Some people were telling me they were having a hard time opening up my blog or posting comments. (Please let me know if you still have problems on twitter @elle_strauss) I think it might be because my blog had too much stuff on it, widgets and things, so I cleaned it up, got rid of a bunch of stuff. Then I noticed that it went through my entire blog list when loading. The thing was, I didn't know how to keep my blog list short--I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings by not including their blog, so I listed every blog I followed/who followed me etc. Just too much. So I decided to remove the whole thing. I still have everyone on my blog roll, so I can still find you.
I'm sitting alone in a hotel room not far from the airport in Frankfurt. It's been quite a day of planes trains and automobiles---and shuttle buses, but I made it here. DH had to go to Dresden to get out tomorrow, so I had to navigate the train system in a foreign country with two bags and one bummed out shoulder by myself. One more long day of travel and then I'm home sweet home.
Trivia: The ICE train I took from Cologne to Frankfurt today clocked in over 300km/hr at times. That's over 186 miles/hr. That's fast.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
How To Write – More On First Pages
In case you're not following my travel adventures, I'm stuck in Mallorca Spain due to a general union strike. It's only put me off schedule one day, but created a headache in re-booking hell. Got an extra day of summer out of the deal, so won't complain, but it means I'll miss posting Friday Free For All this week. Back to regular blogging, social networking schedule next week!
We’ve already established that first pages aren’t easy and often require a lot of revision. I thought I’d share the evolution of the first page of my wip HOW TO DATE A MERBOY to illustrate. (Warning: this blog post will be a bit longer than usual.)
I’ll start with the “final” (ha) version and then start with the first one after that.
Final version of the first 250 words:
Had I known my world was about to be turned on its head, I would’ve treasured the monotony.
“Dibs on the red ones.” Samara flicked her braided black hair over her bronze shoulders as she poured candy onto the outdoor table. My two BFF’s were fighting over a bag of M&Ms.
“Dibs on blue,” Becca said. “Reds have too much red dye in them. Poison, you know.”
“Man, Becs,” Samara said. “Do you have to say that every time? Obviously, I call dibs to keep Dori’s paws off them.”
“Dibs? Really guys? Do you know how immature that sounds?” I rolled my eyes, twice. “I get the most this way, you know?”
“So.” Samara tossed a single red M&M in her mouth. “The red ones are the best, and this way I don’t eat too many.”
“You can’t eat too many M&Ms.”
“Um, you’ve got a point, Dori,” Becca said. It came out mumbled because she had popped most of the blue ones in her mouth all at once.
I was scooping my candy loot into my palm when I spotted him. At least six feet tall, he walked toward the front door of the school with his head high, shoulders back, radiating a military type of confidence. He swept his dark hair across his forehead with one hand, revealing an amazing set of deep green eyes.
Something drew his gaze to mine. Fate? Providence? My heart stopped beating. Yellow and brown M&Ms slipped through my fingers, plinking onto the table.
You may be thinking, that’s great, or what’s so great about that? That’s what I mean. Beginnings are hard.
First draft, first 250 words:
A strange musical clicking tickles my ears. Not quite the song of a dolphin or whale, and certainly not from a forest creature. It’s a tone and cadence I’ve never heard before, albeit my life is a sheltered one here in sleepy Eastcove on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. My dog, a golden lab beauty, doesn’t care for it much. He begins to whimper and paw at his ears.
“Shsh, Sydney.” I pat his head. He follows me a few steps farther down the beach, around a soft bend. I stop. Through the rising mist I see a boy in the distance, sitting on a smooth water worn boulder, facing the ocean. He’s wearing jeans and a white tee shirt with an open plaid long sleeve shirt over top. On his feet he wears only sandals, even with this early morning chill. His dark shaggy hair blows across his face and I can’t make it out. Can he be the author of the song? I tilt my head. The melody is clear, piercing through the rhythmic roar of the waves slapping ashore.
Yup, I’m right. The unusual musical clicking is coming from him. Sydney presses his body down on the sand, and whimpers, loud enough that the boy hears him. The clicking stops.
He stares at me. I stare back. I’m going to turn around and go back the way I’d come, but think, what the heck, it’s my beach, not his. He can leave if he wants to.
As you can see, I started in a completely different scene originally, which created an entirely different opening mood. This scene eventually became chapter three. I also decided against writing in present tense.
Revision ~ Three:
You know how nothing new ever happens, ever, until one day, it finally does?
Seriously, nothing new ever happened in Eastcove. In fact, Eastcove had an anti-happening reputation—people left Eastcove. Because not only did nothing ever happen, there were also very few jobs. Which meant mothers cried every summer when their kids graduated and left town to find work or go to school.
For fourteen years I’d seen so much not happen in Eastcove, that when something finally did, I didn’t realize how big a deal it actually was. Weird how a seemingly small event could be the spark that ignites an inferno, the plug that unleashes massive flooding, the…you get the picture. I’d thought I’d known fully how my life would unfold—finish school with honors, snag a swim scholarship with a top university, meet a guy there, someday get married, have kids.
It’s a common plan.
The spark that threw me off that trajectory, the loose plug that unfurled a tsunami on my idyllic future -- that miniscule but major event was the moment I, Dori Seward, saw him first.
Yes, it started with a guy. I know, sounds lame, but hear me out. Not just any guy, but a new guy. Did I mention how people leave Eastcove, not move here? A non-event in any other town was big news in Eastcove.
I was sitting at the outside eating area of our school, eating lunch with my BFFs, Samara and Becca. They were fighting over a bag of M&Ms.
There are too many problems to mention in that opening!
Revision ~ Four:
You know how nothing new ever happens, ever, until one day, it finally does? But while it should have busted my eardrums like a tsunami warning siren, fourteen years of so much regularly not happening had lulled me into a sleeplike state so that it came off deceptively like spit sizzling in a hot pan.
The miniscule but major event in question, the catalyst that turned my life into a pot of mashed potatoes, was the moment I, Dori Seward, saw him first.
Yes, it started with a guy. I know, sounds lame, but hear me out. Not just any guy, a new guy.
I was sitting at the outside eating area of our school, eating lunch with my BFFs, Samara and Becca. They were fighting over a bag of M&Ms.
“Dibs on the red ones,” Samara said, as she poured them out on the table.
“Dibs on blue,” Becca said.
“Dibs? Really? Do you know how immature that sounds?” I rolled my eyes, twice.They were too busy sorting the candy by color to care.
“You do know that means I get the most that way, don’t you?” I added.
“So,” Samara said, whipping her dark beaded hair over her shoulder. “The red ones are the best, and this way I don’t eat too many.”
“You can’t eat too many M&M’s,” I said.
“Um, you got a point, Dori.” It came out mumbled because Becca had popped most of the blue ones in her mouth all at once.
Agent Awesome didn’t like opening with a rhetorical sentence. And still, no real hook.
Revision ~ who knows anymore?
Lunch hour boredom frequently resulted in childish games. Had I known my world of familiarity and comfort was about to be turned on its head, I would’ve treasured the monotony.
“Dibs on the red ones.” Samara flicked her braided black hair over her bronze shoulders as she poured candy onto the outdoor table. My two BFF’s were fighting over a bag of M&M’s.
“Dibs on blue,” Becca said. “Red’s have too much red dye in them. Poison, you know.”
“Man, Becs,” Samara said. “Do you have to say that every time? Obviously, I call dibs to keep Dori’s paws off them.”
