Ideas are Like Flies

No, seriously. Think about it. When you get a new idea, doesn't it buzz around your brain like you're some rotten piece of fruit? You try to swat it away, you say "Shoo! I don't have time for you right now! I already have things to work on!" But it persists, zooming around your thoughts, distracting you from everything else. You realize you can't fight it off.

Ideas really seem to come at the worst times. When you don't have time to work on them. When you've already been working on a novel for three years and you really just want to finish it. But new ideas are exciting, too. They can give you a much needed break from the monotony of working on the same project day after day. They can give you reassurance that you have something else to work on once current work is done.

I don't even know where this new idea came from, really. It's kinda sorta a sequel to the book I'm working on now, but also not. The main character for this new book, if I write it, is only mentioned in the first book. She's the sister of one of the main characters (I mentioned her briefly in this post). For some reason I just kept thinking about her, wondering what her life is like, how she has to deal with things that happened in her past. And suddenly there was a story idea buzzing around my head! I never actually thought my book would have a sequel, especially one where Jordan isn't in it. At all. He's going to be mad at me for this one...

Here's my dilemma, and I think I'll go more in depth with this concept in a different post at some point, but I'll explore it briefly here. If I do end up writing this book, there will be this odd scenario where the reader will know more than the main character (assuming they've read the first book). I picture this book taking place about two years after the first one, but the MC has absolutely no clue about the things that happened to her brother two years before. I'm thinking I'll probably hint at it, possibly even have him confess to her, since the whole book involves their entire family dealing with their demons. It would also be the second book where I use a character and still not write from his perspective.

I'm not sure yet. I'm not sure if I'm even going to write it. It just keeps buzzing around my head.

Editing Irony

Sometimes when you're editing your manuscript, you may think you know exactly what it needs. A certain idea may feel right, and you squeeze it in and move on, thinking that it fits in perfectly with the rest of the novel. But then when you go back and look again, does it still fit? What if the original draft was better than the new one?

Now, I'm not in any way saying that my first draft is better than my second. It's not. Not by a long shot. When I wrote the second draft, it was basically a line by line rewrite of the first. I moved around some scenes in the first few chapters, made the chapters shorter by having certain scenes stand on their own, but other than that, not much changed as far as structure goes. The events in the story still happened in the same order, and this draft was more about just making the writing better.

About a third of the way in, however, I found myself in need of a new scene. I had one scene for a chapter--a good scene, one of my favorites, actually. But it was only 2 1/2 pages. My chapters so far averaged about 4-6 pages each. I didn't think this particular scene could stand on its own, nor could I stretch it out without making it seem dull and boring--diluting it, basically. So I thought, hey, this is a great place for a brand new scene. I could sneak in some background info on a character that was long overdue, and wasn't there at all in the first draft.

So I wrote the new scene. It took me forever--about three weeks, actually. I couldn't really understand why I was having such a hard time. The dialogue was really hard to figure out for some reason, and I kept stopping because it seemed that the scene felt forced, and I really wanted to get it right. Well, eventually I did finish and kept going with the second draft until it was done. This was the only scene that was brand new--the only thing that there was no trace of in the first draft.

When I read through the second draft, I didn't like this scene. It did still feel forced, there was too much dialogue, and I was wondering if I needed it at all. I knew if I cut it, I would either have to write something new or do some drastic rearranging of scenes. But it just didn't feel right, and I didn't know if I could fix it.

It was easy to make the decision to cut this scene. The hard part was figuring out the hole it left. There were some elements in this scene that I thought I needed, and I figured out different parts of the book to move that to--places where they'll fit in better. And I realized that I needed that first scene to somehow stand on its own. I have no idea how yet, but I'll figure it out. I need to figure out a way to stretch it out without diluting it. I still want it to feel as strong as it does now.

The ironic part (I think...) is that the ONLY part that was brand new in the second draft is also the ONLY scene I am 100% cutting. Maybe I needed to write this horrible scene to figure a few things out, but in the end, it just didn't fit in. I wouldn't say that writing it was a complete waste of time, but I do find it funny how things turned out.

Distractions and Disasters

I have no idea what to write about today. No, seriously. I don't. I don't have any good writing tips today, no big editing achievements to share. Nothing. Also, the fact that my last TWO blog posts didn't require much effort on my part just shows how lazy I am. Or perhaps idea drained...

I feel really distracted lately. My mind keeps wandering off to other projects--things that couldn't possibly help me right now. I know sometimes it's good to take a break when you're immersed in the same story for so long, but I don't feel like I'm getting anything done.

I feel like every idea I ever have to schedule myself never works. And not just when it comes to writing. I'm trying to exercise more and eat better, but my plans aren't going as well as I'd thought. Or maybe it's just because my body isn't used to doing crunches so after the first day my abs were in agony. But it's the same with writing, too. I try to structure myself and it never works. The whole editing hat thing started out great, but I find myself throwing numbers back into the hat because I don't want to work on those parts, which sort of defeats the purpose of the hat. Maybe just working on things randomly really does work best for me. I just feel like I'm not getting things done fast enough.

It's not all terrible, though! I've been doing some brainstorming on the subplot (which actually needs more work than the plot itself) and it's slowly starting to pan out in my mind. I also figured out some scene rearranging yesterday and I think it will all work out. I have to flesh out a particular scene so that it can be its own chapter, but as it's a very symbolic scene, I think I can pull it off. I'm also cutting the only scene that was brand new for the second draft (hmm, there's an idea I could blog about...just not today...).

Anyway, I should go deal with these minor characters. They're driving me nuts...

