The 100 Rejection Club Or How Writers Find a Support System By Connie Vines

 The old adage among serious writers is to aim for 100 rejections every year.

While I never garnered close to 100 rejections, I've spent my fair share of time on the revision marry-go-round.

At the start of my career, I wrote for magazine publications. While I published half a dozen romantic short stories, my primary focus was the children and young adult market.  

This consisted of historical events/famous people, craft projects/historical cooking and recipes, spooky Halloween stories, etc. Since both sides of my family had a strong oral history and many photos, making history fun was relatively easy for me.

Writing full-length fiction novels requires an almost hermit-like existence. When I was working in the education field, I wrote at night and Saturday afternoons.  

So, since I'm now a professional writer/full-time hermit, where is my support system?

I belong to several well-known writers' groups as a virtual member.

I log onto Zoom two mornings each week with half a dozen authors, all with our cameras off and mic on mute. 

We log on, say hello and a few words of encouragement, then go into dark mode for 4 hours of dedicated writing time. We check in at the end with a wrap-up of what we worked on, but we also just say goodbye until the next day/next week. It's a no-pressure way to socialize and get some writing done. 

The point is that we all need tools and mutual support to keep us motivated and on track.

Not everyone needs this, but I know I do.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Happy Reading :)

Connie

For my books, website, and more:

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

https://connievines-author.com/  (blog link is here, too)

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/vinesbwl

Writing During Vampire Hours -- Secrets Writers Keep By Connie Vines #Writing Tips, #NightOwls, #Cowboys, #Western Romance, #Fantasy

⏰🦇🌙 

Vampire Hours?

According to the Urban Dictionary:

When someone keeps vampire hours, they are awake all night and sleep all day. They are unreachable by phone, text, or social media during daylight hours when the rest of their friends are up.

While I do not sleep all day...  

"I don't 'rise' from my bed at sunrise, either.  😎. 

🌞 vs. 🧛

The conventional wisdom is that morning people are high achievers and go-getters, while late risers are lazy. But what if going to bed in the wee hours is actually an advantage?

🕯  On the school site before 7:00 a.m. was my day job (my-oh-my was that torture.) until I recently retired.

The Wonder Years

Staggering into the kitchen, adjusting the curtains so that I was not blinded by the sunrise. And wondering how I was going to get through the day on 4 or maybe 5 hours of sleep.

Wondering: Would I wake up if I spent my lunch break in the car and fell asleep?  

Wondering why I could only write at night? Life would be simpler if I could write during my lunchtime. Le Sigh.

Admissions

While I don't broadcast to the world, I write until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning; nothing goes unnoticed when you live in the burbs. 😎 

Everyone is up at sunrise going to work or working in his/her front yard. 

I wear sunglasses at 10 a.m. when I check the mail. No one 'sees me' until an hour or two before sunset when I sit on my front patio with a cup of coffee. 

They all seem to go to bed (all lights out between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m.) not long after sunset.

My sweet neighbor across the street said, "Whenever I get up at night, your lights are still on..."

"I know..." 😉

🦇 Writing should never be a race to the finish. It should be an extended immersion in a hot tub or a relaxing meditation. Good writers write at night because it's devoid of distraction, there's nothing else left to do in the day, and there's no one else to hurry to.

🦇Bursts of inspiration like this at night frequently within the creative community. Writers, artists, and inventors throughout history have all said they've been most inspired during night-time— think of Tennesee Williams. He spent so much of the night writing he would be found asleep in his bed the next morning, still wearing the same clothes as the day before (source: Williams' notebooks). (Connie doesn't do this.)  

📖📱💻

Do you have a favorite time you like to read?

Please visit my website/blog. Remember my books are on sale at Smashwords, too.

Happy Reading, everyone.

Connie Vines

XOXO

Website: https://connievines-author.com/

Blog: http://mizging.blogspot.com/

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

https://books2read.com/Gumbo-Ya-Ya

https://books2read.com/Lynx

https://books2read.com/Brede

https://books2read.com/Tanayia

https://books2read.com/Here-Today-Zombie-Tomorrow

Like All Good Cajun Fairy Tales, It Began Harmlessly Enough..." By Connie Vines #BWLAuthor #MFRWAAuthor #Gumbo Ya Ya #Rodeo Romance Series

New Orleans city offers beautiful architecture, great food, great seafood, and it can even titillate the minds of those who love a scary story or two. NOLA, The Big Easy, the birthplace of jazz, N'Awlins. New Orleans can go by so many names but one thing is for sure, the city is more than just partying in the streets.

