Confessions of a First Time Novelist

Friday Five: In the Wild

2011-10-07T19:35:00.003-04:00

1. I promised my kids an adventure today, which means we walked to the park and looked at Halloween decorations on the way. It was such a nice day, perfect for a walk, and I took a book and planned to read while they played at the park for about an hour. But my plans completely changed when I got to the park. it was an early release day, which meant all the schools in the county got out two hours early. And the park we walked to is very close to the high school. It was absolutely overrun with groups of high school students. My kids didn't want to leave, but the moms huddle up and stared at the teenagers, who sat on the slides and refused to move so the little kids could get down. They climbed on top of the swing set, threw pinecones at each other and basically acted like teenagers with no structure do. There were two separate groups playing games, one Ultimate Frisbee group and one pick-up basketball game.

As a mom I was a little uncomfortable. Partly because they were in the way of letting my kids play and partly the language they were using. (I'm not a prude really, and my kids all know the swear words because they've heard them come out of my mouth on various days, but the teenagers were being teenagers and talking about things I don't want my kids to know about yet. I don't want to explain what giving head is to my six year old--thank you very much.) But as a writer I was fascinated. It's been awhile since I've seen teens out in the wild with no real restraints--because a bunch of moms at the park aren't going to make a teen curb behavior the way being at school or at church does. I was surprised at how i could pick out the social butterfly and the couples and the interchangeable couples as quickly as I could just by watching. The boys that needed to show off, and the ones that didn't. Really it was fascinating, but I had to be careful because I didn't want them to think I was some weirdo.

We left when some of them began smoking a joint next to my kids. And that was the exciting part of my day today.

2. I love the fall. It's the time of year when I feel most alive. The cool weather comes back and I can move again. And the leaves start to change, which hasn't happened quite yet. And there's the wonderful smell of leaves when they crunch. It makes me so happy. So this week I've been pretty happy.

3. The stress has been fairly high at my house this week, but with that said, I've made it a point to carve out some writing time, and I'm surprised at what I've managed to get done. I feel like the story is so much more authentic, and stuff is coming into play that didn't the first time around, and it's a lot better for it. Rewriting or starting over and nailing the voice is so worth it. I remember thinking that it was just silly to waste the time to do that. And I can see how much I've changed in that attitude. You need to do it over again until you get it right.

4. I noticed last week when I posted that the last four weeks I've used the same title two weeks in a row. It made me laugh, but also pointed out how awfully bad I am at titles. Some people have a real gift for them and then others really struggle. I love the titles of Ally Carter's books. They are fun and totally fit her stories. I like Melissa Marr's titles too. I wish I was blessed with some titling fairy that could wave a magic wand over my work and bless it with a beautiful title. Maybe someday that will happen.

5. Last week I wrote about time sucks, and this week I cut my television viewing way back, and I took all of my books back to the library unread. Sigh. That was hard. But it helped, like I said I carved out some writing time in a pretty stressful week. I want to get this draft done in the next two weeks, and it means some serious focus on the writing to make it happen. But I can make it happen. I know I can. What are your writing goals this week?

Friday Five: Cooling Down

2011-09-30T22:56:00.003-04:00

1. I didn't post last week because we were at the beach. After a few vacations with me trying to work the whole time, my husband has (and it's okay that he has) expressed the desire for me to unplug when we go on trips. This is honestly hard for me. i think part of me is a workaholic, while the other part of me is this lazy person that totally lacks motivation. Which may not make any sense, it doesn't to me some days. Basically I think about work whenever I'm not doing it and feel guilty. But some days that isn't enough to make me focus. But the beach was nice. It rained, which was nice, because it wasn't too hot. I'm not someone who loves to be hot. Sunbathing has never been my thing.

2. It was a rough week. I had my first meeting with my son's teacher about his behavior. He seems to have developed some class clown tendencies, which the teacher finds concerning. I think he is a first grade boy with a lot of energy who is going to act like it doesn't bother him, when he is singled out again and again to be still. But I know that's the mom in me coming out. I'm my child's advocate, and it was tough. I made myself sick worrying about the meeting, and sat through it. And came out of it not feeling much different than before going into it. He's noisy when he's bored. He gets his work done, and he's performing at or above grade level depending on the subject. Sorry for the random tangent.

3. This week I was waiting all week to read Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, because I thought Anna and the French Kiss was a perfect book. Absolutely perfect. Anyway I thought it came out on Tuesday, because most books do, and I was sorely disappointed when I realized it was Thursday. I got the book, read it in one sitting, and smiled the entire time. it wasn't quite as perfect as Anna and the French kiss, but it was good. Really good. If you need a good contemporary YA romance it's worth your time. Definitely worth your time.

4. It was interesting to talk to my husband about the book, because he wanted to know if I liked it. (I had been talking about for at least a week, if not longer) and when I said I did but not as much as the other one, I was able to talk about things like character motivation and likability and such. It made me realize that I've grown as a writer, since I can recognize the specific things that bothered me on one read through, whereas i've had to read a book a few times to pull the specifics out in the past. That said, it is a really good book. Really and you should read it.

5. Do you ever question your actually commitment to a project? Or ask yourself why you can't get motivated or going. This week I've been looking at my time sucks and priorities. And the television season is starting up again, and I know that I need to let go of some of my shows, so I an really write. Since I get my best novel writing done in the evenings or I need to evaluate my schedule and rework things. Maybe both.

Friday Five: Cooling Down

2011-09-16T12:01:00.003-04:00

1. Woke up this morning, and it's chilly outside. When you've had an exceptionally hot summer, 60 degrees feels cold. The kids' wore jackets to the bus stop with their shorts, and every time I've gone out it feels a little cooler. I'm so happy because fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the way the colors change on the trees, I love that I do not need to run the air conditioner or the heat for about two months. I love the smell of wood smoke outside. I love that it gets dark earlier so my kids go to bed better. I

2. I didn't write last week because my mom was in town and we went to Great Wolf Lodge with the kids. It was a lot of fun, and everyone was worn out by the time we got home. My kids loved it, and they had a good mix of stuff for the older kids and my youngest who didn't want to go on the biggest slides. We also discovered Magiques, which involves running around the building with wands and completing missions. The kids ate that up. When we go to Myrtle Beach in a few weeks, we may have to visit the official Magiquest center and pay for them to play there.

3. The kids have completed a few Magiquest adventures at home. My husband has plotted out clues and things to collect and acted out parts in different areas of the house. He is hilarious to watch and I love the way that he actually gets down and plays with the kids on their level. It also made me think about how I'd have fun writing adventures for a similar game or idea. I'm not a gamer (though hubby is) and I've never really thought about the story lines in games. It's funny because one writing conference I went to I had Tracy Hickman lead my workshop group, and he got his start writing manuals for D&D or a similar RPG company. It was a good conference.

4. Well I entered my query for Lexy in a query workshop at Bookends back in February. I wrote the query as soon as I figured out the plot for the book, so I wouldn't have the query problems I had with Isis. It was critiqued on Wednesday. I got some great feedback. You can go check it out if you want. It'd also give you an idea on the world I'm living in right now.

5. I'm on the lookout for some good books to read. I've read everything recommended to me that's already out, and I know there are some books I'm super excited to read in the next few months like Lola and the Boy Next Door, and After Obsession, but I'd love something to hold me over until then.

Happy Writing!

Friday Five - A Day Late

2011-09-02T16:09:00.002-04:00

1. Summer is really over, and I'll get my mornings to myself now. My youngest went back to preschool. A really great preschool where I don't feel guilty dropping him off, and he gets to play and explore and i get to work. So that is my most exciting news of the week. Well exciting to me at least.

2. At the end of every summer, I'm excited for the kids to go back to school so they have some structure, but then I forget what that structure means for me. I always wondered how stay at home moms managed to stay so busy once their kids were in school. There are so many time pressures now that have to do with having kids in school. Getting to the bus in the morning, and picking them up from the bus. The homework in the evenings, and getting them to bed on time. So much stuff that has to be done. But I do get time to work now without feeling guilty. That's nice too.

3. It is easy to get discouraged, and lost along the way. I've had the times when I'm super focused on my writing, and times when I've been so discouraged. I've had my share of almost there moments and falling short. This week I've spent a lot of time thinking about it. Do I keep going forward? Am I just kidding myself? Is this a reasonable and attainable goal for myself? Do I just write to write or am I really striving for publication? And if I do decide whether this is achievable, am I willing to really put in the time to make it happen?

The truth is that eight years ago, I decided I wanted to be a freelance writer. I didn't know how to start. I went and got books at the library, and read them. It took a few more years for me to actually start applying for jobs, and a few months before I landed my first job. I've built up what I do to the point that I have a niche that I write about. I make a very respectable hourly wage. I did it. I reached that goal. I write for a living.

And I can do the same thing to reach my next goal, which is writing novels for a living. I know what I need to do. But I need to be committed to making it happen. My first book may not be the book. Okay so it wasn't. I wrote it several years ago. But my second book may not be it, and maybe my third book won't either. But if I quit now I'm not going to make it. If I keep working and trying, I will. Just like with anything that is important but difficult to achieve, I have to make the time commitment and keep going no matter what.

4. I love the beginning of the school year, since it is a chance to reset my goals and my schedule to make it happen. In addition to my writing goals I want to lose some weight and exercise two hours a day. That feels like a lot to me, but I know that's what I need to do to reach my goals. But I'm building up to it, gradually, so that it will become a good habit that will stick.

5. I'm having a hard time coming up with a fifth option. So instead I'll ask a question. What goals are you guys working towards?

Happy writing!

Friday Five - A Day Late

2011-08-27T08:54:00.002-04:00

1- This week has been exciting at our house. My kids have a fascination for natural disasters. And an earthquake and hurricane in one week was enough to send them over the edge in gleefulness. The reasons to the earthquake was to watch some National Geographic type shows on the earth moving. And the hurricanes means a lot more weather shows. We were driving during the earthquake and so we didn't feel it. That's happened to me more than once, but my daughter still counts it. Right now we are watching the trees blow around and waiting for the rain to come. It looks like the storm isn't going to be as bad as predicted in most areas, which is good.

2- The first week of school went well. I don't get why we only had two days of school, but it's fine. My kids are positive about their teachers so far, which makes me happy. And Jacob is excited to start preschool. I'm excited too. The youngest needs lots of attention because he gets lonely without big sister and brother home.

3- One thing I love about the new school year is it's a great opportunity to set specific goals and get into a different routine. I love setting goals for myself, though I tend not to e as realistic in what I can accomplish. So that's one of my goals is to set realistic goals. And I used to consider myself a very disciplined person. In college I took those early morning classes and juggled working a lot of hours between 25-30 while going to school full time. But now it's tougher. I think that it's part of being a mom. I've got other things (people) I'm responsible for that aren't quite so easy to control or to make fit into my perfect schedule. But I'm making my goals and establishing my routine. I can do this!

4- Writing wise I'm so excited to be focusing on Lexy. She's this awesome character. She can totally kick butt, but she's also genuinely nice even if she is confused. I'm kind of balking because in my first draft, I didn't nail Jason, her love interest, the way i wanted to. He's a super tough character to write, because by the end of the book you have to like him even though he is really, really mean. So I have to work extra hard to get the reader to like him from page one. A huge portion of the premise for the novel rides on me nailing it. Really getting it right.

5- I have been thinking about how I want to grow this blog and attract readers. But first I know i need to start posting regular worthwhile content. So that is my goal. But I want to do something that is uniquely me, and not like all of the other (wonderful) writing blogs out there.

Have a great weekend and stay safe!

School Has Started

2011-08-25T11:14:00.001-04:00

I have time to write, to shower, to think without screaming and fighting kids. And preschool starts in just one week, and then i will have alone time to write.

Bliss.

That is all. Back to your regularly scheduled day!

Friday Five

2011-08-19T11:54:00.002-04:00

1. This has been a week. My car battery died, but with our schedules we couldn't fix it right away, so I didn't have a car for two days. Not a huge deal, until my boys got into a water fight in the house, and took out our electronics. The modem, our phones, our Roku box (how we access any television), our DVD player, our Wii and the PS3. Talk about an ugly evening. Some little boys were in big, big trouble. Then to top it all off my cell phone stopped working. No water involved, and it turns on, just won't call out or accept calls. And this happened on the day that we were cut off from the rest of the world. My kids were besides themselves, and it was this weird sort of twilight to know that we couldn't communicate with the outside world. It was also my most productive day of the week, which makes me wonder if we should unplug a little more often.

2. I am counting down and we have six days until the kids go back to school. SIX DAYS. I can manage six more days without killing them and hopefully they won't kill each other in the meantime. The water fight in the house should indicate the type of summer we are having, and the relief we all feel as we try to go back to school and get on a good schedule. This should involve more time for me to reach my goals. At least that's what I keep telling myself, in SIX MORE DAYS, I won't feel guilty when I write. I won't have to break up fights when I write. Bliss.

3. To illustrate how crazy I've been this summer, I started this post more than ten hours ago, and I only got two items done, and that was with working on it more than two separate times. My writing will improve next week, and I'll have more time to focus on the blog as well.

4. My kids are still up and it's 10:00. The summer has not been structured as well as I'd like for bedtimes. But the truth is if they stay up late, they sleep later, and so do I. Next week is going to be miserable, for all of us. Before I got married i was a morning person. I seriously went to bed most nights around 10:00 (even in college (but not weekends--I did stay out late on weekends)). But Rob is a night owl, and I've adjusted to his sensibility. So now I tend to get a lot done late at night, and that's means some craziness as we try to make it out of the door.

5. After I completely rewrote Isis for the millionth time I came back to Lexi, and decided to start completely over. I've been back and forth about whether or not she should be in first present or first past. And this version is first present, and I'm liking it. The original version which I was more than 20,000 words into was in past tense, but I didn't like the opening. I'd written it over and over. Then when I sat down and decided just to go from the beginning, because I feel like I've improved so much as a writer in the past few months. And I am pretty happy with my beginning. Not that it probably won't change a million more times, but I like it much better.

Happy Writing!

Friday Five

2011-08-12T15:15:00.004-04:00

1. It's been so long since I've done a Friday Five that I'm sure this is going to be in more random than usual. I'm currently counting and we are thirteen days away from school starting back up. And I'm anxiously waiting for it. The summer has been hot and the kids and i are driving each other nutty. Once school starts I'll look forward to the days off and the time we spend together again. I just need so mommy alone time.

2. We recently junked a car that we've had for years. We bought it the year after we got married, and it was used. The transmission gave out after 200,000 miles, and it just wasn't worth getting fixed anymore. That doesn't make it easy. We've sold our other cars, but this felt different, as I watched it get towed away. Plus it was the car I brought my babies home in. It was the first car we purchased as a couple. I don't know it's weird how sad I felt as i watched it being towed away.

3. To be completely honest my novel writing has been hit or miss lately. First I paused my Lexy story to totally rewrite Isis again. And to be honest I think I've nailed Isis. She's good to go. I'm going to rework my query again, and send it out. And I started over from scratch on Lexy. Originally I thought, I'd just plow through to the end, since I'll rewrite the entire thing again. But then I thought about it and I realized how much stronger I feel as a writer, and I figured why not nail the best first draft ic an so when i rewrite it will be that much stronger. I changed to present tense, which is a little tricky for me, but it feels right for this story.

4. I've spent a lot of time reading this summer. And I've enjoyed many good books. And I've been disappointed a few times with books that came highly recommended. In fact I've been avoiding books that everyone has been raving about, because I don't want to be disappointed. So I was a little reluctant to pick up Divergent by Veronica Roth. If you follow YA books at all or the writing community, this book has been getting rave reviews all over the place. And I just figured that it couldn't live up to the hype. Well, I'm glad I picked it up, because it totally lived up to they hype. It's an awesome, awesome book, and I've been recommending it left and right ever since. If you haven't read it yet, you really should.

5. I'm really thinking about what I want this blog to be. And where I want my career to go. I work as a freelance writer and it's nice to be home, but with my youngest just a year away from kindergarten, I'm starting to think about the change in dynamics in our home. Right now it doesn't make sense for me to work outside of the home, because the cost of daycare washes out the amount that I'd make at a steady job compared to what I make now. But then there is the instability of working freelance versus a real job. And then there is the fact that i just want to be novelist. My dream job. We'll see what this year brings.

Another Contest

2011-08-07T20:54:00.002-04:00

I wanted to share another great contest opportunity with you guys. Rachel at Blackbird in My Window is doing an agent judged contest of your first 500 words of the novel. The agent is Lauren Roth from Bookends. It's a great opportunity and you should check it out.

I've been pretty blog silent for awhile. But the summer is coming to an end, and my kids are going back to school. This should mean some sanity and a chance to get going on the blog again. In the meantime I plan on posting a Friday Five from here on out. In September I'll decide what else I can do to ramp up what I write about.

Keep writing!

Another Pitch Contest

2011-07-28T22:21:00.002-04:00

I've got plans to get back to blogging again. I've got post ideas and everything, just not the time I want with the kids being out of school for the summer.

But I did want to let you guys know about a great pitch contest over at Beyond Words with agent Vicoria Marini. It's a two sentence pitch, so you can add more than with a twitter pitch.

Good luck! The deadline is July 29th!

Pay It Forward

2011-02-03T10:05:00.003-05:00

Shelli over at Market My Words is having a Pay It Forward Contest.

Along my writing journey I've had help from a lot of people. Heather who helped me find the voice for my character and was the first persion who I didn't know personally that expressed an interest in helping me. My local writing group who read version after version of my draft and my most recent beta readers Laura, who I met at a writer's conference, and Carol who is starting her beta read and notes over after her computer crashed when she was going for a second read through. I should also add Lisa and Laura, who gave me a 25 page critique recently.

But mostly I need to thank my husband who supports me 100 percent. Sacrificing his time to give me time to write, and coming home on the days I'm the most discouraged and telling me that I can do this. He has believed in me and supported me in a way that no one else can.

Awesome Contests

2011-01-26T11:45:00.002-05:00

You must enter this contest. It is for a substantive edit by editor Deborah Halverson. The contest is easy to sign up for and definitely worth trying for. She is celebrating the completion of her bookWRiting Young Adult for Dummies. So go check it out.

Also Nathan Bransford is having his annual first paragraph contest, entries end tomorrow. The prize is a copy of his signed book and a recommendation to his agent.

Friday Five

2011-01-14T13:36:00.002-05:00

1. The plan at the beginning of the school year was to write (for my real job not my novels) every Monday, Wednesday and Friday while my youngest was at school. In theory (remember my previous post about theories), this would mean a lot less guilt free time working, a significant income boost and a more balanced household. I am here to say that three hours is not what I thought it would be. Too many distractions at home, and other time taking obligation out there. But every week I tell myself that this is the week where I actually meet my self-imposed quotas that may or may not be realistic.

2. Cable television is something I grew up without. In fact except for a brief stint in college and a very short period when I was first married, I've not had cable until recently. I also thought it was stupid to pay for television, especially when I hear so many people complaining that nothing they want to watch is on. We recently got cable so that we could have our Internet hooked up for free and avoid the $450.00 charge the company had listed. My husband insisted that we needed the faster Internet the new company provided--I haven't been too impressed, but in retrospect I wished we had just paid for the installation. They also sent us $300.00, so $750.00 and we are coming out even right now. The only shows we really watch are on Network television or available on Hulu anyway. But the thing that keeps me from canceling each month is the DVR. I like watching on our nice television downstairs, the two shows I like on the day I want to. It's really silly, and I know there has to be another solution to the problem, but I don't want to give up my DVR.

