classics like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, or my favorites, Emma and Persuasion.  Through the invention of technology, inspiration is now just a touch of the screen away!  It is somehow comforting to know that I now have Jane in my pocket!

Posted in Inspiration | Tagged | 5 Comments

Staying Connected

Posted on January 30, 2011 by RoseAnn DeFranco

Some of you might have read the title and thought that this was going to be about networking.  Not so!  I’ve relocated and reinvented myself a few times in my life.  In today’s day and age I realize that this does not make me unique, but I do think that it is one circumstance, among many, that led to my desire or need to write.  With every life change and subsequent move, I became separated from important people that helped define who I was at that time in my life.  Distance and I are not the best of companions.  To my dismay, I have fallen out of touch with people with whom I share memories that I will treasure forever.  With the wonderful invention that is Face Book, while I still don’t have the opportunity to be present for all my loved ones special moments, or have those long heart to heart conversations, I am at least back to feeling connected.  

Recently there has been some industry activity with the first two completed manuscripts in the Audubon Springs series that has pulled me away from my current WIP.  During times like these, I find that I miss my characters in the way I miss the special people in my life.  The townspeople of Audubon Springs are currently not happy with me.  They want their story completed, and so do I!  I happen to really love this one and I’d say that brother number three is quickly turning into my favorite hero.  Saying that makes me I feel as if I’m cheating on the other two!  Vince is a divorced single parent with an adorable and bright six year old girl.  He is a man with many layers.  Clearly I am drawing snippets from my husband’s relationship with our little girl.  It is interesting to watch the complexities of Vince’s relationship with his daughter unfold while reconnecting with his high school sweetheart.  As a father and man he has quite a different perspective on women than he did when he was a boy.  He has much to prove to his lady love in order to reach their happily ever after.  The fun in this one is how hard she makes him work.  Marissa is a strong independent woman with a powerfully creative mind and spirit.  In short, she could be any number of close women in my life, past and present. 

This idea of staying connected got me to thinking that my writing is, in part, an expression of gratitude and love to all my friends and family.  When asked which of her books was her favorite Nora Roberts responded with “Whichever one I’m currently writing.”  Doesn’t that fall along the same lines of love the one you’re with?  I could never choose just one person or moment or memory from my past as my favorite.  As a writer, I’d say that I agree with her.  While I love Vince’s brothers, and believe me…there is a LOT to love…there is something really special about this middle brother.  Of course, it could just be that I miss him!  🙂

Posted in Audubon Springs Series, Family, Inspiration | 8 Comments