Blog Hop Help!

I know, I know, I said I probably wouldn't blog today. And if you're reading this, I'm most likely still on a bus right now. But I actually wrote this yesterday when I was struck with an idea and decided I really wanted some input.

So my 4th blogging anniversary (or blogiversary, or however you're supposed to spell it) is coming up at the end of May. I've thought for a while now that I'd want to do something to celebrate, probably some sort of blog hop or fest, but I felt my initial idea was a bit too complicated.

But anyway, I came up with another idea which I thought was simpler and could be a lot of fun! But I would really like to see what people think before I start really developing the idea.

I was initially going to call it "Have You Been Paying Attention?" but then I thought of a much better name: "The Great Blog Scavenger Hunt." (Or something along those lines). Basically the idea would be that anyone participating would ask a certain number of questions (maybe around 10?) to their blog followers, asking certain questions that they have at some point answered on their blog. Since I'm sure no one wants to spend their entire day hunting through old blog posts, I figured there could be levels of difficulty. Like, the easiest ones could be found on the first page or in your bio. Next hardest could be things you've mentioned several times. Hardest could be one time things. And the people guessing can answer however many of the questions they want.

Here's where I'm having some difficulty figuring it out, or maybe it's just becoming too complicated in my head. I don't really know what the end result will be. I had a thought that maybe I could go through all of the posts, find the person who answered the most correct questions, and that person gets an Amazon gift card from me or something. Also I wasn't sure about what should happen when someone gets the correct answer. Should the blogger update their post to say so? Or maybe that could be recommended but not required. If I do the prize thing, I would still be able to see who got the answer first. But at some point the blogger *would* have to list the correct answers, and I'm not sure if that's too much to ask of people. I also thought that if people weren't getting them all, you could put up hints.

Ok, I'm obviously putting way too much thought into this right now and I think I just have to step away from the idea for a bit. But what do you guys think? Would it be something you'd be interested in doing? How much would you be willing to do or how can I make it less complicated?

Or, my original idea was a sort of "muse party." I "host" a party on my blog where you can bring your muse or a character from one of your books. I'll provide a series of questions that you can answer on your blog (like, what are you guys wearing? Did you bring food or a gift? etc). Would that be easier? I thought I was leaning toward the new idea more, but the more I explained it, the simpler my original idea seems, and it kinda fits in with my blog more.

AGH. I don't know. I'm sorry I'm so awkward. But I would love any and all opinions on this!

Still Busy!

I had a good idea for a blog post, I swear. Actually, I had two! I thought I would write one of them for today and the other for Friday. But I'm kinda just not feeling it, and I'd rather save the good ideas for next week when I can actually pay attention to blogging. I still haven't even started packing for this weekend's trip. Yeah, so I should probably get on that.

The good news! I'm down to only needing posts for the letters J and O for the A to Z Challenge. I have a few ideas I'd like to use, but I'm not sure if I can make them work for these particular letters. Maybe I can talk about this more on Monday for the theme reveal and get some input.

The even better news! I have two 4+ hour bus rides this weekend and I'm hoping to get a lot of work done on my posts during this time. Or at least lots of reading. Or maybe both. I need to charge my Kindle before we leave. I have so many blogger buddies' books on there it's a bit ridiculous. I need to catch up. But hey, I'm a slow reader.

So I have a hunch that I won't be blogging on Friday. Or maybe I could write something on the bus on my phone. Right now I still have so much to get done but I just want to take a nap. Perhaps it's coffee time...

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I'll keep this short because I'm probably about to start running around like a crazy person...

This past weekend was busier than my usual stay-at-home-and-hide-from-the-world ones. On Saturday we went to see my fiance's best friend in a dinner theater show, and then last night my fiance had a stand-up comedy show. So I had to actually dress up and go do things and also ignore everyone around me having alcohol because I'm trying to lose weight...

This upcoming Friday, my fiance and I are going to New York City (I have no idea how many times this will be. I've lost count). He's turning 30 next Tuesday so it's kind of an early celebration. He's doing an open mic there on Friday and I got him tickets to see Larry David's play Fish in the Dark, so it should be fun. I'm not quite sure what else we're doing. Figuring that out is just one of the many things we have to get done this week.

So at some point I have to pack, plan this trip, do laundry, clean the apartment, and probably some other things I've forgotten. I'd like to still have a blog post on Friday but if I don't get it done ahead of time it's definitely not going to happen that morning. But I also haven't missed a blogging day at all this year, so hopefully that will be motivation to get it done.

