Kelly Lyman tagged me last week for the latest, cool tag game going on. I’m not going to talk about my WIPs. They’re still a secret. But I will talk about the book that I’m currently querying.
What is the working title of your book?
Shot in the Dark
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I have a background in sports physiology and performance enhancing drugs. My ex-boyfriend and I disagreed about the use of steroids. He was all for them. I thought he was an idiot. That’s the short version. An issue of Sports Illustrated Kids had an article about steroid use and that sparked the idea for the book.
What genre does your book fall under?
YA contemporary but it also has romance and suspense.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I have no idea. Chace Crawford is how I imagine Daniel Ackerman. Maddie White reminds me of Snow White with attitude.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
After her twin brother commits suicide, Seventeen-year-old Maddie teams up with his best friend and digs into the secret, steroid-trade culture of her town—unknowingly making them a target to the people desperate to see the secrets kept, at any cost.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Which version? Nuff said.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
In my query, I focused on comparison authors instead of books: Simone Elkeles, Kody Keplinger, and Katie McGarry
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
It was inspired by my annoyance of steroid use in sports, and how teens feel it’s necessary to use the drug in order to excel or to improve their appearance. The drug is dangerous.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Although Daniel (hot love interest) is the senior varsity quarterback, his real love is Latin Dance.
And the tag goes to . . .
Katie Mills (Aka Creepy Query Girl) Christina Lee Janet Johnson Kelly Polark Leigh T Moore (author of The Truth About Faking It. Great book!)
Because I'm going to be super busy Friday and this weekend due to a RWA workshop in my city, I won't be blogging this Friday. I wish you all a great week and weekend.
After doing all the hard work yesterday with a 13 blog tour for my new book, SAINT SLOAN. I decided to take it easy today and let someone else write for me ;) And you guys are in for a treat. Lynn Spangler is here to talk about her new book! Here she is:
First of all, I'd like to thank Kelly for having me as a guest on her blog today.
How do I fit writing into my day? I don't work which is a major plus when one chooses writing as a profession. I generally write in the mornings after I've had a cup or two of coffee running through my system. I have two places I write. My office and my comfy recliner. When writing in the recliner, I often have my furry canine daughter as my co-pilot (she's next to me as I write this post.) As a housewife, I also do such things as laundry while I'm writing. I simply take a break to change the wash around or fold the dried laundry. Then I pick up where I left off, usually without skipping a beat. I generally do not write over the weekend or in the evenings unless I have edits due. This allows me to spend time with my husband and daughter who are either working or in school when I write in the morning. I feel this schedule is an excellent balance between writing and what is truly most important to me -- my family.
While this writing process is not overly prolific, it works for me. It took me about a month to write my recently released story, Whiskey Whispers of the Past. I'm no speed demon by any stretch of the imagination but I'm comfortable with my writing situation.
If inspiration strikes me in the afternoon or evening, I have a notebook I keep next to my trusty recliner (can you tell it's my favorite seat in the house?) I'll jot down plot ideas or even continue the storyline. I'll add whatever I wrote in my notebook to the story the following day. I also use my iPad to do research and the like. It may sound like a quirky system but it makes my journey as a writer much easier.
I hope you enjoyed hearing a little about my writing schedule today. I'd also like to thank Kelly again for having me. Have a great weekend everyone!
Blurb:
Kendra thought her life was her store; Chance thought his revolved around his addiction. What if they’re both wrong?
Looking for a new start, Chance Daniels moves from hectic, big city living to a small town in South Central Pennsylvania. He decides opening his own music store on Main Street will help him beat the demons of his alcoholism. He discovers the beautiful business owner from across the street may be the lift he needs to beat his addiction. But little does he know that parts of his past unbeknownst to him are about to come to light. Chance receives strange objects in the mail and the woman he falls in love with is nearly run down by a crazed driver. Kendra Strafford, owner of Strafford’s Candle Creations, finds herself drawn to the tall, handsome man from Los Angeles after starting a standing weekday coffee date with him. She can’t help but fall in love with him, despite his addiction and the strange happenings that seem to surround him. Her own brush with death only draws her closer to Chance. Was her accident just an accident or was it part of a more devious scheme arising from Chance’s hidden past and will they overcome the bizarre occurrences besieging them to explore their developing love?
