Getting Around To It Versus Making Time

Last year I wanted to post about my favorite reads of 2014. I didn't get around to it. At the time,  I was dealing with the tail-end of the holidays, a deadline for a book hanging over my head, my mom visiting from Virginia, and all the cooking and baking I tend to do around that time of the year. Once the holidays were over, I intended to finish my current WIP.

In theory.

In real life, I had edits, an opportunity to hunt for and create some fantastic extras in my book, the day job, my dad went in for a minor surgery, helping my mom back and move cross-country (which took an entire month), and other life events.

Sure, I worked on the super secret WIP, when I got around to it. I intended to finish the book in June. When it didn't happen I pushed it to July. The cycle went on and on. Now, here we are, in the middle of October, and I'm still pounding away at the keys.

Making time for things isn't easy.

Which is why I've decided to start holding myself accountable, making time to work instead of getting around to it.

I have a schedule in which I can write, truly have the time and freedom to throw myself into the story, three days out of the week. The days I work, I still try to make time, though some days I'm too exhausted to even look at a screen. I do allow myself some leniency, otherwise I'll get too down on myself and fall into a week-long (or month-long) funk and won't write a word

Keeping a record of what exactly I've done on each day (writing, plotting, researching, questioning previous choices--which, let's be honest takes 40% of my time anyway) has been the key to keeping me on track. I'm using a monthly planner with enough space to list all my daily activities. On the plus side it's also helping me get a bit more exercise in.

My progress is still slow, but I'm noticing an increase in quality over quantity, especially since I've just finished re-plotting the last portion of the book. For the forth time. It's a complex book with a lot of moving pieces and a huge world I've had to create over time.

Currently, the book is sitting at 54,229 words. It is completely plotted out. At my best guess, it should come in at around 80k when I'm done. I haven't set another deadline for myself. As long as I'm making time to write and putting in my very best, I know this book will get done. I'm already so very happy with it, how different it is from anything I've ever written before, and how much I've grown as a writer.

Am I hoping to have a completed draft before the end of the year? Heck yeah I am, but I won't put that kind of pressure on myself, not now and not with this book. Why, you may be asking yourself. Because I, along with so many others, suffer from depression. It's a daily struggle. I have good days and bad days, just like everyone. The bad days weigh more heavily on those with depression, even the good days can feel like slogging through the deepest ink black cave. I find if I'm comparing myself to others, telling myself my work isn't good enough, worrying if somewhere a book like mine has already been published leaving no room in the market for the super secret project, I can sink way, way down into the muck.

I refuse to do that to myself anymore. Yes, there are going to be authors with better voices than mine, and books that are similar or better, and yes the book market is a treacherous and fickle place for the loves of our lives (our books), but I love what I do and I never intend to give it up. What I do intend is to keep learning and growing and delivering the best damn stories I have inside me. Another thing I intend to keep doing, is making time to write them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, as it hasn't been an easy one to write (or share). I appreciate you all.

Know When to Hold 'em, Know When to Fold 'em

Okay, so we've all heard that song, am I right? I mean, even an insurance company has a pretty funny commercial about it.

But this post isn't about the commercial, or even the song, really. This post is about when to walk away.

In between edits for a certain book I've been picking at, I have been working on rewriting a YA Fantasy I had in my "unfinished projects" drawer. It's basically a drawer where I keep my projects not yet ready for the real world. I was full of hope and moxie when I pulled that pile of papers from the drawer and let the light in. And I worked on it for around six months, give or take.

I must have re-read the book six to eight times in the last few months. There are some really great scenes and character breakthroughs in it, but on my last read, I discovered I was bored. Yes, bored. With my own book. It's the greatest fear of any writer.

Note: if you, the author, is bored, imagine how the readers will feel.

Wracking my brain to come up with a solution that wouldn't take another six months, I realized I needed a pair of fresh eyes on my book. Luckily, I have the best beta reader (and friend) who took the weekend to read it over and gave me her notes.

Now, I was expecting the worst, even asking my beta friend if I should scrap the book entirely. 

The weekend was over. The email pinged in my inbox. It was as I feared. My YA Fantasy was overworked, weighed down and stale. Her recommendation was to put it aside, get some distance, work on something else, and come back to it later, if I wanted.