So if I have time for anything else before Friday, then I really really need to work on my A to Z posts. I have most of them planned out, but none of them written. I'm worried that I picked a theme that's too hard to come up with 26 posts for. But I'm going to keep trying. I've come way too far to try to start over now. I still need a post idea for B, E, J, K, O, W, & Y. I have no idea why certain letters like Q, X, & Z were easier to come up with, but anyway, that's where I am now. I don't know if I can get all of the posts done before April begins, but if I can at least get the first week done, that will help out a lot.

Here's what I know so far: my very first post is going to be an overview of the theme. I'm pretty sure my last post is going to be satire. And I'm trying very hard to come up with pictures to put in with the posts, but it's a hard theme to find pictures for. So I may just put in various reaction shot gifs from my favorite movies & TV shows. I've already started collecting them...

Ok, I've rambled enough. Gotta go be productive.

Questionable Google Searches

I thought I'd do a quick little fun post today (and make a list! I love lists!). As writers, we have to do a lot of research when we're writing our books. No matter how familiar we are with our subject, there is always going to be something that we don't know. So chances are you're gonna have to do a little research. And maybe sometimes you have to Google some questionable stuff. Stuff that makes you think whoever is monitoring this sort of thing probably thinks you're some kind of weirdo.

But hey, books can be complicated. Maybe one of your characters commits a crime, or one gets hurt and you have to search for what happens during blood loss (it was a vampire story, ok??). Not every story is happy and fluffy and requires zero sinister or questionable activity.

I've had a particular story on my mind for the past few days and I was thinking about all of the research I'm going to have to do for it. And when you put all of those things together, it seems like a very screwed up kind of story. So that's what I did. Put all of the things I have already searched for or will eventually have to search for in order to write this book into one weird list. Some of the things are more tame, others are not.

So here are all of the potential Google searches for this particular novel, whose title is most likely going to be Truth or Dare, and I may or may not ever write it. It could just stay in the back of my brain forever.

• Colleges in New York City
• Wedding announcements
• Private investigators (although I'm more than likely going to have a character find another one through Facebook instead)
• Paternity testing 
• Candy Land
• Do open bars ask for ID? 
• Characteristics of an abusive relationship
• Types of recreational drugs 
• Effects of rohypnol
• Several legal questions, including:
• Third degree assault
• Attempted sexual assault
• What the victim has to go through to report these things
• How likely it would be prosecuted & what happens when the defendant pleads guilty
• Also, statute of limitations on a past crime
• How long does a black eye take to heal? 
• Bunk beds 

I figured I'd end on a light note there with the bunk beds. And maybe at some point I should write just a normal, happy, fluffy story. Yeah, at some point...

Happy Friday!

Question: What's the weirdest thing you've ever had to Google while writing a story? 

Too Tired to Do Anything

I'm having the hardest time being productive this week. Like, I was supposed to write today's blog post two days ago, for example. Remember my crazy color-coded schedule from last week? I made another one for this week but I haven't followed it at all. So like most of my ideas to stay organized, I feel like this one is already going out the window.

I'm sure it's some combination of Daylight Savings Time and just not feeling well (*cough* PMS *cough*). I want to get up early every morning but when the time actually comes I just can't make myself get up. And then when I sleep in, it makes it so much harder for me to be productive. My brain just doesn't feel like functioning lately.

And I had so many things I wanted/needed to get done this week! I really need to get my A to Z posts done, look for pictures for them, finish my editing list, write these new scenes that are buzzing around in my head, write a guest post, finish my resume and cover letter and apply to some jobs, look into submitting some poems and short stories to magazines, start trying to figure out freelance writing. Not to mention several trips to the gym, keeping up with my diet and daily exercising, some deep cleaning of the apartment, grocery shopping, and all of the other daily chores I have to do.

Oh, wait. Maybe my brain was way ahead of me. Maybe it looked at all of the things I planned on doing and was just like, "Hahaha nope. Sleep." I know I should focus on one thing at a time, but I really want to get all of this stuff done. But maybe having all of these things to choose from makes it impossible to choose one at all.

So I don't really know. Maybe the whole schedule thing was a bad idea. Or maybe this was just a bad week to try to do it. I'll probably try it again next week and see what happens. For now I'm just going to make some coffee and try to get at least one thing done today.

Getting the Setting Right

Setting is one of those elements that every story has. Whether your characters travel across the globe or stay in the same room for the entire story, a setting still exists. It is the place or places where all of the events in the story happen. Depending on your story, setting can play a large role or a small one. It can be a new place your characters adventure to or the same place they've lived all their lives. Once you've chosen your setting, how do you get it across to the reader? How do you make it feel natural and believable?