Excerpt: "I hear someone is looking at the old Donaldson's building." Kendra peered out the front window of her candle shop, Strafford's Candle Creations, toward the brick façade of the adjacent building. She saw the local real estate agent and her good friend, Nancy Lewis, walking toward the old structure. The converted row house had once contained Donaldson's Hardware Store, which had been a fixture of Main Street, right across from Kendra's establishment. "Oh, yeah? I wonder what business someone would put in there," her assistant Deanna commented. Kendra frowned as she sipped the now lukewarm coffee then set the cup on the glass shelf beside her. "I don't know. Rumor has it it's someone new to the area. A guy looking to make a fresh start, from what Nancy told me. She said the buyer told her he needed a change of pace and a new locale. Why he'd end up in such a place as Jonerstown is beyond me. This area isn't known as a hotbed of business like York or Harrisburg." "I don't know. Jonerstown is a nice town. Perhaps its charm won him over." Kendra nibbled her lip — a habit of hers when deep in thought. "Maybe." A quick glance at her watch indicated it was nearly time to open the shop. "How's our merchandise looking? Do we need to restock anything?" "No, we're good. I took care of that chore last night while you were in the dungeon replenishing our inventory." Kendra stepped to the counter, which was tucked in the back corner of the sales floor. "Really? A dungeon? Where I come from it’s commonly called a basement. Hand me the duster. It's time to open and I haven't completed the dusting yet." Glancing around her shop, she surveyed the three rows of gleaming glass shelves filling two walls of the sales floor. Floor units graced the center of her shop, reflecting the brilliance of the morning sun against the ceiling of the store. The shelves were stocked with candles in a vast array of sizes, shapes, colors, and scents. She inhaled, marveling at the combination. Oh, how she loved the fruits of her labor. Every day her wares brought a feeling of warmth and pride. She strode to the storefront, unlocked the door, flipped the Closed sign to Open, and went about dusting the shelves while rearranging a candle or two along the way. "Wow. You've got to see the guy meeting up with Nancy." Kendra spun around, gazed out the window again, and was greeted by a pleasant surprise. The man shaking Nancy's hand stood about six feet tall at a guess. He was dressed in well-worn blue jeans and a black t-shirt that fit snugly over his arms and chest. "Hmm. At least we'll have some eye candy to stare at. He reminds me of a boxer with the trim, muscular build." "I like the spiky hair sticking out in every which direction. Too bad we couldn't see his face." Yeah, too bad. The body is killer.
Ok, so this isn't a "Produce Review" per sa. It's more of a Tip from a Mom who wishes she had gotten a clue 3 kids ago!
I'll admit to having a bit of a diaper bag love. I love looking at them. Before my first daughter was born, I remember going and looking at the selections at various stores. Did I want the geometric "trendy" bag or was I going to go more with the kiddy theme of Winnie The Pooh?
Through 3 kids, I've had 4 diaper bags so far.. which isn't horrible, but I probably could have saved money and kept the same one through all of my kids (but my first one which was oh so cute... wish I had a picture... was cloth and sadly didn't survive dear daughter #1's year of Acid Reflux... )
I found some bags from different places that I thought I'd post. These are super cute. Bags that we are used to seeing... The "traditional" side carry style...
From http://www.jcpenney.com/...
Then if you didn't want to look like you were actually carrying a diaper bag, but a purse, then you have this option...
From http://www.sears.com/
CUTE!!!!!!!!!!
However, something happened this weekend which totally threw me and my diaper bags for a loop. We went on our first vacation and heck if we didn't the baby with us. She is 10 months old... cute as can be (if I do say so myself lol) and in need of lots and LOTS of things for a 2 day trip. I knew we were going to be doing a lot of walking and didn't have it in me to carry her bunky bag...
THIS is her diaper bag...
I love it... well I used to love it. Its from Wal-mart. Easy to wash because, sadly, Dear Daughter #3 is a big of a spitter-upper too. BUT man, I didn't want to lug this thing everywhere for a 2 day trip!!!
What to do?
Well, yeah, I finally got smart...
Flashback: I remember when I had my first daughter, the hospital gave me a "diaper bag" with formula, coupons, etc in it... and it was a *drum roll please* a backpack style! Now, it was too little and I never used it (it is in fact sitting in my bedroom right now), but the idea of it popped in my head while I was getting ready for our vacation.
NOW, I realize that most of you are way ahead of me in the thinking department and have probably already had this epiphany. I, however, am sharing this with those who might have not.
I didn't buy a "diaper bag" for the trip. I bought an actual backpack. One with 2 mesh pockets on the side where you can keep drinks... or... bottles!
A few examples from http://www.kmart.com/ are below...
Mine was $9.99 I believe from Wal-mart, but you can go as high or as low as you want. They even have some really really REALLY cute ones at http://www.diaperbags.com/ but they can be high. They have all different styles from shoulder carry to back carry to messenger carry... I'd show a picture, but they won't let me copy...
So, I have to say that the backpack style "diaper bag" was the most useful bag ever. It was easy to carry, not near as bulky, everything was in a more orderly fashion... I'm sure I got looks, but I don't care... I'm a mother, I'm used to it.
I did take ole faithful diaper bag (aka the pink side carry) with us, but used it as a suitcase. I think it has been replaced with the backpack. I TOTALLY wish I had known about this when my first daughter was a baby. My life would have been (at least a little) better. :)
So, that is your Mommy Tip... backpack style diaper bags!!!
Don't forget... Quest #2 The Big Toy Purge is due by Friday!!! I'm going to have to get on this one because we have been on vacation all week AND we just had the bright idea to paint our bathroom which includes taking down old wallpaper... BUT I will get the toys decluttered and show my progress on Friday! Please join me... I need some encouragement. Also, if you have an idea for a Quest for us to do, please leave a comment. I have the summer mapped out, but it is totally flexible.