“Dibs? Really guys? Do you know how immature that sounds?” I rolled my eyes, twice. “I get the most this way, you know?”
“So.” Samara tossed a single red M&M in her mouth. “The red ones are the best, and this way I don’t eat too many.”
“You can’t eat too many M&Ms.”
“Um, you’ve got a point, Dori,” Becca said. It came out mumbled because she had popped most of the blue ones in her mouth all at once. She pulled a flyaway strand of curly auburn hair out of her mouth and tugged on the top of her t-shirt, ever self-conscious of the mass of flesh that grew there over the last six months. Becca was constantly trying to conceal her bounty; an effort Samara and I failed to understand. If only there was a way to share the goods.
First paragraph still says more than it needs too. Description of secondary character not needed here. Moved it to the next scene she’s in.
And that’s what it took (with a lot of scribbling and head scratching in between) for me to get down my “final” 250 words.
So try this: Copy and paste your first 250 onto a blank page. Now imagine reading it with fresh eyes, not knowing anything about your plot or characters. How does it read? Do you know who the protagonist is? The setting? The situation? Does it hook you? This is a great exercise to get you ready for FIRST PAGE BLOGFEST.
We’ve already established that first pages aren’t easy and often require a lot of revision. I thought I’d share the evolution of the first page of my wip HOW TO DATE A MERBOY to illustrate. (Warning: this blog post will be a bit longer than usual.)
I’ll start with the “final” (ha) version and then start with the first one after that.
Final version of the first 250 words:
Had I known my world was about to be turned on its head, I would’ve treasured the monotony.
“Dibs on the red ones.” Samara flicked her braided black hair over her bronze shoulders as she poured candy onto the outdoor table. My two BFF’s were fighting over a bag of M&Ms.
“Dibs on blue,” Becca said. “Reds have too much red dye in them. Poison, you know.”
“Man, Becs,” Samara said. “Do you have to say that every time? Obviously, I call dibs to keep Dori’s paws off them.”
“Dibs? Really guys? Do you know how immature that sounds?” I rolled my eyes, twice. “I get the most this way, you know?”
“So.” Samara tossed a single red M&M in her mouth. “The red ones are the best, and this way I don’t eat too many.”
“You can’t eat too many M&Ms.”
“Um, you’ve got a point, Dori,” Becca said. It came out mumbled because she had popped most of the blue ones in her mouth all at once.
I was scooping my candy loot into my palm when I spotted him. At least six feet tall, he walked toward the front door of the school with his head high, shoulders back, radiating a military type of confidence. He swept his dark hair across his forehead with one hand, revealing an amazing set of deep green eyes.
Something drew his gaze to mine. Fate? Providence? My heart stopped beating. Yellow and brown M&Ms slipped through my fingers, plinking onto the table.
You may be thinking, that’s great, or what’s so great about that? That’s what I mean. Beginnings are hard.
First draft, first 250 words:
A strange musical clicking tickles my ears. Not quite the song of a dolphin or whale, and certainly not from a forest creature. It’s a tone and cadence I’ve never heard before, albeit my life is a sheltered one here in sleepy Eastcove on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. My dog, a golden lab beauty, doesn’t care for it much. He begins to whimper and paw at his ears.
“Shsh, Sydney.” I pat his head. He follows me a few steps farther down the beach, around a soft bend. I stop. Through the rising mist I see a boy in the distance, sitting on a smooth water worn boulder, facing the ocean. He’s wearing jeans and a white tee shirt with an open plaid long sleeve shirt over top. On his feet he wears only sandals, even with this early morning chill. His dark shaggy hair blows across his face and I can’t make it out. Can he be the author of the song? I tilt my head. The melody is clear, piercing through the rhythmic roar of the waves slapping ashore.
Yup, I’m right. The unusual musical clicking is coming from him. Sydney presses his body down on the sand, and whimpers, loud enough that the boy hears him. The clicking stops.
He stares at me. I stare back. I’m going to turn around and go back the way I’d come, but think, what the heck, it’s my beach, not his. He can leave if he wants to.
As you can see, I started in a completely different scene originally, which created an entirely different opening mood. This scene eventually became chapter three. I also decided against writing in present tense.
Revision ~ Three:
You know how nothing new ever happens, ever, until one day, it finally does?
Seriously, nothing new ever happened in Eastcove. In fact, Eastcove had an anti-happening reputation—people left Eastcove. Because not only did nothing ever happen, there were also very few jobs. Which meant mothers cried every summer when their kids graduated and left town to find work or go to school.
For fourteen years I’d seen so much not happen in Eastcove, that when something finally did, I didn’t realize how big a deal it actually was. Weird how a seemingly small event could be the spark that ignites an inferno, the plug that unleashes massive flooding, the…you get the picture. I’d thought I’d known fully how my life would unfold—finish school with honors, snag a swim scholarship with a top university, meet a guy there, someday get married, have kids.
It’s a common plan.
The spark that threw me off that trajectory, the loose plug that unfurled a tsunami on my idyllic future -- that miniscule but major event was the moment I, Dori Seward, saw him first.
Yes, it started with a guy. I know, sounds lame, but hear me out. Not just any guy, but a new guy. Did I mention how people leave Eastcove, not move here? A non-event in any other town was big news in Eastcove.
I was sitting at the outside eating area of our school, eating lunch with my BFFs, Samara and Becca. They were fighting over a bag of M&Ms.
There are too many problems to mention in that opening!
Revision ~ Four:
You know how nothing new ever happens, ever, until one day, it finally does? But while it should have busted my eardrums like a tsunami warning siren, fourteen years of so much regularly not happening had lulled me into a sleeplike state so that it came off deceptively like spit sizzling in a hot pan.
The miniscule but major event in question, the catalyst that turned my life into a pot of mashed potatoes, was the moment I, Dori Seward, saw him first.
Yes, it started with a guy. I know, sounds lame, but hear me out. Not just any guy, a new guy.
I was sitting at the outside eating area of our school, eating lunch with my BFFs, Samara and Becca. They were fighting over a bag of M&Ms.
“Dibs on the red ones,” Samara said, as she poured them out on the table.
“Dibs on blue,” Becca said.
“Dibs? Really? Do you know how immature that sounds?” I rolled my eyes, twice.They were too busy sorting the candy by color to care.
“You do know that means I get the most that way, don’t you?” I added.
“So,” Samara said, whipping her dark beaded hair over her shoulder. “The red ones are the best, and this way I don’t eat too many.”
“You can’t eat too many M&M’s,” I said.
“Um, you got a point, Dori.” It came out mumbled because Becca had popped most of the blue ones in her mouth all at once.
Agent Awesome didn’t like opening with a rhetorical sentence. And still, no real hook.
Revision ~ who knows anymore?
Lunch hour boredom frequently resulted in childish games. Had I known my world of familiarity and comfort was about to be turned on its head, I would’ve treasured the monotony.
“Dibs on the red ones.” Samara flicked her braided black hair over her bronze shoulders as she poured candy onto the outdoor table. My two BFF’s were fighting over a bag of M&M’s.
“Dibs on blue,” Becca said. “Red’s have too much red dye in them. Poison, you know.”
“Man, Becs,” Samara said. “Do you have to say that every time? Obviously, I call dibs to keep Dori’s paws off them.”
“Dibs? Really guys? Do you know how immature that sounds?” I rolled my eyes, twice. “I get the most this way, you know?”
