Charity's Writing Journey

Critique My Blog

2012-01-31T03:00:00.000-05:00

Teralyn is hosting a blogfest where bloggers ask for help to improve their blogs. Click on her name to find Mr. Linky and the other blogs.

This is your chance to help us out by answering the following questions:

Appearance: Does it appeal to you? Is it too busy, or too plain?
Layout: Is it difficult to navigate? Is it cluttered, or sparse?
Frequency: Does the blogger post too often? Not often enough?
Content: Are the posts interesting? Unique? Are they focused, or all over the place?
Quality: Are the individual posts too long, too short, too sloppy, or too generic?

Feel free to leave any other comments that you think will help me improve this blog. I would really love some posting ideas. My brain is too tired to come up with new ones on my own right now. :)

Birth of a Novel--February 2012

2012-01-30T03:00:00.000-05:00

Last week was crazy busy with family visiting on top of normal hectic life, BUT my writing took an upswing. Not necessarily in word count though.

The Sleeper--I now have a finished first draft of a short story for my Write 1 Sub 1 submission for February (I'm doing the monthy challenge). Now I need to revise/edit, send to crit partners and then revise and send. Current word count: 1567 (no word count goal in mind).

Faerie Wings--Most of the work on this WIP was plotting as opposed to actual writing, but I'm liking the new direction of things. I also continued researching co-dependency and checking to see how it's fitting into the overall story. Current word count: 32,451 (reworked a scene, cut, added part of another scene)

Perhaps the most exciting news from last week is the official start of Eleena of the Stars. She now has research and plotting notes added to her Scrivener file, a morph thing photo, and the first scene of the book written. This story is going to take a long time to write, but I'm excited about it so it will be what I write when I just can't force myself to work on Faerie Wings. Current word count: 671. There will be a snippet of this posted for a blog fest in February.

How is your writing going?

Charlie Is So Cool Like and the End of the World

2012-01-27T03:00:00.000-05:00

December 2012

It's Friday and we need some fun, don't we? I can't remember if I've ever mentioned this, but I have a secret guilty pleasure. It's this cute British guy named Charlie McDonnell who makes very entertaining YouTube videos. He also loves Dr. Who enough to be in a band that sings songs about Dr. Who.

So, for a little fun today, here are Charlie's thoughts on the end of the world in 2012, and my kids favorite Chameleon Circuit song.

My favorite part is the video includes Raxicoricofallapatorius. Haven't you always wondered how to spell that?

Have a great weekend!

Author Interview: Alex Cavanaugh

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-05:00

Click for my Favorite Character Blogfest entry.

Yay! Today we have an author interview with Alex Cavanaugh, author of CassaStar and CassaFire.

Book trailer:

You can go to You Gotta Read Videos and vote for Alex's book trailer.

Writing Questions:

What’s your favorite genre to read/write?
I enjoy reading fantasy, science fiction, and some thriller, but I enjoy writing science fiction best.

How do you “get in the zone” when writing? Do you listen to music? Look through art? Something else?
Music! I put on some really heavy tunes and get into groove.

What’s your favorite part of being a writer?
I get to create adventures I want to read but no one has written yet.

What’s your least favorite part?
Promotions. I hate having to assert myself to promote my books.

Are you a pantser or plotter, or a mix?
Avid outliner! If I didn’t create an outline I’d have no idea where I was going. Might end up in Tibet…

Best thinking activity? (e.g. washing dishes, folding clothes, driving)
Playing my guitar. It’s peaceful and my mind can wander. Sometimes it even comes back…

How do you go about choosing names, locations etc?
I brainstorm unusual but simple alien names and then match them to characters. The whole process takes about thirty minutes. Deep, I know!

How long did you work on CassaStar and CassaFire?
CassaStar took about two years to complete but I finished revisions and everything for CassaFire in seven months.

What is your favorite moment, scene or line from the story?
There are several scenes in CassaFire where Byron and Athee banter back and forth. Probably my favorite scene involves an explosion and what that event reveals about the characters.

Non Writing Questions:

Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?
I watch a lot of movies and TV. Yeah, I’m a junkie! I practice playing my guitar every night and I’m always jamming tunes. I’m also a computer game nerd. Want to play Orcs Must Die with me?

Current favorite song?
“The Barrier” by a band called 3. Really! Not Three – 3.

CassaFire
by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaStar was just the beginning…

The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.

The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities.

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

Available February 28, 2012

Science fiction - space opera/adventure
Print ISBN 978-0-9827139-4-5, $15.95, 6x9 Trade paperback, 240 pages
EBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-6-9, $4.99, EBook available in all formats

CassaFire is the sequel to Cavanaugh’s first book, CassaStar, an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller:

“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

You can visit the author’s site at http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cassafire-alex-j-cavanaugh/1034742568

Favorite Character Blogfest

2012-01-23T03:00:00.000-05:00

This is supposed to my Birth of a Novel day, but I've spent the last week perfecting what I could for the ABNA. I'll submit my pitch and so forth today. No other new writing to report.

Today Laura Josephsen is hosting her first ever blogfest. Click HEREfor rules and Mr. Linky to visit the other participants.

I'm supposed to pick my favorite character that I've written, tell you why they are my favorite, and then post a short snippet about them.

Good grief! It's so hard to pick a favorite. I decided it might be better to pick one I haven't talked about very much on the blog. I mean, you guys are probably sick of hearing about Talia and Landry (even though they are probably my favorites), and I still need to get to know Ry and Carter better.

However, there is this little project that keeps waiting patiently in the back of my mind. It would be a space opera and I'm not sure I'm ready to take on something of that scope yet. Anyway, its about a girl who learns she's strong enough to change, well, everything.

Eleena. She's young, 16 or 17. At age 9 she's sent away from her parents to escape a coming war. Hopping from planet to planet, living in refugee camps with her uncle, she tries to survive the war that is racing across her galaxy. Eventually they run out of places to retreat to. That's when she finds herself in the most unlikely place--presented to the warlord king as a possible bride.

I've only written about 2000 words total of her story, none of it chronological, but this snippet wraps up all of her potential. I wrote it two or three years ago, so it's got several flaws--POV switches, telling. But I like the idea even now.

Snippet:

“I apologize.” He watched her eyebrows shoot upward. “Do you wish to be Queen?”

“I didn't realize I had a choice in this matter.” Eleena looked at Durol boldly.

“Perhaps you don’t, but if you did?”

Eleena searched her heart for what she wanted and spoke carefully, “I did not choose to board the vessel that brought me here. What I know of you doesn't induce feelings of affection, so I wouldn't choose to marry you."

The guards moved closer, but she didn't flinch or acknowledge their presence. If her time had come, she wanted it to be because she had spoken her mind when given the chance.

She continued, "However, if I think of what I could do as Queen, I am tempted to reconsider. So many people suffer without a voice. Caught up in your imperialism. Children who have never raised a hand against you are homeless and starving. Do you see them or hear their cries? I wouldn't make a good war Queen, but I long to ease the suffering I've seen. I can't do that as I am now.”

Slight Panic

2012-01-20T09:34:00.003-05:00

Last night I tried to write my post for today but my computer wouldn't turn on. Well, it was on. The lights said so, but the screen was dark. My daughter had been on it right before I came home from book group.

Needless to say I was angry and terrified. I couldn't even turn the computer off with the power button! It's only two years old, but I think the power button is shot and I don't know what the other deal is. I ended up unplugging it and letting the battery run down.

After several tries, I managed to get it on this morning.

Today I'm backing everything up on my external hard drive!

Sorry for no real post, but here's my suggestion:

Make today International Back Up Day, just for your own sanity. If we call it that, people will come/do it. Or something like that.

I can't live with this.

Story Structure--The Roller Coaster Ride

2012-01-18T03:00:00.000-05:00

Guess what I learned this weekend during my reading? The three act story structure is NOT the only way to plot your novel. I guess I never really thought about it before reading this book, Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schmidt. It was a free download for my Kindle a month or two ago, but I'm just getting around to reading it.

Here's what caught my eye yesterday:

"Instead of having one major Climax at the end of the story, as with Traditional Structure, this structure has several Climaxes throughout the story. Each one builds upon the previous one, holding the reader in its thrall until the very end. Slowly the train climbs up the hill. It reaches the peak and then dives toward the ground where it starts uphill once again."

SENDEK is more like a roller coaster than a three act play. Some of the peaks and dips are different levels and each one moves the reader (and the characters) closer to the final Climax. This might not seem like a revelation to anyone else, but it was a huge relief to me. I can stop trying to make SENDEK fit this model that it doesn't fit. It's okay to have a different structure.

This book actually outlines 11 different plot structures. I've learned that the Roller Coaster is my main structure, but I also have a sub-structure based on the Romance structure.

Another thought I had this weekend? I might change Talia's eye color. Too many books are coming out with violet eyed people. It just isn't cool. The only problem is then I'd have to tweak the whole necklace thing I've got going on.

Talia has this amethyst necklace that her mother gave her because it matched her eyes. She fiddles with it every time she's nervous, sad, angry, whatever. It's the one thing that means something to her that she keeps with her all the time. Until she loses it on one of those roller coaster dips.

At the end of the story Landry gives her a new one. He notices every time she reaches for it and it isn't there, but he never says anything. Then at the right time he presents her with a new one that has some added symbolism. Yeah, it's one of my most "AWE" moments.

Somehow I think it would lose something if its just a random necklace. Not to the readers because they won't know the difference, but to me.

What do you think? Should I change her eye color because of the crazy amount of violet eyed characters flooding the market?

Stubborness and Determination--No Difference in My Mind

2012-01-16T04:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who chimed in with thoughts and advice on my pitch on Friday. Since I spent all of last week going through SENDEK one more time in preparation for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, I'm skipping the Birth of a Novel post this week. I WILL get back to the new stuff by next week, I promise.

Today I'm going to share the thought process I went through after reading your remarks over the weekend. These are the things I stressed over before focuings on what you said and incorporated the things I agreed with. ;)

Here are the pitfalls that I fall into when I work on a Pitch or Query.

Yes, sometimes I'm quite a child. I used (read still do on occasion) to play this game.

1. Since this contest gives me 300 words, it was easy to get wordy. That is a lot for a pitch.

2. Previous queries without the world building elicited a lot of "so what" questions because the history of the planet directly affects the story line.

3. No setting also made people read it as strictly fantasy. I do believe it is more fantasy than science fiction, but I still can't wrap my brain around where to draw the line on labeling this novel.

4. The previous pitch is what got me all the positive responses from the conference I attended. When I didn't world build the agent or publisher was confused, but with the world building they were grounded.

5. The Draguman pose their own problem. One agent made a big deal about not leaving them as a vague antagonist. I believe her exact words were "An alien can be anything. It doesn't tell me much." The whole question was what makes them different than everyone else? The biggest difference is that the Sendekians (you guessed right Nicole) think they are aliens as in from another planet, but in truth they are from Sendek and even share certain DNA markers. Try fitting that into a query or pitch. It sucks. I know I need to drop it, but it feels SO important to me. :(

Sometimes this whole business is a joke. The rules say don't do it, but when I did, I got a better response. Confusing? No not at all.

After stressing over what I felt was important, I finally said, "Heck with it. Just write something." Anyway, here's the new pitch (187 words):

Talia Shannon is trapped between two worlds. Although comfortable within the logic of science, her hidden magical side is growing more insistent. She fears her prophetic dreams of invasion by an alien race will soon come true. Although the planet Sendek had a rich magical heritage, the people forgot it when they embraced scientific thought. This makes Talia's task harder. She needs to prove life exists beyond their planet before anyone will believe her. Her work leaves no time for personal relationships, but Major Sutton isn’t looking for a friend.

As nephew to the King, the Major protects his family from a radical group determined to depose the monarchy. He thinks Talia works for them until a touch sizzles between them. Suddenly they can communicate telepathically, proving the Major has magical secrets of his own.

Together they must uncover the secrets of Sendek's past if they hope to survive the invasion. Talia is the key—if she can learn to trust the magic coursing through her veins. Her precious science cannot save them, and magic is now the only hope.

SENDEK is a blend of fantasy and science fiction.

Better? To compare to the original, click HERE.

Pitch Help Please

2012-01-13T03:00:00.000-05:00

January 23rd is the day. Yep. That's the first day you can submit manuscripts for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. I entered last year and didn't make it past the first round, but that's not going to stop me from entering again this year.

However, I thought a little feedback from you might be helpful. Here's what I need to have prepared in order to submit:

(1) the complete version of your manuscript ("Manuscript"); check (almost finished with the seek and destroy mission for the word "felt")
(2) up to the first 5,000 words, but not less than 3,000 words, of your Manuscript, excluding any table of contents, foreword, and acknowledgments ("Excerpt"); check
(3) a pitch of your Manuscript consisting of up to 300 words ("Pitch"); and
(4) the personal information required on the entry form.

I've been working on my Pitch. Do you mind reading it and offering up your thoughts. Be tough because this is the only thing the judges look at to move you to round two.

Does it pique your interest?
Should I drop the first paragraph and/or the last paragraph?
Do I need to give more or less information?

I can use up to 300 words and this is currently only 237 so there is wiggle room.