What is everyone else up to?

SOULLESS Cover Reveal!

I'm super excited to be helping out another awesome author today, Crystal Collier! I just finished reading Moonless, Book 1 in this trilogy, and I could not put it down. I'll have a mini-review up later this month for my first "Hey, I Read Your Book!" segment. For now, check out the cover and details for the next book in the series, Soulless! *sigh* October?! I don't think I can wait that long...

Have you met the Soulless and Passionate? In the world of 1770 where supernatural beings mix with humanity, Alexia is playing a deadly game.

SOULLESS, Book 2 in the Maiden of Time trilogy

Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is destroyed by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she's forced to unleash her true power.

And risk losing everything.

What people are saying about this series: 

"With a completely unique plot that keeps you guessing and interested, it brings you close to the characters, sympathizing with them and understanding their trials and tribulations." --SC, Amazon reviewer

"It's clean, classy and supernaturally packed with suspense, longing, intrigue and magic." --Jill Jennings, TX

"SWOON." --Sherlyn, Mermaid with a Book Reviewer

Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and "friend" (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

COMING October 13, 2014

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Kyra Lennon's SIDELINED

**Today I have a very special guest taking over as part of the blog tour for her book Sidelined, the awesome Kyra Lennon! Take it away, Kyra!**

Hello, thanks for having me, Sarah!

Before I get to the guest post, here’s a little bit of backstory for those who are unfamiliar with the Game On series. In Book 1, Taylor was the girlfriend of Jesse Shaw, the youngest player on the Westberg Warriors soccer team. She was also kind of twisted, and her actions had an effect on a lot of the characters. In Sidelined, Taylor returns, and she is just as evil as ever! During the story, Taylor’s journal makes an appearance, and it reveals some of her inner thoughts. This guest post is an excerpt from Taylor’s journal – a snippet from her warped little mind!

So… I’ve been thinking about Jesse a lot lately. Yeah, yeah, I get it. I messed up. Okay, I didn’t mess up, I killed our relationship because I wanted something better. He was never everything I want, but he’s pretty close. Good-looking, famous, getting richer all the time. Plus, he was sweet to me. I miss that.

The problem is, he’s not stupid. He doesn’t trust me, and if I’m gonna get him to trust me again, I’m going to need some serious help. Don’t worry, this isn’t one of those diary entries where I spend hours writing down the options until I figure out the right thing to do. I don’t have time for that crap – I already know what I need to do. I need to get Bree back on my side. She IS an idiot. I can get her to trust me again, I know I can. All I gotta do is compliment her, and tell her how sorry I am, and she’ll be on my side in no time. With any luck, I’ll get her away from the clutches of Loser Leah and No-Fun Freya, and she’ll help me. She’ll sweet talk Jesse and she’ll help me get him back.

And Kayla! Jesse’s sister always liked me. She’s just a dumb kid – she’ll be as easy to win over as Bree.

That’s the problem with people who are brought up to always see the best in someone. They’re stupid. Naïve. My mom TRIED to teach me to look for the best in people, but what’s the point in that? There’s none. I look for the best people who can make my life better. Why hang out with people who can’t do anything for me? All this compromise crap is pointless. Jesse can give me what I want, and I can pretend to love him until someone better comes along.

But first, I need to figure out the best way to get Bree’s attention. Ha, perhaps I should leave a Prada bag and a cryptic note outside her door, or near her car. Maybe not cryptic, she’ll never work it out. I suppose with her, the best way to go is simple – a “chance” meeting or something. I better put my game face on – I got some faking to do! 

~     *     ~

Blurb: At the age of twenty-one, Bree Collinson has more than she ever dreamed of. A handsome husband, a fancy house, and more shoes than Carrie Bradshaw and Imelda Marcos combined. But having everything handed to her isn’t the way Bree wants to live the rest of her life. When an idea to better herself pops into her head, she doesn’t expect her husband to question her, and keep her tied by her apron strings to the kitchen.

Isolated and unsure who to turn to, Bree finds herself falling back into a dangerous friendship, and developing feelings for the only person who really listens to her. Torn between her loyalty to her husband and her attraction to a man who has the perfect family she always wanted, she has some tough choices to make.

While Bree tries to figure out what she wants, a tragedy rocks the Westberg Warriors, triggering some dark memories, and pushing her to take a look at what’s really important.

Buy Links: Amazon UK/ Amazon US/B&N/iBookstore

About the Author:

Kyra is a self-confessed book-a-holic, and has been since she first learned to read. When she's not reading, you'll usually find her hanging out in coffee shops with her trusty laptop and/or her friends, or girling it up at the nearest shopping mall.

Kyra grew up on the South Coast of England and refuses to move away from the seaside which provides massive inspiration for her novels. Her debut novel, Game On (New Adult Contemporary Romance), was released in July 2012, and she scored her first Amazon Top 20 listing with her New Adult novella, If I Let You Go.

Find Kyra online: Website/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Goodreads/Join My Mailing List

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My Magical Editing Hat

I've found an interesting and fun way to work on editing my book and busting out a third draft.

I finished my read-through of the second draft, marked it up with my red pen. I made cuts, added some things in, asked A LOT of questions in the margins. I made notes. I printed out all the emails from my beta reader and highlighted them. I was pretty sure everything that needed to be fixed was jotted down SOMEWHERE. I just wasn't sure how I wanted to start. I didn't want to go through like I did with the second draft, editing line by line, because that's really not necessary at this point. There are more big picture sort of things that I need to figure out, but the story itself doesn't really need to be rewritten. Some rearranging, some adding, some cutting, but not rewriting.