3. Talking about college and Cable brought back a truly horrible story from college. The television in the apartment belonged to me, and I hated MTV. So I hid the remote. The basic network channels were preprogrammed into the television, and I didn't care if anyone watched whenever they wanted to, just not MTV. Later a huge roommate fight broke out (I'm sure you've experienced the drama) which ended up with two roommates taking off to California in a big huff, and the hidden remote secret was spilled out in the midst of the horrible screaming about cleaning and other fun girly issues. And I actually had really great roommates through college. I stuck with the same set until I got married, if that tells you anything.

4. My daughter is growing up. She has begin sacrificing comfort for fashion. I don't know how I totally feel about that either. Her sacrifice is that she has begun wearing jeans to school instead of leggings, since jeans are cool. The problem is she didn't get many pairs of jeans this year, because I'd finally believed she wouldn't wear them. And the other issue is finding some that look good on her. Most of the jeans are designed to worn snugly (oh- I really mean skin tight-uggh brings back the 80s), but my little one is so skinny that the tight design just doesn't fit. I may have to go out and find designer jeans. She runs a size or two smaller in skinny than she is in length. Some of her leggings were even baggy on her!

5. The next week brings on the birthday's for my two boys. My youngest was born just six days shy of two years apart from his brother. After the birthdays are over I can breathe a sigh of relief until October hits again. A few birthdays scattered here and there, but nothing like the total chaos that comes starting October. It doesn't help that all of my in-laws are adding birthdays to those months. Seriously--including my husband. We've got a new niece that added a birthday this week too. But it's over in just a few more days!

Happy Writing!

Ice and Snow and Writing

2011-01-10T23:18:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was all about anticipation at our house. We sent the kids to school knowing they'd be let out early for the big snow storm. 5-6 inches possible, icy roads, and emergency snacks in their backpacks, just in case they ran into trouble on the way home.

And nothing happened. No snow. Big disappointment. Then we waited, and waited for the ice storm to begin. The kids went to bed without knowing if school would be canceled tomorrow or not. Finally the storm hit, and we listened to the plink of ice on the windows and planned a day at home with the whole family. It's been nice.

But I'm relating this to writing. Anticipation is almost everything. In a story the moment leading up to the big revelation, the first kiss, or that declaration of undying love are just as important as the event itself. The moments that build the tension, really take it up higher on the almost moments--where they almost kiss, he almost confesses his love, but gets interrupted are the ones that make that big event so awesome.

Building tension is an important part of every novel. It makes you care. Lately i've been reading several novels that don't have the right balance between the anticipation/tension and the actual event. Even if I like the characters I'm left wondering so what? When this happens I may skip to the end of the book (I'm notoriously bad about doing this) and if I don't like the end, or if I'm not getting a feeling of excitement along the way, then I just stop reading.

Another side of the same problem is when the event doesn't happen. Like the snowstorm that didn't happen yesterday, you are left feeling disappointed, and wondering why the author chose to end it the way she did. I can think of some very prominent books I would have ended differently, especially since the tension was built up to the event, and then nothing happened. Very disappointing.

As a writer, I really try to build the tension up in a plot. Those almost moments are so key for the stories to work out. For me the idea is to keep the reader wanting to turn pages. When that doesn't happen, then your books isn't working.

Happy Writing!

Friday Five: Starting New Habits

2011-01-07T15:12:00.001-05:00

1. So far this year my new year's resolutions have been completely shot. I meant to blog three times this week, and it slipped my mind on Wednesday. I'll do better next week. But that's not the only resolution that hasn't gotten done. I've got a cold, a nasty one, and so my new exercise plan has not started yet. But it will next week. Writing is going, but not as much as I wanted it to. Again the cold is really getting me down. So I've got an excuse, but I'm not going to let it stop me. Next week is my new year.

2. Writer's groups. I'm in two separate writer's groups, an online and an in person group. It's been interesting to here totally different perspectives, and a different dynamic from each of the groups. I like the way my online group works, where we submit on a schedule, read and critique two pieces a week and submit every three weeks. I feel like I get the time to really pay attention to the pieces, and look for ways to improve and better yet pick up great techniques. The in person critique group is nice because of the friendships I've formed, and the in person discussion of specific techniques each month. I think everyone needs to find a good group.

3. Beta readers. This is something I don't have, and need to find. I need a new pair of eyes to look over my story. It's going through my groups, but I need someone who isn't attached to the story and isn't afraid to tell me like it is. And of course I'd return the favor. I haven't really started the search yet, but I'm about to.

4. I've started a new novel, and it's the strongest thing I've written from a first draft. I know that I'm still in love with it, but finally all the techniques I've been studying are really coming together. It's satisfying to look back at the first drafts I used to write, and compare them to this. I'm not saying I won't have to revise this book when it's finished--because of course I will, but I'm going to be starting the revision from a much better place!

5. Batman lives at my house. My almost four year old is dressed as Batman nearly every day. He's gone on errands as Batman. He jumps off of things and responds to crime, particularly at night. He knows his secret identity is Bruce Wayne, millionaire playboy, which he will tell you if he asks. If you need help Batman can save the day!

New Year, New Plan or Putting Theory Into Practice

2011-01-03T21:35:00.002-05:00

2010 was not my best year ever. I said it. It feels good to admit that I got lost somewhere along the way in 2010. Writing went meh, reading went meh and nothing worked the way I wanted it to. But that's okay, because we started over three days ago. At least that's what I think.

Last week I was at the grocery store, and thinking about my habits. In theory I consider myself a fairly green person. I recycle a lot. We fill up our recycling bin faster than our trash can, and I've worked to reduce the amount of stuff we buy in the boxes and cans. And I've bought the reusable grocery bags to take with me on every trip to the store. This is where my theory falls shorts of being reality. Even though the bags are always in my trunk, they sit there and I get plastic (not even paper ugh!) bags at the grocery store. My mother-in-law on the other hand grabs her bags every time she goes shopping. It's not hard and she's put the theory into practice.

As I was thinking about the last year writing wise I realized I had a lot of theory that did not quite make it into practice. A lot of it came from doubting myself. Like this blog for instance. Will I have something worth saying? There are so many funny, well-written, helpful writing blogs out there. So what am I doing trying to put this out there for the world to see? Am I a funny person? I don't know if I'd list that as one of my strengths. But I'm committing to put my blogging theory into practice this year. Three blogs a week. Hopefully on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Another theory I haven't put into practice this last year is actually finishing a stinking book. I have my book that I've revised, and revised, and revised out on submission. But I haven't finished any of the four other books I've started. Why? Ask me why. The truth is I've not been putting my butt in my chair enough and actually writing for me. I write online to supplement my family's income and it makes me tired, so that's my excuse. But writing for me (meaning my stories) makes me happy. This year I will finish at least two possibly three of those books. I may completely scrap the fourth or I may not. They may not be submission ready by the end of the year. But they will be finished.

My major focus is putting my theories into practice. Other than that look forward to book reviews, random thoughts and my general outlook on things. Happy Writing!

Contest Information

2010-12-09T13:31:00.002-05:00

You must rush out and sign up for Beth Revis' Epic Contest of Epic. I don't know if you have followed her story on the path to publication, but it is inspirational. She never gave up, which is a great thing because the first chapter of Across the Universe is awesome. This is a must read as soon as humanly possible book. The day I get my hands on a copy (I'm hoping I'll somehow score an ARC since I don't want to wait until release day) nothing will get done in my house. The kids will eat take out and I will be happy.

So go sign up. There are a hundred Awesome prizes available. Go now!

PS I'm planning on renewing my blogging after the holidays. Not only do I get busy with Christmas, but lots of birthdays too. Once my crazy is over I plan on getting back on the blogging band wagon.

YA Agent Contest

2010-10-28T09:41:00.003-04:00

I know I've had a huge blog silence The summer was rough when it came to writing, and I just let myself disappear. Now I'm getting back into the swing of things with the kids being in school. So I should start posting again. Currently I'm torn between revisions and a new novel.

I also wanted to let you know about the contest going on over at the Guide to Literary Agents blog. It''s a great contest, and you should definitely think about submitting!

Have a great week, and look for a real post next week sometime!

Not the Friday Five

2010-05-29T22:12:00.002-04:00

I keep thinking that I'm going to do better at posting, and then Friday rolls around, and I just get so caught up in other things. It's crazy, and I should be working on the post more regularly. But I decided to go ahead and do a post today. It may ramble a bit, but I've been thinking about writing a lot lately, and reading.

We recently moved and there is this beautiful flower garden growing next to my front step. It was done by the person who lived here previously. We moved in the winter, and so I had no idea it was there, but then one day in March yellow tulips grew overnight and blossomed. They made me smile every time I'd go in and out of the door. Next all of these plants started growing in the same little plot. And I thought to myself I should really go ahead and weed. Not all of these plants are likely to be flowers, but I didn't. Because quite honestly I've never gardened, really never given it much thought, and I didn't know which ones to pull. So I let everything grow.

And I'm glad I did. I think a few of the plants are a bit overgrown, and could have used some weeding back earlier in the year. I don't know what most of the flowers are, but they are gorgeous. Pinky purples, yellows, and whites that blend together perfectly. Not to mention that they are arranged heighth wise so that the tallest plants are in the back, and the fronts ones are much shorter. It's like a staircase of flowers. Whoever planted the garden knew what they were doing, because it is beautiful and slightly wild looking, and it's okay that I didn't go back and weed out all the plants when I first did. I keep watching and waiting for new plants to bloom.

Now I do have an analogy to this when it comes to writing. I don't write entirely by the seat of my pants. I have the end in mind, just like the person who planted the lovely flowers out by my front step, but I'm not always sure which parts of my stories are the weeds, and which parts are the flowers. I'm a big believer in getting my story out and letting it grow before taking it apart and pulling the weeds. But it's got to grow a little bit out of control, and a little bit wild until it becomes the beautiful book that can put sunshine and a moment of happiness in someone's life.

I read a lot. On average I'm about a book every one or two days. And while sometimes I get so tired with what I'm reading, so discontent every now and then I find a book that speaks to me in the same way that those flowers make me smile. Sometimes it is a happy book that lets me totally escape the moment, or a book that makes me sit back and really think and consider my life. This week the book that stood out the most was Hold Still by Nina LaCour. This was a very moving story about a girl who is recovering from the suicide of her best friend. It was honest, it was raw, but it was not without hope. It was perfect in the balance of being truthful, but showing that there is hope and a chance to move forward.

I want to write books that give people that kind of hope. I may write a lot of fantasy, paranormal or dystopian books, but ultimately I want hope to be the message in the book. I've had times in my life where it felt like I ran out of hope, and looking for any way to get it back. I've also had times when I've been surrounded by it and grateful to be surrounded by people who care.

This spring that flower garden has been something that has given me hope. It's reminded me that things that we do now can help others later on. So here is to hope and passing it on.

Happy Writing!

Friday Five: Late or Early

2010-05-20T21:30:00.000-04:00

1. There are weeks when things start piling up, and time that was set aside for writing just doesn't happen. Sometimes those are things you can really put aside for later ( you don't really need to be able to see the floor anyway--right? And really no one cares that my kids have worn the same clothes for three days straight), but some things require your immediate attention. A very broken arm by a child who believes that he can fly--well not really he just likes to jump off of high surfaces. He's been doing it since he could walk and climb, and I think I convinced myself that he wasn't capable of breaking himself. Sure he's had stitches, and he's bitten through his lip, but an actual cast for at least a month, possibly two never would happen. But it did and an entire afternoon I had set aside particularly for accomplishing something was eaten up by x-rays and setting and casts. Poor little guy. He was very brave.

2. Bedtimes are definitely getting later and later at my house. My oldest insists that she can't fall asleep without reading first. I'm glad that she reads, but once she's done she gets up and wanders the house. The boys just don't like to go to sleep, and they can be very cranky the next morning. I think it's time to get out the dark curtains again and put them up. It's the only way I've been able to survive summers since I've had kids. Why does it stay light until 9:00? Why?

3. Zombies and werewolves--doesn't that just sound exciting. It does to me. And I love the characters more than any other characters I've written. So it is awesome. I can't wait to share that awesome with you. It's funny how excited I get about things. It really is true. Frankly my husband is tired of me talking about Jason. Jason's been on my mind a lot because he is the most difficult character I've ever attempted to write, and the story I'm telling is in first person, but Jason is not the narrator. So I know all this stuff about him that Lexy doesn't know and it's getting difficult. But progress is being made.

4. Somewhere in my life I switched from being a morning person to so not being a morning person. I don't know when it fully started, but honestly I think I can trace it back to my husband. Until we started dating I went to bed at 10:00 on weeknights--weekends have always been another story, and got up at 6:00. And now I'm up until at least 12 and if I didn't have kids in school, I think I'd get up at 9:00. But at least all three kids are sleeping through the night finally. That truly makes me happy.

5. Today i sorted laundry so I caught up on my T.V. I don't watch many shows. I have three Biggest Loser, Office and Glee. And then my husband watches LOST so I'll occasionally sit next to him and try to write while it is on. I gave up on it, but since the finale is Sunday I'll watch it. I've been so so on Glee lately. I don't know how I feel about a lot aspects of the show since they started back up. And The Office gotta love that.

Happy Writing!

Friday Five: Looking for the Positive

2010-04-23T10:40:00.002-04:00

1. This week has been full of ups and downs. It involved a car repair, walking in the rain and just general back and forth. Isn't it funny how things can swing from one side to another depending on what you hear. Fortunately this week I've had a positive attitude the entire week.Walking my son to preschool was a chance for exercise, not a burden. And we were blessed that though it rained throughout the day, the times I had to be out walking it was sunny. It was just that kind of week. We got a bit of bad news, but then good news would show up a little bit later to make up for it. So this week my glass was a little more than half full.

2. On the writer front, I still just don't know Jason very well. I don't know what scares me so much about writing him. Maybe it's the name. I've actually been friends with a few different Jasons. All nice guys. This Jason is a nice guy as well, but something isn't working. I may need to change the name. So I'm up for suggestions--seriously if you have any that'd be great. The other main character names are Lexy, and Kaden if that helps. On the other hand I've been able to work out some major information surrounding Jason and Lexy and their relationship to make it much more believable. Really neat stuff--still I can't seem to get inside of Jason's head enough.

3. I've already begun planning on how to entertain my kids over the summer. The goal is to wear them out as quickly as I can at the beginning of each and every day. I really want them to have a fun summer, soI'm going to schedule play dates, and take them to the parks. But we have to go out early, and be done by 11:00 or the heat will kill us. It should be a good summer.

4. When we moved a few months ago we went ahead and got T.V when we had the Internet hooked up. This was to save us money, since we would get rebates back that would pay for the t.v. portion of the bill for a few months. I grew up in a cable free home. At the time it didn't seem like a big deal. Most of my friends didn't have cable when I was young, so I didn't realize that I had missed out on so much until I was in college and people would talk about that show or this show. But I didn't really feel like I'd missed out on anything. So I'm torn on the whole T.V. thing now. I like having a DVR, but I was using Hulu to do that. Basically now we are trying to decide whether or not to cancel the cable. The kids like it, but I think they watch too much T.V. Rob is torn as well--since he is very media obsessed, but he's not positive it's worth the money, which is actually really something coming from him. We'll have to see what to do.

5. Strangely enough I started this post in the morning, and now it's midnight. So I guess I'm slow or something. But that's okay, as least it got written today. That's better than most things I've managed to try to do today.

Happy Writing!

Friday Five: Finally!

2010-04-16T22:16:00.003-04:00

1. So I almost didn't do another Friday five this week. Shameful I know, but today has been one of THOSE days. I haven't showered yet, and it's 10:30. I didn't do it this morning because I was going to exercise, but things kept coming up, again, and again and again. The biggest of which was running Caleb, my five year old, in for a breathing treatment. He should be fine, and it's not the first time I've taken him in--though it has been three years. We are stocked up on Albuterol for awhile, and hopefully he won't need it. Talk about hyper!

2. Last week I gave myself the week off--completely off from my writing. The reason I was feeling a little burned out, a bit stuck and just frustrated in general. Was my plot not the awesome I thought it was? Was I overextending my current writing capabilities? That is still up for debate, but I came back, and I flew through some of my best first draft writing ever! So it felt good. I used to be afraid of breaks, but now I think they are good every now and then.

3. One of the best things about critique groups is how much you learn. I learn from reading and other people's work, and recognizing weaknesses and strengths. Sometimes it's easier to find a problem in someone else's writing, and then look to see if you have it in yours. I don't know if that makes sense, but I learn just as much from the critiques I give to others as I do from the critiques people give to me. It's great to stretch and work, and grow as a writer.

4. So there has been some crazy news this week. The fireball that flew over the midwest (you've got to watch the footage), the ash cloud shutting down travel in a large part of Europe, another earthquake, (well two actually, though one was quite small in comparison.) And I can come up with three to four plot ideas for each one of them. Wow! Awesome stories too. The thing i like to remember that these events aren't much except for the way that they affect the people. Choose a few, throw them into the scenario and bam the perfect story plot.

5. And now I'm off to get to know my zombie. His name is Jason, he is seventeen years old. He likes the color blue, and his favorite sport is football. He works out on a regular basis and he is madly in love with Lexy. But he is also infected. Let's see what I can come up with.

Happy Writing!

Contest!

2010-04-12T14:00:00.001-04:00

I know I've been missing in action. I gave myself some time off to get refocused. So expect a good post from me on Friday. In the meantime, here's a great contest that you may want to enter. It invovles critiques of queries and pages, twizzlers and books. Should be fun! Go check it out at Sarah Wylie's blog.

Contest and Bojangles

2010-03-31T20:04:00.003-04:00

First I wanted to share a great contest over at Moonrat's blog Editorial Ass, which is a 20 page crit. Her blog is great, if you don't already follow it, you should. I'm sure that her critique would be a huge help to anyone in the midst of submitting/writing a novel.

And I wanted to explain Bojangles to my non-Southern readers. It's a fried chicken store, that specializes in Southern style food. Like sweet potato pie, sausage biscuits, gravy and biscuits, and other stuff. They have dirty rice, which is spicy rice. As adventurous as it all sounds, all I get is the Chicken Strip snack pack. The chicken strips are a bit spicier than any I've ever had, and the honey mustard sauce is the best that I've had. Plus the biscuits are good--really good and I don't normally like biscuits.

Anyway go enter the contest!

Saturday Six

2010-03-27T17:15:00.004-04:00

1. Since I missed posting yesterday, I'm going to give you six wonderfully random bits of information. Well I don't know about wonderful. I missed posting yesterday because my daughter missed her bus, and then I ran, and ran, and ran. And then we ended up visiting family. Basically yesterday was a no computer day and I didn't get much done. I did catch up on sleep while we were on the road.

2. In order to motivate myself to write my Zombie/Werewolf novel super fast, I'm mailing one chapter at a time to my darling sister. She's not a writer, and is wonderful at telling me good job, and I want the next chapter, and telling me that I'm being a slacker when I don't get a chapter to her. Sometimes it helps to just have someone to be accountable to, but I feel like by letting her read it, I'm not ruining writing the whole first draft without anyone seeing it, because she's not sending me comments back. Does that make sense? I hope so, because it does to me.

3. I really enjoyed Elana Johnson's posts on how to get more traffic to your blog. Anyway, you should totally read the series. I enjoyed them, and I think she had a lot of really good points. I blog and write for another site that is not related to writing, and I some of what she says over there. I know I need to do it here, but I really need to figure out a way to find the focus. Sometime soon it will start.

