I can think of nothing else except that tonight I get to see The Killers live in concert. This is a huge deal for me. They are my favorite band and it's been on my bucket list for a long, long time to see them in concert. And it's really happening. Tonight. I can't wait!
This got me thinking. My MC in my current WIP gets to do something in the book that, though she never considered it a possibility, would definitely be a bucket list item for her. Heck, it'd be an awesome addition to my own list if I could. Since I tend to put my characters through a whole lot of crap, sometimes it feels good to let them have something happy, too.
What's on your bucket list? Your characters' list? Do you like to endlessly torture your characters, or do you throw them a bone every once in a while? Also, if you're finishing up Nano today, good luck! You can do it--I believe in you!!!
Many of you may know one of my amazing CP's, miss Taryn Albright. She founded Teen Eyes in August 2011 to critique YA manuscripts from the perspective of a YA. Since she''ll be 20 soon, the "teen" part won't work much longer. She still loves Teen Eyes, but wants to do something bigger. So, I am pleased to introduce...
My mission is to guide writers through the daunting task of revision. From idea development to editorial feedback to general publishing advice, I love working with stories and those who create them. As a nationally ranked swimmer, I know the value of time, so I believe in quick responses from the first email to the last.
I am not just another freelance editor. Beyond providing an experienced and thorough critique, my secondary goal is to establish a relationship with my clients. I want to support you throughout the stressful submission process and celebrate with you upon any and all good news. Writers may put pen to paper alone, but it is through a community that the book gets finished, polished, and submitted.
Why The Girl with the Green Pen? Why green?
Most edits are made with a red pen. If someone critiques your manuscript, s/he will most likely cover it with red ink, right? Not so much here. I make all my notes in green because I like to reflect the idea of moving forward. Green means go, it means new life. These are ways to think of your revisions, and this is how I like to think of the editing process.
You can find Taryn's shiny new website here. Be sure to check out the very affordable packages she has to offer. With an impressive list of agented and published clients, I highly recommend her services. Also, I am her favorite CP. Right, Taryn? Right?
I'm lucky to have already had my first reader dive into my Nano book and send me notes. And it gives me a huge smile to know she totally got it--at all the right parts...just the boost of confidence I need as I dive into revisions. Thanks, Robin! Time to report...how's Nano going for you? Are you gonna make it by Friday? Do I need to send you some emergency chocolate? You are not alone in this...
I've been tagged by Nick Wilford in the "U Got The Look" meme. Thanks, Nick!
All I have to do is go to my current WIP, hunt down the word "look", and post the surrounding paragraphs. So today, you all get a taste of my Nanowrimo project. BTW, I won Nano this past weekend. Thank you, thank you. I'm still plugging along to get the whole thing done this month, though. *fingers crossed*
Here you go:
“We had a pact, remember? No apologizing for something you didn’t do wrong.”
“I remember.” He loosens his tie and pulls it over his head, tossing it to an otherwise spotless floor. If it weren’t for their maid, I’m sure Liam’s room would be a disaster. He undoes a couple of buttons on his white shirt, which sends my heart racing, and rolls up his sleeves to his elbows. “No more talk of my parents.”
He picks me up, sitting me on the edge of his bed. It’s a four-poster, and his mattress is so high, my feet dangle off the side, his face level with mine. “I was thinking…my bed’s looking a little cold. Maybe we could try warming it up.” His hands take hold of my waist, and he waggles his eyebrows like a cartoon villain about to endanger my virtue.
“Tempting,” I say, “but I was thinking more along the lines of, oh, I don’t know, warming up those brain cells of yours and studying for your next math exam.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious. My grade is on the line here too, and I’m not going to blow it giving in to some teen boy’s fantasy of getting me in his bed.”
“What if—”
I hold my hand up to stop him. “Math. Studying. Now.”
Well, it's here. November 15th. Nano hump day. I was on a such a roll with my word count, I was hoping to be done by today. But alas, the stomach flu decided to visit me and mine, resulting in a funky flatline on my otherwise pretty-making Nano graph. No worries, though. I'm back on the writing train and hope to "win" by the end of the week, and then finish the whole novel before the month is up.
One thing I've learned this time around: no matter how many times people recommend just writing forward for the sake of word count, I can't do it. I'm too addicted to reading what I've written the day before and tweaking...just a bit...before starting for the day. Even when I made a major plot change earlier this week, I went back and GASP erased what needed to go before adding the new info. I also jump around and write whatever scene I'm feeling that day. Not a big deal when you're a major plotter like me.
Also, I tend to get caught up in the line by line crap. I whine and complain that my writing sucks sucks sucks. Well of course it does--it's a first draft, silly. I know I'll come up with a better word choice here, a more consistent YA voice there, etc...when the time is right. But for now, I'm just getting the story out of my scrambled egg brain so I can breathe easier again.
