Dawn Embers

Books Bought and Nook Considered

2012-01-07T07:00:00.001-07:00

Okay, I have posted a couple times already within the last week but wanted to post what I bought today when I went to Barnes and Noble along with something I am considering. For Christmas, my mom and stepdad gave me a book card to the store as they do almost every year. I love that present because I always use it. This time I actually went with a plan on books I wanted to buy, which is unusual, and although I planned to get books from my "want" list on GoodReads, I did end up with one new book I had never heard of until I saw it on the shelf.

One of my reading goals for 2012 is to read 10 books in The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (might change it to 8, couldn't remember how long the series was) which I initially started reading in high school but only made it 3 or 4 books in. However, I couldn't find books 1 and 2, just 3 and 4. So, I had to buy the first two books in order for me to reach the goal.

Then I bought Game of Thrones by George RR Martin because my reading group on Writing.Com will probably end up reading it in February. Right now only 6 have voted on the poll but the majority is leaning towards that book as the one.

The final book that I bought was one I had never heard of until I saw it on the shelf. I went through my list of books I wanted on GoodReads on my phone and couldn't make up my mind, then saw this one and bought it. The book is The House of Discarded Dreams by Ekaterina Sedia. Read the back of the book and decided to give it a try. Hard to pass up a book that includes "a psychic energy baby living in the telephone wires..." Will be an interesting read, I hope.

Now for the other part of the blog post. While I will always love and prefer paperback books, I could really use an e-reader. My sister has a nook and my stepdad has a umm something or other, it's not the amazon one(kindle) and he buys his e-books from Barnes and Noble but it isn't a nook either. He still prefers print over the e-reader but does use it. Sister absolutely loves her nook. And even with my love of paperback, I can see that having an e-reader would come in handy.

When I renewed my Barnes and Noble membership (along with the books I bought) I also got a coupon for 25$ off the nook color. So I thought I would look the nooks up and consider them. And I am rather tempted to buy one of them. The color one is kind of pricey though, even with the coupon. There is the simple touch, which is only 99$ right now, and that one wouldn't be too bad. But the color one is tempting even with the higher price.

Not making any decisions yet, but it's under definite consideration.

Books as Gifts

2012-01-04T13:52:00.001-07:00

I have been meaning to do this post for a couple of months now because it's a topic that I have some uncertainty over along with personal experience. I love books and a gift card for me to buy books is one of the best gifts that I could get. And I give certain readers in my family gift cards too because then they can buy books on their own. However, actually buying a book for someone else can be hit or miss. I am getting my dad a book but I know he likes the series/author, is collecting the books in paperback to fit on his shelf and he promised not to buy that specific book. But there is no surprise in the gift because of that. There are pitfalls to buying books as presents and I'm going to talk about them.

1. Knowing what the person likes to read.

There are a few people I know what they like. My stepdad and dad have a few authors in common, and my stepdad also likes books like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and even found the Hunger Games interesting. My sister reads the most and loves YA. One of her favorite authors is Tamora Pierce and she loves reading both fantasy and realistic fiction. She has a Nook now and adores it. However, my two stepsisters... I had no idea what they read or if they read. I know one may not have time right now with her new career as a nurse and the other, well I texted her because I was curious.

On the other hand, sometimes people give me books as presents and every now and then they get one I can't wait to read, but often I wonder if they know what I like to read. I am always grateful for the gifts and I keep the books though a few get put near the bottom of the to read list because I am still willing to give them a try but have so many books waiting already. But I've gotten books that seem more suited for my sister (including a book involved in a series I haven't read) and books on writing but not for the writing I do. I still read the book on writing and I have the others waiting because I will still try to get to them but it's one of the reasons I find gift cards to be a better gift currently than buying the actual books for someone.

2. What books do they already own?

While I haven't come across this problem too much in receiving gifts, it is something I worry about when considering giving books to someone. Knowing what they read can definitely help but there is also a danger of buying them a book they already own. Even for the ones I bought books for the Epic Giveaway, I was worried because I don't know what they read, what they like and what they already own. I have no idea what books my siblings currently have, so would struggle to give them a book as a gift. And I own a lot of books with so many I have read and a just as great of number of books that I haven't read yet. Unless you are around the person and their book collection, it can be a hard task knowing the book you are buying that they would like isn't one they already have.

(Note: For this reason, I am adding on my goodreads page shelves for books I own and books I want.)

3. Do they even like to read?

Introducing reading to someone who doesn't read very much can be a very great gift but it doesn't always work that way. Some people just don't want to read books very often. My mom is not much of a reader. There is a specific kind of book she will read, some times, but she isn't the one to buy books for because most of the time she doesn't read. It's worth the effort sometimes to at least try but for some, they may never be big on reading but an occasional book gift isn't a bad idea for even them.

Conclusion

I am still mixed on the idea of books as gifts. I am definitely and probably will always be a big fan of gift cards for books as a gift. But I'm still not sure about giving books to someone. It can be a great thing but there are also pitfalls and things to think about.

What do you think?
Are books great gifts as presents?

Reflection and New Year

2012-01-03T00:30:00.000-07:00

The year 2011 is gone and the time has come to reflect on the year I've had with this wonderful blog. This year was a bit more off and on with blogging than the year before. In 2010 I had 110 blog posts and for 2011 this will make number 65. That smaller number of posts has included a variety of writing topics, challenges, a couple blogfests, new blog announced, a month long event and other stuff included.

Beginning of the year started, as many do, with promise and goals. I started getting together the book review blog, Reading at Dawn. I discussed my internship a little, though I know a few people are hoping to hear even more about that part.

March brought about a couple of writing challenges and a couple of interesting topics including "gay character versus gay story" and an author interview. Which was then followed in April by the great blogging challenge of blogging from A to Z. Quite fun to take part in and I may consider it again this year.

The next months were much slower, with only 1 to 5 posts per month. Work got in the way and my idea of the epic giveaway had such promise but since I still have prizes to mail out when I gather the money and get to the post office, it was more of an epic fail than success. Yes, I still have all the emails and what not and I'll probably re-email those that are still waiting in case anyone moved. I will get those prizes out, I promise.

And it didn't get much better from there. Nanowrimo was very distracting since I ended up write 125,000 words for the month. In fact, the last month I blogged was September. Kind of sad, but no worries, I am back to blogging and my goal is to blog at least 4 times a month all year long. I shall keep going and have some topics in mind for January.

So, that was 2011 and I look forward to a more successful blogging year for 2012.

MG Author Eisley Jacobs and Born to be a Dragon

2011-09-24T21:40:00.000-06:00

Middle Grade Feature Author & Book: Eisley Jacobs and her book Born to be a Dragon

Eisley Jacobs is one of the few middle grade authors I actually know and she was kind enough to let me interview her about her mg book for this month's topic. Here is the interview, enjoy!

How long have you been writing?
I think I’ve been writing since around the fifth grade. Seriously though, I was writing in spiral notebooks and creating stories for my peers to read. Poetry and actual stories that were probably rubbish, but I loved to write.

Sounds like fun. Rubbish is a good start, I know my first poems were just that, lol.
What is your book about?
BORN TO BE A DRAGON is about the epic friendship between a ten-year-old dragon and a ten-year-old girl. It’s a book about following your dreams and not listening to what the “world” says… It’s an amazing adventure for all ages.

Sounds awesome. I'm looking forward to reading the book.
Where did you get the idea for your book?
You know, a lot of people ask that and I really don’t have an answer. Story ideas come from many places and this one just happened to come at a time that I was ready to write it. My children love this story (as do many others) and it was just the right time.

Makes sense. Some ideas are hard to pinpoint an origin to but it's good you have a wonderful audience (your children). I remember hearing about them and the book on twitter. And when you published it that made things even better.
Publication story: What publication route did you go and how did you go about getting there?
I queried BORN TO BE A DRAGON (under a different name) at least 80 times. Sent a few fulls and a few partials and no one really wanted it right then. One agent said it wasn’t the right “time” for this type of story, while another said that she just couldn’t take on another dragon story. So I did my research and decided CreateSpace was the right place for me and I haven’t been disappointed.

I'm glad you found a route that works for you. Have heard some good things about CreateSpace too. Now, let's talk about other people's books.
What books do you like to recommend to others?
If you are reading in my genre, middle grade, I would recommend Chronicles of Narnia, Percy Jackson, Series of Unfortunate Events, The Secret Series and 39 Clues ;)

Haven't read any of them but I have heard of most, surprisingly. Genre time!
If you could write in any genre, which would you do?
I’ve never been asked this question, but I would honestly have to say I am doing it now. Middle Grade and Young Adult are fabulous genre’s and I will probably write them forever. I just love the audience and the reactions I receive. It’s really just awesome.

Great that you found something you can write and continue to love.
Is there a genre you wouldn't write in?
Probably adult fiction. I just can’t relate to it as a kid at heart.

Ah, okay. That's a good reason and we each have our own comfort zones in writing.
Do you have a project(story) you are working on now, or want to start working on soon?
I am currently working on Dragons Forever 2 and when it’s done, I will hopefully be doing a final read through of RINGS OF TIME, a YA Fantasy Novel.

Thank you Eisley for taking the time to let me interview you. Can't wait to read your book some day. People check out this author, you won't regret it.
Where online can the wonderful readers find you and your book?
http://EisleyJacobs.com/blog/
http://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Forever-Dragon-Eisley-Jacobs/dp/1456360965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316412100&sr=8-1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragons-forever-born-to-be-a-dragon-eisley-jacobs/1104199721
and
https://www.createspace.com/3504302

Writing for Middle Grade

2011-09-20T14:54:00.000-06:00

Note to self: When doing a month long topic about something you know nothing about, prepare ahead of time. And try to find stuff you know about personally.

There are some great posts coming soon but for now, I'm going to use different sources to provide tips for people who do write middle grade stories.

Writing a Middle Grade Masterpiece by Margot Finke at http://www.underdown.org/mf-middle-grade.htm

Here are some tips on writing for middle grade that appeals both the upper aged and the younger ones since a variety of readers find themselves in the middle grade section (often found in the children's section of bookstores) found on the site by Finke.

Here are some ingredients for a Middle Grade Masterpiece:
Use powerful and active verbs.
A cool and fast paced plot to keep the reader going.
Have your own unique voice.
Alive character with authenticity and dialogue that matches.
Hook readers at the end of every chapter.

Other tips:
Observe kids in their natural habitat. See how they interact, speak and such.
Read published middle grade books and dissect them to see what makes them work.
Network with other middle grade writers.

You Can Write a Middle Grade Novel at http://www.squidoo.com/middlegradenovels

- Get started and don't quit.

- Research

- Provide characters and conflict

- Check out this web site for more details

There are some organizations that can help, especially this one:
The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators
http://www.scbwi.org/

Favorite Middle Grade Novels

2011-09-07T07:30:00.002-06:00

This is a simple post. While I don't remember every middle grade book I've read in the past, there are some that stick with me. And some I'm not sure if they count as middle grade but I read them during that time so maybe they count. Either way, here are some of my favorites.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

The Silver Crown by Robert C. O'Brien

Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison (wore this book out)

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

A World Without Heroes (Beyonders) by Brandon Mull

Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene

Books by Kenneth Thomasma:

Amee-nah: Zuni Boy Runs the Race of His Life

Soun Tetoken: Nez Perce Boy Tames a Stallion

Naya Nuki: Shoshoni Girl Who Ran

Moho Wat: Sheepeater Boy Attempts a Rescue

And there are others that I remember some details about reading because I was very into reading back when I was younger. I would read all the time. But I don't remember things like titles, authors or even character names or the exact plots per say. So, there are many great books even from when I was middle grade age. And some of the ones on the list are ones I've read as an adult.

What are your favorite middle grade novels?

Middle Grade Month

2011-09-01T12:29:00.000-06:00

Welcome to September and one of many monthly topics. This month is all about middle grade books.

(image link)

The first question is of course: What is Middle Grade?

Often found in the children's section of book stores, middle grade is a term generally used for books geared towards readers aged 8-12. Though like many genres, there are some gray areas even with the age range of the readers and subsequently, the main characters. Not every store places the same either. Sometimes the same book can be found in young adult in one store but middle grade in a different store.

Here is a site that tries to put a light to the difference between middle grade and young adult: http://www.write4kids.com/feature6.html

Age: Often, the age of main characters (and readers) are 8 to 12 years old, though sometimes depending on the story, a character can be a little older and still be considered middle grade. 13 is sort of an in between age because many see young adult as 14-18, so the story does really matter.

Length: While one might expect middle grade books to be shorter, that is not always the case. Especially for established authors in genres like fantasy, the novels can be quite long. In fact, I have one I read an ARC for that is actually longer than a few adult epic fantasy novels I own.

Subject: The subject matter is a little different from young adult, for the most part. Not that there isn't questionable content in any middle grade books, but the focus of plots are often viewed as different. According to the Write4Kids site listed above explains the difference between middle grade and young adult with how the middle grade conflict is focused more inward to the main character. When the character grows, the changes are more focused. Young adult had inward change too but that is often affect by outward influences and a "bigger picture" plot. Of course, there are always exceptions.

While I don't know much about middle grade, I am going to try and learn more this month. Also, over on Reading at Dawn, I will be reviewing middle grade books all month. Hope everyone enjoys September.

What does middle grade mean to you?
Do you read and/or write middle grade?

Searching for Guest Posts

2011-08-21T07:30:00.001-06:00

Hello wonderful people,

I am looking for a few people to do guest posts on this blog. These posts are for the months of September, October and November. And I even have topics. September is middle grade, October is set for character development (yep, a whole month on characters) and then as expected, November is NaNoWriMo.

Anyone who wants to do a guest post can comment here or email me. Make sure to leave an email address if commenting here so I can get in touch, oh and say which month topic you'd like to write something for. I appreciate anyone who offers to do a post.

Thank you.

Progress Report

2011-07-20T17:00:00.000-06:00

Howdy Everyone

Have another small update. I have comments on writing over at my other blog, http://itsinthebookde.blogspot.com that discusses a decision I made with my own writing. But the other reason to post this is the epic giveaway.

2 books have been sent from Book Depository.
2 books purchased for the Local Bookstore packages.
Candy bought for candy winners.

So, I'm getting closer to getting everyone their prizes. Yay!

As for this blog, I am making plans. Once I get work all squared away, calmed down, and such, I have a few topics planned. There will be Middle Grade week. I have some posts to do about my internship and I have some general topics about writing (like one about Focus). So, there should be more content than updates coming in the future.

'Til then, Keep Writing.

Another Update

2011-07-12T15:38:00.000-06:00

Wow, things have been busy. I have been neglecting my blogs a little and I feel bad. Since I started working at two different jobs, I have days where I work for 16 hours. Once I get used to the schedule, hopefully I will find more time for reading, writing and blogging.

The good news is, I will be able to get everyone's prizes out soon from the Epic giveaway. It's nice to not be broke. :-)

So, this blog will seem neglected for a little longer but I'm going to work on posting once a week.

July Novel Writing Challenge

2011-06-28T20:27:00.000-06:00

Yes, there is another month long challenge and I am taking part in this one too.

JulNoWriMo

This is a challenge very much like NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) though not quite as globally epic yet. It's a month long challenge with the goal of ending the month having written 50,000 words. Except, the July challenge doesn't have to be a new story and it doesn't even have to be done on a single story. If someone wants to work on 3 already started novels *cough*ME*cough* then that is perfectly acceptable. (Yes. I have even more than three novels started, but I only plan to work on 3 for July.)

I learned about this event back about oh, June 11th. Yeah, not a lot of time to prepare but one of my group members on WDC in a group I run called NaNoWriMo Plus asked if we were going to do anything. After a few hours research I figured why not. Course that was when I had one minimal job instead of two with lots of hours but oh well.

I decided to run an event in my group and set it up. And at least 10 people on Writing.com have expressed interest, which is cool. So, despite short notice and new jobs I'm leading a group in writing 50,000 words during July. Can't wait to get writing.

Web site: http://julnowrimo.com/

Anyone else taking part in JulNoWriMo?
Did you know about it before?
What are your writing goals for July?

Life Lesson #1 Patience

2011-06-22T07:30:00.001-06:00

(Look! Isn't it cute?)

What I learned while catching baby possums in the house and how it relates to writing:

Patience

Yes, many people will say that patience is useful in this writing industry and I am one of them. There is always something that will make writers (and others) wait. And it's not easy, but we have to face the existence of nerves and the battle where patience is the weapon.

What does that have to do with baby possums (or opossums since it's spelled that way but I like using possum as the spelling) one might ask. Here is the story part:

We have little possums running around our house. At first we thought it was one that had gotten in from a little spot that hadn't quite been closed up yet. I caught it and let it go outside the house and the next day, there it is again. So, I did that three times; the third time was at 4 am, then that afternoon there was a baby possum in the house. I've caught two and used a carrier to drive them miles away from the house to let them go but we still have at least one little one in the house that I'm trying to catch. They are sneaky little things and quick to hide. I catch them with my hands, which isn't always easy and the real trick is... patience.

In order to catch the little creatures, I've had to spend time waiting, not making too much noise, for them to come out of hiding. A few times I would almost catch one so that I had to sit back and wait even longer for it to get the courage to come out again. Waiting is a part of patience that many writers face.

Writing often means waiting. Waiting for the idea to strike. Waiting for certain details like names and titles to become just write. And the big ones: waiting for responses after submissions. Distractions help a little but one can't completely forget as the submission out is always on the mind's screen, even when tucked away.

I haven't submitted any novels yet, but I have submitted a few stories and poems. Waiting to see what the editor/publisher/etc have to say and if the letter will be a rejection or acceptance isn't easy. This is where being a multi-tasking writer helps a little. There are always projects that are waiting to be finished, so when I have a novel submission out I'll still be focused more on the other 10 projects wanting my attention instead of waiting anxiously by the inbox. I like to think I will be patient when I'm submitting novels, but only time will tell.

Part of what makes the waiting easier when it comes to catching little possums is the result. It makes my mom happy because she doesn't like having those types of animals in the house and it keeps the animals alive since the other option involves stepdad and a gun. I like that I can at least let them go into some place that could be a better home for them. Results are key because they make the effort worth it.

What about you?
Are you patient?
Caught anything interesting lately? (lol)

Without Internet

2011-06-13T14:40:00.000-06:00

Does more writing get done when the Internet access is limited? Is the Internet too distracting to get writing done?

I've heard many people say that it is best to go without Internet or to turn it off in order to get some writing done but I was never one that could turn it off. Even during NaNoWriMo, I keep the Internet on and use twitter to do word dashes. So, it's very unusual for me to not have Internet. Except for right now.

I'm spending a lot of time over at my Grandmother's house and she doesn't have Internet anymore. So, when I am there, I don't have Internet to distract me from writing. But have I written?

Not really. I'm spending time with Grandma and by the time I go downstairs, I am tired. I know I need to make time to write and I think I'm going to do that tonight but so far, not having Internet doesn't always mean the writing will be easier. It comes down to priorities and putting the time into getting novels done.

Does it help you to not have access to Internet?

Update

2011-05-27T20:22:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone. I know it has been a little while before I posted on the blog, so here is a quick update.

1. The Epic Giveaway - I haven't forgotten the wonderful winners. Getting sick caused a slight problem and now I have a trip to DC. But after I get back, it's after pay day too, I'll be able to get all the prizes and send them out. Thanks for the patience everyone.

2. DC - I will be gone for about 5 days. Technically we are leaving Tuesday night for the city the airport is located in, but I'll still be online before we leave. I had to negotiate with my mom to get online time during this little "vacation" (stepsister is getting married, thus our reason for going to DC). So, I will have a little time to blog but I won't be on much.

3. Writing - Trying to make my writing goals but the being sick interrupted things. I hadn't written in over a week but I finally started chapter 23 of the YA novel rewrite. I am still determined to getting it finished asap. Next I'm going to rewrite/edit Standing Ground and get back to writing Angel/Demon, "dystopian" YA and maybe the epic fantasy. Yay for writing!

4. Blogging - It's a bit weird. After the epic blogging A to Z challenge, to go to posting barely anything. The month was tough so I'm glad to have the break, though I didn't intend it to be this long. Stupid sickness. I am going to try and blog once a week now. And I have fun things coming up, including a middle grade week. So, hope you all stay following and look forward to the future content of this blog as I continue to keep posting when I can.

5. Polls - I'm going to occasionally ask questions in little polls on the sidebar of this blog. First poll is going to be about comment responses from me. The more that take part in these polls, the better I can run things. Hope they help at least.

Okay. That is all.

:-D

Epic Winners Announced

2011-05-13T21:26:00.000-06:00

(image source)

Yay!

It took effort but I finally can announce all of the winners from the Epic 2 year 2 blog giveaway. Woot! I will email all of the winners. Prizes may take a little time pending funds. I hope everyone enjoyed the giveaway and thank you to all who entered. Congratulations to all of the winners.

Picture Book Critique by Megan K. Bickel
Virginia

Chapter/Query/Synopsis Critique by J.C. Martin

Juliana Brandt

2 Chapter Critique by Donna Hole

J.D. Brown

1-3 Chapter Critique by Loralie

Susan Kane

3 Chapter Critique by Me

Tessa Conte

Seanathan

Journal Package

Kristie Cook

Ann Carbine Best

Giggle, Laugh, Cry

Small Bookstore Support (Books)

Ebilly Fishy

Juliana Brandt

Book Depository (Books)

Vicky B.

Sarah Perry

Sophia Richardson

Pragya

Movie Theater Candy

Ashelynn Sanford

J.D. Brown

Mixed Candy

KimberlyFDR

Special Treats

Ebilly Fishy

Congratulations Everyone.

Giveaway is Over

2011-05-03T00:03:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who took part, making this the most successful giveaway I've held so far.

I will announce the winners within the next two weeks. Could be one but I'll say too just to be on the safe side. So, Stay Tuned.

And again:

Giveaway Ends Tonight

2011-05-02T03:00:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone. Just a quick reminder that the Epic 2 Blog 2 Year Giveaway ends soon. Today is the last day to enter.

To enter go here.

Happy Blogiversary to This Blog

2011-05-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

Yay! The blog is officially 2 years old and I have been blogging for that long, as it was my first blog. The Epic 2 Blog 2 Year Giveaway is still going on for one more day. May 2nd is the last day to enter, so if you haven't, hurry and enter. Epic Giveaway

Aside from the giveaway, I took a few days to figure out how I was going to celebrate in this post. And I think the look back over some of the posts is a good approach. It's hard to believe how much this blog has grown and followers are part of that amazing growth.

Back when I first started blogging, I had a couple of writing friends who I followed that also followed my blog but no comments. I'm seeing that is rather usual of new blogs and it never bothered me. I have discussed a few topics more than once since starting and it's interesting to see the different posts.

