Category: *Writing Resources & Communities

Thankful Thursday

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Oasis for YA knows that the surest way to get good things in life is to be thankful for what you have.  So why not encourage a group thankful-fest once a week in which we all send out good energy and hope to get some back in return? Plus, participating in Thankful Thursday is a great way to connect with other writers.

Here are the rules:
1.  Do your own blog post on what you’re thankful for today.  It doesn’t have to be book or publishing related (but it can be!).
2.  Be sure to grab our badge and include it in your post.
3.  Post a link to your blog in the comments here so that others can find you.
4.  Go forth and share your gratitude!  (And when friending new blogs, be sure to let them know you found them because of their participation in the meme.)

Today I’m thankful for Literary Rambles, a forum focusing on all things children’s literature, hosted by Casey McCormick. Now, if you’re reading my blog, you’ve most like heard of Casey’s, but if you haven’t you’re SO missing out! Trust me, I speak from experience.

Last year I queried a manuscript. I “researched,” but I did it the hard way, and frankly, I probably didn’t do as good a job as I could have. There’s information about pretty much every agent out there, but it’s scrambled and sometimes dated and often hard to find. Agent research can be intimidating.

Good news! Casey has taken much of the difficulty out of the process with her Spotlights–in-depth profiles on dozens of the top agents representing kidlit. She shares information on what they’re looking for, their editorial style, query pet peeves, client lists, sales records, submission guidelines, and web presence. She also includes thoughts on an agent’s buzz, as well as links to interviews they’ve done. Truly, it’s just about one-stop shopping for anyone about to dive into the query trenches. And if that’s not enough, Casey’s also done helpful posts on blog topics, royalty statements, beta reading, character arcs and more.

As I prepared to contact literary agents about the book I’m currently querying, I spent HOURS combing Literary Rambles for information, clicking interview links, and perusing comments other readers left about particular agents. And because of this, I was able to select agents who I truly believe are a good fit for me, and my query letters are personalized and thoughtful.

Casey’s blog is organized, well-written and comprehensive. I can’t get over how selflessly she’s given of her time in an effort to help other writers.  So this Thursday, I’m thankful for Casey McCormick and Literary Rambles.

What are you thankful for today?

Sunday’s Super Seven

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Lately, I’ve needed lists to organize my thoughts. That might be because I’m smack in the middle of an epic WIP rewrite (WIP’s scenes, characters, GCMs and all the other tiny details are sorted into lists, might I add) so my head is sort of jumbled. In that spirit, what better day to post a list of super things than boring old Sunday?

1) Words With Friends – Last weekend, my sister-in-law oh-so-innocently asked, “Hey, Katy, have you bought Words With Friends yet?” To which I replied, “No, I sure haven’t. What is it?” She went on to explain that it’s like Scrabble, only you can play on your phone with real friends who play on their phones, or you can start games with random strangers.

SOLD! Scrabble is my very favorite game, and let’s be honest: I’m all about procrastination tools that suck up huge amounts of time before you ever even realize it. Long story short, I bought the app and now I’m in the midst of about eight different games–some with real friends and some with strangers I’ll never meet. I couldn’t be more joyful.

2) Borders – Speaking of joyful, last week I went to Borders and got four new books! (Elizabeth Scott’s The Unwritten Rule, Sarah Ockler’s Fixing Delilah, Deb Caletti’s Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, and Courtney Summer’s Fall For Anything, in case you’re wondering. I’m on a contemporary kick.) As I was perusing, my husband kept our daughter busy, so tolerant and sweet. Mid-browse, I suddenly  realized something: Borders is my happy place.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I find great delight in my family, friends and (most of my) daily activities. But there’s something about walking into Borders with the goal of buying new books that makes me particularly blissful. Do you know what DOESN’T make me blissful? All this talk of Borders going under. I’m not sure if they make 12-Step programs for obsessive book-buyers like me, but I’ll tell you what–if the Borders in my city closes down, things might get ugly.  *Edited February 17th: While Borders has officially filed for bankruptcy, the store in my town is NOT among those listed as closing. What a relief!

3) Craft Quickies – My talented CP, Heather Howland, has started a new series on her blog: Craft Quickies. They’re short posts covering craft issues (obviously) that can trip some (all?) writers up. So far she’s covered dialogue tag abuse (I went through my manuscript with a fine-tooth comb after reading this one) and the stress-inducing possible sequel. Rumor has it she’ll be tackling verb modifiers soon. I highly recommend you check Craft Quickies out.  

4) The Walking Dead – Have you seen this AMC show? From what I’ve heard, it’s an adaptation of a graphic novel and it is the epitome of ridiculousness. Still, I kind of love it.

