Currently…

September 11, 2012September 10, 201237 Comments

I saw a fun “Currently…” blog idea last week in a post by Kate Hart (she snagged the idea from Amy Lukavics who picked it up here), and then I saw it again yesterday in a post by Jessica Love. So, I thought it’d be fun to jump on the “Currently…” band wagon and give you a little update as to what I’m up to…

Loving…

Fruit smoothies: A handful of frozen strawberries, a handful of frozen blueberries, half a banana, about a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and about a tablespoon of sugar-free, fat-free dry vanilla pudding mix, all combined with an immersion blender. Such a yummy, healthy breakfast!

Reading…

Ashfall by Mike Mullin… It’s a one of those nightmarish THIS COULD REALLY HAPPEN stories about the eruption of a super volcano and its aftermath.

Watching…

Breaking Bad. My husband and I are halfway through the third season (thank you, Netflix!) and head-over-heels in love. If you’re not watching, you should be. Best show on TV, hands down.

Thinking about…

My revision. Always. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel!

Anticipating…

The end of this revision round. Also, the trip to Washington I’m taking next week. I’m going to a Tim McGraw concert, guys. SO EXCITED!

Wishing…

That revisions were easier. Man… One tiny tweak in an early chapter has a funny way of snowballing into an avalanche of change that escalates with every chapter that follows. I guess the fact that this is challenging and all-consuming means I might be doing it well. Right? RIGHT?!

Making me happy…

My family, particularly these three adorable girls. Love them!

What’s currently making you happy?

Friday Five: On taking a break…

September 7, 2012September 6, 201239 Comments

As you may know, I’ve been working feverishly on a revision. And by feverishly, I mean I’m sitting in front of my laptop whenever a I have a quiet minute. When I’m NOT working (I have a family that, while fantastic, demands a fair amount of my time), I’m mentally obsessing about when I’ll be back at my computer, typing away.

Honestly, I was starting to get a little burnt out on my revision. My motivation was lagging and my creative inspiration was drained almost dry.

Until yesterday…

Yesterday was a very busy day. I was up at 4:30am and didn’t go to bed until after 10pm. I didn’t actively revise AT ALL. That’s a rarity, and all day I was feeling distantly guilty and a little bitter about my lack of time to work. I just want to finish this revision, you know?

But… yesterday was a really good day.

1. I had an excellent run, and was home before the sun came up.

2. I got to volunteer in my girlie’s kindergarten classroom. I got to spend time painting with adorable five-year-olds who told me sweet stories about their families and their favorite colors and the things they like most about school.

3. I had brunch at a very tasty restaurant with a very good friend. The girl talk was much needed and much appreciated!

4. I completed my first ever Bikram Yoga class. That’s twenty-six postures in ninety minutes in a one-hundred-five degree room. It was so freaking hard, yet I can’t wait to go back!

5. And, I found my first ever four leaf clover!

Moral of the story? Sometimes a day free of outlining/writing/revising can be a GOOD THING. While part of me wishes I’d made some progress on my WiP yesterday, a bigger part of me is grateful for the break. I feel refreshed and inspired and motivated, ready to tackle revising again today.

Tell Me: How often do you take a day off from writing? What do you do to reclaim your creative inspiration?

♥ Love List ♥

August 29, 2012August 29, 201241 Comments

Okay, I know I’m way late to this party, but after reading everyone’s RTW posts from last week, I was very much inspired to make a ‘Love List’ for my WiP, Cross My Heart. But, as fate would have it, I’ve been busy revising the thing, and I’m just getting around to compiling my list. The timing works out kind of perfectly, though, because now that I’ve spent a good many days pouring over CMH, I feel extra lovey-dovey about it.

In case you missed it, last week’s official RTW topic was…

Inspired by Stephanie Perkins’ post on Natalie Whipple’s blog, what is your novel’s “Love List”?

And here’s mine:

Coconut Ice Cream
Johnny Cash
The International Culinary Institute
Ford F-150s
Mistletoe
Fountain Soda
The Space Needle
Charming Pâtisseries
Slow Kisses
Frantic Kisses
Up-Against-the-Wall Kisses
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Dark Hair/Light Eyes
Football
Drip Coffee
All Things Baking
Complex Families
Bunco
Small Towns
Baby Sisters
Ambiguously Happy Endings

And, for your visual pleasure…

Have you made a Love List for your WiP? If I haven’t visited it yet, please link me to it in the comments!

