http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/blog A Writer's Journey to Publication Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:29:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Nine suspense writers (moi included!) from Romance Divas have banded together to create a new suspense group. We're planning on having a lot of fun as we work towards our goal of successful NY published careers. Come on over and visit us at http://onceuponacrime.net or hop on over to our ... http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/blog/2008/08/19/once-upon-a-crime/ As writers, we're always looking ahead, even when immersed in our current work in progress there is a part of our mind that is actively searching for the next idea. For me, that idea usually comes as a flash of either character or situation. Her Own Best Enemy: I knew I ... http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/blog/2008/08/17/the-next-story/ I received a phone call today that my romantic suspense manuscript, INTRUSION, has finaled in the single title contemporary category of the 2008 PASIC "Book of Your Heart" contest! Earlier today I was telling my husband how I didn't think I finaled because I hadn't received a call and I was ... http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/blog/2008/08/04/pasic-finalist/ I'm nearing the end of INTRUSION! It's always such a great feeling when I'm to the point in a manuscript where everything is going downhill, rushing towards the black moment and the climax. If I stick to my current schedule, I should have it done by the time my boys ... http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/blog/2008/07/27/home-stretch/ It's hard to believe it's already July 11th! In less than a month (August 6th) my boys will be starting school again, and I don't mind telling you that I have mixed feelings. I like having them home. Sure, having them in the house has played havoc with my writing ... http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/blog/2008/07/11/where-did-the-summer-go/ I can't write in Courier New font anymore. It stifles my creativity. I'll sit and stare at the words....and nothing. Can't type a single sentence. Switch to Times New Roman and my fingers start tapping the keyboard again. Weird.  It's just a font, right?  Well, apparently, Courier New is too ugly ... http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/blog/2008/06/04/font-for-thought/ I've been sorely absent from the blog lately. Writing, stressing, dealing with 'life', stressing, volunteering at the boys' school, stressing....well, you get the picture. But, now, it's officially summer vacation--oh, and snowing, by the way. Snow. Ing. In case you didn't catch that the first time. We went from almost 90 ... http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/blog/2008/05/23/schools-out-schools-out/ Look at me! I made bread! Trust me when I say that this is a momentous occasion. I once tried to make pizza crust and it turned out cracker thin, and another time I attempted bread and ended up with a rock. But then I moved into my new house ... http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/blog/2008/04/21/domestic-queen/ I look up to see Cam lounging in the doorway. In typical Cam fashion he's dressed in faded jeans, a god-awful Hawaiian print button-down shirt and black boots. His brown hair is mussed from the wind and he studies me from steely gray eyes. He nods to my laptop. ... http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/blog/2008/04/07/pretty-shiny/ I find it interesting that I seem to fall into the "pit" at the same time with each manuscript. I call it the black hole of Chapter 3. It doesn't matter what kind of book I'm writing, Chapter 3 seems to give me all sorts of problems with pacing ... http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/blog/2008/03/31/mucking-through-the-pit/