Writer's Block

Writer's Block - the condition of not being able to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.

I recently experienced the worst case of writer's block I've had since I became serious about writing. Sure, I've had moments when I've been too busy to put down new words--kids' events, family vacations, work commitments... But this was different. I literally sat in front of my pc screen for hours, my mind complete mush. So I reached out to some of the most talented authors I know--my amazing friends and CP's. This is some of what they suggested.

Tori Kelly: Reading helps me every time. I always get inspired by seeing others who do it so well.  Also, I never write scenes. This is a trick Brian Farrey Latz shared at a SCBWI conference. Free yourself to write a scene that will never go into the book. Mostly writer's  block is about being too much of a perfectionist.

Elle E. Ire told me that when she experiences the dreaded block, she watches a show that inspires her, reads a book in its entirety, and / or forces herself to write a crappy scene just to get through it. She might also jump ahead and write a later scene she really wants to write to get going again and then go back and connect the dots. Or she'll just let herself take a break from writing. Unless she has a deadline, she gives herself permission to do that once in awhile.

Vivi Barnes: When writer's block strikes, I have a glass of wine and watch mindless episodes of the Bachelor. Wish I was joking, but... In my opinion, having writer's block isn't about having nothing to write about; it means that something isn't working. Literally--a block. Look at what's stopping you and see if anything can be adjusted. Cut a chapter out, go a different direction with a plot line, head off the beaten path a bit and see if it makes a difference. If all else fails, there's always the rest of the wine bottle and episodes of Bachelor in Paradise! 

Rina Heisel recommends taking a walk alone, reading in a similar genre (and think to yourself as you read through it--how would you do it), or binge watching an awesome TV show. Also, she says you must allow yourself to partake in these activities GUILT FREE reminding that it's really an investment in your process.

Diane Bohannan: I force myself to sit alone with the computer. We stare at each other for a long time. Then I type whatever comes to mind. It isn't always a story or a blog, sometimes it's just thoughts. Let the thoughts move in whatever direction they want to go. Write anything and don't judge yourself on what comes out. The first stuff might not be wonderful, but it'll uncork your brain.

There are tons of fantastic blogs online with great tips.  Peggy J Sheridan directed me to this awesome article author Dorian Cirrone wrote on kicking writer's block. Here's another great post by author Nathan Bransford explaining why he doesn't believe writer's block actually exists.

So, if you've been experiencing the inability to write, I hope some of these suggestions and articles help you. I'm very happy to report that I'm finally writing again and am almost done with my WIP. I'm so happy that I'm a part of a such an amazing writing community. The authors I've met online, my own amazing writing groups: the OWLS and the Revision Warriors, and the SCBWI organization are always available to provide guidance.

The Impact of a Mentor

In the Creative Arts, having an amazing mentor can make all the difference in the world. Whether it be writing, dance, graphic design, film production, or music. The greatest mentors are on call twenty-four seven. They return text messages in the middle of the night, provide a guiding hand over the years to help us make the wisest decisions, and have a passion for their art that touches us in such a way, that we can only hope to one day pass that same gift onto someone else.

In my first official year of full-time writing, I was lucky to have my work critiqued by an amazing author who recognized something special in my words. She gave me the confidence to follow my heart and share my stories with others.  I can only dream where I might be today if my path had crossed with hers or another who took an interest in my words when I was younger. So you can image how thrilled I was when my eldest son, Zakaria, met his mentor early in life.

I am fortunate to have the Osceola County School of the Arts  in my county and was ecstatic when Zakaria got accepted into their program. It's renowned for its excellence in academics and for nourishing the creative arts. The only worry I had is that my then sixth grader would be attending the same school as juniors and seniors. I quickly found out how foolish I was for being concerned. Anytime I was at the school, these students were by far the nicest group of kids I'd run into. So when Zakaria asked to take guitar lessons from an older student, I agreed. But never did I foresee the transformation that was to follow. 

Over the next few months, my son went from listening to Top 40 Pop to American Jazz Greats like Charlie Parker, Wynton Marsalis, Charlie Christian, and Louis Armstrong. He'd shed morning, noon, and night. You see he'd met his mentor, James Zito, and a new life path--one that without James he probably would never have taken--was formed. 

Zakaria and James playing downtown

When I first watched James play, I immediately understood why my son fell in love with jazz. His mentor didn't just play the guitar, he became an extension of it. Think spontaneous conviction spurred by passion, channeled through self-expression and then translated into music. Yep, that about describes James' playing. My son was very lucky to find such a talented teacher, but was blessed when that teacher became his mentor.

James' talent has not went unrecognized. Recently, he was accepted into the Manhattan School of Music. A premier international conservatory, this college is only for the highly talented. Check out the GoFundMe link to learn more about James and to hear him play. Even if you are unable to donate, please RT on Twitter and spread the word. You never know whose path that tweet might cross.