4. This week I've learned about swords, fences, guns and other things I never once thought that I'd ever need to know about. I was fascinated as I watched my nephew load a Nerf shotgun, and the way the bullet casings would fly out on to the ground, and pulling the muzzle (if that is even the right part of the gun) up before shooting. It made me picture things differently, and also think about how I describe certain things in person. It also made me decide I need to go pick up a real sword somewhere and hold it. And maybe pretend to fight someone. I've done it with a plastic sword with my boys, but I think a heavy sword would make a difference in the fighting.

5. Looking back at what I've written this week, I'm still so excited about this story. I'm still in love with the story idea, and the entire plot, and the whole triangle, and all of the little things that I'm uncovering, but even more exciting I feel like that I'm a much better writer than I was. It makes me want to rethink everything I've written. So that is exciting. Of course I don't have any feedback, but it's okay to love my story at the beginning. I'm sure that I will hate it several times along the way.

6. I'm going to go and eat me some Bojangles. The first time my husband brought me out to North Carolina, he made me eat some Bojangles. This was a time when I was eating hardly any meat, but man it was good. I'm getting ready to go more vegetarian, and I really think that Bojangles is something that I'm going to miss. I could eat it every week, just like pizza, but fortunately I don't have one close to my house. I love their chicken strips and honey mustard sauce!

Happy Writing!

Friday Five: Spring is Almost Here!

2010-03-19T16:15:00.003-04:00

1. The weather this last week has been beautiful. Unfortunately we haven't enjoyed it. My two little boys had an awful cold all week long! And they are still worn out and barely making it through the day. I feel so sad for them. They didn't even ask to go anywhere the whole week. That's how sick they were. Hopefully by Monday we will be able to get out and enjoy the weather.

2. I had a wonderful birthday this week. My husband made me dinner, mopped the floor, got me a gift card to Barnes and Noble and a new crock pot. I love crock pots, but my last one nearly started a fire after being on for only four hours. It had been shutting off randomly (which I was wondering if the kids were messing with it), but anyway this doesn't need to be a crock pot post. Needless to say the crock pot is my friend, because I often have the most energy in the morning, and I love making dinner then and just eating it in the evening. I'm looking for good vegetarian crock pot recipes if you have any ideas.

3. Last night I had a major breakthrough idea on my zombie plot so I'm very excited. The plot is a love triangle, and I know who I'm rooting for, and of course I know who ultimately wins, but I was worried that I was introducing one of the two guys too late in the novel. Yeah, totally fixed that last night. Well not it's not technically written yet, but it should be before I go to bed tonight.

4. I went to Barnes and Noble tonight and wandered through the store with my youngest looking for books. I couldn't find anything that spoke to me. One of the reasons is that I really wanted to get a writing book--but I hate to buy those books without reading reviews and everything. I had a specific one in mind, but they didn't have it. So then I just looked at them all. Ones that seemed interesting were writing your novel in a month--since I am attempting this first draft in a month. Revising your novel in a month--which I just don't know if it is possible. And The Idiot's Guide to Writing a Young Adult Novel. Actually that didn't look interesting--honestly I'm put off by the Idiot and Dummie books. Frankly I don't consider myself either, and I think it is kind of demeaning, even though I've looked through a few on topics besides writing and learned stuff. I like the title Everything You Need to Know type books, but frankly I wouldn't buy those on writing either. I want a book written by someone that has consistently published and been successful or that comes to me highly recommended or that Rob buys for me because he does his research. So if you have any recommendations let me know. I did see the Portable MFA book and considered it for a short time, and might still be considering it. My favorites are On Writing by Stephen King, Plot and Structure, Hooked and The First Five Pages.

5. I've been thinking about craft lately. I take my writing seriously. I think that there things that I can specifically work on to become better. I think you can learn about craft from reading both books on writing and just books in general. Sometimes it takes attending a specific workshop or hearing a specific critique that can really solve everything for you. The thing is that as a writer it's a continuous evolution. Every day, every chapter, every word I write helps me to come a little bit better and I can incorporate it into the next novel I write. How do you improve your craft?

Happy Writing!

Wonderful Contest and News

2010-03-17T09:29:00.002-04:00

So on Monday night I was very excited to read Beth Revis's news that she had a book deal (and what a book deal I might add). congrats to her! I've been reading Beth's blog for more than a year, and I really have enjoyed. She's from Western NC, and I lived out that way for a few years (we've never met or anything), but when she'd talk about the Biltmore House, I could think I've been there--stuff like that. And her student comment blogs never failed to make me laugh. I was excited and felt I must share.

Me: Rob, that blog I follow, you know the one where she's a teacher in Western NC, she just got a really good book deal.

Rob: Huh?

Me: I've talked about the blog a lot. You know funny things happen in her class. She lives out in Western NC. I've talked about this to you.

Rob: Huh?

Me: Point is that she got an awesome book deal.

Rob: Well that's great.

Shows how much he really listens when I talk writing.

Anyway Beth's having an awesome contest to celebrate, and if you don't already follow her blog you really should. Every post is worth reading.

Friday Five: Getting Old

2010-03-12T13:37:00.002-05:00

1. It's my birthday on Monday, and I'm starting to feel frustrated and old. I wanted to be published by now, but really I'm not that old, and I did things backwards from all of my friends. Family first, and then career. Since my ultimate goal is to be a career novelist. I think it will happen. I know it will, I just need to put in the hard work. And in case you're wondering I'm turning 32. Not ancient, and plenty of time to have a long prolific career. I've been telling people I'm 32 for awhile, since I can't really remember my age when asked. I was stuck at 28 for a while, but it's a little ridiculous to say I'm 28 no wait actually I'm 31. Yeah, babies sucked my brains out.

2. I was writing a chapter in my dystopian novel and just plugging away--I felt like the tension was pretty high. it was a chase scene through the woods, and then I started worrying about geography. Why did I have to set the story in a specific geographic location? Why? A lot of stuff has changed due to a war, but things like rivers, and mountains wouldn't change, so I'd interrupt my tension building scene to see if they should go north or east. Nope south and east. is there a river, because we need a river? Yes there were several rivers. Anyway from now on, I'm going to be geographically vague. Saves me time. Right? I hope so. But I'd still have to make sure everything matches and draw my own map. Maybe it is easier to have an already existing one.

3. Could you please give me an opinion as to which query you prefer and why?

Query 1 (which I've been sending out)

Seventeen-year-old Isis didn’t believe in magic until she accidentally uses it to save her life. Dane, a classmate, witnesses the display and pulls her into a battle between two ancient societies. Isis learns that the strange things that happen around her and her crazy dreams aren’t signs of impending insanity. Isis’ dreams actually mean that she is the dreamer with a power more potent than any other. She has the ability to control people by altering their subconscious while they sleep and the ability to see the future.

As Dane teaches Isis to control her powers the feelings between them grow. Isis is finally finding a place in the world where she never quite fit in—until Kalli, her cousin, shows up to convince her that she’s joined the wrong side of the battle. As Isis pieces together the clues from her dreams she learns of an impending disaster planned by Kalli’s group.

Isis’ powers give her the ability to end the conflict and stop the killing once and for all, but she must choose between fighting for the good of all mankind and saving her cousin, a choice no ordinary girl should make. Good thing Isis is anything but ordinary.

DREAMING ISIS, a young adult fantasy novel, is complete at 65,000 words. It will appeal to readers who loved the intrigue of THE AWAKENING by Kelley Armstrong and to those who enjoyed the paranormal romance elements of NEED by Carrie Jones

Query 2 (which I'm thinking of using, but not so sure)

Seventeen-year-old Isis is tired. Tired of hiding the dreams that predict future events, and the strange things that happen around her. Tired of surviving her mom’s psychotic episodes anytime she hears about something strange Isis did. And she’s tired of her sanity being questioned at every family gathering. So she hides her headaches, which are steadily getting worse and hopes that insanity doesn’t really run in the family.

All that changes the day Isis accidentally uses her powers to save herself from an exploding car and all of her secrets start coming out. Dane, a classmate, pulls her into a battle between two ancient societies. Dane seems to have the answers that Isis has always wanted. He can help her control her powers, stop her headaches and hang onto her sanity. She finds herself drawn to his charms until her cousin Kalli shows up to convince her she’s joined the wrong side. Isis realizes that she’s not the only one who’s been hiding things.

As Isis pieces together the warnings from her dreams she learns of an impending disaster planned by Kalli’s group. Isis has the power to stop it from happening and ending the conflict for good, but she has to choose between fighting for the good of mankind or to keep the love of her family by continuing to hide. A choice no ordinary girl should make. Good thing Isis is anything but ordinary.

DREAMING ISIS, a young adult contemporary fantasy novel, is complete at 65,000 words. It will appeal to readers who loved the intrigue of THE AWAKENING by Kelley Armstrong and to those who enjoyed the paranormal romance elements of NEED by Carrie Jones

4. I've gotten feedback that my query just isn't making my novel stand out from the pack. So I need to do something to it. I'm tempted to post my query for my zombie werewolf book, but I won't. I think the premise is so cool, that I don't want the pressure of sharing it with anyone until it is finished. But it is so cool, and the query is in good shape, and I think it would get agents to answer me. It's better than the above two queries, and I wish that I'd already finished writing it.

5. A writerly question: I have a friend who is attending the most awesome MFA program up in Vermont. She told me about several discussions that they had about the spareness of writing--without a lot of detail--which I tend to write that way. Anyway she thinks that the trend will swing back the other way. And I've been reading some spare books lately, that just make me tired. I like the first book in the series, but I tire of them before I get through them. I'm wondering if I'm the only one who finds this? Do you find writing can be too spare? What about overdone? And which style do you prefer? (I guess that is more a reading question)

Two Contests!

2010-03-08T14:34:00.002-05:00

Elana Johnson is doing another great contest at her blog.She is giving you the opportunity win one of seven great books. They all look great!

Shooting Stars by Suzette and Bethany are doing a great contest as well. There five prizes. A 40 page critique by the wonderful agent Suzie Townsend, three possible books and toffee. All you have to do is become a follower of the blog.

On a writing note--I hope that you are setting good realistic writing goals and reaching them. I can tell how well my writing is going and how well my thoughts are flowing by the number of words I misspell. The worse I'm doing, the worse I'm spelling. How do you tell you're having a bad writing day? Or what's a clue that it is going great?

Happy writing!

Contest for Lots of Stuff

2010-03-05T22:04:00.001-05:00

Weronica Janczuk is holding a contest on her blog to celebrate reaching 500 followers on Twitter. She is giving away four fifty page critiques, plus books. So you should totally check it--best yet it doesn't have to be for a completed manuscript. So go and enter!

Friday Five: Spring!

2010-03-05T08:38:00.002-05:00

1. March is one of my favorite months of the year. There are lots of reasons--it finally really starts to warm up. I always get new clothes, and it's my birthday month. Silly I know and probably a little juvenile, but March makes me happy. I'm glad that it is finally here. This year February was way too snowy. It's funny, because it wasn't any worse than any of the February's I had growing up--in fact it was most likely better weather wise, but I guess being in the South for ten years kind of changes your perspective on things.

2. Speaking of birthday months, and the thought of ten years since I graduated college, and I'm feeling old. I know I'm not old. I really know it, but ten years sounds like a long time, and to be somewhere for ten years is a long time. At least I don't have a ten year old yet.

3. I have been thinking that I should talk more about writing on the blog, and possibly post more than once a week. I've also been thinking about doing some sort of contest. I will let you know what I decide as soon as I do. The simple truth is I'm still recovering from moving. Drawing it out over the entire month of February was exhausting. I think I like quick moves better, but we did manage to get rid of a lot of stuff. It is amazing the amount of stuff you can accumulate in a few years time. Silly really--I mean what do possessions matter? All I need is a nice bed to sleep on and my laptop with access to the Internet and I'm good to go. Oh and I forgot my five shelves of books that my husband was pointing out the entire time we were moving.

4. It makes me want to get an e-reader, because then I'll have the books and one small device instead of huge book stacks. But then I'm thinking about all the books I have on the shelves so my kids will read them when they are older. Would I be willing to let my middle schooler take over my kindle no, I would not. But that is how I read a lot of my books was browsing my parents shelves when I was bored. I read nearly every book they had--except for my mom's nursing textbooks, though I did look at the pictures. The skin disease photos absolutely fascinated me--gross!

5. I had a strange dream last night. It was one of those dreams that you think now what is my subconscious trying to tell me? I'm afraid of heights in real life, and in this dream it was taken to new extremes, and I kept backing up from the edge of things, and then watching people I used to be close to (from old parts of my life) fall off of the edge. Totally and completely wacky. So what does it mean? And during the dream I said to myself, look this up when you wake up. So I will.

Happy Writing!

Dear Lucky Agent Contest

2010-03-03T09:46:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to let you all know that the third Dear Lucky Agent Contest is going on over at the Guide to Literary Agents site. The focus this time is Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. The agent is Joanna Stampfel-Volpe. Everything I've heard about her has been fantastic. You can win a critique of the first 20 pages of your work.

Go and enter!

Friday Five: Write, Write, Write

2010-02-26T10:00:00.002-05:00

1. Sadly most of my time this week, and really the whole month, has been spent on moving, not on writing. But I'm anxious and ready to go. Lexy is calling out to me, she wants her story written. So sadly, I've read like three books this week with the name Alexia as one of the main characters. But that's her name, dang it! What's a writer to do?

2. I've done lots of reading this week as well. We sold off a bunch of stuff on Craigslist which meant sitting in parking lots waiting for people to show up. And so I read. It was quite enjoyable. Truly.

3. I've been toying with the idea of taking an online writing class. Do any of you have any recommendations? Or I could take something local over the summer. I'm thinking of doing this instead of a major writer's conference this year. That way I can really get deeper into my writing, and still hit the Charlotte conference in NC.

4. I just love our new place. I've got more energy, and I'm a lot happier. It's so nice to start with something fresh and new and bold.

5. I've been thinking a lot about the objective correlative. And trying to work it into my writing. That's where you take emotions of someone and instead of stating them you demonstrate by the way they act towards certain objects. It's a great way to deepen your writing.

Happy Writing!

Friday Five: Beautiful Weather

2010-02-19T15:07:00.002-05:00

1. This weekend beautiful weather is on the table. We went ahead and moved despite the snow last weekend. Unfortunately for me that meant we didn't have anyone come and help. I've always considered myself strong and tough, but now I can prove it. I lifted and loaded and helped move all of the big, heavy furniture in our house. We're not quite done, but mostly we just have to haul stuff away. It's so nice to purge.

2. With moving, and organizing, it is hard for me to admit that I've not gotten much writing done this week. Hopefully next week will be better. Seriously, it's driving me nuts. Poor Lexy is stuck in limbo just waiting for the next big thing to happen to her. Don't worry Lexy--you've got great adventures (and scary things) ahead of you. Just be patient.

3. I just read the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book to my five year old. It was hilarious. Seriously I had a hard time reading parts of it to my son because I was laughing so hard. Now he wants me to read whatever I'm reading out loud to him. I was reading Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen--great book--but there are some romantic scenes in it. Guess where I was--so I'd start a sentence, and then trail off as I edited whole paragraphs out of the story. Finally he lost interest.

4. Moving is like a fresh start or a new draft. I get to figure out new routines, new places to put things, and new ways to organize things. I can also get rid of stuff that has been cluttering up my life for years. It makes me so happy. I wish I could feel the same way about a revision. Maybe someday I will be that good of a writer--where it doesn't pain me to revise, but it makes me happy. I'm getting there.

5. Zombies, you've got to love them--at least my zombies. And werewolves. I definitely like werewolves.

Happy Writing!

Friday Five: Snowing Again

2010-02-12T22:25:00.002-05:00

1. It's snowing again. We are supposed to be moving this weekend, and while I might attempt it if we lived elsewhere, it's a no go here in the south. My house is a mess and driving me nuts and now we are stuck, stuck, stuck for one more week. I simply can't deal anymore. This storm snuck up on everyone, but every news report as the time drew closer kept adding more inches of snow. I just want it to go away.

2. Critique groups are great. I love that someone can see something that you know is wrong, but you have no idea how to fix, and with one or two random ideas you totally know how to fix the entire thing. Whew! What a wonderful thing. Very wonderful.

3. My kids are asleep, and I should be working, but I want to sneak off and read somewhere. I am not currently tired, though I ought to be. I'm the only one awake, Rob's snoring. And it is so quiet. I hardly ever get that.

4. This week is one where I feel like I haven't accomplished much of anything, but I've been super busy. My dryer broke (and is now repaired, but at our new place) and so I had to go to the laundromat, which ate up a few hours, I had to volunteer at school for a Valentine's Day party. I packed stuff and moved stuff and unpacked stuff. Plus I had to go to a science fair to set up the exhibit with my daughter--she scored quite well, and then to the science fair open house at the end. I could keep going, but it makes me tired to think about it.

5. I just want it to stop snowing so we can move. That's all.

Contest and Other Information

2010-02-08T21:37:00.002-05:00

First I want to mention a first pages contest over at Guide to Literary Agents. It's a chance for a query critique as well as a first 25 pages critique. It sounds like an awesome prize to me, so you should go check it out.

Next I started writing, ooh it's so scary. I kind of creeped myself out as I wrote the first few pages. Yeah. I'm such a wimp though, that I'm sure most people wouldn't find it remotely frightening. My husband walked in while I was typing and I mentioned that I was scared, and he laughed, "You're such a wimp Mim, it couldn't even be slightly scary."

The thing is that my imagination runs so wild, that I think I can come up with some pretty scary stuff. But don't worry this isn't a horror book (I don't think).

Today I got a great suggestion on my dystopian novel idea, that would help me really set the tone and fix back story issues in the first chapter. That's why I love people to critique my work. It was one of those "Well, duh, why didn't I think of that" moments.

Anyway I'm off to creep myself out again. It's totally dark right now, no lights on in the house. Spooky!

Friday Five: Starting Fresh

2010-02-05T10:39:00.003-05:00

1. This has been a week! That's all I can say about it. School was canceled for three days, and today they were calling for slick roads in the morning. The kids are already have snow day make ups during Spring Break. But I think the hardest part was that everyone was going absolutely stir crazy. Wednesday was just one fight after another with my kids, and my nearly cleaned house turned into an utter disaster. Yikes!

2. On top of all of that we're moving this week and next week. But if the weather doesn't clear up, my supposedly easy move is going to turn into the nightmare move. So I don't know how much acutal writing I'll get done. But it helps to keep me sane, so I won't abandon the process entirely.

3. I decided last week that I was going to slow down my dystopian novel (just write a chapter a month for my critique group) and move on to my Zombie/Werewolf book. It was a big decision, and one that I'm super excited about, but I haven't started writing it yet. First I spent a day working on the tagline, and the query letter, which was good because I realized that I needed to figure out a third of my story. So I thought about it and wrote some ideas down. Then I sat down to write, and I just couldn't. Right now the story, the characters and the setting are so real to me and perfect (in my mind) that putting that first word down on paper and getting the story going is intimidating. No matter how hard I try I know that first draft isn't going to live up to this awesome story, but at the same time I just need to do it. I plan on doing that tonight.

4. I am finally completely alone thanks to school, preschool, and a play date and quite frankly I'm in heaven. I should be working hard, but all I want to do is curl up and take a nice nap and maybe visit the library or the bookstore. I also want some chocolate. Cold rainy days do this to me. I can't wait for the sun to come out and Spring to come.

