First Woman Jury, Los Angeles, Nov 1911. PD photo by Library of Congress.
First Person Jury – 208 words
I rub my fingers over the photo, again and again. At first it drew me for the fashions. The cinched waists. The long dresses. The woman with the hat that resembled a cake. I was grateful I live in an era of greater freedom.
But now I can’t stop looking at the woman in the back. The one who avoided the camera. Lips in a line, eyebrows up. Was it intentional, her avoidance? What was she hiding?
Someone had scrawled First Woman Jury, Los Angeles across the top of the picture.
They were there to pass judgment on somebody else. Yet I feel certain she’d already judged herself, that woman in the back. Found herself wanting. Convicted and condemned.
Maybe I’m projecting.
I study the woman in the front row, the one with the baleful eyes and defiant expression. It’s as if she knows. She knows what I’ve done. They all know. Family. Friends. Neighbors.
I can make all the excuses I want, but I’m the one who made the decision. I’m the one who did it.
Clutching the photo, the one I’d found in that second-hand suitcase, I realize the woman in the back and I are the same.
Flash refers to the length of the story (in FF’s case, 200 +/-10), not the amount of time it takes to write said story. Unless one is writing on a deadline (meaning I had ten minutes before I had to drive the carpool to school). So this is what I dashed out, based on the prompt and the idea of struggle/man vs self. What do you think?
Traipse on over to Flash Friday Fiction to read other entries, or perhaps contribute one of your own!
Welcome back to Writer Wednesday! Today we talk with Alexa Day, writer of “Romance served hot … with a swirl!”
Alexa is a fellow Virginia Romance Writer whom I met In Real Life at the Charlottesville Festival of the Book LoveFest – Huzzah! So settle in, and hear what Alexa has to say about her love of romance, and her latest release, 1-800.
Which type of romance do you love most, and why?
I like those really nontraditional romances, the ones where the hero and heroine are already together but having trouble, or the edgy ones involving complicated themes and ideas like dubcon or sex for money, or the ones with older characters or lesser known periods in history. Romance in the real world looks more like those nontraditional stories, and older people and kinky people and people in rocky relationships find real sexy love, too! We have so much power to change the world’s perception of what romance is, and I’d like to see us pushing the envelope more. Everyone deserves that HEA, and everyone wants to see herself reflected in these stories.
What fellow romance author do you recommend reading, and why?
I have to recommend two: Cara McKenna and Megan Hart. They’re both writing the sorts of stories I love to read, with very complicated romance situations, characters who seem like the cool people you want to know (or maybe already know) personally, super hot sex, and really tender emotions. You can’t go wrong with either of them.
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?
My author journey started when I entered a pitch contest, for which I did not have to have a completed manuscript. I definitely didn’t think I’d win, so when I did and the editor asked for my full manuscript, she had to wait a pretty long time for me to finish. On the one hand, I wish someone had told me to have that book done when I entered, but if I’d waited and not entered that year (the last, I believe, for that contest), I wouldn’t have gotten the chance!
About Alexa’s latest release, “1-800”:
All Jason wants is the perfect gift for his perfect fiancée, but where’s he going to find a present special enough for the love of his life? To his surprise, the answer is on TV — along with some very sexy saleswomen and some unusually detailed product demos. Shopping channels have never looked quite like this!
Last summer, I gave up sugar. I made it all the way to Thanksgiving weekend without eating ANYTHING that had sugar as the first or second ingredient. I dropped around 15 pounds. I felt better. I was much more productive.
Then holiday season hit. A one-day indulgence after Thanksgiving turned into two, turned into a week, turned into “Who am I kidding? It’s Christmas! I’ll start again after the holidays.” The whole month was a giddy frenzy of chocolate and sugar highs and lows. And of feeling massively ADD the whole time. I couldn’t focus on anything. I was irritable when in withdrawal, manic when on the stuff. I gained back 5 pounds.
After Christmas, I was true to my word. I got back off the sugar. I lost the 5 pounds. But by mid-February, I was struggling. I was craving sweets in a way I hadn’t in a long time. I caved on three separate days. Then my birthday rolled around, and what was supposed to again be a one-day indulgence day turned into a week. That was at the beginning of March.
I fought my way back again, and have been sugar-free for the past two weeks. However, my weight has crept up again, back to the post-Christmas level. And the cravings have been bad, as has my diet (it’s amazing how good white flour tortillas heated in the microwave are, and don’t even get me started on those horrible-for-you-but-still-stupidly-addictive McDonald’s egg and cheese biscuits.