Is It Done Yet?

Why is overediting not recognized by MSWord? Does that mean it's like drinking water, eating vegetables, and walking--it's pretty dang impossible to do too much of these things?

My second manuscript got some early attention from some very kind persons in the agenting and publishing world. They only saw ten pages mind you. But something about my words sparked their interest. The novel wasn't completed yet, so I was encouraged to take my time and send it to them when it was ready.

Well, once I typed The End, I sent the novel off to my Beta Readers and went over it line, by line, by line...  I made sure it was grammatically and mechanically shiny. I took all the feedback I received and implemented it. Without question. I even cleaned those first ten pages because, hey, even though they were liked, surely they weren't pretty enough.

I never heard from the publisher, but the amazing agent (who had it in her heart to look at the full on two different occasions from me) nicely told me that somewhere in all those edits, I quit trusting my character's voice. I had to separate myself from the book for several months. Then, I took out the ten pages I initially wrote and compared them to those edited pages. They were as if they were written by another person. I'd turned my snarky teen and her slightly uptight boyfriend into a butterfly and a marshmallow.

As I pound away at my work in progress, I try to implement the things I've learned through trial and error on my other manuscripts.  Now that I'm older and, hopefully, slightly wiser, I will edit, edit, edit... but I'll also remember why I wrote something a certain way to begin with.  

photo credit: Proofreading marks example via photopin (license)

Group Hug

If you've been following my posts, you already know that I quit querying my last project so I could focus on my WIP. A few weeks ago, something prompted me to send out a few more queries. I was pleasantly surprised when I received a full request. It's been a great few weeks of 'What Ifs' and 'Maybes', but alas, this morning I received a polite pass.

I had a blog I began a few days ago that I was supposed to post today. But after receiving the 'we didn't feel strongly enough about your project to take it on at this time' message, I kind of cracked. I don't know, I could blame hormones or 'Tis the Season. Regardless, I immediately posted my Woe is Me Message to my fellow RWers. Even during this crazy busy time of the year, they immediately responded with words of encouragement and support. I seriously wished I could reach through the screen and give each of them a giant hug.

So, instead of blogging about writing today, I instead decided to thank my AMAZING critique groups the Revision Warriors and the OWLS (Osceola County SCBWI). I LOVE you guys so much. Thank you for believing in me and for inspiring me each and every day.

If you are not a part of a critique group, I strongly recommend you join one. If you write children's books and are a part of SCBWI, contact your local branch for information on a critique group within your area. You won't regret it.

photo credit: JeremyHall via photopin cc

Pity Party for...one?

We've been taught since we were infants to reach for the stars and work our butts off until we succeed. Knowing this, I've set many short and long-term writing goals for myself.

Now that I've hit the murky middle in my WIP, I've been feeling, well, a bit sorry for myself for not achieving more at this stage of my writing career. I question if I have any business writing a book. I studied Music Education in school. Am I kidding myself? This is my third novel. I really hoped my last MS would be The One. But despite the partial and full requests, it now lies restlessly inside a jump drive collecting dust while I lounge in a sea of self pity.  *cue Debbie Downer tones Womp Womp*.

When I'm feeling down like this, it's difficult for me to stay focused. (Think Doug the dog in the movie UP.) So last week when I sat down to write and instead found myself surfing the Internet, I swam across a life preserver. Yes, in the black hole of wasted time, there was a giant plastic doughnut in the form of a blog post I swear was written just for me! The post reminded me that I'm not alone and that every single writer--both pre-published and published--have felt the same anxiety. 

So readers I share this wonderful post with you if you haven't already read it. It's written by amazing author Dahlia Adler. Thank you Dahlia for reminding me that I'm not alone.

Dahlia Adler's Awesome Post

*Squirrel!* 

photo credit: Peter L Barker via photopin cc

Let It Go... Or not!

It's the perfect time of year to reflect on our accomplishments and revisit goals that may or may not have been met. My goal for 2014 was to take my rewritten YA Sci-fi and find an agent equally excited about it. It was new and shiny--I'd raked over every word, hooked every chapter end, and added short term goals for my MC to ramp up the tension. (Look for a later post from me about over editing) I knew this manuscript forward, backward, and sideways. The world I'd created completely sucked me in.

I've been very open about my query process...the partial and full requests...the rejections...and the LaLa Land some of my submissions fell into. I fully intended to send my queries in batches, tweak things as needed, and to not stop until I reached one hundred agents. I have several dear friends who submitted over sixty, seventy even eighty queries before they received agent representation so I knew going into it that it might be a long haul. But here I am, only a little over halfway through my goal and I've found my heart just isn't into it.

You see, I have a new manuscript (a YA historical fiction). New characters insisting I share their secrets and dreams. They. Are. Consuming. Me! Anything that takes me away from their lives--even if it's something as simple as researching new prospects for my Sci-fi, puts me into a tailspin. It's insane. So I've decided to put my old MS on the shelf for a while to prevent distraction from my WIP. I'm not letting it go forever. Someday I'll pull it out and read it with fresh eyes. And who knows, maybe I'll fall in love with it all over again.

