OMG, GRACELING!

So, this weekend, I fell in love with a book. This is not that unusual an occurrence, in fact it happens often. I read A LOT, even by writer/reader standards. (I'm talking 150 books a year...yikes and shame).

But every once in a while, I read a book that I not only LOVE, but I mourn it after I'm done. I go into a little bit of a reader depression, where I think of the world and miss the characters. We all do this, right? I experienced this with GRACELING, by Kristen Cashore.

I've really surprised myself these past few months with how much I love YA fantasy. Fantasy would never be a genre I would have said was one of my favorites. Ever. But the YA fantasy I've been reading lately is sooooo good.

GRACELING is no exception. Katsa was such a badass, It was kind of refreshing to flip the common brooding boy/lovesick girl thing around. Not that Po was needy, he was actually PERFECT!! He will go down on my short list (again...this is relative, because it's kind of a long list) of best lead male's of all time.  Of course, this book included my favorite love element...the separation. I can't help it, I love the reunion.  I was also surprised with how much I liked Bitterblue. At first I was all "oh gah, we're going to add a child to this mix?" (spoken like a true mother, right?) But I loved this element, and loved Bitterblue's character. In fact, I can't wait to read her book. :)

The ending and 'sort-of'' twist. Not really even a twist, but a surprise, was perfect. It made me love the characters even more than I already did.

In my true review style, I don't give a lot of info except for the plea....YOU MUST READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T!! It's truly an amazing book. And if you're a writer, you have to check out Kristen's blog. She has the most amazing writing process. whoa! Whatever she's doing though, she  must keep it up. :)

GUTGAA- Meet and Greet Monday

I've just started the whole "contest" part of the agent search and it seems to be fun, but also really stressful. (I entered a contest the other night at midnight only to realize it was the next day at NOON!! Ugh.

But now I've entered the GUTGAA (Gearing Up to Get An Agent) sponsored by the lovely Deana Barnhart. She has put so much work into this it's unreal. I believe you can still sign up, so get over and do it if you're looking for an agent! :)

Mini Bio- I'm 33, married, and have 3 sons. I own my own photography business and read WAY TOO MUCH! Oh, and I write! :)

Now for the questions...

-Where do you write? At my laptop at my kitchen table, or at a desk in my bedroom. I've probably done the majority of my writing at the desk.

-Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see? If I'm at the table, it's a window outside to my backyard. In my room it's a wall with a picture my youngest son drew when he was just learning to draw people. I love that picture. 

-Favorite time to write? Morning, usually, but some of my favorite scenes been written late at night. That's rare though.

-Drink of choice while writing? Creamer with coffee.

-When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence? Iused to think i needed silence, but about a year ago I tried writing with headphones in and loved it. I wrote faster and liked what I wrote so much more on the first try. Now I always write with headphones.

-What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?  One day my boys and I went on a drive in our small town. We passed a farm house with a big beautiful pond with a dock. By the time we got home i had a scenario with that dock in my head. Over the writing of this book the story became real around that particular event. (Which was a FOUR YEAR process. Hopefully the next one won't take so long! :))

-What's your most valuable writing tip? Get a good critique group of people that take their writing very seriously, and are very honest with you. My girls have made me SO MUCH BETTER.

Well said

I'm going to assume I'm the last to the party on this, but have you read Laini Taylor's blog Not for Robots?

Good Gosh, a few paragraphs in and I was on board. She could have sold me on just about anything. I was in her world, she was speaking to me. No ones thoughts on writing have resonated with me like these.

Like I said, I'm sure you've seen it, but if not...brace yourself. I've been completely reinvigorated and inspired. My feelings and process have also been validated.

I'll tell you what, if she wasn't already an amazing published author (hello Amazon top 10 of 2011!!) and I was an agent that stumbled across these little essays on writing?? I would sign her on these words alone. Truth. Such amazing stuff.

www.notforobots.blogspot.com

What a mess!

How in the world does one keep a manuscript in order? I have file, after file, after file. They go a little something like this.