“So.” Samara tossed a single red M&M in her mouth. “The red ones are the best, and this way I don’t eat too many.”
“You can’t eat too many M&Ms.”
“Um, you’ve got a point, Dori,” Becca said. It came out mumbled because she had popped most of the blue ones in her mouth all at once. She pulled a flyaway strand of curly auburn hair out of her mouth and tugged on the top of her t-shirt, ever self-conscious of the mass of flesh that grew there over the last six months. Becca was constantly trying to conceal her bounty; an effort Samara and I failed to understand. If only there was a way to share the goods.
First paragraph still says more than it needs too. Description of secondary character not needed here. Moved it to the next scene she’s in.
And that’s what it took (with a lot of scribbling and head scratching in between) for me to get down my “final” 250 words.
So try this: Copy and paste your first 250 onto a blank page. Now imagine reading it with fresh eyes, not knowing anything about your plot or characters. How does it read? Do you know who the protagonist is? The setting? The situation? Does it hook you? This is a great exercise to get you ready for FIRST PAGE BLOGFEST.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Friday Free For All--Delivered Early
1. Did I mention I'm in Spain? Yes, I’m in Spain, on the fabulous island of Mallorca (aka Majorca) off the south coast of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea! But, the internet is really expensive here, so I' won't be posting until I get back to Germany on the 30th.
2. Agent Awesome has sent HOW TO DATE A MERBOY out into the wild editorial frontier! You heard me right. Now, I can tell some of you are calculating, isn’t that three out on submission? Technically, yeah. I’m sort of feeling like always the bridesmaid never the bride. But still, HOW TO DATE A MERBOY is out!!!
3. Thanks to everyone who entered the Best Beginnings contest—winners will be announced Oct 6!
4. Don't forget to sign up for the First Page (250words) BlogFest.
5. I haven't been able to go blog visiting for awhile, but once I'm back in Canada, I'll be checking in again, I promise!
Have a great week everyone!
2. Agent Awesome has sent HOW TO DATE A MERBOY out into the wild editorial frontier! You heard me right. Now, I can tell some of you are calculating, isn’t that three out on submission? Technically, yeah. I’m sort of feeling like always the bridesmaid never the bride. But still, HOW TO DATE A MERBOY is out!!!
3. Thanks to everyone who entered the Best Beginnings contest—winners will be announced Oct 6!
4. Don't forget to sign up for the First Page (250words) BlogFest.
5. I haven't been able to go blog visiting for awhile, but once I'm back in Canada, I'll be checking in again, I promise!
Have a great week everyone!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday Word Smart
Word of the Week:
PREDILECTION (pred uh LEK SHUN) n a natural preference for something
The impatient judge had a predilection for well-prepared lawyers who said what the meant and didn’t waste his time.
Joe’s predilection for saturated fats has added roughly a foot to his waistline in the past twenty years.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Monday Musings— FIRST PAGE BLOGFEST INFO
Since only the finalists of the First Sentence contest were able to share their first 250 words in the comments last week, I thought I’d like to give everyone a chance to play by hosting a FIRST PAGE BLOG FEST, October 16. See Mr. Linky at the end of this post to sign up. And yes, the finalists are more than welcome to re-post their entries for the blog fest, or if they prefer, post something new.
I mentioned on Friday that I’m working on an old wip. This baby saw more than few revisions and still ended up in the trunk. I think *says quick prayer* I’ve breathed new life into it. At least I hope so. May just be a case of “I’m in love with my new/old wip” honeymoon blindness. Either way, First Page Blog Fest, here I come with a brand spanking new first page.
Anyone else resuscitating a “once was lost” wip?
I mentioned on Friday that I’m working on an old wip. This baby saw more than few revisions and still ended up in the trunk. I think *says quick prayer* I’ve breathed new life into it. At least I hope so. May just be a case of “I’m in love with my new/old wip” honeymoon blindness. Either way, First Page Blog Fest, here I come with a brand spanking new first page.
Anyone else resuscitating a “once was lost” wip?
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Friday Free For All – Chocolate Chocolate Everywhere
Awake in the darkness of night again—jetlag sucks. So, Friday’s post looks like it’s coming to you on Thursday, but believe me, it’s Friday here!
2. I thought I’d post a couple pictures to show you where I hang my hat when I come to Deutschland.This is the Schloss (Castle—think Manor House rather than rocky turrets and moats—though those kind are around here.)
3. Turns out I’m getting more quiet writing time than I had anticipated. The trunked novel is officially out of the trunk! Just in time for First Page Blog Fest—now I have new material to post for the fest. (yay)
4. There are still a number of you who still need to post your 250 words for the Best Beginnings contest. You know who you are!
4. Denise Jaden’s launch party: If you are in the lower mainland area of Vancouver BC, you should go! Abbotsford author Denise Jaden will be reading from and signing her new novel, “Losing Faith” Sun, Sept. 19 from 2-4 p.m. at The Reach Gallery and Museum. The book launch and celebration will feature performances by singer/recording artist Jerrica Santos and the Paul Traval-Latta Polynesian Dancers. Cake and refreshments – all ages welcome.
6. Not all book trailers are created equally, and even though I may be bias in this situation, the LOSING FAITH book trailer rocks!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
How To Write – That Important First Page
BEST BEGINNINGS contest continues here. Top 25 first sentence finalists are listed at the end of this post. If you’re a finalist, paste the first 250 words of your wip in the comments. Submission window closes Monday September 20th. Winners of the 25page critique and 15 page critique by lit agent Natalie Fischer will be announced Wednesday October 6th.
If for some reason you have problems with the comments, let me know via twitter @elle_strauss
Don't feel bad if you're sentence wasn't selected--another chance to post your first 250 words is coming your way with FIRST PAGE BLOG FEST. Details to come.
I first became aware of how important the first 250 words were when I entered a secret agent contest at Miss Snark’s First Victim.
When being judged solely on those 250 words, with no summary, log-line, or supporting paragraphs, you suddenly feel, well, naked. Not only did I have to hook the reader right away, I had to introduce the main character, the situation, setting and create enough tension, that the reader, aka, judge would be intrigued enough to want to read more.
It’s a lot harder than you think.
Literary agent Kristen Nelson recently posted on what killed an opening for her. All her points are insightful, so instead of recreating the wheel by nattering on about what kills (in a bad way) the first 250 words, I’m just going to post her thoughts here.
1. Opening pages that are nothing but backstory and explaining.
2. Opening pages with scenes that only do one thing (like have action but no character development or any other components that are essential to strong writing).
3. Problems with sentence structure, misuse or overuse of description, and basic grammar snafus.
4. Prologues (or chapter one) that sets up a faux conflict to “hook” the reader but then has very little connection to the following chapter—in tone, in the characters that are then introduced, in plot that unfolds immediately in the next chapter.
2. Opening pages with scenes that only do one thing (like have action but no character development or any other components that are essential to strong writing).
3. Problems with sentence structure, misuse or overuse of description, and basic grammar snafus.
4. Prologues (or chapter one) that sets up a faux conflict to “hook” the reader but then has very little connection to the following chapter—in tone, in the characters that are then introduced, in plot that unfolds immediately in the next chapter.
Thoughts? Do you have anything to add to this list?
Now back to the BEST BEGINNINGS contest. Here is the list of finalists from the First Sentence contest. If you see your sentence here, please post your first 250 words for a chance to WIN!