If (by chance) I get top 10 in any category on Amazon, I'll giveaway a $25 gift card on the blog to say thanks. ♥ A chance for free money AND a cartwheel (from me no less)... what's not to like ;)
But I need your help! Spread the word about the book. If you've read it, please leave a review. Recommend it to your friends (heck, even your enemies ;) ). I'd love for this story to be read by and touch as many people as it can ♥ Teen/Christian fiction rocks! :) (and it does actually exist :) )
Have a great weekend, friends :) Tomorrow, is my sweet Saturday Snippet. Not sure which story I'm going to use though... Hmm...
Much Love,
Kelly
BUY LINK: AMAZON
Also available on Barnes and Nobel and Astraea Press.com
Before I go further, I need to explain something due to a possible conflict of interest. My husband is a mutual fund portfolio manager for a major investment firm. As part of his portfolio, he has shares in Chapters Indigo Bookstores, which is a major chain in Canada. Now this obviously has one major perk: he’s happy when I buy books from the store because I’m supporting one of his companies. Talk about a win-win situation.
A few weeks ago, Chapters released the eReader Kobo (also found in Borders in the US). My husband came home one day and this was our conversation:
Him: So, would you be interested in buying the Kobo and trying it out?
Me: (blank look)
Him: You read a lot, so you could tell me what you think of it.
Me: (blank look transforms to incredulous one) But . . . but I love the feel of the pages as I turn them. I love the smell of the paper. And I love seeing them on my bookshelf.
Him: (blank look)
Me: And what if I hate it? Then what?
Him: Then I’ll consider the money part of doing business. You read books. I don’t (he’s too busy reading financial reports). Just consider it research.
That was the magic word: Research.
I love research.
So I ordered the Kobo and patiently (see, I can be patient) waited for it to be delivered. It came the same day as Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead. Sorry, sweetie (yes, my adoring hubby is reading this), but Rose, Dimitri, and Adrian were bigger priorities.
But I did finally try the Kobo this weekend, and the following is my opinion of it, and of eReaders in general:
As you can see from this picture, the Kobo is a lot skinnier than Spirit Bound. I read in bed while cozying up to my incredibly sexy smart husband. The weight of Spirit Bound was uncomfortable on my sternum. So that’s a plus for the Kobo.
The covers on Kobo are black and white. Okay, maybe that isn’t a big deal, but I’m so a cover girl (and not the model variety).
As you can see in this picture, my bookshelves are getting a little crowded (and that's not all of my books). The Kobo can hold up to 1000 ebooks, and you can store even more on a memory card. The Kobo even comes with 100 classics (including Jane Austen, which I already own). The negative part is that you can’t just glance at the shelf and grab a book. You have to either know the author’s name or the title of the book you want to read on the Kobo (eReader), or you're searching through a lot of books.
There is one major perk, though. My seven-year-old son’s bookshelf is a huge disaster (despite how many times I tell him to tidy it). Having his books on the eReader would keep me sane.
There are some books which I love to reread portions of again and again. Especially the hot make out scenes the wonderful descriptions. Yep, I can tell you where they all are in Spirit Bound. I couldn’t do that with the Kobo. Other eReaders may have a function that allows you to bookmark all the steamy good parts.
The Kobo has to be recharged through the computer. Apparently, the charge is good for two weeks. So while the Kobo will allow me to pack less in terms of books, I’ll have to bring my laptop with me if I travel for longer than two weeks. I guess that isn’t too big a deal since I’d want to have access to the internet anyway.
Another disadvantage is: what happens if something goes wrong with my Kobo? It’s hard for my real books to malfunction . . . other than if the pages fall out. Naturally, this is an issue for all eReaders (and I'm not referring to pages falling out).
And finally, with an eReader, I can’t lend my books (though I only do that with people who worship books like me) or donate used books. Maybe it's not a big deal, but it is a weakness of the systems nonetheless.
One of the big perks of the Kobo was the price. In Canada, it’s $150.00, which is much cheaper than the other eReaders. Of course, it doesn’t have some of the fancy features the others have. But if you're just looking at reading books, it's perfect.
Overall, I was happy with the device, and will be purchasing more books for it in the future. The downside is most of the books I buy are new releases, and I’m usually impatient to read them (this isn’t a problem with the Kindle). Think again if you expect me to wait several months before I buy Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins) and Last Sacrifice (Richelle Mead). My patience can only last so long, and, hey, they’re both the final books in two of my favorite series.
So what about you? What’s your take on the eReaders?
Most of you have probably heard of Donald Maass’s book Writing The Breakout Novel. I ordered the workbook by the same name this weekend and, assuming it’s got some kickass advice, will review it in the New Year.
In this post, I want to focus on his great advice from The Fire In Fiction: passion, purpose, and techniques to make your novel great. Seriously, what is it with all these incredibly long titles for non-fiction books about writing fiction? Geesh!
