The Best and Worst Advice

January 26, 2017

I recently read a piece where authors discussed the best and worst advice they’d ever received. I’m blogging so that’s a major clue that the discussion got me to thinking. Just what was the best advice I ever got about writing? Or publishing? What was the worst?

Good advice is very subjective to an individual’s particular circumstance. Bad advice is universal. Good advice takes many forms, some of which are clearly evident. Frequently though, good advice sneaks in on silent cat paws. We don’t realize what it is until it’s sitting on our chest tickling our face with long white whiskers.

“Keep going” is the best advice I received about writing. It wasn’t said with the intent to whip me into producing more books or to punish me for slowing down due to exhaustion. It was given to me by a man whose doctors had just told him his last option was a Hail Mary surgery. “If you love it, if it’s important to you, then keep going.”

It was so simple and at the same time profound. It gave me cause to examine myself and my feelings about writing. It made me consciously aware of just how important writing is to me. My world is ranked by family/home/hearth, writing, friends, job. Writing may appear on the surface to be a hobby, but it is words that define the inner me. The so-called Fortunes of writing are like the tides, they ebb and flow but never touch who I am or influence the words on the page.

The worst advice I ever got about writing was to join a critique group. It’s supposed to be a huge help and I’m sure it is to some. The group I had the misfortune to fall into had one girl who wanted the group to proofread items for her day job, and another whose head exploded when I asked a question about a paragraph that didn’t make sense to me. I can’t remember her name. She didn’t last long. I learned a great deal from that experience.

So all this may not mean a thing to you. Writing is a solitary art form. If you’re as happy and content in your career as I am in mine, I’m truly delighted for you. Those of us who have many years of wear and tear on our keyboards value knowing the shared experiences more than actual advice, and I guess that’s the whole point of today’s blog. Advice should be about the sharing, not the demanding of actions that change our course - unless we want it to.

Oh, and for the record, the Hail Mary worked.

KC Kendricks

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A Conversation Between Writers - Bed Lures

March 13, 2015

I've been very bad - writing at work on my lunch break! But my story just crested 5K. That makes me happy. I really need to work on that old story, too. Maybe I'll spell off on that tonight. Give my brain time to catch up.

Still no word back on the short story. It's the one that was too short.