1. Death has bright green eyes and a wide smile.
2. Yes, Mrs. Vandewater, your daughter’s wedding bouquet will be delivered to your house by noon along with all of the attendants’ flowers,” Roda Morgan answered for the third time as she doodled on a yellow legal pad, taking the name Vandewater and added horns to the V and a pointed tail to the R.
3. A siren broke the night’s tense silence.
4. I stared at the ceiling and willed my heart to slow.
5. When we abandoned our home to move to the Community, we left behind a house full of food, furniture, and a cat that no one remembered to let out.
6. I'm on my way to meet a ghost.
7. Jaavan found Lani's bare feet under the hanging branches of their favorite pomegranate tree, branches loaded with flame-colored blossoms and little green crowns.
8. Three seconds—that’s how long it took for my life to end.
9. Every Wednesday Kate stood on the same front porch, her hand poised inches from the door, willing herself to finally do the unthinkable—walk away without knocking.
10. Life is so much easier without underwear.
11. Having a murderer for an uncle sucks, even when you're a god.
12. A sheet of robin’s egg-blue water lies before me, not a ripple of movement beneath its glasslike surface.
13. In the time before the sundering, they were one people.
14. I died on my sixteenth birthday, December 21, 2009.
15. Death lurked in the shadows, and I knew it searched for me.
16. The sidekick audition was, by far, the worst idea Connor Thomas had ever had.
17. After standing so long under the hot stage lights, Paul would have crossed the wormhole without a spacesuit for a drink of water.
18. Grandad lied to me a lot.
19. Dad didn't know Amy's death was my fault.
20. My life began the night my parents were murdered.
21. Kye’s blood pools on the smooth black floor of the cave, drenches his white shirt and soaks my knees, ruining the silk dress I bought in New York, just yesterday.
22. I watched the young woman run through the dark woods wearing nothing but a white towel – poor girl, what a terrible outfit for trying to outrun a homicidal maniac.
23. Ellyssa, a.k.a. Subject 62, sprinted through the dark alley.
24. Ravi's lips were soft and familiar, but my mind was elsewhere, obsessing about my upcoming finals.
25. It was the lion's fault that George escaped.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tuesday Word Smart
Guten Tag! 15 hours, 3 air planes, 1 lost bag and 1 skipped night's sleep I made it -safe if not sound....
REMONSTRATE (ri MAHN strayt) v to argue against; to protest; to raise objections
My boss remonstrated with me for telling all the secretaries they could take the rest of the week off.
The manager remonstrated, but the umpire continued to insist that the base runner had been out at third. When the manager continued to remonstrate, the umpire threw him out of the game.
An act of remonstrating is a remonstration.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Monday Musings: When On-line Friends Become Real Friends
Last chance for First Sentence contest--closes today, 12:00 NOON PST (because I have a plane to catch!) A lot of great first sentences have come in! Thanks to everyone who entered!
Winner of a signed copy of LOSING FAITH is Melissa at i swim for oceans—Congratulations!!
This is a true story.
Before I had crit partners I used to post blurbs on a wonderful site called Critique Circle. It works this way: you critique other writers work in exchange for credits. You use your credits to post your own work. Other writers critique your work. It’s a circle. If you haven’t tried Critique Circle, you really should. I've learned so much about how to critique effectively and how to accept and use criticism to improve my writing from this site.
And I made a few friends, because you tend to go back and forth with the same people after awhile.
And sometimes your CC friends become your blogging friends and your Facebook friends.
And sometimes they travel across the Atlantic Ocean to visit your country.
And they take time to visit you!
Meet my friend Lizzie from England!!
She's in the middle, and beside her is her friend (now my friend!) Helen, whom she also met on Critique Circle.
Lizzie has had the distinct, uh, opportunity of reading early, early, early (read terrible) drafts of both my books now out on submission. I give her (and my other CC pals) credit for helping me shape those books into publishable material.
Have you met any of your on-line friends in person? What was that like for you?
Winner of a signed copy of LOSING FAITH is Melissa at i swim for oceans—Congratulations!!
This is a true story.
Before I had crit partners I used to post blurbs on a wonderful site called Critique Circle. It works this way: you critique other writers work in exchange for credits. You use your credits to post your own work. Other writers critique your work. It’s a circle. If you haven’t tried Critique Circle, you really should. I've learned so much about how to critique effectively and how to accept and use criticism to improve my writing from this site.
And I made a few friends, because you tend to go back and forth with the same people after awhile.
And sometimes your CC friends become your blogging friends and your Facebook friends.
And sometimes they travel across the Atlantic Ocean to visit your country.
And they take time to visit you!
Meet my friend Lizzie from England!!
She's in the middle, and beside her is her friend (now my friend!) Helen, whom she also met on Critique Circle.
Lizzie has had the distinct, uh, opportunity of reading early, early, early (read terrible) drafts of both my books now out on submission. I give her (and my other CC pals) credit for helping me shape those books into publishable material.
Have you met any of your on-line friends in person? What was that like for you?
Friday, September 10, 2010
Friday Free For All
1. Shout out to my friend Denise Jaden and her Tuesday BOOK RELEASE! Who-hoo! If you haven’t met her yet, go check out the interview I did with her and comment for a chance to win a signed copy of her book LOSING FAITH. (pst, there’s not a lot of entries, so your chances of winning are good.)
2. Speaking of contests, Agent Awesome and I are hosting a BEST BEGINNINGS contest. Enter your first sentence for a chance to win a 25 pg critique by lit agent Natalie Fischer!
3. Next Wednesday is How To Write the First Page, so I thought, how about a FIRST PAGE BLOGFEST? So, on October 16th, I’m hosting The First 250 Words BlogFest. Stay tuned for more info.
4. YA and NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST---YA authors are hot!! Congratulations to Cassandra Clare, Kiersten White, Jessica Verday and the other YA authors for breaking the top 10 on the Children’s list.
5. I’m going to Germany. And then Spain. I leave Monday for two weeks, but I’ll still be blogging. I’ll post pictures. So excited!
6. Since we're talking NYT bestsellers, here’s a wonderful book trailer for a NYT bestselling children’s book by Lane Smith called IT’S A BOOK.
2. Speaking of contests, Agent Awesome and I are hosting a BEST BEGINNINGS contest. Enter your first sentence for a chance to win a 25 pg critique by lit agent Natalie Fischer!
3. Next Wednesday is How To Write the First Page, so I thought, how about a FIRST PAGE BLOGFEST? So, on October 16th, I’m hosting The First 250 Words BlogFest. Stay tuned for more info.
4. YA and NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST---YA authors are hot!! Congratulations to Cassandra Clare, Kiersten White, Jessica Verday and the other YA authors for breaking the top 10 on the Children’s list.
5. I’m going to Germany. And then Spain. I leave Monday for two weeks, but I’ll still be blogging. I’ll post pictures. So excited!
6. Since we're talking NYT bestsellers, here’s a wonderful book trailer for a NYT bestselling children’s book by Lane Smith called IT’S A BOOK.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
How To Write: Those Beautiful, Horrible Beginnings—The First Sentence
Awesome contest info to follow on how you could win a 25 pg critique from literary agent Natalie Fischer!
Where I do I start, I ask you, where do I start???
If you’re like me, you’ve jumped around from starting position to starting position, pulling your hair out as you go. If you’re not like me, well, lucky you.
Beginnings are so difficult for me, I almost feel like apologizing that I’m trying to instruct on how to write them at all. The most I can hope for is that you will learn from my mistakes.