The first thing I did was open a new document and paste the
entire manuscript into it. I went through the whole thing page by page and put in all of my easy edits--all of the words I crossed out with my red pen. This took a few days but it was relatively easy. As for all of my comments and questions, I put those in as well, using the Comment feature under Review in Microsoft Word. Basically everything I wrote on my hard copy, I put into the digital one. Then I stared at it for a while, thinking, now what?

I didn't really feel like editing in order. Why? I don't really know, I just didn't. I hardly ever write things in order, either, so I wasn't surprised. There are some parts I'm really excited to edit, other parts I'm dreading (cough...sex scene...). I just had no idea which part to choose first. So I decided to leave it up to chance! I started cutting up little pieces of paper, folded them up, asked for one of my fiance's hats (he has a lot of stupid fedoras that he never wears but he gave me his Breaking Bad hat instead...) and voila! I had my magical editing hat!

How does it work? Well, each comment in the Word document is numbered, and there were 249 of them. Some are easy fixes--a quick rewrite of a sentence or paragraph, fixing some awkward wording. Some involve more thinking. Others involve complete scene overhauls. Each piece of paper in the hat corresponds with a comment. So I give the hat a shake, grab a piece of paper, and whatever number I get, that's the comment I have to work on.

But it's not just numbers. Oh, no. There are some bigger things that I didn't write in the margins of my manuscript. Figuring out the subplot, sneaking in certain moments or symbolism. So some of these pieces of paper contain a handwritten note instead, some requiring a free write about a certain character or rearranging a few scenes. Or I could get this one, requiring me to go through my LONG list of things to Ctrl+F and cut back on (364 "really"s. Really.)

Or I could get this one! Dun dun dun. 

It's working so far, except when I'm editing too late at night and pick a number that's too complicated to figure out, then just throw it back in the hat. It's fun, not knowing what I'll be editing next. I think it helps, too, to not be staring at the same page for hours trying to figure out how to fix a sentence. The back and forth keeps it refreshing, keeps my brain awake. Hopefully I can keep this up until I've gone through every little scrap of paper in that hat.

Jordan Takes Over: Finding the Right Word

**The first Monday of every month, I let my muse take over the blog. I apologize in advance.**

I’m back, bitches! Did you miss me? I know, I know—I haven’t written a blog post in forever. And it’s not because of laziness (no matter what Sarah tells you) or anything. It’s just…well, the last time I did a post was sort of last minute and not all that thought out. And it kinda sucked, really. So basically if I don’t have a good idea, I’m not gonna write a post every month, even if a certain someone starts kicking me. Yeah, ok, she kicks. But I bite.

Anyway! Today we’re gonna talk about word choice. Sometimes it’s easy, other times, not so much. Sometimes when you picture a scene, the words will just pop into your head without any effort at all (and on behalf of all the muses—you’re welcome). Other times you can struggle for hours just trying to get one sentence out (we really don't have anything to do with that...). 

What I really want to talk about is finding a word that works. One that fits with the scene you’re writing as well as the voice of the character (or the narrator if you’re using third person). Sometimes these two things don’t coincide. You may come up with the absolute, most perfect word ever to describe what is happening, but then realize that your narrator would never use this word—he may not even know this word exists. So then what? Do you leave that word in and hope no one notices—that the reader will suspend their disbelief about your narrator’s vocabulary?

Chances are that word is going to stick out like a sore thumb (wait…do sore thumbs stick out? Who came up with that phrase?). You want your voice to be authentic, because even if one word feels off, the reader is going to notice, and it’s going to take them out of the story. You want them to be so engulfed in your story that they forget that they’re reading one. And if they hit one of those words like a bump in the road, it will hit them: “Oh, right. This isn’t real.”

So how do you fix this problem? Well, first of all, you have to know your narrator. You have to know how he or she speaks and what sort of words and phrases will be believable for them. Once you have the voice developed enough, it should come naturally to you. But if you have a bigger vocabulary than your narrator, from time to time, you might come up with a sentence that maybe you would say but your narrator wouldn’t. That sentence may seem perfect for the situation, and it probably is, but if it doesn’t also fit your narrator’s voice, it isn’t going to work.

Example? I thought you’d never ask! So in my book, I’m fifteen and so I don’t have too many fancy words that I would use. But when miss writer lady was writing a particular sentence, the perfect word seemed to be “pretense.” Here’s what the sentence started out as: “I just wanted to strip away all of our clothing and pretense until all that was left was him and me, nothing in between.” Uh, right. Like I would ever use that word. In theory, it was perfect—a noun meaning pretending or make-believe. If you have pretense, then you’re faking something. That was the point she was trying to make—that the characters were pretending, faking—that this act was what was keeping them apart.

But that word just didn’t fit. It felt off. It was something I would never say. So we went to the thesaurus. It wasn’t much help. Charade, act, façade. Nothing seemed to fit both what she was trying to say and the voice of the narrator. Which isn’t to say that the thesaurus can’t be your best friend. We’ve found plenty of alternative words when she came up with some big, fancy schmancy word that I would never use. But sometimes, you’re gonna have to do a bit more thinking, which is exactly what we had to do. We had to let that pretense sit there for weeks—months, even—before finding the answer. Really, sometimes the best thing you can do is to just walk away. Keep writing. Perfect the voice a little more. Get inside the narrator’s head a little more. Write him or her in different situations. And then maybe when you go back to that imperfect phrase, the perfect word will slap you in the face.