I really need a comprehensive list of what I need to do, but if I made one I'd probably get so discouraged I'd put myself to bed and stay there. ~ KC Kendricks

~~~~~

Keep on plugging along. You'll git'er done.

I'm currently downloading my website software into a different computer, since my other one won't display on the monitor. I think it may be the graphics card, but who knows when I'll get around to trying to fix it. Made one attempt this past week and the graphics card won't fit, it has to be a special one from Dell. ~ Brenda Williamson

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
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My country life at Holly Tree Manor

C is for Contracts and Conventions

On Being a Published Writer
April 3, 2012
Day 3
A to Z Blogging Challenge 

Oh, my goodness the offer of that first contract! It was a Saturday night and so I checked my email and there it was. The Offer.

I screamed. I cried. I scared my poor partner right out of his recliner (no mean feat, that).

It was surely a magical moment. Looking back with older, wiser, and sometimes jaded, eyes, I see how fortunate I was to land with a reputable company.

Of all the advice I could give you about any contract, the best would be to read it and understand it. If the language isn’t plain enough for me to understand without legal counsel, I’m going to turn it down. What are they hiding in all the mumble-jumble? I don’t care to get burned to find out.

These days, there’s less magic in a new contract, maybe because I understand what to expect each time through the process that takes the author and publisher to release day. I know what can go wrong. And being an older hand at this, I know just because some publishing house offers me a contract doesn’t mean I’m going to jump to sign it. I don’t have to – and neither do you.

A bad contract is a thousand times worse than no contract, so use your head. If you have questions, ask them. If you don’t like the answer, give the contract a pass. Don’t worry. There will be more offers. Don’t be in such a hurry to get published, or get into company XYZ, that you bind yourself up in misery. And that is some of the best advice I can give you.

***

Conventions. I’ve been to one and it was absolutely fabulous! If I could afford it, I’d go to a convention every month.

Yes, it was a hassle to drive four hours to get there. Yes, the food was lousy. Yes, the hotel was in the middle of renovations. But what could be more exciting than twelve hundred people speaking my language? Nothing in the intervening years has come close.

I went to 2007 Romantic Times Pittsburgh with one purpose in mind. I didn’t make any agent or editor bookings. I didn’t sign up for the book fair. I went so I could quietly observe the actions of publishers, editors and other writers. I came away from Pittsburgh convinced of the validity of my future in epublishing, and with valuable insights on career paths to avoid. In my opinion, knowing where not to go is equally important with knowing where I should go.

A convention on the scale of Romantic Times is the publishing world encapsulated. If you have the opportunity to attend conventions, you owe it to yourself to go. Observe. Participate. Talk to the people around you. Absorb everything you can from everyone you come in contact with, even the guy behind the coffee bar.

This is your business. Use everything at your disposal to learn it well.

You’re a writer, and everything you learn will feed your passion and create your success.

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

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facebook.com/kckendricks

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My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

Vacation clutter

Listen... Do you hear it?...

It's the blissful silence of a Saturday morning. Man, dog and cat are all sleeping. I would be, too, but my messy desk needs some attention. Like it's getting it while I blog, huh? In a way, it is.

I've been on vacation from the day job this past week, and it didn't turn out to be the week I longed for. Lesson learned: leave home next time. Alone.

But that's beside the point. Organization and orderliness flew out the window this past week, and I need to sort through all this...crap...and get ready to get refocused on business. What better way to collect my scattered thoughts than to put them down in writing?

What doesn't belong on the desk? There's the pile of birthday cards, the Kindle, Kindle case, Kindle charger, camera, cell phone, jump drive, hand lotion, four ink pens, my contacts case, a new contract which should be in the mail, two WIP file folders, a quarter, a dime, a bottle of vitamins, and a set of batteries that need recharged. Okay, maybe it's not so bad, but it's clutter and represents some half finished thoughts and/or actions.

The Kindle should be INSIDE its case and the cord stored in the drawer with all the other gzillion chargers. Camera and cell phone should be in my purse, in their proper little pockets. The jump drive should be in the USB port where it can actually receive data. You get the drift.

Maybe it's a good thing to occasionally allow a little clutter to creep into our lives. Perhaps a vacation from inside responsibilities is as important as one from outside responsibilities. Looking at my desk this morning gives me an appreciation of the old saying, "a place for everything, and everything in its place." But you know what? They sky didn't fall because I didn't put two file folders away and put a little spare change in the old Jack Daniels bottle I use to collect coins. Even the Kindle lies in relative safety on top of its case far from the edge of the desk.

I'll finish this blog, pour another cup of caffeine, put everything away, and Swiffer the desk top. A symbolic clean sweep to end this "vacation." And those birthday cards? I'll save them for last so I can re-read each of them and say a little prayer of thanks for the sender, and what they mean to my life. I may just keep them on my desk for a few more days to keep my friends close in my heart. That's the kind of clutter I can live with.