• title of ms
• title of ms 1
• title of ms 2
• title of ms painful cuts
• painful cuts might use
• all new title of ms
• really new title of ms
   

How are we really supposed to keep it in order? I'm always in a panic state thinking that I'm opening the wrong file or saving the wrong file or afraid to delete any of them, lest I do something tragic!

Yesterday I was reading someone's blog...I really wish I could remember who's it was. I think it was Tamara Ireland Stone. I think!! Anyway, they (Tamara??) was saying they used Scrivener. When I went to the website and read about it, I fell a little bit in love with the idea. I haven't pulled the trigger on the 30 day trial, but I intend to do so very shortly! The way it works seems like a polished version of my lame envelope system. Like a digital companion to my very convoluted brain!

Has anyone used Scrivener or something similar??

Choosing Beta's

How do you choose your beta readers?? I'm not quite there, but I've started thinking about it. I want someone who will be brutally honest, but constructive. How does everyone else choose??

 

Oh, and how many do you give it to? Do you let friends read it? Family?

Also, I found a great new blog today via Jessica Love, and it's featuring a contest with a great review! Go check it out here —Carolina Valdez Miller.The prize is a SIGNED copy of this...

Such a beautiful day today, although my baby has a severe case of pneumonia. :( That breaks my heart, but he sits here propped up in my bed with a humidifier as I sit at the computer and write. Making the best of a cruddy situation. Back to work!! :)

It's 2012!!

Sadly, this is my first post of 2012!

ACK!

It's shameful, but I'm already over it.

I have missed blogging! I have missed bloggers. I have missed writers!! But I have not missed writing because I've been writing my butt off! That is the upside of my lack of blogging.

I had been nursing my wip for way. too. long. It was going nowhere fast. I was totally pantsing it. But something clicked a few weeks ago. I gave into a feeling I was having about this wip and it opened the floodgates. The writing was coming easy and it felt so good!! (Don't we LOVE that!)

Then one day I was overcome with an intense urge to plot it out. So I did...on about 20 envelopes. An envelope a chapter. I literally grabbed them off my desk and scribbled them out before the feeling passed. It has changed things for me. Having this—albeit crude—outline has made everyday writing a no brainer.

Here is the key.....

    I know what is supposed to happen.

Seems obvious doesn't it?? But I realize for a long time I didn't know! It was all feelings and theories. But it was not a plot. I pray that the next book I write will not require the marinating time that this one did. Please tell me that it gets easier. That ideas come quicker, that concepts come together faster!! Anyone???

The About Me Bag...A Character Analysis

    I've been over at WriteOnCon the past few days when I've been able to. It's wonderful and kudos to the ladies that bring it to us. More kudos to those authors, agents, and editors that participate. Yay!
One thing I've heard mentioned frequently is knowing your characters. It seems obvious, and at first glance you think, "Well duh, I dreamed up these characters...of course I know them!" 

    But do you??? I don't know. I thought I knew mine, but I did a little exercize with myself and found I might have some work to do. No, I KNOW I have some work to do. However, I enjoyed this exercise and I'm particularly proud because I came up with it myself. *pats back*

    So yesterday my boys went back to school (insert happy dance) and they both came home with an identical assignment. They were both titled The About Me Bag. Here is what it involves.

    Pick 3 items to put into the bag that you can present to the class. These items must tell us something about you.

This is a random google image kid, not my child! Although he is a cutie!

    So, obviously we went around finding photos of them with their brothers (I have 2 brothers), Darth Vader Lego minifigures ( I love Lego's and Star Wars), a Photo of Abe Lincoln (I love learning about history...my 8 year old is the bomb.com!) and other things that a little boy would show to represent his precious little life.
Of course one of my children asked me, "What would you put in your bag mom? A camera?"

"Hmmmmm. Probably something related to my photography, a picture of my beautiful family, and a book." I said.

They seemed pleased with this answer. All of those items fit me perfectly. I think even my husband would have chosen those three items for me. They clearly show who I am.

