Month: July 2010

Friday Five – Summertime Edition

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1 – First, I have to rave about Jenny Han’s Summer series, of which the first two books I devoured in about 48 hours total. Amazing, amazing, amazing… and an extra amazing because I got to read them under the sun with my feet in my daughter’s kiddie pool!

 

Seriously, they’re the kind of books you read that make you want to quit writing because they are so beautiful and emotional, but simple and without airs, too. You want to BE the main character, because she’s adorable and has two awesome boys who love her. But at the same time, you’re glad you aren’t her, because she’s flawed and has impossible decisions to make. I can’t stop thinking about the characters and their love triangle that has no good outcome; I have a feeling that at least one of those characters I love is going to be left heartbroken.

2 – I’ve been listening to Kenny Chesney A LOT lately. He’s just so fabulous and has the very best summertime mood music… here’s my favorite:   

3 – Summer means a new season of one of my very favorite shows, Project Runway! I think Heidi Klum is so darn fabulous, I love the eccentric cast of designers they always seem to find, and Tim Gunn is my hero! Plus, the challenges are always so imaginative and fun. If you’ve never watched, I highly recommend giving it a shot. Lifetime, 9pm, Thursdays.

4 – Not a huge Zac Efron fan, but I’m dying to see the movie Charlie St. Cloud. From what I’ve seen, this movie looks like the perfect mix of romance, action, and emotion, all mixed up with a bit of a ghost story. Plus, when Zac Efron cries in the trailer, those big blue eyes all filled with tears, my heart just about breaks. Something about a guy torn up by the death of a family member really pulls at my heartstrings.  

5 – I think I’m ready for a new WIP! I need something to take my mind of the querying process, and what better than to dive head first into a new project? I think of it sort of like a rebound boyfriend after a bad break-up… I need something new to distract me and keep me busy while I work on distancing myself from the project that previously consumed me. So… my new WIP’s going to be set in the summer time, at a place sort of like this:

And I’m trying to weasel my husband into taking a trip (strictly for research 🙂 ) here:

And while we’re at it, I’ve been inspired by this too:

Hope you’re having a wonderful summer! 🙂

Queries, Queries, Queries

So, I wanted to take a moment to share my experience with querying this time around (so far). A bit of brief background information: I finished WIP mid-June, did a few pretty intense revisions, edited it like it was going out of style, sent it off to some very fabulous readers, then did some more revisions and some more editing. I began sending out queries about two weeks ago, and thus far have sent out nine queries.

The stats so far: four queries are still pending, two agents have replied with polite form rejections, two agents have asked to see partials, and one agent has asked to read the full manuscript. A pretty decent response so far!

Now, please keep in mind that the first project I queried was met with one request for a full and about a thousand no-thank-yous. Not so encouraging to a fairly new writer trying to break into the publishing world with no contacts, no MFA, and no previous publications. During my first dismal effort, I remember reading repeatedly that often writers have to write two or three or four (or twelve) books before they see any sort of positive response. And, I remember thinking, There’s no way I’ll put myself through this again. Querying that first time around was discouraging and sad and frustrating. It was hard to imagine trying again when all I’d been met with were nos.

But then inspiration stuck and I began a new project (WIP, as I’ve so often referred to it here) because—let’s face it—there was no way I was going to just STOP writing. Oddly enough, I finished the manuscript fairly effortlessly and in a fairly short time span—about 7 weeks. Frankly, I kind of love it. I’ve gotten a pretty great response from my readers, too.

So, I begin the process of querying again—and not begrudgingly, like I thought I would. Instead, I’m hopeful. Hesitantly confident, too. It helps that I’ve gotten a decent response from the agents I’ve queried. I’m fairly certain now that my query letter is quality, and that my first ten pages have a good enough balance of character development, tension and backstory to keep an agent curious.

And now I sit in limbo, waiting for responses to my pending queries, waiting (and hoping and praying!) for responses from the agents who’ve asked to see more, sending out more queries, and maintaining a positive outlook on this process and all its craziness.

Mount Rainier last night. Excuse the bulldozer near the bottom. I was driving and just happened to have my camera close enough to snap this. 🙂

Odds and Ends

Here’s my To-Read pile:

Here’s what I picked up today:

Seriously. I think I have a problem. Surely there must be a 12 Step program for people like me: people who buy books compulsively even though they have plenty to read. But really, I couldn’t pass these up. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a contemporary YA romance, probably because I’ve been heavily immersed in writing my own, but now that I’m in the final edits stage, I feel my favorite genre calling me back. Still, I’m going to start with Faithful by Janet Fox, a historical YA romance. Honestly, I totally judge a book by its cover and this one is gorgeous.    