Hey, girl with the baseball bat: Good luck to you.

We’ve had all seven Season One episodes sitting in our DVR for months and just recently got around to watching them. (I freely admit that we watched with our three-year-old daughter present. She loved it. “Mommy, why are all those zombies eating that horse?” Our status as Parents of the Year may be in question…) Anyway, I love watching The Walking Dead for the very same reason I love watching Dexter and The Vampire Diaries: Something major happens in every. Single. Episode. There are no lags, no weeks and weeks of I know where they’re going with this and I wish they’d just hurry up and get there. Nope. It’s fast paced and exciting and I can’t wait to find out what happens to those crazy zombie fighters next season.

My daughter pretending to be a zombie. In a Princess shirt.

5) Phrase Frequency Counter – The perfect writing tool for closet OCDers like me. Much like Wordle, you can paste in as much or as little text as you want, choose the number of words-in-phrases you’d like the Frequency Counter to check (two-word phrases, three-word phrases, and so on), and then sit back and let the magic happen. The most common phrases in my WIP were things like “I said” and “he said,” but I also noticed that I used “took a long swallow” and “took a long sip” and “took a long drink” three times each. That’s nine times. Clearly, I’m writing about a couple of lushes.

6) Across the Universe  by Beth Revis – As a rule, I don’t read science fiction. I know, I know… I shouldn’t wall myself off completely from any one genre. The thing is, aliens, space travel, cryogenics, and otherworldly futures just don’t interest me. Then Twitter went abuzz about Across the Universe. I became curious. Rave reviews started pouring in. I became intrigued. Some of my CPs read it and couldn’t stop gushing. I knew I had to check it out. So I bought Across the Universe (See  #2 above… I have a problem.), and I am SO glad I did. It’s sci-fi, but it’s accessible. Relatable. Really cool. I’m somewhere around half-way through and I’m totally into it. But now I’m starting to love it so much that I’m stressing about the ending being a disappointment. Ugh. Please, Beth Revis. Please make the end of your book stand up to the fabulous beginning! 

I love this cover...

7) That’s YAmore – In case you haven’t heard: I’m a participant in Oasis for YA’s “That’s YAmore” blogfest. It has been so much fun reading all of the sweet, romantic, steamy entries. If you’re interested in reading my contribution, you can find it HERE. And please visit the That’s YAmore Blogfest page to check out the other participants. You’ll be glad you did. 🙂

That’s YAmore!

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It’s time for Oasis for YA’s Valentine’s Day BlogFest! Here’s how it works, straight from Oasis for YA’s That’s YAmore Blogfest page:

We love blogfests.  And we love good YA romance.  So we decided to combine the two in our first annual That’s YAmore Blogfest.

Starting the Friday before Valentine’s Day, we invite you to post 250 romantic, swoon-worthy words from your YA WIP.  Then check out the entries from some of the other participants.  (Just be sure you have a fan and/or a cold glass of water on hand.)  We know your Valentine will appreciate you getting yourself in a romantic state of mind…

So, my steamy contribution is from the contemporary YA WIP I’m currently revising, LOVING MAX HOLDEN, about a girl who’s in love with her best friend’s brother:

             Our linked hands rested on the seat between us the whole way back to our neighborhood. Max parked in his driveway—still free of Ivy’s car—then walked me across the lawn to the front porch of my house, just way I’d imagined. “Like a real date,” I joked.

            “I still owe you dinner.”

            “Have you been holding on to your Bunco winnings all this time?”

            “I have, actually. I knew that money would come in handy when you realized how bad you want me.” He stepped closer, grinning, and circled his arms around my waist. “So, how about it?”

            “Ivy can’t know about this, Max. Not yet.”

            He rolled his eyes. “Fine. If I keep my mouth shut you’ll let me take you out for real?”

            “Maybe if you kiss me goodnight after.”

            “I can probably manage that, although I kind of wanted to kiss you tonight too.”

            “But there’s no mistletoe,” I said with mock seriousness.

            He leaned in until his nose was barely brushing against mine. “Like I give a shit.”

            And then he kissed me, soft and slow, like he was certain there were a thousand more kisses in our future. I nestled in, absorbing his warmth, dangerously close to collapsing from the sheer bliss of it all. But he held me tight, his arms safe and secure around me. When he ran his tongue along my bottom lip, I shivered with a new kind of want. There was nothing in the world better than kissing Max Holden. 

So, that’s Max and Jill… I kind of love them. 🙂 If you’re curious about the aforementioned mistletoe kiss, you can read that excerpt HERE. Also, please do visit my critique parthers: Heather Howland, AE Rought, and Jus Accardo. They’re participating in That’s YAmore too, and well, they’re fabulous.