But you have to start somewhere. So pick a spot and start. It’s only by trying it on for size that you’ll be able to tell if it fits.
And I can tell you this: you’re probably going to re-write your beginning many times, so don’t get too hung up on it at first. Just write it and move on.
But, for the purpose of the following instruction, let’s assume that you are at revision stage and want to nail that beginning sequence.
Let’s start with the first sentence.
What does a great first sentence look like? Let’s look at a few from the assortment of books I happen to currently have in my possession.
THE CAY by Theodore Taylor: Like silent, hungry sharks that swim in the darkness of the sea, the German submarines arrived in the middle of the night.
GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray: The best day of my life happened when I was five and almost died at Disney World.
MATCHED by Ally Condle: Now that I found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night.
BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver: They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that’s not how it happened for me.
PARANORMACLY by Kiersten White: "Wait - did you - You just yawned!" The vampire's arms, raised over his head in the classic Dracula pose, dropped to his sides. (technically two sentences)
And possibly the all time best first sentence ev-ah, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austin: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
Take a look at your own first sentence. If that’s all you had to go on, not the strength of the next sentence or paragraph, just the sentence itself, how would it strike you? Is it a strong sentence? Does it make you want to go, what comes next?
Here are a few of my first sentences. I’m not going to say which book they belong to, and I’m not super sure they’re that strong. I haven’t always thought about the hook of the first sentence. You can let me know what you think.
Had I known my world was about to be turned on its head, I would’ve treasured the monotony.
Everyone has to live with something.
The pillar of smoke rising on the horizon could only mean one thing—a farm, which meant food.
My dad still thought I was ten.
And let me share one more. This is from my son, many years ago when he was six:
In the beginning it was very exciting and in the end it was even worse.
(Pretty much wraps up the writing life, doesn’t it? :D)
Why is this important? Because opening lines hook us into reading the second line. And hopefully more. I know when I’m browsing for a book, this is what I do—I read the first sentence. And then the first paragraph. I may read the whole first page, but not likely. If the first sentence and paragraph don’t grab me, I shelve the book and choose another.
I’m willing to bet agents and editors do the same.
And to prove this theory, literary agent Natalie Fischer (aka Agent Awesome) has generously agreed to judge a BEST BEGINNINGS contest.
Enter your first sentence in the comments below. Natalie will chose the top twenty-five first sentences and those authors can then enter their first 250 words next Wednesday when we talk about mastering the first page. The winner receives a 25 pg critique from Natalie! And because she’s just so generous, she’ll give the runner up a 15 pg critique.
So give us your best first-sentence shot!
Where I do I start, I ask you, where do I start???
If you’re like me, you’ve jumped around from starting position to starting position, pulling your hair out as you go. If you’re not like me, well, lucky you.
Beginnings are so difficult for me, I almost feel like apologizing that I’m trying to instruct on how to write them at all. The most I can hope for is that you will learn from my mistakes.
But you have to start somewhere. So pick a spot and start. It’s only by trying it on for size that you’ll be able to tell if it fits.
And I can tell you this: you’re probably going to re-write your beginning many times, so don’t get too hung up on it at first. Just write it and move on.
But, for the purpose of the following instruction, let’s assume that you are at revision stage and want to nail that beginning sequence.
Let’s start with the first sentence.
What does a great first sentence look like? Let’s look at a few from the assortment of books I happen to currently have in my possession.
THE CAY by Theodore Taylor: Like silent, hungry sharks that swim in the darkness of the sea, the German submarines arrived in the middle of the night.
GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray: The best day of my life happened when I was five and almost died at Disney World.
MATCHED by Ally Condle: Now that I found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night.
BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver: They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that’s not how it happened for me.
PARANORMACLY by Kiersten White: "Wait - did you - You just yawned!" The vampire's arms, raised over his head in the classic Dracula pose, dropped to his sides. (technically two sentences)
And possibly the all time best first sentence ev-ah, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austin: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
Take a look at your own first sentence. If that’s all you had to go on, not the strength of the next sentence or paragraph, just the sentence itself, how would it strike you? Is it a strong sentence? Does it make you want to go, what comes next?
Here are a few of my first sentences. I’m not going to say which book they belong to, and I’m not super sure they’re that strong. I haven’t always thought about the hook of the first sentence. You can let me know what you think.
Had I known my world was about to be turned on its head, I would’ve treasured the monotony.
Everyone has to live with something.
The pillar of smoke rising on the horizon could only mean one thing—a farm, which meant food.
My dad still thought I was ten.
And let me share one more. This is from my son, many years ago when he was six:
In the beginning it was very exciting and in the end it was even worse.
(Pretty much wraps up the writing life, doesn’t it? :D)
Why is this important? Because opening lines hook us into reading the second line. And hopefully more. I know when I’m browsing for a book, this is what I do—I read the first sentence. And then the first paragraph. I may read the whole first page, but not likely. If the first sentence and paragraph don’t grab me, I shelve the book and choose another.
I’m willing to bet agents and editors do the same.
And to prove this theory, literary agent Natalie Fischer (aka Agent Awesome) has generously agreed to judge a BEST BEGINNINGS contest.
Enter your first sentence in the comments below. Natalie will chose the top twenty-five first sentences and those authors can then enter their first 250 words next Wednesday when we talk about mastering the first page. The winner receives a 25 pg critique from Natalie! And because she’s just so generous, she’ll give the runner up a 15 pg critique.
So give us your best first-sentence shot!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday Musings – Who Do You Write For? (And the real reason you are part of the YA blog community.)
I’m posting Monday Musings on Tuesday this week due to the long weekend. And due to the fact that I slept in. :) Don’t forget to enter to win Losing Faith. See side bar on the right.
I write YA. Most people who visit my blog also write YA. I don’t have a problem with this, for the record, though I’m happy to have other people visit: writers of other genres, non-writers, readers. But it’s mostly people who write YA because that is what we have in common and it’s natural for common interests to draw people together.
So thanks for visiting my blog, whoever you are.
But if you are a YA writer like me, who do you write for? Do you write for yourself? For teens, the ultimate end reader? Or, for other YA writers? (ie, the primary visitors to most blogs belonging to writers of YA).
Here’s the debate: If you write for yourself, then why bother integrating with the YA community? Because, let’s be honest, most of us started out because some industry pro stated that if we were serious about our writing we should get on the social network bandwagon and now! If it’s just for yourself, then write, quietly enjoy and move on.
If you write for teens, well, you do realize that they don’t frequent author blogs (especially pre-published author blogs), author twitter/facebook sites, etc? They don’t know about you just because you are an active member of the YA blogosphere.
Or, is it really important that you impress other writers of YA and have them love your book? Some people feel that this trend is changing the type of YA books that are being published (for the adult reader/writer, rather than the teen reader). I don’t really lean that way as I know that teen readers far outnumber YA writers and so even if we all get behind a certain book, it’s not going to determine how well it does over all.
So, what’s your answer? Who do you write for?
My answer? All of the above.
I write for myself because if I didn’t love writing, I wouldn’t have had the stamina to go the distance, no matter what the genre.
I write for the teen reader, because ultimately I want to sell books. I know I should say I want to impact at least one young person, changing their lives for the better and if I do only that, it will be worth all the pain—and I do, don’t get me wrong! I do want to make young people think and be happy, etc, but I also want a career. And I’m betting I’m not the only one there, if we’re all being honest.