As much as I had been expecting my world to completely crumble with sorrow and despair, I didn't. Yes, I may have shed a tear or two, even went through the bargaining stage of grief, but in the end, I took a day to come to grips with putting my precious (said in my best Golem voice) YA Fantasy to bed. It was a long day filled with too many unhealthy snacks, an even more unhealthy dose of Sex and The City reruns (I regret nothing), and rifling through my many "promising projects" folders and notebooks. It was a hard day, emotionally, but today I woke with a renewed sense of wonder and possibilities. And a plan.

Last year I wanted to have a completed book ready to submit to agents by the beginning of 2015. Things don't always work out the way we hope. The more I grow as a person (and an author), I've come to realize that we can't always control the outcome. Lately, I've become a more "rolling with the punches" person. Which I so didn't used to be. Part of rolling with the punches is not being stagnant or living in the past. I refuse to spend the next month stewing about how my YA Fantasy didn't work out.

Today I have rekindled a new romance with a YA sci-fi idea I've had for a while. Since I'm expecting things around my house to change drastically in the next month and a half (more on that later), I've also decided not to spend a bunch of time plotting this book. Well, not really. I have ideas, but nothing concrete. So, I'm tackling sci-fi and I'm doing it by the seat of my pants.

Time is ticking. I have a new book to write. I'm hoping it will be ready for editing by the beginning of April, but who knows?

Trying something different is the best way to broaden your horizons. Really, it's the best slump-buster that I've found. What are some of your favorite ways to pull yourself out of a bad time? Have any of you ever dealt with having to put a project aside for one reason or another? You know how I love to hear from guys. :)

My Crazy, Happy Life

Life is crazy. I'm sure I don't have to tell you guys. In my circle, it seems to get crazier the older I get. Recently I had a few big life events happen.

One: I got married (the wedding was amazing--and I promise when the photographer's pictures arrive I'll post a few more on my instagram). Aaaaaand for our mini-moon, we visited a glass treehouse in Bodega Bay (Northern California). It was absolutely beautiful. I want to go back one day and just write!


Two: My first round of edits of a certain book. They were extensive and tricky, but I got through them with what (I think) were my smartest choices yet. Hopefully. But we'll see when my editor gets a hold of them.

And three (since apparently I'm still doing this counting thing): I'm working on a new project. Okay, it isn't necessarily NEW new, but it is one of the older projects on my list of projects I wanted to tackle this year. I'm rewriting it from chapter one all the way through. So, I'm stoked (yes, I'm from California, occasionally we do say things like stoked). And busy. But aren't we all?

Speaking of busy, what have you guys been up to? What are you doing (either in real life or writing life) that you're stoked about? ;)

Looking forward to 2014

After a pretty difficult 2012, I have to say 2013 might have been my favorite year yet. Why, you ask? Well, because of all I got to do. I wrote two books, got engaged, went on a small book tour (which included signing at BEA!), attended my first writer's conference, visited somewhere I'd never been before, and met some truly incredible people.

How does one top a year of all that awesome?

Answer: you can try.

And that's my main goal for 2014. To try.

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*cue Yoda: Do or do not, there is no try*

Okay, while Yoda may feel that way, I'm a big fan of trying. I say, if you're not sure you can do something, just go for it. If you fail, at least you tried--and probably learned something in the process. And if you succeed, then WOOHOO! Am I right? You never know what you're really capable of unless you throw yourself off that high, scary ledge and jump. And this year, I'm prepared to reach for the stars.

While I haven't had time to actually sit down and make a yearly plan/goal thingie, I do know of a few things I would love to accomplish.

To keep myself accountable, I'll list them here for everyone to see (please, feel free to hound me about these anytime this year).

My 2014 To-Do List

• Revise a secret book (which I'm working on right now--about 1/3 of the way done)
• Finish writing "Code name W", a super cool YA sci-fi I've been playing with for a while now.
• Edit AB (a YA Contemporary Fantasy that needs the beginning rewritten then a very light edit) 
• Edit "Code name W" (you guys, I'm so excited about this book!)
• Write that YA Contemporary (standalone) that's been floating around in my head.
• Edit GD (a book I need to add a little something to before I decide what to do with it)
• Read (a ton)!

 
So there they are. The things I will try to do this year. For the most part this is the order I intend to work on them in. I think. But who knows once the muse gets a hold of them.

Obviously I'll be working on other things besides these. Wedding planning, edits, more wedding planning, blogging with the lovely people at both Indie Ignites and Darkly Delicious YA, some more life stuff I'm sure will creep in there somewhere (like actually getting married), copy edits, and line edits.

Whew!