First blog post I started right away with writing topics, no introduction post. The first post was about writing every day and my attempt that week with writing one children's story a day for the whole week. Every Day

I started off at a decent pace but in September through November I had only one post per month. A bit over 6 months after starting, I had one post on goals comparing the idea of word count goals and chapter ones. Word Count Versus Chapters

After a year, I had gotten the hang of blogging. I even had some followers, all great and still are. But I didn't even remember when the anniversary day was until months later. But I did have a post on May 1 2010. It was about reading. Reading Week

6 months ago, was November 1, 2010 and the start of NaNoWriMo. Not a wordy post, the message was simple. On Your Mark, Get Set...

Good times. That brings us to today. 2 years and 187 posts later. I am hosting an epic giveaway. I just finished the craziness of the A to Z challenge, which meant more blog posts in one month than I have ever done before. And who knows what will happen next. But look for more theme weeks. I have a Middle Grade week coming up and might even have some guest posts in the future. I hope you all stay with me and enjoy the posts for another great year.

Z is for Zumba

2011-04-30T00:05:00.002-06:00

This is one of the easiest posts since I've had to idea most of the month. Considering we've spent a whole month posting almost every day and commenting on so many other blogs, it's time to get up and move. Zumba is one way to do that. Remember: giveaway ends May 2nd over here.

What is Zumba?
"Zumba is a dance fitness program created by dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez in Colombia during the 1990s. The program combines international music with dance in an effort to make exercise fun. Zumba classes are offered through licensed instructors in more than 110,000 locations in over 125 countries." - Source

And I have taken part in a class where I live. It's actually really fun. Though it's mostly me and a bunch of women that are a lot older. So, I'm not as self-conscious when I'm attempting to dance. I can't do all the moves either but I try. The music is fun.

Okay, I'm not very good at the Calypso. I can do some of the steps but a portion of it I really struggle, or did back when I was going to Zumba. This is the first one that I remembered, which is pretty good since I haven't been to a class since August. I was going to go back in October but hurt my hip bowling and you use your hips in Zumba for sure.

I might go back soon. I can afford it now but one slight problem. I work in the evenings and the only other time available is at 5:30 in the morning. I do not get up in the morning for anything, let alone to work out. We'll see. I need to do something.

This other video is much easier. Then again it's a mix of country and the twist. Fun times.

Do you like any type of exercise?
What are you going to do now the challenge is over?

Y is for Y'All

2011-04-29T00:08:00.000-06:00

This is a simple post. I just want to say one thing.

Thank you.

How this fits in Y is simple. I want to thank y'all (and yes, we use that term in wyoming too) for coming to my blog this month. The A to Z blog challenge has been super crazy and I never imagined I would gain so many followers. My single goal was 200 for my anniversary and that number has been exceeded in such a mind boggling way. I am so grateful to have such great people following my blog. So, this post is for you all who have viewed my blog this month and who decided to follow it.

I guess I could have put "You" as the topic. ;-)

(image link)

X is for Xmen

2011-04-28T00:15:00.002-06:00

Or at least, X-Men is the specific point but the more general topic has to do with references. I know some people like to see in a query letter a reference to what other already published books the one you wrote is similar to and that can be hard to figure out. However, there are times when that sort of reference can't be avoided.

Because I can't avoid the connection between my two "mutant" series and X-Men even though they weren't exactly the inspiration. Not that I have anything against X-Men, I just don't know enough about them except for seeing a couple of the movies.

It started back when I was in a critique group. I submitted a few chapters from my YA novel, back then called Ephram's Defiance, and a couple different chapters, the others in the group mentioned x-men. Why? Because my characters in this one and in the adult book 1 have genetic mutations that give them certain abilities. Currently I even call them mutants because I hadn't figured out a different term yet (though I might have one now). But I have a feeling that even if I don't call them mutants, people will still think of X-Men if these books ever get published or at least the beta readers who get to read them may see a connection.

Okay, some of the characters have similarities. I really wasn't going to have a fire character or an ice one because that screams X-Men. Then I was that character in a dream, and yes, I mean one character who can do both. He's fun and I had to agree to let him join the Rogues. There is a weather character too, a male one, that was in a dream too. The main characters, definitely not one I know about though I really don't know all the mutants in X-Men but I don't think it's worth the effort to avoid every ability they ever have. The story is definitely different. I know they are absolutely different, even if I can't keep people from making the reference.

So, I guess I will just accept it.

What about you?
Does your novel have a distinct reference to something already out there?
Or is your writing style very similar to someone else's?

W is for Why

2011-04-27T00:24:00.000-06:00

Okay, not really why but that is part of today's topic. The real topic is questions but that didn't start with a W. But many questions do, the ones in the WWWWWH method often used in news writing. Those stand for Who, What, When, Where, Why and How for those that are confused by all the W's and the one H. They are all questions and in novel writing, questions are important.

Some questions have been asked in my reading group lately that really got me thinking. They are the same kind of questions that I've heard discussed with other novels. One of the first times it was really mentioned that I remember is with The Forest of Hands and Teeth but is very relevant to dystopians like the one we are reading in my group. "How did the world (society) get to this point?"

Yeah, not a W question either but I'll get there. The issue with that question in particular is often times there is no answer (or none that the readers are told). Often the story is focused on what the character does in the world and how they look into the future. Not knowing how the world got to that point can hinder some readers but for me, I don't really mind that factor. But it's not always easy because books should bring about questions and most of those questions should eventually be answered.

Readers expect answers.

They(We) don't need answers to every single question. However, the story should bring up questions throughout and if it's a stand alone they should be answered in that book. Series is a little different because some questions can be answered later but if the questions keep mounting it's going to be very tough answering them all in the end. Brandon Sanderson is having to answer all the questions presented in the Wheel of Times series, for example, and it definitely can't be easy considering Robert Jordan created such an amazing world Sanderson has to use for the ending.

Questions are an important part of that little thing known as inquiry and imagination. They create a story and can mean many things to different readers. Make sure to always ask questions.

Does your story give the reader questions?
Are those questions eventually answered?
Do you want to know how the world in dystopians ended up that way or is okay not to know?

V is for Vlog

2011-04-26T00:05:00.001-06:00

No, I'm not posting a vlog. Sorry if that over excited anyone who thought they were actually going to see me on video. I haven't even posted a picture of myself so the chances of me posting a vlog any time soon is very slim. Plus I have no idea how to make one. But let's discuss the topic in general.

What is a Vlog?
The word stands for video log. A video placed on the internet taken for a number of different reasons. If I were to do a vlog, for example, I would probably talk about writing because this is a writing blog. Food bloggers who vlog would probably talk about food though sometimes people go off topic from their general themes.

It is a brave thing to post, or at least it seems brave to me.

Why won't I do a vlog? Aside from my issues with technology, there is the whole not liking any pictures of myself. I sound weird on recordings too, or at least, my voice sounds weird to me when I have to hear a recorded version. I may do one in the future, but no promises yet.

Since I don't know much about vlogging, I did find a friend's blog post with tips on what not to do while making a vlog. Here is the link: Confessions of Bad Vlogger

Have you made a vlog?
Do you plan to in the future?

U is for Upper Hand

2011-04-25T00:15:00.002-06:00

Who, in the story, has the upper hand most of the time?

It isn't often the hero, though they aren't at a great disadvantage either (well not all of the time). If the protagonist has the upper hand for most of the story then there is less tension because truth is, people like to vote for the underdog. Readers like to know that there is a challenge. The upper hand isn't always apparent either.

On the other hand, if anyone has too much of an upper hand then it becomes almost unbelievable. It is kind of like the hero or villain, protagonist or antagonist, when they have so much power and abilities then they have too much of an upper hand. It can make for cool scenes in movies with all the tech stuff that is available these days but it also makes the story a little less interesting in the book.

I have this problem with RP online. A friend had me join one of his favorite sites because he does RP all the time on there and in that world, the more powers and strengths, the better. His most used character had a gazillion abilities and could do almost anything, and to me that made him (the vampire) boring.

Another analogy is the convenient item the character happens to have on them and it's the exact item that saves them. It's often referred to as "Batman's belt" or something like that. If it seems too convenient then maybe there is another way to achieve the same goal without the item/action/etc feeling too easy. Some people in fantasy follow the rule that the item used at the end has to be mentioned at least 3 times in the story in different types of scenes. (Course, I'm trying to remember the rule so don't quote me on that for sure.) But the basics are simple. Surprise things at the end that save the day can feel too easy to the reader.

I try to make things difficult for everyone without being too difficult. Sure, Noah in the adult mutant series is one of the strongest ones in the world, but he's against using his powers. He also is emotional and while the villain is intimidated by his abilities, he knows how to use his emotions against him. I hope that I never give anyone too much of an upper hand in my novels.

Who has the upper hand in your story?
How do you make things challenging for the character?

T is for Thomas

2011-04-23T00:42:00.000-06:00

First a quick reminder. My epic giveaway is still going until May 2nd and I'm super excited to have over 225 followers. I hope many more enter the giveaway to truly make it epic. Here is the link as there is a US form and an International form. Anyone can enter. Epic 2 Year Giveaway

Now for T.

This might seem like a strange one for a writing blog and there were a few other words I considered like "title," "talking" and "talent" but this one I thought would be fun. I usually blog from character's point of view at The Character Cafe. But over on that blog, I have mutants, an angel and a demon who post, but none of the normal humans. So, I'm giving the reins over to Thomas. He is from a romance/erotica novel that does not have a title yet (shocking I know). He is also the favorite of a certain friend of mine and maybe we'll see why here.

Dawn: Okay, Thomas. The blog post is yours. Have fun.

Thomas: I will do my best. *spends a few minutes reading over posts on the Character Cafe* Okay. Well, I probably won't be as exciting as the mutants or even the demon guy. Though he seems rather nice for a demon. The stuff Dawn comes up with... and who ever has zombies over there, hmm. They might be more fun too.

I'm not sure what I should be telling you all, but I have to give this a try anyways. I don't have a very exciting life either since I'm just an accountant. It's boring and I spend way too much time working but it pays all my bills and then some.

Probably not what I'm supposed to be discussing. The romance that is the plot of my story should be more focus but I don't know what all I want to admit to the public like this. Before the "story" I was with my now ex for over 8 years, in an open relationship, but I was waiting for the commitment that I thought would happen. At the beginning it made sense, being able to... "play" with others sometimes but I figured we would both grow out of that after a couple of years. I did but he did not. Wasted too much time just waiting for him and it's hard to move on again, afraid that I'll make that mistake again, or that my next bf will be wasting time with me. Breaking up with him was hard and it took meeting someone else for me to even see how much I needed to do it.

Kyle, he was unexpected. That first night at the bar, where I met him and mistook that fact for meaning he was older than what turned out to be the truth, the flirting surprised me and I didn't expect it to develop the way it has. He is young, not underage cause I'm not a creep and that would be gross, but he is younger than I would have thought to consider. It's not his youth I am attracted to with him either. There is something about him, something I can't quite place and for reasons I can't figure out, he really like me and only me. It's almost too much and I'm having to change everything I thought I knew about relationships. I don't know for sure where this is heading, our relationship, but it has made me think more than any one I've had in the past.

I have probably bored a few of you, people out there. If you made it this far, thank you for listening to my rambles. I think I'll go bother Dawn some more about the story. She has all the fun bits worked out but she needs to do the serious parts too. I need to get this figured out and need her help. That is part of the deal, this whole author/character thing.

S is for Sub-Genre

2011-04-22T00:04:00.000-06:00

This was another tough topic to pick, but I think sub-genre will do. There are so many different sub-genres out there, it can be hard to keep track some times. Some are more recognized in general than others. One change I like about the layout of young adult novels in Barnes and Noble is that they separated out a few of the sub-genres, which make it easier to find certain types within the large mix that qualifies as YA.

I kind of wish the Science Fiction & Fantasy section would have a few sub-genres labelled to help find books. Granted, it would be difficult to pick which ones received their own shelves but it would still be nice. Right now there is just the vast grouping in the one I shop at of science fiction and fantasy combined. And there is the "new" section but that bugs me even more because the one I go to has it as "new science fiction" and I know around half of the new books are fantasy and not sci-fi.

Categorizing a novel isn't easy. There are a few novels I know exactly where they would be placed but a few others I am not sure. My mutant novels sound sci-fi but at the same time the powers almost seem too unrealistic, which makes me have doubts. The new YA book seemed a little dystopian but I'm not sure if there is enough about the society since it's a small village for it to qualify (among other reasons). And the one that almost seemed steampunk definitely is not, but I have no idea what kind of fantasy it is yet. Course the easy ones are ones I'm not working on right now. Figures. lol

I could go into all the difference types and discuss a few in depth but I think I'll just list a few examples of different sub-genres that exist. There are many others but here are few of them.

Examples:

Paranormal Romance

Dystopian

Urban Fantasy

Epic Fantasy

Military Sci-Fi

Cyberpunk

Steampunk

Cozy Mystery

Noir

Historical (mystery, romance, etc)

Police Procedural

Contemporary

Regency Romance

What sub-genres do you read?

What sub-genres do you write?

R is for Reading

2011-04-21T00:15:00.001-06:00

I love books, always have. When I was younger I used to read all the time. I read while eating dinner and watching television; I read at school; and I read while walking around the house. Then college happened.

Like others I've met, college cut down my reading and not just the leisure type. I eventually quit reading for my classes because the stress was overwhelming. I spent the last year with an eye twitch from the stress, so reading just didn't happen and that was even with literature classes. I was up two days in a row doing the work for one Lit class, along with assignments for a couple other classes, and that was some of the worst 48+ hours I've had. And I managed to pass every class even though I didn't do any of the reading. While I didn't read anymore I still did some writing even though I knew as a writer I really should be reading.

Last year, I read 4 books, though I started 2 others I never finished. Yeah, 4. Very pitiful but I'm working to make it up this year.

Part of the reason I decided to have a book reviewing blog was to read more. And I have succeeded so far. My goal for the year is to read 35 books. It's not the crazy 100 books most of my friends have on Goodreads but there was no way I could go from reading 4 books to 100. So, 35 is this year and who knows, maybe next year I will read 50.

I have finished 12 books already.

Do you have a reading goal?
How many books have you read this year?

Q is for Query

2011-04-20T00:02:00.000-06:00

An obvious one but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to discuss query letters for fiction novels, especially since yesterday I crazily took part in a query blogfest.

Basics:
The query letter is a single page that introduces the author (you) and the novel to whoever it is being sent to, most often agents and publishers. The common elements are the hook, small synopsis and short/relevant bio. Some will also have a small section that shows personalization about why the letter is being sent to that particular person but not everyone will want/have that. Check out agentquery.com for more information on the query letter.

Tips from Kristin Nelson from notes I took at a conference last year:
query tips blog post

Now for My Thoughts:

Oh my goodness, can this topic be very confusing. Researching can come up with more questions than answers and while I am certain I get the basics, translating it to an eye catching query letter about my own novels is a trying endeavor. Thankfully, I'm not at the point to seriously be worried about my query letters but my goal is to be panicking over them by 2012. But I still worry and in part cause I've entered two query blogfests in the past 6 months. Yes, even though I don't have novels ready, I tried to write the query letter. And it felt insane each time.

My first attempt was back in December for query blogfest.

My second attempt was posted yesterday for query letter blogfest.

Yeah. Neither are very good and I know what I really need to work on. And cause you're reading this, I'm going to share those points with you because I am sure I'm not the only one.

1. Voice: This is a hard novel for voice and that is a hard aspect in general because it's not easy to do a professional letter while having the character/novel(s) voice in it too. Part of what makes it difficult for this novel in particular is I'm still finding the voice in the novel because I changed it from first person to third person. That and I do know he's not a snarky teen boy. He's a quiet, slightly nerdy, keeps to himself whenever possible type. To me, it seems harder than say an outspoken, fun attitude type of character because subdued is harder to see through the words. I might try to chat and post more in the Character Cafe from his point of view because I bet Noah's novel will be easier due to how much time I've spend in his pov already.

2. Plot points: More of a what all to show in the query as the real problem. I think I understand now the whole, hook is the first conflict in the story and not the big one, bit but what about the rest of the query. What do I show from the whole novel? I guess certain side plots are left off the page but I'm having a hard time with what I should showcase. Do I mention the new boy he befriends? Do I mention his mutation was detected at birth, which is what makes the MC different in particular and the main reason he has had to work for the government, he is one of the youngest ever discovered? What do I add in the query? I don't know yet.

3. Genre: This one may just be me but there are some novels I have a hard time putting into a genre. Genetic mutation does seem like science fiction except that when the powers come out, some of them are definitely not realistic and make it seem a bit like fantasy. Do I call it Sci-Fi? I might but not completely sure yet.

Those are a couple of points but that's enough about me. What about you?

Have you written a query letter?
Are query letters hard?
What parts are the most difficult of a query letter?

P is for Patience

2011-04-19T01:00:00.001-06:00

Be Patient.
Ten Paciencia.
And umm however you say it in other languages too...

(image source: motifake.com)

Yep, patience can be very helpful in this industry because there are many aspects that take time. It can take a long time to get a novel written, then there is the rewrite and edit process, which should take up more time. Once the book is read, test readers or critique groups/partners have approved (if you go those routes), you might be ready to submit the story to an agent and/or publisher.

Have to get query letters ready, maybe even a synopsis depending on the situation, and after that? Clicking the send button, or sending the letter in the mail if it's one that prefers the snail mail still. And what happens after that?

Waiting.

And guess what... There will be more times where you will have to wait, even if you get an agent or publisher. Waiting and patience are part of the industry.

But there are things we can do while we wait. Research agents and publishers or your next novel idea. Write something else. Keep busy. Spend time away from the computer (I'm not very good at that one). All kinds of things can help the time go by because part of patience is distracting oneself in order to not focus on having to wait. Being easily distracted almost helps in this front.

So, how about you:
Are you patient?
What do you do to pass the time?

O is for Out Loud

2011-04-18T00:14:00.000-06:00

There are many O word options for this post and it wasn't easy to make up my mind as I imagined sleeping instead of writing this post. But I think I have one that will work.

Out Loud

Think of it as a discussion about the difference between your inner voice and your outer voice. Those times when you say something out loud and then say "oops did I say that out loud?"... that type of thing. It is very important to know when to keep something to yourself (or a small private group of friends/family) and when to put it out into the large atmosphere of the internet. Be careful what you say because you never know who will see it.

Blogs are one place to consider since you never know who will see your posts but I'm going to talk about Twitter instead. The problem with fast media and networking, is sometimes it can become almost too informal. We forget that the things we post are being seen by other people. I'm guilty of this too. I'm sure no one really cares about the cat sleeping on my lap, that I have to go to work, or that I have yet to bowl a 200 this season. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we have to get all formal and not post random things on twitter because that's not quite my point. Just remember that people can see what you say.

Posting and tweeting is done Out Loud.

What I don't recommend, for writers as an example, is doing things like complaining about publishers and agents. Definitely don't say which one you are complaining about in particular. Sure, it can seem all innocent but imagine this. Let's say you posted a few tweets complaining about word count requirements for a specific genre, that they are too long and totally unfair (hypothetical of course). What if that publisher or an agent you want to submit to actually sees those complaints? It's not the worse thing in the world but I'm sure that's not the impression you want to leave. Now, talking about cats goes over a little better and that's because many of them have pets. But complaining and speaking down on someone is a way to leave a less pleasant impression.

And to showcase what I mean, if you have twitter, check out occasionally who is following you. Here are some in the writing industry who are following me. I skimmed through so here is a sampling of followers:

Authors: James Garcia Jr., Laura Fitzgerald (I reviewed her book), Kristie Cook, Alex J. Cavenaugh, to name a few. Not to mention many writers working towards publication.

Publishers: inGroup Press and 4RV Publishing

Agents: Weronika Janczuk and Knight Agency

Know when to speak out loud online and when to find a private outlet. And if you would rather say anything no matter what, that is fine too, as long as you have no problem facing any of the consequences. Just hope that it isn't extreme because as we've seen with certain blogs and comments, it doesn't take long for something said Out Loud online to go viral.

What do you think?
Do you worry about what you post and who might see it?

N is for Networking

2011-04-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

Networking is a very important and useful element of the internet. This blog challenge is an excellent method for networking even.

Event reminder:
My epic giveaway is still going on until May. Thanks to this blog challenge and some promoting, this blog went from about 188 followers to 225. I thought having just 200 would be super amazing so my mind is boggled over the 225 number. Still time to enter to win prizes. There is a US form and an International form, and the more people that enter the better and more prizes I can give away.
Epic 2 year 2 blog Giveaway

Blogfests:
I don't do many on this blog for a reason but I do enter all kinds of blogfests over on my It's In The Book blog. They are great ways to gain followers and meet other bloggers. In fact, before my epic giveaway on this blog, the second one was ahead in followers even though I've only had that blog for a year. Hosting blogfests is also very fun. My last blogfest, the Broken Hearts blogfest, had 39 blogs linked to those taking part in it. Aside from just the blogging side, I can also see that I'm getting fans of my writing by having those entries posted on the blog. It's just a great source of fun and networking for blogs.

Twitter:
It's a crazy weird form of networking but it's hard not to talk about it. Sure some of us post random tweets about things like our cats or things that followers probably don't care about (so guilty of both) but it is a way to keep in contact. My sister keeps in touch with me sometimes on twitter even, like asking when she is going to get her nook back. I also keep in touch with writing friends, some beta readers and then there are random people who follow me. And twitter I am even more confused about why they are following me but some of them are really cool. I do know a couple agents and other industry people are following my blog, which is exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Not everyone will like twitter but that's okay.

FB/Myspace/etc:
These types of sites can be used for networking as well, though I rarely use any. I have a facebook page but not linked to my writing self. I keep in contact with family there but sign in maybe once every couple of weeks. Yet, I have learned at the book blogger & publisher conference that FB is a good source for networking and promoting a review blog.

Conferences/Conventions:
These are great for networking both online and in person. Online cons are a little different since it involves chatrooms, forums, sometimes live discussions recorded, but it's still all online. In person is a whole different playing field. As a writer and even as a blogger, it can be good to go out of the house every now and then to meet people that doesn't involve typing on the computer. I have had some great times at conferences and can't wait till the next ones. I'm trying to go to 2-3 conferences this year even though I'm low on funds. We'll see what happens. Number one goal is the SCBWI summer conference in LA.

How do you network?
What would you recommend to others in particular?

M is for Memory

2011-04-15T00:02:00.000-06:00

I considered doing a post on middle grade but I'm going to do an entire week on that after this challenge so I can really focus and discuss different elements of the age group in more than one post. Plus, I have someone who might do a guest post for that week. So, I'm going with my initial M idea: memories.

I am going to start with the question instead of ending with it:

What do you remember? (more than one is okay, over 20 might be too much)

While my memory is terrible when it comes to recent events and random moments, if I try, I can remember quite a lot.

I remember playing shuffle board in the basement at my great grandparent's ranch.

... playing power rangers in the field next to the high school during recess since it was by the elementary school.