And that’s exactly what happened. Because the perfect alternative for “pretense” in this particular sentence turned out to be…drumroll please…BULLSHIT. I’m serious. Here, look at it now: “I just wanted to strip away all of our clothing and bullshit until all that was left was him and me, nothing in between.” Sounds better, right? Less awkward? Like something I’d actually say? Honestly, I think it gets the point across even better than “pretense.”

So trust your narrator and trust your gut. If you think a word is wrong, it probably is, and if you notice it, your readers probably will, too.

See you next month! Maybe.

JP

Some Minor Insecurities

It's that time again! The first Wednesday of every month is the posting day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Click the link to visit Alex J. Cavanaugh's blog and learn more!

Well, I can't sleep, so I figured I would get this done now. I'm actually sitting in the empty bathtub with my laptop since my fiance is sleeping and I would wake him up with all of this typing. Oh, how I wish for two rooms.

I think I'm slightly insecure over several things right now. Not majorly insecure, just slightly.

I'm thinking of going to the Cape Cod Writers Conference in August. I don't know. I'm not very good at interacting with people. I can picture myself just going to the workshops and then sitting in my car for the rest of it. It would also cost a lot of money that I probably shouldn't spend, and it falls on my birthday weekend so I would be there the entire day. I was excited about it at first, but the more I think about it, the more I feel like I don't want to go, or that I shouldn't.

I finished my read through/ marking up with a red pen of the second draft a few hours ago, which means I have to start my final (hopefully) rewrite of Uneven Lines. This is kind of scary, for several reasons. First, I have to actually get it done. I have to fix all of the problems. I have to rewrite that damn sex scene (which will NOT be vague, I have decided after an email discussion with my only beta reader. Basically all of my fears about the buildup not being released would definitely be true if I were to make it vague). I should probably get a few more beta readers, you know, real ones, since all of my friend/coworker readers never said anything, not even that they read it at all (there's an insecurity all on its own!). I have to rip apart the subplot and figure out what the hell it's doing there. And I really want to get this done within a month. I want to get queries out (scary!). I want to actually do something with this book because I feel like I've been working on it my entire life (ok, not really).

I have to clean my apartment because I have a friend coming over this weekend. I have to figure out something to cook that I won't ruin! And dessert! Cupcakes? I always make cupcakes...

Anyway, I think I would stay up all night writing if it weren't so damn hot in the bathroom with the door closed. Off to bed.

My Week Without TV

I came to a horrible realization on Saturday night: since I quit my job, I've gained five pounds. I thought after I left, I would immediately start losing weight because I ate the food at my work almost every day and it is not good for you. After I started at that job, I eventually gained 30 pounds (I've lost about ten of that...er...five...). My horrible will power can be a discussion for another day. I figured out my problem immediately--while I've stopped eating the work food, my eating habits haven't gotten all that better. I have a tendency to snack all day, which isn't helped by the fact that I'm home all of the time. My job also required a lot of movement, being on my feet for eight straight hours, and breaking a sweat on most shifts.

Basically I don't move anymore. Even when I am being productive, that means sitting on my bed with my laptop (or my awesome blue binder) in my lap checking out blogs and getting some editing done. The most I do is when I occasionally have to run errands or do the laundry.

So yes, I need to get up and move. I need to eat better. But there's something else that is both promoting my laziness and keeping me from being as productive as I'd like. TV. I just watch waaaaaaaaaay too much of it. Most of the time it's not even necessary. If I watched just the shows I like that have new episodes right now, it would only take up a few hours every week. But that is not all I watch. I have the TV on ALL THE TIME. Do you know how easy it is to get caught up in a Law & Order marathon? It's kind of ridiculous how much TV I watch. I've also developed a bad habit where I have to be watching TV if I'm eating.

So here's my plan: for one week, starting now until next Monday morning, I'm not going to watch TV. I may even have my fiance hide the remote or take the batteries to work with him. I'm also going to try and exercise every day. I think I will get SO MUCH DONE without the TV on. More time for editing, reading, writing new stuff. I can concentrate better when there's silence. I also think there's a good possibility I won't snack as much, since I usually associate eating with watching TV. And it's hard to hold a book while eating, but guess what, I have a Kindle! I can actually sit at the table and READ instead of watching TV while I eat.

So we'll see how it goes. Remember how I said I have horrible will power? I'm hoping I can work past it and get a lot done this week. Wish me luck!

The Silly Sex Scene

I'm running out of titles for this topic...

This is something that bothers me on a daily basis. Because I've now written the sex scene twice--no, three times (once in the short story), and I still can't quite figure it out. You'd think it would be for the obvious reasons, that I'm a chick writing a m/m scene, but no, that's not it. I can picture the scene in my head perfectly. I have all the technical details figured out (for the most part, whether I wrote them well is another thing entirely). I also know why it's necessary for my characters to have sex in the first place. What's bothering me is the detail.

Or more specifically, how much detail. None of the ways I've written this scene feel quite right. Which makes me think I've included too much detail. At least up until this point, I've always figured the sex scene should be at least somewhat graphic, not erotica, per se, but more technically detailed, not really leaving anything to the imagination (with emotions and thought process thrown in as well, of course). I had two reasons for writing it this way. One is that there are several sexual situations throughout the book that are very detailed, so I thought being vague in the sex scene wouldn't match up with the rest of the book. The other reason is that you kind of spend the whole book waiting to see if the characters actually will have sex. I worry that there's so much buildup that if I don't pay off that buildup with at least some detail, it will disappoint the reader.