The planet Sendek has a rich magical heritage. Unfortunately, the people forgot it when they embraced scientific thought. After thousands of years, they no longer believe in dragons, mages, or the two-legged hybrid they created. These Draguman are returning from exile stronger than ever with only one thought on their minds. Wipe out the humans on Sendek and claim it for their own.

Talia Shannon has kept her dreams of invasion a secret, but she knows they will soon come true. Caught between her job at the Space Exploration Foundation and her magical nature, she struggles to warn her people without revealing her source of information. This task leaves no time for personal relationships, but Landry Sutton isn’t looking for a friend.

As nephew to the King, Landry protects his family from a radical group determined to depose the monarchy. He thinks Talia works for them until a touch sizzles between them, and they discover they can communicate telepathically. It turns out Landry has magical secrets of his own.

As a direct descendant of the mage who created the Draguman, Talia is the key to their destruction—if she can learn to trust the magic coursing through her veins.

The arrival of the invading force makes one thing desperately clear—science cannot save them, and magic is now their only hope.

SENDEK: THE MAGIC WAKES is the stand alone first novel in the science fantasy SENDEK SAGA.

Guest Post on Dialogue Punctuation

2012-01-11T10:31:00.001-05:00

I did one, but you won't find it here. :)

Click on over to Jen McConnel's blog Displaced Yankee/Crafting Magic to check it out.

Also, I haven't heard a peep from any of my three 12 Days of Christmas winners. Are you still out there? Do you plan on claiming your prizes?

If I don't hear from them soon, I'll redraw the prizes.

Birth of a Novel January 9th

2012-01-09T11:43:00.000-05:00

I should be hanging my head in shame. There is no progress to report on Faerie Wings or To Win the Game. I did however redecorate my living room. Although, that was only one day out of the week. We bought new couches and painted. Everything else still worked with the new design. Yay!

Most of the week was spent cleaning or enjoying the beautiful weather we had in North Carolina. The week started really cold and then perked up to a balmy mid 60s for several days. There was no way I was staying inside during such lovely weather. I carried my digital recorder with me and made some notes as ideas popped into my head for either novel.

I also played a bit with the Dragon software. One of these days I'll get around to posting about that, but I need to learn more before then. The day I played with it, I actually wrote a scene from Battle for Sendek (book 3 in the series). The other project I worked on was my short story Fallen Angels. It's almost ready to submit. :)

Wow! I guess I actually did get some writing done last week.

I also created a new website for homeschool cooking classes because I got a phone call about it. The lady was supposed to email me the details for the homeschool fair but I haven't heard back from her. I'm ready when she does though. If you're mildly curious THIS is what I do to earn some extra cash at times.

And finally, I worked some more on my new website. I'm considering switching to wordpress. It has some nice features, but it's taking some getting used to. I like the control that I have over the pages and the ability to create drop down menus. It just seems easier to get organized and have areas for specific projects. But its easier (for me) to personalize the backgrounds here on blogger.

My biggest concern is will my followers move over there with me? For January I'm going to post here and there. Does anyone know if/how I can just reassign the link to this page to that page?

Anyway, the new website is more novel oriented in address at least--The Sendek Saga.

How did your writing week go?

It's A Baby Shower!

2012-01-06T04:30:00.000-05:00

No, not for me silly. For Elizabeth Poole.

This awesome blogger is expecting her first child around Valentine's Day, and I just had to do something. We've been blogger buddies for, I don't know how long, but it seems like she's always been there encouraging me. Or listening to me whine. The Birth of a Novel Blog Chain was also her brain child. Just thought you should know.

I know it's kind of weird, but I thought I'd throw an internet Baby Shower for her. Many of you do know her. And some of you might have thought "It would sure be nice to be able to send Elizabeth a baby gift."

Well, I thought it.

Anyway...

An internet shower is the best kind. You get to send lovely gifts to the mother-to-be without having to play all those embarrassing games. Unfortunately, we don't get to have cake.

I'll really have to think on that issue.

Elizabeth is registered at Babies "R" Us. All you have to do is follow the link and do the following:

Select search by "registrant".
Last Name: Poole
First Name: Elizabeth
City: Fayetteville
State: GA

You can then browse the items she has selected and have it sent straight to her door. Here's the hitch, her last baby shower is on January 14th. That's next Saturday. After that, she and her hubby are going to go and buy the last items on her list. So, go take a looksie and pick a gift.

Buy it and make sure you choose:

Ship directly to Elizabeth Poole.

Her address is there, but hidden for privacy.

I might be crazy, but when I was discussing this idea with my hubby I knew I had to do it. He said no one would send a stranger a gift. My reply was that we have contests and giveaways all the time and he just didn't understand the blogger bonding.

He might be right, but hey, people send money to complete strangers all the time just because they ask for it on YouTube. At least I talk to Elizabeth weekly if not daily. And she's having a baby. What's a few burp cloths and bottles between bloggers?

If you know Elizabeth and would like to spread the circle of this shower, grab the button below and link to this post.

First Chapter Joy

2012-01-04T03:00:00.000-05:00

For the last few months I've been unhappy with the changes I made to Sendek. We all know how important that first chapter is. It's the make or break point for most readers.

Months of reading blogs and agent sites on what a first chapter should accomplish saw me rewriting and tweaking my first chapter over and over. Another thing that had me tied in knots were the comments from friends and family about how my religion plays into my writing. "How would you feel if (fill in the blank) read your book?"

So I calmed down my kissing scenes. Kissing scenes! Not even sex scenes. I tried to make it all the things everyone else said it should be, until it looked like this...

And to be honest with you, I didn't like it very much. I grew disheartened and put it away. That was the end of October. Part of me was ready to call it quits. I felt like a kid play acting the part of a writer. When I looked at all the things I wrote, all I saw were the flaws.

Taking most of November and December off was the best thing I could do. I kept up a positive face on the blog, but I considered stuffing everything in a drawer and walking away.

I did a lot of thinking.

A lot of questioning.

And you know what? I realized I don't give a flying fig what anyone else thinks of my story or how I tell it. It's my story. Life is not all clean and sterile. It's messy with emotions and bad decisions that we learn from, and it's okay if that's what I want to write about.

Yesterday I sat down and rewrote the first chapter of Sendek. I wrote it the way I see it in my head. I didn't think about the "rules" or anything else that I've ever read or been told.

And I like it.

I feel content again for the first time in months. It's a great feeling.

Want a peak?

Here's the first 500 words of my first chapter of Sendek: The Magic Wakes.

Damn. There was no way out of it. And no way to explain.

At moments like this, Talia wished she had opted for the smaller view screen. President Fielding's gray hair and wrinkle-lined eyes loomed over her on the wall-sized unit. She clenched her hands to keep them from trembling. He had given in to her before. She had to try one more time.

“Sir, I can work remotely from here in my living room. There’s no need for me to move to Joharadin.”

“Miss Shannon, you’ve put this off long enough.” Fielding clasped his hands in front of him and leaned toward her from his desk. “We need you face to face with the Royalists. They can make the moon colony happen, but we have to play by their rules to get it.”

“But if I—”

“If you choose not to come, you can consider your satellite funding at an end. Be on that tram tomorrow. Unless," His eyebrows lifted in hope, "I can convince you to take a transport?”

Talia sighed, “I’ll be on the tram. You know I prefer to stay close to the ground.”

“Very well. I’m meeting you myself, so there’s no backing out. If I have to come all the way to Gneledar to collect you I will not be happy.” He winked and let the ghost of a smile twitch at the corners of his lips. Then he waved his hand and the Space Exploration Foundation’s emblem replaced his image.

Talia collapsed on the couch and rested her head in her hands. Joharadin, capital of Algodova. She had plenty of reasons to stay as far away from there as possible, but there was no way to explain that to Fielding. Sometimes he exuded a grandfatherly attitude towards her, but he was still a man of science. Talk of prophetic dreams would not go over well, especially as an excuse.

“Raise blinds.” Talia spoke the command and the house computer obeyed.

She rose from the couch and leaned against the window. The trees blocked the view of the city, but she knew Gneledar was there. Her home town. The loneliest place on the planet. At least for her.

Generally, she welcomed traveling to other cities for the SEF. The weeks and months in the company of co-workers offered a semblance of a social life not available to her at home. But not Joharadin. Just the thought of the city of her nightmares caused her skin to crawl and her heart to race. A dull ache formed behind her eyes and she rubbed at her temple.

The light from Sendek’s double suns filtered through the trees and into her living room. Flecks of gold danced with the shimmery green across the floor. The movement imitated her nerves. It was already starting.

I’ll dream tonight. Talia sent her thoughts out into the trees and waited for their answer.

We will be here when you do.

I'd ask questions to guide your comments, but after boldly stating that I'm writing for myself now, it doesn't make sense. ;) Feel free to comment anyway. Especially if you've read earlier versions.

I'm still interested in your thoughts but I'm not rewriting for anyone but me.

Or an agent. :D

I can be bought.

No Kiss Blogfest and Birth of a Novel 2012 Edition

2012-01-01T21:00:00.000-05:00

Today (Jan 2nd) is Frankie Diane Mills 3rd Annual No Kiss Blogfest. Visit her site to read the rules and find Mr. Linky to find all the other participants. So, here is a snippet from Faerie Wings. I've posted it before, but since I joined this blogfest yesterday it's the best I can do.

If the symphony had been planned for my enjoyment, the dancing was for Heather. She and Scott took to the floor leaving Carter and me sitting in a corner. The music was too loud to talk, but I learned you can say a lot without words.

Carter traced the same circular pattern on my hand over and over. I leaned over and spoke close to his ear.

“Why the circles?”

He turned until his mouth was next to my ear. “Circles have no beginning and no end.” He drew another one on my palm. “There are many other meanings, but that’s my favorite one.”

The warmth of his breath on my skin spread. In the dim lighting of the club, a new boldness came over me. I flipped our hands over and drew a spiral on his palm. We sat so close that I felt his body tense.

“Ma Cherie?” He exhaled into my hair.

“Did you know that in Celtic symbols, the spiral represents growth, balance, and creativity?” I spoke into his ear.

“It also means awareness and surrender.” He nipped at my ear, and a delicious tremor ran through me. “Please don’t tempt me more than I can take.”

His other hand closed over mine, stopping it’s motion. He didn’t pull away but pulled me closer. I couldn’t hear his breathing, but I felt the quick rise and fall of his chest so near to mine.

When it slowed he pulled back and looked into my eyes.

“Shall we dance?”

And now for the first Birth of a Novel post for 2012

Oh how the holidays derailed all my glorious plans.

Instead of working on Faerie Wings on the drive, I started a new WIP tentatively titled To Win the Game.

Current Word Count: 2,153
This is the story I've been terrified to write. I know I won't be able to do it right, but something moved me to start it. It'll probably sit in the background and get written in sporadic spurts. We'll see. If you are wondering it is contemporary women's fiction. Not a romance either. Totally different from my normal stuff.

In Faerie news, some big decisions WERE made, even though writing did not take place. First off, I made a huge discovery when I was telling my sister about this story. The story I explained to her--very concisely and quite good enough for a pitch btw--was not the story I had started writing. It sounded much better than what I was writing. It was the original idea that somehow I veered away from. I need to get back to THAT story.

Second, with that in mind, I figured out who Ryanne is at the beginning and who I want her to be by the end. I listed several ways to incorporate the changes into the current wip without having to rewrite everything.

I also started listing things that are in Ry's room. This will help me get deeper into Ry's head and then it will be easier to continue her journey. There are all these little things she's held onto from her childhood that show glimpses of her character, what she lost, and what she is searching to gain once again. It's been fascinating. She's finally talking to me!

Next up is Carter. I'll get to him soon I hope. He's still a bit flat in every instance but the romantic side of his roll. That part I've got. It's the rest of him I need to find. ;)

Current Word Count: 32,167

What did you get?

2011-12-30T10:13:00.000-05:00

What do you get when you put 44 people in one house over the holidays?

Whatever anyone else has, that's what.

I call it the traveling gunk. Stuffy head, sore throat, runny or stopped up nose, and the headache. The headache could be from the 28 or so kids running around, but *shrugs* who knows. Luckily, no one was throwing up this year.

In spite of the traveling gunk, the last week has been wonderful. We spent time with my mom and my hubby's family. (His is the full house, btw.) It was great because we don't get to see everyone very often. Hubby even went to the shooting range with all the guys. I passed on the girl's shopping trip because my head was close to exploding, and cause I'm really not a shopper. I managed to survive an hour at J.C. Penny with my sister to spend a gift card I got and still wanted to shoot myself by the time we left.

Now we are all safely home. It's time to reclaim my house from underneath all the stuff we brought home with us, grocery shop, and then sleep all day on Saturday. At least that's my plan.

Now for the good part.

I got EVERYTHING I wanted for Christmas. This might be a first. Here they are in no particular order.

A digital recorder for all those great ideas I have while driving.

This is so so so cool! When I learn more about all that it does, I'll write a post just about this.

Kindle Touch--which I was happy with, but will be trading in for a Fire. *squee*

A four slice toaster. I'm so glad my hubby didn't listen to the advice he was getting on Facebook. Everyone said he shouldn't buy this for me, but I ASKED for it. That really means "I want this" in my language. :)

And a few odds and ends: lotions, jewelry, perfumes, gift cards that have been turned into clothes, etc.

So, what did you get for Christmas that you are really excited about?