All in all it's going to be a busy year and I'm looking forward to trying some great new things, tackling some challenging projects, and maybe even visiting somewhere new again.

Now, I've gone on and on about my goals for 2014. I'd love to hear some of yours.

Dear Teen Me

If you haven't heard of Dear Teen Me, it's where authors write letters to their teen selves. My teenage years weren't easy. Some of you may know this, some of you may not. So when the opportunity arose for me to contribute, I jumped at the chance.

My Dear Teen Me post is up today. If you're interested, you can find it here.

It wasn't an easy letter to write, so I appreciate all of your support. Thanks in advance, guys.

~Lisa :)

Why a Book Boyfriend is so Important

Hello lovelies!

In the last two weeks I wrote about writing, plotting, and the like, so I figured today would be about fun. And what's more fun than falling in love?

The heart palpataions, the nervous sweat, the trying-to-be-sexy that sometimes looks to most of the world like you're having a slow moment, and the pitter-patter of tiny bird wings as they hold up a string of roses in the shape of a heart around the face you've fallen for. There's nothing better than love, I tell ya!

Whether they lift you up or bring you down (temporarily, or course, I'm only promoting HEALTHY relationships here--even in fiction, healthy relationships are key) these boys are necessary. In real life, if your single, in a relationship, married, it doesn't matter. What happens in fiction stays in fiction. Plus, book boys are almost always better than real ones.

Here's a short list of some of my favorite book boyfriends.

-Sam (from The Wolves of Mercy Falls series). The good boy. He's sweet, yet oh-so tortured. And loyal. Don't forget loyal. This boy would never leave you...unless it got really cold. Even then, totally not his fault.



-Noah (from Pushing the Limits). I've made no secret for my love of Noah since reading Pushing the Limits. He's the quintessential tamed bad boy. But his story is about so much more than himself. He has a goal other than landing Echo. He has a huge heart and two adorable little brothers he would do anything for.

-Cassel Sharpe (from The Curse Workers series). Cassel is never what you expect. His actions surprised me around every turn. He's my wildcard. I've only recently finished this series (for some reason I tend to let the final books in trilogies sit around for a while before I read them. I must have trouble saying goodbye.) and Cassel is still fresh in my mind. Holly Black, if you're out there, Cassel is one of the most twisted, unique, enigmas out there in YA fiction and I love him. If you're tired of the cookie-cutter hero, Cassel Sharpe is for you. Bonus: he's hot. Double bonus: if you listen to the audiobooks, Jesse Eisenberg does a fantastic (read: swoony) job that will never leave you bored or tired of his spectacular voice.

And now I have a problem. I'm out of book boyfriends!

Here is where you readers can do me a solid. Give me a list of your favorite book boyfriends! Don't worry, I don't mind sharing. ;)

Who would you love to be stranded on a desert island with, or face your greatest fear beside? I can't wait to hear who you swoon for.

The Writing Wall Or How Plotting Is Like Cleaning Tape Off Of A Whiteboard (part two)

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When I left you at the end of last week's post, I was downtrodden, bruised, beaten, and in the lurch. But I stand--ahem sit--before you today a changed--well, slightly less useless--individual.

How did I crawl up and over my Writing Wall? What the heck does cleaning tape off a whiteboard have to do with any of this? Why am I asking so many questions?

Why, for dramatic purposes, of course! ;)

First, I'll tell you The Writing Wall I hit was a good one. I was creatively stumped. I stewed for hours, then days, trying to make something happen. It didn't, of course. Not on its own. So, I ventured into my office (where I sometimes write) and started pulling out the tricks of the trade. Notebooks, pencils, post-its, index cards, markers, highlighters (all of the above in varying colors), poster board, dry erase markers, and a whiteboard.

For those of you quick on the uptake, THIS is where the whiteboard comes into play.

Standing there, above all my favorite toys (yes, I'm dead serious here, I love my office supplies) I notice that damn tape was still marring three quarters of my new, large and lovely whiteboard. I pushed it aside, determined to stick to a notebook and poster board. (By the way, I do have two other whiteboards, but they are currently occupied with other projects, thus, no erasing will happen until said projects land on the page.) I tried working through these issues, I tried walking away, ignoring the plotting problem, tried figuring it out in the shower or letting my dreams take over (both of which usually work). This time, nothing was working.

My plot was stuck and so was my brain.

After ambling around for a few more days, I decided cleaning off the whiteboard might be my best option. I had convinced myself that if I had a whiteboard, so much miracle-ing would happen.