KC Kendricks

It's all about the research

May 6, 2010

Do you know how many books have been written over the centuries? Me, neither. I won’t even venture a guess. I’m not even sure what brought the question to mind, except that I needed to do a little research last night and twiddled away three hours. Seriously. Three hours! And I never left the Amazon website! What was I researching so studiously? Book titles.

It’s amazing that with all the books out there, more titles don’t overlap. It’s reassuring in a way, that there is still some uniqueness in the market place, and what an author comes up with for a title can stand on its own. It also helped me repopulate my prospective title list, especially titles for the shapeshifter stories. Fallon still has a lot to learn about his new shapeshifter lover, and Sundown doesn’t give up his secrets easily, not even to Fallon. (And then there’s the fact that his clan needs Sundown for procreation. Can’t go there yet. That’s just a little tease for what’s ahead.)

So what did I find? That the word ‘under’ generated over 90,000 hits on Amazon. Guess that won’t be part of anyone’s title after they read that, eh? I scratched it off my list in a hurry. The word ‘seducing’ garnered 228 hits. That’s not bad. I’d use ‘seducing’ if I hadn’t already done so, which made me curious.

Sorting those 228 hits by ‘bestselling’ found SEDUCING LIGHT at number 31 of the ‘seducing’ titles. That’s thirty-one. T-h-i-r-t-y-o-n-e.

Yes, I looked twice. Three times, even, and it didn’t change. Do you begin to see how I frittered away the hours?

While it might seem like a total waste of time, it wasn’t. We authors spend a lot to time debating what’s the best title for our stories, all the while knowing that once we sign the contract with the publisher, they have the right to change the title. I’ve not had that happen, per se. The head guru at Amber Allure has discussed titles with me from time to time, and we have always agreed on the little tweaks. A good publisher is one helluva good resource.

The information absorbed last night will rest in my subconscious until I need it. I may not even be aware of it, when debating a new title, but that’s okay. For today, I’ll just be happy with the knowledge that SEDUCING LIGHT is doing well, and that Amazon is good for more things than taking my money.

Yes, I bought a few things last night, strictly for [enjoyable] research.

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

Life is Balance

March 28, 2010


I’ve been remiss about my blog. It’s been a while since I checked in. I can only report I’ve been busy. (Note to editor: yes, I see that’s three usages of ‘been’ in three sentences.)

Actually, I rather like the aforementioned editor. As someone whose time is valuable, I appreciate her approach. She keeps things very business-like, but every once in a while her sense of humor shines through.

So what’s kept me busy? The man and the home front most certainly. With the arrival of spring, we’re gearing up for home and garden activities. This year, finally, we’re installing central air conditioning. It’s been [ack! another ‘been!] a long time coming, but paying off the mortgage was more important. Now that I’m mortgage free, it’s time to do some things to feather my nest in preparation of becoming a full-time writer.

This is also the year to repaint the bathroom. I firmly believe a coat of fresh paint is a marvelous thing, so every other year, I paint a room. It’s a cheap pick-me-up for the house. I’m changing the shade a wee bit this time around, and that’s not all. It’s time for new towel racks, and maybe even a new light if I can find one I like.

On the writing front, I finished my first shapeshifter story and got it turned in. I missed my self-imposed deadline by three days, but I got the edits for “A Hard Habit to Break” early. I spent exactly three days on the edit process, so there ya go. With those two things accomplished, I’ve turned my attention to the story for Amber Allure’s new themed series.

I got a haircut, did website updates, went for a bicycle ride, participated in a chat, had some of the in-laws down for dinner, and filed my taxes. With all that swirling around in me, it’s no wonder I didn’t get the chance to blog.

None of that is a complaint. I feel very blessed to have so much in my life. The activity keeps my brain functioning and my senses alert. I appreciate the quiet times more by having the pendulum swing in the other direction, too.

April is just around the corner. There’s Easter, my young cousin’s baby will arrive, my best friend is going on a vacation and I get to watch her cat, and the release of “A Hard Habit to Break.” That’s the tip of the iceberg, so forgive me if I don’t check in too much.

Like all things, it will balance out somewhere down the road.


KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
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The power of planning

December 9, 2009

I know it’s only December 9th, and maybe a little early to work up a ‘year in review’ blog, but the past holds keys to the future. What works, you improve upon. What doesn’t work, you find a way to improve, or acknowledge it’s time to try something different. So with two new stories on the desktop, each vying for my attention, it’s time to look behind to plot a more prosperous path.

Now, don’t think that by prosperous I’m talking about money. I’m not. Contrary to popular belief, most writers are not retiring to Tuscany on their royalties. We make a little bit, take the family out to a nice dinner or whatever, pay for the webhosting, and that’s about it. We write because we love doing it. The prosperity I’m referring to has to do with the craft of writing.

