Branding, Brainstorming & Unexpected Epiphanies

It's been a busy weekend, writing-wise, although I didn't write a word on my manuscript. It started off Friday with an attempt to work on the idea of 'branding' myself. I kept hearing the word over and over again, about how editors wanted to know what your 'brand' would be, etc., but I had no clear idea of what they were talking about. Despite having heard the word used over and over again, I didn't truly understand how it pertained to a writer. I took the question to my chapter-mates and Cathryn Fox educated me on the subject. Then she helped me work through my own ideas, threw in some of her own, then Heidi chimed in with some word choices I really liked, and before I knew it - voila! I had found my brand. It fit like a glove. Perfectly suited to what I write and to what I feel passionately about.

The new brand also meant a revamping of the website which I had been contemplating. It clarified in my mind what I wanted to do so that the website more closely suited the brand. Now I just have to wait for the taxman to arrive with my money so I can make it happen. Stay tuned. I'll let you know once the new look is up and running.

Saturday morning was spent reading the latest issue of RWR. They had an article on the Hero's Journey. As I was going through it, I had a couple of epiphanies about my hero and heroine in D&B pertaining to their character growth. Things I hadn't quite thought of before that came fully realized as I sat there sucking back the java and reading the article. Then I realized the scene I had been struggling with all week was about to end in an entirely different way than I had planned. I scribbled like mad in my notebook and got the ideas down.

Sunday I met with my chapter executive committee and we brainstormed ideas for our May Retreat. By the end of the meeting we had it figured out and I can't wait. It is going to be amazing and so much fun.

I also floated the idea to Maxx for us to meet once a week and brainstorm/critique our writing, try out new techniques, etc. We've decided on Friday nights and I'm really looking forward to it.

So although I didn't do any actual writing, it was an incredibly productive writing weekend. I feel re-energized after a tough week and I can't wait to keep moving ahead.