Yes, I make up words. All the time. Judge me not, least ye be judged -Yoda. (though I'm about a thousand percent sure he never said that. Just roll with the punches here, people.)

Moving on . . .

While I grabbed a scraping tool from my garage and went to work, I was struck by how tenacious I was about getting that damn tape off. Little by little, it was all coming together. Tape was peeling off in tiny strips and chunks, and my mind was working, behind the scenes and above the cursing. I worked as hard as I could, fighting through some of the really sticky patches, and in less than an hour and a half (no lie), the board was free of tape!

I did my little Snoopy dance, spiked the ball of tape into the garbage, and started plotting.

The funny part, I only wrote two plot points on the board before switching to a notebook and writing page after page each day.

A few more days later I realized it hadn't been the whiteboard that I'd needed, it was working on something else for a while. Again, I didn't get anywhere sitting on the couch and waiting for some TV show to do it for me, instead I worked very hard, in silence, on another task, refusing to give up.

The in silence part turned out to be very important.

While I was scraping, my thoughts kept coming back to my characters and the difficult places (both emotionally and physically) where I had left them. How did they feel inside? What would they do to change things? What would they give up to move forward? So, by the time the tape was gone, my creative juices were a roaring river of Peach Iced Tea. Why Peach? Because it's awesome, that's why!

It's been a few weeks since The Whiteboard Incident of 2013. I have more of my plot down, and I've even started putting words to the page again. I may not be moving as fast as I'd like, but I'm starting to realize this book is going to take a lot of time.

So, there you have it. Stepping away, but still working hard helped me fight my way up and over that Writing Wall. Plus I got a brand new whiteboard. Though, and pay attention because this is the real punchline, after spending all that time and effort scraping away on my whiteboard, the tape left a tacky residue that I can write on, but NOT ERASE. Basically, I could have left the damn tape right where it was, around the inside corners of the board, because I wouldn't have been able to write on that part of the board anyway.

The ultimate headdesk? Yes, I do believe so, but that still doesn't change the fact that focusing on that medial task helped me out of The Pits of Writing Despair (cue ominous echo) and reminded me that there is no substitute for hard work.

This concludes today's program. Thanks for coming back. And please, feel free to laugh at my idiocy in the comments. My ego doesn't bruise too easily. :)

The Writing Wall Or How Plotting Is Like Cleaning Tape Off Of A Whiteboard (part one)

I'm currently in the early stages of drafting a secret project. This makes me extremely happy, because I'm way ahead of my deadline so I won't be rushing to finish it. It also freaks me out a little (read: a ton) because I've never written a third book before--or finished a series.

While trying my damnedest not to be overwhelmed, I jumped right into the book and started typing away. So far I'm a few chapters in and was doing several #1k1hr sprints on twitter with old writing friends and making new ones (score!). Here's where I'm at so far (I'm also going to try to keep the new word count meter on the right hand side of the blog up to date as well, for those interested).

          Secret project
               

7724 / 50000 words. 15% done!

Woo-hoo! Beginnings are difficult for me, so 15% is nothing to shake a stick at.

However, while writing last Sunday morning, almost all the way through my first thousand words for the day, I hit a complication. Okay, you guys, I'm not going to sweet talk you, give you some flowery writer version of why I couldn't go on, instead I'm going to give it to you straight.

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I hit The Wall. You know, that thing runners talk about when they just can't go any further--not that I'm a runner (yet), though I'd love to be. Where was I again? (And any of you are surprised I can't concentrate on one title at a time?)

Oh yeah, The Writing Wall. Now, I could have gone on, forced some gibberish that I'd have to cut later in the edits stage, but why? I've learned, from a lot of trial and error, that I tend to be a clean drafter. I'd rather take the time, maybe step away from the laptop if I have to, and figure things out in a notebook or white board before returning to Spartacus (my amazingly wonderful laptop).

Here is where I should say that I have a rough outline for this book done, but it's very brief, too brief, I've discovered, for this book. (sidenote: for me, every project is different--as I've said about a thousand times--a rough outline might work for another story, but not for this one).

Now, some of you may be hardcore pansters. You will hear no judgments from me. I do still write by the seat of my pants occasionally. This post might not be for you, and that's just fine, or you may see a technique I use while plotting that you may be able to incorporate into your work style. That's fine, too. Whether you're a pantser or a plotter, I'm not here to change your process. I'm here to shed some light on mine.