How do I overcome it? Here's a tip that goes against the masses, yet again: take a day off and just read what you have so far. What?!? Yes. And if you don't trust yourself to keep your fingers off that keyboard while you read, print it out and do it. Because if you sit back and read to enjoy your story, that's exactly what you'll find, YOUR STORY, beneath all the crappy words. And then you'll see that you were brilliant all along because this story ROCKS. *enter renewed motivation* It works for me.
And lastly, make a playlist for your book and look up actors to play your characters. This is vital, important stuff, people.
A quick non-nano commentary: anyone seeing the big vampire movie this weekend? Here's my confession: I've been to the midnight showing of every single one and this last one--I'm kind of feeling burned out. Meh. Whatevs. I'll get to it. Eventually...What's the deal with that? (No Twilight bashing allowed on my blog, FYI :)
Also, I decided to start a new feature on my posts in which I post a song for the day. We'll see how it goes. This one's dedicated to my CP's. Because there is no way I could do Nano without our daily plethora of emails. *blows kisses* This song's on my Nano book playlist, but I think they will laugh cause they know all about my epic gravity scene. Or non-gravity scene. Hehe.
Nano-ers unite! Give me an update on your progress in the comments. And keep writing!!!
I signed up to participate in the Captcha Craptcha bloghop today, but I'm sick in bed with the stomach flu, probably because I'm overloaded with using Captcha. So I'll just leave it at--Don't Do It.
And if you don't know what Captcha is, you must be a robot. Go here to learn how to take it off to prove you aren't one. Happy Captcha Craptcha Day!
It's Michelle week here on the blog, and today I'm posting as part of her BONDED blog tour. First off, here's the official information about the book:
Announcing BONDED by Michelle Davidson Argyle
If you like the darker side of fairy tales, especially ones twisting in ways
you wouldn’t expect, you won’t want to miss out on Bonded by Michelle Davidson Argyle. Author Elana Johnson calls this
collection of three fairy tale novellas, “Magical storytelling. The only
consolation when one story ends is knowing there's another one waiting” Author
Chantele Sedgwick says it is, “Romantic and enchanting. Ms. Argyle has a
captivating voice and beautiful writing.”
BOOK DESCRIPTION: What happened after Cinderella married her prince? How
did the evil sorceress in Sleeping Beauty
turn evil in the first place? Discover these stories and a world filled with
magic, forbidden love, elves, sprites, dragons, and the most powerful creatures
of all— the fairies —in Bonded, a collection of three fairy tale inspired
novellas. Based on three fairy tales, Bonded contains a fairy tale continuation
(Cinderella), a fairy tale retelling
(One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes), and
a fairy tale prequel (Sleeping Beauty).
Bonded is available now! You can find
it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online book
retailers, both as an e-book and in print. Find it for a discounted price on
the publisher’s website here: http://shop.rhemalda.com/
I've had the chance to read this amazing book and loved it! Fair warning...these are DARK fairy tales, not your happily ever after Disney versions. If you're looking for stories much closer to the original and eery Grimm style with an accessibility via beautiful language, captivating characters, and a world so magical I want to be there, like, now, then this is the book for you.
I'll leave you with a couple of pics from Bonded's book launch last night at The King's English in Salt Lake City. Good times!
Me and Katie with Natalie Whipple (dressed as Serina from Scales) and the model for Christina from Cinders. She made that dress for the book pics!
I'm super excited to participate in the cover reveal for my dear friend Michelle Davidson Argyle's novel, PIECES, set for release on Valentine's Day. Isn't it beautiful?
Here are the details:
PIECES - Rhemalda Publishing / February 14th, 2013
Two years after watching her kidnappers go to prison, Naomi Jensen is still in love with one of them. Jesse will be released in a few years, and Naomi knows college is the perfect distraction while she waits. But when her new friend Finn makes her question what is right and what is wrong, she begins to wonder if Jesse is the one for her … until she discovers he's out on parole. Naomi must sort through her confusion to figure out where love and freedom truly lie—in Finn, who has no connections to her past, or Jesse, who has just asked her to run away with him.
Pieces is a companion to The Breakaway and can be read independently, if desired.
As mentioned, Pieces is a companion to The Breakaway, which has been breaking records for her publisher because it's that awesome. Here's some info on The Breakaway and Michelle:
THE BREAKAWAY - Rhemalda Publishing / May 1st, 2012
When Naomi Jensen is kidnapped, it takes her parents two days to realize she’s missing. Escape isn’t high on her list of priorities when all she has to return to is an abusive boyfriend and parents who never paid much attention to her. For the first time in her life she’s part of a family—even if it is a family of criminals. But she’s still a captive. In a desperate attempt to regain some control in her life, Naomi embarks on a dangerous plan to make one of her kidnappers think she’s falling in love with him. The plan works too well, and when faced with the chance to escape, Naomi isn’t sure she wants to take it.
Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She loves the seasons, but late summer and early fall are her favorites. She adores chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in whatever time she can grab between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She believes a simple life is the best life.
