I've been working on NaNoWriMo since the beginning of November, but I've only managed to accrue about 30,000 words of false starts. That doesn't mean that I don't have time, though. I still have five days!
I've decided to try again to write a Harlequin Romance novel, and I have an idea that got some attention from an editor a few years ago. I'm going to have another go at it. I can do it, right? Only ten thousand words a day.
Inspirational Quote to Spur Me On: "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."
– Ursula K. Le Guin
Friday, November 25, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Thought for the Day
“To acquire true self power you have to feel beneath no one, be immune to criticism and be fearless.”
― Deepak Chopra
― Deepak Chopra
Thursday, August 11, 2011
A Quick Update
It's been a crazy couple of months.
After the SCBWI FL conference, I wrote another YA novel called Moneymaker that I really enjoyed writing and researching and can't wait to edit.
Then I decided that I needed some more income sources, so I've been writing freelance articles and blog posts. Some of them are fun. Some not so much. Let's just say I now know way too much about whole house water filtration systems. When my posts to the new blog I'm writing for go live, I'll definitely include the link in my bio. I'm super-excited about it because they're super-fun posts to write (Did I successfully convey my enthusiasm with my repeated use of "super"?).
I'm also gearing up for the farmer's market to start again in September so that I can start selling my homemade pet treats. I've had to get all my business things in order. They're actually amazingly friendly at the tax office--go figure.
For fun, I've been reviewing books for Kensington. I'll post the reviews to the blog once I figure out a seamless way to do so. I want them to be formatted nicely and not seem random.
Finally, I hope to get back to updating this blog more regularly, using some of the skills that I've learned. I have some ideas and hope to implement them soon! Stay posted.
After the SCBWI FL conference, I wrote another YA novel called Moneymaker that I really enjoyed writing and researching and can't wait to edit.
Then I decided that I needed some more income sources, so I've been writing freelance articles and blog posts. Some of them are fun. Some not so much. Let's just say I now know way too much about whole house water filtration systems. When my posts to the new blog I'm writing for go live, I'll definitely include the link in my bio. I'm super-excited about it because they're super-fun posts to write (Did I successfully convey my enthusiasm with my repeated use of "super"?).
I'm also gearing up for the farmer's market to start again in September so that I can start selling my homemade pet treats. I've had to get all my business things in order. They're actually amazingly friendly at the tax office--go figure.
For fun, I've been reviewing books for Kensington. I'll post the reviews to the blog once I figure out a seamless way to do so. I want them to be formatted nicely and not seem random.
Finally, I hope to get back to updating this blog more regularly, using some of the skills that I've learned. I have some ideas and hope to implement them soon! Stay posted.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Conference Round-Up
After spending two days listening to two published authors and an editor for Knopf speak at the SCBWI Florida Mid-Year Writer's Conference, the most important point that I took away was the necessity for a strong narrative voice in young adult fiction.
The consensus seemed to be that, in middle grade fiction, some authorial presence was acceptable. In young adult fiction, however, the reader has to feel intimate with the main character, as if he or she was looking at the world through the main character's eyes.
Anything that destroys, or calls into question, the reader's closeness with the main character is BAD!
What can destroy closeness?
-Making observations that the main character wouldn't make.
For example, if it's hot, and a character wants to put her hair into her ponytail, she wouldn't say, "I swept my curly chestnut locks up into my purple velvet hairband." When you think about "curly" and "chestnut" and "purple velvet," you realize only some of those descriptors would be important to her. For example, when I pull my hair back, I might think about how it's dark and I wish it was blonde. Or how it's curly and might look frizzy pulled up. Or how the purple hairband looks really stupid with my lime green top. I would not be thinking about all those things simultaneously, however.
-Working in backstory that the characters wouldn't be thinking about.
For example, if a character's best friend is going through a difficult break-up, it's the break-up that matters more than how the friends met or what the friends look like or how the main character feels about her friend--unless those details pertain directly to the crisis! Basically, any backstory must arise spontaneously from the conflict, or it seems forced and feels like authorial intrusion to the reader.
-Using dialogue as a means to end.
Dialogue should arise spontaneously from the interactions between the characters. It should be exciting--no hemming or hawing or circling around the main issue (unless that says something about the characters). It should not be a tool that the author uses to provide backstory, and it should not be so similar to speech that it's boring (real speech, when tape-recorded, is fractured and disjointed and not a pleasure to read).
One of the authors on the panel also discussed the issues of character lenses. A lens could be anything from a character's religion to her socioeconomic class to her favorite hobby. For example, a Catholic schoolgirl from the Deep South who wants to be an actress will have three obvious lenses that will influence her interactions with the world--religion, environment, and career aspirations. Giving your main character two to three lenses (while most real people have seven or more) will add to his or her depth.
In the end, I learned that the tightest narrative voices have almost a cinematic quality, moving from scene to scene in a purposeful, character-driven way. We have to get ourselves out of the equation and find a way to let our characters guide us--which is easier said than done.