A lot can go in to choosing the setting for your story. You may know right away where you want it to take place, or it could take you a while to figure out. It can be a real place or somewhere you've made up. Every story requires its own unique setting. But conveying that setting can be another issue entirely. How do you make the reader see what you see when you envision your story? How do you make that place feel real?

Sometimes choosing the setting can seem a lot easier than executing it. For instance, I knew right away where I wanted my book to take place. The hard thing is actually making it feel like it takes place there. Do my characters actually sound like they've lived there all their lives? What information is necessary to get across to the reader?

First, I should probably say that about 90% of my book takes place indoors, where the setting is irrelevant. Well, the outside world is irrelevant, I should say. Every room your character inhabits within a scene still counts as a setting. It may not be necessary to provide every single detail, every piece of furniture or speck of dust, but there should be a general idea of what things look like or how it feels to be in that room. My characters have to deal with a lot of isolation, which works for the story. My problem is that when they actually go out into the real world, am I getting it right?

Sometimes I worry that whatever reference I make to the setting feels forced. Like, if I have my narrator reference a particular landmark, does it feel like I'm just doing it for the reader's sake? Because he's lived in this city all his life and is used to everything (and doesn't care), what actually needs to be said? Maybe I'm just paranoid that every subway ride or walk through Central Park makes it look like I'm trying too hard. But these are things that my characters do. So how do you make these sort of actions feel natural?

There really is no one answer because every story will require something different from its setting. For me, at least, it means making those brief moments where the real world sneaks in feel like a real place. Don't scream the setting at the reader, but hint at it. Make it feel like any place you would go where you live. It can be difficult writing a book that takes place where you don't personally live, but if we restricted ourselves to the setting we know, then we'd miss out on a lot of great story ideas. The important thing is to do your research, and don't worry about it so much. If you try too hard, then it will show. Just let the setting work for you.

How do you make your settings feel natural? Do you typically choose a setting you're familiar with? 

Listen to Your Playlist!

Anyone ever have an epiphany on a treadmill? Just me? Ok...

I know a lot of writers make playlists, whether it's for your book, a character, or just to get in the mood to write. You may seek out songs to put on these lists, or you may just be listening to a song and realize that it fits your book. The main motivation for a playlist is to inspire, obviously, but have you ever considered that it could also help you figure things out?

Ever since I started rethinking the last third of my book, I knew a lot of things had to change. I've come up with at least one scene that makes things completely different from the last draft I wrote. What I've really been struggling with is what scenes from the old draft get to stay. One in particular is a scene in which my characters have a huge fight. I've gone back and forth about whether or not to keep any of this scene, wondering if it's necessary with the new way I've been imagining things. I was pretty much settled on completely cutting the scene, even though there were quite a few moments in it that I was heartbroken about parting with.

That is, until I went to the gym the other day. I decided to listen to my book playlist while on the treadmill to see if I could get some inspiration. I hadn't actually listened to the whole thing in quite some time, so I thought it was a good idea. Until one particular song started to play, and I realized that song was only on there because of the scene I was most likely going to cut.

My first thought was "oh noooooooooo!" Did I have to change my playlist? Or was I wrong to cut this scene? I didn't think that one song should really influence what needs to happen in a story, but it did make me stop and think. What did I really want to do with this scene? I've known since I first thought about it that I still wanted to keep it, and the song just seemed to reinforce that idea.

I'm still not 100% sure on what to do. I know if I keep it, it has to drastically change. Mostly I just want to find a way to keep all of the good lines. What actually starts the fight will probably change. I don't know where in the sequence of events this fight will go anymore. I'm considering changing the end of the scene just because I'm not sure if I should have used a particular word (let's just call it the "p-word") even though having one character use it was the sort of brutal effect I was going for. I don't know what I could replace it with the get the same effect. So like the scene itself, I'm on the fence about it. It's a lot to figure out, but I'm taking it one step at a time.

When it comes to your playlist, let it influence you in whatever way ends up working for the story. Maybe you'll get a new idea, maybe it'll reinforce an old one. Really think about why you chose these songs and how that reflects the way you see your story. But most importantly, don't ignore it like I did. You made it for a reason, so listen to it!

How do you use your playlist to inspire you? Have you ever been unsure whether to cut a scene? What helped you make the decision? 

A Very Detailed (And Color Coded!) Schedule

It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's the posting day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Click the link to learn more and sign up!

Like most months, I'm plenty insecure. Still trying to figure out the third (and hopefully final) draft of Uneven Lines, and also trying to figure out life. My fiance and I really want get out of where we live and hopefully move to New York within the next few months. It's one of those things that I really want but at the same time find terrifying. Of course, I know I'm afraid of change but it really needs to happen. 