We all know how important the first line is when the reader checks out the first page of a novel. I mean, who can resist first lines like these?:
Phoebe and her friends held their breath as the dead girl in the plaid skirt walked past their table in the lunchroom. (Generation Dead by Daniel Waters)
Even before he got electrocuted, Jason was having a rotten day. (The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan)
Three things I know this second: I have morning breath, I’m naked, and I’m waking up next to a boy I don’t know. (The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney)
There’s a big difference between death threats and love letters—even if the person writing the death threats still claims to actually love you. (Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead)
We slave, we stress, we sweat, all while struggling to create that perfect first line. But according to Donald Maass, that’s not enough. The first and last line of each scene should be rocking. I know, you’re all groaning. Wasn’t perfecting the first line of the book bad enough? But it makes sense when you think about it. With the scene’s final line, you want to keep the reader from putting the book down. If the next scene has a great line like the first one of the book, then you’ve just enticed your reader to keep reading (assuming she’s enthralled with your story or her eyes lids haven’t drooped shut because it’s 2 am.)
Now, the final line of each scene doesn’t have to be a cliff hanger, but it does have to leave the reader wanting more. Right? And I do think you have some leeway with the first sentences. They can’t all be as great as your first one. But it is worth the tears to make them as strong as you can.
Has anyone tried this technique before, or is it something you haven’t given much thought to?
I know, I said I wasn't going to blog this week, but I really did miss you guys. My inbox has been lonely without your heartwarming comments. *wipes away tear*
Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I'm doing today's FRIDAY FIVE on Cassandra Marshall's blog. Cassandra's a fellow YA writer, a freelance editor, and an intern at a literary agency. AND until midnight tonight (Friday July 2nd), you can enter for a chance to win a substantial edit (up to 100 K). Now who wouldn't want that?
Have a great weekend! Cool Links Friday will be back next week.
Every writer, especially the chocoholic variety, knows chocolate is a necessity. Whether you’re battling plot issues, dealing with a character who has different plans than you, waiting to hear back from your crit partner/beta readers, or querying, chocolate is a basic survival food. So make sure you include it on your Christmas list, and then hide it if you have kids like mine. Otherwise, you won’t have it when you really need it.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . Tons of yummy chocolate, AquaNotes, so you can brainstorm in the shower, And Margie Lawson’s awesome lecture notes.
(Now, aren’t you glad I didn’t turn this list into a singing vlog?)
So... today is Saturday. The big cleaning day at my house. It didn't used to be... but it is now. I have evolved (or grown, or gotten tired of clutter, or something has gone terribly wrong in my head where I think "I.Must.Clean.On.Saturday."...Stepford maybe??? )
Anyway, last night I wrote everything down in my notebook that I needed to do today: ~Bathrooms: *sweep, *Swiffer, *clean bathtubs, *clean toilets, *clorox vanities, *clean mirrors.
~ Living Room: *Pick up clutter, *Dust (DH had already vaccumed)
~Laundry: *3 Loads
I don't know if that's a *lot* for 'normal' people to do during the weekend, but it's much more than I used to do. I checked off everything that I did thoughout the day (on top of fixing breakfast/lunch, and taking care of 3 kids), and as the day went on... I admit... I started getting disgruntled. I mean DANG! I was doing all of this for my family and they could have cared less (except my oldest DID like helping me clean :) Training her well lol). By 12, I was tired, and grumpy, and well... tired.
I wanted to throw the stinking notebook and my new 'ideals' away and beat myself for ever even thinking of doing it (if I'm being honest).
But...
I took a big deep breath.
I watched as my kids played coupon clippers.
We got ready (all 5 of us) and went out for supper...
We came home...
And the house was clean.
The kids were happy.
I was happy.
And my dh... my sweet dh, actually called his sister telling her about my 'new' notebook and how nice it was :) He was aslo talking about my new couponing 'obsession' and how much money it had saved us.
SO, at the beginning of the day I was cursing this new system (how dare *I* have to do all of this stuff) but by the end of the day, I loved it again. In fact, I'm making one for my nephew's wedding shower for their new family. I feel a big sense of accomplishment and that's something I don't feel a lot.
To sum up, the 'notebook' is something that you might want to throw up against a wall at times ("If I didn't write it down, I could say I forgot... "), but at the end of the day, it's VERY handy, VERY useful, VERY appreciated. And I give it 2 big thumbs up.
Tomorrow is coupon day :) :) Can't wait!!!!
Much, much love,
Kelly (whose DH is right now buying her a printer!!!!!!! I'm about to get excited!!!!)
So... today is the offical day 2 of my homemaking binder experiment/life change and I have to say I love it! Next thing you know I"ll be sporting a 50s dress and 'perfect' hair-do ;)
I feel much more on top of things. Much more steady and not as overwhelmed. I even had time to do extra things that wasn't on my list (ie sweep the kitchen and clean the washing machine and dryer). I'm even blogging about it instead of watching 'The Vampire Diaries'. (Who IS this girl? lol)
And this is just Day 2 of using it. So I'm wondering... will I be this thrilled with this system in a week? A Month? Will I look back on this and think it was a waste of time? Will I decide that this system has been one of the greatest inventions ever? Is it a 'Kelly fad' or a life change?