But I still can't really figure out why I can't write this scene in a way that feels right. I'm starting to feel like I'll never get it right. I'm thinking of scrapping every draft of it and starting from scratch. I'm even considering making it EXTREMELY vague, because I think this might work better from a thematic standpoint. But I'm not sure. I swear, I think about this scene so much it makes me feel like a pervert! But I still can't figure it out!

Ok, I know I'm losing it and rambling. This will probably be the very last thing I edit for the third draft. And it will just drive me nuts until then.

Character Consistency

When you’re crafting the characters in your stories, you want them to be realistic. This doesn’t mean that they have to be boring; it just means that the reader has to believe that this person could exist, even if they’ve never met anyone like them before. Not every character is going to be some 9-5 cubicle working, nuclear family kind of guy. Just because you’ve never met a bounty hunter or a pirate or a wizard doesn’t mean these aren’t great characters to use. What’s really important is making sure that once you’ve established your characters, they have to act like themselves.

No two people are exactly alike. Everyone has their own way of thinking and acting—their own habits, nervous ticks, catch phrases. Sure, there can be similarities—my sister and I have a lot of the same facial expressions, or my fiance and I have a lot (A LOT) of inside jokes—but everyone does their own thing.

One of the things to note is how each character speaks. You wouldn’t want everyone to sound the same. A younger character might use more slang, swears, and contractions than an older person would. Some people may talk in fragments, others in long, drawn out sentences. A shy person might litter their words with things like “uh” and “um.” A teenager might have a limited vocabulary, whereas someone like a teacher or English major would probably have a vast knowledge of fancy words they regularly use. Think of a basic sentence that a character might say, something like, “I got lost because you gave me bad directions.” Now rewrite that sentence as if each one of your characters was saying it. You’d probably write it differently for each character (I know at least one of my characters would sneak an f-bomb or two in a sentence like that). One character might be timid, another might be screaming. If you find each character says the sentence in the exact same way, then maybe they don’t have distinct voices.

You also want to watch for different physical characteristics that are true to each character. I was going through a chapter of my second draft when I came across a very simple sentence—“He grinned.” You usually wouldn’t think twice about a sentence like that, right? Well, it just didn’t sit right with me. I circled the “grinned” with my red pen and scribbled next to it: “I don’t think [he] grins. Ever.” I’d have to do a search to be certain, but I’m pretty sure there are no other instances where this character grins. He’s more of a shy smile kind of guy. There’s another character, though, who does grin all the time (probably too much—but that’s what editing is for!). See, each character has his own set of facial expressions and characteristics. Think about what works for each character. One may bite her lip when she’s nervous, another may flare his nostrils when he’s mad. Just make sure each action fits the personality of your character.

As always, consistency is key. Make sure your characters act like themselves, and don’t let that grin sneak in.

It's Beastly Blitz Day!

Today I’m helping to spread the word on an awesome new book written by an awesome blogger! I met Tara through this year’s A to Z Challenge and I love checking out her blog posts. And her book release day is finally here! I’ve always loved reading and writing fantasy, no matter how much I (or my muse) try to ignore it, so I can’t wait to read this book. Maybe in time for my first “Hey, I Read Your Book” post, right? Check it out!

BROKEN BRANCH FALLS (MG Fantasy)
by Tara Tyler
Release Date: June 24, 2014 - TODAY!!
B&N ~~~ Amazon
Publisher: Curiosity Quills

Gabe is an average fifteen-year-old goblin. He’s in the marching band, breezes through calculus, and gets picked on daily by the other kids at school, especially the ogres. But Gabe wants to break out of his nerdy stereotype and try other things. He has his eye on the new ogress at school. Though it’s against all beastly rules, there’s just something about her.

Gabe starts a fad of mingling with other species, forcing the High Council to step in and ruin things by threatening to destroy the school and split up Broken Branch Falls. With help from other outcast friends, Gabe sets out on a quest to save his town. They'll show 'em what different friends can do together!

Add it to your GOODREADS list!

Tara Tyler has had a hand at everything from waitressing to rocket engineering. After living up and down the Eastern US, she now writes and teaches math in Ohio with her three active boys and Coach Husband. Currently, she has two series, The Cooper Chronicles (techno-thriller detective capers) and Beast World (MG fantasy) She's an adventure writer who believes every good story should have action, a moral, and a few laughs!

Twitter ~~~ Facebook ~~~ Blog

Also by Tara Tyler, techno-thriller detective series,

The Cooper Chronicles, Book One: POP TRAVEL

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Stick to a Schedule

Do you ever have one of those days where you think you should just go back to bed so you can start over? Yeah, that's kinda happening right now, so bear with me. So far (after a not so great night's sleep) I've spilled milk all over my bed and the light fixture above my kitchen sink has just decided it doesn't want to stay up anymore, even with duct tape. I tried taking a bubble bath to relax but made the water too hot and so it was more scalding than relaxing. Hopefully that will be the end of the disasters for the day.

So last week was my first full week of trying this whole writing thing full time. It did not go as well as I'd hoped. I think I made more progress selling some old books and DVDs on Amazon than getting any writing done. However, I didn't have any sort of a schedule last week. I would try to make lists of goals, but I always only got about half of them done. Maybe I need a little bit more structure than I thought.

On Friday, I came across this post that talked about setting specific tasks for each day of the week. This was more about blogging and social media, but I thought I could definitely apply this method to my own work. So I figured, why not? I'll try it out this week and see how it works. Last night I broke down all of the days of the week, assigning specific tasks to each day:

Monday: Blogging/social media

Tuesday: Freelance work

Wednesday: Editing

Thursday: Poetry

Friday: Writing new stuff

Saturday: Agent research/query letter

Sunday: ???