    Well, the writer in me started thinking about my....duh, writing. (As us writers always do) So I started to wonder what my main characters would have in their bags. Here is the scary part. I wasn't really SURE!!  *GASP* How is that possible?? I could maybe pick one or two items. Maybe. But overall, I realized that I couldn't pinpoint it exactly.

    Ummmm, I think we should know our characters that well...no?! So my mission is to figure out what my characters 3 items would be in their About Me Bag. Let's take it a stop further...what will be in their About Me Bag at the END of the story?!  *Insert dramatic oooooohhhh and awwwwww*

    If were writing a good story, I don't really think their About Me Bag should look the same by the end of the book, know what I mean?? Take this yet another step further. Imagine your character presenting them to the class. (This is especially easy if you write YA...if not, just pretend!) Who is watching? Are they nervous or confident? Do they not put what they really want to in their bag because they are embarssed? Is the bitchy antagonist in the back of the class making fun of them? What was in that girls bag??

    Point is, you can really work this idea to come up with a really clear picture of who your character is. I highly suggest it...or please share what you do to explore your characters!!

A Mommy Milestone

This morning I took my youngest child to Kindergarten. sniff.

If you're a parent, you understand that this is a big deal. It is the start of a new way of life. All your children in school. *sigh*

He did NOT want to smile for this photo!! (I used these on my business blog...hence the markings!)

These two turkeys have been at it awhile. They're over first day photos!

 

Seriously Mom?!? Why are you doing that?! 

He walked right into Kindergarten class and got to work on a coloring sheet. (Smart move teacher!)

 

I'm officially embarking on a new chapter of life. No pun intended...but I'm going to be getting more writing time, more photo editing time....more ME time. My home should stay cleaner, my meals should be better planned, my writing goals should be met. Yes?! We'll see, but I know I'm excited. When your a mother of small children this milestone seems so far off into the future. The thought of actually having a morning where you could meet a friend for coffee is a complete fantasy. But that day comes, and it's a little sad... but so exciting!!

Anyone else have kids starting school today?!

What a DAY!

Today is one of those days. The kind that are wonderful and stressful at the same time. Where you have a lot to do....just so you can get to the good stuff? Know what I'm talking about?

My son is having a birthday party tomorrow. Here. In my house. Ugh. Now I know why we moms are willing to spend buukuu bucks on having the party SOMEWHERE ELSE. There is that whole cleaning thing. It sucks. On top of that, I decided to make him a cake. Double ugh. I actually used to be pretty decent at making cakes. People actually paid me. I quit for a reason. But here I am doing it again for my beloved son.

I was up last night making Lego Star Wars Mini-figures out of fondant. Seriously. It will be awesome though. So today I'm baking, cleaning, fondanting, and all the while planning to get the four of us (me and my 3 boys) ready to hit a huge water park this afternoon with my sister. Oh, and I have a shoot tomorrow morning at like 7 am....before the party at 2:00.

Yeah. Sounds good, right? I will enjoy the water park....when I get us there. The shoot will be fun, although it will be early. (Plus I love this family!) And I will enjoy the party....when it happens. But the stuff in between?? Not so much. After that party tomorrow I will throw on some "soft pants" (as we call slumming clothes) and curl up with a good book to recoup.


Oh wait. Still haven't written through the kissing scene yet.

AHHHHHHH!!!  Sunday + Me = SERIOUS WRITING AND KISSING!!!

Happy Friday Peeps!! :)

Dirty Little Secrets...are hard to keep

If you read yesterdays post you saw where I mentioned giving my husband back control of our finances.

Now, I'm not going to air my dirt laundry here...but we needed to button up. We've needed to do it for awhile. My husband knew this...but not to the extent he should have. I knew it too, but you see...if you are really only answering to yourself with your spending it's easy to buy a book here or there. Or decide you don't want to cook the kids lunch and head to Chick Fil-A. Those things add up, and faster than you think. When I shared with my husband the whole situation it was a relief. His words were, "Okay, but you can't spend even a penny without us discussing it."