What I'm really trying to do is get more organized. There are so many things I have to do, whether it's working on the book, exercising and eating right, reading more, trying to find a job or figure out how to branch out into freelance writing. It's a lot and I think I get easily overwhelmed so that's probably why I don't get a lot done. 

So my new strategy is a schedule. A very detailed and planned ahead schedule. I couldn't find any templates I liked online, so I made my own in Excel, breaking each day down by the half hour from 7 AM to 11 PM. Then I figured I absolutely needed colored pens in order to mark things in by category. Who wants to look at entire schedule in boring black ink? These categories seemed to cover pretty much everything I would need or want to do in a given week. 

And here is the actual schedule for this week. It's still a work in progress. 

And the second page. Yes, we watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy every night like an old couple. And I'm trying to make sure I brush & floss my teeth and wash my face every night before bed, since I'm really inconsistent with it. 

I'm still filling in some of the blanks but all of the major stuff is there. I'm not too worried about the weekends since my fiance doesn't work and we usually just figure out what we're doing as we go, anyway. And I really only get things done when I'm by myself. One of my biggest downfalls is just watching pointless TV all day, so with this schedule I can actually work in when I'm watching all of my shows, whether it's when they air or on demand the next day. And I won't watch TV at any other time (I hope!). 

I don't know if this extremely structured schedule will help me or get very tedious right away, but we'll see. I've never tried being this organized before so I think it's worth a shot. 

Do you stick to a schedule? What are your tips for being productive? 

Jordan Takes Over: Food, Food, & More Food (Plus Questions Answered!)

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

It can't be the first Monday already, can it? Stupid short February. Why can't anyone ever just let me sleep?? *Yawn* Ok, first I'll get to last month's questions, which (as opposed to last month) were all from dudes, who also seemed to really get me...

First, Alex J. Cavanaugh asks: "Jordan, what crazy, outrageous thing would you do if you could get away with it?"

You're assuming I haven't already gotten away with several outrageous things already! Hmm...something I haven't done...Maybe just some way of tricking people into giving me money. Or, you know, if someone crosses me, I'll just find a way to ruin their life. Destroying a reputation is always a good way to go. The old standard.

Next, Stephen Tremp asks: "If you could push anyone over a cliff and get away with it, who would it be?"

Oh geez, there are so many choices. An annoying celebrity, an ex-boyfriend, my mom...You know, actually, shoving someone over a cliff isn't really my style. I'm more of a psychological assassin (see first question).

And finally, David P. King asks: "If I bought a bag of chips, what kind of dip would you get?"

Ugh, Sarah really wants me to say onion dip because she loves it. Hold on, let me give her some to distract her (never fails)...Me, though? I think I'd probably make some kind of dip from scratch. Like, have you ever had fresh guacamole? Holy crap. We're all about avocados over here.

This leads me to today's topic: COOKING. This should come as a surprise to no one: I like to eat. A lot. Hey, growing boy, right? Actually, I probably stopped growing like five years ago, but anyway. If you've read all of the ramblings about my book (no I will not find links for you!), you might remember that food is a big part of it. You know, hunger and symbolism and blah blah blah. Anyway, so my first-kinda-sorta-except-not-boyfriend used to cook for me. A lot. Like if I hadn't had the metabolism of a fifteen-year-old I would have been obese.

So you'd probably think that after we broke up, I wouldn't want to cook things for myself. To which I would reply: ARE YOU NUTS? Do you think I was going to go back to canned soup and frozen pizza? Hell no. So I demanded more grocery money from my mom and started cooking things for myself. It was a slow process, but eventually I got the hang of it. It's important to cook. Even if it's not your favorite thing in the world, there's some level of passion that goes into it. Even if it's just for yourself, it's something you're putting effort into. Plus, everyone likes good food, right?

So I thought I would share some yummy food pictures. Well, since I don't have any pictures of anything I've made, I stole Sarah's phone so I could show you some of my favorites of her dishes.

You know they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Plus, hello: BACON.

Of course the best time to chow down like a starved animal is dinner. Here we have sweet and sour shrimp, crispy orange beef, and MAC AND CHEESE! 

But if you forget dessert, then I have to slap you. We've got mint Oreo pie and strawberry/blueberry shortcakes (yes, with homemade biscuits!). Someone get me some ice cream, please!

Is everyone hungry now? 

So I will NOT be posting in April because of the A to Z Challenge. I know, you're devastated. Feel free to ask some more questions for May. If not, I'm sure I'll figure something out. I'm crafty like that. Well, I'm going back to sleep.