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Okay, back to giving the draft some distance. WARNING: Stepping away can be risky. It can open you up to so many hardships. If you unlatch yourself completely, there is a serious risk that you can let yourself get lazy. Thinking does not mean sitting on the couch eating Cheetos--though that does sound like an awesome writing reward--it means getting out, trying something new, or staying in and talking things through with yourself via a digital recorder, or jotting down notes in a notebook or on a whiteboard.

Speaking of whiteboards! You may be asking yourself where the "cleaning the tape off of a whiteboard" part of the title comes in, and you're in luck, because ... right now!

A few months ago, the fiance (then boyfriend) came home from work with a huge, beautiful, sparkly whiteboard in his hands. My eyes were like saucers when I grabbed it out of his hands and the two of us danced (awkwardly) in the middle of the living room (the whiteboard and I, not the fiance and I. He may have brought to me, but I have my priorities. Heh.)

Then I noticed something had marred my perfect new amazing whiteboard. Tape. There was gross, clear packaging tape about four inches from the borders, all the way around it. The fiance explained his work used the whiteboard to hold a monthly calendar and that they didn't need it anymore and were going to trash it, but he saved it for me. (Yes, I do already have two other whiteboards--we will discuss that in part two next week.) He said "it's yours. All you have to do is clean the tape off."

Easier said than done, I discovered. I struggled with it for days, resulting in tools and tiny ripped pieces of tape all over the house. I could only take the abuse and frustration (and yes, I'm not over exaggerating or joking here, this was a really hard road for me), I gave up, pushed the whiteboard into a corner of my office and swore to forget about it. Until the day I hit The Writing Wall on my latest project and realized I needed it.

Now I had no choice but to try and tackle both my problems, cleaning tape off my whiteboard and plotting my book. I couldn't push them aside or put them off any longer. But neither job would prove to be easy.

And, unfortunately, this is where I leave you to ponder the mysteries of the universe--or, you know, how I overcame the plot troubles and what the heck that has to do with tape on a whiteboard. It will all come together next week. I promise. (hint: it's about perseverance.)

So, until then, thanks for stopping by and see you next week, same blog time (Wednesday), same blog channel.

Just Doing

The last month or so I've been adrift in my writing, completely listless. I jumped from project to project in my head while getting very little done. I plotted a new book, sure, but that isn't the book I can write right this moment.

I've been in a slump and have been reading a lot to try and pull myself out of the depths. Which is an ironic term for reasons I can't (yet) share. Reading has been helping though, catching up on books that have been sitting in my TBR pile for way too long. But it wasn't until yesterday during a dinner conversation with The Best Boyfriend Fiance That Ever Lived when I realized it was time to push aside the angst. Stop thinking (that's me, always in my head) and simply start doing.

That's what I'm up to today. I'm done being unfocused and trying to think my way out of the tangled little maze that holds up residence in my brain. Today, I'm a doer. I'm setting a goal of exercising five days a week (just finished my third workout of the week), and writing everyday (even if I can only squeeze in an hour, something on the page is so much better than letting it slide by).

It's not going to be easy, but I'm up for the challenge. Are you? If you're interested in joining me (in exercising, writing, reading, crafting, knitting, whatever floats your boat that you would love to find time to do more of) I can set up weekly or monthly posts here where we can all update our stats and show each other support. You set your own goals and timeline. Just leave a comment on this post if you're interested in participating. If we get enough people to join, I can set aside one day of the week where we all share.

Pinterest, Instagram, And A Huge Surprise Or Two

Recently, I've let myself be swayed to the dark side. That's right, not only am I on twitter, facebook, and running this blog (which I swear I'm trying to update once a week), I also now have a pinterest and an instagram account.

I'm a very visual person, so to be able to post pictures, share them, and browse the huge databases for writing inspiration is really helping. I even have a writing inspiration board. Plus, a board for each of my books (though some are still secret). *wink wink*

Surprise number two is more of a personal one to me. If you're following me on twitter or facebook, then you probably already know what I'm about to say, if not, here it goes...

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That's right!

I'm engaged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for the excessive exclamation points! I'm am so far beyond excited that it's like I've boarded a rocket ship and gone around the world. Twice.

That means The Best Boyfriend In The World is now The Best Fiancé In The World!






Thanks for sharing in my good news!

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

Funny things happen when you take a chance and color outside the lines. You can find a lucky penny on the street, meet someone new, try a new food you may never have had before--and love it.