Now, to some of you that would be a "WTF?" moment. Well, maybe at one time it would have been. But right now it is a weight off my shoulders. It is accountability. It is partnership. It's direction.

We have a plan. We are a team.

My husband doesn't realize it, but I secretly do the same thing to him with my writing. I casually voice what's going on to him. I know many of these things he really doesn't care about. But, when I voice them...I'm sharing my plan. It's not just in my head anymore...it's out there. I've said it to the universe. I do the same thing here on this blog. When you put your intentions to the world, you want to keep them. You want to work harder.

That being said, my intention was to not read another book until my two main characters kissed. I haven't read in almost a week. I'm tempted to throw a kiss in and edit it out later...but that would be lame. And weasley. No more.

Often I think my husband isn't listening when I talk about writing and kissing and blah, blah, blah. Well, last night as he was drifting off to sleep I cracked open a nutrition book. It was NON FICTION FOLKS!! That certainly doesn't count right? Well...I did feel a little guilty. About three paragraphs into protein and legumes I felt his weight shift on the bed.

"Have you written a kissing scene? Are you reading?"

"Pshhaaa, it's a diet book!"

Silence.

"Ugh."

Dirt little secrets...it's best to share.

What I know for sure....right now.

Today I'm channeling my inner Oprah. I need to do that sometimes. Don't you?


A few things I know for sure today.

Giving my husband back the job of handling the bill paying and finances has been the best decision I've made in the last 5 years. Really.

I'm desperately ready for school to start.

The last two days I've watched more TV than I have in the last year.

I made a deal with myself that I couldn't read another book until the two main characters in my ms have their first kiss. I haven't read anything since last Thursday!!! OMG!! (Hence the tv watching.)

I haven't been able to write because I've had so much picture editing to do. Ugh!!

My little puppy is almost one. He is still a brat! We love him anyway.

I'm feeling rather optimistic about everything lately. It's a good feeling.

The heat here in the Midwest is getting OLD!!

Having my work email give me issues has become a real problem. When you aren't getting your emails, you are just SURE that the ones you're missing are very important. I'm sure I'm missing a local celebrity asking me to shoot their wedding. I'm sure of it!

My wip has suddenly developed a new piece to it's puzzle that I'm very excited about. Don't you love it when your characters reveal a part of themselves to you that you didn't see coming??  Now....if I could just get some time to write!


Happy Tuesday to you!

Yee hawwwww....the words are flowing!

I'm in the groove lovelies! I think I ran the first/present bug outta town. (maybe) I'm feeling the motivation to get this thing DONE!!!! I want to type THE END so bad it physically hurts. I don't care if it ends with a 6 week rewrite. I just want to get there!! Oh, and I wanted to share that picture of my baby!

Happy Friday!

Can't find the rhythm.

My brain has a little problem. It goes like this.

I read a book in first person present...and then when I go back to my novel words don't sound right anymore! I get confused, things don't make sense. Wording seems awkward.

I just finished up the novel Anna and the French Kiss...which I LOVED! Don't get me wrong, it's not Anna's fault. But all I can hear is 1st/present. The end.

Does anyone else have this problem???? How can I switch my brain back?

Sometimes you have to Steal!

That was a hook of a title...no? Sorry, I didn't mean it. I should have put borrow. But that didn't have the same zest at 7:00 AM on a Tuesday morning where it's already 83*.

Speaking of the heat, it's HOT. Like, hope my AC does freeze up hot!

Summer does not equal creative process for me. At. All. I have to literally suck the words from my over-processed brain. It's tough. Very tough. Anyone else have this problem? It may be the heat. It may be the kids. It may be the desire to do other things...go to the pool, vacation, nothing.

Anyway, two of my favorite bloggers recently had excellent post that inspired me. I thought they might inspire you too. Hence the stealing/not stealing. I'm actually referring you. You should get to know these gals if you haven't already, because they are the shiz!! (Sorry, too much iCarly as of late.)

