How I Define Success aka Kicking Fear in the Crotch

I recently posted about my burn out and how I suspected it was caused, in large part, due to fear. I followed some steps that have proven to combat burn out for me in the past and I took time off. I stepped away from writing all together.

For several days in a row I didn’t write a single word. I didn’t check my twitter feed. I didn’t read blogs about writing. I didn’t read for fun! I stepped back and dissected my fear. I ripped into it like a lightsaber through the fleshy belly of a Tauntaun. I peeled it open, stepped instead and this is what I saw:

· I’m afraid of missing my chance – I’m afraid that while I scale back my writing production to accommodate school I will miss the opportunity to sign some magical deal. You know the kind of deal I'm talking about: where people instantly become stars of the writing world overnight. Their debut hits list and they get a million cool followers on Twitter. Yeah, that kinda deal. When I realized this was my fear I laughed in its face. Because it’s a dumb fear (that's right, I called you dumb *sticks tongue out at fear*). First of all, those magical deals don’t exist. The debut author who appears to have overnight success has really been working away at it in anonymity, behind the curtain, in the dark, for years. My rational brain knew this but that scared, jealous, space in my heart can sing a convincing tune. Laughing at the silliness of that fear helped lessen it. Sure, I might not ride the next great trend tsunami into success but it was unlikely – HIGHLY unlikely – to happen whether or not I scaled back production.

· I’m afraid scaling back my production makes me less of a writer– I must scale back my production, at least at first, while I get used to the new normal of juggling my Day Job and going back to school. I want to guard at least a few hours a week as precious writing time but even that would be way less than I write today. My fear took the reality of scaling back production and twisted into a million “You aren’t a real writer if….” Statements. Which is silly really. If I’m writing I’m a writer. That’s it. That’s all it takes. Sure, I might write less or it might take me longer to finish a draft but as long as I’m writing I’m a writer.

· I’m afraid I’ll have less time to seriously revise (or otherwise respond to query interest – when there is interest) – To be a writer I must write and I’ve got that piece covered. But I’d like to be published someday and for that to happen I must query. But it’s rarely as simple as send letter, send full, sign with agent, sell book as-is with no revisions, book goes to production with no revisions, book hits selves exactly as you drafted it. Actually, I don’t think that EVER happens. Selling a book means revisions. Not just one round, but multiple rounds. With the unknown demands of school looming over me I can’t be certain I will have the time to devote to extensive revisions. So the fear in me said “why bother trying to sell if you can’t revise. Just give up.” I thought about this long and hard. It’s true, I might not have the time to devote to extensive revisions following the query or sale of a manuscript but that doesn’t mean I should give up. Instead, this might be a wonderful opportunity to keep on drafting without the pressure of querying. Maybe I should go ahead and write the entire trilogy I’ve been toying with. Who cares if I don’t sell the first book (or any books in the trilogy)? Every single book I write is better than the one before it because I learn with each experience. So writing that series, regardless of sales, might be worth it for the experience alone.

And deeeeeeep in the slippery wet guts of my fear I saw the pulsing heart of it all:

· I might not succeed at this

It’s a scary thought, right? What if I fail at this? What if all these changes in my life cause me to fail at being a published writer? And looking this fear dead in the eyes I felt….happy. Yes, you heard me right. Happy. As in giggles and smiles happy. Because there is a truth that I believe with all my heart and it’s this:

Success is not caused by circumstances outside my control.

Success doesn’t happen by accident. It’s a purposeful confluence of action, attitude, and hard work. That reality isn't changing just because I'm going back to school.

My road to publication might take longer than others (and longer than I'd like) but it will happen. Because I’m committed to making this dream a reality. I’m willing to do the work necessary to make this dream a reality. And I have the endurance and determination to see this through.

When I remembered these things about myself my fears went away. They could (and likely will) come back from time to time but I’ll try not to feed them after midnight.

I recently heard someone say “you can either live your fears or you can live your dreams but you can’t live both” and the power of that statement reverberated through me. You can’t live both. I can’t live both. You can either allow your fears to become reality or you can keep pushing forward until your dreams become reality.

Living the dream is a cliché we throw around but it means something to people. For me, it means doing what I love. But it’s bigger than it seems. Doing what I love is multifaceted. I love my family and friends. I love writing: inventing worlds and characters and going on the rollercoaster with them. I love my kitties and reading good books under a warm pile of purr balls. I love running and fitness and pushing my physical boundaries. I love learning and the law.