Saturday I stepped out of my comfort zone and took a chance. Saturdays are usually work and rest days, but when the bf showed up with tickets to a concert, I decided to give it a chance. Not only did I have a great time, but it helped with work, too. Standing there among so many other people listening to great music and relaxing, I got to thinking. And thinking and thinking. And in the middle of all this thinking, I solved a pretty prominent plot issue I'd been having. This solution just kind of came to me, and is a huge step up in action and tension in my latest WIP. It's really a game changer in almost every way, and it never would have happened had I not decided spur of the moment to go to a concert.


Inspiration can come from the most unlikely places or people. Of course putting your head down and working is super important, especially if you write, but sometimes, if you're stuck, you just have to break away from the norm and step away from your desk. It doesn't have to be anything as extreme as skydiving or staging your own role play of the zombie apocalypse (although that does sound pretty awesome). Sometimes just looking outside the window or stepping outside for a short walk will do the trick to unblock you. For me it wasn't that easy. No, I had to let go completely--not something I'm used to.

So, the next time your stuck on a paper for school or report for work, on an outline, or a novel, pull yourself away and try something new. You never know what could happen.

Here is where I'd love to hear from you. What helps inspire you? What things have helped you step outside your comfort zone?

My (scary) Admission

I've been pretty busy these last few weeks working on a WIP and spending several hours a day at the hospital with my uncle. While thinking about my writing and editing and my WIP, it occurred to me that most of the time, I have no idea what I'm doing.


Okay, now some of you may be laughing, and others may be freaking out.


"What do you mean you don't know what you're doing?!"


To clarify, I've been writing seriously for several years. I've read various books on craft, writing, editing, etc. I've taken writing/editing classes. I've read more books than I care to count, in and out of my genre. I've done just about everything most established writers, publishers, and agents recommend you do if you want to succeed in this business.


All of that reading, learning, and researching has helped me develop my style, voice, plotting, and blah blah blah.


The point I'm really trying to get to here is you can read every "The Craft of Writing" book out there, take every class you can afford, and read blogs until your eyes blur. But unless you try, unless you practice, you really aren't doing yourself any favors.


Information comes and goes. Trends spike then wither. Unless you are pushing yourself, confident in your writing or not, you will not get anywhere in this industry.


Back to me knowing nothing. It's true. I write what I would want to read. I make my characters ones I can relate to. I give them flaws because it's interesting. Before I decided to try my hand at writing, I was a reader first. And the reader in me loves tension and emotion and screwed up characters. Instead of writing the way someone with a PhD tells me to, I take my own path and see where it leads.

That's right, just winging it.

I had no idea how to edit when I printed out my first completed manuscript. And let me tell you, it was a disaster.


Now I have guidelines--I read the draft over from beginning to end, making only major notes, instead of bothering with minor grammer issues--but my process almost always changes with every single book.


When I start a new project, again I have no idea what I'm doing. And to tell the truth. I kinda like it that way.


Care to share a detail of your writing/editing/plotting process? I'd love to add a new tidbit to my next project.

For The Love of...

Today is about the usual, writing, editing, and the love of it all.

Yes, I'm a writer because I love it. Every part of the process (except maybe writing the synopsis). Seriously though, I have even learned to love the hard stuff. In the beginning, the first draft was it for me. I still find this as my favorite part of the process, the most creative, but through the years and the manuscripts, I've even learned to adore the plotting and editing processes. Yes, it takes longer (way longer for me), but nothing makes the story brighter, better, ballsier, than a thorough edit. And nothing makes a first draft easier to write than plotting before hand.

I'm looking back today because I've finally finished edits on GD. This is an exciting day. Scary too, don't get me wrong. But I'm less nervous than I thought I'd be at this point. So I'm taking the necessary steps and getting a little nostalgic.

Instead of doing the waiting-and-refreshing-my-inbox-every-two-seconds, I'm taking the day off today (if I can stand it) and tomorrow I'm going to figure out what's next. I have a few things on the back burner to choose from, but I think I know which will take priority. And no, I can't say yet.

Thanks for stopping by! If you'd care to share, I'd love to know, what is everyone out there working on? Are you writing, editing, working, reading, fiddling with a project that has nothing to do with books?

The Dreaded Query Letter

You heard me right. It's that time again. QUERY LETTER TIME! *cue echoed voice and Halloween track music with scary noises and screams*. Damn. I should have wrote this post three days ago.

Yes, it's going to be THAT kind of post :)

Anywho...