JP

Fast Five Friday: Favorite TV Shows

It's time for another Fast Five Friday! This blog hop was created by the ladies over at Cover Girls. This week they've asked us to share our five favorite TV shows. This was soooooooo much harder than I thought! Especially when I thought about opening it up to every TV show I've ever watched (Buffy please!) but then I was being ridiculous. So I figured I would limit myself to shows that are either on right now or will return at some point. Still not easy, so I added the much necessary question: is this a show where I will bite someone's head off if they talk during it? And then it was much, much easier.

1. Criminal Minds (CBS)

2. Looking (HBO)

3. American Horror Story (FX)

4. Doctor Who (BBC)

5. Game of Thrones (HBO) 

Because I'm lazy I just stole the main pictures from IMDb :P (But I know that CM one is totally from season 5! So old!).

What are some of your favorite TV shows?

Do Characters Have to be Likable?

There are all kinds of characters in any story--heroes, villains, sidekicks, love interests. The possibilities are endless. The way a reader could respond to any of these can be as diverse as the characters themselves. Some people may love a book's main character; others might hate him/her. Or it could be both--love to hate, hate to love. There are so many different ways to like or dislike a character. So when you're writing these characters, which one do you want?

It can depend a lot on the specific character you're writing. If your story has a villain, then you most likely want your readers to hate him. But villains can also be entertaining and fun to read. He doesn't have to be a sadistic monster without a single redeemable quality (unless that's what you're going for). The opposite can be said of a hero. A hero doesn't have to be perfect. They can do stupid things that make us want to punch them in the face. Characters need flaws so the reader can relate to them actually believe these are real people. No one is perfect, and a story about a perfect person would probably be boring to read.

But let's focus on the main character of a story. How likable does he or she need to be? And what exactly does it mean to be likable?

I've been told that my main character is not likable. Which is disheartening, to say the least. And confusing as hell, since I actually let him write a monthly blog post and people seem to respond well, or they're entertained at least. So why the big turn off? I guess it's not completely understandable. The first word I would use to describe Jordan would be manipulative, which I guess isn't all that likable of a trait. And he's a little full of himself, but not in a ridiculous way. He just knows what he's capable of and how other people respond to him. So why all the hate? Do I have to change him, make him more likable so that people will actually want to read this book?

It got me thinking that being likable doesn't mean the same thing in real life as it does in reading a book. Think about all of your favorite book characters--if they actually existed, would you be friends with them? We don't choose the books we read like we choose friends. We want books to entertain us. That doesn't mean that the main character has to be some perfect, goody two shoes kind of a person. In fact, you would probably be turned off by this sort of character.

We don't have to like a character in the same way we would like a friend. We just have to like to read about this character. You could love a character's snarky attitude, but if you met them in real life, you might want to smack them. There just has to be something about them that makes you want to read more. Think about this: is Lolita's Humbert Humbert a likable guy? Good lord no. But do you still like to read from his point of view? Yes! Because there's something captivating about the way his words come across the page. Liking to read about a character isn't always the same as liking them as a person.

So keep your imperfect characters! Nobody likes a goody two shoes, anyway.

Do you consider your characters likable? Are there are any characters from books you've read that weren't exactly likable, but you still wanted to read about them? 

What are You Trying to Say?

Everyone has their own motivations for writing a book. You may just have an idea in your head that wants to get out. You may just want to tell a story. Or you may have a big, giant message that you want people to get. Or it could be a little bit of both. But how exactly do you figure out what you're trying to say, and once you do, how do you get that point across?

The whole "bigger picture" thing may not come to you right away. You may even get through your entire first draft without having one. You may never have one, and that's ok, too. I've always thought that my main motivation for writing a book is just to entertain. I want to write a book that at least some people will like (and hopefully most people won't throw rotten fruit at me when I walk down the street). Not every story has to be complicated, or have some sort of message to get across. I call a lot of my story ideas "fluff" stories, maybe just because they feel a heck of a lot easier and lighter than my main WIP. Fluff can be great (and lots of fun to read!). But not every story is fluff. Some stories are a bit more complicated.

That isn't to say that I think my book has one big message. If people assumed that, they would probably get it wrong. I do think that it does have several smaller messages, some of which I'm still trying to figure out. So how do you figure it out? How do you know if your story even needs one? And then how do you get those messages across?

It's probably something that you'll figure out along the way, or maybe you already know what your message is before you write the first word. Every story is different. It all depends on how subtle or obvious you need your message to be. How important is it that the reader gets it? If they don't get it, will the story still work? All of these factors will go in to your thought process as you're figuring it out.