In other news, last night I stayed up super late finishing Catching Fire. Oh my gosh, that book is amazing. I had a hard time falling asleep after. I was on total emotional overload thanks to the insane cliffhanger ending. Thank goodness I don’t have to wait long for Mockingjay because I can’t stop thinking about Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. And speaking of my new favorite love triangle, how talented is Suzanne Collins? To create these two possible love interests for Katniss, both of who are completely wonderful in their own very distinct ways, and to give her a logical and compelling reason NOT to pick one or the other… Really. These books blow my mind. How will Katniss ever choose?

And finally, I sent queries to three highly respected agents last week, my first round of queries for WIP! Two agents I’ve yet to hear from, but one requested a partial! I’m thrilled! First, because it would be nothing short of amazing to work with this particular agent and her agency, and second, because I have some confidence in my query now! Who knows how things will pan out, but I’m definitely praying she’ll love it and ask to see more. Stay tuned… 🙂       

Friday Five!

1 – Savvy Authors (my favorite writing community) is hosting a Summer Symposium. Here’s the basic info: Join us for five days as we talk craft – from plot and character, to dialogue, suspense, theme and story question (with a bunch of stuff in between) in chats, Q&A forums and mini-workshops. Our presenters will be sharing what works – whether it’s world building or setting or layering in back story; or even if it’s a technical detail and the fruits of research, they’ll be exposing the craft that underlies a good story. We’ll also be talking about publishing and promoting, offering pitch opportunities to the attendees and raffling off books on craft from folks like James Scott Bell and Sherrilyn Kenyon, software such as Liquid Story Binder, 3-chapter critiques from published authors and more. Click here for more info! (Make sure to scroll down!)

2 – Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is one of my very favorite books and has been made into a miniseries that will air on Starz beginning July 23. We don’t get Starz, but you’d better believe I’ll be ordering it specifically so I can watch. The trailer is below and looks amazing, and if you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend checking it out.

3 – Had some major revision issues to think through this week, which led to long(er) showers, lengthy car rides and leisurely bike rides. My poor daughter was my little shadow, dutifully following wherever I went, chatting my ear off, cheerfully picking flowers on the long walks we took. Thankfully, I figured some plot stuff out and got plenty of exercise. I live in a small town on a river, surrounded by lots of farms. It is around these farms that I usually take my bike rides. The other day I took pictures. The quality isn’t the greatest (taken with my phone, not my actual camera!) but you’ll get point. I’m lucky!  

 

4 – Read a great article on writing the other day: Janet Fitch’s 10 Rules for Writers. Among them: Write the sentence, not just the story, Smarten up your protagonist, Learn to write dialogue, and Kill the cliché. Definitely worth checking out!

5 – My munchkin’s birthday is coming! She’ll be three on August 3rd (her golden birthday!) and we’re planning a big party for her. The official theme? The Princess and the Frog Mardi Gras Birthday Bash! I bought beads and little Mardi Gras masks for the kids and I’m serving virgin hurricanes and beneits (as well as all the traditional birthday treats). Super excited!

First Pancake = First Novel?

Flat, overcooked (or sometimes raw in the middle), unpalatable.

The other day on Twitter, someone I follow compared a first novel to a first pancake: good practice, but usually they ought to be thrown away. I wish now I could recall who it was who made the tweet so I could give them credit for their wisdom, but alas, my memory sucks. Still, the comparison stuck with me, mostly because I’ve been thinking a lot about my first novel… you know, Novel One, the one I queried the heck out of to less than stellar results?

Having recently completed revisions on Novel Two (WIP, which I happen to be quite proud of), I’ve gotten some distance, gained some perspective, and learned a lot. Now, looking back on Novel One, I see its flaws. Too-perfect hero, lack of major external conflict, occasionally passive voice. The good news? WIP doesn’t suffer from any of those weaknesses.  

Don’t get me wrong, I love Novel One for what it is, for what it taught me, for giving the first characters who truly spoke to me a home, but frankly, it was a practice run. Is it fixable? Maybe, with a major overhaul of the structure, plotting, conflict and characters—a complete rewrite, I think.

But do I want to rewrite it? I’m torn. Someday, perhaps. Like I said, I do love it, and my very fabulous CP sees its potential. For now, it waits patiently in my Dell while I tackle querying WIP, my new baby. Also, I’m very nearly ready to dive into a new novel (shall we call it Novel Three?) which is going to require some pretty major preliminary research and stems from a darker, more controversial place. So, for now, Novel One is metaphorically trashed, though it will always hold a special place in my heart.

I’m curious… what was your experience with your first novel? Was it a success? What were its weaknesses? Strengths? Where is it now?

Friday Five: Visual Inspiration

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I’m a visual girl; therefore I often troll the internet in search of actual pictures of the images and ideas I write about. So, for today’s midsummer Friday Five, I’m posting five of my favorite WIP visuals. I’m posting the pictures without comment, first, so as not give anything in WIP away, and second, because I don’t wish to influence your perception. The images below might become something completely different to you than what they are to me. Without further ado:

Ooh, and a bonus. Lucky you! This is competely unrelated to WIP, but here I am with my little family on Independence Day… isn’t my Munchkin a cutie pie?!

