La-Tessa Montgomery

Earlier this week, while reading a reccommended article on POV, I got distracted (which is NOT hard to do, by the way) by another of the author’s posts.  This post, titled EVIL INSIDE, speaks briefly to the author’s personal views on reviewing books now that she’s a published author.   Now  being a reviewer, I was very interested in what she had to say.  In all, I agree with her.  It’s a delicate line to walk, as a published author (or striving to become published, as is my case), when it comes to giving your opinion on someone elses work.   

Anywho, the EVIL INSIDE  post has a link to a  review of an erotic romance story.  Now to each his own on whether or not you read this subgenre.  But this review is one of the most HILARIOUS things I have ever had the pleasure of reading.  Several things run through my head as I read it, but I think I will just keep them to myself.

What do you think?  And what do you say about how impacts your opinions on erotica.

I’m currently taking workshop in which I’m learning a process to apply to my writing that will help me analyze it.  Not only for strengths and weaknesses, but it will also help me understand my unique writing style and voice, to an extent.   The instructor had us take a quiz that denotes which side of our brain is dominate in our thinking.  Since her process is quite analytical, she knows some nonlinear thinkers may have a bit of trouble using it (because it goes against what’s comfortable for them, in terms of learning and processing new materials).  So she offers solutions and shortcuts along the way to help us all assimilate and process the info.

Anyway, I took the quiz, and to no one’s surprise, it showed that I am a strong left brain thinker.  But then, I did another test, which is simply looking at an image and seeing which way it turns, and the initial results were that I’m a right brain thinker.  Then, the image started going the opposite directions, which means that I’m a whole brainer thinker. 

So now confused and curious, and I came across this test.  It’s a quick test that gives you a nice, yet easy to read, detailed analysis of how you process information.  I really liked it because it shows your percentages for both left and right brain thinking, and it also gives you a breakdown of how you utlize the 6 main types of thinking for each hemisphere.

My numbers change slightly each time I take it (I’m weird that way-LOL) but I find it spot on.  I am a predominately left brain thinker, but I also utilize my right side quite a bit.  Currently, my split is 62% left, 38% right.  But what is more interesting to me is that my most dominant type of thinking is sequential (which is a left brain thing) and that my second most dominant is nonverbal (which is a right brain thing )

If you’re up to the challenge, take the quiz and then come back & comment on what your percentages are and whether or not you feel the results were accurate.

I just started a new workshop titled Empowering Character’s Emotion that Margie Lawson is teaching this month.  I raved about two of Margie’s workshops when I got back from the Moonlight & Magnolias conference last October.  I was soooo impressed , and taken aback with, the information she presented, that I immediately began to apply some of my new found knowledge to my wip that night.  

I also realized that I could use a bit more “face time” with Margie, so I registered for her Empowering Character Emotions workshop this month.  Just let me tell you, we’ve only had 3 lesson so far, and the sheer amout of info I’ve learned is astonishing, and a bit overwhelming.  But I know that when I start the polishing phase (the last step in getting my manuscript ready for pitching to editors), that I will be ready.  With the things I’ve learned, I’ll be able to put my best foot foward by making sure my manuscript conveys the essence and soul I want it to.

So, for any writers out there, published or unpublished, I highly recommend you check out Margie’s website and sign up for one of her online workshops, or get one of her lecture packets.  It will be an investment in your writing that you will be able to see immediate returns on, in the way of stronger, fresher writing.
I’ll be back soon to post an example from my work.

’till then,

~La-Tessa

Ok, I found out this morning that I was not one of the 8 weekly winners of the Chase The Dream Contest. This was the first contest I entered this year & it consisted of the first 1,000 words of my manuscript.  This contest is unique in that winners are chosen weekly, so if you don’t win one week, you can re-enter the next.  There was stift competition and my opening for Love Worth Fighting For (the working title of my manuscript) was not among those chosen.

Not to worry, I’m still hard at working on this story.  I have faith in it

~La-Tessa

February was a good month for me, I am very proud of the progress I made. At the end of month I had a completed prologue and chapter 1 and half (2 complete scenes) of chapter 2 done. Woo-hoo!!

I also made good on one of my writing goals by entering two contests–The Duel on the Delta, sponsored by my local writing chapter (River City Romance Writers) & RSJ’s Aspiring Authors Contest, sponsored by the Romance Slam Jam.  I am a bit nervous about these, since they are the first real contests I’ve entered.  The Duel on the Delta called for the first 25 pgs of my manuscript, while the Aspiring Authors contest called for a submission packet consisting of a query letter, a 3 pg synopsis, and the first 20 pgs of the manuscript.

These two contests represent my first time really putting myself out there for others to see.  I’m more than anxious to see how I fared in both of these, however regardless of the results, I am very proud of myself.  I now have  have close to 6,000 words on my wip and (more importantly), I’m officially in the ”writing groove”.  I hope to knock out at least half (6-7 chapters) of my wip by May.

~La-Tessa
Someday I’ll fly, someday I’ll soar