Me and a Perm plus Other Daily Life

Old friend from high school posted this on FB the other day.
I almost peed my pants laughing.

Yes, that is me with my tongue hanging out.  That's a lot of aqua net right there baby.  Just thought I'd share.

In other news, during my editing struggle (and thus slashing two chapters) I decided I could not possibly move forward with editing until I did an outline.  It's not as detailed as the outlines I have done in the past but more of a 4 step Craptastic Rough Draft, which consists of :

1. Chapter # - What the heck is the overall objective?
2. How many freaking locations do I jump through this time?
3. Any plot threads worth mentioning?
4. What on god's green earth is the cliffhanger?

It's my specialized copyrighted formula but feel free to use it if helps you too.  Doing this though, I've spotted two problems I didn't see before and hopefully by the time I am done, I will fix the pre-ending of my story that I just hacked. (pre-ending  = right before the big show down/climax) I'm back on track with my MS for sure.

As long as the young'ens don't pester me too much.

And to deal with those pesky varmets varmits (Freaking A! I can't spell!) varmints (or varments according to dictionary.com)  I created daily to do's, chores and homework chart....yes I make my kids to light homework every day over the summer. Day 1, today, was a complete success.  They did twice as much as they were required, (which is a lot for my older boy.)  I also implemented a "No Electronics" for majority of the day but together we created a monster list of games to play or fun things to do.  I hope they don't burn through them all in the first week.  I work from home (work=writing) so they have to be happy hanging here.  

Beep, beep, beep goes the dryer.  Gotta go!

Plants vs. Angels?

Yeah so in my world plants are winning out. I neglected my life/yard/family to the point of desolation (not really) for the glory of the MS (which kind of involves angels, more like she's the daughter of a human race, divined by God with angelic powers, so angelish? It's a long story. I digress.) so I must re-inject myself in my MS or full collapse/implosion will occur.

(Cue diversion) To my right is a sweet succulent arrangement I created out by our pool. Nice huh? It's beauteous and low maintenance-ous. Which feeds to my i-can-ignore-it-and-it-will-probably-survive appeal. Thus the beauty of Southern California.

Annnnnnd on that note, or not, summer is coming. Which means kids are out of school on Friday? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, FRIDAY!?! (For the record, I wrote "FOR THE LOVE OF GOE" instead of "GOD" I think my writer brain just invented a new god for my next book. Not.  But you know how our brains tangent.)

What the hey? How am I going to entertain these height deprived folk? Oh geesh, shall I sit by the fire and read them Alexander Pope poems? Heck no, not unless I want a revolt on my hands. Whatever summer shenanigans I in tell, there will be a minuscule amount of editing time. Shall I remind myself of my SCBWI LA 2011 summer goal?  The self-prescribed goal to have a solid 3rd draft ready to share by the conference.  

Why on God's green earth would I subject myself to that kind of "agent" pressure?

No, I plan to pretend there is no such enforced deadline for the MS...did I say "the MS?" That was a Freudian disassociation slip. I meant "my MS." Either way, I will ignore the fact that it has taken me A GAZILLION TIMES longer to edit the darn thing than write it............oh hell, I digress....like apples to rutabaga digress.

So now is the time I inhale and become one with and accept my predecessor published author's words of wisdom: "Enjoy the pre-published, no deadline stage while you can."

Yeah, I'm rolling it.

Cover Wars

Flipping through One Page At a Time YA Book Reviews, I found a fun series of posts called Cover Wars.  KM does a great job posting cover wars of popular YA books.  For instance:

Hardcover vs. Paperback

US vs. Germany

Or if you rock the planet like Kristin Cashore...

(Go here to see her entire book gallery.)

And many more (just type in "cover wars" on KM's blog search and you will see an entire list.)

I find the hardcover vs. paperback changes to be the least desirable.  Why the drastic change?  I assume publishers think the different cover art will appeal to a whole new audience.  For some reason I have an affinity towards the cover of the book I read.  Like The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, I prefer the hardcover because that's the physical copy I read.  I'm even picky as to which addition I share on my Shelfari or Goodreads bookshelves.

To Write Love On Her Arms

The whole story here.

How do you avoid "boring" once you're an established author?

This is not the first time I have read a popular author's sequel book and found it, well....boring.

For the record, and for the salvation of my future as a published author, I will not divulge as to what book I am referring too. And no, it is not the book I have listed to the right in my "Currently Reading" sidebar.

What I wonder is, how does this happen?  How does one go from great to eh, okay.  Could it be that their popularity and fame has deluded editors judgement?  Or could it be that I read the author's other books a long while back but now find the writing subpar?  Maybe but beyond my opinion, others, a majority others praise this author.