The consensus seemed to be that, in middle grade fiction, some authorial presence was acceptable. In young adult fiction, however, the reader has to feel intimate with the main character, as if he or she was looking at the world through the main character's eyes.
Anything that destroys, or calls into question, the reader's closeness with the main character is BAD!
What can destroy closeness?
-Making observations that the main character wouldn't make.
For example, if it's hot, and a character wants to put her hair into her ponytail, she wouldn't say, "I swept my curly chestnut locks up into my purple velvet hairband." When you think about "curly" and "chestnut" and "purple velvet," you realize only some of those descriptors would be important to her. For example, when I pull my hair back, I might think about how it's dark and I wish it was blonde. Or how it's curly and might look frizzy pulled up. Or how the purple hairband looks really stupid with my lime green top. I would not be thinking about all those things simultaneously, however.
-Working in backstory that the characters wouldn't be thinking about.
For example, if a character's best friend is going through a difficult break-up, it's the break-up that matters more than how the friends met or what the friends look like or how the main character feels about her friend--unless those details pertain directly to the crisis! Basically, any backstory must arise spontaneously from the conflict, or it seems forced and feels like authorial intrusion to the reader.
-Using dialogue as a means to end.
Dialogue should arise spontaneously from the interactions between the characters. It should be exciting--no hemming or hawing or circling around the main issue (unless that says something about the characters). It should not be a tool that the author uses to provide backstory, and it should not be so similar to speech that it's boring (real speech, when tape-recorded, is fractured and disjointed and not a pleasure to read).
One of the authors on the panel also discussed the issues of character lenses. A lens could be anything from a character's religion to her socioeconomic class to her favorite hobby. For example, a Catholic schoolgirl from the Deep South who wants to be an actress will have three obvious lenses that will influence her interactions with the world--religion, environment, and career aspirations. Giving your main character two to three lenses (while most real people have seven or more) will add to his or her depth.
In the end, I learned that the tightest narrative voices have almost a cinematic quality, moving from scene to scene in a purposeful, character-driven way. We have to get ourselves out of the equation and find a way to let our characters guide us--which is easier said than done.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Conference Fun!
Well, I am ashamed to admit it, but it has been a long time since I posted anything. A very long time.
I blame lazy summer days and sick cats and vacation. The weekend before last, I attended Through the Veil in Atlanta. It was super fun. Went on a ghost hunt at Rhodes Hall. Got a mini-Reiki treatment, a palm-reading, and some intuitive life guidance.
On Friday (OMG, that's tomorrow!), I'll be attending the SCBWI Florida Mid-Year workshop. I'm hoping to get a summer inspiration boost. My next post will be about what I learned.
Hope everyone has a productive summer.
I blame lazy summer days and sick cats and vacation. The weekend before last, I attended Through the Veil in Atlanta. It was super fun. Went on a ghost hunt at Rhodes Hall. Got a mini-Reiki treatment, a palm-reading, and some intuitive life guidance.
On Friday (OMG, that's tomorrow!), I'll be attending the SCBWI Florida Mid-Year workshop. I'm hoping to get a summer inspiration boost. My next post will be about what I learned.
Hope everyone has a productive summer.
Friday, May 27, 2011
My Unhappy Marriage
I have a confession to make. I dread editing. Hate it. With a passion.
I know that it's the most important part of the writing process, but it simply can't compare to the wild, heady rush of the first draft. Falling in love with my characters and world is magical and wonderful and the reason that I love writing.
In my opinion, editing is like marriage.
First, you look at your new husband/manuscript and think to yourself, why did I ever pick this person? What was I thinking? He's all wrong. His hair is unruly, his eyebrows bushy, and he's bloated around the middle. We won't even mention his toenail fungus. I've made a terrible decision!
Next, you think about how much he annoys you in the present and evades your attempts to improve him. You cut his hair too short, so he's got this strange asymmetrical hairdo. You over-pluck his eyebrows, so he's got this perpetual look of surprise. His flabby middle isn't improving no matter how many sit-ups you make him do--he may have even gotten a hernia for his efforts. And the toe fungus? Let's just say that Digger the Dermatophyte isn't going anywhere.
Finally, you look toward the future. You have this sinking realization that you are ashamed to be with him. You wish that you never would have married him. You're going to have to lock him in the house and never, under any circumstances, show him to anyone--like the wife in the attic in Jane Eyre. You might even pretend that you're single. It's better than the dreaded questions: What does your husband do? Can you show me a picture? Can I meet him some time?
Your blood, which used to run so hot, is so cold that you're about to die from hypothermia. Don't go to sleep--you might never wake up! There's only one thing to do. Get a divorce. Change your name. Pretend like this terrible marriage never happened.
Or...stay with him, faults and all. Fix what you can, and learn to love the rest. Look for his good points. His hair, despite being strange, is really thick and soft. His eyebrows have been growing back in. He's starting to lose weight, slowly but surely, and didn't you marry him for his appetite anyway? As for the toe fungus, call in the professionals. Give him some potent anti-fungals. The money is worth it in order to have clear, healthy pink toenails.