All silliness aside (well, most silliness), the query letter is a huge deal for a writer. In this one page (that's right, 250 words or less, preferably less) you have to introduce  yourself, your story, and your voice to an agent (or editor or publisher). One page to describe all the blood, sweat, and tears you worked so hard on. That means it has to be good. No, not good, great. Really, it has to be your best.

Today I am working on a query letter for "GD". The manuscript is very close to being ready. Very, very close. So I'm taking the initiative and thought you might enjoy some helpful links to help you guys write your own queries.

Now, before we go into the super serious stuff, can we just enjoy some sexy half-naked Dean action?

*swoon*

Okay, serious face on. Here are some articles that are helping me out today.

Agent, Jill Corcoran has a list of great articles here.
Including, Formula For A Query Letter.
Queries and Synopis: How to Get an Agent Salivating to Read Your Manuscript.
And Query Letter Suicide (featuring a list of things NOT to write in a query letter). 

Now, a page with a few more links: here.
Including this not-be-missed three part series from author Jackie Kessler of the Deadline Dames.

And some of the best advice I've ever heard for query letters: Revise, revise, revise. Your query letter should go through extensive revisions the same way your manuscript does. 

Like this --->


I hope these links help you as much as they helped me. Now it's time to hear from you. Anyone else currently working on a query letter now? Have I missed any of your favorite articles or advice?

Wish me luck, guys!

Happy Halloween!

Today is the day every adult waits for. The day they can dress up the way they did when they were kids. Well, almost every adult. I don't dress up. *waits for tomatoes to be thrown* I know, I know.

But just because I don't dress up doesn't mean I'm not a fan. I mean, I write--and therefore practically LIVE--in the Paranormal genre. And let me tell you I enjoy a good scare.

Make no mistake of it I will be sitting in my living room, watching so many scary movies my eyes may melt. While I haven't picked out exactly what will be on the movie menu (which is unusual since today's the day, people!), I know some of what must be watched. The Walking Dead (Sunday's episode has been sitting in the DVR waiting for today), Friday's episode of Supernatural, Insidious (if I can coax the bf into getting his manly bits scared off again), and we're definitely finishing off with The Nightmare Before Christmas. I may even throw in a wild card depending on what I find on Netflix and on DVD/Blu-Ray.

If anyone has amazing plans for tonight that they like to share, I'd love to hear them. Are you an all-out Halloweener? Does the fact that it lands on a Monday night deter you? Are you dressing up? Do you decorate? Go all out? Taking the kiddies trick-or-treating?

Whatever your plans, I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Halloween and may the odds be ever in your favor! (That's right, I said it)

Falling for Fall

It's here. October. Fall. My favorite season. Leaves are turning, temperatures are changing, rains are falling.


Now you may disagree with me here, but keep in mind I live on the Northern California coast. Smack dab in the middle of the state. Our summers consist of the possibility of seventy degree weather, maybe for a week or two in September. Sure, we can take a trip north, south, or east for an hour and find temperatures at least ten degrees higher, but that's not possible every day.


Still curious about San Francisco summers? Yes, I could have taken this photo less than a month ago. This is the norm for us, people. And I'm not complaining, not one bit. It is beautiful.

However.

There is something different about fog versus rain clouds. Yes, they both look similar. But, for me, nothing beats the pat-pat-pat sound of rain on the windows, the vroom from my ancient heater kicking up to pump warm air (with Kitty A always in front of the living room vent) into the house. There is nothing more motivating for snuggling up with a great book, typing away at the keys on a shiny first draft, or hacking and slashing a manuscript you can almost no longer stand to look at.

And so far, fall has been good to me.

Now I'm curious about my loyal followers. Does fall really get you moving or slow you down? Why? If fall isn't your favorite season, what is?

September Writing Month

September Writing month is a tradition I started on my livejournal blog a few years ago where I basically work (write, edit, rewrite, etc.) every single day in the month of September. I find that once the summer is over, I notice the year is quickly coming to an end. What does that mean? More work needs to get completed, more goals accomplished before that New Year's ball drops. And what better way to knock out some of the things I've been putting off than to hold myself accountable for working every day of the month? September is the perfect month for this. Like I said, summer is over and NaNoWriMo is around the corner, but not so close you can't maybe bang out a draft or a round or two of edits before November rolls around.

Now, I would love it if anyone is interested in participating. Just leave a comment on this post (or link to your own website) with your goal, what you expect to get out of September Writing Month, and we'll check in here every Friday.

So, my Day One.