So today, for example, I'm going to write all of my blog posts for the week and visit as many blogs as I can, as well as doing any other networking on Twitter (and possibly trying to figure out what the hell Google+ actually is). I still plan on visiting other blogs during the week, Wednesday and Friday especially as those are my other post days, but most of the work will be done today. 

I still haven't figured out a task for Sunday (oops!). It could be an off day, or maybe a second editing day, if I don't come up with a seventh task. I thought about making it a reading day but I plan on reading every day so that may be pointless. Well, it's the last day on my schedule, so I've got plenty of time to think about it!

I guess I'll try this new method out this week and see how it works. Anybody else use a schedule to get things done? 

Oh hey, still no takers on the Writing Process blog hop. I need three people! If I don't get volunteers, I'll have to start hunting people down. And that will just be awkward for all of us. :) 

The Unseen Character

There are different kinds of characters in any piece of writing. There's the main character, the supporting characters. There are protagonists and antagonists. There are characters who may just pop in for a scene and are never heard from again. I've come to realize, however, that there's another kind of character, one that's different from all of these other ones for one very distinct reason--you never actually see them.

If you think of a story as a snapshot in the main character's life, then there are only going to be certain moments--and certain people--who matter. You wouldn't want to mention every single person your character knows. Unless having every member of your MC's extended family show up is important to the story, then we don't have to meet all of those characters, even if they have a big influence on the MC's life. I'm wondering, though--is it ok to mention a character even if we never meet them?

I've been thinking about this a lot through my editing process because I've come to realize that I have not one, not two, but THREE unseen characters. These are characters who are mentioned now and then but never appear in any page of the novel. Is it ok to do this? Or does mentioning a character without ever bringing them to the page going to disappoint or confuse your reader?

The way I see it, each of my three main characters has a person who has (or still does) influence their lives in some way, but these people never make it onto the page. For example, it's hinted at that my MC's mother has some sort of relationship with her boss, this being the main reason why she is never home. But we never meet her boss, and the few times where she shows up, she never mentions him, either. The boss is basically only mentioned by the narrator to give some sort of explanation to the reader about his home life, and why his mother isn't around.

I'm not so worried about this character. He's not all that important to the story, so I don't think we need to meet him, even if he is mentioned. I am struggling with another one of my unseen characters, however. Another character frequently mentions his sister, and his family history actually plays a big role in the way he sees himself and how he lives his life. But she is another character that we never meet. The big problem with this is that my book is in first person, and there is no possible scenario where my narrator would meet this person. So I wonder if it's ok to mention her as many times as I do. She was a new character I added to the second draft to sort of tie everything together, explaining why my more important character (her brother) does certain things. Basically I felt there were a lot of unanswered questions in the first draft that I answered by creating her. Now I'm only left with one--if she's so important, why isn't she actually in the book? It's not very easy to figure out. I wouldn't want to stretch things out, make a scene that isn't important to the plot just to justify a character's existence. But if I remove her, I feel like everything will fall apart again.

What do you think? Is it ok to mention a character that we never meet? Do any of your stories have an unseen character?

I Don't Write Reviews...

I did something weird the other day. I finished a book (no, that's not the weird part...ok, maybe it is) and I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. I almost never do that. I'm sure there are several reasons for this. I think because with most things, I tend to be neutral. I never love or hate anything (with a few exceptions, usually on the love side). If you asked me what my favorite author, band, movie, or TV show was, I probably couldn't answer you. It's hard for me to pick favorites. And honestly, I could count the number of movies I actually despised on one hand. For books, it's even harder. 

I'm going to go off on a tangent here, I'm sure, but I find it amusing. The book I just finished was If There Be Thorns by V.C. Andrews, the third book in the Dollanganger series. I got into the series when Lifetime premiered the movie version of the first book, Flowers in the Attic back in January. I just decided to watch it one night and then started the book not too long after. The movie was pretty good considering its length, but the book (of course) was even better. After finishing the first book, I immediately started the second, Petals on the Wind. This I did not get through quite as fast as the first. I just couldn't connect with it--it seemed to drag on forever, so I would often just stop reading it altogether. I took so long, in fact, that Lifetime managed to make a movie out of it--a really, really bad movie. Seriously. I think I could forgive all of the changes they made from the book if it actually turned out to be a decent movie, but no...just, no. 

Where was I? Oh, right! I wasn't even sure if I wanted to continue reading the series, but the description for If There Be Thorns seemed too interesting to pass up. I started it on the plane to Las Vegas and read the whole thing in about a week (I'm actually a slow reader, so this was an accomplishment). I absolutely loved it. It kept me constantly turning the (Kindle) page, gasping at certain moments. I loved the change in voices, as there are two narrators whose voices are very distinct. The first two books were written from one character's perspective, Cathy, and the third changes completely, switching back and forth between her two sons. I thought Andrews' ability to craft these voices was incredible. It was something I hope to achieve in my own writing, since my narrator has a very different voice from my own. 

Here's the thing, though. I didn't write any sort of review after I rated the book. I never write reviews, good or bad, or anywhere in between. I just don't think I'm any good at it. I struggle to come up with anything to say. If I like the book, that's pretty much all I can think of. If I find faults in it, I feel like I don't have the right to point them out, whether it's a book by a well established author or someone new. Especially someone new, actually. I wouldn't want to ruin their day by writing even a sentence that trashed their book. So I don't even bother. 

I have an idea, though! Especially because my Kindle is full of books written by bloggers I know that I haven't even read yet. I'm going to start a recurring post on my blog, probably once a month, that will feature at least a snippet of a review of whatever books I've read by writers I know. They'll probably be short, highlighting what I really liked about the book, and hopefully I'll post these on Goodreads and Amazon once they're posted here. I won't call them reviews, though. I'm thinking of calling it "Hey, I Read Your Book!" and the first installment will be towards the end of next month. I'm thinking maybe the last Monday of every month, and I don't really have enough time to finish any books this month. But look out for it in the future! Maybe this will help me with my review writing phobia. 

I still need three people for the Writing Process blog hop, so if you're interested (and haven't been picked by someone else--this thing is spreading!), leave me a comment with your email and I'll get in touch with you. Thanks!

Cracking the Whip...On Myself?

Today is the first day of whatever the hell it is I'm doing. My fiance and I got back from Vegas a week ago but he was still on vacation until today, so it was hard for me to really get anything done (we could really use two rooms...). I wanted to blog yesterday but we pretty much spent the whole day putting away groceries, doing dishes, and making tacos (yay!). Today I'm finally all by myself and I have to figure out what exactly I'm doing.

I know I don't want to find a job right away. But I also know I want to be prepared to get one. I need to create a resume, maybe a cover letter, and some kind of writing portfolio. If I'm checking for jobs all the time, even if I'm not expecting to find one, I should be prepared. That way if I find a job that I'm interested in, I can apply for it without worrying about getting everything together. 

I kinda don't even want to think about the *shudders* THIRD DRAFT of my novel. The second draft was more of a line by line rewrite. With this one, I don't have to do so much technical rewriting. It's more about big picture stuff, which, honestly, is even scarier than rewriting. I really want this to be the final draft that I'm going to send out, so I can't avoid any parts that I know need fixing (ugh...setting...). I did go through and highlight the entire Guide to Literary Agents and found a few good matches, and several to research further. So, fingers crossed! Now I just have to write a query letter...

I think my biggest problem is that I don't really know how to structure my work. I've never been good at giving myself a schedule. I've thought about having daily goals, like say, two hours of editing, one hour of blogging, etc. I've thought about devoting each day to one thing. I'm not sure if these ideas are going to work either. But I'm afraid if I don't structure myself I'm just going to get lazy, and without a day job to fall back on, I really can't afford to do that. I have made a list of weekly goals, which I guess is a start. I'll see how much further I want to take it. I think it would be better to start each day with particular goals in mind. 

I definitely need to blog more. And visit other blogs. And just network, network, network. I plan on blogging every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (shh...I know it's Tuesday...). I have some ideas but the thought of coming up with something three times a week is a bit daunting. I have like, sixteen blog hop posts to write. Ok, maybe just two. But I also need to find three people to pass one on to (any volunteers? Huh? You know you want to!), and pick ELEVEN for the other, although this is a bit easier because I just have to nominate people, rather than find someone who is willing to participate. 

Ok, I think I'm done. I swear my future posts will have more of a purpose. I do occasionally come up with ideas for writing tips. What is everyone else up to? 

Stress Postponed

It's that time again! The first Wednesday of every month is the posting day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Click the link to visit Alex J. Cavanaugh's blog and learn more!

I have plenty to be insecure about right now, but I'm not really thinking about it. I'm putting it off until next week because tomorrow I'm getting on a plane to Las Vegas with my fiancé. I'm planning on five days of relaxation and fun, and if I'm lucky, maybe I'll win some money, although I'm certainly not going to try anything but slot machines. Mostly I just want to eat, drink, and lounge by the pool. 

Of course, when we come back next Tuesday, I'm sure reality is going to slap me in the face. Last night was my last shift at my job. It was a weird feeling, because I know I'm going to miss a lot of the people there, but I will not miss actually working there. Not one little bit. I'm sure it's going to be a little bit scary not having a source of income anymore, and to watch my savings go down as I pay my bills. But I'm hoping it will all be worth it in the end. 

I'm also a bit stressed out about my book. Sometimes I'll think, hey I'm almost done! Then I'll think the exact opposite--that there's so much work still to do. Ok, yes, there is a lot of work to do. But I'm not going to do another rewrite, just a lot of editing. I'll also have a lot of time to work on it. I'm thinking I'll work on my book at least three hours every day, as well as looking for freelance work, publishing jobs, and agents to eventually send queries to. My whole focus is going to be on building my writing career. 

So yeah, there's a lot to be stressed about. But I'll worry about that next week. Right now, my bags are packed, my Kindle is charged, all my high heels are shoved into my suitcase. And I've got my second draft and a red pen for the plane ride. :)

My Blog Turns Three!

I can't believe it's time again for another blog birthday! It's been three whole years since I first started blogging. I can't believe it's actually been that long. I had a slow start, but in the past few months, I've been able to create some more momentum, get a lot of new followers, and meet some great people! Now I just have to keep writing!

I was struggling with coming up with an idea for this post, since I knew I had to celebrate somehow. Well, I caught myself thinking about some of my favorite blog posts that I've shared over the past three years. So I thought, why not share them? A lot of my new followers wouldn't have seen the older ones, plus I think it's good to look back and see what I've accomplished.

So I decided on ten, in chronological order. Here we go!

1. Full Circle: This was my very first blog post, done exactly three years ago. Ok, I may have written it the day before. But I had no idea what I was doing or how to set up a blog. I like this one because I talk about my journey as a writer, having just graduated college, as well as the journey I was starting in turning a short story into a novel. And I've been working on it ever since.