I want it to be a life change. I really do. I can't tell you how much better/easier/less chaotic the last 2 days have been... but I'm going to use it at least a month to decide if it's worth it or not... right now it gets a big ole thumbs up! I *actually* feel like a housewife (even though I work) and I never have before... and I'm not sure why that is important to me now, but it is.
Tip from me (And I don't give tips easily because I usually don't have any lol):
5 minute cleaning is awesome... get the kids involved and it's great. We had nothing left to do and had 3 minutes left so that's why I cloroxed the washer and dryer).
I still haven't put the menus in my binder yet. I may this weekend.
I really hope some of you join me with the home making binders and coupons. I'd really like people to talk to about it.
Remember in high school when your reputation meant everything? Maybe you had a reputation you didn’t know about or one you didn’t deserve. Like the teen everyone is calling a slut, because some guy spread a rumor that she’s easy (How can you tell I read Anna and the French Kiss this weekend???)
In high school, I was incredibly shy. If a guy spoke to me, I’d come close to fainting (sad, huh?). It wasn’t until I was in university that I discovered people thought I was cold and self-absorbed in high school (I think that’s what the guy told me, right before he ask me out on a date!!!!).
These days our reputation means everything to us writers. Thanks to social networking, you do something and the news of it spreads faster than a grass fire in a strong wind. And like what happened to me in high school, you might not even be aware your reputation is tanking. Last year I wrote a post about a nameless individual. It was amazing how many people knew who I was talking about. Not good news for that individual.
I’m currently in an online writing course that was the inspiration for my post on broken promises last week. Turns out, even beyond the class, the instructor has a bad reputation. Wish I had known about that. After what happened in her first course, I gave her a second chance. I thought she was going to improve. *tattoos naïve on forehead* She didn’t.
While some people don’t seem to give a damn about their reputation (or don’t try to do anything to improve it), there are some writers who do what they can to make the world a shiny place. They don’t do things to benefit themselves. They do it to benefit charities, teens, kids, or other writers. They love to pay it forward.
So, what can you do about your reputation? Now’s the time to determine how you want people to perceive you, then make sure you do what you need to do to gain (or maintain) that reputation. It’s a lot easier to build a good reputation than it is to repair a damaged one. Just ask Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Lindsay Lohan.
Which kind of reputation do you want? Have you given much thought to how other people perceive you?
(I wanted to list all the wonderful writers/authors/bloggers that deserved their awesome reputation, but that made for one very long post, I’m happy to say. But if you know someone you would love to mention, please do so in the comments). :)
In the book Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: techniques and exercises for crafting dynamic characters and effective viewpoints (phew!!!), Nancy Kress explains that there are two basic situations in which a character’s emotions come into existence. The first one is when a character responds to a situation based on his feelings. For example, a six year old might learn that her dog died and starts crying. In the second situation, the character’s behaviour might be contrary to how she’s feeling. So in our example, the six year old might be sad, but instead of crying, she acts indifferent to the news and goes sledding instead.
As writers, our goal is to make the actions of our characters unique and specific to who they are. Just like in real life, no two people react the same way to a given situation. So how do we do that? According to Nancy, our emotions come from our personal histories (backstories), personality and traits, and motivations (why we want something). That’s why we spend time figuring out who our characters are (characterization) before we start writing the first draft (though some writers figures these things out during that draft). This is achieved through interviews, questionnaires, backstories, etc.
To show our character’s emotions to a given situation, we use actions, dialogue, physical reactions (check out the emotion thesaurus on The Bookshelf Muse), thoughts, and imagery. There’s no standard formula telling you how much of each to add. But like sensory descriptions, the more you use, the richer the emotions will be.
The following is an example from Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler (YA contemporary). Sixteen-year-old Anna is still grieving the death of her first love, Matt, who died a year ago. No one knew the two were secretly involved until now. This is part of the scene where Frankie (Matt’s sister and Anna’s best friend) finds Anna’s journal with her letters to dead Matt. I’ve indicated each of the above elements used throughout to show you how Sarah infused her writing with the different ways of revealing emotion:
I clear my throat and find my voice again, stronger this time. (physical reaction) “Give it back, Frankie. You have no right to read it, and you have no right to rip it apart. Give it to me.” (dialogue)
She looks at me with crazed, lost eyes. (physical reaction) “No, I don’t think so.”
I’m desperate. (telling!) “Frankie, please give it back to me. Please. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but it’s all I have left of—” (dialogue)
“Anna, he was my brother. Mine. You have no right to have anything left of him!” (dialogue) As the declaration leaves her mouth, she turns her back to me and runs to the shoreline, arching her arm behind her, the rarest-red mermaid tear sparkling in her bracelet like the stone I gave back to the ocean only heartbeats ago. (action)
“Frankie, don’t!” I run toward her, but my legs feel weighted, like I’m stuck in a horrible nightmare. (dialogue, action, imagery, thought) I catch her and snag the bottom of her camisole, knocking her down to the sand. (action)
But the journal is no longer attached to her fingers.