Repost--Believing the Label

2011-12-28T09:03:00.000-05:00

Originally Posted January 2, 2010 as part of the birth of this blog.

After completing Nano in '08, I set my book aside for December through January. I was physically, mentally and emotionally drained and needed time to recover from giving in completely to my creative side as well as the busy holiday season. My family became my priority again, but my thoughts kept returning to Sendek, my new world. How were my characters? Did they miss me?

By August of 2009, I had gone through one and a half complete revisions and added several new scenes. My word count was up to almost 70,000. Then I got stuck again. I knew there were small holes in my plot, but I had spent so much time on it that I could no longer differentiate from what was in my head and what was on the page. It was time to find a fresh reader again.

My first choice for a critical reader is my husband, since he keeps me grounded in reality. As bad as that may sound, it's a good thing--in small doses. Unfortunately, he was not available. Instead, I handed it over to two close friends.

With their feedback I began to have this constant gnawing in the back of my mind. That "what if" sensation that just wouldn't let me move on with my life.

What if I could share this story with the world?
What if I could make a go of this writing thing?

There is something exciting about giving in to the creative forces, unlocking some deep hidden part of my soul in the process. I'm finding bits of myself emerging that I never knew existed. Strength, determination, even some stubborn assertiveness that has been dormant most of my life.

All through August, September and most of October, I became obsessed with my book. I dreamed about it at night, thought about it while driving my kids around, sitting in church, and even when talking to friends. I worked every day on revisions, and drove my friends and family crazy talking about it. Nothing could distract me from Talia and Landry and their fight to save their world--my world really.

Half way through October I realized that Nano was almost upon me again. Do I skip a year and continue revising while the momentum is strong, or do I set Sendek aside and try to knock out another rough draft? Right or wrong (still undecided on that point), I decided to write a fresh 50K by writing the complete history of the Draguman (my antagonist in Sendek). They have a great story, but it didn't fit in the first book. So, I began outlining while I sat in the car pool line and I continued to work on my work in progress (WIP) during the day and late at night.

The last week of October was so crazy! I wanted to be writing, but I also wanted to create a beautiful wedding cake for my sister who was getting married on Halloween. I put all my writing away (actually I packed it for that 8 hour road trip) and began baking. I enjoyed several days with my family for the wedding, and then pulled out my laptop and started Nano during that long ride home. My poor hubby was left to listen to his Ipod and the kids fussing in the back as I went into my literary fog.

Look at what I did! The theme was a Masquerade. (Cakes are Plan B if writing doesn't pay for my kids college.)

Ok, back to the topic of this post. I need to back up a bit--to mid October again. My family spent a wonderful day in the swamp with some friends. Yes, I said the swamp, and it was beautiful! So much "scope for the imagination" as Anne Shirley would say. Don't believe me? Take a look.

Anyway, as we were walking the trails and enjoying the beauty of nature, my book came up in the conversation with a friend who had managed to escape my constant babbling on the subject so far. The conversation preceded something like this:

"You're a writer?"
"Yes." I spoke softly and then paused. A new feeling welled up inside and I wanted to hear it again, so I spoke a little louder. "Yes, I am."
After a small chuckle, "Did that feel good?"
"Yes it did! I've always answered that question by saying 'no, but I want to be'. I think this is the first time I have ever answered yes."
"Then you better say it again."
"I am a writer!" Spoken loud enough for the rest of our group to hear me and turn to stare.

It felt like how I imagined the barbaric yawp from Dead Poets Society must have felt.

Such a simple declaration once more made me feel like crying for joy.

In the writing world I am still a nobody, unknown, but inside my heart I finally feel like a writer. If I'm never picked up by an agent or publisher, I'm proud of what I have accomplished. I still have a long way to go in this process (all the hard part actually), but I have learned that getting published is not what makes you a writer.

A writer is someone who has to write in order to stay sane. They have to share the visions, emotions, knowledge, whatever is floating around in their head by writing it down with pen and ink or keyboard. In order to quiet the voices in their head, they have to put the characters on the page and give them room to grow.

When they are happy, shocked, angry or sad, they write to help themselves come to new understandings of emotions and what they mean to our journey through life.

They enjoy the way words flow and conjure images.

When they see the shadows of the clouds drifting over the mountains as they drive down the highway for eight hours, they want to write about it--so they do.

When they see something beautiful, they pick up a pen and jot a few lines.

They carry notebooks with them everywhere they go.

A writer is all these things and much much more...and I have finally become a writer.

Repost--My First Nano

2011-12-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Originally Posted December 29, 2009 as part of the birth of this blog.

It was October 28, 2008. Lanna had just introduced me to Nano and I decided that I had to do it. I didn't have an outline ready, but I had that old manuscript that needed to be completely re-written to fit the new MC. Talia was ready to show me what she could do, so I went to the website and signed up for the challenge.

I didn't read the forums very often or participate in any of the online community aspects during my first year. There wasn't enough time for that. I was completely engrossed in my novel.

With my inner editor successfully locked away, Talia started doing things that Elyzbeth had not even dreamed of. I let go of all my worries and allowed myself to enjoy the story that unfolded over the month. As my word count grew and the days flew by, I found myself happier than I had ever been and my writing improved.

My family made due with hot dogs and mac and cheese and hoped the month would be over soon. Any time we were in the car for more than thirty minutes, I scribbled in notebooks while my hubby listened to his Ipod. Thanksgiving came and we drove the eight hours to be with family--this time I took my hubby's laptop. I wrote the entire time there and reached my 50K goal and kept going. My new goal was to learn how the story ended.

I had to take a break during the actual visit, but once we were driving home again I immersed myself in Talia's world in a race to the end. I found my ending and it was so satisfying that I wanted to cry for joy. My final word count was just over 60K, but what made me the happiest was the sense of relief and hope that had moved into my heart. I finally had something worth working on.

There were still questions that needed answering, a lot of why's and some details to fill in, but the bones were all there. Twenty four years had passed since CJ and I planned to write a book. It was no where near ready for publication, but I had finally written my first novel from beginning to end.

And it didn't make me want to throw up.

Repost--Teen Dreams

2011-12-22T10:08:00.002-05:00

Originally Posted December 2009 as part of the birth of this blog.

How long have I wanted to be a writer? I remember talking with a boy (C. J.) in my 5th grade class about writing a book together—so 10 or 11 years old. If we picked out a genre, I don’t remember it, and my family moved away within a year. Although we didn't get to start writing together, I never forgot the plan or his name.

As a teen I played around at writing. I actually enjoyed writing creative book reports and journal entries and became a voracious reader. Unfortunately, at the age of fifteen I didn't have enough life experience to write anything publishable. (or at least that's what I thought) I started several stories for my friends to read and rave over, but I always got stuck after character set up. With limited experience I had no idea what to write about, so I continued to wait for brilliance to strike.

The college years finally brought me into life. Before I had been a book worm with straight A’s, now I learned how to “hang out” with friends and be silly. This was the time in my life where I learned to be comfortable with myself and the beliefs and values I had chosen. During this time I only wrote what was required by my professors and concentrated on having fun.

Marriage, children, a near death experience and years of deep depression brought me more experience, perhaps more than I wanted before my thirties. Through it all I remembered a name and a dream from my youth. In the darkest days of my depression I started to write again. I wrote for myself and no one else. Writing became my lifeline, my reason to hold on and get out of bed each morning. I spent three years battling the depression while trying to raise my children and hold my marriage together. Lots of prayers, writing, and sending my husband to grad school finally brought our family and myself into the light once more. We began to feel hope and see a glimmer of light in our future.

My one hundred and ten page manuscript stayed with me, in a drawer, unfinished and awful. I knew it was bad and I didn't know how the story ended, but I was totally enamored with the idea and could not throw it away. So, it waited another two years. Every once in a while I would pull it out, read it, change a few things and then put it away again. Finally, I handed it over to another friend and asked for his help. It was still unfinished, with huge plot holes throughout, and dialogue that made me want to gag. I was stuck and looking for outside eyes to tell me how horrible it really was so I could finally put it in its grave.

He kept it for six months.

When I finally got it back all he said was, “I like it, you should finish it. The only thing I didn’t like was some of your characters names, but we can talk about it some other time.”

Now that may not seem like a lot of help, but it started me thinking. I didn't know which names he didn't like, but I looked at all of them in a new light and realized something important. Names have a huge impact on your character’s personality. I don't know why, and I really don't care, but it was enough for me to comprehend that lesson. I decided my main female character, Elyzbeth, was too young and soft to be my heroine. She just didn't have enough experience or strength to accomplish what I needed her too. So, I killed her parents, made her fifteen years older, gave her a career and life experience, and the independence to save herself and her world.

Now I needed to find a new name to go with the new and improved history. It took a while but after conducting a poll of family and friends I found it and Talia became a reality. The seemingly small change of name and age had far reaching consequences—all for the best. Suddenly, my MC had new strength and attitude that I respected. She was capable of doing great things as well as understanding deeper emotions.

I still didn't know how my story ended. Then I found a college friend on Facebook. When I asked her the standard “what are you up to these days?” she informed me she was preparing for NaNoWriMo. Nano what? National Novel Writing Month was starting November 1st. This is a website/online community that encourages writers to lock away the inner editor and let the creative side carry them to a write a 50,000 word original novel between November 1st and November 30th. It sounded like what I needed, a deadline.

To be continued...

Checking Out For A Bit

2011-12-21T09:58:00.002-05:00

With the holidays bearing down on us, I figured this was a good time to take a bloggy break. I have two goals for the next two weeks:

1. Enjoy family and friends.

2. Finish Faerie Wings.

Until January,

I'm wishing you a wonderful holiday season.

See you when the new year rolls in!

12 Days of Christmas Winners!

2011-12-20T04:51:00.000-05:00

Today is the day I announce the winners of my part of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway and Blog Hop.

Eight Maids a Milking--I hope you 'milked' this giveaway for all it was worth.

First, I want to thank Sarah Belliston for including me in the Blog Hop. It was a lot of fun meeting new people, and this was the perfect way to celebrate my three year bloggerversary.

Yep, tomorrow, December 21st marks the end of two years of blogging. I feel like I've learned so much from the writing community, and I look forward to what 2012 might bring.

*fingers crossed*

And now, let's get to it.

The winner of the $15 Amazon Gift Card is...

Which translates to Athena Russell!

The first winner of a 1st chapter critique is...

Which translates to laughingwolf!

And the second winner of a first chapter critique is...

Which translates to Erica McFarland!

Winners of the first chapter critiques should email their first chapter to me at charity.bradford@gmail.com.

Athena, your gift card will come to the email address you provided for the contest.

Science Fiction or Fantasy? RL cool stuff

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

I don't have a Birth of a Novel Report for you this week. The file was opened several times, and then I would get distracted by other things. I did finish the short story and have had three people critique it for me. The plan is final polish this week (today or tomorrow) and then enjoy the holidays.

In fact, I'll have at least 14 hours in the van over the next few days and I won't be driving. Maybe I can finish that novel I've been avoiding? Until then, here are some of the things that distracted me.

Why can't my life be this cool?

And here are a few other "neat" things that have caught my attention in the last month. I blame them for the lack of progress on my #wip.

Heck, my space ship was ready a long time ago! This is what it looks like. My very own, one man space ship.

How about this? (Confession: I couldn't finish the new Tron movie. It just didn't pull me in, but the bike is cool.)

And finally, because Sendek is always orbiting in the back of my mind...

Don't forget to come back tomorrow and find out who won my Giveaway. Three prizes, three winners!

Deja Vu Blogfest: Show vs. Tell Example

2011-12-16T01:17:00.000-05:00

Today I'm taking part in the Deja Vu blogfest hosted by DL Hammond. Click the link to see the other entrants. The idea is simple. Post a previous blog post that you think you might have been "missed" by the blogosphere. This was originally posted January 19th, 2011. As you will see, I missed a blogfest I wanted to participate in. So, what better post to repost for another blogfest?

I will say that the showing part has been revised. I'm trying to get it ready to submit somewhere, so please feel free to point out any areas that need work. (My updated notes in red.)

January 19, 2011
I missed Misty's Show vs. Tell blogfest, but I really wanted to do it. So, I did it just for fun. She had several photos we could pick to use as inspiration. I placed the photo between the telling and the showing versions. Here you go.

Note 1: Um, sorry, I really got into the scene in my head and it came out a bit long. I'm not in the running for her awesome prizes, but would love to hear your comments. (There's also a tribute to one of my favorite authors, David Gerrold. Did you catch it?)

Note 2: I wrote this straight into blogger so it's a first draft, but I'm really excited about it. I'm thinking of expanding the idea to a three part short story. Kind of a past, present and future three segment thing. This would be the present. (You're not getting the first draft of showing section from January. I'm including the first 450 words of the most recent revision. The story is finished at 2,588 and needs to be fine tuned.)

Telling:

The alien ships landed Tuesday morning.

By the afternoon, the Allied forces were dumping everything we had on top of them. They sent me to the front line to make sure nothing walked out alive, because I'm the best. Conflicted, I prepared to do my job. Then the distress signal came in.

Someone on those ships knew my name. They called to me for help. And I went.

The angel waiting for me asked for my help, and I plead for her forgiveness as I scooped her into my arms. One look at my squad and I knew they had my back. Our lives became hers, and we would sacrifice everything to protect her.