So for me, living my dreams means doing more than one thing; being more than one thing. (You know, like being a girl and a reincarnated moon princess.)

I will be a law student in Aug. That’s one facet of my dream. I will also continue to write and edit and create. That’s another facet of my dream. And I will continue to run and race and push my physical boundaries. You guessed it – that’s another facet of my dream.

And in the center of all that chaos I will have my family, friends, and kitties.

Moving forward my life will be different but it will be my life. What I want on my path. Sure it’s scary. But it’s my dream and I’m going to live it.

TBT: All About the Synopsis

For today's TBT I'm sharing my post All About The Synopsis because as much as you or I would like to forget about 'em they are still a necessity. The method I share below I learned while attending an RWA conference. I swear you can learn amazing things at writer's conferences. Now I write my query and synopsis before I draft. It's part of my plotting approach.

If you are looking for a method to the madness regarding the dreaded synopsis then I hope this post is helpful.

Enjoy!

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I've said it before, and I'll say it again: writing a synopsis is the worst form of torture. But it must be done. I posted about how I learned that lesson the hard way.

Luckily, I learned some awesome tips at last years RWA conference. Before I learned this little trick my synopsis was three pages long. THREE. Which made sense for me, because, how could someone cram an entire plot into one page? Sounds impossible, right?

Here's the deal, you can summarize your entire novel in just seven paragraphs. Eight max. That's it. Here's what they should cover (I'm going to use Twilight as my model story since everyone knows it:



Paragraph 1: Your MC and their world (establish who she is what she wants. Think "She is__________and wants__________.") If we use Twilight as an example it would be something like this: Bella is the new girl in town and wants to fly under the radar.

Paragraph 2: The love interest and his wants (establish who he is and what he wants. Think "He is__________and wants__________.") Again, with Twilight as the example, it would look something like this: He's a vegetarian vampire who's family has survived for years by laying low.

Paragraph 3: The First Threshold - this is the event that brings the two characters together. The first Threshold in Twilight is when Bella and Edward become lab partners in science class. They are now FORCED to be together. This forced interaction triggers the future conflict.

Paragraph 4: The Inciting Incident - this is the event that spins the plot forward - they must choose to move forward into the new and different world. This is also usually the end of act one. In keeping with the Twilight example, the inciting incident is when Edward saves Bella from the car accident).

Paragraph 5: The 1st Pinch - something that trips up the characters on their mission in the new and different world. A misunderstanding/ a conflict. This is called a pinch, as I understand it, because it tests the relationship forming between the characters. Here's the Twilight 1st Pinch example, Bella annoys the heck out of Edward with her questions about what happened. She refuses to let it go but Edward tries to ignore it.

Paragraph 6: The 2nd Pinch - again, something that tests the characters budding relationship. In Twilight, it could be when she calls Edward on being a vamp. It fundamentally changes the nature of their relationship. But it could also be when he saves her from her would-be rapists in town. Again, their relationship is changed. He admits that he can read thoughts. It's optional in the synopsis because the most important pinch, arguably, is the third and final pinch. The pinch that triggers the end of Act Two and moves the story into Act Three.

Paragraph 7: The 3rd Pinch - think about this as a pinch with a capital P. This is the big event. The inciting incident that closes Act Two and signals the begging of Act Three. This event pushes the characters into the final leg of their story together. In a lot of romances this is actually something that forces the characters apart. In Twilight it's when they are seen playing baseball by other vamps. Edward reads their minds and learns that they want to kill Bella and will stop at nothing. Bella is separated from Edward in an attempt to keep her safe. She's smuggled to her old home town. cue Act Three.

Paragraph 8. Resolution - Note: this is where you spoil the ending. Really. Give the details. Specifically. No vague generalities will do in a synopsis. The Agent needs to know how the story ends without reading the entire thing - so give them the juicy stuff. Also, if this is a romance then you must include the redemption - whatever happens between the hero and heroine that allows them to be together again. In Twilight, it all comes together at Bella's old ballet studio. Bella's life is in danger. Edward kills the bad vamp and is forced to do what he never thought he could before - taste Bella’s blood - to save her life. Having conquered his demons he can now be with Bella safely (he's changed). Be sure to highlight how the MC has changed.