Today, I fell off the wagon into a package of Milano cookies. I vow it will be a one-day dip. I know it’s because I’m battling self-image issues today after seeing some photos from this weekend’s VA Love Fest, in which it’s once again clear that I am much bigger (and my chin much saggier) than I think I am in my head.
It’s a roller coaster, and lately it’s thrown me for a loop. But I’m determined to get back on, to keep riding, to not give up and just fall endlessly into the sugar trap. Am I frustrated that more weight hasn’t fallen off? Of course. But not surprised, given the other indulgences I’ve found. I also know there are multiple other reasons to stay off the sugar, the biggest one being the profound difference it makes in my ability to concentrate and focus.
Still, I’m fessing up to say it’s not been all smooth sailing, this blasted journey. I’m struggling today. I might struggle tomorrow. I know this is not the last battle in this endless war. I’m fighting the demon in my head that’s saying, “Girl, you only live once; why are you depriving yourself?”
But I’m still fighting the good fight.
Unless someone stops by with cheesecake today. (Please? Pretty please?)
For the second year in a row, I was privileged to attend the Love Fest romance panels at the Virginia Festival of the Book (this year extended to two days, instead of just one – huzzah!).
Spending time in the company of romance authors and their fans is a hoot, y’all. Pretty much every author I’ve encountered has been delightful in person, and many of them have zany, witty, wildly entertaining personalities, as well. I love the romance community.
Day 1 of the VA Love fest was composed of three panels:
Bless Her Heart: Why We Love Quirky Southern Characters in Romance Fiction
Pamela Morsi, Terri Osburn, and Kieran Kramer
Pamela Morsi, Terri Osburn and Kieran Kramer discussed writing those quirky Southern characters we all love. I tweeted from the event (as my form of taking notes). One of my favorite tidbits was this one from Pamela Morsi: “If you’re writing fiction, you’re always writing in a small town, even if your story is set in London.”
They Lived Happily Enough for Now: Challenges in Writing Modern Fiction
L to R: Kimberly Kincaid, Tracey Livesay, Carey Heywood, Delancey Stewart
In the second panel of the day, panelists Kimberly Kincaid, Tracey Livesay, and Carey Heywood affirmed that contemporary romance plots often look to internal rather than external conflicts, because there are fewer external barriers now. Kimberly Kincaid reminded us that great conflict starts with great characters – and that flawed characters are the best characters, as long as there’s a reason for the flaws.
Wicked, Witchy, & Wonderful: Strong Heroines in Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy
L to R: Melissa Marr, Mary Behre, Jaye Wells, moderator Caryn Moya Block
Panelists Melissa Marr, Mary Behre, and Jaye Wells discussed kick-ass heroines during the final Saturday LoveFest panel, as well as gender(ed) issues often encountered in romance. Melissa Marr affirmed that she writes strong heroines to show boys and girls that girls are cool. Jaye Wells says she uses magic in her books as a metaphor for power, as a useful way of showing women that they have power, and helping them determine how to use it.
Day Two likewise had three panels:
LoveFest Workshop: “Screaming To Be Ignored” — Capturing the Reader’s Attention
L to R: Moderator Kimberly Kincaid, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Terri Osburn, Mary Jo Putney, Joanna Bourne, Mary Burton
Day Two of the VA Love Fest moved from downtown Charlottesville to Barnes & Noble, where we gathered to hear writers’ reactions to submitted queries and/or sample pages. Joanna Bourne succinctly summed up what does and does not belong in a query (and reminded us that the best and simplest dialog tag really is “said”.). Other panelists included Rachel Kramer Bussel, Terri Osburn, Mary Jo Putney, and Mary Burton.
LoveFest Workshop: Q&A About the Romance Biz After Publishing
L to R: Avery Flynn, Sabrina Jeffries, Mary Jo Putney, Mollie Cox Bryan, Mary Burton
Next up, published authors Avery Flynn, Sabrina Jeffries, Mary Jo Putney, Mollie Cox Bryan, and Mary Burton talked about changes on the publishing front, conceding that digital books have driven word counts down, and reflecting on whether the pressure to publish quickly is driving down quality, as well. Mary Jo Putney reminded us to always put the story first: “Do not sacrifice quality for quantity, for readers won’t buy your next book.” When asked whether they would go the traditional or indie route were they newbie authors starting out today, most said they would follow the hybrid model of doing both.
LoveFest Book Signing: Meet & Greet Romance Authors
With Pamela Morsi!
We capped off the day with a delightful “Meet & Greet” session. I got my picture with Ms. Jeffries for the second year in a row (wahoo!), and also with the fabulous Pamela Morsi, and chatted with many more authors.