But first we had to reach safety.

Showing:

Eight hours of freedom. That’s all I had left when the call came in.

“Briggs, turn on the T.V.” It was my weapons specialist, Dingilliad.

“What channel?” I picked up the remote.

“Doesn’t matter.”

The screen snapped on. An alien space ship had entered earth’s orbit three hours ago.

“Holy crap.”

A petite blond sat at the desk and read the report.
“The ship has been circling the globe, pausing at seemingly random places. Those who have observed the object report a low melancholy music emanating from within. These people have their own idea as to what the ship is doing here.”

The screen split to show a pastoral countryside in Scotland. An old man spoke in a heavy accent.

“The music was heartbreaking.” His shoulders slumped and his lip quivered. “It reminded me of when my Sarah passed away. They’ve lost something and now they’re looking for it.”

The newswoman frowned. “Similar stories are being reported all over the world. Could they be searching for something? Wait one moment,” She touched her ear and cocked her head to the side. Her brow furrowed and then she lowered a shaking hand. “The ship is now passing over the United States. It is currently moving down the coast from Maine. The Department of Defense is calling all off duty and inactive military staff to action. We encourage all civilians to remain in their homes until further notice.”

Dingilliad’s voice reminded me there was a phone in my hand.

“Chigger is here already. Come get us so we can get back to base. We don’t want to miss this one.”

“Yeah, on my way.”

****

I stood, binoculars in hand, at the edge of the desert in New Mexico. Dirt, yucca, and creosote bushes as far as the eye could see. The only difference today was the ship slowing to a stop five kilometers to the north of us. Ten miles from Roswell. The irony wasn’t lost on any of us.

The ship hovered over the desert. There was no shiny silver metal. No smooth surfaces or blinking lights. It looked like a floating hunk of scrap metal. Lumpy, brown, rusted, and pitted from micro-impacts it was a fifty foot oblong asteroid. No one would have thought it pretty, and yet it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I shook my head and turned to Chigger. “Can you believe this?”

“Every sci fi movie I’ve ever seen is running through my head.” He pointed back at the ship. “Look.”

A long dagger like antenna grew from the top of the ship. Then a shorter one from the bottom, and two fin like protuberances from the sides.

Q4U: What do you think? Is there enough to pull you in or am I taking too long to get to it?

Author/Blogger/Editor Interview Kimberly Gonzalez

2011-12-14T03:48:00.000-05:00

Today we are going to get to know Kimberly Gonzalez of Kimberlycreates. She writes, she blogs, she edits, she does it all! You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Now on to the questions!

Writing Questions:

What’s your favorite genre to read/write?
Fantasy has long been my favorite. I read voraciously as a kid, but after high school I stopped for a while. When I came back to it, I got hooked on Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress anthologies as well as Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow's Year's Best Fantasy and
Horror.

How do you “get in the zone” when writing? Do you listen to music? Look through art? Something else?
When I'm writing, I fend off outside distractions by plugging into Goggle Music and putting one of my playlists on continuous shuffle. I'm probably ruining my hearing by turning the volume up too high, but it's the only thing that works to isolate me from the outside world.

What’s your favorite part of being a writer?
A close friend of mine has a nickname for me: Kembers. He calls me that whenever I'm smoking hot with a new idea. That's my favorite part. When I'm on fire, when I'm bursting with ideas, when I'm almost manic about a new project, story, or concept.

What’s your least favorite part?
Promoting myself. I'm a very shy person, and have always preferred to work behind the scenes. The limelight certainly has its appeal, but it's very difficult for me to put myself out there. Self-promotion, for me, is a constant process of pushing myself past my comfort zone.
Part of me is sweaty-palmed and scared silly even right now.

Are you a pantser or plotter, or a mix?
Pantser, all the way. I've studied plot structure and different plotting methods, and am fascinated by the subject. I've tried plotting first several times, and even found a method that works reasonably well for me. But ultimately, I always return to pantsing.

Best thinking activity? (e.g. washing dishes, folding clothes, driving)
Any activity that involves a kind of mindless repetition. The repetition puts some part of my brain into an almost trance-like state and frees up the rest of my brain to come up with ideas. Many of my best, most exciting, and sometimes scariest ideas come while I'm running or in the shower.

Worst/most interesting writing related injury? (e.g. falling off chair or tripping over whilst trying to do something you're sure your MC could manage)
I can't say I've had any writing-related injuries, other than pain in my hands and arms from repetitive stress, and cramps in my shoulders and back from poor posture. I do make some strange faces and gestures when I'm writing though. Often, if I'm stuck on a word, I'll start
thinking with my hands. I learned some American Sign Language and was fairly fluent in it for some time. I've noticed several times when I can't think of a word, I'll sign it and sometimes that will jog the English word loose from my brain. Or when I'm stuck describing an action, facial expression, or gesture, I'll keep repeating it physically until I've gotten the feel of it just right in words.

How do you go about choosing names, locations etc?
Some times, I just know right away. Other times, I search baby naming sites (my favorite is http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/) for ideas until I find just the right ones. If I don't know, and don't feel like looking for one (because that's just another form of procrastination for me), I'll just give a character a placeholder name. Like Chucklehead or King or Pea Brain.

Best part of the writing process?
Brainstorming. Whether I'm brainstorming ideas, where the story needs to go, or a character's backstory, I love those "a-ha" moments. Or when an entire scene starts to unfold as a giant "a-ha" and my fingers are typing furiously but still not keeping up with the words, and next
thing I know it's almost midnight. And finishing. When I finished NaNoWriMo this year, and realized that except for some loose ends and rough spots, my 50K really was the end of my first draft, I couldn't sleep for over two hours because I was so excited about it.

Editing Questions:

How did you become an editor?
When I was a kid, several adults encouraged me to go into editing, but I wouldn't listen to them. Later, in my 20s, while I was working as a tech support representative, I read the book Who Does What and Why in Publishing by Clarkson Potter. When I read the section on editors, I
knew that was what I wanted to do. I try not to dwell on my regrets, but every now and then I want to kick myself for not listening to the people who suggested editing to me while I was still in school.

Was it hard to break into publishing?
I applied to the first publishing job I saw in the newspaper, interviewed with the editorial director, took an editing test, and got a job offer within just a few days. It was an entry level position, which meant I would be taking a substantial pay cut from my tech support job, but my husband was very supportive so I jumped at the opportunity. It was non-fiction though, and my dream was to edit fiction.

How did you make the move from non-fiction to fiction?
With the help of social media and a little luck. I joined a social networking site, called Six Degrees, where I met a freelance production manager. While chatting, I mentioned that I was great at proofreading, and she happened to need a proofreader.

What do you enjoy doing most as an editor?
As a freelancer, I love being exposed to books I wouldn't normally pick up on my own. Freelancing has introduced me to some authors who are now favorites, such as Lois McMaster Bujold. I also learn something new from almost every book I work on. As an editor and coach, I love being in a position to encourage new writers.

What do you enjoy the least as an editor?
Aside from the marketing and self-promotion? I love that I get paid to read, but editing is not the same as reading. After an hour or so, I sometimes find myself exhausted and unable to focus. At that point, I have to walk away and do something else entirely. My back and
shoulders get sore from hunching over a book or manuscript all day. But you can't beat getting paid to do what you love.

Non Writing Questions:

Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you aren’t writing?
You mean when I'm not editing or reading? When I'm not writing, editing, or reading, I'm raising my two kids and continuously educating myself on parenting issues, especially as they relate to
foster care and special needs adoption.

What’s your favorite color?
Over the past few years, I've been going through a girly-girl phase. I was never a girly-girl. I grew up in the Big Hair 80s, so spending too much time on my hair was just part of being an 80s kid, but I was definitely more of a tom-boy than a girly-girl. Until I hit my 40s. Now I have a lot of pink things. It's become a joke when I go shopping with my kids. If it's pink, I'll want to buy it.

Current favorite song?
Right now, I'm hooked on the songs from the 2010 World Cup: Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) by Shakira and Waving Flag by K'Naan (my favorite version is the one featuring Nancy Ajram).

If money were not an option, where would you love to spend your next vacation?
Okinawa. I was born in there, but my family moved back to the states while I was still an infant. It's been a lifelong dream to be able to go there some day, and see where my birthmother grew up.

Birth of a Novel and Debate

2011-12-12T08:51:00.001-05:00

Thank you to all who made a guess about my MCs age as part of the blogfest last week. It was fascinating to read the reasons behind the guesses. I was quite pleased that most of you said the age read as around 17 even though a wedding was involved. They are 17! The wedding is not a normal thing for characters this age and I knew that would throw some of you off.

And, to answer another confusion--the wedding is on the same day as graduation. It's a point that really frustrates Ry.

Now, on to the weekly report!

Title: Faerie Wings
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Current Word Count: 33,671 up 3000 from last week.

Last week was a slow week for this WIP. I managed to carve out two more scenes, but I kept getting distracted by another idea. I'll share that in a minute. I also went back and fixed one scene that was bugging me, and I keep revisiting the beginning. But, I'm working on finishing at the same time.

My writing distractions were two fold last week.
1. My short story Fallen Angels has burst into full color action in my head. That means its really hard to ignore. I'm re-writing it and hope to finish it this week, get it to CPs and get it ready to submit by January. This is something totally different for me. Male POV. Yeah. I'm gonna need some male CPs for this one. Michael? Alex?

2. I spent a lot of time debating with myself how I want to develop Faerie Wings main character. It's been suggested to me that she is a bit passive. True. My first drafts usually are, but I don't know how strong I really want her to end up.

Q4U: Does every female MC have to be a kick butt, angry, snarky, fiesty, completely confident, no nonsense kind of girl? Can a strong female lead also be feminine, insecure, unsure, reluctant?

Where is the line between realistic and just down right annoying?

Ryanne is not Katniss. But I don't want her to be Bella either. I personally like the idea of a normal, insecure girl who has to dig deep to find she's more than she ever dreamed.

image found Here

However, there must be glimpses of that more from the beginning. This is what I think my CP was getting at. The steel of the hero's spirit needs to glimmer here and there before being completely unsheathed.

What do you think?

High School Short Story Contest

2011-12-10T09:15:00.000-05:00

Last year I helped judge this contest and it was a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, I had to bow out this year, but I firmly believe in Brian Claspell's goals. He wants to encourage teens to write.

This is a nation wide contest. Please share the information with your local area high schools if you have contacts there or are comfortable with emailing it to them.

2012 “Imagination begins with you…”

Annual High School Short Story Contest

Contest Description: Short story, less than 1,500 words.

Prizes:
First place winner receives $50 and $50 to school library

Second place winner receives $25 and $25 school library

Third place winner receives $10 and $10 school library

Deadline: emailed or post marked by March 15, 2012

Submission: email to bclaspell@gmail.com (no attachments please, just include story in the text of the email) or mail to Brian Claspell - 104 Ivy Hollow Ln - Mooresville, NC 28117. Include: Name, email address, high school and year in school, word count, and title of story.

Winners announced in May. Winning stories will be posted on Brian Claspell - Author Facebook fan page. Some entries, including winners, may be published in a collection of short stories (Note: Any proceeds from the sale of this collection will be used solely for future short story contest and educational charities).

Criteria: Short stories will be judged on creativity and imagination. Any genre (fiction/non-fiction) is acceptable.

Complete contest rules can be found on "Brian Claspell - Author" Facebook fan page.

Judge Bio’s

1) Amy Hancock is the author of “Evie’s First Magic Lesson”. You can learn more about Amy at her Amazon author’s page (Amy's Amazon Author’s Page).

2) Brian Claspell is the author of “Living by Grace” and winner of several local writing contests. He is also the author of the eBook “Terrorist ACT” available on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. You can learn more about Brian on his Facebook page “Brian Claspell – Author” Fan Page

3) Lori Lohmeyer is an avid blogger (What Remains Now) and is working on her first novel. She is retired from the US Army Reserves and has three retired racing greyhounds. Join her adventure by visiting her blog.

4) Larry Beyer is a member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters/Misters in Crime and a writer’s critique group. After twenty-five years in corporate America and traveling abroad, Larry began to pursue his passion for writing in 2010. He lives in Battle Creek, MI with his wife and three children.

Alternate Judge:

1)Samantha Fahlsing is a 19-year-old full time student at Ball State University, seeking a master’s in Creative Writing and minoring in Digital Publishing and Professional writing. She hopes to someday become an Author and Book Editor. Samantha first found her passion for writing at the age of 14 and has been writing since. She is currently working on her first book. Samantha lives in Indianapolis, IN with her mom and two sisters.

2)Note: Additional alternate judges may be added.

Guess My Character's Age Blogfest Contest

2011-12-08T01:05:00.000-05:00

Today, Brenda Drake is hosting a Blogfest Contest. Click on the link to find Mr. Linky to the other entrants. Here are the rules:

On December 8th post the first 250 words of your finished, or not quite finished, manuscript (any genre) to your blogs. This contest is about voice--whether or not your character's voice matches his or her's age. So if you mention the age or school grade in the first 250 words, please edit it out or block it out for this contest. Don't list the genre or title on your posts.

It is directly related to finishing Nanowrimo, but she states the story doesn't have to be finished. Now, my lovely followers already know my MCs age, but the other participating won't have my Birth of a Novel info, so hopefully I can still get some good feedback.