2. How to Write a Sex Scene: This was less of a how-to post and more of a personal journey into being able to write a sex scene at all. I used to have a very hard time writing these kinds of scenes. It's kind of fascinating, really, since I don't have a problem with it at all anymore. To get over my fear, I had to break myself. How? By writing a sex scene, of course!

3. Muse Mondays: The Takeover: This was the very first time I let my muse, Jordan, write a blog post. It inspired the eventual name change to "Jordan Takes Over," which typically happens the first Monday of every month, although he has been slacking lately. I like this one because he talks about what it means to be a muse, and turns out, it's not all that easy.

4. The Fight Scene: This is definitely one of my favorite how-to posts. I talk about writing two types of fight scenes--the physical fight scenes and the verbal ones. It was one of those posts that made me think I actually at least kind of know what I'm doing when it comes to this whole writing thing. Plus, I quote Fight Club.

5. Fun Facts: Volume Two: Every so often I'll do a post that's really a list, usually called "Fun Facts." They're always really fun to write. This one is my favorite because it features a list of things my characters are always doing--you know, sighing, shrugging, sticking tongues out. I thought it was good for a laugh.

6. Bitch Stole My Plot!: This is my favorite post that was done for the IWSG (ok, mostly for the title). I talk about being paranoid about not only someone stealing your book idea, but the idea that everything has already been done before and there are no original ideas. I definitely have my own opinion on the subject.

7. The 100th Blog Post/Jordan's 18th Birthday Extravaganza: My 100th blog post also happened to fall on my muse's 18th birthday (you know, if he was a real person who actually aged). I celebrated by sharing 100 fun facts about my novel. This one was really fun to write, but also kind of difficult since I had to come up with all of those facts! Warning: it's my longest post EVER.

8. When Do You Hold Back?: Another one of my favorite writing tip posts. I often worry that some moments in my book will be too much for people to handle. And did you know you're not supposed to have your characters masturbate until after the third chapter? Yeah, I definitely broke that rule.

9. WIP: The Movie: Probably the best blog hop ever. I thought I was the only one who came up with dream actors for my characters and a playlist for my book. It was lots of fun to share this info. Also, I hate all pictures of myself, even if it's with one of my favorite actors. Burn it! Ok, half of it.

10. B is for a Blue Binder: I did the A to Z Challenge for the first time this year, and this is one of my favorite posts. I'm a bit of perfectionist when it comes to colors and organization. Because my book has colors. What, everyone doesn't do that?

Well, there you have it. I can't wait to see what happens in the next year. Keep stopping by if you want to find out, too. :)

Endings and Beginnings

Lots of big news! I know I haven't blogged in forever since the A to Z Challenge ended. Lots of reasons for that, I suppose. I'm hoping to blog lots and lots in the near future, possibly even every day. We shall see.

First off, I finished my second draft! Woo! It doesn't feel quite as triumphant as finishing the first draft, but then again, the first draft took me two and a half years to complete, so it was a big accomplishment. But anyway, I finished up the last chapter yesterday afternoon. 142 pages, 82,744 words, and 27 chapters. I guess a lot changed structurally since the first draft only had 20 chapters and 70,900 words. I know I cut a lot of the original chapters down to make the scene transitions less choppy, but I'm not entirely sure where the giant increase in the word count came from. I'll have to look into it.

Side note! If you read all of my silly facts in my 100th post, you'll know that the first draft has 196 f-bombs. Well, I did a search on the second draft and there are...drum roll please...188! Actually, I thought it would be more. I guess I'm learning restraint. I did try to cut the ones that didn't seem necessary. But hey, the narrator is a fifteen-year-old boy, it's gonna pop up now and then.

Other big news! I put in my two weeks notice at work on Tuesday. Ah! It's scary but exciting. Two days after my last day of work, I'll be going to Las Vegas with my fiance (no, we're not getting married). It should be a lot of fun. I'm bringing my second draft with me to edit on the plane, and lots and lots of books to read in front of the pool.

I hope to be querying my book within a few months and am going to try publishing smaller pieces and maybe getting some freelance work. I'm really excited for what the future is going to bring.

Insecure About Not Being Insecure

It's that time again! The first Wednesday of every month is the posting day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Click the link to visit Alex J. Cavanaugh's blog and learn more!

I was struggling to come up with a topic for today's post, mostly because I haven't been feeling very insecure lately. I got through the A to Z challenge, I'm almost done with the second draft of my book, and I'm nervous about leaving my job, but not really insecure. I know in my gut I'm making the right decision. It's still almost a month away so I'm trying not to think about it too much yet. 

I've been thinking about how close I am to trying to get my book published. Once the second draft is done, I'll go through another round of edits, but not a rewrite this time, so it probably won't take very long. There's just a few things to iron out, I think (of course, when I hear back from my readers I may find out how wrong I am...). And then I'll start querying. It's exciting and scary but I'm actually not feeling very insecure about it. 

Here's the thing--I'm not scared of rejection. Not at all. I've already been told by someone that my story is horrible, and I really don't think any agent would respond that way (as long as I do my research and submit to the right agents, of course). I've already been hit with the worst, so even rejection would be better than that. I also accept that fact that I'm going to be rejected. Lots of times. I see it as part of the process. It's going to happen and it's just something to get through. 

My lack of insecurity is actually what worries me. What if I'm wrong about how I feel? What if that first rejection comes and I just break down? What if I can't handle it? Is my lack of fear a good thing or is it setting me up to fall even harder? I guess I won't know until it actually happens.