... having a friend tell the whole class we were going to get married, move to Colorado and he was going to sell vacuums.

... staying over with the girl who would soon be my stepsister and waking up to a garden snake in one of my shoes (not her putting it in I promise).

... Mom, my sister and me, sitting on my frilly bed with the canopy when she told us grandpa passed away.

... bowling in a tournament where people were yelling and cheering, for the other team, and yet we won.

... standing in the bowling alley as a kid while dad bowled in an adult league, the air was gray from smoke.

... eating Sunday lunch at great grandma's house while the sun warmed up dessert (peaches that we would drizzle cream over).

... trying to drive the big suburban on our way back from the mountains but the seat didn't move forward enough so I had to use a pillow since I'm short.

... walking around the house while reading.

These are just some of many things I remember.

What do you remember?
What do you think your characters might remember?

L is for Learn

2011-04-14T00:36:00.000-06:00

That is right: Learn. There is always something to learn when writing stories and in life in general.

I had someone in a slightly frustrating writing group (long story) ask me an interesting question after I mentioned in the forum how my mom had a novel idea but she didn't think she knew enough about writing to actually write it. The person asked where I got my talent from then? Not to say for sure I am talented, just what the person asked.

Talent may exist but it will only get you so far. People who compliment me by saying things like I have a talent writing or just that I write well are nice but I know I have plenty to learn still. Okay, more than plenty.

I could list the many things you could learn when writing or talk about how you can learn but I'll keep it short.

1. Write
2. Try new things
3. Read
4. Write
5. Research

Those are a few that help. I have been writing technically for 5 years, seriously, though I didn't start with novel length. I tried flash fiction and short stories as a way to learn how to write scenes. I took part in little contests that focused on prompts, dialogue or other elements of writing. Then I worked on writing novels. And I'm still working. I am almost done with my first rewrite, which means soon I will do my first edit. It's all a learning experience and I can't wait.

Do you think talent plays a part in writing?
What is one thing you've learned recently?
Do you plan to keep learning?

K is for Keeping Tradition

2011-04-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

I was watching the tv show Mike and Molly, yes I like the show. This week there was a baseball game where Molly had a tradition that she used to go to games with her father before he passed away. So, she had a tradition of going to the game and at the game she had some traditions like eating a hot dog. Her boyfriend Mike and his friend had a tradition of going to the opening game together. Which at least gives me a topic I can use for the K letter.

Keeping Tradition

Traditions can bring out many different elements in a short amount of space on a novel page. They can be large traditions that show something about the world the author builds. They can display information such as class, religion, and others. But they also can be helpful in showing something about a character, especially small traditions.

A small tradition can make a character come to life to a reader, makes them relatable even. A tradition wrought from a tragic past can help a hardened character has a soft spot, so that they don't seem out of character but can provide more depth.

Traditions can come from every day life or from long standing myths and beliefs. They can exist in the real world or be a new creations. This is where world-building can help when doing a fantasy world because knowing the traditions of the people can bring a life feeling to the story if they are traditions that an intrigue or inspire a reader.

So, to keep from rambling even more, I turn to you: the reader.

What tradition do you have that comes to mind?
Does your character have a special little tradition they try to maintain?
What would be a cool tradition?

J is for Just Write

2011-04-12T00:00:00.000-06:00

(image source: writenowisgood.typepad.com)

Back to the general writing topics. Yesterday I had a slight distraction in writing. Every now and then I let worries get ahead of the story because I am a planner in everything except for the novel plots. So, last night I was thinking about the novel I've been rewriting, the YA one. I thought this first book was young adult but now I'm having doubts. But I can't worry about it now because I have three chapters left to rewrite. Then I edit and I'll worry about it then. Right now, I need to Write.

It's so easy to worry about things when it comes to novels. Are the characters likable? Do they have enough character to them to be interesting? Is this novel going to fit in a trend? Will it just miss the boat? (Sorry vampire writers. Things might be on hold for a little but it will come back.) What about content? Will an agent/editor/almighty person say the story has to be changed completely in order for it to be published? Is this a young adult novel? What counts as middle grade? Which genre is this novel? What if I write 15 different genres? and so many more...

But worrying, as I once heard on a movie, is like a rocking chair. It's something to do but it won't get you very far. In fact, it may cause the dreaded pre-written fear that will keep many from ever finishing their story. Which is why I promote one main rule of writing when it comes to first drafts:

Just Write.

That and guess what. First drafts are allowed to suck. And second drafts aren't going to be perfect either. Shocking, I know. I thought the draft I was writing was publishable as is... hahahahahaha. Yeah, no. I know this second draft needs work but I can't work on it if it's not done. So, I have three chapters to write. I'll end here cause that is what I should be doing. I should be writing (and maybe listening to the awesome podcast, I Should Be Writing).

I is for Intersex

2011-04-11T01:00:00.001-06:00

People might be unfamiliar with the term, intersex. That's part of why I am dedicating my "I" post to it but also, I have waiting in the shadows an intersex main character waiting for me to write the book. It's actually contemporary YA, so should be interesting for me when I get the chance. There are going to be some anatomy words for explanation, this is the warning if stuff like that makes you uncomfortable, run away! *winks* So, on to the topic.

Intersex

What does the term mean?
Intersex is a word used for a group of "conditions" that are usually characterized, with one or two exceptions, where a discrepancy exists between the individual's external genitals and the internal genitals. At times the internal can be mixed, as well.

The site all this information comes from, minus the one statistic is MedlinePlus and the National Institutes of Medicine (NIH) at www.nlm.nih.gov.

NIH lists 4 categories of causes:
46, XX - Female chromosomes and ovary but external genitals are male.
46, XY - Male chromosomes but external genitals are either female, ambiguous or formed incomplete.
True Gonadal Intersex - Has both ovarian and testicular tissue, and chromosomes are XX, XY or both.
Complex or Undetermined - Other chromosome configurations that include XXY and XXX.

Statistic:
According to Father Mag, "one in every two thousand births is an intersex child..."
Source: fathermag.com

This may seem a smaller number than one would expect but not all intersex can be diagnosed at birth. Some aren't even discovered until after the person has died.

Interesting Fact:
An older term for the condition, hermaphroditism, was a combination of the Greek god Hermes and goddess Aphrodite. Hermes as the god for male sexuality (among other things) and Aphrodite known as the goddess for female sexuality, love and beauty.

When someone is born with this condition:
What used happened in the still rather near past is that the infant, if it is one of the conditions that was discovered at birth was usually put to surgery as soon as they could. A gender would be assigned usually depending on what seemed an easier surgery based on the outer genitals. Times have changed a little in that surgery is put off as long as deemed healthy, even having the child take part in the assignment of a gender/sex. This change is in part to the fact that people know more about the complexities that go into gender identity.

My character isn't completely figured out yet. I was thinking of going with XXY but is one of the rare conditions that doesn't have the discrepancy between external and internal. In fact, it probably wouldn't be noticed right away unless for some reason a genetics test was taken. So, I'm going to have to do more research to figure out Taylor. That and I'm still deciding (cause I know what to do but not overly excited yet) for how to address the main character because I usually write in third person. Someone recommended "shim" but I am not comfortable using it and not sure enough readers would even know what it means since even I didn't know until recently. May have to go first person for this one. Still, I look forward to writing the YA novel.

H is for Height

2011-04-09T01:00:00.001-06:00

I've read a few interesting comments on writing blogs where the commenter mentions that they think some authors give too many details about a character's appearance. And I can certainly see what they mean. Especially when the same type of paragraph is used for different characters about the hair color, eyes, face, body, etc. But the question asked by some stuck with me. Why is that information important? I'm not going to talk about most the details because I'm sure you all can give excellent reasons. No, I'm going to talk about one thing that may not seem like a big deal to some.

I'm talking about Height.

I am not tall. Not even close. I'm actually 4'11.5" or 151.1 cm. Recently, I started a job at a pizza place and because of that I came up with this topic. Height shouldn't matter when working with pizza right? umm yeah it does. My sneakers are those shape-up kind so they at least get me to at least 5 feet tall but I still struggle. It's hard for me to reach certain toppings. I have to stretch out the toes of one foot and reach to get things like pepperonis and pineapples. And doing dishes is worse. If the sprayer is put up in the wrong spot I have to stretch to reach it and putting away clean dishes, psh. So many things I struggle putting away because I'm too short. I sometimes stare at the tall people then the spot where it goes, hoping they get the message, or I ask them to do it for me because it takes too long to get out a step stool for the different dishes. So, height does affect how I do at my job.

What about in stories? Does the character's height affect anything?

It can. First, height can help distinguish different minor characters. In my YA novel, sometimes the MC refers to one of the agents (he calls them Suits) as the tall one. He doesn't know their name. But it's a way for him to distinguish between the two when it's both men who visit him from the mutant regulation agency (or whatever I call it).

In romance, height can be used as both the way to distinguish between characters (since I write m/m it's tougher than f/m to keep the two apart at times) but it also has benefits. Scenes written that are important to the genre, like maybe a kiss, the height factor can bring in a good detail. This doesn't have to mean giving a stat like 5'10" or anything like that, just how a character has to lean down, or stretch up implies a difference between the two characters.

I've never fought. I can use a recurve bow and a gun (prefer the bow) but I haven't tried swords or anything like that, but I imagine height would have some influence in fights. The person has to know how to adjust and use height for their advantage or the other person's disadvantage. I'd imagine someone short like me probably shouldn't be using a long sword. I need a Hobbit one or something.

The last one I'll mention you often see in fantasy. Ever tried getting up on a horse and getting your feet in the stirrups when short? It's not easy. And getting off the horse is hard too. I don't jump down well, so had to use my friend's four wheeler because her mom had gone to fix a fence. And what about those young characters who have never ridden a horse before?

See. Height does matter. ;-)

How about you?
Does height affect anything you or your characters do?

G is for Gay

2011-04-08T00:39:00.000-06:00

I almost didn't do this post. It sounded great but the topic should be a little too obvious coming from me. Those who haven't looked, that image in my profile is a picture with Pride flags. That is for a reason. I posted last month about the different between gay characters and gay stories (here) and on my other blog I know I've posted at least one or twice some of the reasons I write glbtq (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning and other letters of the alphabet) characters and stories. So, this post is going to ramble on a few different topics related to gay characters/books.

When I started writing, I heard from a few different people that I should write straight characters if I wanted to get published. I didn't know much about publishing and at the time, I was more focused on writing the stories I wanted to write than anything else. Luckily this has kept me from submitting too early but it has caused me to worry a little about what would happen if I ever did submit to publishers/agents. The thought of being asked to change the characters gender and/or orientation made me a little nervous because I didn't want to be hard to work with but at the same time changing that would ruin any romance story because I knew the characters were gay and to change it just to get published would make me feel like I was selling out. I'm not as worried now.

I went to a conference in Colorado where a common question asked was: "what do you write?" and it was difficult at first for me to answer because I write so many different things. Eventually, I started answering with the same answer: "I write glbtq fiction, mostly in fantasy but occasionally other genres." Not as short as saying "I write fantasy" but it worked minus the few times I had to explain what I meant by glbtq. And it's true, over 90 percent of my novels have gay, bi, trans, intersex, questioning and even asexual main characters. The response is what surprise me. Several times, I was told how there is a great market for that. Shocked me, that is for sure.

Part of the reason I write these books is for me, and part is for readers. Having volunteered with gay teens, I know they would love to have books with characters they can relate to and straight character books don't quite work. Sure, they can read and enjoy them, but their experiences aren't always the same. The gay boy teen wants to read about how two boys fall for each other not yet another story about how a boy and girl build a relationship. Even I have a hard time relating with certain characters and have mentioned it recently. When the female character talks about how yummy a boy is or stares, almost drooling, at some guy's six pack and the chatter about how attractive they are I get bored. I don't relate to that at all even though I sometimes date males. I'm not really a physical person so I'd be thinking "keep the shirt on" but I'm weird like that. I'm female, for those that don't know.

Thankfully, more books are being published with glbtq characters. I didn't know that at first. But lately I've even seen them in bookstores. Where I shop, there are no glbtq sections, so it's hard to find any but lately I've seen 6 of them in the young adult section. That is more than the two or three I'd noticed before. Authors like David Leviathan and Malinda Lo have books available and those are just two of many. The books may still require research in order to find and/or be aware of their existence but they are out there.

But there is still room to grow: to improve. I would like to see more on the shelves in bookstores. To not have to do as much research to know about the books that are available. Would also like to see an industry where the books and movies don't have their ratings increased just because the characters are gay. There has been progress and I hope it continues. For now, I'll keep writing stories with glbtq characters and proudly admit to being a gay writer.

F is for Friends

2011-04-07T00:02:00.000-06:00

This post is for my online friends on Blogger, Twitter, Writing.com and any other site I've made friends on. I would be lost without the wonderful people I've met.

I have so many that I'm not even sure it would be right to list them here. It would be one long paragraph with names, though they vary in degree of how close I am with them. A couple of friends have been excellent alphas for me, which means they get emailed the most because I get so many shiny new ideas that I share with only them to see what they think.

Something I've noticed over this past week has been an odd increase in posts on failure and friends who are struggling with doubt. I don't know what it is about the beginning of April but there have been enough to make me wonder. What is it about this time of the year where a section of friends would struggle? I'm not sure. And I really wish I had some great wisdom to pass on to my friends to help them, some wonderful comment that would make everything be better. All I can do is offer a reminder that I am here for them if they need anything.

And I have one more thing to offer for the rest of this post: music.

Here are a few music videos for my friends who are struggling right now. This first one is Miley Cyrus. She's not the best ever but I still think she has some good songs and this is one I like. It's very encouraging, I think.

Then there is this song. It's one of my favorites and a little less teen girl. I like the versions with Hayley Williams, her parts are the best though the rest of the song isn't bad by any means. I also like the concept. Pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars.

And last but not least, a song from the movie Toy Story, just so my friends can know that I'm here for them whenever they need me. You've got a friend in me.

E is for E-Books and Excitement

2011-04-06T02:30:00.001-06:00

There are so many good words that would work for today but I think it's time I gave my thoughts on the e-book revolution that seems to be going on. I've only read two books on an e-reader and am in the middle of two others, but I don't own the device. The one I have used is my sister's Nook. But before I get too into the topic of electronic books, I want to talk about another E word.

Excitement

I am uber excited because this blog has more than 200 followers. It reached 200 yesterday thanks to a super cool twitter pal (@theresabreaux) and it didn't stop there. Last I looked there were 207. This is just amazing for me. When I started this blog, I didn't think I'd have 100 let alone double that. I still am hoping my second blog catches up by May 1st but even if it doesn't, I'm one happy blogger. Thank you everyone and make sure to enter my epic giveaway so I can give tons of awesome prizes to many different people.
Giveaway Announced

E-Books

Okay. Honestly, I love paperback. Have always had issues with the hard cover ones but I'll try not to get distracted by that topic. I want to one day have a library room where the walls are covered with shelves that are full of books. And e-books just can't fill that dream. When people first started talking about electronic books, I was against the idea. And to be honest, if I ever get published and it goes just e-book then I'm going to ask permission to find a way to get a paperback copy for myself. But I've read a couple of e-books now and they aren't too bad. I can honestly say, even now, I prefer paperback books.

My sister has a Nook and let me borrow it when I was offered a free e-book to review, the first one. And as a reader, she even let me read other books she already had on the device. They haven't been too bad. The screen is easy enough to read off and the text size is enough I don't have to risk ruining my eyesight even more just to read. And it is convenient, though I don't think I want to use one while taking a bath as that might not be wise. lol

However, my issue is that it feels like it takes forever to read one book. The books I have read don't seem like they should be long because the Nook says they have 160-180 pages or so and on Goodreads the paper and hard back types are over 300 pages long. But it takes more than one click on the page turner part in order to get past a single page. So, the pages ends up being 2 or 3 clicks and I feel like I'm going so very slow. I might be able to make the font smaller but then it would be harder to read the font. And I don't get to enjoy the awesome covers of an only e-book because I don't have a physical copy with that super amazing cover on it.

Yet, I may need an e-reader. When I started the review blog, even after WritersBlockNZ and L'Aussie joined me, I never really thought many people would offer copies of their books to review, at least not right away. I saw the numbers on the early reviews and giveaways where I put my name in on LibraryThing and figured I wouldn't win much. Between LibraryThing and the self-publish list my email address found its way on, I have 3 e-books to review and I won 2 e-books in the auction for Japan. And I have a feeling this is just the beginning. Plus, I have seen a number of books friends have read on Goodreads that are only available in e-book and I'm pretty sure my sister doesn't want me to pack her reader full of m/m books. Once I'm not broke or have spare birthday/Christmas money, I am going to consider investing in my own. My sister wants me to get a Nook like hers but we'll have to wait and see.

Do you have an e-reader?
What are your thoughts on e-books?
Which type should I buy?

D is for Distractions

2011-04-05T02:30:00.001-06:00

Look a shiny!

The reason I chose Distraction for my D post is simple: I am easily distracted. Very easily. It will probably take me almost an hour to write this post because I'll get distracted a few times with other web pages and who knows what else. Like a drink, I need a drink...

Distractions can be many sizes, some are useful and others are not. I used to use slight distractions all the time to keep from over-focusing, which would lead to headaches. Which is why I got away with watching television while doing my math homework. It really did help because I would spends hours upon hours doing homework, even on problems that I discovered later in class could not be solved. So, I needed the sound to give a slight distraction.

I do this sometimes with writing too. Music is my favorite method of slight distraction. To the point where I try to create music playlists for every one of my novels. It helps me when I'm writing. Sometimes I'll watch/listen to television as well, but music is better if I want to be really productive with writing.

Another distraction that can have good outcomes, though now always, is that of the shiny new idea. I've posted about this before as it is something I face often. Just two days ago I was emailing my "alpha" about a new idea I have. It can be hard not to leave a work in progress for a new idea and sometimes it can be a good time to move on but be wary of it.

Bigger distractions like family, friends, school, work and life in general can hinder writing progress. But it happens sometimes. The trick is finding a way to either cope with taking time away from writing or a way to work out a new schedule to get in more writing time. All kinds of options can exist if you search for them.

Do you ever get distracted?
Is there a shiny near you?

C is for Characters

2011-04-04T04:15:00.000-06:00

This might seem common for a writing blog and even too obvious but stick with me for a moment. I don't just mean any characters, this isn't about how to write them, what kinds I like to read or anything like that. When I say characters in this blog post I mean: Characters Who Blog.

Yep. Over at The Character Cafe our novel characters are the ones posting blog entries.

Everyone has very different characters. The Authors links in the sidebar show all the different authors and some of the characters that post in the blog. You should check them out because they are very fun. I enjoy reading posts from everyone's characters. Mia, J.D., Anastasia, Charlene and S.M., all are really cool. And I'm there too.

I have three different types of characters on the blog, but most fall under the same category. There is an angel and a demon who never post together even though they are from the same novel. The rest are mutants. A couple of them are teens and the rest adults, but the favorite of my fellow bloggers from the chats has always been Noah.

He is one of my favorites too. I feel bad that his novel is waiting on the YA series to take off because of the timeline between the YA mutant stories and the adult ones. He is a mutant who creates and controls electricity. Say hi to the new people, Noah.

Noah: Okay. Hi readers or um, followers. What are they called again?

Dawn: Call them whatever you want.

Noah: Hi... people. Nice to meet you all and I hope you stop by the Character Cafe. I've met some interesting characters since I first joined a chat back in 2010. They are different but all very nice. Speaking of the blog, when do I post? I haven't done one in a while.

Dawn: Oh umm. We have a new schedule so you'll be posting in one of the topics. And we are going to have some of you interview each other. I figured they would like interviewing you out of all my other characters.

Noah: JD and Anastasia have some that I wouldn't mind answering questions for though I don't know the new ones enough... but I guess I can handle it. Maybe. Who do you have posting tomorrow? Isn't it our day to post?

Dawn: Well, there is an on going discussion between Andras, Michael, Bastian and Dominic. It's their third post.