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Writing Services

Abe Lincoln said, "Don't Believe Everything You Read on the Internet."

I inadvertently stumbled on a site offering seminars, critique services, retreats... You name it, this with the Utopia for writers and the website looked great! When I saw the organizer's / presenter's name I was very surprised. I knew this individual. And I knew this individual had been writing for less than a year and a half. In fairness, I haven't spoken with them for a while so perhaps since I worked with them, they've absorbed the knowledge to charge other writers for their services. But still, I wondered how many people would be handing over their money if they knew how little experience this individual had.

There are hundreds of writing classes and editorial services for writers. These can be great opportunities to refine your craft or to get your work in the best possible shape before you start querying agents. I've had the pleasure of working with a few and LOVE LOVE them. These mentors not only provided detailed feedback on my manuscript, but through their critique, they taught me to be a better writer. But before you spend money on an editorial service, seminar or manuscript critique, you might want to keep a few things in mind.

Don't let a professional looking website sway your decision. Seriously, the days of crappy sites being tell-tale signs of an unprofessional are long gone. Many domain services have user friendly programs and affordable website design services. Remember, you don't have to be a full-scale, non-profit organization to take a (dot)org domain.

Is this individual's work something you enjoy and have any of their clients experienced success? Testimonials are great -- but the proof really is sometimes in the pudding. Don't be afraid to ask questions.  

There are also awesome groups out there that have Writer Beware sites that track and expose questionable activities and / or scams in the writer industry. Here are a few:

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America 

Absolute Write

Preditors & Editors

Of course, before you pay for a service, get your work in the best possible shape you can. That way you can really get some bang for your buck. Here are some great ways you can do this.

1. Join a critique group. Other fellow writers like yourself are a great source for cleaning up your manuscript. If there's not a group in your area, start one. Ask local librarians and book store owners if you can put up a flyer. If there aren't enough writers in your area, establish an online writing group. You can find other writers at great sites like Absolute Write and Twitter.

2. Join a professional organization that fosters a community of persons within the industry. There may be an annual fee but that typically includes a magazine subscription and / or online resources, member discounts on conferences etc. I've been a member of SCBWI since 2010. One of the best decisions I made when I began writing.

3. Can't afford to go to a conference but want to participate in one? Look for online conferences. Children's writers should check out WriteOnCon. It's awesome and it's free; however, please try to donate what you can. 

4. Make connections on social networking sites like Twitter. There are great opportunities out there. Writer blogs that are dedicated to helping writers make connections and improve their work. Again, beware of anyone asking for money -- these are typically free. There are too many for me to mention here, but a few of my favorites include Brenda Drake and Cupid's Literary Connection 

Through organizations and communities such as these, I've met mentors and even some of my amazing critique partners. And as I wrap up this post, I have to give kudos to my very first mentor. Joyce Sweeney is AMAZING. Seriously, not only is she an extremely talented teacher, but she is one of the kindest people I've had the pleasure to meet. I strongly recommend her services -- you will not be disappointed.

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My Writing Process Blog Hop

You guys! The amazing Michelle Smith  has tagged us in the My Writing Process blog hop. But before we get on with sharing our answers, please click on over to Michelle’s blog and check out her #DoSomething challenge that’s going on throughout the month of June.

#DoSomething is all about spreading kindness through simple everyday actions. You can find out more about it here and catch up on challenge #1 and #2 here and here. As Michelle says on her blog: 

“The world can be scary. It’s also full of wonder and love and hope. Let’s focus on the latter.”

Okay, now on to our Creature Double Feature.

1)     What am I working on?

Diane: Currently, I'm putting the final polish on my YA fantasy before submitting to agents and editing a YA sci-fi.

Rina: I’m currently working on a sequel to my middle grade fantasy, RULES OF RODENTIA. In Book Two, well… geez, I can’t really say too much without giving away parts of Book One! But rest assured, the deep woods are still a perilous place and there are some tasks only a young mouse like Tobin can handle.

Marlana: I'm working on a YA contemporary titled, AND THE BAND PLAYS ON from dual POVs.  The pitch: Sixteen-year old trumpet playing Frannie experiences her first crush when Ali moves into the neighborhood. He's like no one she's ever met -- tall, dark and...damn! Ali is upset to be uprooted from Orlando, leaving his friends and soccer team behind. So no one is more surprised than he when he begins thinking of Warrenstown, WV as home. Then on 9/11, America is attacked and the terrible tragedy that unites the townsfolk also outcasts Ali, his family, and anyone who associates with them.