And there are plenty of ways to get a point across. Think about all of those English papers you had to write in high school. Themes, motifs, symbolism, characterization. When you start trying to crack a story open, you can figure out what the writer was trying to say. So when you're the writer, utilize these tools. Put some symbolism into your book. Have a character represent something bigger. How often you do this will depend on the story, and you obviously don't want to overdo it so that you're hitting the reader in the face (didn't I talk about this before...?).

The first step in telling a story is to just tell the story. The next step may be to figure out what it is you're trying to say. The first person who has to "get it" is you.

Ever write a story with a message in it? How do you utilize themes and symbolism? 

What To Blog About...

Sometimes it's hard to figure out what to blog about. Other times, you have ideas but they just don't work out for whatever reason. I think today for me is a little bit of both.

My original plan was to post a book review today, but since I didn't actually finish the book I've been reading, that plan kind of went out the window (anyone surprised?). So, ok, no book review. So then I thought of doing another Fun Facts post, because I haven't done one in forever. I had a few ideas for some facts already, too. But I was having a hard time coming up with more facts for the theme I had in mind, and knew I couldn't get a decent blog post done in a short amount of time. So, no fun facts post, either.

So...what to blog about? I have no idea! But I'm not going to not blog, because that would just completely throw off my momentum.

Well, maybe I can make a list, after all. Here are just a few things that I'm trying to do. Succeeding and/or finishing is another thing entirely...

- Trying to plan out all of my A to Z Challenge posts. At this point I'm just trying to find out which ideas can fit under which letters. Eight definite ones picked out so far (including Q and Z!!! But X feels impossible). I really really really want to have all of the posts written before April starts so that I can have the whole month just to visit other blogs.

- Trying to make a giant editing list for the first two thirds of UL. Since I don't really think I need to completely rewrite these chapters I think it would be helpful to know every small thing that I want to change (some not so small, actually, but not huge, either). Then I could cross things off the list! How awesome would that feel?

- Trying to write every day. Well, trying to plan to write every day. I haven't actually started yet. But I think if I forced myself just to get the words out for say, 30 minutes every day, without staring at the blank screen or caring how crappy the words are, eventually I'll get somewhere.

That's it, pretty much. Well, I'm also trying to stay on this diet and not eat an entire pizza tonight. Still haven't decided yet...

The Great Time Lock Disaster

Today we're celebrating the launch of a new book by C. Lee McKenzie! Check it out!

AMAZON

There's nothing’s more dangerous than a wizard-in-training. And Pete Riley, has just proven it. He's worked a bad time spell--a very bad time spell.

No YouTube, no smoothies, no Manga. Not ever again. Not unless Pete figures out how to reverse his spell and free Weasel and him from Victorian England. 

He has until the next full moon. Only a few days.

Tick. Tock.

Here’s how the story starts, and it only gets worse.

One minute the clock was tick-tocking on the mantel and the next it was a smoldering mess.

“No,” Harriet shouted. Then she braced one hand on her desk and covered her eyes with the other.

Pete froze, not blinking, not breathing, but waiting to see if Harriet would point one of her long, bony fingers at him and turn him into a turnip or something slimy.

SEQUEL TO ALLIGATORS OVERHEAD

To celebrate the launch of The Great Time Lock Disaster I'm giving 20 eBooks away. Hope you'll jump in to the copter and go for a ride!

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Usually, C. Lee takes on modern issues that today's teens face in their daily lives. Her first young adult novel, Sliding on the Edge, which dealt with cutting and suicide was published in 2009. Her second, titled The Princess of Las Pulgas, dealing with a family who loses everything and must rebuild their lives came out in 2010. Double Negative (2014) was her third young adult novel. Researching it turned her into a literacy advocate. Her fourth YA, Sudden Secrets came out in December 2014. 

When she really want to have FUN, she writes middle grade books. Alligators Overhead and The Great Time Lock Disaster are now available.

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The Muse-iversary Gift

I'm one of those weird people who keeps track of important dates and occasionally celebrates them like an anniversary. Yesterday was especially important because it marked exactly four years since I wrote the very first words that would eventually be my novel. It's a weird feeling, because it doesn't really feel like it's been that long. And then again I think, holy crap, it has been that long and I'm still working on it. I really wish I had more to show for four years but I also know that a lot has happened in between that has kept me from working on it as much as I would like.

Ok, I'll talk about something else before this gets too depressing. I call February 15 my "muse-iversary," because it was the day that Jordan first popped into my head and then decided never to leave. And I think you should be able to have an anniversary with your muse if you want to. Go on. I give you permission.