So I ask, how can we avoid this as future authors?  I'd like to think we would not get so full of ourselves.  That we won't let book sales go to our head and we will still strive to write a better book than last time.  That beating a dead horse is simply that, beating a dead horse.  I hope than when I'm published and WHEN I get my three book deal (You like that putting-it-out-in-the-universe mentality?) that I preform like Susan Collins and write the greatest Mockingjay of my life.  That's how you do it!

How will you crack the "Sequels Suck" myth?

What's your gravity?

Right now I need a little heavy.

I'd love to say I had this amazing post written last week but blogger deleted it.  Well there is a half truth there....blogger deleted my "What's your gravity?" post.  The "amazing"...not so much.

But what I said in a nutshell is hey, I haven't been blogging lately but my blog hiatuses usually go in waves.  What I'm more concerned about, is my editing.  It has coasted to a halt as well.

Usually the idea of "someday I want to be published" pushes me when I can't otherwise move forward but now, it's not enough.  DON'T misread that, I still want, need, crave to be published but I feel like I have neglected my yard, my honey=do list, my LIFE and I'm playing catch up on the other side (other side read reality.)

I'm still enjoying my MS and characters but I am forty pages out from finishing my editing and then OFF to betas.  You'd think the "light at the end of the tunnel" joy would fuel my last laps here but no, I find myself unmotivated.  Maybe it has to do with the book I am reading now (which I will post about tomorrow.)  I am slightly panicked because I did want a completed, solid 3rd draft MS to take with me to SCBWI LA 2011.  Do you think that is possible?

Whatever the case may be, I need a little gravity to see me through to the end.  So I ask again, what is your gravity?

Hiatus Comes With a Price

So the last two months my posting has slowed down because of life and editing.  But hiatus comes with a price.  The traffic through my blog is, well...nil.  I wish I could be one of the popular people who blog daily, twitter often and write novels in their spare time.  I can't.  I have family, children, priorities but with those commitments comes a price.

Yesterday Kristen Creative talked about how "Twitter is like a club" and I totally agree but not like YAMafia kind of way.  Those people who have the time to commit to Twitter, blogging or whatever social network are rewarded with popularity.  Because they are committed to consistency which brings an audience.  In my opinion, if you are that committed, you deserve the popularity.

So I flounder between, guilt and envy and pouting (I want to be cool!)  Guilt - because I want to build a social network for my future publications and hiatus is not building that.  Envy - for the peeps who have the time and blogwell from which they can pull from.  Pouting - because I don't have the first two.

Then it dawned on me (through Kristen's blog comments), I am not socially dependent upon my computer.  AND so we are clear, I am NOT saying those who are popular are dependent, I'm just trying to relieve some of my own guilt-envy-pouting and remind myself it's okay if I'm not popular ALL the time (or ever) in the virtual world.  

So I hereby decree a State of DowhateverIwanteth until said contract is struck with publisher for a book deal. At said (I like using "said" like that, yes I'm a dork) point in time I will hit the blog ground running and be a formidable face on Twitter, Blogger and Whatever-er.

That relieves some of the pressure I unnecessarily put on myself.  How about you, do you yield to the popular/cool gods?

Plus, summer is coming and kids will need my 24hr/day attention.  I'm gearing up for the summer vacay.  (Not to mention I will be in Tennessee visiting my peeps for three weeks.)

Lips Touch Three Times Give-a-way

When a publishing company makes statements like “unparalleled imagination,” my status bar for the content is immediately raised and my disappointment meter is on high alert.

“Lips Touch Three Times” by Laini Taylor is the exception to that rule.  I loved this book so much, I bought a second copy to give-a-way.

You might remember a couple of weeks ago I mentioned Taylor had a book coming out “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” (Bitchin’ title and hot cover) praised by author Kiersten White on Twitter.  I decided to buy Taylor’s “Lips Touch Three Times” book to check out her writing.   

“Unparalleled Imagination” is an understatement.  This book consists of three stories, all which involve the power of a kiss.  Here’s the book synopsis so I don’t botch it:

Everyone dreams of getting the kiss of a lifetime - but what if that kiss carried some unexpected consequences? A girl who's always been in the shadows finds herself pursued by the unbelievably attractive new boy at school, who may or may not be the death of her. Another girl grows up mute because of a curse placed on her by a vindictive spirit, and later must decide whether to utter her first words to the boy she loves and risk killing everyone who hears her if the curse is real. And a third girl discovers that the real reason for her transient life with her mother has to do with belonging literally belonging to another world entirely, full of dreaded creatures who can transform into animals, and whose queen keeps little girls as personal pets until they grow to childbearing age. From a writer of unparalleled imagination and emotional insight, three stories about the deliciousness of wanting and waiting for that moment when lips touch. 

The main character in the first story has a freakishly obscure family life and yet Taylor paints with her words in such a way you believe those families truly live among us.  The second story gives you a twisted but plausible India-ish version of heaven and hell.  I say “India-ish” because it’s based on the Hindu’s concept of heaven and hell but with an artful spin that Taylor puts on all her work.