It’s sailing through the air overhead, landing flat on the water with an uninspiring plop.
. . . . I keep swimming toward it, but the current is too strong, pulling on my legs and arms and burning my lungs until I can no longer keep my head above it without fighting. (action) As I kick and yank myself back toward shallower water, the tide moves the journal completely out of reach, encircling it, giving me one last look at the warped pages before it pulls them down to the depths of the ocean.
My heart pounds in a thousand shattered-glass pieces, each beating separately, painfully. (physical reaction, imagery)
I’ve lost him all over again.(thought)
When I get out of the water, I sit down hard on the shore, put my head in my hands, and weep until I don’t have any bones. . . . (action, physical reaction, imagery)
. . . . The ocean has swallowed up my journal.
And it takes all the strength I have left not to dive back in and follow it down, down, deep to the bottom of the sea, lost for all eternity like the broken, banished mermaid. (thought, imagery)
Take an emotionally charged scene from your wip, and see how it compares to the above passage. Have you used as many of these elements as you can? Is your scene lacking the richness of emotions seen here? If so, I hope this post helps. I also highly recommend reading Nancy’s book. It obviously goes into more details than I can here.
<<<3
I'll be taking Friday off like most of the blogging world (even though I'm Canadian and celebrated Thanksgiving last month). I have some serious writing to catch up on, and one of my kids has Friday off school.
Last weekend, I learned a valuable lesson: never leave your camera battery recharger at home. No. Matter. What. Sure your camera might claim your battery is full. But it’s lying. Because once you get to the hotel, it’s going to tell you the truth. And you might not want to know what that is. Yes, despite that, I did manage to take a number of pictures before my battery decided it had had enough. And I should have known better because: battery + cold weather = rapid power loss.
Being prepared also applies to writers. How many times has a brilliant idea hit, and you’ve had to scramble for a pen and scrap piece of paper (or napkin) before the idea goes POUF!, never to be remembered again? As some of you know, I love running. That’s when I solve a lot of my story problems. Last spring I was struggling with a number of plot issues, so I went for a run. Fortunately I anticipated that I would be flooded with ideas (or maybe that was wishful thinking) and bought a pen with me. I learned two important things that day: 1. It’s not as easy as it looks to write legible sentences on your legs. 2. It takes two days to scrub ink off your skin.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve written your notes on? Are you like a boy scout, always prepared for everything? (note: all three photo were taken with my Canon Power Shot SX200 IS point & shoot camera) <<<3 Today I’m talking about creating the sizzle in edgy dark YA on Sarah Fine’s blog. If you haven’t already done so, definitely check out her blog. She always has awesome writing advice from a psychologist’s point of view. Her blog is one of my favorites.
In order to be a fiction writer, you need to not only study books on the craft of writing, you need to read stories (yay!). A LOT of stories (double yay!). Stories both inside and outside your genre.
Now, I don’t know about your loved ones, but my husband is totally clueless about what YA novels I want to read (plus many don’t come out until 2012). But fortunately some genius invented GIFT CARDS.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . .
Gift cards, so I can go on a novel-buying spree (yippee!), Six books for page-turning plots, Workshops to make me smarter, One sexy dance outfit, Membership to a writing organization, Three books for kickass characterizations, Tons of yummy chocolate, AquaNotes, so I can brainstorm in the shower, And Margie Lawson’s awesome lecture notes.
Wow, I can’t believe there are only three more days left of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas for Writers’.
In order to be a fiction writer, you need to not only study books on the craft of writing, you need to read stories (yay!). A LOT of stories (double yay!). Stories both inside and outside your genre.
Now, I don’t know about your loved ones, but my husband is totally clueless about what YA novels I want to read (plus many don’t come out until 2012). But fortunately some genius invented GIFT CARDS.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . .
Gift cards, so I can go on a novel-buying spree (yippee!), Six books for page-turning plots, Workshops to make me smarter, One sexy dance outfit, Membership to a writing organization, Three books for kickass characterizations, Tons of yummy chocolate, AquaNotes, so I can brainstorm in the shower, And Margie Lawson’s awesome lecture notes.
Wow, I can’t believe there are only three more days left of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas for Writers’.
My poor husband will never be able to show his face again in the public library. At least not after the books I borrowed this week. Surviving Infidelity plus Children and Divorce. They really are research for my new YA novel, End of Forever, which I plan to start writing in the New Year. My husband and I are very much in love, and have witnessed the heartbreaking devastation infidelity has on a marriage and family.
I came close to explaining to the librarian why I needed the books, but then changed my mind. That’s pretty much the same thing as saying they’re for a friend. Okay, maybe a tad bit more creative. Oh well, what’s a writer to do? On the bright side, one of my writer friends, who read my novel, Lost in a Heartbeat, told me it is so obvious how well researched my novels are. That’s always good to know.
I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend.