(Oh, and today I’ve compiled a list of highly anticipated Fall, 2012 YA releases over at YA Confidential… Please do check it out!)

Pity Party

August 20, 2012August 20, 201262 Comments

I’m throwing myself one, here and now.

While I try to keep the tone of this blog generally upbeat, I’ve been feeling very blah lately. My blahs, I think, stem from a few different catalysts. May I elaborate?

One, news I’ve been anxiously awaiting pretty much the entire summer finally trickled in and… it was not great. Two, I’m smack in the middle of a revision that, while necessary (and awesome), is giving me more than its fair share of fits. Three, my daughter is in school now, all day, every day, and despite the much-needed additional work time, I’m a little lonely. Four, I can’t for the life of me get into a book. I’ve been picking up and putting down the same two for a week-and-a-half, and neither of them will hold my attention. And five, the winding down of summer… Eh. I’m a fun-in-the-sun girl, and I always feel a little down when the weather starts to turn.

Transition and change and the unpredictable can be tough, and lately I feel like I’m seeing A LOT of all three.

So, yeah. Boo hoo.

The good news is: I’m not alone! Posts throughout the blogosphere have cemented that over the last week, particularly this one from Caroline Richmond, and this one from Christa Desir. My writing friends make me feel normal, and for that I’m grateful.

In that spirit, I invite you to join my pity party. It’s right here, right now, and since you can’t bring brownies or Bud Light, I welcome you to leave a gripe (big or small, important or insignificant) in the comments . We can all take a few moments to wallow together, and then we can let our crap go and move onward, toward a better week. A happier week!

So, what are you bringing to my pity party?

Admittedly, it’s hard to be *too* grouchy when I get to spend afternoons laughing with this girlie.

Five on Friday

August 10, 2012August 9, 201228 Comments

1. WriteOnCon begins August 14th! Never heard of WriteOnCon? Well, you’re missing out! From the website: …designed to give attendees many of the features of a live writer’s conference, but in an online environment. Thanks to technologies like blogging, vlogging, livestreaming, and chats, WriteOnCon connects writers with both industry professionals and fellow peers from the convenience of their own homes. Critique forums allow writers to receive feedback and exposure for their work, and the entire program is designed to be both informative and entertaining.

Guys. There are tons of authors, writers, and agents involved with WriteOnCon. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded people, get your work critiqued, and learn from some of the best. Oh, and WriteOnCon is FREE! Click on the image below for more information…

2. I have the world’s best CPs. Not only have they provided me with amazing feedback on my WiP this summer (thank you, Taryn, Temre, Christa, and Alison!), but their writing… Holy hell these girls are amazingly talented! Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of reading work by Alison (upper-YA contemporary with a wicked twist of magic and a male narrator who has all kinds of issues and still manages to rock) and Temre (middle grade contemporary with the most charming magical thread and an absolutely adorable protagonist who I can’t wait to share with my daughter in the future). While the stories of these two writers couldn’t be more different (seriously–they’re worlds apart), they’re both utterly engaging, unputdownable, with voices that are unique and enviable. And, if reading Alison’s and Temre’s incredible manuscripts isn’t enough, I get to read Christa‘s next week. Lucky me!

3. YA Book Club, brain child of brilliant Tracey Neithercott, has an official August selection: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. I’ve read this book, therefor I can say with supreme certainty that it’s amazing. We’ll be discussing This is Not a Test via our blogs and blog comments on Monday, August 27th, so you’ve plenty of time to hunt it down (like you’d hunt down a zombie), read it, ponder it, and write about it. I can’t wait to blog hop and check out everyone’s thoughts on this astonishing book. For more info, click on the image below…

4. I have agent-suggested revision notes! You might recall that, with great trepidation, I sent my WiP off to Agent Vickie a few weeks ago. Then I waited nervously and ate a lot of chocolate and tried not to bug her while she read the manuscript I’ve been working on for more than two years. Well, Agent Vickie has now read it and she’s on board with it (yay!), and she recently sent me an email full of shrewd feedback and invaluable suggestions for improving the story. Mostly, this revision will consist of digging deeper, strengthening character motivations, and fleshing out backgrounds. This is the phase of writing I enjoy most (drafting = yikes!), and I’m currently letting all that feedback simmer in the depths of my mind so I can start brainstorming and dive headfirst into the work next week. Can’t wait!