Any good writer never stops wanting to find new and better phrasing, more descriptive yet more concise words. We want to create a single sentence that weeps with the joy of being created. The challenge comes from within, not without, and we don’t shy away from it, no matter how difficult it may seem. Our prosperity increases when we accomplish this creation. It’s an internal prosperity on which to build the future.

If you read back across some of my blogs, you’ll find how best to serve the future is actually a recurring theme of mine. I tend to look forward more than I tend to dwell on the past, but the two have a symbiotic relationship.

Am I excited about what’s ahead in the year 2010? Very! A year’s worth of planning is coming to fruition. Two early 2009 releases will finally be paired with two new releases in two paperback anthologies. “Tango in the Night” will finally be released this coming weekend as part of a PAX collection. It seems like I’ve been waiting forever for this one (I’ll never submit a story early again).

“Tango in the Night,” and “Give Me One Night,” will pair up in the paperback, “Night Moves.” Both of these stories give the characters one more chance for happiness when they aren’t looking for it.

Then, “Seducing Light” will pair with the upcoming “Shine a Light” in a paperback. Both of these stories are set against a backdrop of movies and live theater, so the paperback will be, appropriately enough, “In the Limelight.”

Beyond February 2010, I’m expanding my work to include a limited urban legend series. I think it will be fun to add that. I love writing contemporary stories. This is simply contemporary with a little twist. Currently, the plan is for six stories. We’ll just have to see how it pans out.

Also in the works, a three story set that, like the Southern Cross series, will have a central location and recurring characters, linked by family and friendship. Until the first one is done, I won’t have a clear picture of how the second and third will work.

So many stories, and so little time, so I’d best stop blogging and get busy.

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

How bad do you want it?

“How bad do you want it?” I never asked myself that question until I heard the Don Henley song many years ago, but it’s become a touchstone question in my life - for everything. Maybe my subconscious recognized the question, but I never stopped and actively thought about it. Like many younger folks, I worked hard, played by the rules, and if something didn’t pan out, I merely moved on. I probably lost more than I’ll ever know by calmly accepting so much.

Guess what? I’m older now, and I don’t care if people think I’m a lady, or if I have that certain nebulous quality known as ‘class’. I woke up one morning with the realization I’ve only got about forty years left in this earthly realm. I’ve got to get moving. Screw being a lady. Screw class. Screw living by someone else’s society rules.

How bad do I want it? And what the heck is IT, anyway? That’s a question to make ‘most anyone lean back in their chair and scratch their chin. What is IT? I have a few ideas on what IT is for me. Right now, IT is fitting my ass in a pair of size ten blue jeans.

Excuse me. Ladies don’t use ‘bad’ words. I should say butt, not ass.

And how hard are you willing to work to get IT? That’s what I really grapple with. I drive by the Dairy Queen every day on my way home from work. Maybe it’s time to burn a little extra gas and go home by a different route. No, it’s time to just ignore the huge Blizzard billboard. I’m tough enough to do that. But am I committed enough to ignore the thought of a Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzard until next spring? How bad do I want those jeans?

With age comes wisdom, and patience (which I never had as a younger person). Wisdom says life is lived one day at a time. Failure on any given day isn’t fatal, not in this quest, because I will succeed more days than not.

How bad do I want IT? I guess I’m about to find out.

No One But You (Levi & Stacy) by KC Kendricks

July 19, 2009

Lovers Stacy James and Levi Wright keep their relationship hot and spicy by enjoying the little things in life. Levi welcomes Stacy home from a business trip by delighting his partner with a quick trick in the men’s room of a local pool hall. An offhand comment by a stranger cools Stacy’s ardor and sets in motion a chain reaction that rocks the very foundation of Levi’s world. He’s never cheated on Stacy, but Stacy has sudden doubts.

On his own, Levi is tested in his discoveries – about Stacy, their relationship, and about the kind of man he wants to be. One thing he knows for certain. He’s not losing Stacy over a careless whisper that isn’t true, but will the only man he’ll ever love forgive his angry words?

Stacy made the worst mistake of his life telling his lover to find another place to sleep. Levi might be younger, but he’s a man, with a man’s pride. Stacy draws on all his experience to walk a road full of detours and pitfalls to meet Levi halfway, and bring him home. Because for Stacy, there’s no one but Levi.

NO ONE BUT YOU

**update 7/6/17

Available at

iTunes/Apple:  itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1254948037

Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B073QFSRFQ

Barnes and Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-one-but-you-k-c-kendricks/1027226183

KOBO:  www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/no-one-but-you-18

EXCERPT

“Can you just let go of your notion that I’m missing out on life? I don’t feel like I am.”

“Okay. But here’s the thing, Levi. I want…”

“Just stop. I love you.”

To my utter shock, Stacy grabbed both my wrists, his powerful grip tight enough to bruise. His gaze bored into mine, freezing me cold.

“You stop, Levi. You listen, just this once. You’re so afraid I’ll be pissed if I see you get a hard-on for some other guy, you run from me when I want to talk about it. Do you think that in five years I’ve never seen another man that gave me a little tingle? It happens to everyone, lover. It’s not something to be ashamed of.”