For those that do know the MCs age, please voice your opinion on if I'm close to the right voice. I really would like to know.

Here are the first 250 words:

“Ryanne Killian, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jessie’s shrill voice rose above the chatter in the hall.

I turned to meet her gaze. “What are you moaning about now?”

“I am not going to let you ruin my special day. You have to tell Kevin that you can’t be his best man.” She crossed her arms across her chest. “It’s ridiculous.”

Funny, those were the same words I used when he asked me. I told him a girl couldn’t be best man, but I sure as heck wasn’t going to tell that to miss high and mighty.

“That’s too bad Jessie, ‘cause I already rented a tux.” I turned to walk away, but she grabbed my arm.

“Look, wear whatever you wear to------. -------------------------------------------- . Just smile and don't embarrass us, okay?" Jessie turned and let her nose lead the way as she flounced off with her ----------posse trailing behind. She turned to one of them and said, “Don’t worry, this isn’t over.”

I rolled my eyes and headed the other way. Great, that’s all I needed. If not for Kevin, Jessie would never stoop to speak to someone like me. If not for Kevin, I would have been perfectly happy with that arrangement.

Ah, Kevin. Idiot, jerk, and my best friend since ----------.

QuickFire Notes

2011-12-07T01:17:00.000-05:00

I'm supposed to post today, but I'm participating in a blogfest/contest tomorrow instead. Please come back and read the new "first 250" of my Nano project.

Other Newsworthy Notes:

1. I have 50 entries for the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway and Blogfest! That means there are now three prizes up for grabs:

1--$15 Amazon Gift Card

2--First Chapter Critique

3--First Chapter Critique

And there is still time to enter. So...if we hit 75 entries, I'll add a query critique to the list of prizes. Since that's not an option on the form, everyone will be eligible for it.

2. I'm posting over at Unicorn Bell this week and we are talking about finding and developing your character's voice. Step on over and join in.

Monday's Post--Finding Your Characters Voice
Tuesday's Post--The Problem With Accents

3. I wanted to welcome my new followers by name, but ---> my follower list isn't updating. The number is going up, but no new pictures have shown up for about a month. There are about ten of you.

*waves*

I want to return the favor and visit/follow your blog. But I can't see you. Please leave a comment below and I'll follow that link to find you. Thanks!

Birth of a Novel Week 6

2011-12-05T01:24:00.000-05:00

On the last day of November, and the end of Nanowrimo, I read my new wip. It weighed in at 30K words and is about half way finished.

Now I just need to finish the story. This is where it gets sticky. I have the final chapter in my head (as a matter of fact, I wrote the last chapter Saturday.) Now just to connect that last chapter with the rest of the book.

The hard part is I want to go back and rewrite already. This is my week to post over on Unicorn Bell, and I did some research on Voice. I probably learned more than what I manage to relate in the post. I also read a book this weekend that was a great example of what I had learned.

I kept those things in mind as I wrote the last chapter, and you know what? It was so much better! For some reason, learning about developing character voice made something click in my head and suddenly I understood how to get deeper into my characters POV. And now I want to put my idea into practice.

So, what do you think? Should I try to slog through and finish the story first, or allow myself to go back and 'fix' the first half before continuing?

Looking for Posts

2011-12-02T01:13:00.000-05:00

Wow! I love seeing the entries for the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway pile up. There are already 24 entries for my day alone. If we get up to 40 entries, I'll give away an extra critique.

I also wanted to say Hi! to the new followers. I'm trying to get to your blogs before the end of the week to return the favor.

Earlier in the week I posted the following. Thanks to those of you who have emailed me suggestions and volunteered to be interviewed. There is still room for more of my lovely followers to step into the spotlight. Just read the following and find what fits your personality.

What do you want me to blog about on Wednesday and Friday?

I really liked it when you asked questions and I did some research to find answers. Did you? Should we try that again?

Some other ideas I've had are:

Interviews With a Blogger--where I interview you.
Book Reviews--I just need some books to review. :)
Answers to Your Questions
First Look--you send your first 300 words to be posted anonymously and critiqued by me.

So, here are the guidelines? You can do one, all, or none of these. But it would be helpful if you did at least the first one.

Comment and tell me what you would like to see on this blog.
Post a question you want me to answer (about ANYTHING) in the comments.
Post book suggestions you would like me to read and review in the comments.
Email me to let me know you would be willing to be interviewed (charity.bradford@gmail.com)
Email the first 300 words of your story to be critiqued. I'll post it without your name (unless you want your name on it). Please include the title and genre with the submission. (charity.bradford@gmail.com)

12 Days of Christmas

2011-11-29T11:30:00.000-05:00

Don't forget to visit yesterday's post to tell me what you want to see on this blog, sign up to be interviewed, or ask your questions. :)

Now, are you up for some fun and chances to win great prizes??

Sarah Belliston has organized a 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway and Blog Hop. Here's how it works. 12 blogs have graciously decided to host giveaways. Each giveaway has a day of Christmas and you can find links to them Here. All should have the giveaway up and running by the December 1st, and some are already up. You can enter any or all for the next two weeks. Starting on Dec. 13th, we'll close the entries and announce one winner a day.

She asked me to participate and I'm really excited!! My spot is 8 Maids a Milking.

I've been trying to decide what to give away and I came up with two things I love to win the most.

An Amazon Gift Card ($15)

and

A First Chapter Critique

That's right, there will be two winners on December 20th!

Now, I bet you're wondering how you enter? Just fill out the form below. Nice and simple, no following, or tweeting, just enter. Note: you can click both boxes for prizes if you want to enter for both.

Contest is now Closed

Birth of a Novel and Housekeeping

2011-11-28T09:37:00.001-05:00

How was your weekend? Did you get your fill of turkey and pie? I've frozen most of my left overs to save for another day. We can only eat so much, ya know?

Anyway, I'm ready to settle back into my normal posting routine. This means I'm moving my Birth of a Novel post to Monday instead of Tuesday.

What do you want me to blog about on Wednesday and Friday?

I really liked it when you asked questions and I did some research to find answers. Did you? Should we try that again?

Some other ideas I've had are:

Interviews With a Blogger--where I interview you.
Book Reviews--I just need some books to review. :)
Answers to Your Questions
First Look--you send your first 300 words to be posted anonymously and critiqued by me.

So, here are the guidelines? You can do one, all, or none of these. But it would be helpful if you did at least the first one.

Comment and tell me what you would like to see on this blog.
Post a question you want me to answer (about ANYTHING) in the comments.
Post book suggestions you would like me to read and review in the comments.
Email me to let me know you would be willing to be interviewed (charity.bradford@gmail.com)
Email the first 300 words of your story to be critiqued. I'll post it without your name (unless you want your name on it). Please include the title and genre with the submission. (charity.bradford@gmail.com)

Title: Faerie Wings
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Current word count: 29,310

Surprise of the week:
I woke up Saturday morning and really wanted to write. The house was quiet. I had survived turkey day and guests as well as Black Friday. The story was waiting at the tip of my fingers. I went down to write and got about 500 words before the five year old woke up. That was the end of the writing.

I kept trying to come back, but my home is not writer friendly. The frustration made me cranky and I think I went to bed at 9pm with a headache. The saddest part was that when I woke that morning, I actually thought I could pull off a Nano win. All I needed to do was pull off four days of 5,000.

Totally doable.

But not in my house.

I'm still not bothered by the Nano fail, but I really want to get this story out of my head and on the page.

And guess what? Last night I started dreaming about Sendek again. It won't leave me alone, and that's how I know it isn't FINISHED. The bit that came to me was actually brilliantly simple. *head smack* why didn't I think of it before?

Don't worry, I jotted down the idea, but I promised to let it sit until January at the very least before I dig into it again.

Snippet for the week (I actually went back a couple of chapters for this steamy bit):
He stayed close by my side all night. If he wasn’t holding my hand, our knees were touching. Or he found some excuse to brush the lock of hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. Each time he did, his fingers caressed the side of my face, lingering as long as possible.

The whole world slowed down. I could barely eat my dinner, even though it was delicious. Later, the music at the symphony swirled around me, carrying me away to places I had never been. And Carter was in every taste. In each sound. In every sensation that moved through my body.

Images of summer fields full of wildflowers, forest trails, gardens, and hummingbirds came to me off and on throughout the night. Somehow Carter knew when they came to me. He squeezed my hand and smiled each time. The looks he gave me promised there would be time to talk. Soon.

It came in the form of the last entertainment for the night. If the symphony had been planned for my enjoyment, the dancing was for Heather. She and Scott took to the floor as soon as we made it in the door. Carter and I sat in a corner. The music was too loud to talk much, but I learned you can say a lot without words.

Carter traced the same circular pattern on my hands over and over. I leaned over and spoke close to his ear.

“Why the circles?”

He turned until his mouth was next to my ear. “Circles have no beginning and no end.” He drew another one on my palm. “There are many other meanings, but that’s my favorite one.”

The warmth of his breath on my skin spread. In the dim lighting of the club, a new boldness came over me. I flipped our hands over and drew a spiral on his palm. We sat so close that I felt his body tense and relax as he exhaled into my hair.

“Ma Cherie?”

“Did you know that in Celtic symbols, the spiral represents growth, balance, and creativity?” I spoke into his ear.

“It also means surrender and awareness. A triple spiral is a sign of feminine power.” He nipped at my ear, and a delicious tremor ran through me. “Please don’t tempt me more than I can take.”

His other hand closed over mine, stopping it’s motion. He didn’t pull away but leaned his head into mine. I couldn’t hear his breathing, but I could feel the quick rise and fall of his chest so near to mine. When it slowed he pulled back and looked into my eyes.

“Shall we dance?”

Ack! I forgot to post the chain list. Go check out these other great peeps.

Angela H.
Anna M.
Brooke Busse
Charity Bradford
Elizabeth Davis
Elizabeth Poole
Fida Islaih
Huntress
Jen McConnel
Lena Hoppe
Mia Hayson
Miranda Hardy
Nyxie Moon
Tessa C
Zoe

Need a little inspiration?

2011-11-25T01:54:00.000-05:00

I saw this video earlier this week on Zoey's blog and knew I had to share it with you.

Now, Zoey needs some followers. See the kind of stuff you're missing if you don't go check out her blog?

The things that touched me the most, at this moment in my life were the following:

"Write the story for yourself...Let the audience that's meant to find it, find it." Wally Lamb

"No book is written. Every book is rewritten." Ridley Pearson

How liberating. These tidbits will help me/you free ourselves from the boxes we stuff ourselves.

"Trust yourself. You're not an idiot by that point, you know some stuff." Lee Child

"If all else fails, keep trying."Graeme Base

A Day of Thanks

2011-11-23T19:27:00.000-05:00

It's the night before my day of cooking. I'm curled up in bed writing this post trying to get into my happy mind set before dressing a turkey in the morning. The naked turkey is the only part I don't enjoy of the cooking. It's just so sad somehow.

Anyway, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the things I'm the most grateful for in my life.

Laughter. Babies laughter, children's laughter, the laughter when you are sitting with your best friends just being silly together. The laughter that takes your breath away and makes your sides and cheeks hurt and your eyes well up with tears. Yep, laughter is good.

Not my shelves, google image.

I am grateful for a good book. Books are some of my best friends. I have favorites that I keep for special occasions--one for when I need to cry, one for laughter, one for romance, a good adventure, you get the idea. I love being able to disappear into another world for a time. It helps me appreciate my world a lot more.

I am grateful for imagination. I feel blessed with a good one, and I've noticed that my children are just as lucky. I love to watch them create games or plays. It is so much healthier than sitting in front of the tv.

I am grateful for Mr. Clean Magic Erasers! Do I need to go into detail on this? I don't think so.

I am thankful for sunny days in the winter. There is something about the grey cold days of winter that make me want to hibernate (curl up with a good book on the couch and let the house fall to pieces). But give me a blue sky and sunny day and I wake up once again. I love the way light falls through the branches in our backyard, and through the windows in our house. I will often sit in the living room with my bare toes wiggling in the sunny patch on the floor. No wonder cats love to nap in those coveted places! Sunshine is good for my soul.

I'm thankful for music (all kinds really) but today it is all about Rock n Roll, baby! I may not look like a rock chic, but I love a good rockin' song for almost every occasion. A song with a good driving force behind it is great for running, cleaning house, driving long distances, and just working out frustrations that you don't feel you could voice otherwise. Enough said. :)

I am grateful for a working fireplace. One of my favorite things is to sit and watch the flames while I warm my toes on the hearth. I love the way a wood fire smells and the way the heat comes out and embraces the room.

What are you thankful for today?

Birth of a Novel Week 4

2011-11-21T13:34:00.001-05:00

You might have noticed that the "Nano" is missing from my Birth of a Novel Pic. For the first time in the four years since learning about Nanowrimo, I'm not trying to "win".

It's kind of weird. I could still pull it off, but for once I don't care. It's not like cranking out 50,000 words in a month guarantees you a publishing contract. No, it's just the start of many months of hard work.

The last nine months were revision mode for Sendek, and last week I realized that I'm tired. I need some non-writing time to recharge my batteries. Dream some more. Live some life. Unpack some personal baggage that's been accumulating. (Ooo! I forgot to mention that as part of the "living", I lasted about 15 seconds on a mechanical bull Saturday night! Sadly, I tried it right as they were closing, so I only got one try. And my old body is sore today!)