And that's your synopsis. Eight paragraphs. Done. Bam. You've conquered the beast of the synopsis.


At least, that's my approach to synopsis writing. But there's not a single right way to write one.

How do you plan your synopsis?



Need more thoughts about the dreaded synopsis? Check out this post from YA Stands and this post from Jamie Krakover

Three years a-bloggin' *fire the cupcake cannons*

It's time to celebrate three fantastic years on this blog! I can't believe it's been that long.

So, like last year (and the year before that), I’m going to celebrate with a little blog stats (in case you couldn’t tell, I love stats). So here we go:

Number of blog posts this year: 71 (that's 24 fewer posts than last year but that's okay. I'm going for quality not quantity)
Top five most popular posts this year (in order):

*note - there is a fitness theme in this year's most popular posts. After all, this was the year I ran Dopey and who does't love #runDisney?

1. DIY Rapunzel Running Costume #runDisney - 490 hits

2. My Kevin (from Up) Running Costume #runDisney – 277 hits

3. My Thoughts on Nice-guy (and girl) Sexism – 103 hits

4. #runDisney costume ideas for the men in your races – 100 hits

5. 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Recap – 97 hits

Seeing all these race posts makes me hungry for another run.*opens calendar* *starts planning*

All in all, I’ve really enjoyed this past year on the blog. I think blogging has made me accountable and more committed to my goals. I am confident all of the work and discipline over the last year has made me a better writer.

So happy blogaversary everyone who's enjoyed this blog over the last three years. To celebrate I’ve collected hot boy gifs for your enjoyment.

Olicity, because Olicity:

Thor, because dat wink tho:

Loki, because who doesn't like a badboy:

The cast of Magic Mike XXL, because who doesn’t love a guy who can move:

Instalove - what is it and how to avoid it

In the romance writing world you often hear of the term ‘Instalove’ and how it’s a bad thing. When I first tried my hand at writing a romance I was very afraid of the Instalove issue because Instalove is unrelatable. which is precisely why it's a bad thing. It’s not real. It doesn’t happen. As a reader, when I encounter Instalove I usually have one of these moments:

And when unrelatable things occur in your novel it breaks the magical bridge between your work and your reader. Now instead of willingly suspending their disbelief they are actively identifying your story as impossible, unreal, fantasy.


No one wants that. Not the author and certainly not the reader. Well, maybe Castle wants it but he's a fictional author....so yeah.

So what is Instalove, exactly?

Great question but before we get into the what it is maybe we should first establish what it's not.

Instalove is not love at first sight although some people use the terms interchangeably. Instalove is not love at first sight because love at first sight is a legit sensation (probably more aptly described as ‘lust at first sight’ or ‘infatuation at first sight’, but still). Love at first sight is real and relatable. Readers get it.

Instalove is worse.

Instalove is the reward without the work. It’s the prize without the fight. Instalove is when the Hero and heroine are in passionate, world-changing, panty-dropping, lust-love-infatuation when they have nothing in common, have barely spoken, have not bonded, etc., etc.

It’s Anakin and Padme falling for each other in that horrible Star Wars movie (Because it totally makes sense for a grown ass woman, a SENATOR no less, to fall for a child who can barely string a coherent sentence together). *shudders* In Romance novels it’s commonly the out-of-her-league ___________ (movie star/rock star/billionaire/politician/doctor/bad boy – you pick) who is willing to give up everything for her after their first kiss.

MRW----->

First kisses are great – I get that – but I don’t believe any well-adjusted, successful adult, a leader in________________ (movies/music/business/politics/medicine/crime – you pick) field, would give up everything for a first kiss. Come on now.

And I know what you’re going to say: “But Colleen, these books are fantasy. They aren’t meant to be realistic.”

I agree. I totally agree. There is a fantasy element to every Romance troupe and that’s okay. I’m not advocating for all-realism-all-the-time (this is fiction after all). But what I think is missing from these Instalove stories is the believability. And believability is what allows any reader off the street to insert themselves into the life of your heroine. It’s what allows the reader to connect. Without believability the story falls flat.

And how do you avoid Instalove?

Start with flawed characters. Utterly, hopelessly flawed characters and show use their flaws.