Heidi Willis of Some Mad Hope did a great post on Motivation. Loved it. There is no story without motivation, and she gives you some things to think about. (We're talking your characters motivation here...not your own!!) Plus, she is currently getting her MFA, so she might sorta know what she is talking about!!! ;) I love reading her posts every time!


Natasha Hanova of Writes By Moonlight has a post on being stuck. I can relate to this and she has an excellent set of questions to ask yourself about your "stuck scene" that I love. Sometimes you just need a little something to get the wheels turning again. Check her blog out, she always has good stuff. Oh, and I've read her writing so I KNOW she knows her stuff!! :)

I've mentioned this blog before, but it deserves another mention. Stephanie Morrill's blog Go Teen Writers. Don't be discouraged by the name adults, there is some seriously  awesome content on this blog. And Stephanie will welcome you even if you are 45. She is just like that. I love what she is doing for young writers though. Giving them a place to share and learn. She holds contests that encourage their creativity and sharing and I think that is so awesome. If I would have had access to Stephanie fifteen year ago it would have been a game changer! She has done a whole series on writing a novel and it is great. Locate the info by the tabs at the top of her blog. Good stuff peeps. Oh, and check out Stephanie's awesome series here. I've read it and LOVED it.

Sometimes you just need something to light the fire...I know you can find something with these ladies!!

Happy Tuesday!

Dreaming Big

There is something magical about hearing that another writer has been signed or gotten an agent excited! I feel it in my gut. It's similar to that feeling you feel when your going down a roller coaster. A little light headedness. A little drop. Even though it's not YOU, you're hearing about. (damn) It's someone...and that means what?

It's possible. It can happen, and it can happen to you.

I love hearing these stories, because more than likely...that person really deserves it. No one else knows how hard writing is than another writer. It's not for the faint of heart. It's hard, grueling, cry inducing work. (Okay, for me it is anyway!) After I hear these stories I imagine my own. I can't help it—you know you do it too!! You have too. The only way to keep going is to maintain the dream.

So here we go. Close your eyes. Dream it. Share it with me. These dreams will motivate us all!

Love and Movies

I love, love. I love it in books, I love it in real life, I love my job because of it. Shooting weddings and families makes me happy.

When I read a book, I must have it in some way. I can't easily do a pure mystery or thriller. I can, and I have, but I'm not naturally drawn to it. Therefore, I don't write without it. I don't know if I could. Sometimes I consider trying to write (just as an excercize for myself)a purely horror short story or something. Just to test myself and strengthen my skills. I do that with my photography sometimes. I shoot something in a completely new way just to see if I can, and then to see if it helps me in my "normal" work. It usually does.

Does anyone ever try this? Write something that feels foreign to you? Obviously we were forced to do that in school...but that was a LONG time ago. I remember times in school when I would hear the assignment and groan only to find that I was actually pretty good at whatever was assigned.

That's my tip this week (hmmmm, I don't usually give tips) I'm going to write a couple of pages of something completely out of my comfort zone. It will have to be thriller or mystery. I encourage you to do the same. Let me know how it goes for you!! I'd even love for you to post and link it.

Also...has anyone seen the movie Midnight in Paris? If you are a writer, you will get a kick out of it. I wouldn't call myself a Woody Allen fan, but I adored this movie. Check it out!

I need another A-Z

That challenge really had me on a roll with blogging. It was good to have something that made me more accountable and actually have something to blog about. Even if it was totally random.

The good thing is that writing has been happening. Yay! I think it's because the weather in Kansas right now plunks right into the setting for my wip. I find that really puts me in the mood. Makes it real.

Do you find it hard to write about a place or season that you aren't currently experiencing? I think I could write about the beach in winter if I had too...but it would certainly be more enjoyable to write about the beach while at the beach. No?

I'm glad nobody protested violently to the fact that I'm not currently writing a YA. But it sure is a whole other ball game writing adult. I think I like it!

Snippets of Information

* I wrote 2000 words today. Yes I did. I'm slightly proud of it. It was the good of kind of writing too, the kind that just flows and before you know it your plot has taken on a new dimension you hadn't seen coming. I truly believe it's those days that help us to slog thru the rest. Hear, hear?

