Time For Some R&R

Lately, Deek and I have been going pretty hard with writing and regular life stuff. So, my amazing parents decided to give us a much needed break. They got tickets for all of us to see one of my most favorite country singers ever--Travis Tritt. It's so funny they'd pick Travis because Deek and I have often talked about how much we like his music and how much we'd love to do a little songwriting with him. And to put the icing right on that awesome cake, the concert was in my most favorite beach town! WINNING all around!

BUT before we went and had all that excitement, Deek and I checked out a local arts festival and had a lovely date night! Could this weekend have gotten *any* better?!?

Ready to celebrate art!

We got free Kind bars. #GiveKindATry

Lately I'm obsessed with skulls, particularly of the Dia de los Muertos variety.

Deek's favorite author was represented!

Could this dog be any cuter??

Then, Deek and I had a lovely date evening. Dinner, coffee, and a long walk. Sigh...he knows the way to this simple girl's heart! 

He *always* makes me laugh!

He paparazzied me!

So I paparrazied him right back!

The sky gave us a beautiful show for our walk!

The next day, we headed out for the beach and the concert. We met my parents early and did some adventuring before the main event!

I so love Jon Snow, but...KHAL DROGO!

<swoon>

I'm secretly a mermaid.

I can't adult today...

Almost time for the show! Here's Travis' equipment trailer!

Travis doing a Birth selfie!

Me and my Daddy! <3

Me and bee-utiful Mama!

At the gift store. Isn't she adorbs!?!?

We Tweeted, and Travis responded. SUCH a class act!

We love you, Travis Tritt!!

His gorgeous daughter, Tyler Reese Tritt, opened for him and sang a duet with him later. She's a natural talent and adorable to boot! Loved this sweet daddy/daughter moment!

Give us some ballads, Travis!

So excited my camera is shaking!

We had SUCH a blast!

Before we headed back home, Deek and I spent a little time on the beach. Even when it's cloudy and gray (which is normal for Pacific Northwest beaches, so Deek felt right at home), the beach is my favorite, favorite, favorite place to be. Deek proposed to me on a beach, and one day, we hope to live at the beach permanently (after our vagabond years, of course). 

There's nothing like the beach!

This man makes me RIDONK happy!

This is the face of joy--the pure, unadulterated joy of being with the one who makes your soul sing.

No matter where we go, Deek is my home.

It's good to work hard and be focused. When you're an adult, you have to adult whether you want to or not. But it's always good to take breaks and carve out a little time for R&R. It's refreshing and rejuvenating, and it resets your mind so you can focus better when you get back to work and adulting. Never underestimate the power of R&R!

Until next time, grab some popcorn, your favorite soda, and lie in bed watching Netflix. Or catch a Travis Tritt concert when he heads your way! 

Self-Editing

Deek and I send our thoughts and well-wishes to everyone affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and to all who are dealing with the fires, especially our friends and family out that way. It's been crazy watching the Pacific Northwest burn, Houston drown, and the East Coast brace for Irma. I'm ready for the weather to settle down a bit. Better yet, can we just have summer back??

I can't believe how cold it's gotten in the last few days. I'm freezing, and it's only September!! Ugh, hurry up and be Christmas and then go back to summer. ;)

via GIPHY

So, I finished the rough draft of my Molly and Ryder story!!! YAY! I worked and reworked the first chapter and then sent it to my hubby and critique partners to see if they thought I'd created a gripping enough opening. If you don't get the beginning right, the rest doesn't matter because no one will get that far.

Like always, my brilliant hubs and Dream Team offered valuable feedback. I've worked in their suggestions, and now I'm trickling that down to the rest of the story. As I do that, I'm making notes to myself along the way. Some of them are very brilliant like "Do better" and "Be more clever here." LOL!

via GIPHY

*Don't worry. If you hire me to edit your work, I'll be much more specific in my instructions. Haha! But I know what I mean when I say that to myself. ;) 

Self-editing is very important. I've heard this crazy notion of people finishing their rough drafts and sending those directly to critique partners and editors, or worse...to publishers and agents. Whenever anyone asks me for my biggest piece of advice to writers, I always say edit, edit, edit, and when you think you're done, edit some more. NEVER turn your rough draft over to anyone. You should edit that thing until you've exhausted yourself. And when you've completed that, let your beta readers and critique partners have a look. Then, edit it again. And when you're like, "Yes, it's as good as it can get," edit it one more time. I'm not even kidding.

via GIPHY

At BookFish and Tenacious, we can always tell when someone hasn't put in the editing effort. You don't want an agent or publisher to think you don't value your work enough to put in the time to make it great. Don't shoot yourself in the foot right out of the starting gate.