Here's the best and most surprising thing about yesterday: Jordan gave me a present! It's so very much unlike him, right? I know you're probably wondering, what the hell could a muse give as a present? Well, it wasn't inspiration; I didn't write for hours and hours. I would have loved that, but what I actually got was even better.

I figured out not one, but TWO things that were bothering me about the book in one quick little five minute brainstorm. I basically was able to solve one problem, and then use that solution to solve another problem. I was so excited by this revelation that I started dancing. Other people do that, right? I just love that feeling when things that were so frustrating and so impossible to figure out just start falling into place, and you figure out something that makes so much sense you can't believe you didn't think of it before.

You're probably wondering if I got Jordan anything. Well, I made cupcakes, of course. There is a Valentine's Day cupcake in the third chapter of my novel, and since Valentine's Day and the muse-iversary are back to back, I kinda have to make them every year. I also finally got a spiffy cupcake holder!

There's a raspberry surprise inside! 

Ok, now that I've further convinced you of my insanity, I think I'll go check out some other blogs...

Fast Five Friday: Romantic Movies

It's time for another installment of Fast Five Friday, created by the gals over at Cover Girls! This week in honor of Valentine's Day, we were asked to share five romantic movies we love. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Amelie
2. Breakfast at Tiffany's
3. Ever After
4. Love Actually
5. Moulin Rouge

That'll be all for today. I literally didn't get one minute of sleep last night so I'm sure I'll be a zombie all day. Or maybe if I'm lucky, I'll just be crazy enough to brainstorm some good editing ideas. We'll see...Have a good weekend, everyone! 

Figuring Out Social Media

Being a blogger usually means that you have to branch out and talk to other people on the internet. As a complete introvert, this is easier said than done, but is also so much easier than talking to people in real life. I'd much rather send someone an email than make a phone call. But at the same time, if I've ever written you an email, even a really short one, then I've probably agonized over every word and spent at least twenty minutes on the thing before hitting send. That's just how terribly awkward I am.

But I digress (as usual...). In the scope of social media, I feel like I have two things pretty much figured out. The blogging is pretty straightforward--I know what needs to be done at this point, just need to keep doing it and do more. The second thing is Twitter. I'm not obnoxious with it, just mostly use it to promote my blog posts and connect with other writers. But tell the me from four years ago who was just starting to use it that she'd eventually have over 1,800 followers and she would not believe you (she would have said "I thought this was for stalking celebrities!").

So, blogging--check. Twitter--check. But I feel like I should be doing so much more and just don't know where to start. There are a few I'm considering, so if you have any input or advice on these, I'd gladly take it!

Facebook. I have a personal Facebook page, but I don't like to link it up with any of my blogger stuff (I used to post links there but quickly realized that no one actually read them...). I don't use it all that much, honestly, except to keep in touch with people I don't see anymore. What I've been on the fence about is creating a Facebook author page. Mostly because, well, I'm not an author yet. But I'm thinking it may be good to start one early. I've also had two things published in anthologies, so that counts for something, right? Mostly it would help me connect with other authors on Facebook, which I don't like to do with my personal one.

Google+. Ok, I have a Google+ account. A few of you have added me to your circles. My thing with this is that I just haven't taken the time to figure out what the hell Google+ actually is. It's on my to do list, I swear. I don't think I can really make a judgement call on this one until I actually figure it out, but I would eventually like to do more with it.

Instagram. This is one of those things where personally I feel like, what's the point? But then again, I feel like I'm the only person who doesn't have it. Seriously, if you look at the photos on my phone, all of my pictures are of food I've made or my cat. But then I've been told that's all Instagram is, really, so...maybe?

What do you think? Should I branch out? What other social media do you use as a writer? 

Making Sure Readers Get It

Do you ever worry when you're writing something that your potential reader just won't get it? Not just the big picture stuff, but every tiny detail that you've put hours and hours of effort into writing? What if they miss the symbolism, or all of the intricate character details that you've thrown in? What if you spent forever crafting the perfect sentence and they breeze through it without even stopping to think? Is this something even worth worrying about? And how do you deal with it while you're still writing?

Think about all of the tools you use when you're writing as if they were on some metaphorical writer's utility belt. You've probably got pens or pencils, white-out, scissors, maybe. Well, my fake utility belt has a sledgehammer. If I feel like a reader isn't going to get it, then I want to bash them over the head with the idea until they do. What this usually means when I'm writing is that I'll spend a lot of time devoting words to a particular idea to make sure it sticks in the readers' heads and they understand what I'm trying to say.