New Orleans is more than a city; it is the fragrance of chicory coffee, a breeze off Lake Ponchatrain, the sound of jazz music in the French Quarter on a warm and humid night. Pirate Tales, Haunted Cemeteries, Trolley Rides, Magnolia Trees, and Food.  Oh, my goodness. Food is everywhere you look!  

This is why I wrote my Cajun Anthology:  Gumbo Ya Ya.  

Some adventures must be shared!

Cajun House in a Bayou (Swamp)

Listen to Cajun Music Cajun Music

What's The Difference Between Creole And Cajun Cooking?

Cajun and Creole food are both native to Louisiana.  One of the simplest differences between the two cuisine types is that Creole food typically uses tomatoes and tomato-based sauces while traditional Cajun food does not.

Crawfish Boil

CAJUN FOOD

Cajun food is robust, rustic food, found along the bayous of Louisiana, a combination of French and Southern cuisines. It was brought to Louisiana by the French who migrated to the state from Nova Scotia 250 years ago and used foods, right from the land. Think of meals with lots of smoked meats as well as meat-heavy, one-pot dishes like jambalaya or the rice-filled, spicy pork sausage known as boudin. The backyard crawfish boil is also another byproduct of Cajun culture. Though delicious Cajun food can certainly be found in New Orleans, the true heart of Cajun country lies northwest of the city in areas like Breaux Bridge and Lafayette.

The Historical French Quarter

CREOLE FOOD

Creole food is cosmopolitan food, created in New Orleans with European, African, and Native American roots. The French influence is strongest, but vestiges of Italian, Spanish, German, and the even Caribbean can be found in some dishes. The essence of Creole is found in rich sauces, local herbs, red ripe tomatoes, and the prominent use of seafood, caught in local waters. It is associated with the old-line kitchens of New Orleans, where generations of traditions are carried on today. Think of rich, roux-based gumbo, shrimp creole, grits and grillades, redfish court-bouillon, and more

HOW ARE CAJUN AND CREOLE FOODS SIMILAR?

Both cuisines make liberal use of what New Orleanians call the "holy trinity" of cooking: chopped green peppers, onions, and celery. The most common misconception is that both foods are spicy, fiery hot. Both Creole and Cajun cuisines have a depth of flavor, borne of a loving blend of local herbs and (quite often) roux and may or may not be spicy. But one thing is definitely true - you’ll never go wrong adding a few shakes of Louisiana hot sauce to either. In New Orleans, Creole and Cajun dishes can be found at many of our 1,400 restaurants at any time. Explore more of the differences.

Hummingbird Cake

I've added a host of recipes to my anthology.  Some classic dishes, some rustic, a few are my own, and others are family recipes passed down in my husband's family.

 And speaking of Gumbo Ya Ya: an Anthology for women who like romance Cajun style:

Here are teasers:

Marrying off Murphy: A match-making columnist promises to turn a stuffy professor into a charming prince. So, why does this confirmed bachelorette, suddenly wish she was dressed for the ball?

Love Potion no. 9: What happens when you mix a traditional Creole woman with a fun-loving Cajun Man? Throw in a little Voodoo love potion and stand back!  The Louisiana Bayou an't never gonna be the same.

A Slice of Scandal: A producer finds herself embroiled in a mystery as hot as her Cooking Show. When a Bayou cop turned chef dishes up more heat than a bottle of Louisana chopped peppers. Can she prove her innocence before the killer kills her? Or will she become the main course in a murder trial?

1-800-FORTUNE: Garlic hangs from the rafters but this Cajun werewolf isn't looking for trouble or a cure for what ails him. That is until a determined Gypsy woman shows up with mischief on her mind!

Smashwords :  Big, Big Sale! 

Remember all of my books are available via your favorite online book/ebook seller.

Link To my BWL author page: 

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

Thank you for stopping by :-),

Connie