Cheryl: I’ve been torn between two YA projects for a while—a straight up fantasy and something that’s leaning toward light sci-fi. As of late, though, the fantasy, entitled FATE INTERRUPTED, seems to have won the battle for my attention. Here’s the pitch:

In a country sharply divided between honor classes, Dorian Van Zander, youngest son of the high judge, crosses paths with prophet Kahlia Coine. Kahlia’s paintings illustrate her patrons’ futures, and she predicts Dorian will succeed his father after the high judge is murdered. Kahlia knows the future isn’t a suggestion, it’s a force, and once set on a path, there is no stopping it. But promises of a higher honor class for herself, her younger sister, and her ailing father lure her to court where she’ll attempt to alter the fate of Dorian’s family and her own.

Kahlia begins eliminating members of the high-court as pre-murder suspects, but publically displaying their secrets puts her own life in danger. Despite her low status, friendship between Kahlia and Dorian blossoms into something more, but the connection Kahlia discovers between herself and the judge’s inevitable demise threatens to rip away the life she’s always desired and the love she never knew she wanted.

2)     How does my work differ from others of its genre?  

Diane: Though my books are similar to what is out there in the genre, I haven't read anything exactly like them. The worlds are unique and so are the characters.

Rina: I think the biggest difference in my current work vs. other MG fantasy is the cast of rodents, snakes, and other critters who take center-stage. RULES OF RODENTIA is about the journey of a young mouse trying to ensure his family’s survival in the forest. Life is tough when you’re only two inches tall. Aside from letting the critters communicate with each other, I do try to keep a sense of realism. Tobin can’t cast a spell to transport himself to the spider den to save his baby brother; he needs to track the spider’s trail across the woods. 

Marlana: My husband is from Morocco and together we're raising two amazing boys. My husband and children are Muslim. I'm often surprised at some of the assumptions made about children with an Islamic upbringing. I felt I could bring unique insight into the home of a Muslim teen and what they experienced before and after the 9/11 attacks.  AND THE BAND PLAYS ON is my third novel and I can seriously say, it's the first time the words seem to pour directly from my soul to the page.

Cheryl: Yikes, this question is a toughie! I always want my settings to add another level of conflict to the plot instead of just being a backdrop for it. While most of what I write leans toward the fantastical, I try to make sure that there is lots of depth and richness to my world building, drawing on the characters culture, politics, and most importantly their world views that color everything related to both setting and plot. The places may spawn from my imagination, but I want them to feel as real and believable as possible and so intrinsically tied to the plot that the reader couldn't imagine the story taking place anywhere else. 

3)     Why do I write what I do?

Diane: I love speculative fiction! Always have. The first book that caught my attention was The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley in seventh grade. I fell in love with the world she created. It was a great escape. I try to fashion that same feeling in the novels I write. YA is a fun genre too. There's so much happening in life during the teenage years that stick with us for the rest of our lives. My characters go through lots of exciting changes and make some tough decisions.

Rina: As to why I like writing Middle Grade, it’s because adult minds tend to muck up even the simplest ideas. Typically, if you ask a grown-up a question, like if animals have feelings, you tend to get a big, drawn out response. I like skipping through all that nonsense and diving right into a story.  

Just today there was a story on the morning news about a mysterious ocean creature eating a 9 foot-long, Great White Shark. The shark was swallowed whole. Scientists are scratching their heads and I LOVE THAT. There’s mystery in this world, and that is what I like to think about. What ate that shark? A giant squid? A megalodon? Something we’ve never seen because that trench the shark was pulled into is so, SO deep?  Take it further—what if a ten year old girl won a science fair scholarship and got to accompany a research vessel, and they picked up a strange blip! on their radar…

Marlana: It was after I finished HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS that I wrote my first novel, a MG fantasy titled THE ALLIANCE OF MISFITS. I was so upset to say goodbye to Harry, Ron, and Hermione that I needed new characters to cope with the loss. My second novel, a YA Sci-fi titled THE GATHERERS, was outlined after a Star Trek marathon on Netflix. My protagonist, Paxton, appeared in my dreams and insisted I write her story. Finally, my WIP is something I've wanted to write for over a decade, but have been too afraid. With the encouragement of my critique groups and the upcoming 15th year anniversary of the horrific attacks, I knew it was time.

Cheryl: I think my voice lends itself well to YA. Besides that, though, I truly adore everything about YA literature. For me, it comes down to figuring out the world and where our special brands of crazy fit into it. The world and everyone in it is always evolving. Nothing stays static forever, so figuring out how we fit into the grand scheme of things is something (I think) readers of all ages can connect with. And then there’s the kissing. Because…KISSING! Duh!

4)     How does my writing process work?

Diane: I write whenever I can! With my first novel, it took me a while to figure out how everything was going to work in the world I'd envisioned. I did several rewrites and heavy revisions. But the second book just popped up in my brain. I also wrote it during NaNo, which was new for me, but it was a fantastic experience! I got so much done in such a short time.

