Victoria Bylin Talks about Friends, RWA and a Bobble Head Heroine

A big thank you to Mary for inviting me to Seekerville today. We’re sister Fillies at Petticoats & Pistols, and I jumped at the chance to visit this neck of the woods. Let’s celebrate with a book giveaway . . .

Anyone who comments will be in a drawing for a signed copy of The Outlaw’s Return. It’s my February Love Inspired Historical, and one of the dedications is to a dear friend and fellow writer.

Which leads to today’s topics of writers and community . . . What we do is unique. People get it or they don’t. How many of us had the experience of being at a party or social gathering, and having someone say, “What do you do?” When I say I write books for Love Inspired Historicals, this is what usually happens:

The person tips her head.

Her mouth opens. Her mouth closes.

Her eyes widen.

Then she says, “Oh.”

If she’s a reader, it’s, “OH!” but if she’s not, it takes her awhile to process the information. This didn’t happen when I told people I worked in a doctor’s office. They could instantly relate. I was the women behind the counter asking for their insurance card. But a writer? What does being a writer look like?

Yes, that’s my desk. Messy, huh? And yes, I work in my comfiest clothes, usually fleece jammies that have been nicknamed mom’s party pants. The stuffed horse in the second picture is Buck. He was a Christmas gift from my husband and a legacy to my 12 westerns for Harlequin Historical and Love Inspired Historical.

I’m hoping you’re all relating to my description, because there’s nothing better than sharing this journey with people who get it. I’ll never forget my first RWA conference. It was in Denver in 2002. I’d never been to an RWA event in my life, not even a local meeting, but I’d sold my first book, Of Men and Angels, and I wanted to sell more. I’ll never forget the hand of friendship that came from the Harlequin Historical writers. I’d joined the online group, and names and faces on websites suddenly had personalities . . . personalities a lot like mine.

That first RWA conference had another moment I’ll never forget. It was Wednesday night, just after the literacy signing, and someone said to me, “You really should hang out in the bar. You never know who you’ll meet.” Two problems: (1) I’m not much of a drinker; and (2) I was all by my little lonesome.

Undecided, I went to the ladies room where I saw a woman checking make-up in the mirror. We struck up a conversation and I blurted my dilemma. She said, “Come sit with me.” That’s when I saw her badge and my jaw dropped. It’s also how I ended up sitting in the bar with Kat Martin and Jennifer Enderlin from St. Martin’s. Bless Kat’s husband . . . he bought me a Diet Coke and said I could treat them when I’d sold ten books. The Outlaw’s Return is Book #12, so I owe them. I’m sure they don’t remember their kindness, but I’ll never forget it.

When I accepted Mary’s invitation to visit Seekerville, I thought I’d do something craft-oriented. I don’t want to neglect craft, so I’m finishing with some ms polishing tips. You may or may not find them, but if you’re a writer, you’ll get it . . .

1. If you give your character a long name like Elizabeth, use autocorrect to turn “Eliz” into “Elizabeth.” Fewer keystrokes saves wear and tear on your hands.

2. I use “Find All” to count how many times I use “was.” If I see a whole bunch of “was’s,” there’s a good chance that paragraph is “telling” instead of showing.

3. For old school typists who put two spaces after a period, use Find and Replace to reduce it to one. I also search for spaces after a tab. It’s surprising how much nicer a ms looks when the formatting is super clean.

4. If you think you’ve overused a particular word, use “Find All” to get an actual count. In Kansas Courtship ,the heroine lifted her chin every other page. I searched for “chin” and realized I’d written a book that could have been called “The Bobble Head Bride.” That got fixed fast.


5. I’m easily distracted by the Internet, so I use “AutoHide” for the bottom toolbar. If I can’t see that big blue E for Internet Explorer, I’m less likely to click it.

That’s it! Anyone have any conference stories to share? How about computer tips? Leave a comment and you’ll be entered in the drawing for The Outlaw’s Return. Here’s the back cover copy . . .


A ROGUE'S REDEMPTION?

J.T. Quinn would know Mary Larue's beautiful voice anywhere. He just never expected to hear her singing in a Denver church. The gunslinger comes to town to reunite with the only woman he's ever loved . . . but the actress he left behind two years ago is gone. In her place is a deeply Christian woman with a successful restaurant, the town's respect and a pair of younger siblings in her care. J.T. doubts he'll ever be worthy of Mary again, but he can protect her and her siblings from the threats of a local ne-er-do-well. And with courage and faith, perhaps even an outlaw can find redemption . . . and love.