5. Today is my brother's birthday. That is a totally random thing to share, but I'm super proud of him. He wants to be a writer for a living as well, and while he is still in school, he ended up majoring in the same major as me. This came as a total shocker to me, because we were totally different as kids. Very opposite, but it's funny how we ended up going in a similar direction as adults. I've got a great family with awesome brothers and sisters.

Query Contest

2010-02-02T12:17:00.002-05:00

If you'd like to have your query critiqued by an actual agent (and honestly who wouldn't?), then you need to pop over and check out Kathleen Ortiz's Query Contest. It's not hard to enter--just read the rules and make a comment!

Good luck!

Snowed In!

2010-02-01T15:03:00.002-05:00

I remember as a kid being in love with the idea of being snowed in. Growing up it never happened. I lived in a part of the country where snow was a regular occurrence. I remember my junior year going to school in the morning at 6:00 (early school activities) with it snowing and leaving that not after six because of more activities with it still snowing. On my way out I overheard the principal talking saying that we had gotten close to eight inches during the day. It was difficult to drive home, I slipped a little bit, but I made it. The snow was falling so fast that the plows couldn't keep up with it.

This weekend we got snowed in with just four inches of snow. Technically if we had to get out we could have, but fortunately we didn't have to. School is canceled today and tomorrow. This afternoon we ventured out because we were stir crazy and quite honestly the roads were clear. It was over 40 degrees, just jacket weather and we are still "technically" snowed in.

Somehow the romantic idea of being snowed in has worn off. Something about three kids driving you crazy for four days. And you don't get the advantage of curling up with a good book or your laptop and losing yourself in a good story. Maybe being snowed in isn't all that it's cracked up to be. So many times the things that sound so great and so easy become harder when you are actually experiencing it. Writing a novel sounds like a fun, creative thing to do. And while it is that, it's also a lot of work, hard work and frustration. But in the end it's always worth it.

Happy writing!

Happiness

2010-01-26T18:47:00.003-05:00

I feel as though I've been neglectful of my writing blog. Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. Birthday parties, video premieres and family have just gotten in the way of doing everything that I want to do. But I'm still managing to write--but not on this blog.

I've had some awesome plot twists for my zombie werewolf book. I mean amazing and it's mapped into a trilogy. All of my novels have series potential, but this one is the first one where I know what's going to happen in each book. Each book has its own mini arc that fits into the overall arc of the series. I'm so excited to write it, and I feel like my dystopian novel is just standing in my way.

Onward and upward. In my search for the perfect agent (think the dream I mentioned last week), I've managed to find a few new agents that I must query. Really cool blogs and interviews. I'm super excited, but I'm putting my query letter through the ringer yet again. Maybe someday I'll get it right.

I often wonder why I didn't go into publishing. I always wanted to write, but I decided to be an English teacher since it was more stable and would work well if I had to work once I had kids. I taught for a very short amount of time, and don't ever want to teach again. Nope! I admire all the teachers that have stuck with it, but I'm one of those that burned out in the first five years. When I go to conferences and listen to the editors and the agents talk, i wonder to myself why I didn't even put that option on the table. I love to read, I can pinpoint what's good and bad in a story, and yeah i'd need some practice, and definitely industry contacts, but I feel like I'd fit in. Basically all I think about are books.

Anyway enough of my random musing. I hope you all have happy writing and sunshine this week!

Friday Five: Smooth Sailing? Yeah Right!

2010-01-22T15:54:00.002-05:00

1. Tonight hubby and I are going to see Avatar together at the iMax. While the movie looks AMAZING, I'm a little bit worried. Rob loves 3-D. I don't. Really I've not seen movies that I've wanted to (okay kind of wanted to) because they are in 3-D. My eyes are funny and about fifteen minutes in they stop seeing a 3-D image and I get a blurred double image and a massive headache. Rob convinced me that the technology had improved, told me that we'd sit at the perfect point in the theater (which involves getting there more than an hour early) and to just relax and it will work. Then he bought the tickets. Two days later he told me that you can watch it in 2-D because that's how Leo LaPorte (Rob listens to TWIT a lot) watched it since he doesn't like 3-D either. Nice--thanks for letting me know. So I'm hoping that it won't go wonky on me this time. I mean the film looks amazing, I just don't want the headache that I'm almost certain is coming.

2. Writing makes me happy. Writing and making money makes me happy, but it doesn't stop me from burn out. Right now I'm totally suffering from burnout when it comes to my job writing. I wish that I din't have to do it, while I'm extremely grateful that I can do it at home with my kiddies around me (who also make it extremely difficult to get things done). It's not easy being a Work at Home Mom. Nope.

3. Last night I had a dream about finding an agent. It was truly bizarre and involved massive amounts of sweets, hiding from the police and secret interviews. I woke up with the distinct feeling that there is the perfect agent out there for me (in the dream it was a he) and that he would totally get where I want my work to go and everything like that. Totally bizarre, but I keep thinking that I've got do searches and figure out who this person is. I've got random clues, but I'm almost positive it is a just a mishmash of all the agents that I've been researching lately.

4. This weekend is the last birthday party for all the craziness that happens in our family. Then it is smooth sailing until next December. I love that. It makes me happy that I don't have to do that normally.

5. There was a beautiful day on Wednesday. So nice I turned the heat off. But now it is just icky out and gray and so I'm just dragging around the house. But things will look up. Next week should be sunny!

Friday Five: Tripping Up

2010-01-15T15:51:00.001-05:00

1. Okay in the last few days I've tripped more times than I can count on both of my hands. The funny thing is that the house is actually fairly clean. Yesterday my boys laughed at me hysterically as I overcompensated and went down backwards. I landed in a laundry basket and hurt my back. I go through these ultra klutzy phases in my life. The worst was my freshman year of college, truly bad, so the past few days are nothing compared to that, but I do wonder why I do that. Why do I trip so much in one period of time and then not at all for years at a time.

2. The charlie horse of all charlie horses. So I never had a charlie horse until I was pregnant (and no I'm not pregnant--nor planning on being any time soon) and they got worse with each pregnancy. The sudden pain would wake me up screaming in the middle of the night, and poor Rob would look startled and hit my leg for me. (That really did help.) Last night I got the worst one I've ever had. It was so bad I woke up screaming and slid out of bed, jumping up and down. I seriously couldn't move my leg. Rob slept through it, but I did wake up both of my boys. The thing is it is still killing me. That's not normal for me. I've done everything I can think of, including massage, a hot bath, and ibuprofen and nothing is working. It hurts to walk, and the wrong movement will set off another round of spasms, but since I'm awake, I manage not to scream.

3. We are off on another round of birthdays for my kids. The two boys are in the next week. They are six days apart. I was starting to worry that they might share the same birthday when Jacob was late. But every one of my kids were late, and I managed to talk the doctor not to set my inducement date for Caleb's birthday. Fortunately Jacob came even earlier than that. But the birthday party fun is on!

4. Potty training is no fun. Not for mom. Jacob has decided he is too big for diapers, but doesn't seem to care when he is wet. I know he can do it, since I can take him on errands that take several hours and he stays dry. But at home it's a crapshoot if he will be dry in the thirty minutes between times that I make him try. I just don't get it.

5. I need to get on schedule, I need to get motivated. This week is the week. Or maybe it will be next week.

Happy Writing!

I Found My Pages

2010-01-11T23:49:00.002-05:00

Today I found my missing notebook. I was so very excited, but I didn't have a chance to read what I had written, so it may not be as wonderful as I thought it was. My main point is though I found the pages, and so I haven't lost the voice that woke me up in the middle of the night. I really, really, really want to write this story, but Selena needs me to finish her amazing adventure first.

Self doubt is such a killer. I really range back and forth wildly between extreme self confidence ( I am an awesome writer, and I know it) to extreme self doubt (I totally suck, and when I don't acknowledge that I'm being completely self delusional). Fortunately for most people I keep all of this to myself. Poor Rob sometimes hears my complaints, but I can tell he is just putting up with me or he thinks I'm fishing for compliments and reassurance.

Ultimately though, writing is something that I've decided I want to do. And not just freelance writing. I want to be a novelist, and so I'm going to swing back and forth between confidence and lack of confidence. I honestly don't know if that will ever go away, even after I'm published. All i can do is write, and work hard at revisions and then write some more.

How do you deal with your lack of self confidence on your tough days?

Friday Five: The Snow that Never Was!

2010-01-08T13:28:00.002-05:00

1. Today schools started two hours late due to a snow forecast that didn't materialize. When I went to bed last night I didn't expect it to, but I was disappointed. I'm not going to lie, one good snowfall would be nice. I'm not missing snow the way I used to, but I figure if it's going to be cold, there might as well be white stuff on the ground. Next week it should get back up to the the fifties, normal for this time of year.

2. This morning my daughter wanted to take her iPod to school. She's in second grade (and it's a shuffle), and the school says not to take it to school. She got it for Christmas from Santa. The school says she shouldn't have it, and she promised she wouldn't listen to it on the bus, but she doesn't have a locker to put it in, and I just don't think it's a good idea. Today was a battle of wills. She refused to get on the bus without it. And so she lost her iPod for two weeks, the t.v. for two weeks, and computer privileges for two weeks. She kept telling me to ground her from reading, but I don't think so.

3. I love finding great books to read. New ones that make me happy, and I'm equally disappointed when one doesn't quite live up to my expectations. That's why I like reading books that I find rather than seeing all of the hype and excitement and then not liking a book. A book I read last night was one with a lot of hype, and I went into it expecting a bit too much. It was a good book, and I would have come out of reading it happy, except it had all the hype and so I was expecting more. It's kind of disappointing.

4. I killed my character yesterday. It made me sad. Not crying sad, but sad. I may have to invent a new world to put him into. Maybe he'll be reincarnated in another book series. It's sad, but he had to die, and now my novel is going to pick up pace and hopefully gallop onto the end.

5. Separately this week each of my three children have come to me and mentioned their current career choice. My daughter often fluctuates between singer, artist, teacher and doctor. This week it's a doctor, because she wants to make more money. My four year old son decided on being a dentist, because they make a lot of money. My two year old asked for a rocket ship and told me that he wanted to fly in them when he's grown up, and so he wants to be an astronaut. Maybe they'll be able to take care of me someday, either way I'd better start really saving for college. They've all got long roads ahead of them!

Contest for Critiques and Signed Book

2010-01-07T16:51:00.002-05:00

The Shooting Stars blog is offering you the chance to win a query critique, first five pages critique or a signed copy of The Dark Divine by Bree Despain. (A werewolf book, which I do own due to my current werewolf kick, and I enjoyed.)

Anyway the contest is great, because who couldn't use another set of eyes on their work.

Check out the contest here.

Why I Don't Write on Paper

2010-01-06T13:51:00.002-05:00

So I had an inspiration in the middle of the night while I was staying at my in-laws. So I got up and jotted it down in my brand new notebook. I think it was yellow. It may not have been. It was actually the beginning of the werewolf/zombie novel and I woke up with the MC voice just going through my head. I got it down, wrote for about fifteen minutes, and then put it back in my bag.

So I decide I want to read it today. Can I find it? No. The answer is no. I have no idea where the notebook is. i've looked everywhere and did a massive cleaning of my house yesterday and so I know it isn't hiding somewhere mysteriously and it's gone.

I emailed my hsuband and his response:
I don't ever use letter-sized notebooks. Sorry. I haven't seen it. I didn't know you wrote in notebooks as opposed to typing (with auto backups, etc.)

I hope you find it.

--Rob

Yeah, that's why. I've got auto back up of my writing to the cloud and to time machine (which wouldn't have worked at home). But now I'm just so frustrated. Granted it's not much, and I can slightly remember what I wrote, but I'm worried I'm going to lose that voice. Yikes!

And I'm feeling stuck in my current WIP because I have to kill a character I like. It's a big deal to the plot. Huge, it helps to make my character move forward. It needs to be someone she likes, but I'd rather kill the little brother than the big one, because I like him better. Unfortunately it just doesn't work for the plot. So I'm very, very sad, but he's going to die tonight.

Happy Writing!

Goals for 2010

2009-12-30T23:49:00.004-05:00

After a somewhat crazy two weeks, where I was either visiting someone or having someone visit me, I'm ready to get back into the writing groove. This year my motto is BUTT IN CHAIR! I have listed my goals below. They are actually pretty simple, and I totally think that they are achievable. I plan on writing both of my books before I start revisions. This will give me simmer time, and I also want to write them super fast. Super duper fast. I actually want to start my Werewolf/Zombie book in February. And yes the main character falls in love with zombie. Really. You'll see how it turns out. But this novel isn't quite as thought out, as my other one, but it is nearly there.

I'm nearly done rewriting my query, just a tweak here, and a tweak there, and then I will begin querying in earnest. Hopefully I will get an agent this year. That's a big goal, but it is not totally dependent on me, so I'm including the parts that I can do.

I've nearly got the logline for Twenty Years Later, but I really need a new title. Amyway, I've got to go so I can actually meet my goal. Two hours today. Have a great week and happy writing!

Writing Goals

1. Rewrite my query, and query to death.

2. Write Twenty Years Later and come up with a better title.

3. Write my Werewolf/Zombie book.

4. Revise both of my books.

5. Write my log line before I write the book.

6. Write for at least two hours a day, every day no excuses.

Kiss Scene

2009-12-21T18:36:00.004-05:00

So many of the blogs I follow have posted kiss scenes today. And so I finally decided to give in and post mine. There are several near kisses that lead up to this particular scene, so a lot of anticipation has built up. I'm sorry, but I'm deleting a word because it totally gives away a huge (I mean huge) facet of my novel, and when it gets published it would be such a spoiler.

“I choose ------,” I whispered. I began to feel insecure. I wanted to add and I choose you.
He smiled at me and leaned forward brushing the hair slowly out of my face with one hand. I could feel his fingers trace along my skin. The other hand grabbed my shoulder and held it. He tipped my chin up as he leaned in and kissed me gently on the lips. I felt the hum of electricity between us build until all I was aware of were his lips on mine, and his hands on my shoulder and my face.
He pulled back and we looked at each other for a minute.
“Wow,” he said, and then he took my hand and held it. The hum vibrated through me.

And now I'm blushing. Kissing scenes and sharing them make me feel so exposed!

Friday Five: Snow!

2009-12-18T13:27:00.002-05:00

1. When I first started writing this post it was snowing, but I've been distracted and now about ten hours later it is raining. The kind of rain with the occasional clinking of ice against the windows. I'm just hoping that it doesn't freeze. Ice storms aren't any fun. We all rand around excited when it was snowing, but by this evening everyone was pretty disappointed. I promised I'd wake them up if we got some actual snow.

2. Christmas is a week away. I don't get how time slips by so much faster now that I'm older. It doesn't make sense. But I'm excited for Christmas. We managed to get our hands on some Zhou Zhou pets for our kids, and we even paid normal price. But then the kids all changed their Santa requests. Fortunately they believe me when I tell them that production has ended at the North Pole and that they are in the packing stage of the operation. I can't believe that my eight year old still believes in Santa. I certainly didn't at that age.

3. 2010 is my year of the query. I just hope it works. I am so very excited about it.

4. I had a nice long conversation with my sister about books. Books are honestly one of my favorite things to talk about. I feel like I can learn a lot about someone by the types of books they read, and what they admit to reading and what they don't. I'm planning on mailing her a long reading list of books to read. Very long, very thorough, very YA focused.

5. I hope you all enjoy your holidays. I won't be posting on Christmas. It is a noncomputer day, though I may post in the next week with my writing goals, which are really just churning away in my head.

Happy Writing!

Writing Meme

2009-12-15T21:27:00.003-05:00

L.T. tagged me with this writing Meme. My very first. I need to choose three other writers and I choose:

Solvang Sherry
Patti Nelson
Jesse Oliveros

1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?
A blog post for my writing job. The first thing I wrote that I still have is either a poem from high school or a personal narrative I wrote in high school and revised in college. I think I turned it in like three times. Hmmm, the things is I really don't know which one I wrote first. I might have a third grade story in a scrapbook too.

2. Write poetry?
Sadly not in ten or so years

3. Angsty poetry?
In high school, a little in college

4. Favorite genre of writing?
Young Adult Fantasy

5. Most annoying character you've ever created?
Steve

6. Best Plot you've ever created?
My werewolf and zombie one, and I've not started it yet, but it is awesome.

7. Coolest Plot twist you've ever created?
Werewolf one

8. How often do you get writer's block?
way too often lately. Not enough butt in chair time.

9. Write fan fiction?
Never even thought about it.

10. Do you type or write by hand?
Typing all the way, I type much faster than I write.

11. Do you save everything you write?
Pretty much, although some of the files are difficult to find.

12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?
It depends on the ideas

13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written?
My Isis story currently is

14. What's everyone else's favorite story that you've written?
I don't know

15. Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?
That's what I write, more a story with romance than full on romance with heaving bosoms and stuff like that.

16. What's your favorite setting for your characters?
This world with paranormal elements

17. How many writing projects are you working on right now?
Three. Revisions wrapping up on one, writing intensely on another, and plotting and thinking about it and really wanting to write it.

18. Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Does Reflections in high school or elementary school count? If not, then no.

19. What are your five favorite words?
I went through a phase where I really loved a swear word. I loved the sound, and the affect it had on people.
Now I don't know if I have favorites.

20. What character have you created that is most like yourself?
Jessica

21. Where do you get ideas for your characters?
Dreams, I've dreamed several of my main characters, situations I'm in, people (mostly strangers) that I see

22. Do you ever write based on your dreams?
Yes. Several of my plots have come through dreams--I dream the situation, and then wake up and the entire plot comes to me.

23. Do you favor happy endings?
I like endings with hope--doesn't mean they are happy or that the main character didn't lose practically everything, but I want a bit of hope.

24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Nope. I'll get to it later.

25. Does music help you write?
I don't really write with music on, but there are songs that make me want to write. Enya gets me through a block, and The Killers really help me when I'm not in the mood.

26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops into your head.

His fingers brushed mine sending a jolt of something up my arm. It wasn’t the kind of tingly feeling that you get when you touch someone you like for the first time and it wasn’t a shock of static electricity. It was stronger than either of those things and a lot more intense. The world flashed brighter in that instant, and seemed to freeze. As soon as he let go, everything jumped forward for a second and the room spun around me.

Friday Five: The Leaves Skittered Across the Ground

2009-12-11T09:48:00.002-05:00

1. So last night I was going out to get some food late, late at night and it was eerie and cold out. I was thinking about writing and how to set up the scene that I was in. It would be a very tense scene, because I get creeped out at night. The wind blew and the leaves skittered across the ground. It made me jump because I was sure that someone else was out there. I just had to share the word skittered, because it has been in my head ever since. Although my husband says that skittered isn't a scary word, and he may be right.

2. Many fellow bloggers have been sharing their writing goals in the last week for next year. I plan on doing that as well. I just want to make sure that I can really nail down the goals specifically. I think being specific, but flexible makes it much more achievable. One goal I know I will have for next year is landing an agent. That is something I want and I'm working towards right now.

3. It's cold here, but no snow, and really it is not cold enough for snow. I think I'm slowly changing from living in the south for the past ten years. I don't love the humidity in the summers, but I'm learning to survive the drab grey nothing that is winter here. The idea of snow used to excite me, and I'd scoff at those who were afraid to drive in it, but now I'm finding that I'm okay without white stuff on the ground for three or four months at a time. But I still love the snow days with my kids home from school, snowball fights and wet clothes everywhere.