Don’t forget to visit That’s YAmore Blogfest to check out all the other steamy entries.

That’s “YAmore” Blogfest

The lovely ladies at Oasis for YA are hosting a blogfest that’s so fabulous I’m thrilled to be a participant.

Here’s the gist, straight from the Oasis for YA That’s YAmore Blogfest page:

We love blogfests.  And we love good YA romance.  So we decided to combine the two in our first annual That’s YAmore Blogfest.

Starting the Friday before Valentine’s Day (that’s February 11th), we invite you to post 250 romantic, swoon-worthy words from your YA WIP.  Then check out the entries from some of the other participants.  (Just be sure you have a fan and/or a cold glass of water on hand.)  We know your Valentine will appreciate you getting yourself in a romantic state of mind…

Can’t wait to hop blogs and read all the steamy posts… If you’re interested, sign up to participate at: That’s YAmore Blogfest

Friday Five: What’s Up This Week

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1) Queries – I’ve sent out several. Two (at least) every day this week. It’s tedious business, but exciting too. I found a great database of middle grade and young adult publishers and agents over at Jay Eckert’s Sharpened Pen blog. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the querying trenches like me. I found some agents on his list that, while they don’t have a huge web presence (Twitter, blog, etc.), seem to be pretty amazing. Here’s to some positive responses in the coming weeks!

2) Six Feet Under – Best. Show. Ever. (With the only exception being, possibly, Dexter.) My husband and I started watching Six Feet Under sometime around July. We started with Season One (thank you, NetFlix!) and have been plowing through the series ever since. I LOVE IT. Fully realized, terribly flawed characters. Completely unpredictable. It’s heartbreaking and funny and pushes all sorts of envelopes. Plus, it’s got Michael C. Hall, who is nothing short of fabulous. You know what cemented my Six Feet Under love, though? The series finale. The strongest of any series I’ve ever watched. Total and complete closure, which I appreciate because I’m the kind of crazy that wonders what happens to characters I love in the future. Seriously. I can’t sing the praises of this show enough. 

3) Authors vs. Writers – I read a lot about this debate… What makes you an author? What makes you a writer? When do you get to call yourself either? I’ve always gone with this: You’re an author when you manage to get a book traditionally published. You’re a writer until then. In other words, writers are the people who haven’t quite made it yet. Well, today I read literary agent Sarah LaPolla’s wise blog post, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off, and completely changed my tune. Here’s what Sarah said: To me, a writer is a person who is serious about his or her craft and has the drive, knowledge, and skill to someday get published. An author is someone who has been published. See? I like her take so much better, and therefore I am officially adopting it. You should check out the rest of her post as well.

4) Living Dead Girl, by Elizabeth Scott – I finished this book the other day and I’m still thinking about it, though I struggle with words to describe it. Horrifying, definitely. Beautifully written, yes. Also courageous, heartbreaking, graphic and important. And the ending… Though it was a quick read, this book kept me up most of the night because I could not get “Alice” and her story out of my head. Do I recommend it? Yes… but perhaps not if you are easily disturbed.

  
5) Tangled – Rapunzel’s story might be my new favorite Disney movie (and I’m a Disney fanatic!). It is amazingly well done. My three-year-old daughter has seen it twice and is completely obsessed. The other day we bought the soundtrack and have been listening to it CONSTANTLY in the car. And you know… I don’t even mind. In fact, I’d venture to say that I enjoy the songs just as much as my Munchkin does. They are that cute. That clever. If you haven’t seen Tangled, you should. Even if you don’t have little ones. 🙂 

The Bookshelf Muse

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Today I feel compelled  to sing the praises of The Bookshelf Muse. If you’re a writer and you’ve never visited the blog of Angela Ackerman and Rebecca Puglisi, you simply must take some time to explore the awesomeness that is their Thesaurus Series. Broken into four main categories: Emotional Thesaurus, Setting Thesaurus, Symbolism Thesaurus and Color/Texture/Shape Thesaurus, these bloggers have so generously shared their wisdom and tons of wonderful inspiration with the writing community.  

Have you ever felt stuck trying to describe a character’s eye color? The inside of a library? Something slimy? The manifestation of anger? The Bookshelf Muse offers a fresh take on all these things, as well as lots of advice on similes, metaphors, imagery, and word choice. Their lists and tips get your wheels turning and force you to branch out from those tried and true, fallback choices.

WriteOn Con!