Noah: *stares* Michael, Bastian and Dominic? That doesn't sound like a good idea. I better go read it cause umm.. that could be awkward. I should go and see what I'm going to have to put up with when they get back home. *wanders away to read the other blog post*

~~~

Don't worry. He won't be able to see any part of the conversation that is a secret he isn't supposed to know yet. Some of us still have control over the characters, for the most part. ;-)

B is for Book Blogger

2011-04-02T10:03:00.000-06:00

I am still new to the book blogging world even though I have been blogging about writing for almost 2 years now. It wasn't until January of this year that I started a blog for reading and reviewing books. Though I did start making the plans for it several months before hand and took a couple months to get my fellow bloggers together along with blog decisions that were made. The blog has only been up for a few months but I'm enjoying it. Plus, it has me reading more.

The review blog: http://readingatdawn.blogspot.com/

And the other reason for using B day for Book Blogger. I'm going to be at the Book Bloggers and Publishers online conference. I've only done one other online conference before but I'm really excited for this one.

Check out the conference page if you're interested: http://bbpcon.blogspot.com/

I'm not sure what to expect but I hope in particular to learn of a few new ways to promote the reviewing blog. There is also going to be a chance for receiving some advanced reader copies of some novels and that is always fun. Networking is usually a good idea and that is what I'm going to do at this conference.

Anyone else going to be there?

A is for Announcement (Epic Blogiversary Giveaway)

2011-04-01T05:00:00.002-06:00

Not only is today the first day of the A to Z blogging challenge but in exactly one month, on May 1st, this blog will be 2 years old. Yes, I have only been blogging for 2 years and the blog is getting close to having 200 followers. With all those 2's I just have to host an epic giveaway. While the A to Z challenge will involve many posts, don't worry about losing this one because over at my other blog (itsinthebookde.blogspot.com) the post will be easier to find. Yep, this giveaway involves 2 blogs. :-D

I am so grateful for every single follower and I hope many of you will take part in this giveaway. And for the first time ever, I am also doing some international prizes. Yep. People outside the US have chances to win prizes, which is part of what makes this an epic giveaway. And I have made two forms for people to use to sign up for the giveaway. One is for the US followers and the other is for everyone else. I wish I could share some of the prizes to everyone and not limit them to just US but I'm a little (okay, yeah I'm short too) broke person living at my parent's house and working at a pizza place just recently, so can't do the massive international shipping such a giveaway would require. Maybe when I win the lottery (lol).

If I get 200+ followers on either of the blogs, then there will be more prizes given out. However, if a prize doesn't have 5 people signed up to win then less will be given. Yes, we need lots of people to enter the giveaway so I can offer many prizes. There are price limits on the books as I'm sure you could guess. But it'll still be cool cause I will buy a book for you if you win. Yay for books.

Enter by filling out one of the forms located below in this post. Please, only enter one so make sure you've got the right one before submitting. That means you only need to fill it out once, either on this blog or over at It's In The Book. With your help, this will be a fun, excellent and very epic giveaway.

The giveaway ends on May 2nd. Yep, I'm including the official 2 year blogiversary day. So, get your entry in by May 2nd. If you have any questions about the prizes or any part of the giveaway form, email me at DawnEmbers(at)ymail(dot)com.

For US Followers:

Closed

For International followers:

Closed

Author Interview Patrick Shannon

2011-03-31T07:00:00.001-06:00

Patrick Shannon is the author of a very amusing book titled Letters From Wheatfield. My review of the book will be up at readingatdawn.blogspot.com. I am grateful to the author for answering the random questions I send to the poor people who agree to be interviewed by me.

About the book: What do you do for fun if you live in a small rural town, dauntingly far from the nearest city's plentiful amusements? Upon what resources do you draw to spice up your existence? Letters from Wheatfield provides the answer - and it isn't always pretty.
The fictitious town of Wheatfield is a tiny island in a vast sea of wheat fields and cattle ranges. Its nearest neighboring towns, similarly small, are well over the horizon. But its isolation has no effect on its inhabitants. Theirs is a society of mirthful, blithe, spritely wags - a condition abetted by the presence of not a few eccentric individuals.
In Letters from Wheatfield, two transplants from Manhattan write to a cousin back home about the remarkable community that has assimilated and transmuted them - much to their amazement and great pleasure.

About the Author: Patrick Shannon, author of the young reader's book, Viva Cisco, currently resides in Conrad, Montana. After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, he worked thirty-three years for a major oil company, bringing him rich experiences from traveling in Asia, the Middle East and the U.S. Born and raised in Southern California, Shannon attended East Carolina and Oklahoma Universities and UCLA. He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi scholarship society.

First, let's start with the book you so kindly sent me to read, Letters From Wheatfield. How did you come up with the idea for your book?
   Actually, from living her in my adopted town of Conrad, Montana. Approximately 40% of the stories in the book are based on actual events here, gussied up by my imagination, or course.
   You see, Montanans, in general, are very witty people, and the residents of Conrad just seem to have a greater share of that trait. So when you have a town full of congenial, fun-loving characters like that, you have a community that is one heckuva good time.
   And there is another factor. Like my fictitious town of Wheatfield, Conrad lies within the "Pixie Triangle" - an area where loony things just sort of happen. For example, there was an incident recently, in a nearby town, that would have been a surefire candidate for the Wheatfield Book of World Record Vegetables. (I swear this is the truth. I have the newspaper clipping to prove it.) A black bear was trying to force its way through a woman's kitchen door, and she successfully beat it off wit ha giant, 14-inch zucchini from her garden. The article included a picture of the zucchini and a yardstick. Now, if you can live in a place like this and not write a book, there's something wrong with you.

Haha. I can only imagine. And it's nice to see someone else who would use the term "gussied up" in a sentence.
What about your book in particular do you think differentiates it from others in the same category?
I think the fact that so much of it is based on actual situations gives it an authenticity that otherwise wouldn't be there. Several of my reviewers who have small town backgrounds have commented on this.

I can attest to that, coming from a small town in Wyoming. The professor bit about Columbia and how the gossip got out of hand was something I could even relate to when it comes to small town gossip.
What is your publishing story? How did you go about getting your book published?
After years of trying to breach the impenetrable walls of traditional publishers, and because I was approaching my 79th birthday, I went the self-publishing route with Outskirts Press. I wasn't interested in the money or fame. I just wanted to leave something of my writings behind. Outskirts Press has done a fine, professional job of granting my wish.

Understandable. Sometimes it works for an author to go the self-publishing route and that sounds like a great way to celebrate your 79th birthday.
How long have you been writing?
I have been working at writing ever since High School, some 62 years now. My ability to write didn’t really kick in until my retirement, though. One day I took a look through all the stuff I had written over the years, and I was shocked. It was just garbage, and I resolved then and there to start writing something better with which to replace it. To my utter and pleasant surprise, I discovered that, at this late stage in my life, I had finally learned to write.

Ah, the looking back on younger writing. It's amazing what the years will do to how we feel about our own writing.
How many drafts do you normally write for a specific project?
Three, essentially. The first draft is done on a letter pad, in pencil, with me ensconced in my contour chair. I get solidly into a right-brain mode and just get the story line down as fast as it will flow. I don’t worry about words, punctuation or sentence structure. I just get the story line down. The next draft is done on that same pad or on attachment sheets. In this one I do some correcting of sentence structure and a lot of word replacement. This is where I give my old thesaurus a good workout to select words with exactly the connotation I want. The third draft occurs as I type the pencil draft into the computer. Something about the pace and streaming of that process makes me sensitive to the “musicality” of my sentences – the lilt, the tempo – and I make some pretty significant changes to sentence structure at that time. After that, of course, there are countless passes at editing for spelling and punctuation.

I'd imagine if we all counted each edit round the number would be insane as to how many drafts it would take to finish a novel.
What was the hardest part of the editing process once you started working with the editor?
I try to do my own editing as completely as possible before it gets into an editor’s hands. It’s just a pride thing, I guess. My biggest problem with that is maintaining concentration. While I should be scrutinizing every word for spelling and punctuation, I get caught up in rereading for content. I’m my own biggest fan, I guess.

I can understand that, wanting the book to be in as best shape as possible before someone else works on it but sometimes it's difficult to see our own mistakes. Focus can be tough but you seem to have done well.
Favorite genre to read in?
Fiction, but I divide my time between classic novels, spy thrillers and mysteries.

There are so many great fiction novels to read and many great classics.
What are some of your favorite authors?
Among the classics, I love Thomas Hardy and George Eliot. Jude The Obscure, Mill On The Floss and Middlemarch are among my favorite stories. For just plain escape, I read Le Carre, John Lescroart, Jeffrey Archer and Alexander McCall Smith. On the serious side, to try to understand what is happening to our country and our world, I turn to Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky, Chalmers Johnson, Andrew Basevich and Chris Hedges.

Some excellent authors, some I have heard of and a few that I have not.
Do you have any other novels the readers might be interested in?
My first book was for young readers in the 10 to 14 age group. Its title is Viva Cisco and, in keeping with my style, it is humorous. I have a third book ready to go. It's called Viva Laughter, and I like to think of it as my tour de force as a humorist. If I can get the necessary releases for my use of a few well-known names, I will try to get it published.

Those sound great and you are indeed a humorous writer. I wish you luck in getting the third book published. Thank you for answering all of my questions and letting me read your fun book.

Patrick Shannon can be found online at the web site, outskirtspress.com/wheatfield. Or by email at rovers8404@hotmail.com.

End of MarNo and Results

2011-03-30T21:08:00.000-06:00

We have reached the end. Yay! Another writing month reaches the last hours and once again, I'm not hurriedly typing to try to make every word count but that's partly because I'm not doing word counts and partly because I'm no where near my goal.

How did I do? I did okay. Didn't make my goal of writing a full first draft in one month, didn't even write half this time, but I don't mind the result. I still did write despite having issues of pain, infection and facial swelling. Any writing is better than no writing, right?

The novel has a new work in progress title. As the suggestions set with me for a month, one remained in the back of my mind. I have Susan Kane to thank for suggesting a catching WIP title. The kinda sorta dystopian, maybe a little horror, umm I might need to work on genre-fying this novel... that might not be a real thing. Anyways, the novel is now going to be called Lighting the Wall.

While I didn't write the entire novel in one month, I did managed to get 6 chapters finished. It's better than nothing and I'm still enjoying this novel. I'm going to get it done this year at least. Yay for writing.

How did MarNo go for you?
Make it to your goal?
Ready for new goals?

Coming Soon: A to Z

2011-03-28T17:12:00.000-06:00

Yep, the A to Z blogging challenge begins April 1st and this blog is going to be a part of it. That means I'm going to be posting on this blog 6 days a week for the entire month of April. And the posts have to correspond with letters of the alphabet, starting with A. Over 700 blogs are signed up (I'm number 305 on the list). The image is over on the sidebar of this blog for anyone who wants to check it out.

And stay tuned for the first post because A gets the post of total epicness. My 2 year blog anniversary is coming up on May 1st and I'm going to post the start of the giveaway on day 1 of the A to Z challenge. It is going to be exciting. But don't worry, if that post gets lost in the sea of the A to Z posts, there will be one posted on http://itsinthebookde.blogspot.com. Yep, my other blog. It's a two blog, two year giveaway of excitement.

It's going to be a fun month.

Author Interview Heidi Vlach

2011-03-25T07:00:00.004-06:00

Today we have another special interview. This time the kind soul willing to answer my random questions is Heidi Vlach, the author of Remedy (a fantasy novel). Usually I have a picture of the author but I forgot to ask for this one. So we'll have to stare at the beautiful cover for her novel instead, which shouldn't be too hard. I seriously wish this was a paperback book just so I could have that a book with that cover, honestly. Okay, on to the interview.

First, could you tell my readers a little about yourself?
I'm a chef-trained waitress. I just love telling people the social background behind the food they're ordering. My hobbies include video games and their fandom, armchair biology study, costume design, paper maché sculpture, and reading a few bites of everything ever.

Writing-wise, I write secondary world fantasy focused on non-human characters. I'm exploring the idea that fantasy can be more than just an allegory for human society. Science fiction accepts alien beings as valid people and viable POV characters, and I think high fantasy can do the same.

Wow. That is quite the variety. That's very cool about the food part as I'm a fan of food. And the approach to high fantasy is one that has caught my attention for sure.
Now for the novel. What is Remedy about, in the shorter description style if possible?
Remedy is set in a magical secondary world, which hasn't been named by its citizens but I call it Aligare. This place has three types of people -- bird-like dragons, insect/mammal combinations, and weasels -- who live and work cooperatively. It's peaceful in the sense that no one declares war on anyone, but being a good person and doing the right thing can still be a challenge.

In the Remedy story, Peregrine, an aging, deaf avian, has come to rely on the weasel hearing assistants he raises like his own children. He decides that he's being selfish and that his current, doting assistant-daughter, Tillian, deserves a life of her own. That struggle -- Peregrine trying to back away from Tillian while Tillian doesn't want him to go -- is the main story arc of Remedy. The problem accelerates when Rose, an inexperienced mage of the insect/mammal race, needs other races' help to save her plague-stricken village. Peregrine needs to fly for supplies and Tillian needs to nurse the ill -- so, they need to live separately if they hope to save Rose's village.

I've read the book and can say it's really good. Loved Tillian in particular though the entire story was one that I enjoyed reading.
Was Remedy your first published novel? Was it the first one you've ever written?
Remedy is my first published novel, and my second complete manuscript. My first novel was a cliched quest story set in a less thoroughly developed version of the Aligare world. Sometimes you need to write a pig's ear just to learn what kinds of purses you can't make it into.

Ah the quest story. That is an interesting way to put it, having to write something not as good to learn first. Very interesting.
Could you tell my readers a little about the path you took towards publication? Which route did you take?
I began by querying literary agents with my first, then second manuscript. After Remedy got about fifty form rejections, I sought out editors to help me figure out why no one was biting. Those editors confirmed that the story structure wasn't horrible or anything -- the issue was that my premise was incompatible with mainstream fantasy norms. One editor basically said that if I wasn't willing to market Remedy as a talking animal book for young people -- which I was not -- then would be very unlikely to find someone willing to take on such an "unmarketable" project. So I did another editing pass on Remedy, to make sure the book's style was what I wanted it to be, and I began planning to self-publish an ebook.

Nowadays, there's a lot of pressure on genre writers to produce a novel that's massively popular within a few weeks of release. This approach disregards all the sleeper hits and niche-makers in publishing history. I think it does literature a disservice to focus on popular, marketable stories at the expense of trying new paths. The ebook market may have its flaws, but it does allow every work a chance to find its audience and spread slowly by word of mouth. I self-published because I want full creative control. I've never been one to sit around waiting, hoping someone else will make my goals happen. I want to see more non-human-focused fantasy for adults, so I'm writing some and I hope some people get enjoyment from it.

I've heard the anti-animal characters for anything but children's stories before and it does cause a hard decision for some writers. I'm glad you chose to keep going and hope that more follow suit because there is room for the characters in the fantasy genre, in my opinion.
How long have you been writing?
I started writing transformative fan fiction as a young teenager, just for fun. Borrowing someone else's scenario and characters was a great way to see what goes into a published work of fiction, and a way to celebrate the stories I enjoy. The process of tinkering with stories led me to build a world of my own. For the past eight years, I've been working on my original works. Mostly Remedy and the rest of the Aligare world, but I have some other partially-formed projects.

I've heard a number of people who started with fanfiction and it can be a good learning medium. You did a wonderful job with your world building, which I am fast learning takes a lot of effort to do right in fantasy.
How many drafts do you normally do per novel?
Oh gosh, I didn't count how many drafts went into my two finished novels. I just kept finding style, story and worldbuilding issues to poke at. I'm going to guess between three and five thorough editing passes, plus lots of extraneous tweaking. I never have a sure idea of what my finished story will be like until it's looking me in the face.

The edits can make the drafts blur together. Interesting that you seem to have a more develop as you go approach. I imagine having a finished product was a bit of a relief in a way.
Would you prefer to write in silence or have music/noise?
I work best in a quiet-ish public place like a coffee shop or the library. Somewhere with a bit of ambient noise and chatter. If that's not an option, I listen to lyric-free music. I like just enough sound that I need to consciously tune it out to focus on the words I'm writing. Complete silence weirds me out when I'm trying to work!

Sounds like a good mix, some noise but not enough to be a distraction, the ambient type. Lyric-less music is a good approach too.
Do you have a project(story) you are working on now, or want to start working on soon?
I'm working on Render, another story of Aligare. This one is about a mountain village facing strangely frequent wolf attacks. Definitely going to have more action and horror than Remedy.

Sounds like it will be another good book. I hope to be able to read that one as well. Thank you for answering all my questions and letting me read Remedy.
Where can my wonderful followers find you online?
Remedy can be found on Smashwords and Amazon. My website has some supplemental information on the Aligare world, for those who read Remedy and would like a companion guide to this non-human place. Or if you just want an objective explanation of what the non-human races look like.

As for me personally? I post every few days on my Blogger and mirror the content to Dreamwidth. I'm also on Facebook and Twitter, and you might see me drifting around Goodreads, LibraryThing and the Absolute Write boards. I invite your wonderful readers to drop by and say hi sometime!

the end of MarNo draws near

2011-03-23T08:38:00.000-06:00

Hello all. I haven't posted a March Novel challenge update since the end of week 1. The month is almost over and for some it will bring forth a new challenge. April has its own special event known as script frenzy. I've tried it a couple of years and while script may look easier, writing 100 pages isn't easy and I've yet to make it. But this year I'm not taking part because I have too many unfinished novels that need my attentions and dedication.

After 20+ days of march writing how close am I to reaching my my goal? Well, I am working on chapter 6. So, not close to the finished first draft, as planned. Not really close at all, but I'm okay with that. I had some issues come up and that happens sometimes.

Am I giving up after the month? Nah. I have a new goal already. And I'm still writing.

The way I see it: even if I only get 15,000 words done (rough estimate since I'm not doing actual word counts but around 6 chapters) then that is more than I had at the beginning of the month. It still counts as progress. My new goal will be to get both YA novels (the second draft and this new novel first draft) finished by June 1st. That gives me two months. Along with a side project that has to be sent out during that time frame but still. I'll manage.

How is your writing coming?
Accomplish any of your goals yet?

Gay Story v Gay Character

2011-03-21T17:15:00.017-06:00

Clarification: by gay I mean homosexual and in the good way. I also mean more than gay but it's just easier to say that instead of list and explain the portion of the alphabet we have taken over. People get confused when I post glbtqai.... which can include but are not limited to: gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transexual, intersex, asexual, etc. There are some books out there, though I hope more will be published in the future, many many more.

The question I'm presenting: what is the difference between a gay story (queer lit, glbt novel, etc) and a story that has gay main characters (or secondary and minor though main is better)?

The simple answer is: plot.

I say this because both stories have gay characters but it's the story that makes them not always the same thing. A "gay story" is one where the characters sexual orientation, gender, etc is a part of the plot. This includes stories about coming out and for transgender characters going through the transition. The main point is that the story focuses on the glbtqa aspect of the character; that is where the conflict lies. And we need these stories. Sure, sometimes coming out can seem overdone but there is always going to be a reader who really needs to see a new story that has a character going through what they are trying to face. Also, there are the different stages of coming out (to self, family(others), living out), which all can be used in different varieties within a novel.

Aside from the coming out stories, there are also transition stories. The ones that show, for example, how a person can go from one gender to another and the trials they face. This can include a slight mix of the two (character and story) because there is more to the story than the transgender identity but it plays a large role. This is just another example but I'm sure you lovely readers get the point.

On the other hand, a story with gay characters can be found in any genre and almost any plot line. Their orientation is a part of who they are and not so much the source of conflict. For example, in a hero plot instead of boy saves girl, it would be boy saves boy, or girl saves girl. The urban fantasy demon fighter (or demons) can be any sexual orientation or gender and still follow the main plot lines found in the genre. And some of these stories may have smaller plot lines like coming out to parents, but that is not the focus of the novel. It's easier to do with a character who is already in the "living out of the closet" stage but it's probably possible to have them at any stage.

I wish I had more reading done in order to give proper examples of each category. At this point, I've only read one but I am reading two that are in the character side at the moment and have several others in my to-read section now that I've discovered some of the books that are already available.

These books are actually more common than some might imagine. When I first started writing I really didn't know of many. I'd heard about the one mage series in the fantasy section and then a friend sent me Boy Meets Boy. But whenever I would go into a bookstore to browse, I wouldn't really find any. That is the hard part of both, though gay character can be a little more difficult if it's not shown in cover or mentioned in description. Lately I've discovered many other books. It's easier to do research first before going into the stores and sometimes buying online is better but they are out there. And more are getting published each year. But it can still be a pain. I love picking books by perusing the shelves of book stores and I rarely can do that if I want a gay book, at least not in wyoming or colorado, where I currently shop. I can settle for the research part but I hope to see more on the shelves, visible for all to see, in the future.

Why post about this topic? Well, because it's one that is important to me. I write "gay" stories and "gay" characters in all of my novels. Most of the novels are character ones right now, because I've been focusing on the mutant series, but I have story ones waiting to be written and I am looking forward to those too. Sure, I've had a couple of people ask why I didn't write straight characters because they think it will be easier to sell a straight novel but *shrugs* that's just not who my characters are and I am happy with what I write.

And whether I ever sell a novel or not, I couldn't imagine writing anything else.

Anyone else write GLBTQ characters? (see what I mean about the letters)
Have a favorite book in either type that is already published?

10k In A Day Challenge

2011-03-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hello MarNo members and wonderful blog viewers.

This is slightly short notice but on Sunday there is going to be a 10k in a day challenge where the goal is to write 10,000 words in 24 hours. There will be another challenge after during the week too, I just need to get my work schedule first before I pick a day. Won't be Monday though, I promise. More likely Wednesday or Friday but I hope to know by Sunday. For now: Sunday is the day. Twitter hashtag for the event is #10kInADay

Can you write 10k in a day?
Want to try?

Favorite Picture Book Blogfest

2011-03-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

Check out the other entries over at: megankbickel.blogspot.com

I don't often post blogfests on this blog but this one seemed appropriate. Picture books are some of the greatest books out there because they are the start, the books that draws us into the magical world of reading.

Not only are picture books fun to read, they are also an interesting set of books to write but despite the shorter length and fun pictures, the books aren't easy to do. While I haven't been reading many picture books lately (no kids of my own and most my little cousins live in Utah) I have had a chance to see a few submissions as an intern.

The hard part isn't getting the words down, and I've even tried writing them before, but to make something in a short amount of words that is not only entertaining but also unique enough considering the number of people trying to write for kids makes it difficult. There are so many out there and yet there are only a few that stick within my memory. I may have to go back and read some others some day. But for now, I have a few favorites to post for this blogfest.

About the Blogfest:
"I challenge you to blog about your favorite picture book. It can be what your favorite was as a child or what your favorite is as a parent, as a writer, as a teacher. Tell us about it! What made (or makes) you love it? Tell us in two sentences or fifteen paragraphs. Be creative or plain. Just celebrate picture books with me!"

Basically, we are supposed to pick just one but I am going to not follow the rule and pick a few based on different parts of my life that I discovered them. I have never been very good at picking a favorite anything. Oh well.

Up first: The Very Hungry, Hungry Catipillar

Who knew such a little book could have a big impact? The thing with this book is I still remember it. I can almost see some of the pictures even though I haven't read the book in ages, and until searching for the cover for this post, I hadn't seen the book in over a year. And I have a terrible memory. But I still remember this book. This is also what I think of when I think Picture Book because it's one of those hard surfaced, image on every page, not a ton of words types. The non-popup (yes there is a popup one) version had creative uses of design to make parts of the hard "page" seem like it had been eaten by a hungry caterpillar. It is just plain cute. Even the drawing of the caterpillar itself isn't overly realistic but it's close enough and cute enough with the colors and everything for little ones (and those of any age) to enjoy.