4. I still haven't really started Christmas shopping. This is a serious thing. I refuse to go to the stores, so that means everything needs to be done online, with enough time to ship. I think my biggest hang up is that I'm anti toy this year. That is because after a serious struggle over the summer to keep the kids' rooms clean I reached my limit and I packed everything up. Well I left them two toys each and the blocks. The entire house has been cleaner. The kids have played better, used their imagination more and everyone has been happier. So how on earth do I justify or even consider introducing more toys to the environment.

5. I love that my husband is supportive of my writing. He really encourages me. Plus he really can write as well. He has the most awesome novel idea. I could see it really taking off. But he keeps insisting that he doesn't have the time or energy to write. I wish he did or that he wanted to write badly enough that he made the time, because he is a really gifted story teller.

Have a great week everyone!

Friday Five: Going Again

2009-12-04T17:00:00.002-05:00

1. December is such a hectic time for everyone. For some crazy reason we had all three of our kids within five weeks of each other, and put Christmas in the middle of it. So that means planning three parties, squeezing Christmas in the middle and juggling all of the other great Christmas type activities as well. I love the season, but stopped doing Christmas cards several years ago. Maybe I'll start doing a spring letter or something later. It's just too much right now.

2. Writing is something I love. It's how I personally identify myself and I've started telling new acquaintances that I write. Not only am I working on my novel(s), but I also supplement my husband's income by writing at home for online sites. It's nice to finally own up to the fact that I'm a writer. I always get embarrassed when people tell me they found something I wrote online. I'm not ashamed of it, I guess I'm just a private person. I don't know.

3. Querying is happening. That is all I'm going to say. I'm not going to share stats or anything. I think it's too personal. When I get my agent I'll share, and if I retire this project (and I don't want to and that's months and hundreds of agents away) then I'll announce that. But I'm officially in query mode. And basically I feel like it is time to just get on with it. I'm planning on starting with groups of five agents at a time to see if I need to tweak my query anymore.

4. Titles. I really hate titles--well at least coming up with decent ones. I'm just no good at it. There are people who are so gifted at titles. I really like Ally Carter's titles for example, but I'm not one of those people. I'm just not. So I'm trying different title in my query letters, well not really. I sent out one title, and then sent out a different one. We'll see if it makes a difference.
And I need a title for my dystopian.

5. I've often wondered at how people come up with book ideas and marveled at the people who have a lot of ideas lined up in a neat little row. I've usually got one or two vague ideas floating around in the back of my head. Currently I have my dystopian novel, and a novel I've had the outline for for over five years (sad I know), but then in October I got the funnest cute idea for a total fluff romance novel (still young adult) and then I've been piecing together this novel about zombies based on this dream I've had three times (I think my subconscious is trying to tell me something). And then in the last week I've had two dreams that were the best novel ideas ever! Really I'm super excited. One is with werewolves/shapeshifters, but it is totally awesome, beyond awesome actually. I've had a thing for werwolves for awhile. And another kind of regency/paranormal idea. And the outlines are both down for them. Wow! I need to get busy because really the characters in these stories are super strong.

Happy Writing!

National Novel Writing Month Epic Fail

2009-11-30T15:55:00.002-05:00

So I failed miserably at the whole novel writing in a month in November thing. But I'm honestly okay with it. I plan on finishing my next novel by the end of the year, which is nearly as ambitious, but I'm in a much better place to actually reach that goal, because I resolved my issues with my first novel. So I'm happy. I feel like I did what was most important to me. Next year I will climb that mountain and reach the top.

Writing wise it's been an interesting month. I haven't posted a lot because I've been swaying back and forth on things. Like do I change my novel this way? Do I add that whole chapter? Do I think that this will fix that problem? Do I think it is a problem? And finally am I over thinking it?

My mother-in-law asked me how my novel was coming this weekend. She hasn't read it yet, because I'm afraid she'll think it is totally silly, but I'm the one being silly. When I said I was still tweaking things, she said don't over think it. Well that's been my problem. I'm fixing the last few things, and sending it out this week. I'm done thinking about it. I also really feel that I've taken it as far as I currently can.

December is going to be crazy with holidays and birthdays, but I love it. I also know that I will need to make time and a schedule so that I can sit down and really write. But usually when things are totally hectic I can accomplish a lot more. I hope that you all have a great writing week!

Friday Five

2009-11-20T09:58:00.004-05:00

1. Today is gorgeous. There is a very slight chill, but I'm sure it will be gone by the afternoon. It's the kind of day I just want to open my windows and let all the glorious fall air stream in. Days like this I am exceedingly happy. I love beautiful weather and I tend to equate November with gray drizzly days and believe me we've had plenty of those this month. Plenty!

2. My kids have decided that their must have Christmas item is the Zhu Zhu pet hamsters. But my husband and I have decided we are not paying more than regular retail for them. And of course they are no where, no where to be found. Maybe it will blow over by Christmas (our kids' desire--we've no hope that the craze for them will). That is our hope, plus we'll keep searching. We may end up lucky.

3. National Novel Writing month, I must confess, has fallen to the wayside for me. But that's because after a break I was just ready to work on Isis again. And so I am. My other novel will still be written, and hopefully before Christmas. Right now I have a row of books lined up just waiting to be written. All in different genres (but all young adult). Roller coasters, bombs, self discovery. Another common thread of course is romance. Not that romance is front and center, but it is a definite thread. Hey if it is a must in most of the books I love to read, it's going to be big in the books that I write.

4. I'm super excited to begin querying. I don't care if it is December when I start. I am going to start. It's time. And I'm ready to thrust my novel out on the world. I've got to at least try. I've been standing here afraid to try, but I am afraid no longer. Not at all. Good luck to all the fellow queriers out there!

5. So I turned down two different invites to the midnight showing of the New Moon movie. I even ignored the urging of my husband to go. The biggest reason is lately I've really needed my sleep. I'm talking falling asleep at 10:00 or 11:00. And I usually stay up past midnight. Last night I was asleep before 10:30. (Whenever my husband turns on Ghosthunters I sack out. I don't know why, I like the show, but it just seems to happen.) So I'm glad that I skipped it. Never fear I will see it. Just not this weekend, maybe I'll go over the Thanksgiving break. Hope that you all enjoyed the moving. (Some of those werewolves were so swoon worthy!)

Friday Five

2009-11-13T15:43:00.002-05:00

1. First of all my writer's group was last night. I enjoy my group because it is very encouraging to just keep at it. We did an exercise where we wrote something to be read out loud, we were supposed to focus on the sounds of words and all of those marvelous tools. I could tell that my fellow writers were surprised by my piece. It was different from how I'm writing my novel. They liked it. It sounded pretty. I think I'm going to paste it below. But it is vastly different from the style of novel that I write. I think I'm overly afraid of purple prose, and so I tend to shy away from this type of writing in my novels. Anyway it was nice to show that I can do it if I want to. I described a scene that my two boys and I watched one afternoon.

Here it is:

It began as a soft murmur, a rustle of feathers and leaves. Slowly they came landing lightly on branches blending in, becoming invisible to the eye. But the rustling grew louder, causing those in the park to look up at the trees, searching for a sound they had never heard before. The rustle of feathers and dried leaves were occasionally punctuated by the caw of a bird. Watching you could see ten birds land on one tree five more on another. Still the sound grew louder.

Birds are generally quiet. Slipping unnoticed from tree to tree, the sound of flight is not heard. The movement of wings negligible in comparison to all other noises. Yet today the sound was present overriding all other sounds.

A bark echoed across the grounds sharp in its loudness. With a clatter of caws the birds rose en masse. The sky darkened as the trees unveiled their fugitives. The birds taking to the sky in a choreographed movement swooping one direction and then turning in an almost about face. The birds acting as one beat upward. The sound of their wings heard in a steady pulse whoosh, whoosh, whoosh pushing the air enough that you could almost feel the breeze of their yearly exodus.

2. I'm taking a big chunk of this weekend to write. It won't all be on my novel, but a good portion of it will be. I've got to make a little money this month. It's important to eat and pay the bills, right?

3. Homework is not a happy thing at my house. My morning involved driving my daughter to school instead of having the bus take her so she could squeeze in the extra assignment. This was after arguing with her about her homework all yesterday evening, and this morning early so she could get it done. She is only in second grade, and the power struggle has got to stop. Any suggestions you have would be so immensely appreciated.

4. We were having a discussion about names with writer's group yesterday, and how certain names fit together. In my first novel Isis and Dane are my main character's names. And I know a family who had a son named Dane, and yesterday I found out that they named their new baby daughter Iris. So close to my main characters. My jaw kind of dropped. Names are such fun things. I've enjoyed naming my characters a lot more than I did my children. I worried so much about picking the perfect name with meaning and significance with my kids, 'cause it follows them around for the rest of their life. I do the whole meaning thing with the names with characters too, but the pressure just isn't there.

5. Well that is all I can think of. I've got to run get my daughter from the bus stop I think it finally stopped raining, but it is so soggy after two days of straight cold rain. I am so sleepy on rainy days, I can't wait for the sun to come back out. Have a great weekend!

Friday Five: Running Late

2009-11-06T23:29:00.002-05:00

1. A week of not thinking about my first novel and then a discussion with my mother helped me get that novel back into perspective. I still need to make a few tweaks, but I'm much happier with what I've decided to keep and what I've decided to change. I really think I can go through this draft and it will be my final plus then the proof reading. So I'm excited.

2. Lisa and Laura are giving away a Kindle on their blog. It is in celebration of their new book deal. The book sounds like a great read, and the contest sounds great. At the very least you should go check it out.

3. Rob just got a game for his PS3- Demon Slayer, which requires about 80 hours of game time. And while many people I know would be worried about that much game time, I'm thinking it is time I can spend writing without feeling guilty. He plays and I sit next to him in the dark and write. It's bonding kind of. I'm glad he has his outlet, and I'm not a video game widow. He doesn't ignore the family to play. He just plays late at night, when the kids are asleep, and when I either read or write. It works for us. (Funny story--We had been married for just over a year when the PS2 came out and he was super excited, and wanted to get one, and kept debating whether he should go and camp out. We both went to bed about 11:00 and I woke up at 3:00 in the morning in an empty apartment. No note or anything. Talk about panic. He's lucky he had his cell phone on him. I called and he had woken up at 1:00 and decided to see if he could get one. He had driven around to several stores and realized that he would definitely get one at Circuit City so he stayed. That's when I knew that I was married to a gamer, and I've stood in line for him to get other stuff.)

4. We are planning a last hurrah for the kidlets this weekend before winter sets in. It was supposed to be a trip to the beach (day trip) but the sillies wouldn't go to bed when threatened, so it may just be the zoo instead. It means no writing for me, but it should be in the 60s tomorrow and then it is supposed to be cold. I like the beach when it is cool out. I'm not much of a water person.

5. Reading makes me happy. It has for a very long, long time. Writing makes me happy too.

Have a great weekend!

National Novel Writing Month

2009-11-04T20:30:00.004-05:00

Well I am participating in NaNo right now. So I've only done about 400 words. And I totally need to get caught up. It is very thrilling and exciting to just be focusing on writing and not at all on the revising process. Although I may not take the whole month off of my novel. Just knowing I don't have to think about it right now has taken the weight off and reenergized me already.

The reason I only have 400 words is that the night I had time to sit down and write I fell asleep while typing. I was in one of those lucid dreams where I kept picturing the scene and I was describing it. Then I actually dozed off and my husband said something to me and I woke up and put the laptop away.

When I opened it up the next morning I was quite upset to realize that my hands had gotten off the keys and it was truly gibberish. So sad.

My NaNo name is MLC23 if you want to friend me, but there is no pressure. I don't plan on being very active except to post my updates. Hopefully tonight I will get a lot of writing done and be able to catch up by Saturday.

I love coming up with the story. This one promises to be exciting. It is post-apocalpytic and lots of explosions, bad guys, tension (both suspense and sexual). Basically it should have everything that I should want in a novel. Hopefully I can pull it off with some killer tension.

Lately I've been reading but not posting my books. I have noticed a few things. One I tried a new genre and read The Season by Sarah MacLean. I very much enjoyed this particular book. Very well written.

I have also read a few other books in the last week. One came highly recommended by someone and I am just having the hardest time with it. It is all telling and no showing and so round about it as it wanders from event to event. It came out in 1990 and I just don't know if it would fly now. The story is fun, but it so doesn't speak to me. (I don't like to criticize other authors on the blog so the book will remain absolutely nameless.)

And I read another one by a very experienced author who wrote in limited third the entire book except for two paragraphs that she pulls out of it in the middle of the book. It was so jarring. I wondered how the editor let that one slide. Once you have so many books published do they just stop checking?

Another book I read spent so much time on backstory that it took nearly 100 pages to get into the action. This was a middle grade book (which may be part of the reason why it didn't work well for me, since I really struggle reading middle grade). It was recently published. It came very highly recommended and I read the entire thing, even though I hadn't liked another book by the same author. But I didn't think the payoff was worth it on that book. The sense of adventure didn't get high enough and even though we got to know the character in the end his journey didn't matter to me at all.

So I may sound nitpicky, really I'm not. I've read a lot of great books like The Season and others, but I've been thinking a lot about story telling devices and narration and voice lately and so those things have stood out to me. I think I've decided I don't care for omniscient story telling. I like limited third or first person. If you want to switch narration between characters make sure that the voice is strong enough to really see a noticeable difference. I don't like backstory in the beginning. I don't need to know the characters past, childhood and Aunt Zelma. Give it to me as I need to know in the action of the story. I like fast moving plot and I love romantic tension. Really if that's not there the book isn't going to work for me. So I want to know what you all think about those things.

I was going to do a nifty poll, but I feel like I should get writing instead of figuring out how to do a poll. (lame I know)

So if you'd care to answer I'd love to hear your response to these four questions.

What type of narrator do you prefer or does it even matter to you?

How do you like backstory to be handled?

Do you want a good page turner or a book that wanders around?

Is romantic tension a must, a bonus or a downer?

2009-10-26T21:44:00.003-04:00

Last week I was pretty much blog silent. I almost did a Friday Five, but I decided I didn't have time. My husband and I went out of town to celebrate our tenth anniversary. We went a few months late so we could go to an amusement park and not be miserable. We had a lot of fun and I didn't write anything the whole weekend. I didn't read either. It was very strange for me.

Lately I've been trying to add exercise back into my routine, and it doesn't happen unless I get up and do it first thing. I'm not much of a morning person anymore since I usually write at night. This has been totally weighing me down. I wish that I could just schedule little slots of time and do exactly what I plan in those slots. I've sat down and made schedule after schedule (I'm geeky that way) and they never work out. I keep telling myself I only have three more years until all my kids are in school. (But then I freak out that my baby will be in kindergarten in three years--honestly it's a catch 22.)

But until then what am I supposed to do? How do I find that elusive balance? That is what I'm trying to figure out.

And my manuscript, oh my manuscript. Every time I think I'm done I decide I'm not. And now I'm at a point where I'm afraid that I've ruined everything. I know I've got to make a few major plot changes. But am I losing what I wanted in the first place, and does what I wanted matter if I end up with a better book?

I've been dragging my feet on the current round of rewrites just because I'm not sure that they are right for me. I'm so frustrated that I'm seriously considering putting the manuscript aside for a month and writing another novel and then coming back to it. I don't know if it makes sense long term or not.

There was an interesting blog post by Elana Johnson about confidence and all day I've thought about my confidence. The thing is I know that I will be a published author and a career one at that. I know it very deep down. I am willing to work hard at it. I'm willing to learn and I know that with each thing I write I get better. I know I can do this.

Have a great week and I'll post a Friday Five Halloween style this week.

Working Hard

2009-10-18T19:44:00.004-04:00

You must read this wonderful essay on learning about writing from Annie Dillard. (via Moonrat at Editoral Ass)

This was my favorite quote:

Talent isn’t enough, she had told us. Writing is work. Anyone can do this, anyone can learn to do this. It’s not rocket science, it’s habits of mind and habits of work. I started with people much more talented than me, she said, and they’re dead or in jail or not writing. The difference between myself and them is that I’m writing.

Talent could give you nothing. Without work, talent is only talent, promise, not product. I wanted to learn how to go from being the accident at the beginning to a writer, and I learned that from her.

It really spoke to me because I have been frustrated lately at the difficulty I am having in rewriting, and I just want to be done. I think I'm done, and then realize I'm not. But If I keep working, and not think that I whatever I just dash off is perfect, then I can become a published writer. But there are several wonderful gems in this.

I have been blog silent, because I am being novel focused. I'll return to my regularly scheduled (as if they've ever been real regular) posts as soon as my next and final, final draft is done.

Read it and happy writing.

Finding Your Rhythm

2009-10-07T13:38:00.003-04:00

Rob has a thing with rhythm in stories and words. You know when you vary the sentence structure to help with the flow and rhythm of the story. He has a very good point. There is something about a story with a good rhythm that is restful. It is pleasant and relaxing to read a book that has that kind of rhythm.

This type of rhythm can be created by varying the sentence structure. Think back to when you diagrammed sentences. (Tangent--as a student I always thought diagramming was such a pointless pain in the butt, but when I taught grammar it helped me to see if the students really got it.) Most sentences go Subject verb object. There are very few exceptions in the average persons writing. The trick to creating the rhythm is to vary the pattern. object subject verb. Verb. Even a few incomplete sentences thrown in for good measure. Honestly it may be a nightmare to diagram a nice lyrical paragraph, but it makes for more restful reading.

The rhythm of a story is a really strong tool. You can use it to slow down a story or to speed it up or to create a feeling of peace or tension. While it is great if you can find the right rhythm for your story during your first draft, you can always go back and rework parts of your story to find that natural rhythm that you want. Rhythm is something can be worked on after you've gotten the bare bones of your story out.

How do you do with writing rhythm? What are tricks that you have learned to make the rhythm of your stories better?

Friday Five

2009-10-02T15:31:00.002-04:00

1. Fall really seems to have come this week. I turned off the air conditioning and we aren't dying. I love that in the fall you don't have to worry about air or heat. The same pretty much goes for the spring. Plus I love waking up to a cool house. Sure it's hard to get out of bed, but it really does wake you up. I love the colors of fall (not that they've started yet) and I just feel happier and more alive in the fall. Summer is such a sleepy time.

2. Since I managed to catch a cold from the conference I haven't gotten as much done as I wanted to, but I did fix my first page. Really fixed it. Rob, who is unerringly honest (enough that I want to throttle him sometimes), even agreed that it is fixed. Now I can move on to the rest of the manuscript. Yes! Soon I will be sending out my letters. I keep saying that, but I really mean it.

3. My other story is somewhat halted. Seriously I'm stuck in the middle of a dinner conversation. Interestingly enough it is about people becoming complacent and allowing themselves to get stuck. Uggh! So I need to work in an explosion or a kiss or a heated look or something to get the story rolling again. It will happen, and soon.

4. Right now my two year old is practicing his Ninja moves and sword fighting. Lots of round jumps with thrusting. There is also slashing of some sort going on. And he is beating up his brother. Sadly he intimidated some boy at the park on Monday. The boys were about the same age, but my boys are tiny for their age. So this other boy was about a head taller than Jacob. I watched the entire thing. The bigger boy said something to him, and Jacob threw up his fists, made a low bellow and charged. The other boy ran away in tears, even though Jacob hadn't touched him. (Never fear I did have a talk with Jacob about his behavior, though part of me is glad that he isn't intimidated by bigger kids.)