My goal: Finish my first draft of "Codename: W" my YA sci-fi.

Today I had to deal with the Day Job, so I didn't get as many words on the page as I would have liked, but a few hundred words is better than nothing at all, and that's what September Writing Month is all about. Completing personal goals that you have set for yourself and to clear out those summer cobwebs.

Here's where I am currently with "Codename: W"

8980 / 50000 words. 18% done!

News, Books, and the Latest

While I haven't been around blogger lately, I have been keeping busy. After a long and thorough set of edits, GD, my YA Paranormal (one I'm so in love with), is finally off to the world's most amazing crit partners. YAY! And now instead of twiddling my thumbs I just have to decide what to work on while I wait for more revisions to roll in. So I haven't exactly decided yet, but I have several options. I'm leaning toward firing up my mostly-plotted YA sci-fi (codename: W) and writing until my fingers bleed.

Also, I've finally finished my A-Z reading challenge. What a whirlwind. And now that I've read all my required reading, I'm enjoying some great reads I've been looking forward to. Shift (Shade #2) by Jeri Smith-Ready. I'm almost halfway through it. This is how you write an emotional read, people. Uh-mazing! And, by the way, The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade was also a great read. Fun and surprisingly deep. Now all I need is the sequel, Queen of the Dead.

Now I'm sure I don't have to tell you so many great books have come out over the summer and release soon. While my book addiction is...uh, let's call it problematic, there are so many books on my wishlist right now. Seriously. In case you're interested, I've got a wishlist tab on my goodreads.

An amazing bit of news that I almost forgot to mention, my critique partner just signed a contract with Entangled Publishing for her Sci-Fi Romance, Queen of Swords. I'm beyond thrilled for her. And trust me, you will want to get your hands on this one when it releases.

Great news all around! And I'll be seeing you all around a lot more lately.

Take that Manuscript to the Gym

Now while I was almost expecting a post-holiday hangover (the kind where you feel like doing nothing, leftover from an awesome weekend), I'm actually just glad to get things back to normal. Back to my routine. Back to the hair-pulling frustration and sweet-tears-of-joy madness that are revisions.

Edits, rewrites, revisions, call them what you will, just don't skimp on them. There's no better way to get your words (you remember, the ones you worked so hard on not so long ago) into shape. Unfortunately you can't take that first chapter to the gym to work on its hook or shout at that sagging middle through a thousand crunches or even kickbox that ending into submission...or can you?

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that every writer has their own process. Me personally, in the past I would never do less than three rounds of edits before allowing another set of eyes (critique partner or beta reader) on my pages. But this time (another thing I probably don't have to tell you, writers adapt) I'm sending a chapter after only two rounds. Side note: this is because I feel I've worked hard from plot to first draft and through two very substantial and thoughtful edits.

Are my words still under there somewhere?

And man is my CP tearing it apart. If this is where you expect me to cry and whine, then you must not know many writers. I'm loving all the bleeding my poor pages are doing. And I'm prepared to resurrect the first few chapters (and maybe--heh--some of my ego), rewrite, and look forward. Because red ink (or pink comment boxes) mean the reader found something off or wrong in the pages. And I'd rather work hard fixing those holes than leave them there to make myself feel better, to live in denial. Being a writer means persistence and hard work. Work I'm willing to put in. What I'm not prepared to is put out something I'm not a hundred percent proud of.

What that means is a lot of time and frustration for me...and a short blog post for you. :)

But before I go, sometimes we all need a little revision pick me up. Mine is obviously coffee (in the mornings), sandwiches (for lunch), and the occasional cookie in between. Oh, and you can't beat the affection of a darling kitty or two. So, what picks you up when you're down in the revision slumps? What keeps you going?

Kitties A and B

I LOVE this project!

I'm heading to the Giants game tonight, so this is going to be a quick post.

A post on what, you ask?

As I'm coming close to finishing a round of edits on GRACEFUL DEATH, a YA project I'm excited to talk about but not yet comfortable doing so, I'm getting that feeling again. You know, that feeling you get when the writing is done, and the story isn't perfect yet, but you're still SO excited about it. The idea is fresh. The voice is unique. And I may be tooting my own horn here, but I love this one. Each book I write, I'm honing my skill, getting closer to where I want to be. And I love it all!

There's a lot of work left to do, but I just had to share my excitement. I love every bit of the writing process and editing (even when I know so much more work is needed) is a huge part of that process.

And...GO GIANTS!