I'm not quitting the novel, but I'm back to writing when I can. No pressure. Just enjoyment.

Current word count: 27,412
That's only 1,857 words more than a week ago, and I'm good with that.

Yeah, I know, I know. I'm an ML, part of the job description is that I hit 50K. All year long I look forward to Nano and do a pretty good job cheer-leading the cause.

But, I'm tired.

And, I love my story idea.

That means I'm willing to not "win" Nano, take a break, and then continue writing something that will be worth reading.

Snippet: I do have another snippet to share with you. There is still a lot of telling, but it's a first draft so don't stone me yet. :) Granger is the guy that kidnapped her, arch enemy of the dreamy Carter Frey.

Granger summoned me before I got enough sleep. Breakfast was not offered, although I caught the lingering aroma of sausage and bacon as I walked through the halls of the castle. I no longer felt hungry. Just hollow. I wish that had been my only worry.

He waited for me outside in a garden plot surrounded by low stone walls. The earth was tilled and mist rose off the warm surface into the cooler air.

"Good morning Miss Killian. Let's begin." Granger held his hand out.

Not knowing what else to do, I held mine out, palm up. Several tiny somethings clattered into my open palm. Granger's hand pulled away revealing the brown seeds.

I looked at Granger. "What am I supposed to do with these?"

"Make them grow."

My test was to see how much I knew about gardening? Piece of cake. Growing things was one of my few natural talents. I didn't see any tools, but the soil looked loose enough to work with my hands. After sinking to my knees, I pressed a hole in the dirt with my finger and dropped a seed in. I repeated the process with all ten seeds before brushing the dirt into the holes.

"Do you have any water?" I looked up at Granger, shielding my eyes with my dirty hands.

"Tap into the magic of creation and make the flowers grow."

"You mean from seed to plant in a minute? That's impossible."

Granger raised his eyebrows, then bent and placed his hand over the first seed. A shoot of green popped out of the dirt. As Granger lifted his hand higher, the stem grew upward. Tiny leaves unfurled and wiggled as they grew larger. Stems and leaves multiplied and thickened until a delicate bouquet burst into being.

Each flower was the size of a quarter and made up of twenty or so tiny blossoms, orange on the outside with a circle of yellow blossoms surrounding tiny orange stamen. The lacy button smelled like sweaty citrus. My brain couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. All it could latch onto was the curious fact that such a beautiful flower could smell so bad.

"Now, you do it." Granger pointed to the other seeds.

"I can't." Was he serious?

"Carter thinks you can. Do it."

"How? What do I do?"

"Focus on the seed and tell it to grow."

"This is crazy." I bent down and held my hand over the next seed, imitating Granger.
I closed my eyes and tried to imagine the seed under the dirt. All I could see was the back of my eyelids.

Grow stupid seed.

I peeked through one eye and wiggled my fingers in case that would help. Nothing.

"How disappointing. Perhaps we need to find the right motivation. Bring some tomato seeds."
He flicked his hand and a servant ran toward a shed at the back of the gardens.

I sighed and tried again, "You have the wrong girl. It's not going to matter what kind of seeds you bring me. I can't make them grow."

"You won't eat until you make something grow."

"You can't do that! I'm not who you think I am. I'll never be able to do what you want me to do."

"I wonder if Carter will miss you? Probably not." He walked around me in a slow circle. "He must know I have you by now, and he hasn’t even sent a messenger to discuss an exchange. Maybe I was wrong about you.”

My heart fluttered and sank. What if Carter didn’t care? I looked away from Granger and chewed on my lip. I chose to believe Carter was looking for me.

The servant rushed over the dark earth with a cup of seeds, which he held out to me.

Granger waved him toward me, "She has three hours to make them grow. Call me if she succeeds. If she fails, lock her back up."

Without waiting for an answer he strode back to the castle.
<<<End>>>

Don't forget to visit the other Blog Chain participants this week. I'm a day early, so give them a bit o'time. ;)
Angela H.
Anna M.
Brooke Busse
Charity Bradford
Elizabeth Davis
Elizabeth Poole
Fida Islaih
Huntress
Jen McConnel
Lena Hoppe
Mia Hayson
Miranda Hardy
Nyxie Moon
Tessa C
Zoe

The Hot Seat

2011-11-18T04:37:00.000-05:00

For November, I'm re-posting and hosting guest bloggers. The wonderful Cally Jackson suggested I re-post her interview of me. This was originally posted on her blog 31 May 2011.
If you would like to guest post in November, email me at charity.bradford@gmail.com.

Charity Bradford in the HOT SEAT

As a Mum of four, Charity Bradford is hard to rattle. But, is it just my imagination, or are her hands shaking? And if I’m not mistaken, she also looks like she’s gone slightly pale. Yes, Charity may be tough, but is she tough enough for the HOT SEAT?
Let’s find out!

Gday, Charity!

Charity is a writer, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend, a runner, an avid reader, and a Power of Tension Blogfest entrant! She joins us today from North Carolina, USA.

So, Charity, let’s get started. What genre(s) do you write?
Science fiction, fantasy and then whatever strikes my fancy. All have a strong romance element, but it isn’t the main focus.

Tell us about Sendek,your Work in Progress, in 25 words or less.
Talia is trapped between science and magic. The handsome Commander Landry will help her embrace the magic and fight the Draguman.
[CJ: You already know this, but I can't wait to read Sendek!]
—–
Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?
I’m a full time mom to four great kids. I also teach a 6am scripture class to teens five days a week, compile and edit a 12 page newsletter for my neighborhood each month, blog (it’s like a job!), run ½ marathons, bake cakes, and this year I am cooking for 150 people for a full week of girls camp. There is so much planning!
[CJ: Wow, that's impressive. Do you ever get time to sleep?] Not really.

Tell us a little about your writing process.
I’m a mix between a pantser and a plotter. I begin with whatever crazy idea pops into my head—free writing until it runs its course. Then I put it away for a while. If the idea haunts me I’ll pull it back out and start to plot. This is always the fun part, but I’m learning to enjoy the revision process too. I love getting feedback from critiquers that sparks a new thought for my novel. Some of my best ideas have come from questions a reader has asked.

Who or what are your biggest writing inspirations?
My answer would have been different two years ago, but now the who would be my fellow bloggers. I love reading about their journey and struggles because it lets me know I’m not that weird and I’m not alone. I love reading about their successes because it gives me hope that one day it may just be my turn. The what would have to be life around me. There are so many things that happen every day that spark my imagination and make me ask “What if?”
[CJ: You're definitely not alone. I couldn't agree more about the awesomeness of fellow bloggers!]

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a writer?
Finding the balance between my writing life and my life as mom and wife. It’s hard to turn off the writing mind and really pay attention to your kids when the muse is screaming in your ear. At the same time, when life is busy, it’s hard to carve out that writing block. Just like eating healthy and exercise, I seem to be good at only one of them at a time. If only I could do both equally well at the same time…
[CJ: I hear ya!]

And now for the HOT SEAT questions!

*Insert scary music here*

If you could only read the work of three authors for the rest of your life, which authors would you choose?
This is so hard! I’m going to choose Orson Scott Card, Jane Austen, and OMGosh how do I pick the last one!!! Umm, ok, Louise Lawrence because as a teen she really inspired me with her stories. I’m already having buyer’s remorse. LOL. I’m so glad this will never be a reality.

A well-reputed publisher offers you a major contract but requires you change something about your plot that completely goes against what you want for the book. What do you do?
Another hard question. [CJ: Yep, that's the idea ]My gut reaction is to wait for another offer, but I’m learning from good critiquers that sometimes a suggestion that is different from my original plan can make my book better and stronger. I think I would have to take this question on a case by case situation. Is the change something that could have happened? Does it fit with the characters I love? Can I wrap my brain around it and fall in love with the idea? If so, then I would be willing to make the changes. If not, I would continue looking for someone that sees what I see in my book.

If your current WiP was going to be made into a movie, who would play your lead character(s) and why?
Ooo! This one is easy because I did it for a blogfest. To see a video of a teaser, go HERE and leave me a comment.
[CJ: Grrr, HOT SEAT interviews aren't supposed to be easy! ]
Talia – Emily Deschanel
Landry – Karl Urban
Stefan – Eric Bana
Jaron– Jude Law

Apocalyptica

2011-11-17T10:36:00.001-05:00

We've all been sick at my house. It's getting me down, but at least I feel better. Now to get all the kids better.

There hasn't been any writing since Monday, but I'm ready to get back to it. I left Ryanne in the middle of escaping from Granger's stronghold. She's been starved and so doesn't have much strength, and she's in a strange new world where she doesn't know anyone. Or does she?

Anyway, I've been listening to a lot of Apocalyptica this week. I love the idea of rock cellos, don't you? I also love that they have guest singers come in to jam with them. Here is one of my favorites, featuring Brent Smith from Shinedown.

Birth of a Novel Blog Chain Week 3

2011-11-14T19:49:00.000-05:00

Current word count:
25,556 as of Monday 4:30pm

Surprise of the week:
Kevin is a class A jerk. Can't say much more because it would be a spoiler, but let's just say he's an idiot too. For those of you who have not read the first chapter, Kevin is Ry's best childhood friend. He got married straight out of HS to his pregnant girlfriend in chapter one.

I thought that was it for his part, but he shows back up in Chapter 5 and acts as catalyst for the next chunk of the book. *mumble mumble* jerk *mumble mumble*. Who needs enemies with friends like that? And yes, I use that cliche in the chapter. Hey, that's what revisions are for, right?

Road Blocks for the week:
Yesterday I wanted to quit everything writing related. Why? I received a critique I had been waiting on. It was correct on all points, but it still made me want to cry. Why? Because I'm the one that messed everything up. I edited my novel (Sendek) to death. Yep. And some of you tried to warn me, but I didn't listen. (Michael)

Over the past year I've worked so hard to tweak the first chapter in a way to hook the reader. I changed everything that I started out with. And after getting the critique I realized something. I was editing for the wrong audience. I forgot who I wrote the book for and tried to change it to fit in with the "rules" to hook agents. But I lost my voice. I lost the flow and cohesion of the story. Nothing made sense to someone just picking up the book.

All that work just to ruin a perfectly good story. I realized something else. I'm still holding back. I can dig deeper, but I'm scared too. There's that secret heart of me that doesn't dare peak out at the world, even disguised as a character from a book.

How do I let her out?

I almost stopped writing Faerie Wings, but I know that isn't the answer. Instead, I did what any self respecting writer would do in a case like this. I went to the store and bought $5 worth of good chocolate and stuffed it all down my face on the five minute ride home. Well, I really only ate one square of each candy bar, but I felt like eating it all.

Procrastinator for the week:
I worked on a book cover before I got sick. If I had known I was going to get sick, I would have tried harder to write instead.

Snippet for the week:

The doorbell woke me at 2:52 AM. Heather must have forgotten her key again.

I tossed the covers aside and padded my way to the front door. The doorbell rang again and again.

“Stop already, I’m coming.” I removed the chain, turned the deadbolt and opened the door.

Strong arms grabbed me. They spun me around and pinned my arms to my side. Someone shoved a cloth bag over my head.

“Scream and we kill you.” A male voice rumbled by my ear.

My arms ached, but the guy didn't relax his hold. He dragged me out the door. I stumbled down the steps and then he pushed me into a car. My head hit the window on the far side of the car as soon as I got in. The guy jerked me up by one arm and shoved me over so he could get in beside me. He reached across and locked the door. My knees rested against the seat in front of me.

My heart pounded. I took shallow breaths as the air in the bag warmed. My hands were free. I reached for the bag.

“No you don’t.” He grabbed my hands and crushed me against the car door as he pulled my arms behind me. He wrapped a strong cord around my hands until my fingers went numb.

“I can’t breathe and you’ve cut off my circulation.” My voice sounded calmer than I felt.

“You’ll pass out before you suffocate. I’ll worry about your air then.” Both men laughed.

Don't forget to check out the other participants:
Angela H.
Anna M.
Brooke Busse
Charity Bradford
Elizabeth Davis
Elizabeth Poole
Fida Islaih
Huntress
Lena Hoppe
Mia Hayson
Miranda Hardy
Nyxie Moon
Tessa C
Zoe

Guest Blogger: Jen McConnel on Staying Positive

2011-11-10T01:32:00.000-05:00

Staying Positive

As writers, waiting is something we better get used to.

Sometimes, we have to wait for inspiration to strike. Then comes the waiting for the words to flow onto the page, the waiting for the head space to begin revisions, and finally, the waiting once your book is as good as you can make it and you begin sending it out into the world.

For me, that’s the hardest part of waiting. When my actions feel largely within my control, I can make lists, set goals, and prioritize. But once I release a manuscript into the slush pile, I start to panic. I’m no longer the one pulling the reins, and I find myself buried with “what ifs”.

This is the darkest part of the writing process for many of us. We’ve crafted a story that we believe in, deep within our hearts and souls, and now we have to trust that the time is right for us to realize our dreams. It can be hard to put your trust in complete strangers, but isn’t that what writing is about? If you are working towards publication (or already published) you are trusting that people who have never met you before will want to read your book. This goes beyond agents and editors: your readers will likely not know you from Adam, and that’s ok. Your words must weave a spell, bringing complete strangers close within the web of your story.