There there is: The Giving Tree

I don't quite remember this book as a kid. I want to think that I had it at my grandparents house but it's hard to be certain. I do know they have a copy of the book now. It's definitely a great book. How often can someone manage to make a Tree into a main character; not often at all. And this one did it so well along with the message the tree represents. I may not be certain that I read the book as a child, but as an adult I have read the book a number of times (in a row) to my little cousins when I was living in Utah. They love it.

Finally, I can't leave out: Dr. Seuss books

They have a lot more writing than the first book I mentioned but the pictures are fun and the stories vary in difficulty. While I don't remember them either as a kid, I started to appreciate them more in high school when one of my friends used a couple books for competing in Speech. And I soon followed. Among my favorites for right now are: Horton Hears a Who, The Lorax, Oh The Places You'll Go, And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street, and of course Green Eggs and Ham. Then there are the other version inspired by Seuss such as Seussical the Musical (which is a combination of stories like Horton Hears a Who, Horton Hatches and Egg, and a mixture of others) or the crazy fun version of Green Eggs and Ham by Moxy Fruvous. Because Seuss picture books and the things they inspire are a symbol of fun. I even have some of the books already along with a couple stuffed animals (from Kohl's) already set aside for when I have kids. Because they should know the joy that picture books can bring.

MarNo Week 1 Completed

2011-03-08T07:35:00.003-07:00

Week 1 is done. How did everyone do?

This was a slow first week for me. I had plenty of time to write but spent part of my time sleeping or doing nothing. I did get a job this week and that will start to affect things but this next week I only train for 2 days. So, I should still have time to work on the novel. Feels weird not really focusing on word count this time around. Sure I'd like the novel to make 60k but as long as it's close I won't mind what the end result becomes. Just no more 23k first drafts, lol.

I am roughly 4 chapters in. 3 finished with the 4th is started and I hope to have it done today.

Might be up for attempting #10kInADay on twitter for anyone who is interested this next week at least on one day. The goal there is to write 10k in a single day. I haven't made it in one day but it's worth a try and anything is better than a zero. Each word gets us closer to the finish line.

What about everyone else?
Ahead of schedule?
Behind?

Keep Writing!

Coming Soon: Epic Giveaway for blogiversaries

2011-03-04T07:45:00.001-07:00

This blog is going to be 2 years old on May 1st. I would love to have 200 followers by then for this blog and my other blog. That blog (itsinthebookde.blogspot.com) is only going to be 1 years old March 17th but right now they are close in number of followers thanks to blogfests for sure. I want to host a combined giveaway for both blogs and will soon. Every follower will be invited to take part in the grand giveaway.

So, I am holding a joint giveaway with... myself. But I need a little help. I'd love to make part of this giveaway international. And if people are willing to donate prizes, then I can give even more stuff away because I'm definitely not rich so resources are limited. Some of the prizes will be online gift cards for books because we all like books. There may also be special packages, depending. Mostly, I want this to be fun.

This massive giveaway has a couple of purposes. Blogiversary, of course, since this blog is going to be 2 and the other will be 1. And then there are the followers. I get excited with each new follower I gain and on both blogs I am close to 200 followers. Wouldn't it be cool, if by my 2nd anniversary of blogging I had 200 followers on each blog? I think so. Less than 40 per blog to make that goal and even if it isn't until after this blog turns two, that will be okay too. Even better than followers will be if more than 20 people enter the giveaway. I haven't had a super successful giveaway yet and this epic one could be the One.

Right now I'm considering for prizes:
e-cards for book depository
special packages (pencils, journals, maybe something from specialty store in town, other)
maybe critiques, not sure from whom
candy? I don't know, might avoid the food this giveaway, not sure
The only specific books I'll give this time will be if someone donates and at least a couple prizes will be the gift cards so that people can purchase what they want. Choice is usually a good thing.

I am open for suggestions.

How long is too long for a blogfest? I am considering starting at one blogiversary and ending at the other but that's a long time. March 17th to May 1st is over a month long. But it does make sense for a double blog giveaway.

Any other ideas on how to make the prizes international? Right now we have the book depository idea because it has free shipping anywhere. I don't know much outside of the US, so if someone with experience knows of some other great options, I'd love to hear them.

I look forward to the start of the giveaway in the future. All are invited.

Day 1 Starts Now

2011-03-01T00:15:00.001-07:00

MarNo is now.

(image link: ineedmotivation.com)

Write!

March Writing Challenge Signup

2011-02-27T02:07:00.000-07:00

I decided to do a linky for MarNo afterall.

For information on MarNo go to my other post,

Also, I have this linky as its own page on this blog. So, once this post is not the top one, you can always check the page to see who all have signed up and to find their blogs to check on any progress posts. Starts March 1st, but it's okay to sign up any time before April technically.

Good luck!

Pronouns

2011-02-24T06:30:00.002-07:00

(image link: tx.english-ch.com)

Pronouns are important when it comes to writing. No matter if it's first person or third person (even the dreaded second) a writer needs to know when to use which and how to make due with what is allowed while still managing enough variety to not bore or confuse the reader.

First Person - I don't do this often but I know what to use for the most part. As you probably know, "I" is the common term in first person, along with "me," "my" and "mine". We is a reference to a group that includes the main character, along with other terms like "us" and "our". Wow, this is quickly becoming a grammar lesson but I have more than grammar to discuss here.

One thing that is important in first person to me, as a reader, is names. I need to know the main character's name in first person novels and it needs to happen more than once in the first 5 chapters. I have stopped reading a book because I couldn't remember the main character's name because it was mentioned once maybe in one chapter out of the first 5. Some other readers may not have a problem with this, as it is my personal taste, but i like to know names.

Second Person - The dreaded point of view in fiction writing. It works in newspaper columns/viewpoints and in pick-your-own adventures but in general, not a good idea for a full novel. This is basically the "you" pronoun, which isn't even in the picture I posted for this blog entry. Sometimes it will be seen in first person, the main character has something that has "you" and it stands out to me as odd because the speaker is talking directly to the reader. The reason readers don't like it is: 1. It takes them out of the story when the character talks directly to them. 2. It makes assumptions about the reader. I hate when I'm reading a story and it assumes I'm anti-homosexuals (there is a sci-fi story like that and I hated it) because I am not what the character was saying and that is very off-putting.

Third person - This is the pov I prefer but it has drawbacks. This contains a number of pronouns, such as: he, she, "it" (probably won't use that one often for a character), they, Names, etc. It's easy to do a scene between a male and a female using he and she because supposedly readers don't pay much attention to the "said" while the "he" and "she" easily distinguish which character is speaking. But sometimes it doesn't feel like the reader is really into any character, from their point of view, which can make it tough unless going with omniscient.

This has other issues. I struggle because this is my go to set of pronouns but it's hard to find balance. Also, it's not easy making sure the conversations are distinguishable without overusing pronouns because I have many scenes where the characters are the same gender. Writing m/m can make it a little difficult because "he" could mean either character and using the names too often can be problematic as well.

Other:
A problem most won't face that I've mentioned on twitter is what to do when there isn't a gender. Either the gender of the character isn't known (easier with secondary characters) or the main character doesn't know which they feel is the right gender/sex for them. If someone is born both and they are the main character in a novel, and they haven't picked male or female, this is an issue.

Normally, if I have a transgender character it will depend on where they are in figuring themselves out as to which gender I will use. Most often, I go with what gender they feel they are and not necessarily what the biology shows at that moment. But I have a main character who is intersex; born both male/female and at that point in the story hasn't made a decision on gender. In fact, that is the main conflict in the story.

So, I posted that I didn't know what pronoun to use because I can't use the character's name all the time without it becoming redundant. Someone mentioned "shim" (which is a combination of she and him) and I'd never heard the term before despite volunteering with glbtq teens and knowing someone who was intersex. I did look it up and the dictionary on my computer basically refers to it as a "derogatory slur" and while some people may now be okay with the term (like some of the younger generations are okay with queer), I'm a little uncomfortable using it in a novel on a regular basis to reference the main character. Plus, my readers would have to know what it means and if I didn't know it, something tells me others won't either. Easy solution is go with first person, but it's still a little vexing. I'm not very good at writing first person but I may have to toughen up and just do it.

What pronouns do you use?
Enjoy this English lesson? ;-)

March Novel Writing Challenge

2011-02-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Also known as MarNo. This has some similarities to NaNoWriMo except there aren't as many people who take part in the event and it's more relaxed on the rules front. There also isn't a prize except for the great feeling of accomplishing a goal. Some people create groups on different sites and those can have small awards but that doesn't always happen.

http://www.proflowers.com/flower-calendar.aspx

Basics:
Make a writing goal for March.
March 1st - start writing.
Finish writing goal before April.
Nothing more.

Goals can be any word count; writing or revising. Some people go with the classic 50,000 word challenge like that of NaNoWriMo while others only go with 10,000 or 25,000. Others who revise go by number of chapters often times or just say the whole book.

Last year, MarNo was my greatest writing month ever. I had originally planned to only write 20k but then the goal became 50k after the first week. In fact, I made 50k after 15 days. The end number was 67,000 words in one month. I had a little over 15k before March and after I finished writing in April, the novel ended at 90,000 words, becoming my longest first draft for now. I was definitely happy with my success in March and I still love the novel even though I haven't edited it yet.

MarNo 2011:

This year I plan to try MarNo again. I don't know if the old group is doing it, but I have a new approach this time. Last year, I made word count goals and then exceeded them faster than planned. This year I'm going to try and do something I've never managed to do in a single month. I am going to write a full novel, no matter the word count. Each time I've written 50k or more in one month, I've had to take part of the following month or two in order to finish the novel. This year my goal is to write a young adult novel during March only.

The novel is going to be YA dystopian. I know a bunch of authors are writing dystopian but I love the story and it's very different than my other novels, which will be a plus. I have to figure out details like what kind of monsters will be involved but I can't wait to write this story. I have main character names and a mock title (still looking for a better title cause it really isn't good). I'm ready to go. I might even try using scrivener for this one.

For those taking part, one place we can keep track together is on twitter. Use the hashtag search "#MarNo" and we can keep in touch that way. The community is what helps during nanowrimo and it can help during MarNo even if it's a lot smaller of one.

Anyone else trying MarNo?
What are your writing goals for March?

Recent Purchases

2011-02-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

I love bookstores and went to two yesterday. First was The Tattered Cover, which is located in Denver. That was the planned stop after taking mom to the airport for her little Arizona trip. I had a list of books to look for but they didn't have most of them, including the one I've been waiting since summer for it to come out in paperback. So, after stepdad was measured in Centera for his tux (my stepsister is getting married in June in DC) I went over to the Barnes and Noble. Planned to get one book and ended up with two. They didn't have all the books I wanted either. That and at both places there were a few I want but don't want to buy in hardback, so I have to wait.

Books purchased at The Tattered Cover:

One of two found from my list.

Hardback (yes, I broke my rule) and signed copy.

Unplanned but looking forward to reading.

Non-YA and on my list of books to read so figured why not.

Books purchased at Barnes and Noble:
(Portion of the proceeds went to Hearts & Horses therapeutic riding center.)

The one I was waiting for since reading book 1.

Urban Fantasy; of the four I looked for this is one of two I actually found.

6 books in total. Some were already on my to-read list and others are now on the list. Yay for more books!

Future Topics

2011-02-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

Here are the current results from the post where I asked what readers want me to post on this blog.

Link: http://dawnembers.blogspot.com/2011/01/topic-suggestions.html

I will continue to take suggestions and my email is always open for thoughts, suggestions and even offerings (as in interviews, guest posts, stuff like that).

Intern Topic is pending on approval.
Everyone wants to know about my internship, which is also exciting for me. I just don't know how much of it I'm allowed to discuss so I'm going to have to email my boss first. While I think it's a great idea for me to post about my blog, I want to respect the publisher, so I will get permission before I post anything else.

Query Topic
A great suggestion and I will do a number of posts on queries, but they will take research because I have to admit something here. I have yet to send a query. I know, shocking but it's true. In fact, I only have ever written one query letter... oh actually it is two. I have a nonfiction query letter and book proposal written with a number of different drafts done as part of how I got my Bachelor's degree. Then I have one first draft of a YA novel query, which I wrote for a blogfest. I have 3 novels with finished drafts and at least 5 others started but I know that I'm not ready to send a query. So, I'm going to be doing these query posts from the very beginning because that's where I'm at as a writer.

Memoirs
This is one that caught me off guard. I don't write memoirs as I am against writing about myself in general, which is hard when writing bios. I haven't really read many in my entire life either. But I am more than willing to do the research to help. It's not going to be easy finding the pitfalls and reasons for rejection but I do have a background in research so I should be able to find it somewhere to share with readers here.

Editing
Another thing I haven't done much for myself. I have been a copy editor for a newspaper, where I mostly did the grammar and spelling because I didn't really know the format issues of the pages. I've done more first drafts and haven't done much of the editing but I will soon. And I have a book on self-editing. I did give edit notes for a children's book, once in my internship so far, and that does help too.

Quick isn't Easy

2011-02-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

By quick I mean, Flash Fiction. Some might consider having a 1,000 word or less story to be easier because it sounds easier than say 90,000 words, but trust me: it's not easy.

(image from flashfiction.net)

Maybe it's just me. Then again, I've already admitted that I'm not really a short fiction writer. I write novels and more often then not they are two or more book series. But I started out by trying to write short stories and flash fiction back when I first signed up on writing.com in 2005. So, why haven't I sold any of them? Well, I'm not very good at that. I write scenes instead of stories because the truth is I'm a novel writer, not short story or flash fiction. But it's a good, not so quick, topic for today.

What qualifies as flash fiction?
The general rule is 1,000 words or less. Once it gets below 250 words then it sometimes can be called micro fiction instead but some of those stories may also qualify as flash fiction. Some will allow a maximum of 1,500 words, so make sure to read the guidelines before submitting a story.

Basically, it is a story in very few words. While it is minimalistic in word count, the story involved still has to be something someone reading it would consider as a full story. It will still have, a beginning, middle and end. There is a plot, characters and even setting. More often than not, the prose isn't overwritten as it's hard to get everything within the short word requirements, which means that tight writing is key.

The plot in a flash fiction is just as important as any other length of story. That is usually where I mess up, however. And I'm going off reader and editor notes when I say this. My short fiction plots are too big for short fiction. Even on an alien story that was less than 1,000 words and I never planned to write anything more, the plot was too big. The editor suggestions was to make it a novelette or novella at least. I try to write short fiction but they always end up as scenes for potential future novels. It's to the point where I think my current novella is going to end up as a novel too.

So, at least for me, short is not only very difficult but almost impossible for me to do no matter how much I try and I've been trying for at least 5 years.

Flash Fiction Web Sites:
http://www.flashfictiononline.com/
http://flashfiction.net/
http://www.flashfiction.in/
http://www.everydayfiction.com/flashfictionblog/
http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/index/flash-fiction/

Do you write flash fiction?
Do you read it?

Topic Suggestions

2011-01-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

That's right. I'm putting up this post like it's a suggestion box. I want to hear from you!

What topics would you like to see discussed on this blog?

Any genres need more focus?

Character elements you'd like to know about?

Anything else?

Reflections on being an Intern

2011-01-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

It is not easy. To be a writer working towards publication with little practice in even submitting it's strange to be in this different role, one who has to evaluate submissions for potential publication or rejection.

Okay, I don't really get anyone coffee cause I do all my work online since I live in a different state than the publisher. But it's an iconic concept when it comes to the term of internship. And if anyone wants to really understand the other side of the slushpile, to be on the decision making side, I suggest doing an internship even if it's an unpaid one.

It is hard deciding whether a book should be accepted or rejected. Very hard. Granted, I don't have to sent the author the bad or good news, but it still feels weird being an aspiring writer and working on the other side.

Some stories have been good, some okay and one made me cringe. I've even gotten the chance to write edit notes on a potential book that may be published in the future. It has all been great learning experience for me because while it is difficult the other thing about being a publishing intern is that it has been an eye opening experience. I know what it's like to receive submissions (luckily, I don't get the ones that don't follow the submission rules) and to be a part of the big decision whether the publisher asked for more, considered offering deals, or a rejection was sent that would include some of my notes.

It's crazy, exciting, nerve-wracking, and a slew of other emotions.
And I will forever be grateful for this experience.

Stylish Blog Award

2011-01-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

Does it sound as cool as it might be? Well, it sounds cool to me. Something about the word "stylish" just really gives the whole blog award a glitter feel to it. Thanks to the lovely, JD, I have this award to post on this blog and since I haven't done an award here in awhile, thought it was a nice thing to receive. Thanks JD! Check out her blog at http://authorjdbrown.blogspot.com/.

The Rules:
1: Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2: Share seven things about yourself.
3: Award ten recently discovered great bloggers.
4: Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

Sounds fun. Okay, not really. I hate writing about myself, which is sort of odd since I'm a writer but oh well. I think I can handle sharing seven random things about myself.

1. Born and raised in a small town in wyoming, including taking first steps on a ranch living next to my great-grandparents house (who owned the ranch).
2. There are two places to find pictures of me, the real me (as in not a mouse or picture I made in 2D design) but I'm not going to tell what those two places are. ha ha
3. While I thought of careers growing up, I really wanted to be a stay at home mom, with an emphasis on the mom part. (no children yet, crossing fingers for in the next 5 years)
4. Love dairy but am allergic. Get an upset stomach and can get very itchy if I eat too much.
5. I have yet to write a third draft. Working on my first second draft right now.
6. We have 7 cats inside and at least 4 cats outside that we take care of, yes that's too many.
7. I like to exercise but never remember to do it.

And now to pass this award to more deserving blogs.

1. Loralie. http://blog.apathyshero.com/
2. Ashy. ://agypsywriter.blogspot.com/
3. Tara. http://night-passenger.blogspot.com/
4. J.C. Martin. http://jc-martin.com/fighterwriter/
5. Anastasia (Harley). http://thelabotomyofawriter.blogspot.com/
6. Charity. http://charitywrites.blogspot.com/
7. Kristie Cook. http://a-musedwriter.blogspot.com/
8. Mia. http://literaryjamandtoast.blogspot.com/
9. Tessa. http://tessasblurb.blogspot.com/
10. Mireyah. http://www.mireyahwolfe.com/

New on Other Blogs

2011-01-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

There are two new things going on but on my other blogs. Yep, I'm doing an update on this blog about fun things that aren't this blog, lol.

1. New book review blog has first post. It's just an introduction post but there is one review ready for posting and I have some books I need to write about soon. The blog template turned out pretty well and I even got pages set up. Even found a good reason for the title, which can be found in the section "about the blog". Enjoy! http://readingatdawn.blogspot.com

I hope to do pages on this blog too in the near future now that I know how to do them. First I have to write one page on my other "me only" blog.

2. For fun I started a blog hop type of deal over at http://itsinthebookde.blogspot.com . It is for people who are obsessed with word counts and checking the word counts for anything they write. The blog hop is called WCOA (world count obsessor anonymous) and it has two options. Either write a post a week on word counts, giving in to counting words for the week since once a week is better than once a paragraph. Or the posts can come once a month. It's really a place to indulge in word count obsession, which shall be fun.

Don't worry, other writing topics will be coming soon.

Blog or Web Site

2011-01-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

I have a blog. Oh, right, you know that. And it's more like 4 blogs because I'm cool (or nerdy) like that. But I don't have a Web site, yet. Why don't I have a web site? because I don't get along with technology. I don't know how to make my blog have pages, though someone just told me over email so I'm going to give it a try on my blogs soon. I actually might get a site soon but it's because a wonderful friend has offered to make one for me. But I thought this would be a good topic. What's the difference between having a blog and a web site and why have either one?

Blogs

A blog has a few functions. For some, it is like a journal or diary but online. It comes from the combination of two words, Web and log. Basically it is a Web site (ooo, lookie) that consists of posts written in a chronological order (meaning they show in the order of date they are posted) written by someone or a computer (when technology takes over society). They can have many different formats and themes, depending on what the creator wants to have on their blog.

Why have a blog?
There are a few reasons to have a blog. Writers have blogs in part to get out some of the craziness in their heads for other people to read and the other is to build up readers for when and during books get published. It's a great way to get friends with others in the industry, as well. Other types of blog have their own reasons for existing but we'll stick with us writers for this. Writing blogs are awesome and there are so many different ones out there.

I love my blogs. I talk about writing in general, my own writing, write posts from characters' point of view and soon will be posting book reviews. It's great, though a little time consuming.

Web sites

A web site is simply a page on the internet that is used for a number of reasons. There are free web sites and pay for types, both with their advantages and disadvantages. Some of the blog web sites also allow for a person to buy their domain, which turns their blog into a personal web site. They can include blogs but also will have steady pages that show information like travel schedule for conferences, current works in progress, and often biographies.

Why have a web site?
Some of the reasons for a blog and web site are the same. They have give the writer/author person an online presence for others to find. It helps keep people updated on different novels, and when published will be of good use. There is often the ability to provide contact information for those that are willing to let fans know that information.

I don't have one yet but I might in the future.

What about you: Blog or Web site? Both?
Which do you prefer?

Potential Book Review Blog

2011-01-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

(image link: http://weheartbooks.com/2008/11/29/reading-is-cool/)

This is something I've been thinking about for a few months now. While I don't do enough reading, or at least I didn't do enough during 2010 or a couple of years before it, I want to change that part of my life. I have a reading group that is getting started and we are close to picking out first book. And I have a tub full of books I want to read that I bought last year. While there are a number of book reviewing blogs already out there, I took careful consideration as to whether I would start one of my own or not. But I'm going for it anyways.

Still working on blog title and haven't picked out a background yet but I think I will stick with blogger for this one. I just can't figure out word press and I have three other blogs on here at least so what is one more. The title will probably be affected by whether I do the blog on my own or have collaboration, possibly. Some titles I'm considering are: Read This, Not That (yeah, not so original, lol), I(We) Read That, Reading Rainbow, Writers Reading (tis the name of my reading group on WDC), Dawn Reads, Reading at Dawn. I kind of like the last one the most because it has part of my name in it but it doesn't have to mean me per say. Not that I read in the morning but I can pretend I do.

Which brings me to the next topic. I'm looking for collaborators who are interested in posting reviews occasionally. It doesn't have to be every week or even once a month, it just depends on how many people offer and what their schedules are like. I will probably do as many reviews as I can but I don't plan to do one post a day or anything crazy like that. One or two a week would probably be enough. Email me at DawnEmbers(at)ymail(dot)com if interested in being a guest or collaborator for the reading blog.

What genre will be focused on in the blog? I know many people limit the genre they review for blogs but I'm not really a one genre reader or writer. I don't read a lot of urban fantasy or paranormal fiction, and those are most of the ones I've seen on blogs so far. That and there is YA, which I read some but not all that much. Though many of the books I bought last year were YA as they are probably the most prominent grouping I've found on blogs and twitter. Other than that I love fantasy in general, including epic fantasy, but will also read other genres from time to time. So, I figure why limit in reviews what I don't limit in reading or writing. It's good to read out of one's usual genre anyways. So, I don't think there will be a genre limit.

That's all for now. I probably won't have the blog up for a couple of weeks at least but I'm looking for the right template, pondering names and preparing for what books I will review. Oh and I'm reading.