And I write for the YA writer/reader. Quite frankly, I need the encouragement. This is a difficult road most of the time, and it’s nice to know I’m not alone. I’m happy to shout out a debut author trying to sell their first book, because I know how HARD it is to get to that place and because one day it might be me and I will be so grateful for the extra voices cheering me on. Who else really understands the agony of agent/editor rejection? The ecstasy of pounding out a thousand words? The satisfaction of a finished novel or ultimately the sale of a best seller?
Plus, I’ve learned a lot from many of you. I’m a better writer (and to get gushy here- probably a better person) for knowing you.
And I’m making friends. *waves* It feels great to be part of the online community of YA writers—with those that make lots of “noise” and with those who lurk quietly in the background. (I know you’re there, thanks to site meter :D)
So, I ask again. Who do you write for?
I write YA. Most people who visit my blog also write YA. I don’t have a problem with this, for the record, though I’m happy to have other people visit: writers of other genres, non-writers, readers. But it’s mostly people who write YA because that is what we have in common and it’s natural for common interests to draw people together.
So thanks for visiting my blog, whoever you are.
But if you are a YA writer like me, who do you write for? Do you write for yourself? For teens, the ultimate end reader? Or, for other YA writers? (ie, the primary visitors to most blogs belonging to writers of YA).
Here’s the debate: If you write for yourself, then why bother integrating with the YA community? Because, let’s be honest, most of us started out because some industry pro stated that if we were serious about our writing we should get on the social network bandwagon and now! If it’s just for yourself, then write, quietly enjoy and move on.
If you write for teens, well, you do realize that they don’t frequent author blogs (especially pre-published author blogs), author twitter/facebook sites, etc? They don’t know about you just because you are an active member of the YA blogosphere.
Or, is it really important that you impress other writers of YA and have them love your book? Some people feel that this trend is changing the type of YA books that are being published (for the adult reader/writer, rather than the teen reader). I don’t really lean that way as I know that teen readers far outnumber YA writers and so even if we all get behind a certain book, it’s not going to determine how well it does over all.
So, what’s your answer? Who do you write for?
My answer? All of the above.
I write for myself because if I didn’t love writing, I wouldn’t have had the stamina to go the distance, no matter what the genre.
I write for the teen reader, because ultimately I want to sell books. I know I should say I want to impact at least one young person, changing their lives for the better and if I do only that, it will be worth all the pain—and I do, don’t get me wrong! I do want to make young people think and be happy, etc, but I also want a career. And I’m betting I’m not the only one there, if we’re all being honest.
And I write for the YA writer/reader. Quite frankly, I need the encouragement. This is a difficult road most of the time, and it’s nice to know I’m not alone. I’m happy to shout out a debut author trying to sell their first book, because I know how HARD it is to get to that place and because one day it might be me and I will be so grateful for the extra voices cheering me on. Who else really understands the agony of agent/editor rejection? The ecstasy of pounding out a thousand words? The satisfaction of a finished novel or ultimately the sale of a best seller?
Plus, I’ve learned a lot from many of you. I’m a better writer (and to get gushy here- probably a better person) for knowing you.
And I’m making friends. *waves* It feels great to be part of the online community of YA writers—with those that make lots of “noise” and with those who lurk quietly in the background. (I know you’re there, thanks to site meter :D)
So, I ask again. Who do you write for?
Friday, September 3, 2010
Friday Free For All
1. My good friend Denise Jaden’s LOSING FAITH is coming out in four days! If you didn’t catch my post yesterday where I interviewed her—go check it out! Also you could WIN a signed copy of Losing Faith.
2. I entered into the Goodreads fray. I’ve heard through the blog grapevine good and not so good things as far as authors are concerned—one of the reason’s I’ve held off joining in. What’s your take on Goodreads? Thanks to everyone who has friended me!
3. It’s September so time for a submissions update. One of my personal mandates with this blog was to document my journey to publication, the good, bad and the ugly. And sometimes it’s none of those things—it’s just plain boring. Part of me wants to share everything, every drop of blood, sweat and tears. But Heather had a good post yesterday on whether or not writers should talk about rejections. She was referring to agent rejections, but I think her points are valid regarding editor rejections. So, I’ve decided I will let you in on all the nitty gritty once I’ve sold a book. (here’s hoping and praying!) Until then, I’m sticking with boring.
If you’ve been following my blog at all you’ll know that I have two books out on submission. The strategy here was to send out small batches and learn from the feedback before sending out more small batches. And, until recently, the next step was to send out two more batches in September. But then I wrote another book. You may have seen me blog about it off and on. The working title was Seaweed. Its new title is HOW TO DATE A MERBOY. Yes, it’s a merfolk book and Agent Awesome and I are looking at a new strategy: hold off on the first two books and focus our energies on this one. For now. Why? Because we feel this book has a wider audience and if you’ve been following the publishing buzz at all, Mermaids are (supposedly) the new vampire. It turns out I’m chasing a trend. Not intentionally. Serendipitously. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
4. And finally I leave you with the fabulous Jen Hayley. If you haven’t seen her music vlog—I’ve Got a Feeling, This Idea Is Going To Be A Good Book, then do I have a treat for you!
2. I entered into the Goodreads fray. I’ve heard through the blog grapevine good and not so good things as far as authors are concerned—one of the reason’s I’ve held off joining in. What’s your take on Goodreads? Thanks to everyone who has friended me!
3. It’s September so time for a submissions update. One of my personal mandates with this blog was to document my journey to publication, the good, bad and the ugly. And sometimes it’s none of those things—it’s just plain boring. Part of me wants to share everything, every drop of blood, sweat and tears. But Heather had a good post yesterday on whether or not writers should talk about rejections. She was referring to agent rejections, but I think her points are valid regarding editor rejections. So, I’ve decided I will let you in on all the nitty gritty once I’ve sold a book. (here’s hoping and praying!) Until then, I’m sticking with boring.
If you’ve been following my blog at all you’ll know that I have two books out on submission. The strategy here was to send out small batches and learn from the feedback before sending out more small batches. And, until recently, the next step was to send out two more batches in September. But then I wrote another book. You may have seen me blog about it off and on. The working title was Seaweed. Its new title is HOW TO DATE A MERBOY. Yes, it’s a merfolk book and Agent Awesome and I are looking at a new strategy: hold off on the first two books and focus our energies on this one. For now. Why? Because we feel this book has a wider audience and if you’ve been following the publishing buzz at all, Mermaids are (supposedly) the new vampire. It turns out I’m chasing a trend. Not intentionally. Serendipitously. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
4. And finally I leave you with the fabulous Jen Hayley. If you haven’t seen her music vlog—I’ve Got a Feeling, This Idea Is Going To Be A Good Book, then do I have a treat for you!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
LOSING FAITH BOOK TOUR AND CONTEST
Denise Jaden is my personal friend. I knew her before she was a writer. We've traveled the writing journey together for a long time and I'm SO EXCITED that she has a book coming out in FIVE DAYS.
To celebrate there will be book tours and parties and contests. You can WIN a signed copy of LOSING FAITH here, just by commenting and shouting out a congratulations to Denise. +2 entries if you tweet or Facebook the contest, +5 if you blog about it or post it on your blog.
It's an honor system around here, so just let me know what you've done and your total entries. Random.org will choose on Friday Sept 10th. Canada and US only.
Now onto the Blog Tour interview--- Ladies and Gentleman, allow me to introduce DENISE JADEN!