5. I meant to post some of my notes and thoughts on writing, but I've been sleeping a lot more than usual this week. I will get them up, either this weekend or sometime next week. I promise.

Have a great weekend!

Awesome Conference

2009-09-28T20:44:00.002-04:00

So the conference was very awesome. I met some new writing critique people. I went and socialized with people (I wasn't totally successful at this being a true and utter introvert). I came home early on Saturday--only socializing was going on--because my head hurt and I just couldn't make myself do it anymore. Whew!

But at lunch I sat at a table with an actual real live editor and then chatted with her in the lobby for a few minutes. I managed to just ask her about how she ended up in editing and she was so nice and friendly and happy. I must say I was so impressed with the editors at this conference. They were very friendly and accommodating. They made themselves available to have people talk to them. It was refreshing and made me less scared of editors.

They had a First Pages. And my First Page was picked. That was a moment. My heart just started pounding. They pointed out somethings I could do better. No one laughed at my page--which actually did happen, and they didn't rip it apart either. It was a really good experience, but very surreal and scary at the same time. Still I'm totally glad that it happened.

I will update with my notes throughout the week, maybe next two weeks, but I want to focus on writing the rest of the night. I must say that Carrie Ryan spoke. (She wrote The Forest of Hands and Teeth.) Frankly I would take a writing seminar from her if she ever offered one. I've never, ever been so impressed with a class I had on writing. So I'm just saying man. Five pages chock full of notes, and she only spoke forty minutes. Plus she was so nice in person.

Happy Writing!

Friday Five

2009-09-25T13:48:00.002-04:00

1. Today I'm off to the local SCBWI Conference. I'm having a critique done in about an hour and I'n excited and nervous. I'm super excited to go the entire conference. It's nice because I still get to come home every night and sleep in my own bed, which really does make a difference to me.

2. I had Rob look over my query which I've reworked again, and again, and again. And i think he managed to make some very good changes. But I did have to edit it down some. Rob is an excellent writer. He has always been praised for his work whether fiction or otherwise and has been offered jobs for his writing. I'd love to see him write one of the books he keeps talking about.

3. So today I did my hair, painted my toe nails and put on my make up. Generally I disdain from doing such things. Too much time spent on it, but today and this weekend, I'm putting my best face forward. I'm dressing professionally and figure that my hair and face should match. Plus I'm wearing high heeled open toed shoes, got to have nice toe nails.

4. I've completely plotted out my rewrites to the plot, which were helped along by the new query letter and I think I can have them done next week. Then I'll start querying in earnest. For real, I'm not putting it off anymore, because I'll have done everything I possibly can to improve my novel.

5. Next week, I'm going to get into a great routine (which is being started with this conference and how early I have to get up to get there). This means I'll exercise every day and get a lot of writing done. This is really the catalyst I need to get a solid routine going.

Happy Writing!

Words of Advice from a Published Writer

2009-09-22T20:31:00.004-04:00

I just got back from a book signing. Sarah Dessen spoke at Barnes and Noble along with two other fabulous writers. I was excited to go simply because I'd been wanting to go to a Sarah Dessen event since she is local to the general area, but none of her previous signings this summer worked out with my schedule. It made me even happier to realize this week that the focus was to talk about the writing process. Sweet, best topic I love to listen to.

I'm actually a big fan of Sarah Dessen. They have this quality that is hard to define. They are so enjoyable to read. They are definitely not fluff. They address harder issues, but they also have a literary quality to them. I knew that it would mostly be teens there and it was. I'm starting to feel old, but I didn't care. It was so worth going.

Sage words of wisdom gathered.

Write every day at the same time.

Everyone writes a novel differently. (Sarah doesn't use an outline, just has a general direction in mind.)

Keep at it.

Realize that your first draft isn't the last draft.

Don't keep reediting every sentence into perfection in your first draft.

They also talked about how none of the writer's thinking workshopping a novel is effective until it is completely finished.

So this week is an excellent week. It was a great session and then I'm headed off to the writer's conference this weekend. Everything is local so I feel very spoiled although I'm sure Rob feels slightly abandoned. Hey, he had DragonCon and he's going hiking in October.

So what's your favorite piece of writing advice?

Plot, Old Movies and Super Powers

2009-09-21T20:55:00.002-04:00

Tonight my kids watched The Sword and the Stone. I remember watching the movie as a child and really liking it. My kids were very interested in it. But today as I listened to it while I did various chores around the house I started wondering about the plot. Did every scene included drive the plot forward? Was every scene necessary? And additionally was every part of the scene necessary?

Thinking about my Isis novel and the changes I want to make to it and then thinking about my current novel and the plot line I've roughly sketched out. I've asked myself that same question does each scene move the plot forward?

There are a few scenes in Isis that are really just info dumps. I did a lot of world building through conversation, but Dane and Isis are building their relationship as well, so I thought it would work. Now I'm thinking not so much. So I've reinvented the plot slightly. I'm adding a few totally new scenes, making a few changes so that my scenes work, reordering a few things and then each scene will matter. And it makes Isis' motivations much stronger.

With my next story Selena is my main character and right now my story wants to go another direction from the plot. My gut is telling me that the scenes I want to write don't move the plot forward. I want to show some inner conflict and world contrasting, but it feels like it is just going the wrong way. I didn't add to the plot this weekend because I wanted to make sure I was taking the story the right direction. And the more I think it about the more I think my gut reaction is right. If I were reading I'd want to keep reading the direction that I'm trying to write.

Finally superpowers. My son is going to sleep tonight and made these observations.

Caleb: If I can see what just happened at Grandma's house, is that my mind?

Me: No that's your imagination

Caleb: No it's real. It really happened, so is it my mind?

Me: Sure it's your mind (I figure it's happening in his mind right?)

Caleb: Oh and I can see through walls

Then he went to sleep. I'd love some super powers. Not that long ago I was on a ladies night out and all of us had to answer the question for what super power they'd want and why. Me I'd love the ability to get the cooking and cleaning done in ten minutes. That's my kind of super power. A lot of people said flying, but that's not me. I wouldn't mind being able to move very fast, speed of light fast. Yeah, that'd be mine.

So what's your superpower and why?

Friday Five

2009-09-18T10:45:00.002-04:00

1. So I have been happily (I might really emphasize the word happily) t.v. free all summer. I'm talking about the weeknight T.V. I happily ignored all reruns, new shows or whatever, though I did watch the occasional Ghost Hunters with Rob. He is way too interested in that show and even has the autographs of all the people on it, thanks to DragonCon. Steve and Tango are starting a shoot off show, which I'll be tempted to add to my line up. They are my favorite two people on the show. I love the way they interact with each other. It makes me laugh, all the bugs, and animals and the jumping away, but I digress. My real point was that I didn't have to worry about the new episodes of this or that and I write in the evenings, so TV puts a real crimp in my goals. But The Office premiered last night. Glad to have everyone back, but it would have been fun for the Interns to stick around a bit longer. And sadly I really, really like Glee, although I'm going to use Hulu to watch that one and sort the laundry while I do. Rob won't put up with it. And then there is Big Bang Theory, which premieres on Monday. Yeah, that is one of my most favorite shows ever.

2. My query needs work. My plot line needs work. I want to write the query to my new book before I write any more in my new WIP. I had my plot thought out and suddenly I don't want to take it that way. I feel like I'm slowing down the story, but not going that way and not seeing that internal struggle, completely changes my entire premise. Yikes! What's a girl to do?

3. I have yet to get into a good routine since school has started. I thrive on routine or I don't get the important stuff done, like writing or exercising or waking up in the morning. I'm also someone who does better with specific, tangible goals. I like to display them where I will see them on a regular basis. In fact my college roommates use to make fun of me. But I need to get some of those up right now.

4. I'm super excited for the writer's conference next weekend! I'm having a critique done. I love getting feedback from complete strangers. It's a lot more honest than the other kind. So that is a happy thing.

5. I'm hungry so I'm going to go eat leftovers as an early lunch! And also this much more exciting we are taking the kiddos to the They Might Be Giants concert tomorrow. If we don't get rained out. Please sun come out and shine down on us!

Have a great weekend!

High School Memories

2009-09-13T14:17:00.000-04:00

Today I am in cleaning mode. The goal to completely get the toy room to an acceptable state of cleanliness. It has not been in that state all summer.

As I was going through everything, dragging a garbage bag behind me I happened upon an old wallet insert of pictures from high school. I don't know why my kids have it out and about. I thought, hmm. It's been more than ten years. I don't talk to these people anymore (sad huh?) and I haven't thought about them in a long time. So I'll just throw it away. Of course I had to flip through it.

Some of the people I don't know the names of (really these were boys that dated my not-so-close friends). But since they were pictures of dances. The nights stand out in my memory.

I found a picture of my first boyfriend, and one of my first love (not the same person) and one that reminds me of the time I was the meanest to another person. And another that reminds me of the butterfly feeling of the beginning of a relationship.

I found pictures of friends that I was close to in middle school, but not so much in high school, but who still make me smile when I think about them. I looked at the picture of my best friend in high school, and I'm just so sad that we aren't friends anymore. A lot of miscommunication the summer before I left for college and then the fact that I was really the only one who left and I didn't come back.

After a few minutes, and being tumbled around in the memories and the emotions that came rushing back. I decided to keep it. If anything I can look back at it when I need inspiration for emotions in a story. But ultimately high school had its good times and its bad times. Friends were there the entire time.

Since I write for the Young Adult audience, I think it is important that I'm able to remember the ups and downs and the feelings of being a teenager. The world has changed a lot since I was in high school. It's amazing to think about how much, but I don't think the situations, the relationships and the friendships have. That's what is at the core of a great story. That is what should be at the core of my writing.

How do you use your past to influence your writing?

Friday Five

2009-09-11T14:51:00.003-04:00

1. I had my writer's group meeting this week. I must say that I enjoyed it. It is great to spend the evening talking about writing, and learning about writing. I love writing and I love being around people who love writing too. The SCBWI Carolinas conference is just a few weeks away and I'm so excited to get to meet more writers that are fairly local. It should be awesome.

2. Today is 9-11 and I can't write a blog without mentioning it. At random times today I'd remember and think back on where I was that day. While many of us have recovered those who have lost loved ones must still fill the loss. Today I think of them and their sadness.

3. I've realized that a lot goes into writing a novel, but for me it is a lot more work to revise. That doesn't mean that I don't want to revise or that I think I'm above revising. I just think it is harder to revise than to write. But I know other writers feel differently. The wonderful thing about it is that at any point of the process you are still working towards the same thing, the same goal the same end. I know in revision you are making things lots stronger.

4. I wanted to mention a new ebook that's available about the querying process. It's called From the Query to the Call and it's by Elana Johnson. I really enjoy her blog and the book promises to be chockfull of information. Beth Revis from Writing It Out gave it this great review. The thing that stood out to me is that she has a query response rate of 1 out of three letters. That's really, really good.

5. It's been a glorious fall day. I love fall it makes me happy. today I've had that fluttry something exciting feeling all day. I'm sure it's just the crisp fall weather, but it reminds me of those exciting first few moments in your relationship. Maybe I'm just getting it all mixed up because my husband and I started dating in the fall years, and years ago. Sigh. Anyway if this feeling comes to fruition I'll be sure to share the joy!

Feeling Renewed

2009-09-08T21:54:00.002-04:00

Last week I wrote about my reader's funk. Well I've come out of it. A combination of paranormal books and some wonderful fluff books. I've been thinking about the books that I call fluff. It sounds so bad, like I'm looking down on the books. But I don't feel that way. I love the fluff. So I need to come up with a new name for them. For me I put the happy romances that don't address any deep meaningful themes into fluff. You know the escapist books. Complete escapist fiction. Maybe I'll just change it to escapist novels. That sounds much better.

Mental note: Fluff is now escapist fiction.

My point is I read three novels today. Yes three of these happy escapist novels. And I feel much happier. Plus I read with the boys, ran errands and was a good person. My house even got marginally cleaner. But I feel very renewed.

My four year old made my day. He got out his remote control car set. (A very nice remote control car set that he no longer has the car too, or the remote. The car was broken within three weeks, and I've slowly been throwing away the pieces as they have presented themselves to me when I'm in a purging mood. Unfortunately Caleb usually follows around behind me and fishes his toys out of the purging bag. So it has taken a long time to get rid of.) Back to the story. He gets out the kit which currently consists of some types of shocks and the wire that attaches to the car.

Then he threads the shocks on the antenna, bends the antenna, and hooks it into a circle, which he hands to me.

"Here's a bracelet for you mom." He slips it onto my wrist. This really made my day. It's got it's own sense of style. I'd take a picture, but it'd only be blurry.

Friday Five

2009-09-04T13:25:00.003-04:00

1. I started really writing my other novel this month. My goal is to be done by the end of October, because I have a novel I want to write for NaNovMo. So I figure 75,000 words divided by 48 writing days means roughly 1500-1600 words a day. I can actually do that. I'm going to do that. But I'm so much happier writing again versus rewriting. I know roughly where I am going, and how I'm getting there, but it is so much fun discovering it as I go. For instance I just met my romantic interest. I knew he was coming soon. I knew that he'd be involved in the resistance. I didn't know how they'd meet or what he'd look like. Ahh, swoon. He's hot, and tough, and funny. (not the type of guy I'd normally fall for--I like the bookish geeky types of things)

2. So my novel that I thought is ready, isn't quite ready, but it is nearly there. So I'm hoping end of September, not August. Sigh. It's time to get it out there, but I want it to sell. So it's not going until I'm ready.

3. So DragonCon is this weekend. I've been hearing a lot about it from some people who are going. I wish that I were going too. But maybe next year. I've never been to one. See I've hidden my inner geek from the world. (My mom gets offended when I call myself a geek, but I own up to it.) There is a young adult literature and writer's track there, and that's where I'd be. (I don't dress up in characters and stuff, but I think it's cool if you want to. But there is a game that sounds fun that people play at those conferences, that I may have liked playing when I was in high school if I hadn't been so self conscious.)

4. My goal for this weekend is to some deep cleaning. Throwing stuff away, giving stuff away. Just basically getting rid of a lot of stuff. I'm tired of how much stuff three kids collect. And it needs to go! I'm considering going down to toyless. (It won't happen, I'm not cruel. But new rules are being instituted that allows me to throw away stuff they won't put away. A few weeks and they will start picking up the two toys that they have left. Right?)

5. It's Fall. The temperatures have been cool. Oh, it's wonderful. My daughter has been complaining that she needs to wear a jacket at the bus stop in the mornings. It's in the 60s and all I can do is smile. I grew up in a different state, and it would always feel like this there. In North Carolina, it's usually not this cool until October. I'm sure the temperatures will go back up, but I've loved this week. I can't wait until the leaves change colors. But then I'm traffic hazard. Seriously several near misses because I'm staring at all of the trees.

Plot, Tension and Mapping

2009-09-04T13:17:00.002-04:00

So I'm working on my tension in my book. It starts out high, drops down (slows down) and then builds back up at the end. But I want a more sustained and building tension in my novel. A critiquer gave me a few tips, and I thought about reordering some of my plot. Well I decided that I needed to see each scene and the purpose of the scene. I can do this on Scrivener, which is completely awesome by the way. But I wanted it to be bigger. I wanted to physically be able to move things around and decide if that change would work or not.

So I got out my trusty post it notes and turned my wall into a big board. It has helped. A lot. My darling husband glanced at the notes and said, "Gee it looks like your action drops off in the middle" Well yes, yes it does, hence the post it notes. Seriously this I will be doing again for my other novels. Yup. I like it.

My darling son loves to pose for photos and stuck his head in the picture. He's trained. The camera comes out, he freezes for a minute, smiling and then waits until someone says we're done. Trust me that's not my fault. I can't take a picture period. I posted stuff on Craigslist today and the pictures were blurry. Yikes.

So I'm going to be shifting a few things here and there and changing the way they learn the information in different places. Hopefully my tension will build earlier on and keep going up the to end.

Friday Five First Try

2009-08-28T18:46:00.002-04:00

So Friday's will likely be my random day. Several of the blogs I read do a Friday Five. I hope it's not some exclusive club that I'm invading. So here it goes.

1. My daughter started school again, and we're settling into a schedule. Seems like it will be a good year for her. My one concern is she's not allowed to talk at lunch. Seems extreme to me, and I plan on discussing it with her teacher and others if needed. Lunch, everyone needs to be social at lunch, right?

2. Fridays are generally date night for me and hubby. We may watch a movie tonight or sneak some DQ blizzards after the kids are asleep. We're not going out, since my oldest son is not feeling well. I can't have a sitter when they are sick. He has 007 in HD, but we don't have an HD tv. We also like to watch Ghosthunters, and Hell's Kitchen. I don't understand why Chef Ramsey is so mean, but still I like the show.

3. Reading funks. Still not feeling the whole reading thing, but I've found a new author I like Susane Colasanti. Her books are similar to Sarah Dessen. Still I might go dig out my L.M. Montgomery books. They sound nice to me. Slow, no tension. Just story.

4. My kids are erecting a tent/fort in my living room. It will be a big mess to clean up, but I've got to let them do it. I remember building them with my brothers and sisters. It's a rite of passage. They only have a few minutes until I put them to bed, but between now and then they will undo an entire week's worth of cleaning. Sigh. I wish I had a housekeeper.

5. I didn't write at all this week. Not at all. No revisions (unless my query counts), no new words, nothing. I'm ready to start again. And go at it.

Have a good weekend!

The Rejection? Can I Handle the Rejection?

2009-08-26T20:15:00.002-04:00

I'm getting ready to send out my manuscript. I'm so close that my fingers are actually itching to hit send, but I've got to get everything as perfect as I possibly can before I do. This is the scary part, at least for me, sending my baby out into the world, into stranger's hands, and waiting for a reaction. What I think is worse in reality is sending out the query. The short few paragraphs that struggle to describe a story to persuade people to read it. I just wish you could send the whole manuscript and then the agents could read it. (Now I know that isn't practical, and I'm not saying that the agents have the time for that or anything--I'm in no way disrespecting agents. The fact that they read the queries is enough for me honestly. Just wish there was another way.)

I mean I'm on pins and needles when I send my novel off to a friend or family member for a critique. It puts me on edge. I get worried, I feel faint. I can't imagine what it's going to be like to send off a partial or full to someone real. But hopefully that day will come.

My progress for the week was finishing up the rewrite. Reworking my query letter, and my synopsis. My synopsis needs help. Lots of it. I don't like the tone or anything. I may start over from scratch on it.

I'm also gearing up, and getting ready to go on my second novel. I'm super excited about that one. I think it's going to rock. The conflict is real, it's tangible, and it's solid. My plot line is solid as well with a great twist at the end. Third person so that twist will work. This novel is going to be great. I can just feel it.

Reading this week has been kind of blah. Everything feels like I've read it before. Have you ever gotten into a funk? My mom told me to change up the genre that I read. I don't know it may be time to revisit some of my tried and true reads like Anne of Green Gables or Emily's Quest. I could try the classics. I have enjoyed some of them. Okay lots of them and I haven't walked down that path in awhile. Any books that help you get out of a reading funk?

News and Stuff

2009-08-21T09:24:00.002-04:00

I've been blog silent for a bit for a few reasons. The first I went to the beach and the second I was really driving to the end of my rewrite. I'm pleased to say that I've finished. Yeah!