Perhaps it is this component of anonymous trust that is most frightening about waiting: your blood, guts, and tears are in that book, and now you have to do what? But for anyone who wants to follow the traditional path to publishing, someday you will have to put your trust in the universe and release your book into the world.

It may take awhile. Some people have fabulous success stories that feel like they happened overnight, but if you scratch the surface, you will find that even the “instant” sensations spent years honing their craft and submitting their words, just like you are doing now.

So what is the key to handling the waiting period? Stay positive. I know, it’s easier said than done. I’ve found that the best way to stay positive is to apply for a mind wipe. If I can focus my energy fully on something that is not related to my precious story child, I tend to stay saner and happier while waiting for the right agent to read my book at the right moment. This month, NaNoWriMo provides an excellent distraction: we should all be so busy pounding out our 50,000 words that we forget everything else, including the dozen submissions loitering in agent’s in boxes.

Owl cupcakes from Charity to Huntress

Creature comforts and indulgences can help, too. Get a frothy cup of coffee, go for a massage, or treat yourself to that dress you’ve been eyeing for months. When we celebrate ourselves, we cultivate a mindset that is receptive to joy. Like attracts like, and you’re more likely to attract happiness when you find happiness in your daily life.

It’s challenging. Believe me, I know. I struggle with this whenever I submit a piece of writing. But if you find ways to keep yourself smiling, the trust you place in strangers will eventually pay off. So write your 1,667 words today, go to the spa, and do your best to forget about the thing you are waiting for. It’ll happen in its own time, and if you are relaxed and relatively happy, think how much sweeter your success will taste.

Jen McConnel

Blogging at: Carolina Yankee
Follow me @Twitter @YankeeWriter

Birth of a Novel Week 2

2011-11-08T04:30:00.000-05:00

Here's my weekly report on my Nano progress.

I started well and had close to 6000 words by the end of the second day. And then things slowed. I puttered and did some research. I sat. I typed. I begged my kids to go away and for goodness sakes, please give me ten minutes of quiet.

I did that last one every five minutes of the last week.

There were a few days I didn't write anything and I started to worry. But the story is in my head. It's still buzzing around in that shiny, happy new idea kind of way. Which is funny since I first dreamed up this idea in June of 2010. Yep. I found the original notebook where I wrote down the dream. The book is only loosely based on that dream, but it's been really fun so far.

Still to be decided:
Am I writing this in first person POV or third person? I've tried both, but can't decide which one I like the best.

Confession:
I cut almost 300 words on day 3. I know! Don't stone me. Remember, my goal is to get a decent rough draft down this month. The 50K word count is just the Nano requirement.

Surprise of the week?
Ryanne is often mad at Carter. But every time he says "Ma Cherie" she forgets why. Who knew? It doesn't sound all that smexy when I say it.

Current word count as of Monday night:
10,554 in 7 days! I need to hit 13,333 by tonight to stay "on track". Totally doable. Today they are going on a hot air balloon ride over Napa Valley.

Snippet (this is turning out to be much more of a YA romance than I had planned):

Carter reached for my hand and the warmth flowed into me. “Ryanne, I promised things were going to be better for you. I meant that.”

I gasped and returned my gaze to his face. He looked so intent. His mouth soft, his eyes such deep pools that they beckoned to me. Little gold flecks of light swam in the chocolate warmth. Something in me yearned to be closer to this man, but I didn’t know anything about him.

Swallowing hard, I whispered, “What are you talking about?”

Emotions flicked across his face and then his shoulders slumped. “You don’t remember do you?”

“No. Why can’t I remember the last two days?”

Carter looked up at the sky and sighed. “This isn’t a street conversation. Let’s go back in. Now I understand the look Heather gave me.”

He dropped my hand and stalked up the steps. He paused at the door and waited for me to enter first. I sat on the couch and he paced. I waited, but each time he passed, each moment that filled with silence, a knot inside clenched tighter.

“Sit down.” The command rushed out and we both jumped. “Sorry, you’re making me nervous.”

“No, I should apologize, Ma Cherie. Palen said you might block it out, but we had to take the chance.” He continued to pace.

“You’re not making any sense. And please sit down.” I twisted my hands in my lap.

He sat and stared at my hands a moment before taking them in his. “Where to begin?”

“How about when we left the apartment complex? Heather said I passed out, but I don’t even remember that.”

“It’s more complicated than that, but I guess it’s as good a place to start as any.” He paused to collect his thoughts, but his fingers absentmindedly drew patterns on my palm.

Circles, lots of circles. My body flushed with heat as the touch sent tingles up my arms. My brain told me to pull my hands free, but my hands wouldn’t obey. They had never been touched in such a way before, and they rebelled against my better judgment.

“No, we need to go back to when we met, at the wedding. Do you remember what you felt? What was it that compelled you to enter the garden?”

“I can’t think while you’re doing that.” I nodded toward our hands and tried to breathe normally. What in the world had come over me?

He blushed and dropped my hands. “Sorry, Ma Cherie.”

I took a deep breath. “It’s like I told you at the apartment. It was like being pulled somewhere.”

“Yes, but what did it feel like.” He leaned closer and his eyes held all of my attention.

“A restless need to wander. And then once I found the garden, it was,” I paused and looked away. “It was like a yearning. I needed to be somewhere and it was like my body knew I was close. The restlessness disappeared and it was replaced with need. Desire. Urgency.”

His hands were on my arms. Warm. Gentle. “And when did that feeling leave?”

When I found you.

I couldn’t look at him. Something blurred my vision and I realized I was crying. His hands swept up my arms and pulled me close. My face rested just below his chin, snuggled into his chest. That smell of reeds by the river washed over me. Calmed me.

“What’s wrong with me?”

“Shhh. It’s just sensory overload. Palen said that when you returned,” he paused, choosing his words carefully, “home, you might block out the last two days.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t believe they really happened. Ryanne, I promise you this much. It was real. Believe in it. Let the memories come back.”

My pulse surged at the soft huskiness in his voice, but my head throbbed. The hairs at the nape of my neck stood on end and I saw flashes of light and those unimaginably bright colors again. I pushed myself away from him and erased the thoughts with a shake of my head.

“Carter, you’re talking nonsense.” I pressed my fingertips to my temple.

“I’m sorry. You need more time.” That look of sadness flickered again, but he hid it quickly. “Let me take you to lunch tomorrow.”

My mind backpedaled as fast as my body tried to lean toward him. I was drawn to him, but I knew this relationship, whatever it was, could never work. “Carter, we grew up in two different worlds. There are some things that just can’t work out. Do you know what I mean?”

He laughed and stood up. “Ma Cherie, you are right. Two different worlds entirely. However, bridges connect differences all the time. Let’s build a bridge and see where it take us.” He kissed the top of my head and walked to the door. “I’ll pick you up at noon. Heather and Scott are invited too.”

He was gone before I realized he never told me where I had been for the last two days.

Don't forget to visit the others in the Blog Chain

Angela H.
Anna M.
Brooke Busse
Charity Bradford
Elizabeth Davis
Elizabeth Poole
Fida Islaih
Huntress
Lena Hoppe
Mia Hayson
Miranda Hardy
Nyxie Moon
Tessa C
Zoe

Guest Post--Meta Fiction by Sarah Belliston

2011-11-07T04:48:00.000-05:00

Today I welcome Sarah Belliston to the blog. She has graciously offered to fill us in on Meta fiction. But first, a bit about her.

Sarah Belliston received her BA in English from Brigham Young University. She lives in Kansas City with her husband, daughter, mother, and one pug in a never-big-enough apartment. Sarah's at the beginning of her road to publication with her manuscript CONDUIT, which she blogs about at www.sarahbelliston.com.

Meta what?

The other night while watching DVDs of a favorite TV show (to be named later in the post) a joke was made about something being ‘meta’, which prompted Wikipeding, and this entry on meta and more specifically metafiction. If you don’t have a BA in English or teaching English, you may have never heard of the term. That’s where I come in.

One of the definitions of meta- is ‘concerned with the concepts and results of the named discipline’ (link: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/meta-). So the definition of metafiction is fiction that is concerned with the concepts and results of fiction. Makes perfect sense, right?

The truth is, you know more metafiction than you think you do. It’s a story that knows it’s a story, or in a movie it breaks the invisible 4th wall that separates the characters from the audience.

For instance, who has seen Princess Bride? Or The Neverending Story? These are two timeless examples of movies (and books) that have a MC reading a book that plays an integral role in the story.

Anyone’s kid love the Elephant and Piggie book WE ARE IN A BOOK! or THERE IS A MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK!(which has a great iPhone app, btw)?

Ever see Stranger Than Fiction? The MC finds out he’s a figment of an author’s imagination, and he can hear her narration of his life as she writes it. Far and away the best Will Farrell movie.

Any comic book fans? What about Deadpool? According to the internet (Sorry I don’t read comic books) he becomes so mentally deranged that he realizes he is only a character in a comic book. For movie goers he was played by Ryan Reynolds in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And apparently there is talk of a spin-off/sequel where Deadpool will “break the 4th wall” in the movie.

Another example from the past that I can’t help mentioning is Last Action Hero. Did anyone else see that?

So, there’s all this and more (see YA Highway’s intensive blog post on specifics of metafiction in literature. But I want to talk about one more example, the one that inspired this post to begin with.

There is a little show on ABC right now, in its fourth season, called Castle.

The first episode follows a homicide detective Kate Beckett who finds a string of bodies that match murders from best-selling novels by Richard Castle. Castle, on the other hand, has writer’s block and is in need of inspiration. When Beckett approaches him about the murders, he insinuates himself in the case (against her will), and of course, stays long after they find the first killer. Castle bases a character on Detective Beckett and writes a novel HEAT WAVE. By the end of the first season the book is released and Beckett has to deal with new-found fame.

Then the creator of Castle (Andrew Marlowe) does something completely genius. He ghostwrites HEAT WAVE and gets it published. It debuted on NYT at #34. At the end of season 2 he released NAKED HEAT and it debuted #7. Season 3 had HEAT RISES debuting at #1. I’m still waiting for my hold at the library. He also created Castle’s author website. Smart man? Absolutely.

But the books only work because they are written by Castle, not Marlowe. Let me explain.

The books are not about Castle and Beckett. They are the books Castle writes. For instance, one episode in season 2 has a scene where Castle has duct-taped himself to a chair to see how his character gets out of it. In NAKED HEAT you can read the scene he wrote after he did that. And you can geek out about how you are reading something you saw him create (if you geek about these sorts of things [not that anyone I know does this]).

The episode that made me realize all of this was metafiction (and prompted this post) was where HEAT WAVE is made into a movie in season 3. The actress who plays Heat is shadowing Beckett for research (sorry I know this is complicated if you haven’t seen the show). The actress is method and feels she needs to sleep with Castle to complete her research into her character (because of course there is the sexual tension plotline I haven’t talked about yet). Castle turns her down and Beckett asks him why. He says, “Oh, well a fictional character that I wrote, based on you, played by Natalie Rhodes? It's just way too... meta.” (ref: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Castle_(TV_series)#Nikki_Heat_.5B3.11.5D)

My co-viewer (okay my mom) asked what meta- meant and here we are.

I feel so sad for all those don’t know what metafiction is and missed possibly the greatest joke in the series.

Now this is not a plug for Castle (okay maybe a little one), but it is an example of how metafiction can work for you. Have fun with your stories. If you are getting too serious, try writing a character that knows you are writing them, or how about a narrator that knows someone is reading the book (and possibly trying to skip to the end). So go try it. I’ll be here waiting for HEAT WAVE the movie.

A sneak peak...

2011-11-02T12:23:00.002-04:00

...into my Nano fun. I managed 5924 words yesterday. They just fell onto the page, and some of them even made sense! Nothing brilliant, but kinda fun, ya know.

So here's a sneak peak into the end of chapter one. Set up: Ry bumped into this guy earlier and then he almost runs over her with his motorcycle. Yeah, convenient but its Nano! Anyway, they've just spent about half an hour together and unbeknownst to both of them, Ry is having a weird side effect to being so near a magical creature. Carter is a faerie, but Ry doesn't know. She is however a unique human (no hidden faerie blood I promise) and a bit sensitive to a magic she never believed in. It brings about a strange physical reaction from her. Oh, and Heather is her older sister.
____________

"Thanks.” Ry tried to sound happier than she felt. “Sorry I messed up your plans. The good news is you just have to get me to the reception hall south of campus."

"Ma Cherie, Let me see you to your car. It's the least I can do."

Ry blushed. “No car. I was planning to take the bus home from there.”

“Then let me take you home. It’s the least I can do.”

Yes. Ry wanted him to stay with her. He felt like the home she never knew she was searching for. Heather shot her a frantic look. Ry grinned back.

"Thanks, Carter." She turned to Heather. "It’ll make me feel better, and I'll be fine. You've seen his face, so if he's a serial killer I'm safe." Ry loved playing on her sister’s fears.

Carter’s deep laughter rumbled in Ry’s ear and the vibrations tickled her toes through her shoes. He pulled out a business card and handed it to Heather.

"Just so you know where to send the police." He winked at Ry.