Rina: I wrote RULES OF RODENTIA, Book One, chapter by chapter, plodding forward because that’s what felt natural. Working on the sequel is a different story (no pun intended). This time I’m outlining the book first, making sure I have the right story arcs coming together, points of character growth, and sprinkles of tension in the right places. There are a couple story lines that cross over from Book One, so it’s helping me keep things straight.

Marlana: Great question. And my answer? No idea! It's going to sound ridiculous, but seriously -- there are times my fingers are striking the keyboard and I'm reading the words filling the paper like it's someone else's work. I have zero idea how those words got there or where they've come from. I tend to write in chapters although I've been known to jump ahead and write a few scenes that have come to me -- typically while taking a shower, that I don't want to forget.  Then once I've written a chapter, I go back, edit it and then write the next chapter. Then I start at chapter one (AGAIN), edit it, edit the second chapter and then write chapter three and so on. You can imagine how tedious this becomes and it takes until I'm about ten chapters in before I make my OCD self stop starting from the beginning.

Cheryl: Ugh! Another tough question. ;) My writing process changes depending on any number of things. Sometimes I outline. Other times, not so much. Sometimes I write daily. Other times… you guessed it. Not. So. Much.

I can tell you this though, it can be frustrating if you dwell on the how or the why too much. For example, after finishing the novel I’m currently querying, I had a hard time falling in love with a new premise, set of characters, world, etc. I had lots of ideas, but the whole writing them down thing wasn’t happening. It drove me crazy because until that point, I was SO excited to start on something new. Stalling out felt like failure of the epic variety.

Très Stressful, I assure you.

Thing is though, it wasn’t because the ideas weren’t good, which of course was my big fear. Turns out, I just needed time to get better acquainted with them. And the longer these new characters and conflicts and setting percolated in my head, the closer I got to putting my fingers to keyboard. Once the story had built itself up to bursting from my head, the writing part took care of itself. Sometimes you just have to trust your brain to know what it needs and go with it. At the end of the day, telling an awesome story is all that matters, regardless of the process.

 

Up next are the lovely writers below. Please stop by their blogs and check out their posts next week.

Amelia Grimstad 

I am writing toward publication, Taekwondo-ing toward a black belt, parenting toward sending seven grown-ups into the world, and wife-ing toward happily ever after. I think I have a thing for goals.

José Iriarte 

José is a Cuban-American writer and math teacher living in Epcot with his wife Lisa and their two teenage kids. Stories of his have appeared in STRANGE HORIZONS and STUPEFYING STORIES, and his novels for young adults are represented by Cameron McClure of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.

Jade Eby 

Reading and writing have always been second nature for me. They are as integral to me as the air I breathe and the words I speak. I knew from a very young age that I would grow up to work with words in some capacity. I thought, perhaps I'll be a librarian. No, a literary agent. How about a copywriter? But the entire time, my heart would whisper, "you're going to be an author." In August of 2013, I released my first novel The Right Kind of Wrong and have since published Whiskey and a Gun (a prequel novella) and Capricious (a short story). My next novel, The Finish will release in 2014.

Passive and Active Voice

I love to write a few chapters and then go back and search for passages that can be reworked to sound less passive. Passive voice can be *yawn* boring. So what is passive voice? There are several definitions out there – but my favorite is straight and to the point. 

Passive Voice: When you make an object of an action into the subject of a sentence. So whoever or whatever is performing the action is not the grammatical subject of the sentence. 

Why is passive voice sometimes frowned upon? Because it often forces your reader to guess what you mean and quite honestly, these passages often lack pizzazz. This is because the subject’s be-er or do-er isn’t moving the sentence along but the subject of the sentence is acted upon by some other agent or by something unnamed. 

There is an easy way to find these annoying little passages. Look for a form of “to be” followed by a past particle. “To Be” verbs: has been, have been, had been, will be, will have been, are, am, is, was, and were.

I *heart* Control + F so I can search for them. I’m not always able to get rid of all of them and that's okay too.  

I learn best through example.  Here are a few I found surfing the net.

Active:

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Passive:

Why was the road crossed by the chicken?

Active:

The auditor approved the new budget.

Passive:

The new budget was approved by the auditor. 

Active:

Ben showed me his new car.

Passive:

The new car was showed to me by Ben.

Active:

I washed the dishes this morning.

Passive:

This morning the dishes were washed.

For those of you searching for passive passages within this blog?  Eh- yeah.  I’ll get right on that.

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Breathing Life Into Your Characters

When I think of my favorite books, what I remember before character or plot is how I felt after reading the author's words. I think that's probably the goal for every storyteller -- for their narrative to be powerful enough to evoke emotions. Whether it's anger or angst, cheerfulness or bitterness, love or hatred, these are the bumps in the road of life that make such a deep impression, we remember them. It seems to be equally true when we read about characters experiencing them.

I compare an amazing manuscript to a great cake recipe. Sugar and flour alone won't a cake make. Only the perfect ratio of voice, goals, rhythm, pacing, plot, with dashes of descriptions that cover our senses (touch, sight, smell, sound, taste) will result in a great manuscript -- or at least get us started on one.

Every writer has different methods they use to help strengthen their writing. People watching and interviewing characters from our books are two of the more popular ones. Personally, I find I'm always searching for new ways to show. We all know that one of writing's most basic rules is showing not telling. If we 'show' our Readers what we want to convey, we can provoke a mental picture in their mind. If they can 'see' what we are seeing, they will become more engaged in our story.

One thing I found helps me show emotions in different ways is taking notes while I watch TV. I'm all over Meredith Gray rolling her eyes at April (seriously?) or Cristina's deadpan stare (again, seriously?) or studying how Derek always rubs his face when he's apologizing. (Of course, studying Derek for any reason isn't quite work, is it?)

However, my absolute favorite to watch for note taking is SHREK. That lovable ogre emotes better than most people. It's literally all over his face. When he's angry his eyebrows knit together, perplexed -- one eyebrow will cock higher than the other or if he's surprised those eyebrows will shoot skyward. I can then take these physical reactions and apply them appropriately to my characters. 

So, what tricks do you use to bring your story to life?

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What? You're Still Not Published?

I wasn't sure what to blog about this week until I ran into a dear friend I haven't seen in a while. She kindly asked me how the book was going. Bless her, she didn't even blink when I asked her which one. The follow-up question, isn't it published yet?, is one I've been asked many, many times. 

The thing about writing a book is that -- drum roll please -- it's really, really hard. *cymbal slap* And like most things that are difficult in life, it also takes time. Lots and lots of time.

From the fruition of an idea to the final, polished project, a manuscript can take years to write. Once it's ready, a person who wants to get traditionally published needs to obtain an agent. Every query you send, needs to be personalized and every agent requests something different -- a query only, a query and few first pages, a synopsis... 

I think it took me three months to query a dozen agents. I most likely will be done with the first draft of my WIP by the time I've queried every agent I want for my last novel. Also, I like to query in small batches since some agents provide helpful feedback. This lets me fix some things before sending out new queries. (See Querying and Dealing with Rejection) The turn-around time for a response from an agent can be 24 hours (probably less than 1%) four to six weeks, or have a policy of 'if you don't hear from us in eight to twelve weeks, consider us a pass'. 

 Like most writers, I'm balancing family, scheduled employment, writing new words, editing old words, beta reading awesome words, critiquing submissions from my CPs (Critique Partners) in both my writers groups (and I know several writers in three and even four groups), read published books to keep up-to-date on what's currently out there because the more you read, the better writer you'll be, and I *heart* books. Oh and let's squeeze in lunch with a friend and watch an episode of Grey's Anatomy. 

I'm not complaining, it's all par for the course. But it's definitely difficult to explain that you might spend a year on a book and its edits, spend another year querying it and, if there's not interest, you might end up shelving it. My first manuscript has been officially shelved for three years. Hopefully, the project I'm querying now won't end up in the same fate. But if it does, I'll keep on writing.

Since I'm writing this blog, I want to jump on a soapbox for a second. (My post, my rant :)) For all those picture book authors out there, I give you a giant hat tip. I wish I had your talent and ability. I get very annoyed when I hear someone say they're ready to publish the picture book they wrote this morning over a plate of omelets or worse, persons who believe before writing a "real" book they could churn out a few picture books as a bit of a warm up. Writing picture books is VERY hard. And if you don't believe me, check out the jobs the amazing and talented Anna Dewdney held before she was able to write full-time. 

Things that keep me positive? Check this out. :) 

U2 Rejected? No way!

photo credit: Arya Ziai via photopin cc

Imagination is Awesome

I’m someone who can sit for hours people watching. See that guy? His name is Eduardo. Eduardo keeps studying his watch, his bushy eyebrows knitted together. He pulls out his cell phone, punches a few buttons and scowls before jamming it back into his pocket. Is he a Federal Agent? - a hit man? Or maybe I notice a giant truck driven by a very old woman wearing a knitted cap. When she sees me looking at her, she veers down the first side street. Is she in disguise? Or has an injured criminal forced her to drive his getaway vehicle?

My imagination has driven me nuts for most of my life. I found early on, if I wrote down the silly notions that entered my head, the fog would lift and I could feel normal. For a while at least. But later in life as a full-time mom, wife and employee, I didn't have time to doodle in notebooks. So I stowed away my ramblings hoping the stories bred from every day living would leave me be. It was pointless. With age the problem worsened. Characters would whisper in my ear in the dead of night.

Sound familiar? Perhaps this is why most writers typically get along fabulously with other writers. We understand poor eye contact, spaced-out looks and seemingly short attention spans. We know if another writer has drool dribbling down their chin they aren't having a seizure. They’re probably riding a giant winged-horse in a sky with two suns.

So yes, I will settle it once and for all. Writers are weird. And if you’re reading this? Weirdo! (Or you know one and are hoping this is a helpful guide on how to deal with them.) Well worry no more. The solution is quite simple. Write! Give those pesky characters their voice. Give up TV, sleep and socializing. For me, I started cutting coupons, feeding my family beanie-weenie and went part-time. 

Okay. So I’m fortunate that my husband isn't a picky eater. The bottom line is a writer must write so don't view it as a curse but as a rare gift. Embrace your Eduardos knowing most people will see only a Bob.

photo credit: shannonkringen via photopin cc

Querying & Dealing with Rejection

So you’ve finished your book, ran it through your critique group (or groups) edited, edited, edited, sent it to a handful of Beta Readers, edited it again and now you’re finally ready to get that book to a publisher. Time to celebrate, right?

Wait! Stop the confetti toss -- there are several more steps.  Okay, sure, take a minute to be proud of yourself. Eat a Twinkie. Play ‘Crazy Train’ on your air guitar. Sing ‘I am the Champion’ at the top of your lungs. You completed a book. WOOT! WOOT! Someone once told me that only a small percentage of persons who start a book ever finish it. I’m not sure how true that is, but it’s nice to think that I’ve accomplished something special.  A few times actually… But my other manuscripts gathering dust were great opportunities to develop my skills, right??

For any of us who’ve decided to get our books traditionally published, we know what’s next.  Oh yes.  I’m talking about catching the attention of an awesome literary agent, an amazing cheerleader-negotiator-guidance counselor-editor-marketing guru who’ll love our words as much as we do. But in order to catch the attention of an agent, we first must enter *cue evil music* the dreaded Query Zone.

 Don’t misunderstand. Literary agents aren’t evil. Actually, every agent I’ve encountered either formally (SCBWI conferences) or informally (Twitter, rejection emails/letters, blog posts) have all been polite and professional. And I’d go a step farther and say they have even been pretty dang nice! Not yet have I met one with a set of horns, spear-ended tail or split tongue.

I know, I know -- when I decided to write a book I was supposed to slap myself around for a good year or two to develop that thick skin.*picture Arnold Schwarzenegger – I eat green berets for breakfast!* Because writers trying to break into the ‘biz’ should know that rejections are just part of the cycle…

Yes, of course, rejections are part of the process. But the truth? No matter how cool I want to appear to fellow writers and family (you know what I’m talking about -- that brush off the shoulder – oh yea, I eat rejections for breakfast!). The truth is rejections hurt.  There I’ve said it – in front of everyone. They HURT dang it!!

*jumping down from soapbox* Since I’m revealing everything, let me go a step farther and admit that not only do rejections hurt, but I’ve actually developed different levels of rejectionitis.

A rejection from a query – a twinge of discomfort deep in my belly.

A rejection from a query, synopsis and sample pages - heaviness in the abdomen.

A rejection from a partial – moderate, lingering discomfort in the chest and a burning sensation on the back of my neck (I know weird, right? Last time my husband almost dialed 911)

And finally, a rejection from a full – all the above plus nauseous sometimes with or without vomiting.

Okay, so I could go on and on, but enough whining.  I've actually found ways for dealing with rejectionitis.

Clown Around: Laughter really is good for the soul and I can often find the humor in pretty much anything. In truth, though, clowns kinda freak me out.

The Rotation: Send out a new query every time a rejection comes in. I researched and found fifty agents I thought might be a good fit for my book and notated them in Query Tracker. Then I sent out ten queries. Every time a rejection comes in, I send a new query out to the next agent on my list. It feels good to know that even though an agent has passed there’s another who might feel that special connection with my story. (Did you know in Twitter and Tumblr there is a Manuscript Wish List? Check it out #MSWL)

Go West Side Story: Reach out to your posse – your fellow writers who have been there. It’s nice to remember you’re not alone. *When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way*

Get Possessed: Jump into a new story. There’s something therapeutic about making up new worlds and throwing yourself into them. Into the story that is – not the pits of hell.

Of course, when you query, it’s important to follow the rules.  Spend time researching the agents to make sure they handle what you’ve written and personalize your message to them.

So, now that you have permission to stomp your feet and scream “Why not me?” Do share. How do you handle rejections?

photo credit: CherrySoda! via photopin cc photo credit: bunchofpants via photopin cc

Author Showcase and Giveaway - Vivi Barnes

It’s difficult for first-time writers to get an agent and even harder for them to get their book traditionally published, especially in the crowded young adult category. So, we’re super duper excited for RW’s first Author Showcase featuring author Vivi Barnes. *throws confetti* 

Vivi has graciously offered to donate and sign a copy of her book for one of RW’s readers, so make sure you become a follower of this blog then enter below for a chance to win.

RW:  Thank you for coming by.  We are very excited about your new book OLIVIA TWISTED available tomorrow, November 5, 2013, from Entangled Teen.  I still remember the night we chatted after critique group and you told me you were thinking of writing a modern-day version of OLIVER TWIST.  A few weeks later, you showed up with the completed manuscript. Okay, okay – so maybe that’s a bit of an over exaggeration, but you really did churn the manuscript out pretty fast. Are you a plotter or a seat-of-the-pants kind of writer?

Vivi: Ha ha I remember that night! And I remember you saying “What the—it took you like two weeks to write!” Two months, missy! I am a bit of both, actually. Before I start a book, I write out a summary of the plot and characters. Very general, mind you—just so I know the story will have a beginning, middle, end and so I won’t forget my character’s names. But otherwise I let the story take me where it will—and sometimes end up in very surprising places.

RW:  What is it about writing for teenagers that appeals to you? 

Vivi: I love writing for teens because those years are full of firsts—first kiss, first love, first temptations. It is a time ripe with all the possibilities in the world ahead of you.  

RW:  I have several ‘Go To’ books that I keep near me when I’m writing.  When I just can’t get something right, I think – hey, how did so and so do this?  When it comes to voice, I often refer back to passages you’ve written because you’ve got amazing voice.  Do you have any tricks of the trade you’d be willing to share with the readers about how you’re able to get into the head of your protagonists and how your dialogue sounds so natural?

Vivi:  Aww thank you! It helps when I write in first person present tense because I can immerse myself into the character and “see” everything from his or her perspective. For example, there is a scene in OLIVIA TWISTED where someone spiked her drink in a club. So instead of saying “I start to feel funny,” which is a removed observation, I got into her head to write what she was actually feeling, and what I would feel if this happened to me. I had a lot of fun writing this scene! Here’s an excerpt:

“Are you okay?” the hot leather Z says in my ear.

“Sure.” I giggle. The leather smells so good. I wonder if it tastes good. I lean forward to lick it and accidentally drop the bottle of water on his foot.

He winces. “Whoa, take it easy. Did you drink out of this?” He takes the empty cup next to me and smells it, like maybe he thinks it’s roses or something. He frowns. “This is just Coke. Did you have something else to drink? Alcohol?”

“Nope. That’s it. Coke.” That’s a funny word, Coke.

His eyes tighten. “Did you do any drugs?”

“Drugs, schmugs. I don’t do drugs. Just like on TV.”

“Who gave this to you?” he demands, his face crinkled in anger. Or maybe it’ll be happy if I tilt my head…

“Is your frown turned upside down?”

“Who gave this to you?” He holds the cup in front of my face and shakes it to rattle the ice. I try to concentrate but my eyes keep slipping around to him. Hot guy is hot.

“Liv!” Z peers at me closer like he’s trying to see inside my eyes. “Who gave this to you?”

“Ooh, him. Tyssson. He’s sooo gross. Tries to sit on me on the bus. Or sit on the bus.” I can’t remember what I’m trying to say.

RW:  I love that excerpt!  Some writers finish their manuscripts with 100K words then start whittling it down when they edit.  Others start at 50K and add more layers with each pass, increasing word count.  Could you share with us your revision process, from critique group, to agent, to editor to copy editor? 

Vivi: I’m one whose manuscript starts out shorter and grows as I revise. OLIVIA TWISTED was 55K words. By the time I finished what felt like hundreds of revisions, it ended up around 89K words! This was probably because I added more of Z’s point of view later. But it seems like even when I remove sections, the word count increases. Critique partners and editors have helped me tighten certain parts and expand on others, so somehow it just ends up growing.

RW:  OT is dual POVs – your protagonists Liv (Oliver) and Z (Dodger).  Was one of the POVs easier than the other to write from?

Vivi: That’s a great question! I really enjoyed writing Z’s perspective (I tapped into my inner bad boy), but Liv’s was definitely easier. Maybe because I had been in her head from day one of writing the story, so I felt closer to her. In fact, early in the writing process I didn’t have Z’s POV through the entire novel, just parts. So my editor asked if I could make his POV through the entire story to balance it out. Keeping true to the characters in the original story of Oliver Twist, I had to ensure Liv’s innocence and Z’s cunning came across, which wasn’t always easy. Writing both POVs helped with that.

RW:  Do you listen to music as you write and, if so, did you have some favorite tunes that inspired OT?

Vivi: Oh YES! I have to listen to music in order to write. Music helps me get into a scene. When there were tense moments with Bill Sykes and any action scenes, I usually had Godsmack, Three Days Grace or Korn playing. For softer moments (HELLO KISSING), it’d be songs from Hinder, Staind or Coldplay.  Sad scenes might be songs from Evanescence, Civil Twilight and Josh Groban.

Thank you, again, Vivi for stopping by RW. We can’t wait to see what’s in store from you next. 

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