This usually results in a huge amount of overkill. If you're constantly saying to yourself, "no, they won't get it," and then you write another sentence to make sure they do, how strong can that sentence really be? What are you saying that you didn't say before?

You should probably understand that not every reader is going to get every single detail. You can't be there next to someone reading your book, pointing to each significant line and saying, "Did you get this part?" I think readers would be annoyed if they had to deal with that. They want to be able to enjoy the story. And if they get it without your help, they would probably be even more annoyed, thinking, "Yes, I got it! Can we move on please?"

I think the solution is to just relax a little. Just say what you need to say and let the readers interpret things. They don't have to be babysat throughout the whole book. There's a moment in my manuscript where one character is basically giving in to his dark side, and I thought a good way to symbolize that was to have him wear a black shirt. But there was this nagging voice in the back of my head, sledgehammer in hand, telling me to add a sentence. Have the narrator say something like, "I guess he was giving in to his dark side." But I knew I didn't need that sentence. The reader will most likely understand this fact without me having to point it out to them. And if they don't, then so what? It's not the end of the world. Not everyone is going to pick up on everything, and that's ok.

So take the sledgehammer out of your writer's utility belt. You really don't need it. You can trust yourself that you got your point across without overdoing it, and you can trust your readers to understand.

Anyone else have a sledgehammer in their tool belt? Have you ever had to hold yourself back from overwriting something? 

Cupcakes and Blog Progress

Things are a little crazy right now so I'll keep this short. My fiance woke up yesterday with some kind of stomach bug and luckily I have managed not to catch it yet but I have had a terrible headache since yesterday afternoon that just doesn't want to go away. I did take NyQuil last night and slept for about twelve hours so that was pretty nice, but anyway...

I promised cupcake pictures! I found a recipe online for something called "candy bar cake" and modified it into a cupcake recipe. It starts with just a box of yellow cake mix, but I added chocolate chips. The frosting is peanut butter cream cheese, and then I chopped up Snickers bars and Reese's peanut butter cups to throw on top. And since it made two dozen and my sister refused to keep any, I'm still eating them...

So I realized something awesome. January was a perfect blogging month for me! I managed to post something every Monday, Wednesday and Friday like I had hoped. That never happens! I actually have a binder with printed out calendar pages to keep track of my blog posts. If I have an idea or if there's a blog hop planned for a certain day, I make sure I write it in ahead of time. They don't get the little green check mark until I've actually posted them. This is pretty much as organized as I get. So I'm wondering if I can actually be organized with my blogging, why not everything else?? Like, say, editing! 

 We'll see, I guess. One step at a time...

How Do We Deal with Fear?

It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's once again time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. *insert drum roll here* This month I'm a co-host! So I'll be stalking...err...visiting lots and lots of you. As always, the IWSG is hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, and my fellow co-hosts this month are Gwen Gardner, Dolorah, and M. Pax!

Something that causes a great deal of insecurity (for me, at least) is fear. Fear is something that holds you back, that keeps you from achieving your goals. There are plenty of reasons to be afraid, and it isn't always easy to find ways to work through it. If you manage to erase one fear, you might just run into another one. 

I'm afraid of a lot of things. I think everyone's go-to fear is failure. We worry that all of this work we put into what we do will never amount to anything. We're afraid we'll never get an agent or a book deal, or even if we do get published, that the book will never sell. Sometimes it's tough to keep going when you're constantly worrying if it's even worth the effort. 

But that's really only the beginning of the fear spectrum. You can be afraid of something even if you want it, maybe just because it's different and scary. I'm terrified of change, despite the fact that I desperately want things in my life to change. I'm even afraid of success, because I worry that I don't have the personality to deal with all of these elaborate fantasies of what a successful life could be like. I don't think I can live up to my imaginary self. 

I worry that I'm just not capable of figuring out everything that needs to be figured out in my manuscript. And even if that happens, if I somehow get it done, I worry that it will be a complete flop. I worry that people just aren't going to get it, or they're going to take it the wrong way and be offended. It's already happened more than once and I'm not sure how I would even deal with the situation besides saying, "it's just a story." I worry that people are going to think that I assume too much, or that there's some level of hatred inside of me that really is just nonexistent. How do I make people get it?

You can see how easy it is for fear to just build up and build up. There are so many reasons for it, so it's hard to escape it completely. I don't have all of the answers yet. I think it's important to try and deal with one thing at a time--block those fears from my mind until they're actually worth worrying about, if they ever are at all. Because right now, the only thing fear is doing is holding me back. 

How do you guys deal with fear? What scares you the most when it comes to your writing?