Ideally, the Hero’s flaws should complement or balance the heroine’s flaws. Same with their strengths (in fact, many times our strengths can also be our weaknesses). A heroine’s strengths should complement or balance the Hero’s strengths. Each character should be a soothing balm for the other.

Why is this important? Because characters who complement each other make sense to us. I loved the movie Enchanted. In this movie the heroine is a cartoon come to life. She is the definition of naive and believes love and marriage can happen instantly.

Her Hero is a realistic, hardworking divorce attorney in New York. He doesn’t believe in love at all and certainly doesn’t believe you can fall in love instantly.

Together they balance out each other’s extremes. They learn from one another until they are able to meet in the middle. Their flaws and strengths alone leave them unhappy but when they come together they can find happiness.

But as Enchanted so perfectly illustrates, it’s not enough to have flawed characters. They must challenge each other’s status quo. The Hero and heroine must learn and grow to earn love and happiness. It’s not enough for them to reluctantly lust after each other. The characters must be challenged.

And last, but not least, I love love love when characters show that they have changed by doing something for the other. I call this ‘the gift exchange’. It’s probably has a real name in the writing community but I don’t know it. And ‘the gift exchange’ is not a ‘must have’ and it’s not in every story but it’s so important.

‘The gift exchange’ is usually a demonstration of some kind, generally public, of the character's change or growth. It’s as if the character is admitting they were wrong. And nothing melts hearts faster than a heartfelt apology. Now, this public demonstration doesn’t have to be in the form of an apology. It doesn’t have to be ultra-public (like Heath Ledger’s character singing across the bleachers in 10 Things I Hate About You or Julia Stiles reading her private poem in front of class).

It can take the form of a concession or a small token that shows the H/h were really listening. And ideally, it would be best if both characters demonstrate this albeit at different times.

A great example of this from a non-rom movie can be found in How To Train Your Dragon. In this first installment romance is a secondary plot element.

Hapless, kind hearted Hiccup longs for the out-of-his-league Astrid. Astrid is a dragon-killing Viking through and through. The couple couldn't be more mismatched. When Astrid realizes Hiccup has been keeping a pet dragon (and a dangerous, rare kind of dragon at that) she is determined to reveal his secret. But Hiccup and Toothless kidnap her and take her for a ride that challenges Astrid’s belief system.

So now we have flawed characters challenging each other. Great. But when your heart melts is when Astrid rallies her friends to ride their own dragons and help Hiccup and Toothless. This is public commitment to her change. This is her showing us she’s changed. She’s earning Hiccups love and we are okay with that because we have witnessed the journey and believed it step by step.

Another, more general example of ‘the gift exchange’ can be found in Tangled (have I mentioned lately that I love this movie?). This is an interesting example because each character is displaying ‘the gift exchange’ in the same scene. Spoiler Alert: I’m going to talk about the ending. But seriously, if you haven’t seen this movie you should go watch it now. I can wait. *taps foot* *whistles* You back? Alrighty.

In the finale Flynn is near death. Rapunzel tries to negotiate. She’s willing to give up her freedom to save Flynn. Her freedom is the most important thing to her up until this point and now she’s willing to trade it. It’s her gift. And it’s selfless. Her gift illustrates her growth as a character.

But Flynn, being the reformed rogue that he is *swoons*, won’t let her. He uses broken class to cut Rapunzel’s hair thereby destroying its magic. His gift is giving her back her freedom. It’s selfless and sweet. His gift illustrates his monumental growth and is a real tear-jerker moment.

Now, not all gift exchanges take place in the same scene like that. And not all of them are tied to finale. Although having the gift exchange tied to the finale is a powerful tool.

So TL;DR: What do we know?

Instalove isn't love at first sight.
Instalove is when characters haven’t earned the love of their partner.
To avoid Instalove we must make the flawed characters challenge each other (and a gift exchange is nice too).

A love affair supported by character growth is a believable love affair. And believable love connects with readers. It's the magic we love to read.

Do you hate Instalove? How do you like your characters to earn the other’s love?

For the love of 5k's

The half marathon is my favorite distance. I’ve run a boat load of Half’s and even a few Full’s. There is an enlightenment that comes with pushing your body farther than you think possible.