While I was at the beach, I spent a lot of time thinking about things. My novel, the vastness of the ocean and possible analogies to writing. Something about the beach makes me reflect on things. It is such a peaceful and happy place. So as I was building sand castles with my kids I had a few thoughts about the writing process.

One of the castles we built kept falling apart. We would get it built up really high and then it would fall apart. It kept splitting in the same spot. Then I realized that the foundation was cracked. It couldn't hold the castle together from the bottom. I realized that a good story is like that. You've got to have the basics, or foundation of a good story or it just won't hold together. There are several things you need, but the most important is your plot and conflict. It doesn't matter how beautiful your writing is or how compelling your characters are if your plot is cracked and just doesn't work.

The next thought came to me as my son was building a sand castle right in front of the incoming tide. Every few minutes a huge wave would come and wash away the castle completely. Although I encouraged him to move a bit further in, he kept telling me it was okay we could just begin again. This made me think about the importance of revision and finding the right way to tell your story. It's okay to start again and again, as long as you keep building. Eventually you'll find the right spot and be able to tell a great story.

So happiness I finally finished my rewrite. And I realized something that is going to help my revision process from now on. For this revision I rewrote the entire story. I literally retyped the entire thing. This let me fix things and see things I hadn't before. I tightened up my dialogue, got rid of passive voice and added a lot of pertinent details, In fact I add 5,000 words. Some of that was a new chapter, but that new chapter was created out of a chapter I split in two. The entire time I was writing I kept cutting this out and that out and I was worried that I'd end up with a shorter novel, but I didn't. I know it is a much stronger novel than it was.

Now I just need to perfect my query letter and rework my synopsis, since yeah, my story has changed slightly.

I've also thought about how to boost my blog's interest level. Mostly it's just been complaining and frustration. So I'm going to do a few things.

One post a week on the writing process. Some fun analogy or such. I"ll also include my word count and goals, since I"m ready finally to get going on my new novel. I'm so excited!

One post a week on a book I've read. Generally this will be a new book that I've read that week. I'll talk about what worked and why, and such.

One post a week on randomness. Everyone needs random every now and then right. I might do a Friday Five or something like that.

Plus I'll post the random contest or trailer.

So many good books coming out in the next few months. Personally I'm looking forward to Fire by Kristin Cashore, and Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater.

(Catching Fire would be up there too, but I've already read that awesomeness--but I'm excited for everyone else!)

Ballad Trailer

2009-08-18T17:43:00.000-04:00

This is the trailer to the new book Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater. I've really enjoyed her book Lament and also Shiver which came out this month and debuted on the NYT bestsellers list. This is definitely a must read!

Totally Awesome Book Contest

2009-08-14T21:17:00.002-04:00

There is a totally awesome book giveaway going on at cutelittecindy.blogspot.com.

Currently she is giving away Five different prizes. There are ARCs of some great books that I'd love to get my hands on, and some great books that I just want because I've already read them. For me the best part is that they are all YA books.

Go check it out and try to win!

Reading to Improve Your Craft

2009-08-09T21:35:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking about doing some things to make my blog more interesting. Plus writing on a more consistent basis. I may plan to slowly increase my posts with a goal of three a week. I can handle three a week. Maybe a short review or thought on whatever I'm reading during the week. And then some other random writing stuff. I wish I had funny experiences to share, but I fear that I am rather boring. But I shouldn't talk about myself that way.

This week I've been thinking a lot about reading, and what makes a book so good that you can't put it down. You know those books. (They're the books I love, the ones that keep you up all night, and make you forget the dishes and your kids--the kind of book I want to write.)

One of my favorite books on writing is On Writing by Stephen King. Awesome book, and I always recommend it to people who want to write. There is a bit of foul language in the book, but I think that is just the way Stephen King writes. I actually have never read his fiction, because I get really bad nightmares from normal books, let alone horror. The stuff always seems too real to me. Rob thinks I'm crazy and has read a lot of Stephen King, and I've thought about reading his fantasy stuff, but just haven't yet.

Anyway the point of that ramble is that in On Writing Stephen King says that one of the most important things a writer can do is read. I happen to agree with him. There is something about reading which allows you to pick up the craft of writing. You know things like rhythm, where you start a story, what to include in the story, the type of language to use, and that intangible quality that really drags a reader in.

I've been a reader since second grade. This year on my personal blog I've listed the new books that I've read this year. I'm up to 68, with the goal being a hundred. I'm not listing the books I've reread though. And I think next year I'll do that, and maybe keep a page count total. Just because I'm curious about it. But since I've read so much, and so widely, I've managed to pick up on things like paragraphs, and pacing (I hope) and other things that help to make the story stronger.

If you want to become a great writer, then you need to read. Just like an artist studies the works of other artists or an architect learns about the structure and designs of other buildings, a writer needs to read other peoples books. Both for enjoyment and for learning about the craft.

For example the first time I read Twilight I read it for enjoyment. Then I read it again to figure out what about it made it so compelling. Then I read it again to really figure that out. Then I read it to understand how she address first person narrative. I learned a lot.

The Hunger Games is another novel I've read multiple times, as well as Catching Fire. Suzanne Collins writes a book that you simply can't put down. It's impossible. I learned something about her chapters. She ends in the middle of the action. Then does scene shifts mid-chapter. I tried doing it. I think it helped me.

What books (fiction) have you learned from? What books do you recommend I read along the lines of The Hunger Games and Twilight for a suck you in read? I need some new books to devour!

A Week Unplugged

2009-08-02T19:20:00.002-04:00

Well I managed to avoid reading the blogs for most of the week. I have to say that my most productive night was the night that my power went out for eight hours. Yes that night I was the most productive. Without power there was no Internet, but I do have a laptop and the battery was fully charged. There wasn't anything else to do. I put the kids to bed before it got too dark. And Rob was working, so I had nothing to do but write. I got a lot done, it was such a happy feeling.

The power actually went out at my house three times this week. The worst was the eight hours, once was for an hour, and the third one was for two. Ugh! It's hot, and we had some crazy thunder storms roll through, which would knock out the power.

I think that I'm going to form a plan of action where I only read the blogs on the weekend. This will let me keep following everyone, although I may miss out on some cool contests, but it will give me writing time, that will not be interrupted or overtaken by the blogs.

Writing wise I still have a lot do. I hate revising. I am doing it, because it is important, but for me it is so hard to do. Hopefully it will get easier with each novel. That's what I'm telling myself anyway. Who knows for sure though? So I'm really tempted to just work on my other novel. But I'm not going to until I finish up my current WIP. I'm so close to the end that I know I can do it. My query is nearly there, and then I can start submitting it.

I'm trying to think of something profound, and it just isn't happening today. I'm not afraid to admit that. So I'll close by stating my goals. I want to write the third chapter in my next novel for my writer's group--which is due in by Thursday. I don't want anyone else to look at my current WIP until I'm done. And then I plan on revising two chapters a day this week. Hopefully I can do it.

What are your writing goals for the week?

Woah! What a Week

2009-07-27T17:15:00.002-04:00

So I didn't really keep up with my accountability posts last week, but I got a lot done. That is until I realized how much some other people got done as well. Maybe I should count the other words I write (the way I currently make money), but I won't. I want my progress that I record hear to be about my novel.

Beth Revis is doing a critique session of the query and first 250 words. I was the first one up. You can go over and comment if you so desire. Plus you should just check out Beth's blog. I love it. Lots of good insight, and some very funny moments. It's worth checking out.

So I'm really trying to focus on finishing up the novel this week. Does that mean I've written today, no. But my dearest husband is working late all week, and if the kids will go to bed, then I will have writing time nearly distraction free. I'm thinking about unplugging the Internet, which would also unplug the phone. I'm so close that I can taste it. Well almost. Honestly I think I'd rather taste chocolate then the end of the novel. But I'm really nearly to the end. I'm up into the exciting stuff.

With all of my focus on writing this week, I think I'm going to let some of my blog reading slide this week, and see how it affects me. I'll have a few that I go and visit. For example, I feel like I should go and critique the other writers who post on the critique session, it's good karma to return the favor, but other than that I think I'll wait until the weekend to read everything. Here's hoping that it will make a big difference in my productivity level.

I registered for the SCBWI Carolinas conference this last week, and I'm super excited to go. It is in September, and close enough that I don't have to get a hotel room. If you are going to be there, say hi. I'm super shy in the blog world, and even more in the real world. I don't bite, and I try to say hi to people, but generally I just feel stupid. The big LA SCBWI is next week, and I so wish I could go to that, but that will come someday. Here's to hoping that I can publish my first novel soon--granted I have to finish this revision, then proofread it and then start querying.

Have a great writing week! I'll be silent for the rest of the week!

Accountability

2009-07-18T23:44:00.003-04:00

So I went silent on my accountability posts.

Here's an update: Thursday was pretty much a zero, except I went to writer's group. Yeah, that was fun. I was going to write after it was over, but I got home after midnight. My husband hates it when I'm that late. So I went to bed.

Friday: Did a total rehaul on my first chapter. I tried switching it to third, which I'm pretty sure didn't work for me. I'm just not feeling this book in third person. My next novel is in third and it works for me, but this one is not. So I rehauled it that way.

And then I rehauled it again, in first (I've saved all three versions of course) in which I do a slight plot twist that might work with fixing some issues I was having with the first chapter.

But now I'm stuck because I like the ennd of my first chapter--and now it's not the same. I'm trying to figure it out. Trying, trying trying. I could split the chapter earlier or make it like five pages longer. For the most part my chapters are about ten pages.

The things is I still what the kidnapping scene, and I want it to end a chapter. I'm about 700 words into the next chapter, and it's time for the kidnapping. Do I delay it and fill in more back story, do I trash some of the revised first chapter, and squeeze this stuff in there, or do I have a longer first chapter.

Today: I wrote a bit more at the end of where I was before the chapter one issue. Then I relooked at chapter one and two again. And then I stared at the screen, and I thought about it. And what I want to set as the tone of the novel, and I thought about it some more, and then I thought about it again.

Then I tried to write more at the end, but I think that I've thought too much today, because I couldn't even spell anything.

So good night.

Today's Word Count

2009-07-16T00:36:00.001-04:00

Approximately 2500 words.

I'm tired and I'm going to bed.

Progress Report

2009-07-14T23:32:00.002-04:00

Revision Word Count, I did about fifteen hundred words revision today. My program doesn't give me page numbers, just words. Still I'm pretty pleased. i think that it's coming along.

This new way of revising--I'm retyping my whole story and changing as needed is actually a lot more effective. It helps me catch when I'm repetitive or am in love with a certain word.

Hopefully I'll get double the work done tomorrow.

How did your day go?

Work Today Zero

2009-07-13T23:43:00.002-04:00

I said I was going to post accountability reports this week. Today I got nothing done. I'm about to go read everything I've revised, but it is close enough to my bed time that I won't be writing.

I didn't write today because I got an ARC of Catching Fire in the mail today. Hunger Games was my favorite book from last year. What would you have done? Honestly.

I will say that Catching Fire didn't disappoint. I can't wait for the third book to come out. I told my husband I couldn't stand to wait a year, and he said, well you'll have to wait longer than a year. Moan!

The book was freakin' awesome. Just saying. I won't give anything away, but I so need to talk about it. I'm signing off so I don't post any spoilers. I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone.

Tomorrow my numbers will be better, but Thursday's my writers group so this week is really not as good as I hoped.

How did you do today?

Finding the Right Voice

2009-07-12T22:19:00.003-04:00

The biggest problem I've been having lately with my Isis story is finding the perfect voice. I'm nearly there. And occasionally I'm right on. Then I might spend the next day rewriting and realize that I completely wasted all of that time. The voice isn't strong enough in my writing. So that has been my struggle lately. It takes me a few minutes to get into that voice, sometimes it takes more than just a few minutes.

At the writing conference I went to in June, there was a writer, Kristi Stevens, in my group who's work had an awesome voice. It was totally snarky and fun, but best of all it was carried throughout the work. I asked her what her tips were to maintain such a strong voice. She told me that she would sit down and write about something not related to her book, until she was writing in her main character's voice. I

Well I'm going to try to do that this week. I want every minute I spend tweaking the voice, and rewriting to count. I'm also going to post progress reports each night. These posts won't include a lot of information, I just need the added accountability. Really need it, since I want to be done very soon.

I was talking to someone in my writer's group this week about whether or not she really wanted to publish, or if she was just writing to write. It's an interesting question. First it is quite an accomplishment to have written a novel. There are a lot of people who want to write a novel. A small percentage of them actually do finish. And then a smaller percentage who go on to get published. At the writer's conference and among the blogosphere it is common to hear about the throw away novels. (Actually the ones you have in a file on your desktop or hidden under your bed.) You know the ones that will never see the light of day.

For me, personally, I'm not just writing for me. Ultimately yes, I'm writing because I want to, that part is for me. But I do want my book to be read by other people. That's the ultimate point in the entire exercise. If I was writing just for me, I'd have been done at that first draft. I like telling stories. I like reading and getting wrapped in stories as well.

My husband and I were also talking about being a career novelist versus being a superstar or a one hit wonder. Now it would be nice to get that huge advance and all that wonderful PR backing from your publisher. I'm not going to lie about it. With those big advances come big expectations. A lot of pressure is on you for your next book, and so on. What if your first book doesn't sell out the advance, it's a lot harder to get a good deal. If you are writing a series, what do you do when you are done with the series? Is your career over or not? Many people look at J.K. Rowlings or Stephenie Meyer and wonder if they will come out with more books. (I'm hoping it's a yes.)

Then there are the people that started out with smaller advances, and then grow steadily bigger. At the writer's conference my instructors, Tracy and Laura Hickman, talked about how what looks like overnight success really isn't. Usually the writer has been around publishing for about ten years and then suddenly breaks through in a big way. Once they have the big hit then people go to their backlists and read books. For these people you already know that they will likely keep writing and be able to sustain it because they have that track record. Meg Cabot with Princess Diaries comes to mind with this one. Suzanne Collins also had another series before Hunger Games.

So while I'd like the huge advance, the pressure can be overwhelming. At this point I think I'm just going to be happy when I sell my first book. The size of the advance won't be as important as the fact that I'll be a published author. I'd also like to be able to keep writing for the rest of my life. Silly I know, but I really want this to be my career. I've just got to break through first.

So how do you feel on the career novelist versus superstar front? Would you rather have the big advance and all that pressure, or a good advance with a nice amount of backing but not so much pressure?

So I Keep Putting Off Posting

2009-07-07T22:50:00.002-04:00

Honestly, when I don't post on a regular basis, it is because I'm not writing. I'm procrastinating, and I don't want the rest of the world to know it. That's why I started the blog, really. It's all about accountability. This week I've got the achey coughy kind of flu thing. My two oldest are at grandma's, and so you'd think I'd be getting my writing done. But no. I've managed to completely waste the last two days. Seriously though I am sick. I took the garbage out, not normally a big deal, and I sat down and didn't get up for over an hour. I was dizzy and tired. Tired!

But that doesn't mean I'm sleeping well at night. Enough about my sickness (excuse for not writing).

I've given myself a new absolutely infallible deadline. My dh Rob thinks I should go to the local SCBWI conference and pay the extra money to have my novel evaluated. The only way I'll do that is if I get this revision done in time to submit. It has to be there by August 5th. Talk about the motivation I need. I do work best under pressure--especially external pressure.

Plus I think it is nearly time to submit to agents (meaning once I've gotten this draft right). I've gotten lots of very helpful and wonderful feedback that's really changed what I've written. I'm very grateful to Heather!

I've thought a lot about what I've written, and why I finally started writing. And the fact that yes I finished my novel. Yes, I finished it more than six months ago, and yes I've sat around "editing it" for six months. A lot of that time has seriously been just staring at it or wasting time. But no more! If I can write the damn thing, then I can edit it too.

Now that's out of my system I'm going to bed, so I can actually do something tomorrow!

Works in Progress

2009-07-01T16:31:00.002-04:00

I am in the middle of what I hope are the last of my revisions for my current project. I'm really working to capture Isis's voice. It is tougher than I thought it would be. But the rewrite is a major one. I'm redoing the whole thing, and then I'll have to redo the grammar and all of that again, but then I will start subbing to agents. My honest hope is that I'll be able to do this by the end of July. We shall hope and see and hope some more.

On another note I really want to get going on the other novel. I think I'm going to come up with a set schedule of writing my new novel either in the morning or the evening and then doing my rewrite on the opposite end of it. Maybe I'll just double up on revision time so I can really just get that novel written. If I do 3,000 words a day I could have it written in a month. I think I could write that much a day, maybe.

I'll start posting quick word count updates and revision updates. My revisions may be page numbers instead of word count though.

I have some new books to read thanks to my darling hubby. He seriously researches the books he buys me and takes time. He did so well in fact that I had already read some of the books he got me. In his defense, I do read several a week and I'd challenge anyone to keep up with me. Truly. I don't think most people could do it. He wants me to make a list of ALL of the books I've read. I just looked at him. I don't think I can do it. I don't remember them all. There are times when I'm super reading heavy and times when I'm not so much. If I read in the evenings then I'm not writing, so I have to be careful.

How is your writing journey going? Any exciting news? Do share!

An Attempt at Humor

2009-06-25T21:27:00.003-04:00

So I have decided to be more active on the blogging front. Well at least this blog. We'll see how it goes. Since I do write YA, and the teenage years are full of embarrassing moments, I thought I might share one that happened to me recently. Now this is small compared to some of my high school moments, and my freshmen year of college was quite embarrassing. However it does hearken back to my freshman year of college. That year I had four or five quite spectacular falls in front of boys. One involved the inability to get back up. I was in a dress, with slick shoes, and both the guy I was with and I were laughing so hard, but embarrassed at the same time that I couldn't get up. He was lifting me and everything! I was a nice petite 105 back then, so it wouldn't be the same thing if someone couldn't lift me up today.

Anyway my most recent and very embarrassing moment happened yesterday. I took my children to the swimming pool with a friend and her children. We are packing up getting ready to go when my darling two year old understanding that we are leaving took off towards the gate. My towel was wrapped around me, but as he picked up speed I started dropping the things that I was carrying. I left quite a trail behind me.

As I look, he has reached the road/parking lot. It's like a combination thing. I yell, "Stop Jacob." He giggles.

Then I trip over a step and scrape both of my knees, and my hands and stub my toe. My butt, which is now towelless is sticking straight up in the air. But since Jacob is in the road I scramble up and hobble towards him. "Stop Jacob" But really I'm thinking don't cry like an idiot, don't cry like an idiot.

Limping I chase him in circles until I grab him. Then I look down at my knee. The right one hurts, and it is dripping blood. I thought scraped knees were for children. (Unfortunately this is not the case for me--as this is the third time I've scraped my right knee something royal since I grew up).

My friend was in the shower room with her kids, and thus did not witness my derriere moment. I am too embarrassed to have her see the shame of my bloody knee. Blood is trickling down my leg at this point. I dash over wrap my towel around me again--which I now need to bleach--just in time. I gather my other two kids. And limp while trying not to look as though I'm not limping back to the car.

I see two more friends today, and they comment on my scraped up leg. I'm wearing capris, so the really bad part isn't showing. I try to laugh it off. But inside I'm writhing in agony. Does everyone need to know that I'm a complete klutz? Generally it happens in waves. For example during my freshman year I fell down (for no apparent reason, tripping was only involved once) five times in a three month period.

My most spetacular fall involved rolling twice down a steep ramp and everyone stopping and staring. My friends were so shocked they just stood there. Maybe they didn't want to admit to being with me. Some friends!