(image link: http://novi.lib.mi.us/readerscorner.htm)

Death or Not Successful Results

2010-12-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

This topic is thanks to my stepdad who has been talking to me lately about how in John Grisham's novels there are some where the characters die, or lose and he is surprised by that. While death is a situation used often in the ends or throughout certain types of books, there are usually restrictions on the types of characters that the author kills and there are definitely genres that expect a successful outcome of the overall plot. It's surprising when the hero doesn't win but if all books had happy endings it would start to get boring so sometimes there has to be failure. And since this involves talking about endings it seems like an appropriate last post for 2010 on this blog.

(image source: http://jamiedubs.com/fuckflickr/fail/)

While in series and standalone novels, there are often happy endings (not just in the satisfying for the reader and story line type of way) that is not always the case. I don't mean endings per say that didn't provide for the promises made, but simply endings that don't go well for the characters. My stepdad was surprised with a few of John Grisham's books because they don't always end well for the main characters and before that he was reading long series by W.E.B. Griffin, and the main characters at least all live considering they are in the next book of the series. But the standalone novels haven't gone that way out of his reading collection and it surprises him.

Most romance has to have a happy ending, not just satisfying but the genre specific all ends well for the couple type of happiness. But in anti-romance there is a romance as part of the focal plot except things don't end well for the the couple. And it's fitting for the stories.

Of course, this can be difficult in series. At least, it is difficult when it comes to killing off main characters because some of them have to survive in order to have another book. It's harder to pull a Buffy (yes I know about that even though I've never seen it) and have the character die and then have them come back at the beginning of the next one. When the cast of main characters is big, like in epic fantasy, it is a little more possible to do the death type in the middle of a series but with a single main character that's a harder option. The real trick comes in with the last book of the series because there is a chance for not successful results and death.

Death aside, the other possibility is characters failing in their main goal. Often there will be smaller failures along the way but the end or the top of the climax in plot are what I mean here. Sometimes a failure can provide an option they didn't expect to come out of the situation. This can mean that "evil" wins, that it turns out to be a world set on repeat or a number of different options. The hero gives in the temptations he's been fighting the whole story, tainted by a magical artifact. Neo is in a loop, the matrix has things go the same way each time, or something like that. Maybe she picks the wrong guy and ends up alone. So many options but why have a not successful ending?

The truth is, as is common in writing, it depends on the story. It also depends on what is considered success. As long as it makes sense and answers the promises made throughout the novel, an ending can be as happy or sad as the story calls for. Sure, a reader may hurl the book across the room but that's not always a bad thing and it's a sign of awesomeness when a book can move someone that much. Write the ending the way it needs to be written, even if that means failure.

I haven't written this type of ending yet, but I have at least one planned so far. It's one that is fun to be cruel with because there are two men who have become really close (intimately and such) but they know it can't last. So, the end involves two men and one gun, but I won't tell anyone yet who holds the gun and who it actually kills. But to say the least, it's not the happiest ending for the characters the story surrounds. I'm sure there are others with varying degrees of success and what not, but I won't bore everyone by listing them all here.

And that's all for 2010. It has been a good year and I look forward to blogging about writing more in 2011. Look forwards to more interviews and maybe even a few guest posts. Until then... Happy New Year!

Holiday Writing

2010-12-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

(image link: www.vanderbilt.edu)

The holidays can be difficult on life in general, let alone a person's solitary writing time. First it was Thanksgiving and a month later we have Christmas (or the many other holidays that different countries and religions celebrate). At my parent's house we have Thanksgiving, Christmas(mostly secular family focused stuff though some of them go to church and what not) and on the rare occasion do something for New Years.

Considering I haven't written much over the last month, I'm thinking about writing on the holidays or at least trying to write. While I don't follow the rule of "absolutely must write every single day" (obviously) I also don't mind writing on holidays as long as it doesn't take away from spending time with family.

Do you write during holidays or do you take a break?

Happy Holidays to one and all!

How long will it take?

2010-12-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

(image link: www.oilcrash.com)

Waiting and patience are vital in the publishing industry and from the outside it's hard for some to imagine that trying to get a book published isn't easy. I've posted before about how my dad thought that all a writer did was write the first draft, maybe edit a little then send off and voila! But I have to be a little honest here: I thought it was going to be a little easier, or at least take a little less time than this.

Back in December of 2009, I made my writing goals for the year of 2010 and one of those goals was to not only have the YA mutant novel second draft finished (which I haven't even accomplished yet) but I thought I'd have it edited and after said edit would be able to get a query ready and start sending at the beginning of 2011. I can tell now and even figured it out months ago that the goal wasn't going to happen. It was a disappointment actually. One problem I forgot to mention when talking about writing on several manuscripts is it feels like I've spent at least 5 years working towards this goal but that hasn't been on a single project, so I don't have any that are at the ready stage. But it feels like I should. Sure, I'm closer, just not where I thought I'd be but at least I'm not rushing it by sending out a book that isn't ready. Still can't help but feel like this is taking too long though.

Anyone else think it wouldn't take a long long time?

It's almost time for 2011 goals and I'm tempted to put a query goal but not sure if it's realistic. I plan to get the novel to beta readers since I've learned that is a really good plan. Still thinking about it. There is no way of knowing yet how long it will take for me, but I do know one thing. If I'm going to get somewhere I'd better go write.

Novel Contemplation

2010-12-16T01:30:00.000-07:00

One of the good parts about having a blog or a profile on a social media network is the ability to rant, to discuss when there is a struggle and there is someone to respond who might have a useful suggestion. While I usually use the other blog to talk about my personal writing, I think this time is a good one to post here because it fits in a topic that can also be discussed.

Part of the hardship that has been on some writers in the past is the solitude. Being alone with characters in their head all day long is enough to drive a person crazy. Plus, when getting stuck in a story, it makes the feeling seem almost daunting to overcome.

I had a ramble that went on twitter and it was one that I posted just to complain because it was late and I figured that no one would respond because many of my friends are in bed during the night. But after I posted my panic over worrying about my Young Adult novel's word count because I'm not sure if it's going to be long enough. Considering the first draft was only 23k, it's getting better but still for something that is fantasy/sci-fi those books nowadays tend to be longer. Anyways, I actually posted on twitter and an awesome writing friend (WritersBlockNZ) responded and was so awesome just to talk to me about it.

This is why writing friends are awesome and the networks used to keep in touch can be so essential. While we didn't come up with a solution, it was what I really needed. I just needed someone to talk to about it and for once that actually happened and it made me happy. So, I thought I'd post about how I'm struggling on a novel on here, because this is a writing blog.

Young Adult is not easy. I didn't really plan to write the genre, per say, but that's where this series lies so I'm going with it. While I plan the novel to at least be over 50k, I was slightly worried because it seems novels in similar subgenres of YA are in the 70-90k range instead of the shorter range that used to be more common. Maybe after the beta readers get a chance to scrounge over the novel the draft after it will be longer. Considering the first draft was 23k, I should be happy that it can get up to almost 55k in the second draft and I am. Just had to rant about my word count concerns.

The other problem I have is I'm nearing the end. It took me 2 years to do that with the first draft since I started it for nano 2007 and didn't finish that draft until late 2009. Endings are hard in part because I've only written three so far while I've started like 10 novels at least. Also, near the end there is a chapter in the 23k version that is only a few hundred words because there was a part I didn't know how or what to write. It's a part that involves punishment but I'm not sure what to do. I think it should involve mostly emotional attempts but with a few physical by the government agents on the teen boy main character. But what do I do?

Any ideas?

Anyways. The point here is it's okay to rant and sometimes just whine a little bit (just don't whine on a regular basis because people can find these online postings and maybe not appreciate the type of person you are perceived to be when doing that all the time. But get some of it out and maybe by posting about the trouble a story is giving it can help you find a solution or come to terms with the issue. As for me, I'm going to write those last 5-7 ish chapters and try to have it done by my deadline.

Brand

2010-12-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

(Image link: cherylingebrigtsen.com)

No, not that kind of brand. I'm sure that many authors/writers will know by now, but for those that haven't heard this: Branding is very important for a writer who wants to be published.

What do I mean by "brand"?
Brand can be a couple of things. Sure it can be the marking that some people do on their property, like that seen on cattle or even the marking people do on their own bodies involving hot metal. Ouch! But what I mean is the name or particular type linked to a specific product. Coke is a brand of soda, for example. The brand is a form of identity for a product, service, business or person and that is what authors need to consider when figuring out their own brand.

This is where, for me, pen names come in. In fact, someone on Twitter was asking about pen names and I commented about it that mentioned branding and they liked the response.

Dawn Embers is an essential element to my brand of novels. They may not always be in the exact same genre/subgenre but there are elements that tie many of the stories together that combined with my pen name will make for what I think will be my brand. I've actually be known in writing as Dawn Embers for around 5 years now. It isn't easy to get used to at first and sometimes it feels weird to have someone call me Dawn when that isn't technically my first name. But it's getting easier and I like it, which is what really helps.

One person who blogs about marketing you all should check out is Kristie Cook. Check out her blog here: http://a-musedwriter.blogspot.com/. It's really great and she did several posts on marketing, including ones about brand and product.

This is a brief introduction. Maybe I'll discuss the topic more in detail but for now this is it. If there are any questions readers want to have discussed about writing on this blog my email address is available for anyone. Just send the email to DawnEmbers(at)ymail(dot)com. :-)

Do you have a brand figured out yet?

Dating a Story

2010-12-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

No, I don't mean going on a date. It's not date the dried fruit or date the social event, or even date the event on the calendar. What I mean by this is using something that will show a specific time period that the story takes place, which can either help or hinder a novel for a reader.

Old Phone, lol (Image Link: www.fallingpixel.com/)

Is it okay to have bands, music, tv references, language or anything else that would date a story for the reader? The truth is it depends on cause of the "dating" and the type of novel.

Dialogue is one location where it can be a problem. This is one that I've had to deal with because in one of my novels I'm trying to figure out how to write future young adult speech. Which, according to a couple of readers does not involve the teen using the word "neat". It does make sense but it's not easy to figure out how teens should speak per say when writing an alternate world type of future where the characters have genetic mutations. Using terms like "rad" and "schweet" would also cause questions to arise because language will catch a readers attention. I can't have a character that uses the word man a lot. (Such as "hey, man" and "that's chill, man".) The reason for this is I immediately see a hippy-ish, pot smoking type of character because there was a guy on my college debate team like that, one I did not like at all.

There are other things besides words that do it though. Having a reference to any type of music, band, movie, tv show or anything of the sort will date the story. There was a book I was listening to through itunes that the author had podcasted. The character was interesting and his voice was perfect for him, but there as a section where the teens were listening to music and that part really stood out because it was interesting to see the types of music he was considering when writing the novel.

And I have read a section of a story where they referenced Howdy Doody. I had to blink and try to recall in my memory anything about Howdy Doody, which was much. Nothing wrong with this but if I don't know anything about it what are the chances are that a teen within the next couple of years is going to know it at all. I'm guessing not many teens do.

Part of the point here is that it's good to be aware of the potential readers, at least when doing the rewrites in order to prepare the book for others to read. First draft throw in whatever you want but if rewriting, consider how the reader will approach the story.

I'm not saying that dating a story at all shouldn't be avoided. In fact, it can add character to the story. The reason for posting this is that I have noticed some people (including me to a small degree) are unaware of what might date a story. Yes, talking about Metallica, Howdy Doody, Pretty in Pink, or anything like that will have an effect on how the reader approaches the story because believe it or not, some won't understand the reference. But it's okay.

Just be aware of the possibility.
Now time to get back figuring out my YA novel.

What are your thoughts on this topic?

Non-Writing Turducken Post

2010-11-27T09:45:00.001-07:00

While this blog is mostly for writing topics there are a few times where other topics come up and today is one of those times. Since I've got a blogfest coming up for my other blog I thought I'd post here the slightly anticipated blog about my attempt at making a turducken.

What is a turducken?
So, glad I asked. A turducken is a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey. It's a tur(key)duck(chick)en. Most of the bones need to be removed from the turkey and all of the bones have to be removed from the duck and chicken then they are combined along with stuffing before the turkey is sewn up (or skewered in a way to keep it in one piece) then cooked.

The night before, while the birds were thawing, I created a brine. This is usually just salt in water but can also contain other seasonings like peppercorns and sugar. That gets boiled then cooled. After it's cool the birds can be put in along with water and ice. The ice keeps the temperature low enough to make it safer that way. If there is a lot of room in the fridge it could be kept there without ice but that's hard to find in most fridges I would imagine. It spent over 8 hours in the brine.

Morning came along with the hard work. Had to remove the bones, which took a couple of hours. Wasn't too bad as I don't have issues with handling dead animals or anything like that and having taken anatomy type classes helped, I think. The only bad part is having to smell the dead birds for that long is a bit nauseating. I forgot to take pictures during the first stages, sorry. But finally I got them de-boned and my sister sewed the turkey while I held it together.

The end result is this:

After de-boning the birds I had a slight problem because the roasting pan I was remembering actually belongs to my dad and he lives in Utah. Mom (in Wyoming) doesn't have a roasting pan and we didn't pick up an aluminum one at the store this year because I was thinking we had one. Luckily, Grandma had a type of roast that plugs in and it was big enough. The first 20 minutes were on high at about 450 to sear a bit, then the temperature was lowers to about 275 for a slower cook to get the center done. We checked it regularly with a meat thermometer with the hopes of it reaching 180 degrees inside. It took around 6 hours to cook all the way.

But the overall result of the cooking came out well.

It looked good though if looking closely at the picture, yes there is a split down the middle sides. I think it's how the thread was placed through only skin in that area. Will have to work on the sewing and type of twine used if I try it again.

Then it was carved by Stepdad with directions from me on how to attempt it to let everyone get a piece of each type of bird, which wasn't as easy as it would seem. The turkey and chicken look similar but the duck has darker meat.

As you can see, we attacked the end result. There were only 5 people though so that is all we ate that night: less than half. Everyone liked it and I think it's something that I'd consider making again. It takes a lot of hard work but the end result is good. A few things I could improve on, like the treatment of the skins and how it was sewn up but other than that, it was a good meal. Had a good Thanksgiving with family, which is the important part.

Tired

2010-11-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Yep. After writing 50,000 words in a shortish amount of time was tiring and I haven't written much since then. But I'd better wake up and get it into gear if I'm going to make my goal. As long as I get more than 67k this month I'll be very happy but 100k would be awesome. Thank goodness for the 10k in a day challenge that is happening on the 28th. Check out the blogfest if you want to try and write 10,000 words in one 24 hour time period. 10k In A Day Blogfest

Hopefully I can regain that writing streak I had the first two weeks of the month and reach my goal but it's going to be a struggle.

NaNoWriMo 50k Done

2010-11-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

At the end of day 13, I crossed the technical NaNoWriMo finish line. I had 50,055 words in my epic fantasy novel. Yay! There was a slight hope that I'd make it a little faster than this but that's okay. Aside from the fact I had microbiology homework the first 10 days I can also say that means I have another goal for next year to see if I can do even better. There will be a point where that ends because I know I am not capable of writing 50k in one day. For now I'm more than happy about my words accomplished in 13 days.

I'd post a fun winner picture here but umm... the web site doesn't have the goodies and win/verify until the 25th so I finished too early to get that yet. lol Not a bad little problem to face really. So, I found a picture online to celebrate the joy of finishing the first 50k already.

write in chapters or scene

2010-11-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

Chapters versus Scenes

Normally when writing a novel, no matter the draft I'm in, I write in chapters. But before I made it to the full length of a novel, I started by writing scenes. The first few years of my writing life, the part where I figured out I wanted to write, was spent either writing poems or writing scenes of stories I wanted to maybe one day make into a novel. But by my second novel writing attempt (also known as NaNoWriMo 2007) I was into chapters and continued from there. I still do some things in scenes. The romance/erotica novel I'm sort of writing at the moment is being written scene by scene and technically the blog novel "Cinder Story" is also being written in scenes for different blogfests. The rest of my novels all have been in chapters...

Except for NaNoWriMo 2010. Yep. This year I am writing my epic fantasy novel in scenes and not chapters. Back when I was at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference, there was a workshop on editing where the presenter said he wrote his first draft in scenes instead of chapters. He wrote science fiction but I thought it would be a good thing to try for epic fantasy too.

But what is the difference between writing in chapters versus writing in scenes and why pick one over the other? I'm glad I asked. lol

Chapters
A chapter is a planned (or random) break in a story that usually requires a page turn in a printed book though there are some exceptions. The online sources I've skimmed through say that a chapter has an average of 3 to 5 scenes in general, but I've never purposefully counted scenes when writing chapters. I just write what feels right and end at a point that makes sense. Some also say that all chapter endings should have some sort of cliff hanger and/or reason for the reader to want to read the next chapter instead of putting it down. They can actually be a variety of lengths. Some make it a full page and no more while other chapters can seem to last forever. Some people try to keep their chapters uniform in length. There is a member of a writing group that I run who tries to get around 2,500 words per chapter. I tend to fall in the other camp where I don't care how long the chapter is, though I do like to get over 1,000 words if possible because less than seems so short. Since this has become the common place method for my novels, I prefer to write in chapters.

Scenes
Scene changes usually occur when there is a change in location, time, and point of view. A scene can be split between too different chapters and sometimes there is a preference to those that don't end the chapter at the end of a scene because it stops the motion instead of propelling the reader forward. Writing in scene helps with keeping track as to what goes on per scene with a little less worry over chapter length and how many chapters make up a novels first draft. Sure, the rewrite will later put them into chapters but for the get it written stage, it's okay to write the scenes instead of chapters. I fail a little with this, however, because I have a few "scenes" where I write more than one character pov but that's okay. It's a first draft.

Do you write in chapters or scenes?
Would you try the other way?

NaNoWriMo Update

2010-11-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, after a little over 6 days (and a little behind personal goals but still very pleased with the progress) I made it to a big number.

(image source: sodahead.com)

That is 1/2 of the regular NaNoWriMo goal and 1/4th of the way to my personal goal. Yep, I am officially admitting in this blog that I'm trying to write 100k in a month. And I want the first 50k to be done in 12 days at the most because my current record is 50k in 15 days. Can I do it? Let's find out!

So, how are you?
How is NaNo treating everyone else?

The One, novel that is

2010-11-03T08:00:00.012-06:00

How does a person figure out when a novel idea is "the one"? When is that feeling not Shiny-New-Idea Syndrome? Good questions that I don't really have an answer to but I'm gonna talk about them anyways.

(Image source: kaykays-corner)

First, a confession. I know have an idea that I know for sure is "the one." How do I know? Well, that's the thing: I'm having a hard time figuring out. Not too mention the temptation of the new idea can often make it feel like it's the one cause it's all shiny and fun.

What is "the one"?
In this case, I mean the idea that is most likely to become the first book to get the writer an agent and/or published. While it is not always known before the query stage and when the call happens (or the email), there are some people who get an idea and they get that feeling. They know... It is a gut feeling that the characters, the story are that one amazing combination that is just waiting for them to put the words down on a page and to one day prepare in a way that is ready for the world to see.

And SNI Syndrome is what?
This is "shiny new idea syndrome" and it pretty much means getting distracted from a current work in progress by a shiny new idea that comes up because it is so pretty, and new and fabulous sounding while the other story is so much work. But the SNI becomes the WIP at some point and requires work and if every SNI is followed then it can be hard to finish anything. But it's an exciting feeling when a new idea hits that sounds super amazing. I get this problem often because I have so many new ideas and some of them are very tempting but so far I do okay at avoiding the temptations.

But how does one know it's "the one?"
I don't know. It's actually really cool to see when someone else has that moment. For me, it's easier to see as the outsider, being told someone else's idea, whether it sounds like it could be the one for them. I had this recently and she is the inspiration for this blog post. *waves hi to Ashy* Sometimes, when reading someone else's story description it just has that "this has to be a published book" feel to it. That internal light bulb goes off and I must immediately tell them how awesome they are along with the amazing awesomesauceness of the idea. But that doesn't help when looking at my own writing.

My main reason for posting this is to just get my thoughts into words when it comes to my own novels but I'd like your opinions in the comments for anyone who wants to comment on the topic.

Logically (not that amazing emotional light bulb that just appears) I feel like the mutant series have potential for being that first book. However, the YA books are first when it comes to the chronological story but I'm not sure if it's developed enough. I'm almost done with the rewrite but there is a slight uncertainty that bugs me a bit. The adult book doesn't require the YA as they both work as stand alone novels, technically, but book 3 has the YA MCs as secondary characters. My concern in general is the series are a bit convoluted and might cause problems assuming anyone asked for full and I'm not sure if that's the best foot to go forward. But other than that, I have a bunch of random novels either started or almost started but the only other finished draft is a romance/erotica novel that I don't feel is my desired genre and it's definitely not "the one." Of the other ideas, I don't know which one has "the one" potential. And it's a tad frustrating.

What about you?
Believe people can have a "the one" idea?
Do you have "the one" or are you still searching for it?

On your mark, Get set...

2010-11-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

Is there Passion in Persistence?

2010-10-25T16:09:00.000-06:00

My Dad said something to me recently that inspired this blog post. I am going to be done with school for awhile after I finish a microbiology class, online, in part because I am burned out majorly from spending most my life in school. Dad thinks it's a good idea, but he thinks I should take a break from writing too and that I need to not force the novels out by making myself write. He also thinks artists only do great works when they wait for inspiration. Yet, it brings up an interesting topic. Does persistence mean that the passion of writing gets lost in the act, or can there be passion within persistence?

I'm going to get a bit personal with this post. I think in January 2011 I'll post an official about me post but for now, here is a small insight.

I consider myself to be a writer because I write. Sure, there are some days and an occasional week where I won't get anything written of fiction, but in general I write on a regular basis. But that's not all I do. It's just I don't call myself certain labels if I don't do them often.

My bachelor's degree is called a Bachelor of Integrated Studies. The studies I integrated are English, legal studies and art with a minor in communication. Most of my art studies were in painting, having taken all 3 main painting classes available. Yet, I don't call myself a painter or even an artist. I have a degree in art, I have some paintings, but that doesn't mean I am either of those things because I haven't painted for over a year. I haven't done sketching or much art work in any way. I barely have room in my bedroom to walk in order to get to my bed, so I haven't found a spot to put up my painting stuff. So, I'm not an artist. I work on art sometimes but that's it.

I also have written poetry. Took a class on it, submitted poems and have been rejected a few times, and considered hosting a small poetry workshop in the small towns I've lived in. My writing.com portfolio has around 300 poems. But I don't call myself a poet. This is because I don't do poetry on a regular basis. I have written two poems in the last 5 months, or so. It's the sort of writing that I do either when I feel like it or when I have a challenge to do, but not something I aspire to pursue at this time.