1) I know you started writing later on in life rather than so many
who've known they've wanted to write since children. Can you recall
the moment that made you decide to try your hand at writing? What was
the catalyst for that decision?
It was all one great big accident! LOL Actually, there are a few specific
moments I remember: I was journaling one day (which I didn't do often) and I
started to think about the possibilities in my situation. From there, I
began thinking of how other imaginary people might deal with the things that
were going on in my life. Eventually, my mind trailed off to how these
imaginary people would deal with completely different situations. Soon I was
having a lot of fun with it all! I was a long ways into my first book
before I realized what I was actually doing.
Another memorable moment was when I was reading A MAP OF THE WORLD by Jane
Hamilton, and I stopped to reread sentences and marvel at how perfect they
were. I'd never done that before, but I think even then, I knew words and
sentences would become somewhat of an addiction for me.
2) As a Canadian living in Canada, what made you decide to base your
book in America? Don't you miss your U's? As in colour, honour,
favourite?
As a homeschooling mom, I am starting to have a bit of frustration between
keeping my U.S. vocab correct, while still teaching my son the Canadian
spellings. Other than that, no, I do not miss my U's!
As for why I've set several of my books in the U.S., I'd have to just say it
felt right. When I first started reading for enjoyment (not all that long
ago), I loved reading books set in small town America. I think that may be
why my writing automatically gravitated to that type of setting. Also, I
don't find the sound of "British Columbia" terribly lyrical.
3) Tell us a bit about Losing Faith?
Losing Faith is a coming-of-age/mystery about a girl in the midst of trying
to figure out who she is, and during that time, she loses her sister in a
mysterious cliff accident. Through discovering more about her sister, Brie
also learns more about herself and how she fits into her world.
4) What was your inspiration to write a story like that?
I lost a close friend of mine when I was sixteen, and while it wasn't a
mystery how she died or who she was, I did learn a lot more about her after
her death. I've always loved sister stories, and thought that I could weave
these two ideas together here. LOSING FAITH starts with a girl who thinks
she knows her predictable sister.until she dies in a very unpredictable way.
5) How long did it take you to write it?
I wrote the first draft of LOSING FAITH in 21 days during NaNoWriMo 2007.
Prior to that, I had spent a couple of months outlining the book, and after
"NaNo" I spent another nine months or so in heavy revisions on it.
6) Give us a day in the life of Author Denise Jaden?
I can't say that ANY of my days are the same, but okay, here's an example: I
get up around 7:30 and field questions/listen to the latest superhero drama
from my six-year-old son while checking for important emails. Some days I
also try to get a blog post up during this "just waking up/trying to sound
interested in Superman" state. We wolf down some breakfast and start
homeschool lessons around the time my husband heads off to work. After that,
we head to the gym where, multi-tasker that I am, I critique between sets.
We head home for lunch/laundry/clean-up time, which is followed by Quiet
(aka writing) Time. I try to stretch this time to an hour and a half, but
lately it seems to be getting shorter and shorter. Sometimes we have
swimming lessons or group homeschool classes or playdates mixed in there.
Then I cook up a half a cow or so for my bodybuilder husband's dinner. After
dinner, I have a number of commitments through the week, including dance
classes, performances, and home group meetings, but on those rare evenings
when there's nothing else, it's always Family Time. It's a good day when I
can squeeze in a few minutes of just-for-fun reading before bed.
7)Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Hmm, that's a tough one. I set yearly goals for myself, but I don't often
look ahead ten years. Let's see, writing-wise, I'd love to have a half-dozen
books out by then. Family-wise, I sure hope my son will be reading and
writing independently by then (LOL) and because he's such a social child,
I'm sure to have much more time for writing by that point. My husband also
really loves teens, and I could see us being on the road a lot as a family,
visiting schools, youth groups, and that sort of thing.
Thanks, Denise!
To celebrate there will be book tours and parties and contests. You can WIN a signed copy of LOSING FAITH here, just by commenting and shouting out a congratulations to Denise. +2 entries if you tweet or Facebook the contest, +5 if you blog about it or post it on your blog.
It's an honor system around here, so just let me know what you've done and your total entries. Random.org will choose on Friday Sept 10th. Canada and US only.
Now onto the Blog Tour interview--- Ladies and Gentleman, allow me to introduce DENISE JADEN!
1) I know you started writing later on in life rather than so many
who've known they've wanted to write since children. Can you recall
the moment that made you decide to try your hand at writing? What was
the catalyst for that decision?
It was all one great big accident! LOL Actually, there are a few specific
moments I remember: I was journaling one day (which I didn't do often) and I
started to think about the possibilities in my situation. From there, I
began thinking of how other imaginary people might deal with the things that
were going on in my life. Eventually, my mind trailed off to how these
imaginary people would deal with completely different situations. Soon I was
having a lot of fun with it all! I was a long ways into my first book
before I realized what I was actually doing.
Another memorable moment was when I was reading A MAP OF THE WORLD by Jane
Hamilton, and I stopped to reread sentences and marvel at how perfect they
were. I'd never done that before, but I think even then, I knew words and
sentences would become somewhat of an addiction for me.
2) As a Canadian living in Canada, what made you decide to base your
book in America? Don't you miss your U's? As in colour, honour,
favourite?
As a homeschooling mom, I am starting to have a bit of frustration between
keeping my U.S. vocab correct, while still teaching my son the Canadian
spellings. Other than that, no, I do not miss my U's!
As for why I've set several of my books in the U.S., I'd have to just say it
felt right. When I first started reading for enjoyment (not all that long
ago), I loved reading books set in small town America. I think that may be
why my writing automatically gravitated to that type of setting. Also, I
don't find the sound of "British Columbia" terribly lyrical.
3) Tell us a bit about Losing Faith?
Losing Faith is a coming-of-age/mystery about a girl in the midst of trying
to figure out who she is, and during that time, she loses her sister in a
mysterious cliff accident. Through discovering more about her sister, Brie
also learns more about herself and how she fits into her world.
4) What was your inspiration to write a story like that?
I lost a close friend of mine when I was sixteen, and while it wasn't a
mystery how she died or who she was, I did learn a lot more about her after
her death. I've always loved sister stories, and thought that I could weave
these two ideas together here. LOSING FAITH starts with a girl who thinks
she knows her predictable sister.until she dies in a very unpredictable way.
5) How long did it take you to write it?
I wrote the first draft of LOSING FAITH in 21 days during NaNoWriMo 2007.
Prior to that, I had spent a couple of months outlining the book, and after
"NaNo" I spent another nine months or so in heavy revisions on it.
6) Give us a day in the life of Author Denise Jaden?
I can't say that ANY of my days are the same, but okay, here's an example: I
get up around 7:30 and field questions/listen to the latest superhero drama
from my six-year-old son while checking for important emails. Some days I
also try to get a blog post up during this "just waking up/trying to sound
interested in Superman" state. We wolf down some breakfast and start
homeschool lessons around the time my husband heads off to work. After that,
we head to the gym where, multi-tasker that I am, I critique between sets.
We head home for lunch/laundry/clean-up time, which is followed by Quiet
(aka writing) Time. I try to stretch this time to an hour and a half, but
lately it seems to be getting shorter and shorter. Sometimes we have
swimming lessons or group homeschool classes or playdates mixed in there.
Then I cook up a half a cow or so for my bodybuilder husband's dinner. After
dinner, I have a number of commitments through the week, including dance
classes, performances, and home group meetings, but on those rare evenings
when there's nothing else, it's always Family Time. It's a good day when I
can squeeze in a few minutes of just-for-fun reading before bed.