(P.S. The whole infidelity thing was decided on before the Tiger Wood’s scandal)
I can’t believe it’s now 2011. After reading Roni Loren’s blog this weekend, I realized I need to set some writing goals for this year. Heck, I even blogged about it last week on the Query Tracker blog, so I have no excuse.
And now you can hold me accountable to them. Right?
Writing Goals
Query my YA novel, Still.
Edit my new YA. I finished the first draft of Shot in the Dark before Christmas Day. Yay!
Query Shot in the Dark later this year. (Of course, if I land an agent with Still, I won’t have to worry about writing another query. Le sigh.)
Start planning and researching my sexy romantic suspense novel. I’ve already been working on some ideas.
Have first draft of SRS completed by the end of the year—if not sooner.
Write first draft of YA novel, End of Forever. (Yep, it’s already outlined and planned)
Continue to read non-fiction books on writing and challenge my writing.
Attend the LA SCBWI conference in August (anyone else thinking of going?).
Attend the monthly RWA meetings in my city.
Reading
I’m not setting any specific numbers. I read whatever mood I’m in.
YA (my list of books for this year is already long).
Romantic suspense
Erotic Romance. I’m pretty fussy about this one. I’m interested in erotic romantic suspense more than anything.
If anyone has suggestions for the last two subgenres, I’d love to hear them.
So, what are your writing and reading goals for this year? Are you going to be attending any conferences this year?
It's going to be a busy time here on the blog! First, we have Brenda Maxfield here talking about The Lance Temptation (isn't the cover GORGEOUS!).
Then, for the next few days, we will have different authors stop by and talk about how they got a publishing/book contract. I think they are interesting stories to read, and I hope you do too :)
Blurb for The Lance Temptation by Brenda Maxfield:
Sophomore Emili Jones has had it with being a boring, straight-A student. Itching for excitement, she sees plenty of it in classmate Farah Menin’s life of frequent dates and edgy adventure. Hoping the popularity will rub off, Emili latches onto Farah and manipulates herself into best friend status. The connection helps her land the hot new guy, Lance Jankins, but there’s a catch. Now a pawn in Farah’s dating games, Emili is on a crash course to betrayal. Will she realize it in time to save herself?
Buy Links: AMAZON BARNES AND NOBLE ASTRAEA PRESS
Author Bio:
Brenda Maxfield loves writing novels for young adults. She explores teens’ heartaches and triumphs—and always with a bit of romance thrown in to complicate matters. Brenda is a high school teacher and spends most of her waking hours with teens. She loves hearing their views on love and life, and is honored to be part of their lives.
Brenda has lived in Honduras, Grand Cayman, and Costa Rica. Presently, she lives in Indiana with her husband. They have two adult children and are grandparents to one precious little guy, special delivery from Africa.
When not writing or teaching, Brenda can be found at her lake cabin with a book in her hand and her dog Lucy on her lap. If you’re looking for good, clean teen reads, check out Brenda’s books! She loves getting to know her readers better, so stop by and say hello at: www.brendamaxfield.com
Excerpt from The Lance Temptation (Book One of The Edgemont Collection):
Farah carried her tray with its plate of green beans as if it were the royal jewels. She sashayed toward our regular table in the corner of the cafeteria, her hips lightly brushing the backs of the entire high school football team who’d already grabbed the table in the nearest the food. The catcalls began immediately. “Hot stuff,” one player yelled, and then whistled. With practiced innocence, Farah paused, and turned to face the guys. She rolled her green eyes and shook her head, feigning annoyance. A smile played on her lips. Then she fluttered her thick lashes and continued on, skirting her way to our table in the back. Oh yeah, she’s a master at everything I’m not. All Farah has to do is show up and the boys follow, frolicking like puppies around a bone. So, shameful as it sounds—I made it my business to become her friend, even if it meant dropping everyone in my tight circle. I was done being the boring, straight A girl. I wanted the hot guys to drool around me for once, and I figured the connection couldn’t hurt. Watch and learn, Farah had said. Right. I stood with my tuna sandwich stuffed inside my crumpled lunch sack, sighed heavily and followed her, trying not to let my shoes clack out my progress. Nobody’s eyes followed my every move. Well, there’s a surprise. I slid onto the bench across from her. It was Monday—the only day Farah’s halfway civilized because she’s tired from the weekend—and we were eating lunch together as usual. Farah opened her milk carton, and took a drink. She tipped her head, letting her thick red hair cascade down her back. The loose curls nearly touched her waist. Farah’s well aware how flat-out gorgeous she is, and she quickly glanced around to see who might be watching. The table of girls to the side of us stared at her. When they spotted me looking at them, they huddled together in one big gossip head. Farah saw them laughing, pointing, and whispering. Her expression hardened. “What a bunch of wannabe’s.” “They’re jealous,” I said. Farah leaned across the end of our table toward them. “Talk about me all you want, you sad groupies.” Their heads jerked apart and each one of them glared at her. Farah scowled, and then turned her attention back to me. I heard a yelp behind me, and someone hollered, “You’re disgusting!” A burst of raucous laughter filled the air. I could see Farah watching the whole scene over my shoulder. Wide-eyed, she jumped from her seat and flew to a table of freshmen girls. I swirled around to observe. Farah lunged across their strewn trays and stuck her face against a shocked girl’s nose. “Leave her alone! Do it again, and you’ll deal with me.” Her harsh voice echoed across the cafeteria. The freshmen girls were shocked into silence, but their lips fairly curled into snarls. A choked sniffle came from a girl cowering at the end of the table. Macaroni was splattered all over her uniform. Farah stood up to her full height, her cheeks blotched red. She regarded the sniveling girl. “You okay?” There was no answer. “Want help cleaning up?” The girl shook her head, picked up a napkin, and started wiping at her shirt. Farah squared her shoulders and returned to our table. I stared at her. “What was that?” “Bullies. I hate them. And where are the lunch monitors, anyway?” She picked up her fork and took a bite of green beans. “You know, sometimes you’re actually nice.” Farah grimaced. “Don’t let it get around.” I laughed and picked up my sandwich. Right then a tender feeling of protectiveness toward Farah washed over me. And that’s when he descended upon our table. The New Guy. The one I’d secretly been panting after since he transferred to our school two weeks earlier.