But Half’s and Full’s aren’t the only way to have a fun, rewarding experience racing. Here are 5 reasons I love 5k’s:

1. They’re cheap – most of the time. Sure, a mud run is going to be pricier, but for the most part 5k’s are way cheaper than a Half or Full. Where a full might cost more than 100$ a 5k will likely be priced around 20-30$.

2. They’re fast (even if you aren’t) – I’m a fairly slow runner. I’m not qualifying for Boston anytime soon. Where a Half might take me 2.5-3 hours a 5k is going to take just over 30 mins. Don’t even get me started on my Full times (they’re long races at my pace. Check out some of my past times on my RunDisney page.

3. They’re friendly – Some Half’s and most Full’s take themselves pretty seriously. Those races are big deals so people’s attitudes can be prickly. I’ve seen people get elbowed, spit on, cussed at, and called a cheater by racers at Half’s and Full’s. I’ve never seen that behavior at a 5k. Most people are there for fun.

4. They require minimal training (if you are into that sort of thing) – Hard core running isn’t for everyone. I’m not even close to being hard core and I find it hard to fit training for long races into my life. A 5k is a great tune-up event. You can train or not train. You can set a goal or not set a goal. You can push hard or not push hard. The race it what you make of it and the distance is short enough to allow you to challenge yourself (or not).

5. They’re everywhere – 5k’s are offered all the time all over the place. Our local race calendar shows multiple 5k’s almost every weekend from now until winter. These little races pop up in just about any and every community. I like running races close to home but I also enjoy running through new areas.

I’ve got a race coming up this weekend and, you guessed it, it’s a 5k. I’m looking forward to having a blast on a cheap, fast, friendly, local 5k. And yes, I have been training.


Which distance is your favorite?

Trust Me, I'm a Ninja by Natalie Whipple

Today I’m happy to review a book by one of my favorite YA authors: Natalie Whipple.

I found her books because of her blog – and I’m sure I’m not alone in that. She’s the author of a popular writing blog called Between Fact and Fiction. She posts less frequently now but her archives are full of useful Writerly resources (which is why I link to her blog so many times on my Resources page).

I’ve enjoyed each and every one of her books but the series that stands out the most in my mind is her Ninja series. It’s just wonderful! So I thought I'd share my thoughts on book 2 in the series, Trust Me, I’m a Ninja:

Here are the deets:

Title: Trust Me, I’m A Ninja (Book 2 in Relax, I’m a Ninja Series)
By: Natalie Whipple
Audience: YA
Genre: Fantasy

Here’s the blurb (WARNING – as this is book 2 in the series the blurb contains mild spoilers):

Life hasn’t exactly been rosy since Tosh Ito and Amy Sato rid San Francisco of the Akuma Clan ninjas. They still can’t control their powers, and no one really knows how to train them to be Inyo. Adding to their problems, Amy is distant and depressed and won’t say why.

Before Tosh can figure her out, the Akuma Clan makes a comeback. A gate to the kami realm is opened and strange creatures roam the city, causing chaos. Only Tosh and Amy can stop it, but they don’t know how, and they haven’t got time to learn. The gate is getting bigger, and something dangerous is waiting on the other side. Something hungry for the soul of an Inyo.


Sounds amazing right? Buy Trust Me, I’m A Ninja here:

Amazon | B&N

Still need the first book in the series? Grab Relax, I’m a Ninja (Book 1) here:

Amazon | B&N


My thoughts:

I loved the first book. I loved everything about it!!! In fact, when I finished reading Relax, I’m a Ninja (Book 1) I emailed Natalie to ask if there would be more. It was before the official announcement was made that there would be a trilogy. When the trilogy news came out I did a happy dance.

So I was pretty sure I would love Trust Me (Book 2) and I was right.

The MC in this series is male – which, naturally, means the POV is male. And it works for this series. Natalie does such an excellent job with the male voice. How can you not love Tosh? He’s adorable and good and complex and kind. He continues to be driven to do the right thing even if that causes him pain. He’s the type of friend you want to have.

Amy, the heroine, is fun and a little more complicated than we saw in the first book. Which I liked.

I also enjoyed the ancillary characters – oh man, the ancillary characters really come to life in this installment.

The action is intense. There are some very real consequences in this book and the stakes are raised. Trust Me had a satisfying ending that leaves you wanting more. I cannot wait for the next book *makes grabby hands*

I give Trust Me, I'm a Ninja 5 out of 5 screaming cats!