Hooks & The Hunger Games

**There are mild spoilers in this post. If you haven’t read The Hunger Games and don’t wish to have the book spoiled, you might want to stop reading here.**

This morning I started reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I don’t read much dystopian, but I’ve heard the hype about this almost-trilogy and had to see what it’s all about. I’m currently about halfway through and completely blown away. Ms. Collins has created a world that’s unique—brutal, disturbing, vivid, frightening, and totally fascinating. Her imagery (setting, food, clothing, etc…) is colorfully stunning. Her descriptions of fear, betrayal, pride, and love are spot-on and pull at all the right strings. Her weaving of back story throughout the novel is seamless.

What I love most, though—what’s stuck out among all of Ms. Collin’s literary talents—are her end-of-chapter hooks.

Three different times today I’ve been reading along and thought I’ll stop at the end of this chapter and get something productive done. On all three of those occasions, I’ve reached the end of the chapter, gasped with surprise, and flipped the page filled with anticipation and (usually) dread. The first time it happened: the end of Chapter One, at the reaping when Primrose Everdeen is called forward to participate in the Hunger Games. The second: the end of Chapter Nine when Peeta declares his love for Katniss at the pre-Game interviews. The third: the end of Chapter Eleven when Katniss realizes that Peeta has joined up with the Career tributes. Each time I’ve read on, gripped with anxiety, dying to find out what happens next, all the while shaking my head in awe at how successful Ms. Collin has been at writing a literal page turner.

Now, I’m inspired to go through WIP and ensure that I’ve got amazing end-of-chapter hooks of my own. Isn’t it incredible how with each book you read (good, bad, or otherwise) you absorb something new?

Friday Five: Eclipse Edition

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So, I went to see Twilight: Eclipse opening night. While I’m not a huge Twilight fan, I appreciate the books and movies for what they are: a romantic and action-packed escape from reality. I took my husband along who, at the very least, is a good sport. He’s not read the books, but he knows Eclipse was my favorite of the series and, after I repeatedly told him how the movie was supposed to be the best so far, he agreed to come along. Our experience was fun, random, and giggle-inducing. Here, for a Twilight-inspired Friday Five, is what I liked best about the movie and date night with my hubby…  


1) Lots more romance. What hooked me about the Twilight series was the romance. Call Edward a stalker if you will, (I might not argue) but Bella loves him and he loves her. The first two movies, in my opinion, were sorely lacking in romance. Eclipse makes up for that with lots of cute moments, sweet gestures and steamy kisses that actually felt genuine. I even bought into Bella’s kiss with Jacob, which says a lot.  

2) Crazy fans. I didn’t actually take the picture below, but these might as well have been the girls who sat behind us. Lots of cheering, lots of swooning, lots of love for Jacob. We had some middle-aged Twi-Moms, too (something I do NOT consider myself!) who did their fair share of cheering and giggling at the shirtless Jacob moments. We even had a group of high school age girls who came dressed in inappropriate and ill-fitting prom gear. What is with these movies and their ability to encourage people to let their freak flags fly?

On a similar note, we got to briefly observe the line of Last Airbender fans waiting for the midnight showing. Holy Crap. Again, I didn’t take the picture below, but I might as well have. The people waiting were in full (very poorly made) costumes. Maybe I’m sheltered, but I’d never even heard of Last Airbender until the movie trailers came out, so I was surprised to see the intensity of the fan level of these people. Good for them though, for braving the judgment of others to completely fan-girl/fan-boy out!

3) More Cullens. I like the Cullens. I like them a lot more than Edward, Jacob and Bella. I don’t, however, love how they were portrayed in the first two movies. Cheesy. Eclipse was better though! The Cullens were more natural, better dressed and seemed to have more of a spark. I loved Rosalie’s back story scene, I loved Jasper teaching the gang how to fight, and I loved the subtle interactions between the couples. In fact, the Cullen scenes were my favorite of the movie.   

5) Yay for battles that weren’t cringe worthy! The special effects of Eclipse were much better than the previous two movies. In fact, I didn’t find myself distracted and squirming every time a vampire ran, jumped or fought. The wolf phases seemed smoother, too. I’m sure it’s due mostly to the bigger budget, but kudos to the director of not half-assing the actions scenes. They were crucial to the movie and pretty well done.   

5) My husband came! He was deployed during the release of the last two movies, so I was excited to share in all the crazy with him this time around. Though he had some very random (funny and often inappropriate) running commentary, his presence was greatly appreciated. He’d die before admitting it, but I think he really enjoyed the movie. **He’s reading over my shoulder now muttering, “Untrue.”**