Interview with Emili Jones, the main character of The Lance Temptation:
Give us a few brief facts about yourself. My name is Emili Jones. I’m sixteen years old and a sophomore at Bates Academy.
Is Bates a private school? Yes. I’ve gone there forever. All my friends are there.
Who’s your best friend? Right now, my best friend is Farah Menins. She’s gorgeous and all the guys like her.
And how about you? Are you popular with the guys? Not so much. I figured if I hung out with Farah, it might help me get more popular.
Did it work? I managed to snag one guy all on my own. His name is Marc and he’s really nice. You know, a sweet guy. But there’s this new guy at school named Lance, and I start sweating the minute I look at him. He’s fine. But I don’t think he’d ever look twice at me.
What’s your favorite thing to do? I make perfume. It can get kind of spendy though.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done? Is it okay if I don’t really answer that? It’s embarrassing and I’m still mad at myself. I will say this—it had to do with Marc.
What do you wish you could do over? Wow. There are a couple major things. I dumped my friend Jeannie, and sometimes I regret it. Especially because of the reason why I dumped her. The other thing is the same as the last question you asked. It’s about Marc.
What’s hardest about being a teen in today’s world? The pressure on you to be hot and smart and beautiful and popular. It’s impossible. Who could live up to that? Well, maybe Farah. But the pressure makes you do stupid things. Even when you try not to be an idiot, you end up doing things you know you shouldn’t.
What are your future plans? Hmmm, I’m only a sophomore so I’m not sure. I want to graduate from Bates and go to university. I’m worried, though, because something’s going on with my dad. He has some big announcement, and I can tell by the look on his face I’m not going to like it.
I hope the announcement isn’t too awful. It was nice talking with you today, Emili. All of us can read about your story in The Lance Temptation, correct. Yep. Thanks for talking with me. It was nice to be here.
For the first week of "Countdown to Crossing... ", I wanted to talk about character names.
Do you find character names hard to come up with?
Usually... USUALLY I don't. I try to think of the character's personality, look, style, geological location (which for me is usually southern), etc. when I think of a name. And normally, I like to have at least one character have a biblical name. It's just my cup of tea.
For CROSSING THE DEEP, I had a bit of a problem... naming my characters.
My leading guy is named Asher Jenkins. I love his name. Truthfully, if I had a son, I'd name him Asher (well, if my husband went for it... ). Asher is, of course, a tribe of Israel (which is mentioned in the book actually). And I thought the name 'fit' him.
Asher is a seventeen year old skeptic who only goes on the camping trip in the Smokies to get away from home for the weekend. His home life isn't the best in the world (to put it mildly), but he is extremely loyal. I do believe Asher suits him. So far, it's my favorite character name of anything I've written.
*My leading girl is named Rachel Harker. Now, this name took FOREVER to come up with (my sister probably laughed as she readed that line lol). Rachel's original name was Ruth. Through the entire first draft she was Ruth. Somewhere along the way, she became Rebecca.
In one way or another, her names have ranged from: Catherine Bethany Hannah Kate Plus more that I can't remember right off hand. The point is, Miss Harker had an identity crisis. Finally... FINALLY I prayed about it and Rachel stuck and I do believe it suits her. Rachel is a sixteen year old church member who goes on the hike mainly because her mom *forces* her too. Two years ago, something tragic happened at home and caused Rachel to withdraw from the world. Her mom thought the trip would be a way to heal the wound of the past... she had no idea that those wounds would be the least of her worries! *Other characters in the story practically named themselves: Sidney (Sid) Andrews-- Asher's best friend, ex of... Carly Jones-- Rachel's best friend David Andrews-- Sid's brother/youth pastor/leader of the hiking trip
And of course, we meet many other characters.I'm so excited for you all to be able to read this book! The feedback I've gotten so far from people who have read it has been amazing. One said it was a very emotional read (very glad to hear that :) ).10 more weeks! ~Kelly