Right about now you are thinking, 'Gee, I should buy this book.' Well, here, have some buy links (because I'm classy like that):

Buy Trust Me, I’m A Ninja here:

Amazon | B&N

Don’t have the first book in the series? Grab Relax, I’m a Ninja (Book 1) here:

Amazon | B&N


Want more about the Author, Natalie Whipple? Follow her on Twitter or check out her blog: Between Fact and Fiction

TBT: 5 Reasons to Attend a Writers Conference

For today's TBT I'm sharing 5 Reasons to Attend a Writers Conference in part because it's conference season and in part because I can't go this year. *sigh* So if you are on the fence about the investment (conferences aren't cheap, I hear ya) consider this post.

Enjoy!

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Con or Con, There Is No Not-Con - Yoda.

Okay, so maybe that’s not exactly what Yoda said. I think we all know what he actually said.

But still, when it comes to the question of whether or not you should attend a writing con the answer is easy: YES.

There are so many wonderful reasons to attend a con. If you are interested in any of the following 5 Reasons to Attend a Writers Conference – I’d say do it. Go.

1. Networking – um hello, has to be the number one reason to attend a con. We spend so much time walled up in our writing caves, deep in our own imagination, that we sometime forget to shower, eat, or otherwise take care of ourselves. Wouldn’t it be great to spend some face time with other people who can relate? (BTW, most people do shower before actually attending a con. Just so you know. And pants ARE required. ) Not to mention the fact that you can fangirl at cons, which, if you are like me, is your idea of networking.

2. Learning – Most writer cons have classes or workshops in which you can learn about craft, industry changes, publisher updates, what editors are looking for, and so much more. There are even cons that include workshop elements where your pages are reviewed by industry pro’s. But here’s where you’ll want to do your research. Some cons are aimed more at readers (so there is less emphasis on educating writers). Be sure you know what you want before you sign up.

3. Free Stuff – And I mean tons of it.

You get a book. And you get a book. And you get a book.


You get the idea. At cons you can snag boxes and boxes of free stuff from actual books to smaller swag, Cons are rife with free stuff. Check out these pics of all the free stuff I grabbed at RWA Nationals last year:

Free stuff day 1

Free stuff day 2

Pretty awesome, right?

4. Inspiration – At RWA National’s last year the entire event oozed inspiration. I felt like Mario getting a power up from some invisible mushroom or something. There were so many wonderful stories being shared. Everywhere I turned another author was telling a tale about how they got their agent or how they sold. The message wasn’t “this is some secret club that only cool kids can join” it was “if I can do it so can you.” And the luncheon speakers were amazing. First of all, they took the stage to speak in front of more than 2,000 people so hat’s off to them for having amazing lady-balls of steel. Second, both of them made me laugh and cry. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more motivated to push forward in my writing career than after I attended RWA Nationals (which is why I can’t wait to go back this year!).

5. Exposure – Okay, going to a con won't turn you into a sexy sun goddess. But, a writer con is the perfect place to soak up industry knowledge. So many writers never query. They toil over their work but never find the last resource of strength needed to get their book baby out into the world. Some of that might be due to fear. Fear of failure. Fear of the unknown. And I firmly believe education and exposure can eradicate those fears. At many cons you can attend sessions with editors or publishing executives. Some cons offer workshops where you can spend one-on-one time with publishing pro’s. And still more, like RWA, offer pitching sessions where you actually, live-and-in-person, pitch your novel to an agent or editor. It’s scary. Yes. But it’s also not the end of the world. But it could be the start. A first step on a long path toward publication. And learning to pitch, learning to interact with the business side of publishing, is invaluable (or so I’m told – not that I’m published yet).


But writing conferences aren’t cheap (is anything cheap anymore? Sheesh):

The fact that not all cons are created equal means you should do your research before you drop the big bucks. Know what you’re looking for – if you want workshops and classes on craft a reader-focused event may not be worth your time and money. And if you want a smaller, more intimate setting, with a greater emphasis on critiquing/workshop then a national event like RWA may not be right for you (Remember to check local chapters of writing organizations. RWA and SCWBI have local cons).

I am a huge fan of writing cons and have included in my business plan a commitment to attend cons in the future. I want to stay current and keep improving.

Have you attend any great cons? Share your experience here: