Music and Writers August 31, 2009

A lot of writers use music in some capacity in their writing process. I’m always amazed how much these differ, but I thought I’d share mine.

 

Writing the fantasies I use THIS to get into the writing flow. Don’t watch the video (although I’m a huge Austen fan), just feel the urgency and the story it’s telling. That entire song is a book in 3 mins — Otherwise known as Crystallized Beauty by Philip Sheppard. It was a great song to get me back into my world. No idea of the how or why, but it worked and I always turned it on as I was setting up to write. Listened to it until I was ready to go. Typically I turn music off while I’m writing, but the lack of words gives this one a step up in allowing me to loop it if I’m having trouble focusing.

 

The other way I use music is voice. Not MY voice, his…his being the guy who is the focus of that story. For some reason the girls don’t seem to NEED a song. They sometimes have one, sometimes done. Especially the Hard Stuff, Funny books. The girls are a weird mix of Avirl Lavigne and Taylor Swift with some older stuff thrown in there. But the guys, the guys are picky.

 

Each of my guys has his own song. It’s his. The voice becomes his, the words his, the feel his. Sometimes its music I don’t even like. I thought I’d throw a few out there. It’s never the videos, but it’s always the music.

 

BRENNID from MARKBEARER

Brennid basically steals an underage princess to gain his throne. He’s a good guy making the worst decisions possible. THIS is his song. The feel, the gritty voice, the words….they all become his as he realizes how he screwed up his life, her life, their kingdoms and brought everyone to the edge of war…and hopes he can drag them all back away from it.

 

LUKE from SECRET GIRLFRIEND

Luke is the new guy. The new, stubborn, pushy, all-seeing guy. He’s the first one to want Amy for herself. But she’s holding onto a childhood crush that let’s her stay swamped in the past. Forcing her to see the truth about the guy she’s with and  let go of the grief of her mother’s death and father’s abandonment, he’ll drag her out of the shadows she hides in.  He wants it all. Like THIS.

 

CHRIS from SECRET LIFE

Let’s just say, Secret Life is about what happens if the two most messed up people in a school find each other. Chris can’t figure out what’s wrong and has his own issues, but he can’t seem to let go either. THIS is his song. This was a hard song for me, it’s sad and hopeful and kind of hopeless too. Chris needed this song.

 

EDITTING

I really like Badly Drawn Boy. Tozan did a remix of The Shining. Pretty much wordless, very flowy, very emotional. It sucks me in has me flowing with it. It’s almost exactly 10 mins so it’s great for sprints or setting it up to loop 2 times for 20 min sprints. I love love love this version. There were so many hits and begging, he offered it as a download. Amazing and generous. And thus, I edit.

 

The rest of the Fantasy warriors and my Hard Stuff, Funny guys have songs too, but we’re still negotiating down to one main theme as I write them. Like I said, they’re picky.

 

I know people use music really differently. Whole soundtracks. songs for each scene, character themes, book themes….maybe none at all. I’d love to hear how — or even if — you use music while you’re writing.

Friday Round Up & Priorities August 28, 2009

On the trip, when I’m hanging with a friend, they seem to very often say, “Oh, and Bria has a great blog where she summarizes all the things you should have read this week in publishing. You should check it out.”

 

I then explain I’m taking a break from doing that on the trip because I’m in different time zones or can’t always get the internet or don’t have time to really do the research because I’m visiting/hiking/camping/sight seeing/researching/writing/etc. Suffice it to say, people are still telling people that.

 

I’m still on the trip, but I’ve been thinking maybe I should start doing the Friday thing again. Only, I realized something interesting: I don’t want to.

 

It began to feel silly. As my online world grew, information began to fly past amazingly quickly. I blame twitter. Seriously, someone sneezes in New York and we know all around the world immediately. By Friday if you haven’t heard, then it’s too late. Sure there are blogs you should still be reading and online mags you should subscribe to, but it comes down to this: When we thought information could move faster, it did. As more and more editors and agents got on twitter this summer, having a weekly round up got to be redundant.

 

And so, here is my advice:

1. Pick a few blogs you feel like you should be following and book mark them: Pick a day each week you catch up on those blogs. I did a blog post linking agent’s who blog, I’m sure it’s no longer complete, but it’s a good start
2. Get on Twitter: I was pushed onto it and thought I’d tweet occasionally and maybe remember to look at it once a week. Yeah, I’m on all day. I have a thing that pops up through TweetDeck and tells me someone tweeted that I follow. While I only check my general ones occassionaly, I have searchs for key words and groups that pop up to let me know if somethings going on I might want to know about with agents and editors across the country. Feel free to go to my twitter and steal my follow list: http://twitter.com/briaquinlan
3. Subscribe to genre mags: Every writer should be getting at least the free industry mags. A good place to start is Publishers Weekly
4. Make the tough decisions: I’m reorganizing my online reading habits as we speak. Not all agents blog about the industry. Several blogs are reactionary (they’re just reacting to what other agents and industry people are saying otherwise don’t focus on their blog), some are people I know I don’t want to work with, some people have such a big following that when they say something that may interest me it’s all over twitter 27 seconds later.

The entire point of sitting down to my computer — for me — is to get the writing done. And so, while I’ll always blog about things I think are relevant to writing — and especially to my writing — I”m going to have to say, “Time, I reclaim thee!”

Perfect Books August 26, 2009

Every once in a while, you read a book and miss the point….well, the writer point, not the reader point.

 

This past week I reread Jenny Crusie’s BET ME. Someone had given it to me because it was a two book deal with WELCOME TO TEMPTATION. My copy of WTT had conveniently gone missing during a friend’s visit so I’d never gotten around to reading it. Last week, I’d written all day and thought I’d just take a short break and pick up BET ME for just a few chapters.

 

No. Such. Thing.

 

Of course I enjoyed it again as a reader, but as a writer I was amazed at just how perfectly put together this book is. Yeah, you may or may not enjoy it (I’m betting you will because it’s a great read) but break that book down and you’ll be amazed. Or, not so much. Crusie has a reputation (that I’ve been lucky enough to see first hand at the Low Country Masters Class) of working her books to perfection. Plotting, charting, character sketches, collages, amazingness…I’ve tried, honestly I have. I have tried all those things…and more, but no matter what I just can’t seem to drop this Pantser habit. I’m an addict.

 

But, it does make me stop and wonder, even with edits involved, can I write a perfectly put together story? Or, is it a plotter thing, only those who see everything in before they start can succeed here?

 

Goodness I hope not!

 

I was talking to Ms. Gwen Hayes the other day about plotting/pantsing and how I keep thinking the next book will be the one I can plot. I mean, I give it a little whirl each time. Each time it goes no where and I have to just start writing…then we’re trucking. But, styles change and I don’t want to say “I’ll never be a plotter” because there’s a good chance that one day — even if it’s only for one book — I may be.

 

And so, as I hold my book together in my head and make Notes To Self about layering and adding, I think: Yes, yes a pantser can write a perfectly formed book…and one day I’ll be one of those pantsers.

 

I’d love to hear about some of your favorite perfectly formed books! Because, really, who wouldn’t want to learn from the best?

Me, as a YA writer August 24, 2009

Earlier today @BostonBookGirl — otherwise known as Lauren E. MacLeod an agent at The Strothman Agency who twitters — asked YA writers: “YA/MG Writers: What do you do to get in the head space of a tween/teen?Just curious as I binge on partials today.”

 

I gave a standard answer in my 140 characters and then got in the car to do the long drive to Portland, OR. And THOUGHT. Stupid thinking.

 

This is a question people have asked me before. My answer always is light and quick. But now, as I deal with the book I’m currently finishing, I thought I’d sketch out the truth more clearly. There are several reasons I’m a YA writer. I wasn’t someone who said, “Oh, YA’s hot” or “Wow, my stuff isn’t working, I’ll try something new.” This is where I started and this is where I see myself. But HOW do I get into that YA mindset?

 

Let’s skip the fantasy I write and go directly to the new set I’m working on. I’ve started writing something I can only describe as “hard books, funny” because I was told calling them “Rom Coms” is misleading. Don’t get me wrong, they’re funny (thank goodness, I just watched someone read my stuff while I was in the room constantly asking her “are you laughing because it’s funny or, ya know, AT me?”). But my Hard Books, Funny are stories about girls dealing with serious issues with humor, because honestly, that’s the only way I survived adolescents…oh, and the rest of life too.

 

So, let’s use me to look at what makes this YA writer.

First off, my YA years. My YA years were stressful. I didn’t come from a HEA home. I came from one where I found reasons not to go home for days at a time. That time shaped my life in a way that sticks. Don’t get me wrong, those years shape everyone, it’s just how big is of a wave in your own personal pond did the rock known as “the teen years” cause.

 

Next, I’m young. OK, my years may be a little older than “young”, but I’m young. The things I do, like, listen to, wear, etc are younger than what I would have guessed someone my age would have. Also, yeah, I look younger than I am. On the trip around the country I’m on, people keep asking if I’m on my way back to college (thank you all you partially blind people) but I’m sure that has some weight on my worldview. One of my closest friends has similar taste in clothing to me, but how we wear those pieces we both own and what we wear them with makes it look as if we couldn’t possibly shop in the same store let alone own the same clothes. She always looks so grown up. If I dressed like her I’d look like I was playing dress up. You should see me in my business suits

 

Also, I mentor girls. I live with them for weeks at a time on summer trips. I’m on their speed dial. I get their emotional purge emails. I’m confident and guru all in one. Plus, I can kick their butts at air hockey. How is that relevant? It’s really not, but I just wanted you all to know because how often do you get to brag about that?

 

But, the biggest issue is one that will most likely come as a surprise to many people. I’m very open about this, so don’t feel like you hear the Dun Dun DAAAA! in the background.

 

I have BDD – Body Dismorphic Disorder. BDD creates a fun-house mirror effect…not my words, but I’m stealing them from a friend. Every way I have of seeing myself is distorted, negative. I typically hear two responses when I say this:

1. You need to just accept that you don’t look like that
2. OMG! I must have it too

Stop. There’s a slim chance you have BDD. Everyone has insecurities, I’m talking Extreme Life Altering Can’t Leave The House If You Don’t Get Help issues. My life now? Normal. The BDD doesn’t rule my life. I have slip-up moments of anxiety during extreme stress, but if you met me, you’d probably not believe me. 

 

But, you’re asking: Bria, how does this push you toward writing YA? Especially if it’s something you’ve dealt with?

 

It creates a certain connection with that time in life for me. I LIVE at that awkward phase and I’ll never truly outgrow it. What I write about — that time I write about –  is the place where a girl is dealing with a tough issue while coming into her own and falling in love for the first time. It’s  something I can constantly relate to because BDD means that I’m always at that “coming into myself” period. It makes me question everything in that way I did as a teen. Sometimes things feel dire. Urgent. 

 

Now, in Secret Life,  I’m writing about a girl who’s coming off her meds. She’s gotten cognitive therapy, done the work, and is in a good place…Until extreme stress enters in the worst way possible. I’m amazingly excited about this story. It’s not my story, but it I’ve kept it true to life as someone with BDD might feel. I’m hoping that one day someone will read it and see that they aren’t alone and that, yes, even the “unfixable” is overcomable.

I guess what I’m saying is I write YA not just because I love teens, not just because I feel young and drawn to those types of stories, but because remembering is a daily way of life for me and I want to make it hopeful for those who still live there.

Keeping Goals Going August 17, 2009

So, this trip around the country hasn’t been productive in a lot of ways like I thought it would. The two big ones are the W’s: Writing and Weight.

 

The weight one is fast and easy. I thought I’d push that last five pounds I had off…but it just hasn’t happened. I’ve been in the desert where it’s to hot to run or walk, I’ve visited people who make huge good meals with dessert and not had the willpower to say no, and now I’m somewhere we keep going out for big meals…and once again, I’m lacking the willpower. Stepped on a scale last night and thought oh-dear-lord. So, that’s the motivation one W changing.

 

Let’s talk about the other W — Writing.

 

The writing is not getting done. I’m constantly with people or around people and haven’t had the ability to concentrate in those environments. I’m not one of those writers where if I’m in a groove and you sit down and start talking to me I can just jump back into it. I wish I were – I envy them.

 

So here it is, I’m going to have to learn to be a little rude and a little selfish to keep my goals at the front of my mind AND have them getting done.

 

How does that happen?

 

Well, for one, I’ve made them more visual. I can’t miss them now. When you turn on my computer, my wallpaper is now this weeks goals. They’re right there reminding me…dare I say mocking me? If I forget about them it’s because I’ve gone blind.

I’ve also created a list of things that have to get done that aren’t on the list, things that pop up. I do this at home, why am I not doing it on the road? No idea.

And everything has dates next to it. The date it’s supposed to be done for goals and the date it needs to be done overall. This helps me keep the “why” in my mind too.

Another thing I’ve done is focus on the long term goals for ACers — which at this point are only 4.5 months left for. FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS! That’s nothing? How much as gotten crossed off? Not enough…not nearly enough.

 

I hate failing. Thinking of it like that, of a potential failure, has rushed everything back to the front of my mind and gotten me moving again. I may not compete against others, but I certainly compete against myself a lot. So now I”m going to focus on those W’s no matter where I am in my trip and get them done!

Renewing Goals August 13, 2009

I’m a member (ok, i’m the annoying founder) of a group known as ACers — their the Accountability Corner. It’s a small group that does very focused weekly goals.

 

We started this week with some new people and a renewed focus. One of mine was that I would blog this week Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Great. Not a problem. I can do that. I have two blogs for crying out loud (divadriving.wordpress.com is the other) — I could blog about writing OR I could blog about my round the country drive I’m doing…. so many great options.

 

So I sat down and realized….. I got nothin’.

 

Last night I got almost no sleep…nightmares. I have them sometimes. So I’m tired and then spent five hours critting.

 

But this is what it comes down to. I made a goal. I have the time and capability to complete it. Therefore, it gets done. This is where the line has to be drawn. There’s no emergency. Nothing is stopping me except my own laziness. It either gets done because I said I would or it doesn’t and I make up some lame excuse.

 

So today is the first day of the new goals that I’m drawing that line in the sand. We have to do it, all of us. Or success becomes a “wouldn’t it be nice” instead of a “give it all I’ve got” dream.

 

And I guess I’m a dreamer.

Pen Names, Screen Names, Networking & Building Your Brand August 12, 2009

I was talking with a friend last week about branding. It could be the business background in me, but I love branding. One of the things I liked about the Twilight series is you can pick a Twilight book out from 100yards – yeah, sweet. It has A Look.

 

I’m sure if you’re here enough, you know that I’m one of the co-founders of Excerpt Monday. Mel and I have been talking over the last few months about where we want EM to go. There’s a lot to think about:

• Who are our participants?
• Who is our audience?
• What do they need?
• What do they NOT KNOW they need?
• Can we give it to them?
• How can we fix issues and be easy service wise (this one is huge and is what brought about all the questions in the first place)
• How can we make our site memorable and easily recognizable.

That last one? That’s the easiest part of branding to identify. The look.

 

But what about branding for authors? Yeah, we’re to a point in technology where authors are expected to know more, do more, be more than just a writer. I have thoughts about this, but that’s a different blog. Part of this — to me — is branding and building your network.

 

I’m a HORRIBLE networker. I hate it. I hate it even when I’m not networking and honestly enjoy the person. There’s a lot of successful authors out there who have been burnt. I can tell you that we unpubbed writers have a lot of stories we can tell you about being burnt by those burnt-pubbed authors. I’ll admit that two of my favorite authors treated me horribly when I met them. I was embarrassed just for introducing myself in a networking forum and they looked bad to the people around us. (Before you start wondering, one actually went on the attack after “Hi, I’m Bria and I just want to tell you how much I love your books.” — I know, how dare I, right?)

 

And so, I don’t buy either of their books any more. I live 2 blocks from a library. I don’t HAVE to buy any books. I vote with my wallet, just like every other aspect of life. Now, to me, part of those authors’ brand is “rude to the reader” or “impatient with her audience” — Does anyone truly want that to be part of their brand?

 

Yeah, me neither.

 

Rounding the corner on this post… This is the what my friend and I were originally talking about: Pen Names.

 

She doesn’t have one. That’s fine. Except, she doesn’t have a “real name” up either.

 

She’s past her first book, has a blog, is in writer’s forums and goes by a screen name. I’m flabbergasted by this. How many people has she met that when her book comes out would have said “Oh, she was in such and such with me. I should pick that up?” How is she going to make the jump on her blog and site from a screen name to a pen name. Contest wins are posted in her real name, who will make the connection when she picks a pen name…does she even want them to make the connection?

 

And so, we’ve gone back and forth. Her saying that until she’s published it “doesn’t matter THAT much” and me saying “this is the stuff you need to think about now.”

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Branding? Names? Burnt-Authors and Burnt by Burnt-Authors? To me, it’s all part of the publishing world. To her, not so much… How about to you?

Cami’s First Kiss, P5 — Excerpt Monday August 10, 2009

Welcome to my Excerpt Monday post. Want to get involved? Click HERE – and my partner in crime, Mel Berthier HERE.

This is the 5th installment of Cami’s First Kiss. For the first 4 excerpts, click Cami’s Page OR Free Reads above.

 

Swallowing a sigh, I tripped my way back around to Lisbeth, pushing through the circle of men to the epicenter of beauty.

 

 

I reached between the remaining men between me and the bar. “Lis. We’re leaving.”

 

 

Grabbing my hand she brought me through the crowd to her side. “Gentlemen, this is my friend Jenna. She’s a world famous writer.”

 

 

The men all made the polite-humor-the-friend noises, their eyes never straying from Lisbeth.

 

 

I leaned in, desperate to get her out of there and trade her for my notebook. Mocking Guy was hot, funny (at my expense) and intelligent. She wouldn’t mind meeting him. I mean, who would?

 

 

“Lisbeth, seriously. We have to go. That guy took my notebook and he’ll give it back if we go hang out with him and his friend.” I struggled not to roll my eyes. “He wants to meet you. He committed theft to do it.”

 

 

Lisbeth had a serious bad boy addiction and the idea of someone stealing to meet her had her eyes lighting up like a night game at Fenway. My stomach turned over. She was going to like him. She’d seen me talking to him and was already running her flirt-calculations behind those lit up eyes.

 

 

Lisbeth nudged bald-bouncer guy on the way out and we slipped past the line.

 

 

“So?” She pulled out a tiny mirror and did a quadrant by quadrant check of her hair and make-up.

 

 

“So what?” I watched the door to make sure he hadn’t convinced me to leave, and then left me trapped outside without my notebook. I glanced at Lisbeth.

 

 

He’d show.

 

 

“So, this guy. He’s obviously hot.” Lisbeth grinned. “I noticed him sliding glances over the bar at me. Hopefully he’s worth more than just getting your notebook back. I’d hate for you to go home without your security blanket.”

 

 

Sometimes I hated her. It was bad enough she got the guy without even talking to him, but referring to the handy-dandy as a security blanket – well, that was about the end of the night for me.

 

 

Sucking in a breath, I did the dance. The one we did every time we went out. Only, I didn’t typically feel nauseous as I did it.

 

 

“Well, you can see he’s hot. He seems smart. He has a sense of humor if you count laughing at me.” I ran through our conversation. “Strong. He picked me up with one arm around my waist. Arrogant. He kept thinking if he said something, it must be so. Like buying me a drink and calling me Sunshine like I’m five or something.”

 

 

“What does he do?” she asked, shrugging her shoulders so the sackcloth-dress casually fell off one. Dear God, how did she do that?

 

 

“For work?” Or for fun. Because that would apparently be torture me. “I don’t know.”

 

 

“Does he live in town?”

 

 

Had we discussed that? “I’m not sure where he lives.”

 

 

“Well, what’s his name at least?”

 

 

My gaze flashed back to the door, hoping he’d just walk out and answer the questions for himself. “Mocking Guy. But you can call him Mock.”

 

 

Lisbeth raised her eyes and studied me. Her words came out slowly, as if she were talking to a very small child. “You don’t know his name? You dragged me out here to meet a guy and you don’t know all the important stuff?”

 

 

“I told you, he’s smart, funny and relatively nice.”

 

 

“Jenna,” she sighed my name. “You know better than that. You’ve never let a guy through without checking his stats for me.”

 

 

And there it was, laid out in vivid HD. The basis of our friendship. I was her gatekeeper. If Mr. Guy hadn’t had my notebook, I would have walked away right then.

 

 

Lucky for me, Mocking Guy and Adonis chose that moment to exit the bar or I may have said something to kill my chance for handy-dandy retrieval. Even with them nearing I was weighing the odds of being able to recreate the plot points I’d outlined that I’d recorded in the notebook.

 

 

Mr. Guy’s gaze flowed over Lisbeth. I imagined him taking in every inch of well-honed girliness only emphasized by my plain waitress-looking self. His gaze turned my direction. His lips did that right-sided, quirky smirk thing and my stomach dropped like coming over the top of a roller coaster.

 

 

This guy was too hot, too interested in Lisbeth and too likely to laugh at me but here I was blushing and on the verge of stuttering. I was even stupider than I thought.

 

 

So, I’d do the introductions, get them all hooked up, get my notebook and take off. If I ignored Lisbeth’s calls for three, maybe four, days she’d have moved on to the next post-Jeremy guy and I’d be rethinking my life, my friends and the universe.

 

 

Mr. Guy’s smirk morphed into that full-ray smile as he turned back to Lisbeth and stuck his hand out.

 

 

“Ladies.” Mr. Guy nodded one of those if this were two-hundred years ago it would have been a bow nods. “I’m Ben. This,” he tipped his head to signify Adonis. “Is Dane.”

 

 

Dane took my hand, shaking it lightly in an offhanded way. “And you are?”

 

 

The man was gorgeous. Like blindingly, stunningly, overwhelmingly gorgeous. The entire group was in the majors and I was in however many A’s signified ‘can’t catch the ball.’

 

 

Lisbeth held her hand out in that half-turned way that left a person wondering if she expected him to shake it or kiss it. Ben went one better. He took her hand, sparking that smile again, and tucked it in the crook of his elbow.

 

 

Lisbeth looked from Ben – the guy who stole to meet her – to Dane – the guy who made George Clooney look dowdy. Before Dane could move away, she wrapped her other hand around his polo-clad bicep. Nudging each away from the club, not to mention me, she asked oh-so-innocently, “So, where’s this fun place we’re going?”

 

 

Ben’s head angled toward her, his profile lit by the neon bar lights behind us. His expression wasn’t quite as innocent. “You’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?”

 

 

With a tug, he pulled the little party down the street in front of me, my notebook sticking out of his pocket. Glancing over his shoulder, he winked at me.

 

 

The only thought that flashed through my mind was, I could seriously learn to hate this man.

 

 

Two blocks from the bar, Ben stopped and slid Lisbeth’s reluctant hand off his arm. Leaning around her, he jerked his head at Dane, indicating the CVS we’d stopped in front of.

 

 

Lisbeth gave them her best pout as the two men asked us to wait outside and strode into the drugstore. Once the doors fell shut behind them, she turned a smirk toward me.

 

 

“He’s a little too sure of himself, don’t you think?” She pulled out the little mirror and reapplied her lipstick.

 

 

I wonder who was the too-sure person, as I watched her primp for a man she’d just met. Of course, she’d never been wrong before.

 

 

“What happened to wanting a guy to want you for more than your body?” I asked.

 

 

“Of course he does. I mean, he couldn’t want me dressed like this?” She waved at the dress again.

 

 

“Lis, you haven’t even talked to him. He saw you surrounded by all your admirers and that’s that.”

 

 

Lisbeth tucked her mirror back in her purse. “Just because you don’t have men wanting you from across a crowded room, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen to the rest of us.”

 

 

Ok, so now it wasn’t just her, it was all womenkind I was less attractive than. Lovely.

 

 

The guys came through the automatic doors and Ben’s eyes narrowed. Did he catch the way Lisbeth’s eyes grew round and sultry instead of narrow as they swung from me to him? He shook the bag in his hand and lead us away. I couldn’t help the little, internal grin I got from his not offering Lisbeth his arm again.

 

 

The music drifting from open club doorways faded as we crossed the street toward the college area. At a dark corner, Ben stopped and faced us.

 

 

Giving the CVS bag in his hand a little shake, he said, “We’re there.”

 

 

Lisbeth’s nose squished up before she caught herself. “We’re where exactly?”

 

 

“Disco Ball Bowling Alley.”

 

 

Pushing open the dark brown door, Ben grinned as the music rushed out over us.

 

 

“This is the something fun?” Lisbeth asked.

 

 

“This is the something more than fun.”

 

 

Lisbeth peeked through the door, her hand wrapping around Ben’s bicep as she leaned past him. After a moment, she pulled back and cocked an over-arched eyebrow at him.

 

 

Seeing she wasn’t moving, I took the lead and marched past him through the graffiti covered door. Inside, colors flashed by me off the disco balls scattered about the room, the music rivaled a dance club.

 

 

“I’m not going in there,” Lisbeth shouted through the door at us. “If you think I’m sticking my bare feet in used, public shoes, you’re not exactly more than a pretty face.”

 

 

“I’d never expect you to. These made me think of you.” Ben dug around in the CVS bag. With a ridiculously over showy sweep of his arm, he brought out a little pair of black socks with hearts on them and handed them to her. “And these made me think of you.”

 

 

The next pair pulled out were Peanut M&M yellow.

 

 

“No.” I shook my head. “Why does she get little hearts and I get blind-the-crowd yellow?”

 

 

“What’d you think you were going to get, Sunshine?”

 

 

“A headache.” I snatched the socks and marched to the counter hoping everyone was following me.

 

 

“Eight,” I said to the teenager behind the counter before I had a chance to change my mind. Reaching in my wristlet, I pulled out the money that should have been paying my cab fare away from this mess.

 

 

A large hand covered mine before the bills cleared the leather.

 

 

“There’s four of us. One lane.” Ben handed the kid some cash and scooted my shoes toward me. “Go warm up, Sunshine. I don’t want any excuses about how badly you’re going to lose.”

 

 

Lose! He’d already stolen my notebook and used me to pick-up my friend, there was no way I was letting him beat me at bowling.

 

 

I mean, how hard could it be?

 

 

I glanced at the little desks in front of each alley. All you have to do is roll a ball and knock down sticks. I could knock down stuff without trying. Heck, I’d taken out that bar stool like it was a straw hut and I was the Big Bad Wolf.

 

Klutziness was finally going to be my friend. Roar.  

  

Links to other Excerpt Monday writers
Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

AJ O’Donovan, Poetry (PG13)
Stephanie Draven, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
Heather S.Ingemar, Dark Fantasy/Poetry (PG13)
Babette James, Fantasy Romance (PG 13)
Cynthia Justlin, Romantic Suspense (PG 13)
Kaige, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Julia Knight, Fantasy Romance (PG13)
Ansha Kotyk, Middle Grade Adventure (PG13)
Adelle Laudan, Contemporary Romance (PG 13)
Jeannie Lin, Historical Romance (PG 13)
RF Long, YA Paranormal (PG13)
Caitlynn Lowe, Epic Fantasy (PG13)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG  13)
Crista McHugh, Contemporary Erotic Romance (PG 13)
Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG)
Leigh Royals, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Megan S., Paranormal (PG13)
Dara Sorensen, Historical Paranormal (PG 13)
Bethanne Strasser, Historical Romance (PG13)

 

To Contest Or Not To Contest August 8, 2009

I live in that mushy writer’s world In Between.

 

I’m no longer such a newbie that I feel my writing is unshowable, but I know I still have some work to do to make that (hopefully) final jump to publication.

 

There seem to be two ways to start making the next jump: A really great mentor (briaquinlan AT aol if you’re interested in filling that role ) OR contest feedback.

 

So, contest feedback it is.

 

Yes, I’ve heard the downside. I’ve heard how people with chips on their shoulders rip into your work, finding flaws that aren’t there, being rules Nazi for rules they don’t understand…sending you a 3page single spaced rewrite of your entire plot b/c you “got it wrong” and then giving you all zeros (I know 2 people THAT happened to…come on) – But the truth is, there are several benefits to contests.

 

1. Outside opinions
   • I’ve had several people who know me say they can hear my voice as they read the ms. So, that’s…um… not so great. If my ms is standing on the power of KNOWING me, I need to know that. This one, I don’t think it is. I think that the Rom Com voices are just closer to my own than my Fantasy voice. But let’s check that out, shall we?
2. Judges
   • Let’s be honest, I’m not entering a contest for a final judge I don’t want to get in front of. There’s a contest a friend has been pushing me to enter, but the final YA judge is someone that I feel wouldn’t be a good match for me as The Agent. Obviously I’m not throwing down the cash for that.
3. Props
   • What can we add to query letters if we don’t have publishing credits yet? How about a very reputable contest win? Yeah. That would be swell.

 

So, then comes the budget. Unemployed writer looking to get stuff in front of editors… Cost? Priceless… or not. Budget has to play a large part in what you can do.

Another reason I’m skipping two contests is because the final judges are agents who have both asked to see whatever I have next. Why pay the money hoping to get in front of agents who have already said to send it to them… I mentioned the budget, right?

 

And so, I’ve narrowed it down to 12. A little more research and I’ll be ready to go. Hopefully something good will come from taking this leap.

 

I’d love to hear your contest experiences. Let me know the good, the bad, the ugly and the “why the heck did I bother”s.

Excerpt Monday – Next Week August 4, 2009

One week till Excerpt Monday! Look here for the next installation of Cami’s First Kiss (that free read up and to the right)

 

OR

 

Are you a writer who would like to get involved in a monthly opportunity to have other writers link to our work…Check out the Excerpt Monday Site.

Are you a reader who would love the chance to read free shorts, poems and excerpts…. Check out the Excerpt Monday Site.

FD Recovery and the Next Big Thing August 2, 2009

I amazed myself. That isn’t bragging, it’s honest — I was amazed.

 

Day 9 of Fast Drafting with my critique partner, the story fell into perfect place. OK, it started the day before.

So, backing up, Day 8 I wrote 31 pages and was afraid to go to bed and lose the story.

Day 9 I wrote 58 pages…yeah, 58. And finished the Fast Draft.

 

This was a story I thought NEEDED to be told. Not one I would have called The Story Of My Heart, but I don’t know where else it could have come from. It’s one that I can relate to, even if it doesn’t mirror my own story exactly. It was a story that once I saw the end of the tunnel, I had to just keep writing until it was done. I’m hoping that when it’s polished, people will feel the same way about reading it.

 

The ironic part? I didn’t want to tell this story. I didn’t want to write something so painful to dredge up. Heck, I didn’t want to be writing YA Rom Coms, period. I wanted to stay in Markbearer’s world building the war, bringing the gods to a point where the war spilled over everywhere, telling the stories of love and lose and self-realization.

 

Which is, again ironically, what my YA Rom Coms do….well, minus the war and gods bit. All the stories deal with ever growing issues. I’m excited to be writing them — which in and of itself is exciting. I shared the 5 books general plots with someone and she called them, “needed and timely” – DUDE. Yeah, that’s all I had in me after hearing that.

 

And now, with the first one getting edited, the second one drafted, 3,4 &5 are eating at my brain in a way I never thought they would.

 

This to me is proof of what happens when you throw yourself wholeheartedly into a project. That is the only way I do things. Yeah, it gets me in trouble. Yeah, it annoys people who do things 1/2 way. But I’m an all in or all out kind of person — so here’s to Fast Drafting and being all in. May these books find a home and touch some lives like writing them has done for me.