What WriteOnCon is:

WriteOnCon is a free, interactive experience for KidLit writers, taking place August 10-12. It is designed to give writers many of the features of a writer’s conference, but in an online environment. Thanks to technologies like blogging, vlogging, livestreaming, and chats, WriteOnCon will connect writers with both industry professionals and fellow peers from the convenience of their own homes. Critique forums will allow writers to receive feedback and exposure for their work, and the entire program has been designed to be both informative and entertaining.

The conference has been scheduled for weekdays, so that attendees won’t have to set aside an entire weekend to be glued to their computers. To accommodate day jobs, the schedule will feature more static elements during working hours, and all live events have been saved for the evenings. Transcripts for most sessions will also be available for download.

***The above information was taken directly from the WriteOn Con website. If you would like more information about this wonderful opportunity, please visit WriteOnCon.com!

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!

Savvy Authors June Bootcamp!

I Don’t Know But I’ve Been Told…

Success. It’s right there, waiting for you to grab it. But “right there” looks a mile away over snake-infested bogs and a random pit of fiery doom.

The best way through such a sorry landscape is with the help of a team, and that’s exactly what we have ready for you.

We’ll break you into teams of no more than five authors who write in your genre. Together you will have your own section of the Savvy Authors website to use for brainstorming, inspiration, encouragement, and virtual chocolate. Post your daily word count if you’re still slogging through the first draft or your page count if you’re duking it out with revisions. Group totals will be calculated and members of the winning team will receive a free workshop each!

To keep your team motivated, we’ll offer writing sprints in the water cooler and operating room of the Savvy Chatroom. Best of all, fifteen-minute writing challenges give your team extra opportunities to win points, so be on the lookout for new challenges being posted randomly!

 The team with the most points will win free workshops valued at $25 for each member!

 And remember… there’s no whining in Boot Camp!
WHEN: June 1 – June 30
COST: FREE for ALL PREMIUM Members!
(This event is restricted to PREMIUM MEMBERS ONLY.)
REGISTRATION: Pay the $30 annual membership fee at Savvy Authors and  register for Boot Camp!
WHO: Savvy Authors is proud to sponsor our June Boot Camp where we fully intend to make you write till your fingers bleed. Liz Pelletier will be your Drill Sergeant this session, and she can be brutal if her recruits are not sitting their butts in their chairs and writing, writing, writing. She’ll even teach you her personal method for fast drafting during this boot camp to keep those word counts coming in. So be prepared… this Drill Sergeant will force you to finish your manuscript in thirty days or you’ll be giving her fifty sit-ups every day you don’t write! We guarantee, by the end of the month you’ll either have a finished manuscript or be in the best shape of your life!

*** Check out Savvy Authors for more information!

Friday Five: What’s hot today…

ONE ~ I’m going to see Tim McGraw perform tonight! I can’t express how excited I am about this concert; I’ve wanted to see him perform for years. The icing on the cake: Lady Antebellum is opening! I’ve already gushed about how much I love them HERE. The cherry on top of the icing on the cake: My husband and I are spending a childless night together in Seattle. Hoping to relive my college days. 🙂

TWO ~ I started reading Ken Follett’s World Without End this morning. It’s been awhile since I read an “adult” book, but I’m a big fan of the epically fascinating Pillars of the Earth, and World Without End is a follow-up of sorts. It takes place in the 1300s and even though I’m only on page seven, I’ve already read about a thieving eight-year-old girl and her father, whose hand was chopped off because of his own stealing. What’s not to like?

THREE ~ I have a new nephew! Gabriel was born May 19th and weighed in at 8 pounds, 5 ounces. My husband, daughter and I are making the ten-hour drive to Mountain Home, Idaho (you’re jealous, I know!) next weekend to visit the little munchkin. Look at those chubby cheeks!

FOUR ~ I’m obsessed with Savvy Authors. If you haven’t checked it out, you need to. Right now. There are too many features to name here, but I’ll try to list a few: workshops, word count/page number trackers, pitch fests, forums, chat rooms, expert resources, critique groups, agent listings, an auto critter… seriously. It’s an amazing resource with supportive and generous people. There’s a $30 a year membership fee to access all the good stuff, but I assure you, it’s well worth the money!

FIVE ~ One of my all time favorite TV shows is Sex and the City. I’ve seen every episode at least once and the movie more times than I care to admit. If you’ve never watched it (and aren’t easily offended), I definitely recommend it. Rent season one at Blockbuster or from Netflix and I promise you’ll be hooked. The movie’s sequel comes out May 27th and I’ll be there (with my mom, SATC’s second biggest fan!) to see it. Can’t wait to be reunited with Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda! **Plus, did you hear Aidan’s back?!