5. Kindergarten. My girlie started school on Wednesday. First of all, how am I old enough to have a school-aged child? And second, how am I going to fill my days now? I’ve been a stay-at-home mama since the day my daughter was born. Now I’m just a stay-at-home… person? I mean really. One can only do so much grocery shopping and cleaning. Luckily, I have plenty of CP reading and regular reading and revising (see above) to keep me busy. And thankfully, my girlie is doing fantastically at school. So, I guess I should just be grateful for all the extra writing time and stop watching the clock, counting the minutes till pick-up. Right? RIGHT?!

Pretty girl all ready to go!

A little nervous and a little sad once reality set in. Luckily, she pulled it together and let me leave with minimal fuss. (Thanks to my dear friend Meghan for acting as paparazzi and snapping this photo through the classroom window… I love it! ♥)

A successful first day! (Again, my sweet friend Meghan… She brought my girlie flowers at pick-up time!)

Tell me: What do you have going on this weekend? Reading? Writing? Fun in the sun? (We’re cooking out with neighbors and going to a professional soccer game… Fun!)

FINALLY!

July 2, 2012July 1, 201248 Comments

Over the weekend, I finished my WiP with these words:

I couldn’t stop smiling. I STILL can’t stop smiling. There are few feelings better than knowing you’ve drafted an entire story.

Technically, this WiP was a re-drafting, or a rewrite. I imported scenes from the original story (which I wrote in June of 2010), but approximately 80% of the manuscript is new material. The characters are reimagined (I love them so much more now!) and their story is fresh and more complex. The romance is more authentic, the conflict bigger, and the stakes higher. It’s far from perfect, but for the first time in a long while, I’m truly excited about it.

And now I get to tackle my slightly intimidating list of revision notes:

I much prefer revising to drafting, though, so I’m looking forward to diving in. Time to make this manuscript shine so I can send it to my brilliant CPs and, eventually, Agent Vickie (cue nerves!).

As the summer carries on, my blogging will continue to be sporadic, but I’m slowly crawling out from my cave of WiP madness.

Yay!

Where are you in your writing journey?

M is for Max

April 14, 2012April 14, 201228 Comments

Today is the very last day to enter my Lucky Me, Lucky You Giveaway — it closes tonight at midnight, PST! A signed copy of John Green’s The Fault in our Stars and a free book of choice from The Book Depository are up for grabs for TWO winners. Click HERE if you’d like to enter!

Also, I wanted to give a quick shout to writers and fellow A-Zers Pam Harris and Marquita Hockaday. They’ve themed their Challenge posts over at their Y(A)? Cuz We Write! blog, focusing on controversial issues and subject matter in YA. So far their topics have been timely, incredibly interesting, and well thought-out. Plus, they’re plugging books that deal with each day’s controversial topic. Very cool! I definitely recommend you check their blog out.

On Wednesday (J!) I blogged about my girl Jillian, protagonist from my WiP, Cross My Heart. Today, I’d love to introduce you to her adorable neighbor, one-time best friend, and greatest frustration: Max Holden.

Max is the baby of his family, and his three older sisters never let him forget it. He loves football, classic country music, and cheap beer. He’s a straight-shooter, super energetic, and forever impulsive. One of his favorite pastimes? Making Jillian blush. Max is all kinds of fun — the life of every party — and that’s exactly why you’d never guess how much the challenges at home wear him down.

Meet Max…

Where he sleeps…

Where he lives…

What he loves…

What he dreams of…

How he jokes…

Where he unwinds…

What he learns…

Oh, Max, how I ♥ you!

Tell me: What one quality is a must in your ideal significant other?

L is for Lucky Seven

April 13, 2012April 13, 201241 Comments

Have you entered my Lucky Me, Lucky You Giveaway? A signed copy of John Green’s The Fault in our Stars and a free book of choice from The Book Depository are up for grabs for TWO winners. The giveaway ends tomorrow night… Click HERE to enter!

Happy Friday the Thirteenth!
Fittingly, I’ve got a LUCKY Seven post to share with you…

The Rules:

Go to page 77 of your current MS.
Go to line 7.
Copy down the next 7 lines/sentences, and post them as they’re written. No cheating.
Tag 7 other victims …er, authors.

Fun, right?!