My voice didn’t want to work. “I’m not you.”

“No, you’re not. I’ve never cheated on you, Levi.” He looked at me for the longest moments of my life, his eyes gone black with some emotion I had no name for.

I knew. I knew.

"I heard what the bartender said the other night. You need to know that if it ever happens, and you trick some guy, you don’t need to keep it from me. I
expect you to first, be safe, and second, to tell me so we can be more careful.”

Ice water tossed in my face would not have chilled me more than his words.
"What the fuck is going on here, Stacy? I've never cheated on you. Never. And
I'm not starting now."

“Levi, we've been together a long time, and as a couple, we've enjoyed unprotected sex for quite a while now. Do I need to be concerned?"

A fine trembling seized my body. This conversation was out of control, the potential for disaster increasing by the second. My stomach clenched in on itself until I fought back the dry heaves. The world spiraled around me, going black at the edges. I broke free of his hands.

"I love you. I never cheat on you. And yet you sit there and ask me if it's possible I could have given you the clap - or something worse? Maybe I should be the one worrying! And you have to do it here? You motherfucker! I have to go in there and work!" I choked, unable to breathe. "I never…"

Stacy's arms came around me. I shoved him away, holding him at bay. The words came as I managed a deep breath. Horrible words that I couldn’t stop from pouring out of me in my anger and pain that he didn’t know me well enough to believe how much I loved him.

“Why don’t you go get a fucking blood test since you can’t trust me! Now you listen to me. You decide whether or not you love me enough to have me hang around, because if I’ve gotten a little old for you, you should tell me. I’ll step aside so you can go find yourself another sixteen year old!”

He drew back like I’d struck him, which I had. I’d lashed out, hitting him with the most damaging words I owned. He’d been falsely accused of having sex with a sixteen-year-old boy when he was twenty. The boy had lied – Stacy hadn’t touched him – but the accusation had almost ruined Stacy’s life. The pain lingered, and I, who loved him so much, knew the wound lingered in him, unhealed at its deepest point.

And I used it against him.

I reached for him and this time he batted my hands away.

“I’m sorry, Stace. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

“You said it, so you did mean it. Now get out of the car. I can’t be with you right now.”

My stomach roiled. “Stacy, please. We need to go back home and talk this out.”
He refused to look at me. The cold rage in his voice didn’t completely disguise the hurt.

“No, we don’t. Going home won’t fix this, Levi. I need some time alone. Do us both a favor and find someplace else to sleep.”

NO ONE BUT YOU


GIVE ME ONE NIGHT

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/give-me-one-night-by-kc-kendricks.html

Give Me One Night is now available at 
Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 


SURRENDERED VICTORY
2008 Amber Heat Wave Winner


PASSION'S VICTORY
2008 CAPA Nominee


SHINING VICTORY
One of the Top Ten Bestsellers at
Amber Allure November and December 2008


Coming soon - NETTING NEPTUNE
Coming soon - TANGO IN THE NIGHT

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
twitter.com/kckendricks
facebook.com/kckendricks
pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards
instagram.com/kc_kendricks
My country life at Holly Tree Manor

 

How Star Trek convinced me to stay in the RWA

It's true. I'm a member of the Romance Writers of America, and it's membership renewal time again. I don't think they know I'm a member since you sign up under your real name. Since I started my career using a different nom de plume, KC Kendricks isn't listed on their website.

To what I suspect is their horror, my alter ego is, as I have PAN status. Make no mistake, the epublished author is a second class citizen in the eyes of the RWA, and for us to have a listing on the website makes a lot of people cringe.

The last several years has seen the RWA maneuvering to oust the epublished author. Rule after rule is approved to thwart our progress, and yet we persist, and continue to sell books. At one time, the RWA didn't want to consider us to be published authors.

Sorry. Legions of readers buy our epublished stories and we get checks. That makes us published. I begin to suspect we make more than some print only authors - witness the influx of those writers to epublishing along with some big name publishers going e-book.

What's really down and dirty is how the RWA waits until after the renewal period is up and then they slap down the new rules.

As if we don't notice. Tsk. Tsk.

Well, $85 is a lot to shell out for a yearly membership, but I guess I'll do it again. Why? I like the punishment. Just kidding. It's because of Star Trek.

I've been a fan of Star Trek since episode one, which first aired in September 1966. I was nine. I've seen every episode of every series, and every movie. (Yep. Saw the newest Star Trek today and you won’t get spoilers here but you should see it..) And back in the 1980's, I read every book fandom produced. One thing about Trek - you never know what might happen.

The only thing that is carved in stone in Star Trek, is if you're wearing that red security shirt on screen with Captain Kirk, you're gonna die, and probably horribly. Other than that, all bets are off, and you never know. All things are fluid, even space. Even the Borg. Crisis and solutions alike morph out from under you. You never know.

And you never know about the RWA. One day, it may morph into an organization that truly represents its total constituency. I want to still be there when that happens.

What will I have to say then? Well, you never know.

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthe keys
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