In the end, the only way to reap the benefits of marriage are to stay in it, work on it, figure out why you loved the person to begin with and build on your strengths together. You've got to face the pain in order to reap the benefits. Didn't anyone ever tell you that marriage--I mean, writing--is hard work?
I know that it's the most important part of the writing process, but it simply can't compare to the wild, heady rush of the first draft. Falling in love with my characters and world is magical and wonderful and the reason that I love writing.
In my opinion, editing is like marriage.
First, you look at your new husband/manuscript and think to yourself, why did I ever pick this person? What was I thinking? He's all wrong. His hair is unruly, his eyebrows bushy, and he's bloated around the middle. We won't even mention his toenail fungus. I've made a terrible decision!
Next, you think about how much he annoys you in the present and evades your attempts to improve him. You cut his hair too short, so he's got this strange asymmetrical hairdo. You over-pluck his eyebrows, so he's got this perpetual look of surprise. His flabby middle isn't improving no matter how many sit-ups you make him do--he may have even gotten a hernia for his efforts. And the toe fungus? Let's just say that Digger the Dermatophyte isn't going anywhere.
Finally, you look toward the future. You have this sinking realization that you are ashamed to be with him. You wish that you never would have married him. You're going to have to lock him in the house and never, under any circumstances, show him to anyone--like the wife in the attic in Jane Eyre. You might even pretend that you're single. It's better than the dreaded questions: What does your husband do? Can you show me a picture? Can I meet him some time?
Your blood, which used to run so hot, is so cold that you're about to die from hypothermia. Don't go to sleep--you might never wake up! There's only one thing to do. Get a divorce. Change your name. Pretend like this terrible marriage never happened.
Or...stay with him, faults and all. Fix what you can, and learn to love the rest. Look for his good points. His hair, despite being strange, is really thick and soft. His eyebrows have been growing back in. He's starting to lose weight, slowly but surely, and didn't you marry him for his appetite anyway? As for the toe fungus, call in the professionals. Give him some potent anti-fungals. The money is worth it in order to have clear, healthy pink toenails.
In the end, the only way to reap the benefits of marriage are to stay in it, work on it, figure out why you loved the person to begin with and build on your strengths together. You've got to face the pain in order to reap the benefits. Didn't anyone ever tell you that marriage--I mean, writing--is hard work?
Monday, May 9, 2011
Memory Championships!
Next year, I'll tell you where you can find me...in New York City! I've set a personal goal of attending the U.S. Memory Championships. If I win, I'll get a free ticket to the world championships in England.
What are the memory championships? Well, basically, you have to memorize stuff like decks of cards and poetry and random numbers. And you have to memorize it quickly. If you are fast and accurate, you win!
Why am I doing this? Well, when I was six or seven-years-old, I memorized a deck of cards forwards and backwards for my grandfather. He was so astonished that he still talks about it. He wanted me to become a card counter in Vegas, but with the advent of card shuffling machines (which render card counting useless), I'm going to have to look elsewhere for memory fame and glory.
Actually, you don't need an above average memory to win the Memory Championships. You just have to understand memory techniques and practice them until you become quick and proficient. That's what Joshua Foer, who wrote Moonwalking with Einstein, claims anyway. We'll see if he's right. I bought the book (it's still in the mail), and I plan to use the resources that he provides to seek out primary sources from memory experts. Then I plan to practice every day.
I must admit that I like to indulge in delusions of grandeur at times, and while I will never excel at any physical sport, world domination in a mental sport is still within my grasp. I may be really bad at it. I may lack the motivation to excel. I'm going to give it a shot, though, and I'm going to go to the championship in New York (barring world disasters, ill health, or travel mishaps).
I'm so excited. Anyone out there in the blogosphere have random life goals that they want to share?
What are the memory championships? Well, basically, you have to memorize stuff like decks of cards and poetry and random numbers. And you have to memorize it quickly. If you are fast and accurate, you win!
Why am I doing this? Well, when I was six or seven-years-old, I memorized a deck of cards forwards and backwards for my grandfather. He was so astonished that he still talks about it. He wanted me to become a card counter in Vegas, but with the advent of card shuffling machines (which render card counting useless), I'm going to have to look elsewhere for memory fame and glory.
Actually, you don't need an above average memory to win the Memory Championships. You just have to understand memory techniques and practice them until you become quick and proficient. That's what Joshua Foer, who wrote Moonwalking with Einstein, claims anyway. We'll see if he's right. I bought the book (it's still in the mail), and I plan to use the resources that he provides to seek out primary sources from memory experts. Then I plan to practice every day.
I must admit that I like to indulge in delusions of grandeur at times, and while I will never excel at any physical sport, world domination in a mental sport is still within my grasp. I may be really bad at it. I may lack the motivation to excel. I'm going to give it a shot, though, and I'm going to go to the championship in New York (barring world disasters, ill health, or travel mishaps).
I'm so excited. Anyone out there in the blogosphere have random life goals that they want to share?
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