So, I’ve been tagged three times now… Thanks to fabulous Kate Avelynn for tag #1. If you haven’t visited her blog, I recommend it. Her upcoming debut Flawed is one of my most favorite contemporary YA stories EVER. And thanks to adorable Sara McClung for tag #2. The seven lines she posted for Lucky Seven are absolutely fantastic, and you should definitely check them out! And thanks to Kris Asselin, one of my agent sisters and a lovely contemporary YA writer. Please do check out her sweet Lucky Seven post as well.

It just so happens that for my Lucky Seven post, you’re getting seven steamy lines from my WiP, Cross My Heart. I hope you enjoy!

When he pulls away, for one horrible second I think it’s over. But then the softest groan escapes him and he walks me backward, presses me against the wall, and opens his mouth over mine. I taste candy cane peppermint on his tongue, mingling with beer.

Will I ever know what he tastes like sober, under normal circumstances?

I immediately shove that particular musing out of my head, content to focus on the here and now: Max Holden is kissing me like it means something. Like he wants to keep kissing me, forever.

And now I get to tag seven friends… You’re up, Tracey Neithercott, Alicia Gregoire, Yahong Chi, Kat Owens, Rebecca Behrens, Kris Asselin (who’s getting tagged back because she promised a snippet from her MG!), and Taryn Albright!

In celebration of Friday the Thirteenth, tell me: Are you the superstitious sort?

J is for Jillian

April 11, 2012April 11, 201249 Comments

As you may know, I’m currently working on a rewrite of my contemporary YA manuscript, Cross My Heart. This story is a labor of love — emphasis on the word LABOR. Once called Loving Max Holden (a title I might revert back to), it’s been giving me headaches for nearly two years. But I CANNOT let it go. Why, you might ask, have I stuck with a troublesome manuscript for so long? Well, its main characters, Jillian and Max (who you’ll meet on Saturday!), are just too adorable for words. I love them so much, and, simply, I can’t not tell their story.

Jillian is the most like me of any character I’ve written. She’s got a dry wit about her, and one might say she’s emotionally stunted. She’s constantly measuring herself against others, wondering how she compares. Though she puts on a casual-cool air, she’s highly analytical. She’s tight with her dad and angsty about her (pregnant and perfect) step-mom. Jill loves to bake, and she’s got clear goals in mind. She’s not the swooning type, and she’s definitely not that girl who’d let her life be derailed by a boy.

Until… it is.

Meet Jillian…

Where she sleeps…

Where she lives…

What she loves…

What she dreams of…

What she reads…

What she drinks (no sugar, please)…

What she learns…

Tell me: Do you use visual inspiration for your WiPs?

The Two Minute Tension Test

February 21, 2012February 19, 201226 Comments

Brace yourself: Today I’m doling out writing advice. It’s hard-earned (on my part), though, so hopefully it’ll be helpful to you.

One of my greatest writing challenges is tension. I have a way with penning detailed descriptions, witty dialogue, and sweet (or steamy) kisses, but infusing my stories with high stakes and intense conflict is not my strength. I love the people who populate my books and, inherently, I want them content. The problem is, content does not make for an exciting read. I’m constantly working at finding ways to make my characters suffer. I want–need!–my readers to worry about these people I’ve created because really… why else will they continue turning pages?

So, I’ve devised The Two Minute Tension Test as a way to keep myself and my writing in check. It’s easy and it literally takes two minutes, but it’s made a big difference in my writing, especially the rewrite I’m currently working on.

To administer the Two Minute Tension Test, I highlight approximately three-hundred totally random words (about a page) in my manuscript. Then I read through them carefully, without the context of the scenes and the words that come before and after (as if I’m planning to post the three-hundred word sample as a teaser or for a contest or whatever). When I’m finished reading, I take serious stock of what happened within the highlighted sample.

Then I ask myself the following questions:

Did I introduce a question (however big or small) about a character or a plot thread?
Is whatever’s going on in this snippet the absolute WORST that can happen to these characters?
Did I include a hook, something to pull my reader on to the next three-hundred words?
Did I give my reader a reason to care?

If the answer to any of those questions is NO, then I know I’ve got work to do. I either fix the problem immediately (because I have very little patience for a known deficiency) or I make a note of it in my outline to address later.

The Two Minute Tension Test is small-scale. It’s looking at the trees instead of the forest, if you will, but it’s a great way to zone in and assess your story in manageable bits. Once you’re proficient at applying it to three-hundred-word chunks, you can apply it to scenes, then chapters, then acts, and so forth.

So, there you have it: The Two Minute Tension Test.

Tell me: What’s your writing weakness? How do you compensate?