My most embarrassing was the aforementioned incident where I could not stand back up with said boy--who I was interested in at the time.

My most humiliating was the tripping incident which involved ripping a large hole in the knees of my new jeans (at a time when large holes were not okay fashion wise). I seriously considered going back home, but it was the first day of class, and I knew if I went home, I'd wouldn't go back to campus. I was late, because it hurt to walk, and there was lots of dripping blood. My professor was some honor code lackey and when I entered late--he spoke about the importance of being on time. When he walked by me, and noticed the holes in my pants--and if he even looked momentarily my bloody, bloody knee. He lectured the class about not coming to class with holes in your pants. Yeah--he made a great first impression.

A Long Time Coming

2009-06-23T21:42:00.003-04:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I posted. Not a lot of news on the novel front. I'm getting some very valuable feedback on it. That's been a real help. I've been thinking about it and I'm ready to start reworking it today. It should be good!

I'm also really excited to write my next novel. I'm two chapters in. And honestly I'm torn between the two books so much. I want to finish up my Isis book, but I really, really want to write this next one. I'm afraid that I'll mess things up if I work on more than one book at a time. It's a different novel cast of characters, different setting, different voice, and different perspective. It is in third person instead of first. But it still has a lot of action or well it will have a lot of action. Can you write more than one novel at a time? Should I even try? Part of me really wants to attempt to.

My conference was good. I learned a lot. I'm excited to go to my next conference in September. This one is very close to home, (less than half an hour a way), which will be good. I missed my kids by day four of the conference. I'd been away for six days at that point. I think everyone was kind of worn out by Thursday. I know I was. And my little four year old told me that I would come home if I missed him and cried on the phone. So I was sad.

The things that stuck out to me from the conference were motivation for the characters being on, having a good idea of where the plot is going, and staying true to the young adult perspective. There were three editors there and one agent. I went to some group discussions with them, but the thing that amazed me was how impressed I was with their knowledge of the book world. Seriously I'd love to sit down and just talk favorite novels with them. (A lot of their favorites as kids were my favorites too.)

It was nice to be around people who get it, and not just writing in general but writing for young adults. I was in a fantasy workshop and I learned a lot about world building and novel structure. It was great to be in a fantasy only group. I love fantasy, and I'm glad that I write fantasy (or my new novel is a dystopian one--which is actually close).

Well that's about it. How is your work/submitting/revising coming?

And also I was fortunate to win that copy of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins I wanted as well as Liar by Justine Larbalestier, and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater from Presenting Lenore. I really like her blog, it is full of reviews, contests and other great tidbits. It's awesome so you should check it out!

Win a Copy of Catching Fire!

2009-06-04T08:08:00.002-04:00

So you can go to Lenore's Website to try to win a copy of the book. You know you want to.

My New Website

2009-06-04T07:52:00.002-04:00

One of the things I wanted to get done before the conference was to get my new website up and running. I already had my domain name and a site up for my freelance writing. I changed it (or I should say my husband was kind enough to change it) to reflect my book.

Anyway check it out--www.miriamcaldwell.com.

Let me know what you think, and if there are any glaring problems.

Thanks!

Conference, Conference Here I Come!

2009-06-01T18:23:00.002-04:00

So I'm going to my first writer's conference next week. I'm super excited, and very nervous. I'm a naturally shy person--extremely shy and I have a hard time around new people. But I've learned to push myself to be friendly, but at the same time it is exhausting.

Another scary factor is sharing my work with strangers. They have no reason to be nicey, nice about my writing. So I'm going to get honest feedback. That is a good thing and I'm ready to take it. Bring it on! (But that doesn't mean I'm still not afraid of it--but what if they hate it? What if they hate me? kind of thing.)

I'm frantically trying to get the last minute things done, go through the prep materials the workshop leader sent me, and get the house ready for my mom to come take care of the kids. Shopping, cleaning, writing ahead for my jobs, and I still have to fit my writing in.

Wow! I don't have time to write much more. But in honor of my conference going, I've gotten a new haircut. Well honestly it's my haircut when I get my haircut. It was halfway down my back, and now it's under my chin, but I feel more writerly and confident and happy. I should just keep my hair short. I like it so much better that way!

Happy Writing--I'll post after the conference in two weeks!

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here!

2009-05-28T22:46:00.002-04:00

So I've been editing. I really don't like editing. But I know I need to do it, and I'm really tightening things up. I consider myself a pretty tight writer. I'm not overly flowery, I don't waste time on unnecessary description. (At least I hope not.) But every now and then I hit a section that is chock full of adverbs. Like I had an adverb attack that day while I was writing. The thing about it is this is not my first round of edits, and I have slashed mercilessly at those adverbs each edit. And. They. Are. Still. There.

When it gets particularly bad, I start singing "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly . . ." I must be driving my husband crazy. He doesn't say anything unless he's editing (film not writing) and then he shushes me because I'm messing with the quiet he needs. I've got the whole song memorized in fact I have the entire Grammar Rock collection on video somewhere. I loved to use it when I taught grammar--parts of speech to my students. But every time I slash an adverb I wonder why they were invented, identified and used.

On another note--I've not written in a few weeks, because I've just been frustrated by my editing process. Shudder. The thing thing is that I'm just plain frustrated. I don't want to write whiney post after whiney post. I know you don't want to hear it.

I've revised my query again:

Seventeen-year-old Isis’ life changes the day she uses magic to save herself from an exploding car. It wasn’t like she had a choice in the matter—instinct kicked in—and she did it without thinking. The only problem was that in the process she saved Dane—her stupid class project partner. The bomb was meant for him, but did he say thanks? Nope, instead he kidnaps her because of her powers and pulls her into a world of magic where two societies are warring for control.

Isis discovers she is the dreamer. That means her gift is stronger than most and she can do things other people can’t –like walk around the world of dreams. It allows her to take control of people’s minds and tell them what to do and how to act through their dreams. Not to mention all the magic she can do in the real world. Both societies want her and her choice could end the fighting, but Isis doesn’t know whom to trust.

Afraid of her family’s rejection Isis is afraid to join either group, but Dane insists on training her, and she begins to fall for him as they spend more and more time together. Still Isis didn’t ask to be thrown into this world, but when she learns about a planned assassination attempt on the president and she discovers the wrong side is winning, she can’t just walk away.

But I still don't have a title. I so need a good title--where can I find a title muse?

Finally all of the published authors, editors, and agents blogs I read have been talking about BEA. It seems like everyone is there and having fun. It sounds fun--maybe someday I can go too.

Happy writing!

Revisions

2009-05-03T22:01:00.002-04:00

Okay so here is the truth-at least the way that I see it. Revising is the hardest part of writing. For me, it is just so hard to go back again, and again.

I know that it makes my writing stronger.

I know that my story isn't perfect the first time through.

I know that the difference between getting published and not getting published is in the editing--most especially when it is your first novel, your first shot at getting an agent and getting published.

Things I've realized about my story this week--my first door (as referred to in Plot and Structure) is weak (well I've known this). The first door is an event or thing that propels your character forward. And this weak, I figured out three things I can do to make it stronger. I can move up my first door in my plot a bit, add a little bit of mystery throughout the book, and raise the stakes--make it much more compelling.

But now I find that I'm avoiding the writing time I have set aside, because I don't want to do the revisions I know that I need to do. Uggh!

Good writing!

All About Accountability

2009-04-26T20:49:00.002-04:00

So last week I had some really lofty goals. The biggest reason I started writing the blog is that I needed accountability so I am reporting on my progress. I am being completely honest too--

Get another draft of my query ready

Yes I did. I posted it at AW and got feedback. And I also tried a worksheet that I found at Beth Revis's blog about creating a pitch. She adapted it from a post by edittorent. This actually was very helpful. I may post it later this week. I want to sit on it and think about it for awhile.

Work on my draft of my synopsis

I looked at this. Read it once, and left it completely alone. My biggest thing is I don't want to change some names that I know I need to change. The good guy society is Damia, and the bad guy society is Ares. My problem is that my two protagonists names are Dane and Isis. Much too similar Damia/Dane, and Ares/Isis. And I like the names too much to change the character names, but my societies have those names! Agh! I know I need to change it, but it is so hard.

Write a detailed synopsis for my trilogy

I totally did this and loved it. It is only a rough draft, but it got me completely excited about my series again. The characters still have so much opportunity to grow. The next two books are going to rock, but I'm not going to write them until I sell the first. Partly because I'm still super excited about twenty years later.

Design and order business cards for the Writer's Conference

So this didn't even happen. Not at all.

Keep working on 20 Years Later (which will soon have a new title, since I have to slightly change one premise of the book--thanks to feedback from writers group)

Well I did add a 1000 words, but I didn't go back and fix what I needed to fix. And I only worked on it one day--shame, shame on me.

Do Third draft of First Novel and Name it

I got some great ideas, and started my read through. But I didn't make significant changes yet. Not that I'm not going to. I got some great advice from the AW forum, and it's going to make me look at this draft a lot more closely.

Start blogging more regularly (This may or may not happen)

Obviously this did not happen. But it shall. In my defense I did get a lot of work done this week.

So I've been thinking a lot about balance this week. Finding the balance between being a mom, working from home and writing a novel. And I've decided I don't get as much done as I could, because I'm out of balance. I need to assign specific tasks to specific times and stick to them.

Goals for this week:

Reestablish a working writing versus novel writing schedule.

Another Draft of My Query

Third Revision of My Novel

Give My Novel a Real Title

Order the business cards (I'm running out of time on these)

Add 3000 words to Twenty Years later. That should be another chapter.

So how do you find the balance in your writing vs your normal life?

I'm Back!

2009-04-19T21:24:00.002-04:00

So last weekend I went on vacation. I was silent for two weeks because I was getting ready for the vacation and then I was on the vacation. I told my husband I wouldn't work/write while on vacation this time. And so I didn't. I didn't get on and surf the Internet, or anything. I had over 500 blogs posts to read and catch up on, but I did it today. Finally! As an aside it was a great trip to Florida to see family and spend a day at Disneyworld. My three kiddos loved it.

Honestly I haven't worked on anything since then. But I'm ready to go.

My writer's group gave positive feedback to my first chapter of my new book. I'm super excited about it. It's got so much potential. I just hope that I can carry the story through. The tension level is going to be high, high, high through most of the novel. I like it so much that I almost want to sell this before my other novel, but it's not done yet.

However, I still like my first novel, and don't want to abandon it or the series. I got the best phone call today. I sent out my second draft to a few readers, and I hadn't heard anything back from them yet. I sat next to one today at church, and almost asked, and then didn't. I decided that she didn't like it, and so I didn't want to make her uncomfortable about it--even though I don't mind a negative reaction (well not much), since I need feedback.

Then I got a phone call. She called just to let me know she was half way through and didn't want to put it down to go make dinner for her family! She wanted to finish it. Well that totally made my day!

So goals this week:

Get another draft of my query ready

Work on my draft of my synopsis

Write a detailed synopsis for my trilogy

Design and order business cards for the Writer's Conference

Keep working on 20 Years Later (which will soon have a new title, since I have to slightly change one premise of the book--thanks to feedback from writers group)

Do Third draft of First Novel and Name it

Start blogging more regularly (This may or may not happen)

Well I think that's all pretty ambitious. We'll see what happens!

A New Novel

2009-04-01T23:38:00.002-04:00

So last week I finished up my second draft, and sent it off to a new batch of beta readers. And I've temporarily decided to abandon my WS manuscript. Something just wasn't flowing. It may be because I'm not in the mood to write my romance novel. I will one day though.

Instead, I'm very excited and pleased to announce that I began a new novel. This ideas has been simmering in the back of my head since December. Funnily enough it started as a dream. One of those really vivid dreams. And I wrote down the impressions--the scene I had was awesome, but and this was a big but. I didn't know what to do with it. I didn't know where it took place or what would happen as a result.

Until I was editing the first draft of the current novel, and watching a documentary on aliens with my father-in-law. Now I can tell you with unwavering certainty that my novel does not involve aliens. But something in the documentary triggered a whole bunch of what if questions, which I promptly wrote down. And bam it hit me that the two scenarios match up perfectly.

I've got another pretty cool science fiction idea boiling in the background as well. Totally cool, and possibly creepy--which is weird to me since I don't do creepy. This was also a dream, but I woke up with a lot of questions about why, how and the results.

I don't want to go into too much detail since I love these ideas so very, very much. But I just wanted to share that I'm super excited about where this novel is going to go.

And my husband read my first little bit and told me that my beginning is better than my first novel. So I know I need to still work on that, but we'll get there.

See ya!

Querying

2009-03-29T16:53:00.003-04:00

My husband had commented to me that my blogs were full of typos. And I looked back over them this weekend, and he was right! So I spent some time fixing them. I don't know if I caught all of them, but I hope I did find the most glaring ones.

This week just sped by. I decided it was time to start working on my query letter. And so I posted it on a forum, and got it critiqued. The consensus was that I wasn't being specific enough, which funnily enough is what Rob told me. He always tells me that. I guess I am a generalist or something. So I worked on it, and posted another one--still not specific enough. Third attempt had a huge info dump--which you don't want in the query.

So here is my fourth attempt. A query is supposed to be about 250 words long. It should really get into the meat of the story, and it should suck the agent in enough that he/she will request pages. So please feel free to give me your opinion of my current query attempt. I will try to incorporate your suggestions.

Here it is:

Isis is a senior in high school focused on keeping her carefully controlled world from falling out of balance. She doesn’t know why strange things happen around her, just that they are unacceptable to her mother. She doesn’t realize that two magical societies are racing to find her. Ares has nearly achieved its goal of world domination by using both its magical powers and political connections. Damia exists to stop Ares from destroying the world.

When Isis uses her gift to save her life she is drawn into the world of Damia. Dane, her classmate, is one of Damia’s strongest members and is being trained for a leadership position. He guides her as she learns there is a purpose for her powers. Soon Ares discovers Isis and tries to convince her to join them. The fight intensifies as both groups realize that Isis is a dreamer and the most gifted mage of her generation. This gift allows her to manipulate others’ subconscious as well as work powerful magic in the Hall of Dreams. Her choice will tip the balance of power between the two groups allowing one to annihilate the other.

Isis is torn between embracing her true identity as a mage by joining one of the groups and the rejection of her family who has shunned every sign that Isis may possess the gift of magic. Through her dreams Isis learns of the plot of a future bombing followed by the assassination of the current president. As Isis and Dane race to stop the bombing, she learns that it is a trap and is kidnapped. Isis realizes that she must risk everything to save her life and the world that she knows.

THE GUARDIANS is a 57,000-word Young Adult contemporary fantasy novel.

Also I don't like the title. It is a work in progress--so any cool words that you know that have to do with protection or something would be great.

Thanks! Have a great week!

Books That Are Helping Me

2009-03-22T22:57:00.003-04:00

This week I've managed to fit in two very important scenes that will help to build the tension in my book. It doesn't sound like a lot, but this conflict is central to the story, and I didn't figure that out until I was three quarters of the way through the first draft. That is what editing for, but the one thing I know I have going for the book is my pacing. And so when I change things, add scenes, and move things around, I naturally worry about my pacing. I think these changes are going to work though.

This week I've started reading two books, (nonfiction) and read a fiction book. They have all helped me a lot. When I read nonfiction I tend to read several at a time. I'm not all that into nonfiction books, but I go through phases--I'm actually reading three at the moment, but one has nothing to do with writing.

My fiction book that I read was The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. She's been one of my favorite writers (top ten) since I was in middle school. I love her strong women characters, and the fantasy worlds she creates. As I read this book again for the bazillionth time (I'm a rereader), I noticed that she has a pattern to her stories. She starts out with a woman who is living a fairly normal existence. Then something happens that throws her out of that normal world. She may suddenly be in a new country, be hurt by someone or have responsibility thrown on her. The middle of the book focuses with her dealing with the adjustments of her new world, and learning to control the new powers she has discovered as a result. Finally she goes on a journey or fights something virtually alone. With her special magical powers there is a massive magic scene in which the forces of opposition are overthrown.

She uses this basic plot in Beauty, The Blue Sword, Deerskin, Hero and the Crown, The Chalice, and Sunshine.

And yet I love everyone of these books, and they are all very, very different. She is masterful at building the different worlds that allow these very different characters to exist and have their problems. Every book is unique, and you care about each character. The obstacles they face are different, but they all follow the same pattern.

This may have come to my focus because I'm in the middle of reading a great book: Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. This book is just what I needed to help me really focus on fixing the right things in the editing process. It is a good book, full of examples, but the thing I like the best about it are all of the questions he keeps asking about the characters. It is helping me make my conflict more focused, and hopefully my book more enjoyable.

The other book I just started is Hooked by Les Edgerton. Honestly I'm only a few pages into this, but it seems like a solid read, full of good advice, and similar questions to Plot and Structure. I'm also planning on reading The First Five Pages in the next few weeks.

My husband, who is very supportive of my writing, bought me these books for my birthday. He really knew how stuck I was in the editing process, but these books are helping me look at what needs to be fixed, and giving me suggestions (in the form of questions) on what to do in order to fix them.

How did your writing week go?

Realizations.

2009-03-15T19:49:00.001-04:00

So I had several mini realizations this week. One being that I've gotten out of the habit of writing. Meaning I'm not taking my set time in the evening and pounding out the words every night. No wonder my novel is not getting where it needs to go.

The second is that I need someone who will read my book and look at the story and tell me how to make it tighter. Specifically. I can't afford an editor. So I'm wondering what to do. I've thought about a manuscript exchange, but it's hard because I have to trust the person. By trust I mean respect their opinion and judgement calls. It's a difficult thing to do.

My husband got me three books on writing--well they are more focused on the revision part of writing. You know the fun stuff that I just don't get. So I'm excited to read them.

I've also been thinking about the difference between being a slow bleeder, and writing out as fast you can. I've never been a slow bleeder, but I've never been much of an editor either. I think that is why I'm struggling so much with this phase of the novel writing process. I know that the book can be stronger--I am just having a hard time figuring out how to get it there.

Finally do you have any tips on what to where to a writer's conference? I want to go professional--but I want the right balance of professional and not overstated. Any ideas on what to wear and where to shop?

Thanks!

A New Ending

2009-03-08T21:06:00.001-04:00

What a week. I redid the end of my novel. Well actually I added a new chapter to the end, but it also means that I'm going to have to go back and work some new elements into the plot line. The silly thing is that this was part of my original plot, but I just didn't it include it for some reason.

And then honestly I randomly decided to end my novel.

I just felt done, but I knew I wasn't really done. The new ending seems better to me now. I've tied up a few more loose ends, and managed to kill someone. Some of my beta readers told me that I needed someone to die during the fight scenes. And I agreed--the type of fighting my characters do just isn't as cool or as real without some sort of casualties. But I didn't know who to kill--I liked all of my major characters, and I'm planning on using them later on in the series. And then it hit me! And so he's dead.

It's funny, but now I feel like I can really dig into the revision process a lot more. I needed that resolution before I could move forward.

Total subject change. So I've never talked to other people (nonwriter people) or friends and family that really know me of my writing desire. But on facebook, I've been putting comments in my status. It's funny because my high school friends don't seem too surprised (I was on the Literary Magazine staff), but my adult friends all do. But I've gotten so much positive feedback, I don't know why I wasn't letting on that I want to be a published author. Maybe the dream is so fragile and the process is so hard, that it is hard for me to make it public. Plus I'm not really a outgoing person--things are rarely about me. I like blogging because it is just out there.