7)Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Hmm, that's a tough one. I set yearly goals for myself, but I don't often
look ahead ten years. Let's see, writing-wise, I'd love to have a half-dozen
books out by then. Family-wise, I sure hope my son will be reading and
writing independently by then (LOL) and because he's such a social child,
I'm sure to have much more time for writing by that point. My husband also
really loves teens, and I could see us being on the road a lot as a family,
visiting schools, youth groups, and that sort of thing.
Thanks, Denise!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
How To Write: The Bones It Hangs On
Last week we talked about developing the Great Idea, to the point where we have a file full of notes and an idea of the beginning, middle and end.
So, what’s next? Some people would say, outline, outline, outline! Others would say, let your fingers do the work—just start typing and see what comes out.
But since this is a blog series on how I’d teach someone to write, I would say, a bit of both. (If you know me at all, you’d know that I’m all for moderation. :) Some people write pages and pages of outlining notes, practically a novella, before they sit down to write the real thing. I can’t do that. It’s been my experience that the best ideas often come in the moment. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a plan of some kind. I do chart a course.
Most of you will have heard of the three act structure commonly used for play and movie writing. One thing I did after writing my first publishable novel was to re-write it as a screenplay. I highly recommend this as a writing practice tool. Script writing deals primarily with action and dialogue and making the most with the least. You only have 120 pages to tell the whole story and the margins are very narrow. For more on how to adapt your novel to script, visit Alexandra Sokoloff's blog.
What I do at this point, is look through my notes and pinpoint what my plot points are and where on the three act structure they should “hang”. If I’m missing something vital, I see this right away, before I get too heavily into it. Especially critical is the midpoint, or what Janice Hardy coins the midpoint reversal. This is where something unexpected happens. It’s a twist that keeps the reader steadily hooked. Identifying your midpoint reversal early on will do wonders with preventing the chronic “saggy mid section”.
Here’s where I wish I could step in with an example of my own. In fact I did my first experiment with structure on my last wip which is currently in the fine hands of Agent Awesome. I have to say that overall the experiment was a success; the most obvious positive was the time it took to write the first draft. Considerably less than any other project I’d worked on without a structural plan.
To illustrate, I’m going to use the classic middle grade book, and one of my all time favorites, THE CAY, by Theodore Taylor.
Act 1- Set Up: Story opens on a Dutch island off the coast of Venezuala in 1942—the height of WW2. The protagonist is an eleven year old white American boy named Philip. We meet his mother, father and friends and are also introduced to the prejudice thinking of the time.
Inciting Incident: The danger increases for the family and the father finally puts his wife and son on a boat back to America.
Plot point I: The boat is torpedoed.
Act 2 – Conflict: Philip wakes up on a raft in the middle of the ocean with an old black man called Timothy. Philip is hungry and afraid. He takes it out on Timothy. There is a lot about Timothy to dislike.
Midpoint reversal: The bang Philip took to the head during the attack eventually causes blindness. Now he has to trust the old black man he doesn’t like with his life. They finally land on an island but the help they had hoped for isn’t there. Timothy teaches Philip how to survive and cope with his blindness. It’s frustrating for Philip and he’s angry that Timothy just won’t do everything for him—he’s the one who can see. After awhile Philip starts to respect Timothy for all that he’s doing for him. Because of his blindness, Timothy is no longer black or white to him.
Plot Point 2: Timothy gets sick. Now Philip has to take care of Timothy (role reversal) and all the skills Timothy taught Philip are put to the test.
Act 3 - Climax and Resolution: It’s hurricane season. Timothy ties himself and Philip to a palm tree, Timothy’s big body protecting Philip. Timothy takes a whipping that claims his life. Now Philip is alone and if it hadn’t been for Timothy stubbornly insisting that Philip learn to care for himself, he would surely die as well. Eventually, Philip is rescued by the American Navy and re-united with his parents.
Can you easily "hang" the plot points of your wip?
Of course there’s more to it than that. The bones need some meat! We’ll tackle that next.
So, what’s next? Some people would say, outline, outline, outline! Others would say, let your fingers do the work—just start typing and see what comes out.
But since this is a blog series on how I’d teach someone to write, I would say, a bit of both. (If you know me at all, you’d know that I’m all for moderation. :) Some people write pages and pages of outlining notes, practically a novella, before they sit down to write the real thing. I can’t do that. It’s been my experience that the best ideas often come in the moment. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a plan of some kind. I do chart a course.
Most of you will have heard of the three act structure commonly used for play and movie writing. One thing I did after writing my first publishable novel was to re-write it as a screenplay. I highly recommend this as a writing practice tool. Script writing deals primarily with action and dialogue and making the most with the least. You only have 120 pages to tell the whole story and the margins are very narrow. For more on how to adapt your novel to script, visit Alexandra Sokoloff's blog.
What I do at this point, is look through my notes and pinpoint what my plot points are and where on the three act structure they should “hang”. If I’m missing something vital, I see this right away, before I get too heavily into it. Especially critical is the midpoint, or what Janice Hardy coins the midpoint reversal. This is where something unexpected happens. It’s a twist that keeps the reader steadily hooked. Identifying your midpoint reversal early on will do wonders with preventing the chronic “saggy mid section”.
Here’s where I wish I could step in with an example of my own. In fact I did my first experiment with structure on my last wip which is currently in the fine hands of Agent Awesome. I have to say that overall the experiment was a success; the most obvious positive was the time it took to write the first draft. Considerably less than any other project I’d worked on without a structural plan.
To illustrate, I’m going to use the classic middle grade book, and one of my all time favorites, THE CAY, by Theodore Taylor.
Act 1- Set Up: Story opens on a Dutch island off the coast of Venezuala in 1942—the height of WW2. The protagonist is an eleven year old white American boy named Philip. We meet his mother, father and friends and are also introduced to the prejudice thinking of the time.
Inciting Incident: The danger increases for the family and the father finally puts his wife and son on a boat back to America.
Plot point I: The boat is torpedoed.
Act 2 – Conflict: Philip wakes up on a raft in the middle of the ocean with an old black man called Timothy. Philip is hungry and afraid. He takes it out on Timothy. There is a lot about Timothy to dislike.
Midpoint reversal: The bang Philip took to the head during the attack eventually causes blindness. Now he has to trust the old black man he doesn’t like with his life. They finally land on an island but the help they had hoped for isn’t there. Timothy teaches Philip how to survive and cope with his blindness. It’s frustrating for Philip and he’s angry that Timothy just won’t do everything for him—he’s the one who can see. After awhile Philip starts to respect Timothy for all that he’s doing for him. Because of his blindness, Timothy is no longer black or white to him.
Plot Point 2: Timothy gets sick. Now Philip has to take care of Timothy (role reversal) and all the skills Timothy taught Philip are put to the test.
Act 3 - Climax and Resolution: It’s hurricane season. Timothy ties himself and Philip to a palm tree, Timothy’s big body protecting Philip. Timothy takes a whipping that claims his life. Now Philip is alone and if it hadn’t been for Timothy stubbornly insisting that Philip learn to care for himself, he would surely die as well. Eventually, Philip is rescued by the American Navy and re-united with his parents.
Can you easily "hang" the plot points of your wip?
Of course there’s more to it than that. The bones need some meat! We’ll tackle that next.
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