I'm a writer. I make monthly goals, along with year goals, and do my best to accomplish them. But do goals and making oneself write mean there isn't passion in it? For me, the answer is no. I know that when I force myself to write, once I get past that hard point of starting awesome things can come out. I can't write whenever the mood strikes because then I would write at random with little focus. Each shiny idea that comes to me would get words for a short while and then I'd move on, never finishing anything. I need to have the persistence in order to give my passion room to grow.

But what do you think?
Can persistence still have the passion of the art?

NaNo Prep Last Set

2010-10-24T09:00:00.001-06:00

That's right. We're at the end of our novel prep month.

Monday 25th
Commitment Letter - Write a letter to yourself committing to the month goal of NaNoWriMo that includes pep talk. Cheer, encourage, make sure you know you can succeed. Write why you are awesome! Or write the methods that you think will help you succeed in the writing. If you like having rewards, think up a few rewards and put those in the letter too.

Tuesday 26th
Sketch #3 - last setting. Draw one more time a setting found within the novel. Then be glad you don't have to drawn anymore and can just write about things. lol

Wednesday 27th
Setting #3 description. Add the senses in this one if possible, and basically describe the setting that was drawn yesterday. Get into the moment, one moment of time in that location to show the visualization through words.

Thursday 28th
Journalism time. Next is to do an interview with the protagonist from the beginning of the prep work. Consider the story of the book to be done, whatever number in a series that may be written for nanowrimo for us series writers. This takes into consideration how the main character will be changed by the story. Ask questions like: How did the events of the story change you? How is life for you now?

Friday 29th
Procrastination list. That's right, acknowledge those pesky things like facebook, twitter, family, anything that may be a procrastination from writing during November. Consider ways to combat the procrastination demons. Or come up with a schedule to maintain during November to reach the word count goals.

Saturday 30th
5th draft of outline. Yep. 5 drafts. Should have a comprehensive outline by now that you can either pay attention to during nanowrimo, or you can ignore it like I do. But the main structure of the story should be cemented decently in your mind by now, which will come in handy during the marathon that is nanowrimo.

Sunday 31st
Take a break. Rest those hands because as of midnight it will be time to write a bunch. Enjoy Halloween!

Monday, November 1st
WRITE!

When to Write or Wait on a Novel

2010-10-22T17:53:00.000-06:00

Since National Novel Writing Month is slowly creeping up, I thought I'd post something about trying to decide when to write an idea or when to wait on it. Part of the reason is this year's nanowrimo novel is one I got the initial idea (though it changed greatly the first few years) back when I was in high school. Luckily, most of you don't know what I look like so I don't have to show ID to prove that has been years ago (lol). If I've had the idea since before I came up with 60 other novel ideas, then why didn't I write it back then? Ah, that is a good question *talks to self*.

Write or...

(image by Amor Magno, taken from kikolani.com)

Wait

This can be a tough choice. When I got the idea for the epic fantasy novel, currently titled Gathered at Dawn, I was maybe a sophomore in high school, though it may be earlier. It started out as an alternate history novel idea set during the Civil War. That changed slightly to add a sci-fi element of a gaming system that puts the group of characters into a Civil War like world, which soon split into two different ideas. There is the Civil War story that has two main characters that aren't anything like the original characters and the plot is different but somehow it came from the first idea. Then there was the gaming idea, which sounded cool at the idea, where at the end not everyone leaves the game. Somehow, that shifted to become the awesome (although not the most original) epic fantasy story. The idea has been an epic fantasy one, with the same plot and characters, for about 4 years or more.

So, why wait 4 years or so (and thus accumulate 60 other novel ideas) to actually write the first draft of the novel?

The basic answer is simple. I wasn't ready to write an epic fantasy. I wasn't ready to write a novel even. When I first started writing on Writing.com I had a few poems posted and tried a little writing but nothing big or serious. By the second year I was writing scenes and "short stories" or "flash fiction" for contests on WDC along with more poetry. 2006 was my first attempt at novel writing. By then I had at least 10 ideas for stories(novels) and things increased from there.

Also, I have to admit that I was a little intimidated by the genre. There are such amazing books out that are epic fantasy and it has such a large word count, I didn't think I could write a good epic fantasy based on my writing skills. 100,000 words is a large number for someone who had only written 5,000-ish, or 14,000 (nano 2007). Even if it was never going to be seen by any other person but me, I wanted to do things right.

Elves, dwarves and humans aren't the most original combination for an epic/high fantasy story either. But I love elves and mages. The main characters were inspired by friends of mine with one being the closest to a mary sue character that you'll ever find in my writing. But don't worry, since every character has taken on a life of their own and don't even look like the influenced person anymore.

So, I chose to wait on that novel as I learned more about writing and worked on different novels (along with coming up with many many more ideas).

Why am I ready now?

I have written 3 finished first drafts, including one that came out at 90,000 words. I have been writing for the past 4+ years and think I'm better at the process and it's my fourth year doing NaNoWriMo. Considering in March I was able to do 50k in 15 days, I should be able to do 50k in a month. The novel idea is solid and hasn't changed since it became an epic fantasy. I am excited for the novel and overall, I just think it's time to write the novel for me as I prepare my two mutants series to eventually send out.

Do you ever wait on an idea?
If you do or don't: why?
Guess what? It's almost time for NaNoWriMo!

Titles (already used ones)

2010-10-19T08:51:00.000-06:00

Yes, another post on titles but with a slightly different focus.

Some people have wondered, and there have been a few answers on this, if they can use a title they think works for their novel but someone else already has used. Some people advise that when you come up with a title to double check to make sure it's not take.

But can books with the same title be published? Yep.

Titles, as far as I'm aware of, can't be copyrighted. Surprised? But it's true, much like ideas. A full franchise is a little different than just a title, however (wouldn't recommend going for Star Wars, for example). So, it's possible to use a title that someone else has already used because you never know if someone will have the same title. Some of the ones in the examples were published in the same year, sometimes in the same season.

There are many examples of different books by different authors with the same title. Here is a very small list.

"Book of the Dead" - (2007) Douglas Preston, (2007) Patricia Cornwell, (1991) Tanith Lee, (1990) Robert Richardson, (2004) Ashley McConnell
"The Moving Target" - (1949) Ross MacDonald, (1963) W.S. Merwin
"Fallen" - (2010) Lauren Kate, (2008) Erin McCarthy, (2008) Claire Delacroix, (2006) David Maine, (2001) Celeste Bradley, (2009) Laury Falter [at one point I had a wip novel with this as the wip title]
"The Fallen" - (2006) Thomas E. Sniegoski, (2006) Paul Langen, (2008) Gwen Hayes, (2006) T. Jefferson Parker, (2010) Mark Terry, (2006) Joshua Dragon and Arthur Breur
"The Dragon Reborn" - (1991) Robert Jordan, (2002) Kathleen H. Nelson
"Hero" - (2009) Perry Moore, (2010) Mike Lupica, (2007) S.L. Rottman, (2009) Derwin Gray, [was the initial wip title for my adult mutant novel]
"Aftermath" - (reprint 2010) James Lane Allen, (reprint 2010) Hilaire Belloc, (2002) Peter Robinson, (1999) Charles Sheffield, (1997) Levar Burton, (2009) Scott Campbell, (2007) Brian Shawver
"Against All Odds" - (2009) Irene Hannon, (1991) Kay Thorpe, (2000) Barbara Riefe, (1988) Patricia Rosemoor, (2002) Tricia Pursell, (2000) Russel Keith, (2005) Jasmina M. Svenne
"Taken" - (2009) Anya Bast, (2007) Chris Jordan, (2008) Selena Kitt, (2008) Jet Mykles, (2006) Barbara Freethy, (2002) Thomas H. Cook, (2002) Kathleen George, (2010) Debra Lee, (2010) Chloe Stowe

And these don't include variations on the titles, and most don't include a secondary section to the title either. They have the exact same title.

There are a few things to consider if the title chosen has already been used.
1. When was the book published? Published in 1980 will be less of a problem compared to published in 2010. While this doesn't have to hinder the title, it's something to at least think about. But remember, if the book hasn't been picked up already, it's going to be a few years before it even gets published, so it may not be an issue then.
2. How popular was the novel? The more popular the book, probably the less likely that title should be used. Though that is not a guaranteed rule or anything.
3. Similar to popularity, what do people think of those novels? If you don't want the hype surrounding sparkly vampires and the perceived thoughts of the technical aspects in the writing, then Twilight might not be a good one to pick (aside from the popularity of the novel).
4. Is it in the same genre? For the not epically popular novels, just being in a different genre will mean there isn't a problem in using the title. The title "Against All Odds" was used for romance and suspense type books. They will be put in separate sections of a bookstore and the only issue will be for people who remember the title of a recommended book but not the author.

In the end, if the title works at this point for the novel then I'd so, go with it. If a publisher wants to change it due to others that currently have that title, then it might need to be changed. But can't predict what a publisher will say until the contract gets made and such. For those of us that aren't published, or even contracted, writers, it doesn't matter as much.

Your thoughts?
Ever have a title only to find out someone published a book with it already?

NaNo Prep Continued

2010-10-17T09:30:00.001-06:00

We are getting closer. After Halloween it will be novel writing month. Woot!

October 18th
Describe setting #2. There is the picture of it already, however rough it may be, so then describe what is in that picture. Having more than one location is very useful in a novel (most should know this tip).

October 19th
Sketch (make profile for) minor character #2. Do the same as the other sketches of characters. Here is where profile templates are useful.

October 20th
Backstory for minor character #2. Just like the other back stories, write a scene that shows something in the characters life before the novel that will bring them into the conflict eventually.

October 21st
Describe the political setting of the novel. What kind of government(s) rules the world? What major law/code sets are in placed on the main society? Who enforces them? Is enforcement successful?

October 22nd
Describe in detail an object that is critical to the story. They can be important to the plot or one of the main characters. Make the description so that a reader would be able to see that exact object in their mind solely based on the words provided.

October 23rd
Outline draft #4. That's right, there are four versions of the outline. After this, the draft should be pretty decent in detail, though it's okay if there is plenty of wiggle room available.

October 24th
Day off. Relax and get ready cause there is one set of assignments left.

Go Outside

2010-10-16T17:18:00.000-06:00

Since moving back home in Wyoming, where I went to high school as one parent lives in Utah while other parent lives in Wyoming, I don't leave the house much. While this may seem useful for writing it can also create a mood that isn't very creative. My big bit of advice for today (thought of two other topics on the way to Utah for a visit) is this:

Go Outside

(Image by Natalie Dee @ nataliedee.com)

Isn't it cute? See, even outside misses us when we don't go there. ;-)

One reason I don't mind the drive from southeastern Wyoming to northern Utah is that I get to go outside (to my car) and then see all kinds of stuff on my way. It's only a 7-ish hour drive but across most of southern Wyoming and then a portion of northern Utah. There are bits of flat terrain (odd, I know, lol), plenty of fields, a few hills, some canyons and almost always wind. Antelope/deer and cows are common fair along the side of the road in the different fields and canyons though I've seen a fox or two before. There are a few things that made this trip enjoyable.

No snow yet. Last year, it snowed at the end of September. This year we haven't had any yet and it's getting close to Halloween. oooo The trees were turning fall colors, and that's always nice to see when winding through a canyon.

I saw a beautiful display of birds in flight dealing with the wind.

There were close to 100 birds in flight over a field of dried corn stalks. Once upon a time they had been green, before harvest, but now they stood in golden formation as wind swept across the land. The flock was spread out, combing over the land. Like waves heading towards a distant shore, birds would dip down, almost grazing the tips of corn husks before drifting up again. Each bird got a turn to crash down toward the land before swooping up to reach a whitecap level peak and then the process could be repeated as the wing patterns demanded.

Okay. Probably could write that better and eliminate a few passive moments, but you get the idea. Really cool moment with birds flying over a dry corn field. But writing natural elements into say, an epic fantasy novel, is a little easier to do if someone actually goes out in nature once in awhile. City elements feel more realistic after having dealt with a city, so forth and so on.

The other thing the trip did was give me time to think about writing. 7 hours to think about writing and now I have 3 blog posts to do and some thoughts for nanowrimo. So, once you've gone outside and gotten a little fresh air (or smog, depending location) then go back inside and Write!

OMG day 15

2010-10-15T00:40:00.000-06:00

Oh My Gosh! I'm so excited to reach the 15 day mark because that means we are 15 days closer to NaNoWriMo. I can't wait to start.

The prep challenge is working out really well. Aside from drawings, I have been posting my entries on my other blog along with the book entry on writing.com, which is where I get all the information from for the challenge. I'm glad people are finding the information useful and I'm sure Brandiwyn would be happy too. Just a reminder, I'm just posting the assignments for everyone to see, she (brandiwyn) is the real genius behind them.

As much as I love the prep work, and writing in my 5 other novels, I'm starting to get antsy. I want to be writing the epic fantasy already. It has been 5+ years in the making and it will be nice to get that first draft written down, even if I never try to get it published.

How is everyone else doing?

Ready for NaNoWriMo?

next set of NaNo prep

2010-10-10T16:27:00.000-06:00

Here is the 11th - 17th. Some of the assignments are similar to ones already done with only a slight difference. This week also marks the middle of the month, which means there is just another half left before the big event starts. Yay!

October 11th
Write a background story about the antagonist in a way that makes the reader . This will flesh out the antagonist even more. After all, the antagonist would be the protagonist if the story was being told from their point of view.

October 12th
Write any background story that sets up the plot of the novel. Should be set before the time of the novel and have an influence on the plot.

October 13th
Character sketch for a supporting character(#1). This can be a secondary character or any other minor type from the novel.

October 14th
Background story of supporting character #1.

October 15th
Drawing of setting #2. Yes, try to draw a different setting than #1 unless the story really is only in one place for the entire 50k+ of words.

October 16th
Outline #3

October 17th
Another day off.

Talking about Names

2010-10-07T16:25:00.000-06:00

While preparing my epic fantasy novel for the writing sprint known as National Novel Writing Month, the topic of names has resurfaced. Names can be difficult with a new novel for a number of different reasons. Some people have an easier time coming up with their character names while others struggle to pick the perfect name for each of the important characters of the story. Sometimes it's an issue with finding a new novel for those that start many different projects/stories, or it can just be finding the right one because a placeholder name just isn't the same as having the perfect name that really fits a character. So, let's talk about character names.

Where/How to find/create character names

Different Approaches: as stated above, different people have different approaches. For some, like my bf, the names just come to them. They think of a character and the name just appears ready for use. It doesn't matter the type of character for them either. Vampire, detective, teacher, child... they are all the same. For others, it's almost headache inducing with long periods of struggle in order to find the right name. I fall in both categories. There are times when I've just had a name pop into my head and I enjoy those times. However, there are plenty of times where it's not easy. So, I've used a number of different methods to come up with character names in novels and short stories.

The placecard name: This is where a general name or description is used until a better, actual name can be determined for a character (place, object, etc). I don't like to use this more protagonists, usually. The good part of this method is that it doesn't halt a great writing spree. Putting something there to hold the place for a better name later on means the writer can keep going without worrying about it for the first draft. Not so much help for later drafts but hopefully by then a name can be found.

Research: Can be used for a variety of names. Common names don't always need research but it can help when looking for a new name to look at a baby name book as research. Historical names can be very important when wanting accuracy. There are also different web sites that can help with fantasy names. There are also web sites that have name generators. These can either be rather silly or somewhat useful, depending on the type of generator.
Web sites:
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/index-name.php
http://www.babynames.com/

The problem with some names:
In particular with fantasy names, there can be a problem with pronunciation and the names can come off as a little too random. I once had someone in a critique group say that my fantasy names were made up nonsense. However, those were names I had created through my research with each section of the name having a specific meaning. So, sometimes the meaning of a name will not correspond to what the reader will interpret. Names that are too long will take up a lot of space and eventually the reader may have issues with it, but those can often be shortened with fun nicknames. I plan to keep the elf name I'd chosen for my main character because I think it's kind of fun for the one that is in denial of his sexual orientation to be called "feyn" as the shortened form of his name.

There are also names that have already been taken that may cause problems for readers. I'll admit that in blogfests and even looking at fantasy books, if anyone names their main character Rand, I immediately think of the main character in The Wheel of Times series. I can't help it, that name belongs to that series in my mind and any other book using it will have problems. Names can also make gender a little confusing. On twitter, I chatted with someone who had considered using the name Juniper for a male character. In Jr High I read two different YA fantasy books with the main character being a female named Juniper. It is, in fact, my favorite name for a female and I might even name a daughter that one day, if I ever have one. But I will have a hard time ever reading about a male Juniper. That's the problem with the common reader response criticism that most readers will bring with them to a book.

Where do you get your character names?
Are names easy?
What problems do you have with names?

Prep Days 4-10

2010-10-03T13:10:00.000-06:00

Here is a full week for those that are interested in the nanowrimo prep. And there is one day off too. Enjoy!

October 4th
Protagonist background story. Make the readers relate to the character and want to read about them. Even an unpleasant character can win some sympathy points given the right backstory (which may happen when the antagonist gets a turn).

October 5th
Marketing exercise: describe the target audience of the novel. Explain in detail what aspects of the novel that particular audience will enjoy and why.

October 6th
Get a pencil out (or excel, visio, or other drawing programs) and draw a physical sketch of a setting #1 in the novel. It's okay if you aren't a great drawer. (I have part of my bachelor's degree in art and I'm not good at drawing.)

October 7th
Describe setting #1 while using the senses to make a reader experience the scene.

October 8th
Antagonist character sketch. If it is a situation instead of a person, explain what it is and how it will create tension.

October 9th
Outline, second draft. Revise and then add more detail in beginning, middle and end.

October 10th
Day off.

October Prep days 1-3

2010-09-30T08:37:00.000-06:00

The time has come to get ready for NaNoWriMo. I'm going to try and get them mostly one week at a time but figured it'd be nice to have the first few days up in time to prepare instead of rushing on day one. Also, thank you to Brandiwyn from Writing.com for letting me post the activities from her challenge on my blog. I really appreciate the opportunity and hope others find the information very useful. Remember: to see my attempts at the exercises don't forget to check out my other blog (itsinthebookde.blogspot.com).

(image source: www.ineedmotivation.com)

Most exercises are meant to be worked on for 15 minutes or so. Some may not take quite as long while others, like the outlines, can take a bit longer. Not every single assignment will apply but the goal is to try and do as many as possible in order to get to know the novel idea more before making the mad dash in November.

The Schedule:

Friday, Oct. 01
The general premise of the novel. Summarize the following: Who is the protagonist (or protagonists)? What will happen to him/her/it/them? Why? How will it turn out? What does that tell us? Is there a moral to the story? Resources to help: howtowriteanovel.wordpress.com/ -  creating_the_premise and Premise discussion on WDC.

Saturday, Oct. 02
Outline: first draft. Basic overview of main events. Check out the section on Outlining in this free ebook:
lazette.net/Free%20Stuff/NaNo.htm -other sources:  WDC Blank Novel Outline - Snowflake Method  and  how-to-write-a-novel-outline

Sunday, Oct. 03
Character sketch: The protagonist, (one of them if there are more than that). A couple of resources to help: Fantasy Character Background Information,  Character Profile Template , and http://www.engl.niu.edu/wac/char_sk.html

NaNoWriMo and Schedule

2010-09-28T08:00:00.001-06:00

That's right. The month of craziness approaches and I can't wait. October and November will be affected on both of my blogs, so this is your warning.

What is National Novel Writing Month?
It is..."is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30." According to the rules on the web site: it has to be a "new" novel (complete redo's still count) and the first word can't be written until November 1st. No screenplays because Script Frenzy in April is for writing those.

The point of doing NaNoWriMo, in part, is to shut the inner editor up for a month and to just write. Get that novel out. Sure it is a quantity over quality exercise, but it's a first draft. First drafts are allowed to suck, so don't worry about the bad words and get that draft done (or 50,000 words or so done).
Web site: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Personal Story
My first year of attempting NaNoWriMo was back in 2006. I failed with a total of only a few thousand words. It was my first attempt at picking a single novel and trying to write that length so it was definitely a learning experience. Haven't finished that novel but I still like the idea. 2007 went a little better when I attempted to only get 20,000 words done of a YA novel. I manged to get 14,000 of what was then called Ephram's Defiance (I'm working on the rewrite of that novel now). Not a win but the longest piece of fiction I had going at the time. Then came 2008 and my first year doing the October prep challenge on Writing.com with a romance/erotica novel. With tons of coffee and a friend coming over for the last weekend to write, I managed to get over 50,000 words done and win. My first time, and only thus far. It was awesome. I finished the first draft in december and even though it needs a rewrite, I enjoyed it. Last year I had personal things come up during the month, so I didn't really even try. This year I'm doing the novel I have wanted to do since high school, one of the first novel ideas I've had. I'm doing epic fantasy, book one of a series, and the 50,000 will only be the first half. I'm hoping to make it early and I'm using my blogs this year along with the novel writing.

I will have a schedule for both this blog and my it's in the book blog.

Schedule for this blog.

October is prep month for NaNoWriMo. The manager/creator of the October prep challenge has given me permission to post this year's prep work on my blog. I will have a blog post with each week's assignments up for those that want to try doing the prep but aren't on writing.com. I will do one week at a time to give people time to work on them and in case I want to expand on certain topics that week, like maybe one on premise, but we'll see. The prep work I do for my epic fantasy will be posted on my other blog.

November is novel writing month. Woot! Probably won't post as often, though it's hard to tell, but will try to get some updates posted at least a few times during the month. Plan to be writing and maybe even get 50k down by the 20th of the month. The best I've done is in March of this year I wrote 50k in 15 days. We'll have to see how this year goes. Hopefully all this stuff posted on my blog for my followers to see will keep me going through the month.

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year?

Query tips I learned from Kristin Nelson

2010-09-25T11:00:00.001-06:00

Say Goodbye to the Slushpile: The Pitch Paragraph

(Image Source: 101reasonstostopwriting.com)

Who is Kristin Nelson?

"Kristin has her B.A. from the University of Missouri at Columbia and is a graduate of the nationally respected University of Denver Publishing Institute. In the early nineties, she studied creative writing with National Book Award Nominee Patricia Henley at Purdue University where she earned her M.A. This makes her particularly interested in representing fiction. Before opening her own agency, she learned the ropes working for another literary agent. As for her previous work history, Kristin has been a college English teacher, a freelance writer, and a corporate trainer for business communication topics before embracing her true passion of agenting."

Bio Source:
http://www.nelsonagency.com/staff.html
Agency:
http://www.nelsonagency.com/
Blog:
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/

While many different bits of information was given at the workshop, with email tidbits and a query breakdown, I'm going to focus on the pitch paragraph of the query because that was the focus of the workshop. There is also an activity and I will share with you all what I wrote. Yes, it is pretty bad but I'll show you what I tried to get done during the workshop.

The Pitch Paragraph

This is the section in the query that should catch the agents attention. It can often read like the back cover of a published novel, or inside the flap of a hardback book. The job of the pitch paragraph is to highlight the plot element that forms the catalyst for the rest of the novel.

The catalyst should be found within the first 30 pages of the novel. (Note: this doesn't mean there aren't any other areas of conlict added that lead to the climax. This is just the first one that is key to leading the main character towards that climax and/or major conflict, decision, etc.)

On average, the paragraph should be 7 to 10 sentences total.

To find the catalyst: list the events that open the novel. Then decide which plot element is the most important and sets the rest of the novel in motion. So, we had to do just that... find the catalyst.

-----
Want to see mine? Well, there isn't really a choice because I'm making myself post what I wrote so here is my "catalyst" that I actually wasn't even using when I first attempted writing a pitch/query.

Closest thing to a friend Ephram has shows an ability from genetic mutation that he will have to report to the men in suits, government agency. The result of his telling leads ot regret, goals of seclusion and a revolution of his current role as a tattle.

Good thing that's just me trying to find the catalyst and not an actual pitch line.
-----

Next, we had to write it down in 1 sentence.

----
On mine, I struggled very much so. Some words are crossed out or changed but I'll try and post it all.

A young mutant (~~tattle tell~~) has to tell the men in suits (~~realizes the consequences of his telling~~) when a friend shows signs of genetic mutation...

I didn't finish the full sentence. Sad, I know.
----

The hardest part of the one sentence, and the pitch paragraph, seemed to be the consequence of the catalyst. Everyone that brought up their sentences and paragraphs for examples on the CD struggled with the consequence and I know I had issues with that too. What is the consequence of the catalyst for the main character?

To shape the pitch paragraph from that one sentence consider the details that support the catalyst. This includes backstory, other inter-related plot and character insights. Also includes that pesky consequence.