* Having my nails painted makes me feel so much prettier and feminine. Seriously. Am I alone?

* The only way I can enjoy the presence of my puppy is for him to have a bone to chew on. The end.

* Muddy backyard + puppy + hysterical woman + carpet = disaster.

* I'm out of bones.

* Sometimes when you run your own business, you should wait for a clients check to clear before paying your own bills. (grrrrrrrrr)

* My children have 2 more days of school. I'm terrified and excited at the same time.

* My heart breaks for the people in Joplin and Reading.

* More storms are on the way. I will sleep with my hard drive. I have peoples weddings on there!!!!

* I'm going out of town with another photographer friend this weekend to a small town in western Kansas to shoot a wedding. I'll be gone all day Friday, Saturday and be back Sunday.

* Yes, western Kansas is exactly what you would imagine. Remote...but the people are so darn friendly and when your children are not around and you have a friend to laugh with—it's as good as paradise.

* My wip is not a YA. Can you forgive me? Should I change my header?

Get on with things alredy.

Four more days of school for my kids. FOUR!

I have mixed feelings on this. Part of me is thrilled to let go of the morning routine. (Although I will still get up at 6:45 and make my husband luch, coffee, and a water bottle. It's what I do!) But nothing beats letting my kids sleep in. The other part of me is dreading the summer boredom. Fighting, whining, hitting etc. It becomes skull splitting.

Thank heaven's for pool passes. Seriously. It must seriously be a lifesaver if I am willing to put on a swimming suit in front of every person in my small town.

Either way, I'm ready to get on with it. The last couple weeks of school I'm just done. DONE! Ready to figure out our new normal for the summer. When your kids are still young every summer is a little bit different than the last.

I'm really hoping to get my husband out the door and then spend the quite morning time writing. (Remember that whole finishing before the end of summer thing I threw out there!! yikes!)

Completely unrelated...I've been working out the last couple of weeks. I'm talking lunges and squats. It's hurting. It's working. I'm seeing the difference. It's kind of awesome. We'll see how this plays out!

Happy very rainy Friday! I just want to crawl in bed and read with the thunder as my backdrop.

What does a rainy day make you want to do??

Way Too Long

I apologize. I seemed to have taken a blogging hiatus. Sabbatical. Vacation. Break.

I think I'm past it. Maybe.

It's just May. May  is busy!! I'm busy with work. Seniors are needing stuff for the end of year, moms want photos of their kiddo's in the flowers, etc. Busy with school stuff. Every activity is having a "end of year" get together. Cub scouts, preschool, talent show, music program.

The main thing though? BASEBALL. Baseball is in full swing. (hardy har) Because of that, we are on the go like crazy. With three little boys in ball this year, we are living and breathing it. 4 games a week, practice. It doesn't stop. The schedule is insane. I told my husband...the first boy that shows the sign of "not really being  into it." is OUT! I'm not putting myself through this for some kid that isn't into it! Got me?

I know that sounds mean, but really? So far, all three boys are doing well. And truthfully, I wouldn't let them quit easily. Two of them are still a little too young to know if they really don't like it. They haven't got to the good stuff yet. I happen to like baseball, so it's really the only sport I will go through this crazy schedule for. I enjoy the ball fields in summer. Especially in a small town like ours. It's the epitome of summer to hear the crack of the bat on a warm evening. Kids running around in the background. People you know surrounding you. My kids begging for nachos from the concession stand. I love it. Would I get three boys up at 5 am for a day full of freezing soccer games in October? NOT A CHANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, all of this is to say...Sorry. I've neglected this blog and I'm ready to get back on the ball.

My WIP is also in a happy place. I've been writing daily and I told my writing group girls that it must be completed by the end of summer. MUST. It can't go on after that. I won't let it. Hold me to it.

Speaking of my very talented writing ladies, they are back from OWFI and had awesome connections with agents that I'm praying turn into something amazing. I'm so proud of all of them and so very honored that I have them to share my writing process with.