The third story blew my mind away.  This is the type of writing I hope to achieve someday.  She spins half-truths with folklore mixed in wolf’s blood for an amazing tale.  I don’t want to say any more because I might sprinkle in spoilers and not mean to but you have to read it with virgin knowledge to receive the full mind blow.

At the end of her book, Taylor inserts an Author’s Note about the where her half-truths were derived.  It’s those half-truths that make the stories believable and that is the quality in her work that I love and strive for in my own writing.  She sums herself up as follows:

Like a magpie, I am a scavenger of shiny things: fairy tales, dead languages, weird folk beliefs, fascinating religious, and more. 

I couldn’t have described her writing any better.

Now the Give-a-way.  Simply tell me in the comments you want this hardcover book and I’ll use random.org to select a winner.  Contest ends Monday, May 23, 2011 where I’ll announce a winner.


If you are feeling at all generous you can, blog, tweet, FB or whatever about this post but you don't have too.  I want to spread the word about this amazing author.  By doing so, you will be feeding the word of mouth karma in hopes that someday, when you become published, someone will pay it forward and spread the word about your book.  (No she is not a debut author but she is totally spread the word worthy.)  

BTW…did I mention the illustrations are gorgeous?  You have to have this book.

A little Inadequacy, Searching and Process

On Feeling Inadequate
On some level we all feel inadequate sometimes (or if you are in the middle of editing it's pretty much a 24/7 state of perpetualness.)  Taherah Mafi does a great job pointing out the normalcy of it and how to deal, especially if others think you are inadequate.  Her last line is the best.


5 Key Research Sites You May Have Missed (Plus Cool Tricks)
Are you guilty of researching everything via Google?  Yeah, me too.  Here are a few other sights that can help you narrow your search.  But the best part of her post, the "cool tricks" at the bottom when searching.


My Ten Steps to Novel Completion
Pantser?  Outliner?  Roni Loren nails it when she says "The only right way is what works for you." She writes down her steps to how she writes a novel.  Her second paragraph is so on the money.  Her ten steps are totally cool and not at all like I would write but, reading about her process, gives me an idea on how to streamline mine a little better.

My New Dining Furniture

Yeah, this is a writing blog and I'm showing you pictures of my new dining furniture....it's my blog I can do what I want, right?  At least I didn't trick you with some fancy title only to have you click and see a post about my new furniture and not writing.

Here's the table:

Four side chairs:

Two end chairs:

Gorgeous huh?  I freaking LOVE it!  The table is made from reclaimed Elm and the raw finish is beautiful.  It should be here in two weeks and I can't wait.

These are the gorgeous, hand wrought iron napkin rings I want to order by Jan Barboglio.  Sooo pretty.

That's all.  I just wanted to share in my excitement.

Have a great day!

Living In the Now

When I started writing my first MS I wrote in past tense, mostly.  I applied the past tense to my blog, even though it should have been present tense (in my opinion), unless I was actually talking about the past then...oh man, you get my point.

It wasn't until a critique partner of mine pointed out my random present tense slippages and my mild past participle abuse that I realized I even had a problem with tense.  Even though she pointed it out, it was very difficult to see and correct.  Well I immediately started to focus on my tense and eventually, I mastered it.  Sure, in my manuscript I sometimes slip but that's mostly because I'm working through how the manuscript should go.  (Too much slippage and I realize I need to change the MS's overall tense.  Done that before, what a pain.)   Now my blogs, emails, whatevers are in present tense and it makes me feel like I am living in the now.

It feels good being here, present, in the present.

Just another way my writing has changed me.

One Story Told Two Ways

Sorry guys, been sick.  My head's not in the game this week (or last) so here's a post about writing and music. BTW...my two points are pathetically unrelated and the second more apropos to the title of this post.

So many of us writers freak when have to capsulize our 75K word story in a 250 word synopsis.  But when you think about it, its done all the time in songs, so we shouldn't freak--in theory.  Most songs average 250 words.  Some artists, especially country artists, can summarize a lifetime in one song. (Tim McGraw's "Don't Take the Girl")

Along the same lines, writers also tend to worry if their story is original (hence my current status.)  Seriously, how many ways can you spin the whole vampire angle?  From The Lost Boys, to Blade, to Twilight, to Trueblood...everybody's got their own vision of how the story plays out.  Despite the Twilight haters (Stop drinking the Hatorade already, people!) vampires are still popular.

You know what will separate your story from the rest....your voice.  (Cue pathetic tie of points.) Here is the same song performed two different ways and my indie/eclectic music loving heart loves them both for their individuality...for their voice.

(Don't let the freaky video detract from the song. :)




(This Jose Gonzalez version for Sony is cool too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-qJu20do0o)