----
Then comes the challenge. Write a pitch paragraph that has 7-10 sentences. In the time given, which was plenty of time considering the challenge and workshop, I wrote 5 sentences. Yeah... Here is my very rough version of a pitch paragraph using the catalyst from the first 30 pages of the novel, Tattle Tell.

Unlike most, Ephram Gray's genetic mutation was discovered at birth, leaving him already identified and monitored. Which would be fine if the government didn't use him as their personal tattle source for finding other mutants. It's even worse when one of his limited number of friends shows signs of mutation, forcing him to tattle. He soon discovers the truth behind the identification process, the men in suits, and he must make a decision. Either risk having to tell on another friend or accept the life of a loser and a tattle tale.

It's not the best pitch paragraph ever, but it's a start. And thanks to Kristin I now know to use the first conflict (catalyst) instead of the last one leading to the climax. She was amazing as a presenter and I've definitely learned a great amount of information from the workshop.

Now for you.
Have you ever written a query?
Going to try?

World Building

2010-09-23T15:00:00.001-06:00

Writing Worlds That Work by Carol Berg

(Image source: writingforward.com)

Who is Carol Berg?
"I am a writer of epic fantasy novels: ten published, one forthcoming, and two more in the process of bubbling up from wherever the ideas come from. Where did I come from? Though my home is at the foot of the Colorado Rockies, my roots are in Texas in a family of teachers, musicians, and railroad men... Since Transformation was published in 2000, my novels have won the Prism Award for best romantic fantasy, the Geffen Award for translated fantasy, and multiple Colorado Book Awards. They have been short-listed for the Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Memorial Award and for the Barnes and Noble Maiden Voyage Award, both given for the best first science fiction/fantasy/horror novel and for the Romantic Times Book Club Reviewers’ Choice Award for epic fantasy."
Source: http://www.sff.net/people/carolberg/bio.html
Other Page:
http://www.sff.net/people/carolberg/

Now for my notes from the Writing Worlds That Work Workshop.
World Building

First, you will need compelling characters. Then a setting that is so real the readers believe, become involvedin, aspects in the novel that may not even exist in the real world. But what is the difference between the wolrd and the setting?

Setting v. World

Setting is the where and the when of the story.

World is beyond the setting. It is the entire, interconnecting reality combined as backdrop that encompasses all characters, story, setting, etc. This goes beyond the story both before and after. Compared to an iceberg, the story is the portion that people will see but the rest is under the water.

There are a few options with world building. It doesn't have to be brand new worlds for a writer to actually work on world building. One option is to world build on a certain time and place in the real world. Another is to have something close to Earth but has elements that aren't found there. Another is to completely invent a new world, which still can have realism elements borrowed.
Key element to world building - Research!

While the story is often more important than the world, but it can be a good idea for certain novels. But it can seem like a daunting task to do when considering all the different elements that go into building a world. In order to get the would built, start with a segment of that world, any segment and go from there. Like writing the story, it's not always easy but it's almost impossible if you don't start. Those segments that you choose, however, should be ones that are key elements in the story because it's better to start with something you know that you'll need then an obscure fact that probably won't end up in the series ever.

After you start, don't do all of the world building before writing the first draft. It's risky to do too much up front because it can become a form of procrastination, and/or too much information may be developed that will stunt the writing.

Some things to consider when world building:

Economics
    How do characters make a living?
    How is the economy reflected in different locations?
    What resources are available?
    Are there any exports/imports?
    What are the class rankings?
    What objects have value and why?

Diversity of races & langagues
    Are there clashing customs?
    What are group prejudices and are they based on reality/myths?
    What changes have occurred in history with the races/languages?
    Consider religion, science and beliefs of the races.

Racial and gender roles
    How do the roles relate during the times of the story and place.
    Don't force present day sensibilities if not realistic for story.

Geography
    Why are the cities(places) in their location? What is their reason? (river, etc)
    What does the location have access to?
    Do they have power?
    How much exploration is done?
    What does one set/location of people know about others in different places?
    If they don't know much, why not?
    Are there any geographic barriers?
    There needs to be log in the weather and geology.
    Tip: don't always copy Great Britain (has been done a few times in fantasy).
    Empires don't happen overnight.
    Have there been conquests in past or attempts made?
    What changes have occured over time in the land?

Supernatural
    What are the boundaries between magic, divinity, mythology and science?
    Are there flaws?
    How important is the Divine?
    How does human experience factor into things?
    Are there any myths? legends? important rituals? superstitions?
    Is there a range of believers? skeptics - believe a little - middle - fundamentalists

Magic (linked to the supernatural)
    Magic should have rules, limits and consequences.
    Why can't magic solve all problems? (food preservation, housing, etc)
    How does society in general feel about it?
    Does everyone know there is magic?
    Can anyone do it or is it special?
    Is it okay to use magick or is it banned?

Also, in world building, consider the world beyond the limited scope of the story. In theory, it should feel like the world existed before your characts had their story and it should, at the end of the novel, feel like the world will continue after it.

The information shouldn't be dumped in huge clumps. Remember the post on Exposition? That will come in handy with world information. One thing to remember is to layer/scatter the information in, making sure not to put too much in one spot.

This is a good start. There are many other places to look for information on world building. Despite having three different novels with a first draft done on each, I had never done world building. Not even for the mutant novels. But I am world building for the first time now with my steampunk idea. It's different but I can already tell it's going to be useful.

How about you? Do you world build?
Ever consider trying it, if you haven't yet?

Lessons from Connie Willis

2010-09-22T10:00:00.002-06:00

(image source: musik-therapie.at)

It Gets Complicated - the middle of the novel

and

Plot Exposition - Where to Put It

Who is Connie Willis?
Author who "recently inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, has received six Nebula Awards and ten Hugo Awards for her fiction; her previous novel, Passage, was nominated for both. Her other works include Doomsday Book, Lincoln’s Dreams, Bellwether, Impossible Things, Remake, Uncharted Territory, To Say Nothing of the Dog, Fire Watch, and Miracle and Other Christmas Stories. Connie Willis lives in Colorado with her family."
Source:
http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=33338
More Info:
http://www.sftv.org/cw/

Middle of Novel

The middle of the novel is very important, though it gets less recognition than the ending and far less than the beginning when it comes to writing advice. The workshop at the RMFW conference by Connie Willis on the middle was awesome. Here are some tidbits from that workshop.

The middle of the novel should follow logic in the story by keeping the conflict going throughout the middle of the novel. Often this involves the things that go wrong in the story.

Delays in the plot or the scenes can add a little suspense. Even little delays can help to make things remain interesting in the middle portion of the novel. Or have a deadline in the story (not just deadlines to write it). Different deadlines will add certain elements of emergency and time constraints to the middle section, making it less of a slum part.

In this aspect, mystery novels have a great usage of the middle part because there are often warnings or clues that exist but sometimes have been ignored by the reader. Those elements are helpful for creating the end.

Next, consider how emotions affect the plot.

Remember that with many actions and decisions made there might be unintended consequences that they character didn't consider but could complicate things more.

And a favorite "trick" used in great writing that isn't really a trick = The Reversal

Consider the movie "A Beautiful Mind" because it does this well. Another example is the movie "The Sixth Sense". I'd recommend watching those movies at least once.

How this works? The move is going along with the plot and readers think they know what's going on when all of a sudden, the story goes off in a surprising direction that changes everything the reader/watcher knew from the beginning. Yet the evidence is there; it just wasn't interpreted that way until the reversal happens. What this does is it changes the nature of the questions the readers have been asking before the reversal.

There was a lot more but those are the tips from my notes.

(Image source: www.technokids.com.au)

Plot Exposition

This dealt with the different aspects of backstory and other explanations that could fall under the dilemma of an info dump. While some of it isn't necessary, there are different times when that exposition can be very important to the story. And the workshop gave many tips on how to do exposition without overdoing it.

One option is to give information through dialogue, but this technique can be overdone or used in the wrong way. For example, there is a character some people use whenever they want information to be given through dialogue. This doesn't work when the characters talking are both people who would already know the information. Often the dialogue starts with "As you know..." or something similar. But having someone who is new or young and doesn't know the information is a character that can be used during certain times when information is needed to be given to the reader. Also, in dialogue, arguments can be used to tell stuff that the character may already know because people will do that in fights.

Some information is more necessary than others. Grounding, for example, is the telling of key information that happens near the beginning of the novel. Information can be prioritized based upon the concept of "on a need to know basis."

Where do background and other explanations go?
They should be scattered throughout the novel in a few different methods of "telling" in order to give the information but not to dump it on the reader. This shouldn't be done at unrealistic moments, like in the heat of action. When being shot at by laser guns, most people won't go into a story about their history or about how the laser gun works. Trust me!

Don't leave/start giving the reader too many things to question that they don't have any answers for yet.

Don't directly tell the reader the character's sate of emotions. This is linked to the "show don't tell" rule of writing.

And consider indirection as a tool to show character.

Last bit of advice on getting books signed by other authors.
"When you are having a book signed by an author, always have them sign it to your real name, not your pen name."
One of the reasons was to keep the ego of the pen name separate from the rest of your life/ego. Which does make sense to some degree but I'll add a little to it. The pen name is the person's focus on writing. The books are fiction signed by other people who have already been published. Make sense to anyone else? Hope so because that's the end of this explanation.

Novel Influence

2010-09-20T16:00:00.001-06:00

(Image Source: technobabble2dot0.wordpress.com)

Novel influence is one reason that some writers don't read books similar to theirs or in their genre when writing a novel. But how much does a novel really influence a writer?

I don't really have any statistics to tell you how much the reading of novels will influence a single reader so instead, I can just talk about how reading books recently has influenced new novel ideas for me.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Border Patrol, and pregnant woman idea

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is one amazing novel. I have never read a zombie novel, I didn't watch any zombie movies even though were supposed to watch several for policy debate (for a capitalism negative). Yet, despite the fact taht I haven't read much in the past 3 years, I read this book in 24 hours. If you haven't read it, you should give at least the first book a try. I haven't read the second book because I'm waiting for the paperback to come out. But I will read it when it does.

The Border Patrol is an idea that I might write soon, which is dystopian. The name is a work in progress title, so it will probably change but it's the idea that has some obvious influence from The Forest of Hands and Teeth. No zombies. Instead there are different types of monsters that hunt humants. There is a village in the mountains, where one main character is from and the second main character's family barely makes it there alive. The border is kind of like a fence, only done with magic. It's similar to the fence in the published novel because it keeps the "monsters" out.

The pregnant woman main character story sparked from a blogfest involving breaking the rules and I got the idea when I was reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth (took me 24 hours to read, with some sleep in the middle). Granted, it's not similar to the published novel because no zombies, or fences, or any similar characters. But the overall tone of the novel affected the tone of the novel I'm developing.

Shiver and The Pack (working title, not all that serious)

Shiver has a pretty cool idea in werewolves. I haven't really been into werewolves before, except for the movie Ginger Snaps Back, which is a horror movie about windegos (has some similarities to werewolves). The idea is that the one character is a wolf when it's cold and human when it's hot outside. But they don't always change, but I won't get into that. Also, they are wolves or humans, not a crossbreed of human-wolf.

My idea involves werewolves that are wolves a year or so then humans a year or so. MC is an older teen boy who stands up against a pack of bullies for a weaker friend and it seems to work. But they "jump" him on his way home from school. Leader forces him to do something and he thinks this is just a move to show him not embarrass the group again. But the truth is he has been chosen to join their pack. There is more that goes on, blah blah blah, not going to say it all. But at first I wasn't interested because of the werewolves, and the love triangle... then the second book idea came up too. The situation in the Rocky Mountains years ago, where the wolves were removed and taken to Canada. Made me wonder what would happen if they were wolves during the move and the new wolf woke up in human form somewhere in Canada with no idea where he was. The idea has ahold of me now. Darn the idea!

While most of my ideas come from random dreams and such, there are times when published novels influence me.

So, what about you?
Has a published novel you read or heard of, ever influence your own writing?

Speak loudly

2010-09-19T18:55:00.000-06:00

Martin Niemoller -
“First They Came for the Jews”

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

This is a poem that we used to use for National Day of Silence when I was an officer (secretary, president, treasurer) of the Gay Straight Alliance in Ogden, Utah. While it is in relation to the Holocaust, the overall message of the poem is useful in many different contexts. If you are unwilling to speak out, even when the topic doesn't affect you, there may be a day when you need the help and no one will be there to speak out for you. Which brings to the reason many blogs are talking about speaking out...

I haven't read the book people are talking about right now, the one that this blog post is about, which is SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson. I was going to do a banned book week at one point but with the confernece, october prep month and november novel writing month, it's going to be a long time before I can post on it. So, I'm throwing this one post in between conference topics because it's important.

SPEAK is being banned because the character in the book is raped, which is a key element to the novel. On top of that, someone is actually saying that the rape scene is pornography (even though the term would be obscene, but I won't do that rant here, I promise). The link for the article about the banning is HERE. There is also a dispute over the sex education because they are teaching about reproduction...

This doesn't surprise me. I do have a different story not related to rape but it shows how just the word "sex" scares parents when it comes to any school, even High School. I volunteered for three years at a drop-in center for GLBTQ teens (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning) in Ogden, Utah. We were given a bunch of abstinence only stuff from an organization. Not because they were trying to force abstinence on the gay teens (though I'm sure they didn't mind giving us the message that even we could be abstinent for awhile). They gave it to us because they could not hand out the pencils, stickers and little flashlight thingy at the schools in Ogden. The reason they couldn't hand it out is because they said "wait for sex". The schools ban handing out anything that has the word "sex" on it, even if it is telling people to wait. For real.

Parents don't want their kids to be around sex, just like kids don't want to know that their parents have sex. The only thing is the parents have a little more power, and sometimes too much power to control what goes on.

Now, I don't think if the student is overly uncomfortable with the subject matter of a book, they should be forced to read it. But there has to be a line. Should one parents single complaint affect the rest of students in that school forever? No. Maybe they can ask that their child be given an alternative assignment, or something. But one parent not liking a book shouldn't mean no one ever gets to read it.

Besides, don't these parents know what happens when books are banned? As soon as you ban a book, that means the students will actually want to read it. Students are a little less likely to like a book when they are forced to read it in school, but tell them they can't read it at all... not a bright move. I bet at some point, that parent's kid is going to read SPEAK in part because they were told not to read it.

Buy the book:
10th Anniversary Edition on Amazon
on Barnes and Noble
on Borders web site
from Books A Million

So, my advice here is: Think Before You Ban!

Conference Tips

2010-09-18T17:32:00.000-06:00

If you have the chance, and can afford to, go to a conference in person at least once. (Online is good too, but doesn't have the same, face to face aspect.) And for once I'm going to flat out give advice. I've been to two conferences, small and not as small sized, and have some tips to share with you all.

Where to sit?
In front, if possible. I know some people prefer the back, to be away from the presenter and the chance of being called upon because the front row is fair game for any speaker, but that's why it's better to sit in front. While many writers are introverted by nature (I'm shy, I promise. Very shy.) much can be attained from sitting close to the front of the room at a conference. In college, some statistics state that those sitting in the front row and in the middle sections of rows have a tendency to get higher grades than the rest. Okay, workshops don't get grades but maybe those in conferences could get more from the presentation but that is just my own speculation. It does, however provide more opportunities.

Examples:
I moved to the front after sitting through a not as useful workshop on networking and because of that, had Connie Willis (science fiction author and winner of many Hugo and Nebula awards) come up and start a conversation with me. Had a little fan girl moment there once I read her name tag but managed to keep talking about A Beautiful Mind and such. Even brought up the Sixth Sense for how the plot in the middle of the story worked and she mentioned it in her speech (which she probably planned to mention because her knowledge of books and movies is amazing but I can pretend).

In the workshop run by agent Kristin Nelson, on how to get out of the slushpile, I could have spoke with the agent during a break when we were working on the pitch paragraphs because I was in the front row. Granted, I was actually speaking to the person next to me, and I had a second of panic but if I'd really wanted to, that would have been a good moment.

I could have one more but that will be in the take opportunities section.

Talk to people
Yes. Even if you are really shy like me, you should try and talk to people when at a conference. Either approach people and start talking, or you can stand/sit on your own because other people will also approach you. Just don't be afraid to talk to anyone. It is actually one of the perks to going to a writing conference. Everyone is there to talk about writing and they all understand the characters doing whatever they want, talking to different characters and the other aspects found in writing. They understand it all, which is very freeing for those of us that don't have many writers around in real life. And it is different to talk in person than to talk online. If you are with a group of people, go ahead and enjoy time with them but at least once, get out on your own to meet new people. Trust me, it's good for you.

Never know who you will have a conversation with at a conference.

and the big one...

Take chances and opportunities if they arise.
This is true for not only writing conferences/conventions but also in general. There may be times when you should turn down an opportunity, there is a difference between doing what you can and doing too much, which rarely leads to great things. But if you have the opportunity to do something, then go with it. This can be small or big.

Example: I'm not a vocal person usually. When watching a presenter in a large enough room, I know my input isn't needed. But during the last workshop of the conference, on writing endings, the questions part brought about a question the presenter didn't feel suited to answer. Since she wrote mostly stand alone novels, she didn't feel she had the answer for people trying to write endings in series. So, I raised my hand to give an answer and got the microphone handed to me. The workshops were taped for those that wanted to buy the ones they couldn't get to see. My answer is on the cd of the ending workshop because I put myself out there even though, I hate talking in microphones. I'm very self conscious about it because I don't feel I understand how the work or how to hold them in the right way.

Have you ever gone to a conference?
Would you go to one (again)?

RMFW Conference Aftermath

2010-09-12T22:33:00.000-06:00

Hi. This weekend I was at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW) Colorado Gold Conference and it was awesome!

Link: http://www.rmfw.org/

There is just so much that I could post right now thanks to the conference. Talk about brain overload. Between the knowledge, workshops, discussions, panels and people's names, my brain is exhausted. If I saw most the people I met there (with a few exceptions) a week from now, I don't think I'll remember them because it was just too many names for one weekend. But I still loved it. This post is a general, this is random stuff that happened. There will be specific posts with things I learned at the different activities. The ones I really enjoyed and got the most out of will get their own posts because I took notes for you all.

It was so crazy that I don't know where to begin. So, I'm going to do this. I'm going to list the events I went to, small bits of advice I learned but don't want to dedicate a whole post to the topic and then tell you all the books I bought (9 of them, all signed).

The Workshops
I went to several workshops, though some were hard to choose from because two or three really good ones were held at the same time. I missed the first editors panel, for example, which had the fantasy/sci-fi editors because there was no way I was going to leave my front row seat (people sat on floor even) in Kristin Nelson's query workshop. What I went to at the conference:

Welcome to RMFW - Getting to Know Your Characters - Neworking: Sowing the Seeds of Success - It Gets Complicated: Dealing with the Middle of Your Novel - Rhythm and Cadence and Beats, Oh My! - Agent Panel One - As Miss Piggy Says, It Has To Go Somewhere - Searching for Harry Potter: Key Elements of YA - He Said, She Said: Writing the Opposite Sex - Writing Worlds That Work - Say Goodbye to the Slushpile - Editor Panel Two - Revising Fiction: Making Sense of the Madness - The End is Near! Now What Do I Do?

Yep, I went to all those.

Random Advice

With Marketing Self: Consider the people you need to make a career from writing, write those down and then across from them on the list write down what you could give them in exchange.

From Revision Workshop: Write in scenes. Scene changes occur when POV shifts, skipping time (hours, days, etc), or sudden moves of location.
Also, Show v Tell. Tell draws a conclusion for the reader, instead of letting them come to their own conclusions.

Pitch (query workshop) - The pitch should have the catalyst, which should be located in the first 30 pages. (Not the big, near the end part of the conflict, which is what I had been doing. Good to know.)

There will be much more advice over the next week or so. I'm going to post one blog entry on my own advice for attending conferences along with doing posts using the information I received at the workshops. And I will even post the stuff I wrote during the query workshop, which is really bad. So, you can see my horrible attempt at the pitch part of the query (people were struggling to get under 10 lines and I barely managed to get 5 lines, just saying).

Books I Bought:

Two books signed by authors specifically to me.
Dooms Day Book by Connie Willis
Heart Mate by Robin D. Owens

Book on Writing (signed)
Wild Ink: How to Write Fiction for Young Adults by Victoria Hanley

General signed fiction.
Cowboy Trouble by Joanne Kennedy
Bellwether by Connie Willis
Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley
The Witch of Agnesi by Robert Spiller
The Gods of Fate: Foresight by Sherry D. Ficklin

And the last one is different. I picked the book up because the cover interested me with the atomic type symbol and earth in the middle. The story information sounded information, involving a physicist so I took the book to the register. Turns out the books first printing had a slight error on the front cover. Instead of saying "13th" the front says "13", which according to the ones selling the books makes it a collector's item. And it was the only one they brought to the sale. Quite the little surprise.
The 13th Power by Terry Wright

Now, I need sleep because I've got work tomorrow.

Romance Novel Covers

2010-09-09T23:02:00.000-06:00

Had trouble with the site all day, but finally am able to do the last post for the romance week. And it's a fun one. Today, I'm mostly posting pictures of Romance Novel book covers. There will be some commentary too, don't worry. It's a fun last post for the week. No posts will be up over the weekend as I'll be at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference.

Romance novels are notorious for their covers, which have some variety but often have a specific look to them. The covers will often have the couple on the picture, though the second common would be to have a single character (often the male, love interest). The type of romance, or subgenre, also influences the cover in some cases. Okay, let's look at some covers. (Note: all images were found in google images, not my own by any means, though that should be obvious. And if any of the books aren't romance, blame Google.)

And it wasn't easy to find romance but not erotica looking covers for any pairing.

The Couples

Let's consider the titles. And these were the better titles, for real, in the first 5 or so pages on google image of romance novels. OMG There is one that seriously has the words "crack baby" as part of the title. Wow. Not only do the images have some things in common (I'll talk about the glaring male common factor in the single character section) but the titles are either very obvious or odd against the image. These images don't necessarily show that, but give google a try and you'll probably see what I mean.

Yes. It was difficult to find non-erotic, or just enough, book covers in the Google images of gay & lesbian romance novels. Not to mention, some of the covers were of a man and a woman, which they may include bi elements but that's hard to tell based upon the cover.

So, couple covers are common in romance novels. This is in part because it shows who the novel is about, because the story focuses around the two characters and their romance.

Single Characters

Notice anything? It seems that many romance novel covers with a man on it either has the guy shirtless or with something that still shows off his chest. Not something that appeals to me in the slightest, but whatever works for their sales. And it wasn't very easy finding a single female, or at least there weren't easy ones to in the first few pages. But the goal is to get the reader interested in the book and for the most part, Romance Novels know their target audience.

And that ends Romance Week. Yay!

What covers do you like for romance stories?
Did you have fun this week?
:-D