Even though Deek and I are both knee-deep in editing (he's working on a sci-fi called The eXtractor), we've taken some time out for a little fun and exploration to keep our minds fresh. Take your own little mental break and join us...

I love this man so hard, I might cheesy grin my lips right off my face!

Editing in the coffee shop all author like

Taking a walk/hike through some beautiful woods!

Amazing corridor!

I feel like this is some weird rock-paper-scissors thing...

Post-run in the pre-Irma wind and rain.

Gawd, I love him!

Every day, I think I have reached the pinnacle of love for this man because it's at an epic high, but every single day, I love him more. It's like the universe, ever-expanding.

This is representative of my life--full of happiness, laughter, and love.

Enjoying a little culture.

Oh yeah! Summer/beach girl in heaven!

The future becomes the present!

Until next time, Trinna has a PSA...

Edit, edit, edit.

Uncommon Writing Tips

A while back, I wrote about the common writing mistakes we see at BookFish Books and Tenacious Books Publishing. Today, I'm going to offer some uncommon writing tips that apply to your craft and regular life in general. 

I've heard many times how important it is for authors to have experiences in life to make their writing richer. That's not to say that people without experience or certain experiences can't write quality novels, not at all. But I think the point is to get out there and live life. Find things that interest you and do them. Don't stay locked behind your computer. Go out, observe people, and experience the world. Your writing might thank you. ;) 

Shakespeare was one of the best people watchers around. 

He observed and understood human nature on a deep level.

Before you get all discouraged because you don't have a lot of money or a lot of places to go, you can explore right where you are, often times for free. There are many resources for finding out about local events--friends, FaceBook, local advertisements.

Recently, Deek and I had the rare opportunity for a middle-of-the-week date. I picked him up at lunch time (one car life), and we tried a new place. Then, I picked him up a little early from work that evening, and we went to a free, local concert.

A little lunch date smooching

Kissing continued at the free concert. Do you see a theme? LOL!

There was a huge crowd at the concert, so there were plenty of people to observe. The interplay between young lovers. The behavior of a group a friends. The uninhibited dancing their hearts out. Those who scowled despite the laughter and joy going on around them. Each person becomes a potential character, or traits of characters, for future books.

This past weekend, we went to an art museum and walked their art trails (a free activity). We had a total blast, got some artistic inspiration, observed a lot of people, and got a little exercise to go with it. Winning all around!

Talking heads. 

It's a no-no in the writing world but a yes-yes in the art world!

I like big butts and I cannot lie.

Very cool perspective!

Pause for a little reflective time.

Find your inner peace.

I adore this man SO much!!

Where fairground gates go to die...

It's a flesh wound...

I love weeping willows. They're so romantic!

Just being near this tree stirred up some creative ideas!

Remember, in writing and in life, coffee is a must! 

A writer's elixir.

This special bean helps turn sleepy gibberish into magical words.

The Deek and Erin summer special

Word. An oldie but goodie!

Don't forget a special treat for your pals as well.

Here's Gus enjoying a puppyaccino!

Remember to exercise! It's just as important to keep the body as fit as the mind! Deek and I lift, run, hike, box, and walk a lot. Walking is a great way to work in fitness and creative musing. We often hash out a lot of our plots this way.

An evening walk with my love

Training

Ropes are a tough one!

Excuse my cheesy grin--I'd just completed a half marathon in the pouring rain!

Even better, coffee AND fitness combined! ;) 

Find people who share your creative passions and will exchange ideas with you. Friends are a must--they encourage and support. Other authors provide crucial insight into the industry. Beta readers and critique partners help sharpen and shape your work. 

My Dream Team (plus two amazing bloggers)

Hanging out with some author pals

Chrissy Lessey, Dave Atwell, and Papa Stro Maestro

And some of my critique partners over the years....

Jessica Calla

Michelle Pickett

Meradeth Houston

Mary Waibel

T.C. Mckee

Heather Van Fleet

Deek Rhew! Yep, my husband!

He started out as my critique partner, and we fell in love!!

Have pets. I'm not kidding. If you have the financial ability and the heart capacity, they're wonderful little writing assistants! 

Bring me Solo...

Our snuggly, gorgeous Trinity!

He trips me out. 

He looks like a meerkat here, but he knows I caught him doing something he shouldn't.

Gus could not be a better dog!! 

He's quiet, loving, cuddly, and he has the best possible personality.

Wondering how Mommy got puppy ears too. Thanks for the laugh, Snapchat!

Remember to have fun. Life is short, and writing is hard. So, take a break, laugh, and enjoy time with those you love. I lost my beloved PaPa unexpectedly in July, so I'm acutely aware of just how finite our time here really is.

Until next time...create wonderful things, love hard, and...