Heather and Scott didn't look amused, but a strange happiness filled Ry. She watched as Scott read the name on the card and couldn't decide what his expression meant. Shock or awe?

"The Carter Frey?" Scott asked.

"No, just his son." Carter sounded so ordinary. Not the way she imagined the heir to a financial empire to sound.

"The dress. Was that your sister?" Ry’s voice came out in a weak croak. The feel of money at the wedding now made sense.

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry! I really didn't know. I never would have." Her mouth snapped shut and her stomach rolled. The last hour was only his way of avoiding a lawsuit. Nothing more. Ry was a nobody. If she hadn’t stepped in front of his motorcycle, he would never have noticed her.

All the energy from the moment before drained away. Ry wanted to run away, but her feet remained rooted to the floor.

"Ma Cherie, it's not like you’re thinking." Carter reached for her hands.

The electricity was still there. Knowing he was unobtainable had not removed the pull she felt toward him. Ry freed one hand to press her fingertips into her temple. A dull humming filled her head and she couldn't think, but her mouth worked on autopilot.

"I wouldn't, you know. That's not who I am, but then again, I've not really been myself today. Maybe I should…" Ry swayed a bit.

"Let me take you home." He finished for her.

He dropped her hand to stroke her face. In her confusion, she leaned into the touch.

"Did you hit your head when you fell?" His concern filled her heart.

"I don't think so." She mumbled. What was wrong with her lips?

"Heather, we need to get her to a doctor. Just to make sure she's all right."

"Our doctor isn’t open on Saturday." Heather stared at Carter.

“I can take her to our private doctor, if that’s okay with you.”

"No, no, no. I'm fine." Ry swayed again as the hall tilted to the left. Strong arms wrapped around her.

"Ma Cherie, you need a doctor." Carter pleaded.

"Ok, I give in. I feel really weird. Do you know that I'm in love with you?" Ry gasped at the same time Heather did. Then she burst out giggling as Carter Frey, multimillionaire, carried her out the door to a waiting limo. "Did I say that out loud? I'm not in love with you. How could I be? I’m in love with Kevin. No. I can't love you. Our world's never cross."

She rested her face against his neck and commenced sobbing.

Well, what do you think. Did I get the YA vibe going?

Birth of a Novel Blog Chain Week 1

2011-11-01T09:17:00.000-04:00

Today is our first Birth of a Novel blog chain. Thanks to Elizabeth Poole for coming up with the idea. As you can see, I'm doing the Nano version (need not play to take part in this blog chain, BTW, so sign up if you want to join. Email me and I'll put you on the list.)

For my first entry, I'll be filling you in on my goals for Nanowrimo, and telling you a bit more about my chosen project for the month.

My goal for Nano is to get the complete draft of that summer novel I never wrote on paper. That will be at least 50K. I'm aiming for about 75K for the finished project. This will be my first YA Urban Fantasy, so wish me luck! The idea has been stewing for a year now.

How about my back jacket blurb?

Everything you've ever heard about faeries is a lie.
Lies they told to keep us from learning the truth.
The truth? They live among us, sentenced to watch over and nurture their greatest mistake.
Us.
Ryanne never believed in faerie tales, and yet all the eyes of the Fae are watching her.
And they hope she will be the one to set them free.

And some of the images I chose as inspiration?

And there will be Celtic flavors throughout. Imagine a garden laid out in the Five-fold design.

And a bit of music? This is what my MC has to learn (well one of the things).

Please visit the other participants in the chain. Remember, it's not too late to join. Just email me with your blog address and I'll add you to the list. (charity.bradford@gmail.com)

Blog Chain Participants
Angela Brown
Brooke Busse
Charity Bradford
Elizabeth Davis
Elizabeth Poole
Fida Islaih
Huntress
Lena Hoppe
Mia Hayson
Miranda Hardy
Nyxie Moon
Tessa C

Patience, Predators and Publishing

2011-10-31T04:47:00.000-04:00

I forgot I scheduled this. Come back tomorrow for the first Birth of a Novel blog chain! Email me at charity.bradford@gmail.com to sign up for this.

Also, I'm still looking for some guest posters for November. You can even send a post that you've previously put up on your blog that you really liked, or seemed to be a hit with your followers. Email the same addy above. Thanks to those who have already responded!

Some of you may have seen this over on Jeanne's blog when I guest posted(July 2011?), but I wanted to share it with the rest of you as well.

Patience.

As writers we need so much of it. It seems like the life of a writer is one big round of waiting.

We wait for stolen moments to type or scribble away at our novels.
We wait for comments from critique groups.
We sludge through revisions waiting for the day our novel is polished and ready to send into the world.
We wait for replies from agents.
And I don't know from experience, but I've heard that after you get an agent is just more waiting.

We all hope this waiting will get us somewhere, but sometimes its hard to be patient. And that's when we become susceptible to predators.

Let me share a story with you. I have a younger brother who started writing a book this year. This is his first story, a fantasy. I've read the first three chapters and he has a lot of potential. A lot, and I'm happy for him. But he hasn't learned about patience yet.

The first week of August he submitted his first three chapters (read only three he had) to a publisher (I don't know where he found this publisher) and two days later he received a sample contract in the mail to look over. This publisher was thrilled with his rough draft and said they would love to publish it if he could finish it by November 1st of this year and get it to them.

What???

I've been slaving over my baby for three solid years! Revision after revision. Round after round of critiques. Patiently taking each comment, mulling it over and then changing things (or not) based on my vision for the story. And now my little bro is getting published before me a few short months after he starts writing?!!

Wait, sorry, this isn't about me.

*cough* Um, where was I? Oh, yeah...

Red flags were flying around all over the place when he told me this. I've never heard of any publisher who accepts unfinished FICTION. My brother also sent me the contract to look over. Now, to my untrained eye, the ten page contract made little sense (another reason I want to catch an agent). There were a few things that rubbed me wrong, such as the royalties. They were considerably lower than some other midsize publishers that I have had contact with, but mostly it looked fine. I guess. *shrugs*

Since I don't know everything, I started some research.A simple Google search of the company brought up all kinds of rants about their dishonesty. Then some of my other writer friends responded to my questions to them and all said the same thing about said company, "Run away!" This particular company received an F from the Better Business Bureau.

With all this new knowledge under my belt, I had to inform my brother that he should walk away. I felt like a dream crusher. For his part, my brother handled it quite well. He has now finished three more chapters of the book and is hopefully starting to read and learn about the publishing world.

Qs4U:
How do you remind yourself to be patient?

How do you research publishers or agents?
Please share in the comments.

Whatever it is that you do, don't give up! And don't give in. Be true to yourself and the dream you have for your book. Whether it be traditional, mid to small publisher, or vanity publishing is up to you. In this day and age its all good! Just take your time. Do your research and make sure you understand what you're getting into.

Wouldn't it be awful to find that you've lost all rights to the story you bled over for years?

Here are some helpful links:

The Better Business Bureau--clickable for US or Canada. Simply type the name of the publisher in the search engine. Click Here for the publisher talked about above.
How a Book Gets Published by Nathan Bransford--This is from 2009, but not THAT much has changed about the industry. While we are with Nathan, here are some other great links.
Publishing Glossary, for all those terms you might not be sure about.
Writer Beware Blog--new to me, but look who's headlining August 18th. The very same publisher my brother almost fell prey to.
Talk to others and see what their experience has been over at Absolute Write Water Cooler.
There's Chuck Sambuchino's Guide to Literary Agents
Publishers Marketplace Track Deals, Sales, Reviews, Agents, Editors, News
And of course good old Predators and Editors
Don't underestimate a Google search as well. What comes up can be quite revealing.

Birth of a Novel Blog Chain

2011-10-29T04:07:00.000-04:00

As of December 1st, this is now a Monday posting. If you want to join, let us know and we will add you to the side-bar.

Introducing
The Birth of a Novel Blog Chain

Elizabeth Poole wrote a thought provoking post last week. Actually, why don't you pause and go read it HERE.

We ended up in an email conversation and the Birth of a Novel Blog Chain idea was born.

Every Tuesday in November, members will post a progress report and maybe a teaser from their Nano novel. Then they can visit other participants and encourage them to keep working toward their November goals.

This was designed with Nano in mind, but you don’t have to play Nano to participate. Everyone is welcome to grab a button and join the blog chain. (The buttons don't link anywhere, they just say, "Hey, I'm part of this Blog Chain.")

If you are interested email me at charity.bradford@gmail.com or Elizabeth at writer.elizabethpoole@gmail.com to get your name on the list. We will email you a list of the links in the chain to include at the bottom of each Birth of a Novel post. We will also keep a list in the sidebar on our blogs.

On Tuesday, November 1st, post your first Birth of a Novel post. Tell us your personal goals for November. Feel free to post a blurb introducing your story idea, or keep it all a secret. Then report on your progress each Tuesday in November.

Here are some smaller photo buttons for sidebars:

A Friday Meme

2011-10-28T04:49:00.000-04:00

If you are interested in guest posting for me in November, email me at charity.bradford@gmail.com. Tell me what day you would like and what topic you will cover.

Writing update: I finished the revision on Wednesday, formatted, and sent the two full submissions that were requested. I also sent out four more agent queries. Now the waiting starts again. At least I'll have Nano to help keep my mind off of it. :)

Liz over at Laws of Gravity tagged me in the following meme. Since I haven't done one in a while I thought I'd pass it along.

If you could go back in time and relive one moment, what would it be?
There are so many that would be nice to relive. The one I would relive over and over and never get tired of is the first kiss with my hubby. That deep connection. The story book electricity. That's the real world magic that I hope never fades.

If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?
This one was harder than I thought. Originally, I thought it would be the day my first son was born. I would have said something different. I don't know what, but something that would have changed the next three months of my life.

But as I thought more about it, I realized that I'd be a different person if I didn't go through that experience. My writing would be different.

I think that would hold true for anything I tried to pick in history.

What movie/TV character do you most resemble in personality?

I couldn't think of anyone. I'm pretty boring, or maybe I don't watch enough TV? Anyway, I asked my facebook friends to supply an answer. Here's what I got:

Stana Katic--Kate Beckett "good looking problem solver"
Lilly Evangeline (Kate from LOST) and Jennifer Garner--"I think of the characters with the big hearts and souls and brains when I think of you."

Awe, isn't that nice! I don't think I'm particularly brainy, just too stubborn to quit until I figure something out.

My hubby said, and I quote, "Simon Cowell...ooops, I meant another host, Cat Deeley, the host of So You Think You Can Dance, she is super friendly and likes to talk, very personable with the contestants and you can tell she likes the people she is around and what she is doing.

I also got a vote for Chuck from Pushing Daisies--"loving and baker"

I get the feeling my name should have been Kate, or Catherine or something. At least they are all beautiful women. Now, if only I could lose that thirty pounds...

If you could push one person off a cliff and get away with it, who would you choose?

No way I'm answering this question online where everyone can see.

Name one habit you want to change in yourself.

I wish I could focus on the things that are the most important. Too many things distract me from what is the most important.

Why do you blog? (Answer in one sentence)

To remind myself I'm not alone on this quest.

Name at least 3 people to send this to:
Michael Offutt over at SLC Kismet because I can't wait to see what his answers are.
Huntress at Spirit Called, Unicorn Bell owner and awesome crit partner.
Elizabeth Poole at Myself, Without the Shell. Why? I just love talking with her through email. She keeps me going like the other two.

Writing Report

2011-10-26T04:24:00.000-04:00

For anyone who may by looking for it, my Casting Call Post is below this one.

I have been revising like crazy all month. That simple POV switch turned out to be a lot more work than I envisioned, but I'm almost done. Here is where I stand numbers wise.

37/39 chapters switched to all 3rd person POV (I'm on scene two in chapter 32)
2/4 new scenes written
87,946 Current word count
475 Printed pages 5x8 size book (According to Scrivener)
2 publishers waiting to receive the full MS for review (Hopefully, with baited breath)

My goal? Finish by the end of this week so I can send in my submissions before starting Nano.

Wish me luck!

And then there's Nano. My location for the Kick-off party fell through. That means I'll be driving around begging for a new one today. First pick? This place...

I couldn't find an actual picture, but let's just say its a dream hang out for the artsy at heart. Mismatched furniture, comfy chairs, cool light fixtures made from all kinds of 'found' things, and French pastries! It's my favorite place for write-ins. Plus it's open 24 hours a day.

Update: I got Amelie's! Unfortunately, it isn't free. Hopefully, my fellow wrimos will donate a dollar or two.

Oh, and...

I wanted to ask you a question. Would you be interested in guest posting on my blog in November?

I know I'm going to be sporadic at best with doing Nano and MLing my home area--plus all that other stuff I'm supposed to be doing. However, I don't want to leave you high and dry for an entire month. Or just pop in with a word count reports--although I'm sure there will be plenty of that.

So, if you are interested, email me at charity.bradford@gmail.com and tell me what day you would like and what topic you will cover.

Thanks!

Casting Call Blogfest!

2011-10-25T04:40:00.000-04:00

I saw this one pop up in my google reader and thought, "Perfect!" Since I already made a book trailer with my casting call it was easy to join up.

Check out the other entries and the three great hosts--Carrie Butler, Melodie Wright, and Lisa Regan.

So, here it is again. Enjoy!