Stories in the Ordinary

How Much Description Do We Need?

2012-02-01T09:25:00.010-05:00

As I was editing one of my manuscripts yesterday, I did a lot of thinking about description. It's not one of my strong points. I'm pretty okay at dialogue and "action" scenes (as active as character-driven MG gets) but description doesn't come easy to me.

I'm learning how to better recognize whether or not I should take the time to describe something, and to what amount of detail. So I thought I'd share my thoughts. Some advice:

1) Describing Characters - This is coming more naturally to me.

I WOULD:
- Describe the character enough that the reader has a decent idea of what s/he looks like. I usually focus on facial features and body type. The more important the character is, the more I describe him/her.

I WOULDN'T:
- Be cheap about description unless s/he is a very minor character. I wouldn't just describe one of your main characters as "brown-haired" and leave it at that.
- Over-describe. This is just my personal taste, but when an author writes a long paragraph describing every bit of clothing on a character, or uses five adjectives to describe his eyes... that pulls me away from the story.

2) Describing Actions - This is what I've been discovering as I've been editing my manuscripts.

I WOULD:
- Elaborate on what your character is doing. Instead of wearing an "angry expression", what exactly did her face look like? On a similar note, dialogue can be strengthened this way, too. Instead of "she said in a sarcastic tone", how about writing her speech in such a way that it's clearly sarcastic?

I WOULDN'T:
- Go over the top on description where it's not needed. For instance, a character of mine blows her nose. I'd rather not say, "She held the Kleenex up to her nose with both hands and blew out forcefully, causing snot to eject from her nostrils and into the tissue." Yeah, eww.

3) Describing Setting - This is my weakness. Any comments on describing setting would be appreciated!

I WOULD:
- Make sure you describe your setting in a way that your reader can picture it in his/her mind.

I WOULDN'T:
- Overload your reader with pages and pages of description. Fantasy stories and others that require world-building do need more description than other genres in order to establish the fictional setting, but make sure you're not putting your readers to sleep.

Have anything else to add? How much description do you use in your work? Do you tend to over-describe or under-describe?

Picture Book Day: Horace and Morris Join The Chorus

2012-01-23T09:00:00.003-05:00

It's time for another episode of Picture Book Day!

Now, I realize that some of you may not be into picture books, especially if you don't have kids or don't teach. But if you're a writer or an artist of any kind, and you're putting yourself in a position where you might face rejection, I think you'll still appreciate this book.

Today's book is...

Horace and Morris Join the Chorus (But What About Dolores?) by James Howe, illustrated by Amy Walrod

This charming story is about three best friends, Horace, Morris and Dolores. (They're cute mice, which makes me like them even more.) They all love to sing. Horace sings the higher notes, Morris sings the lower notes, and Dolores sings "notes no one has ever heard before."

The three friends decide to audition for the chorus. Horace and Morris get in... but not Dolores. (See what I mean about rejection?) Dolores is obviously hurt, but she's still determined to convince Moustro Provolone (love that name) to let her in the chorus. What she ends up doing is creative and brave, and I think it's a fantastic reminder for all aspiring artists to never give up.

Besides, as a former "choir geek", I can't help but love a story based around music activities instead of sports, for a change.

Interested in reading Dolores's story? Check it out on Amazon here!

What would you do if you were in Dolores's situation, desperate to change the director's mind and let you in the chorus? What kinds of activities were you involved in when you were in school? (Or currently, if you're still in school?)

Photo from Amazon.com

Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy

2012-01-14T16:45:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! A few weeks late, I know, but I still hope you all had a fantastic holiday season.

In the writing world, I'm in the middle of... well, everything. I'm writing one book, querying another, and about to start editing a third manuscript sometime in the coming weeks. I'm keeping busy, which I love. But in the midst of all of this busyness, sometimes I feel intimidated. When I actually stop and think about what I'm doing, I wonder, Am I doing it right? What if I'm totally on the wrong track, writing the wrong book, or wasting my time when I should be doing something else?

That's when a conversation with my high school history teacher comes to mind. I had to write this enormous term paper in eleventh grade, and I felt like I was drowning. Not only was the assignment a challenge, but I hated every word that I'd written so far. I went to my teacher for some advice, and we read my paper together. I admitted that I didn't like any of it, but I didn't want to start over.

"Why not?" she asked.

Because it would be more work. Duh. (I obviously didn't "duh" her, don't worry.) I told her I felt like I wasted my time with this first paper. "Nonsense," she said. This was part of the process. I had to learn how to write a proper term paper, since I'd be doing it countless times in college, and not every paper turns out the way we want it to the first time around.

I restarted my history paper. Completely. It was a lot of hard work, but I got two great things out of it: a good grade, and wisdom that pertains to drafting. My teacher was right; this advice helped me out in college, and naturally, it has helped my creative writing, too. I made sure to visit her a few years later to thank her.

Another terrific teacher, Ms. Frizzle, has said these unforgettable words: "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!" Don't forget that it's okay to make a mistake. It's perfectly fine to start over.

Have you taken a chance lately?

* Magic School Bus photo credit: www.fanpop.com

See You In 2012!

2011-12-22T21:48:00.002-05:00

As you can probably tell, I haven't had the time to blog much the past few weeks. With Christmas in a few days, I guarantee that isn't going to improve. So, here it is, my official warm holiday wishes to you!

May you all have a joyous, wonderful, safe, and very merry holiday! I'll be thinking of y'all, and if I have time, I'll stop by to greet you individually. If I don't have time... I'll just do it "next year"! Ha!

Have a great one, my lovely blog friends. See you in 2012!

Shyness

2011-12-08T18:46:00.003-05:00

Thank you guys for checking in and sharing what you've been up to. It was nice to catch up! Also, you may have noticed that I started responding to comments via email instead of on the comment page. If you didn't notice, you might not have your email linked to your blog, so I wasn't able to reply personally. If you'd like a personal reply on this blog, feel free to change your settings.

Show of hands: anyone here shy? Or are you too shy to raise your hand?

Yeah, I'm shy. I don't know if you can tell on the internet, because I am way more comfortable being anonymous with a seashell as a face. But most people who know me in person could tell you that I get very quiet in large groups (or even small groups, really.) It's not that I don't want to talk or that I'm not enjoying myself -- two misconceptions of shyness, I think -- but I'm a bit nervous and don't want to say anything stupid. Which is funny, because I say stupid things all the time. You'd think I'd just get used to it and roll with it.

One of the reasons why I love writing novels is that I can be somebody else. I can write from the perspective of somebody outgoing and bold. I can sit quietly and my blabbermouth character can do all the talking. As an unpublished author with no book to promote, I don't have to step out into the public eye yet. In a sense, I can hide.

But just as much as I enjoy writing about loud and fearless characters, I'm also drawn to reserved and insecure types. Ones that remind me of myself. I have 6 manuscripts, and half of them have extroverted main characters; the other half, introverted. Funny, you'd think the last thing a shy gal like myself would want to do is write a book about someone who gets easily embarrassed... and then put them into humiliating situations. (But I've done it.)

Are you more of a social butterfly or a shy guy? Are you drawn to fictional characters that are more like you or opposite of you? Writers, how do you think your personality affects the characters you write?

And for those of you who are published authors and shy -- how do you do it?

Photo Credit

Status Report: December 1

2011-12-01T17:45:00.003-05:00

I think it's time for another status report, since my last one was on July 2, and a lot has changed since then.

So, what's new with me, you ask? (Or at least I pretend you ask, so I have a reason not to appear selfish posting about myself.)

In the writing world, I have two projects that I'm working on right now. My latest completed manuscript, The Queen of Camp Respecto has been through revision after revision, sent to numerous readers, and (in my opinion) is close to polished. I plan to give it one more read-through the week after Christmas, and then in January I will start my agent research and *gasp* querying.

I'm also kicking butt in my WIP, Out Of Hand. October and November were crazy busy, and I wasn't able to write for long stretches of time. Starting today, I'm making sure that I buckle down and write for at least an hour. I'm timing myself and recording my hours on a calendar. Talk about pressure.

But I tried it today, and it worked! I wrote almost an entire chapter, which is a big deal to me.

In the reading realm, I finally found the time over my Thanksgiving break to catch up on some fantastic reads. Most recently, I read Paradise 21 by Aubrie Dionne. Aubrie's characters are so charming, even the bad ones (and I almost want to say especially the bad ones -- I love villains), and her story was able to make me cry -- which is always a plus. Click the link above to check it out!

I didn't participate in NaNo, but I cheered on those who bravely did. Congrats to y'all!

What are you writing, reading, or editing? Did you participate in NaNo? Do you use timers or calendars or any kind of pressure tactic to get yourself to write?

I Am That Person

2011-11-16T19:35:00.004-05:00

I have good intentions, really. But too many of my friends could tell you that I suck at keeping in touch. Sorry, friends. I really do love you.

They never hold it against me, though. It's just a known thing: I don't get around to calling/texting/emailing/messaging as often as I should (and I'm even worse at getting together in person.) But when I do find the time to catch up with my friends, there are no hard feelings. We basically pick up where we left off.

I am that person who is good-hearted but hopelessly disorganized.

We -- as well as fictional characters -- aren't defined by just one or two traits. All people are complex beings. But I challenge you to think about what someone else would say about you. One of my best friends was known for always running "five" minutes late. Another friend of mine is thought of as a mom to everyone. We can always count on her for anything we need -- Band-Aids, Advil, even snacks.

Who are you? What do others think of you? Writers, what about your characters? Besides the traits that many protagonists have, such as bravery and compassion, what are some more specific or quirky ways that you would describe them?

He/She is that person who ______ ?

Picture Book Day: Rhyming Dust Bunnies

2011-11-05T19:50:00.000-04:00

It's time for another episode of Picture Book Day! Today's book is...

Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas

This adorably hilarious book is about four dust bunnies named Ed, Ned, Ted... and Bob. That alone made me chuckle, but the book gets better. These dust bunnies love to rhyme. "What rhymes with car?" they ask. Ed, Ned, Ted respond with, "far," "jar," and "tar," but Bob says "look!" Um, Bob... "look" doesn't rhyme with "car."

But Bob is smarter than they think. He sees something the others don't -- an approaching broom! The story continues with more rhymes and greater imminent trouble!

I loved this book. It's humorous and just so darn creative. (Dust bunnies? Who would have thought?) I love how it's educational, tying in nicely with our rhyming lesson at school, but also contains a mini plot twist. Rhyming Dust Bunnies is so fun, we had to take it away because the kindergarteners kept fighting over it!

Check it out on Amazon here!

Have you read this book or any others by Jan Thomas? Writing about dust bunnies is a unique concept -- can you think of any other books that have different, never-would-have-imagined characters or settings? Can you think of any yourself?

Photo from Amazon.com

A Costume of Your Character

2011-10-26T13:19:00.003-04:00

It's always something. I've been sick with the flu for five days now, as if life isn't crazy enough. But I planned this post a little while ago, so I'm going to go ahead with it.

Halloween is around the corner! I'm super excited, and not because of the candy. I love dressing up, even when it's not Halloween season. Hubby and I used to win awards at geek conventions for our video game-themed costumes. (Gosh, I might as well wear glasses held together with tape and carry a dictionary around.)

So, naturally, this time of year I like to daydream about what it would be like to dress up as one of my characters. I wouldn't actually do it (nobody would know who I was anyway), but I like to think about what defines these characters in a physical sense. I've written five novels with a sixth in progress, so I have a lot to choose from, but I think I'll focus on a character of my most recent manuscript, The Queen of Camp Respecto.

The main character is ten-year-old Typer, who has bright blue hair. She dyed it with food coloring, but if I were to dress as her, a wig is totally the way to go. Her favorite outfit is a purple plaid shirt and jean capris. With a good costume comes good acting, too, and Typer has a pretty bad attitude. Her outfit should be accompanied by folding arms or a hand on the hip.

Writers, tell me about your characters. What would I need to know if I were to dress up as one? If you don't write or otherwise don't have anything to share, what are you dressing up as on Halloween? (Or your kids, or your dogs...)

Rejection Isn't Failure

2011-10-15T07:51:00.003-04:00

Yup, I'm still here. Completely horrible at maintaining a regular blog schedule, but I'm here. (Actually, I planned to blog during the week, but Blogger was giving me a "malware alert" screen whenever I visited the website, so I didn't dare to post.)

Anyone watch the TV crime drama/comedy Castle? I highly recommend it to anyone, writers and non-writers, because it's an excellent show. But the main character, Richard Castle, is a best-selling novelist, so we writers might get a little more out of it.

Castle can relate nearly everything to the writing process. Usually he draws comparisons when helping detectives solve a murder mystery, but in a recent episode, he helps his daughter deal with getting rejected from her first choice college by comparing it to publisher/agent rejections.

"Rejection isn't failure," he says. See for yourself in the video below (it's really short, don't worry.)

For all writers, (no matter what stage of the process we're in), this is pretty darn good advice.

How do you view rejection? Does it drive you the way it does Castle? Have you watched Castle before? Did anyone else get those malware warnings when visiting Blogger?

Picture Book Day: Personal Space Camp

2011-09-28T20:16:00.000-04:00

Before I introduce a brand new series, I'd like to comment on the other series I'm doing, Clichés Explained. Please don't feel discouraged if you use the featured tropes in your novels! I wrote a more detailed response in the comment section of the last post, so feel free to click, especially if you commented last time.

While Clichés Explained might appeal more to the writers in the audience (that's probably most of you), my new series Picture Book Day is for anyone: readers, writers, parents, teachers, etc. As a kindergarten assistant, I'm discovering charming picture books by the dozen, so I thought I'd start a series to share my findings.

Today's feature, Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook, illustrated by Carrie Hartman

This book is about a boy named Louis who really, really loves space. When his principal invites him to attend "personal space camp", he thinks it's all about planets and rocketships and the moon. But... it's not. As you probably figured.

Personal Space Camp is so clever! The author tied in Louis's vision of space camp with real lessons about personal space (being inside your personal bubble is like your space ship, for instance.) It's the kind of book I wish I wrote: a play on words, but also witty and educational. Recommended for kids and adults -- even those who don't need to attend personal space camp!

Check it out on Amazon here!

How often do you read picture books? Discover any good children's books recently? Do you know of any other books that tie in two subjects with a clever pun (like "personal space" and "space camp")?

Photo from Amazon.com

Clichés Explained: Losing Consciousness

2011-09-19T18:22:00.010-04:00

Today's post is a continuation of the Clichés Explained series I started before my hiatus. If you're new here (and many of you are!) this is my attempt at shedding light on why we gravitate toward certain clichés. So if you thought this was another "avoid this overused technique" post, it isn't... though I'm not exactly pushing you guys to litter your manuscripts with tropes, either.

Anyway...

Losing Consciousness

I'll start by saying that some really good stories (books, movies, television shows) incorporate fainting, blacking out, getting drugged, and other ways of losing consciousness, so this doesn't make a story an automatic zero. Rather, it's all about why the writer chose to have this happen to his/her character. As with every trope, there are times when fainting fits and times when it just makes the writer look desperate.

Having a character lose consciousness is an easy peasy way for writers to transition to another scene. Think about the fainting scenes that you've read/seen. Most of the time, the chapter or scene ends, or the screen goes black. Then it switches to that character waking up (or a "meanwhile" storyline before the character awakens.)

I am guilty of using this cliché in my first two novels. Thinking back, I used these moments to provide a clean break in the story. Both of my characters had to wake up from being conked out (well, one fainted from lack of sleep, the other from lack of oxygen), reassess their respective situations and figure out what the heck to do next. (The sleepless one had to face the anxiety that was giving her insomnia; the other one had to find safety so she wouldn't be choked again.)

I'm generally not a fan of "the room was spinning, and everything was going black," even in my own writing, but some stories can pull this off. At least I understand why it's such a desirable cliché. Anyone agree or disagree?

Can you think of any novels, TV shows or movies that do this successfully? How about unsuccessfully? If I continue with this series, do you have a favorite cliché that you'd like featured?

Be Yourself; Like Yourself

2011-09-06T16:44:00.011-04:00

Before I start rambling, I'd like everyone to stop and wave to my new followers! Welcome, everyone! I am sincerely excited to have you all here, and I owe it all to Karen G's Labor Day BBQ. Thank you, Karen! (The BBQ was a hit last year, too. If you're looking to meet new bloggers, I highly recommend attending. I brought the ice cream.)

Today's post was inspired by something I witnessed in the classroom. The students were instructed to draw a picture of themselves and were assured that they would not be graded on artistic ability. I mean, it's kindergarten. We want to teach them fine motor skills. Who cares if they can't draw worth a darn?

Well, one girl cared. Little Alison* was so afraid that her picture wouldn't look good that she asked Megan, the girl next to her, if she could copy her paper. Meaning, there would be two pictures of Megan and no picture of Alison in the class.

There are many levels of sadness going on here. It's sad that Alison is experiencing self-doubt at such a young age, but it's also sad that she's not alone. I'm guilty of wishing I could be more like someone else, and I can't be the only one. On a writing-related note, it's one thing to be inspired by someone's writing, but it's another to put yourself down because you don't believe yourself to be as good as other writers. There are many genres and styles for a reason. Don't ignore your strengths; instead, let them shine.

Sometimes I wish I was a tall, outgoing mystery writer. But I guess it's not so bad being a short, introverted middle grade writer. What strengths do you wish you had, in any area of your life? What strengths do you have?

*Names changed, obviously, because kids these days don't have normal names like Alison and Megan. Oh, I'm kidding. Sort of.

Arrested in the Pouring Rain

2011-08-30T15:42:00.004-04:00

Man, I love a good title, and something like "Arrested in the Pouring Rain" brings about so many questions. If only my other posts had such intriguing titles, or my books for that matter...

Anyway, I'm back! Welcome to the revamped Stories in the Ordinary, the 2.0, the next generation, however you want to say it. I made the above banner myself. It's not perfect, but I can't keep going back and fixing it or I'll never move forward! So this is the new design. Thoughts?

This is still primarily a writing blog, and I'm going to continue some of the themed posts I started earlier, but I also want to sprinkle in a few posts that aren't specific to writing. Just observations and inspirations. Sometimes writers need to take off their "writer hats" and get their mind on something else. Also, sometimes I have blog visitors who aren't writers, and I imagine this blog can get boring fast.

Today's topic is simple. It's something I observed weeks ago. While driving in a heavy rain storm, I noticed a police car on the side of the road with a regular car parked in front of it. Outside the car, in the pouring rain, was a young woman with her wrists handcuffed behind her. All I could think of was how much it sucked for her to be arrested in such a storm.

Then, of course, I began making up why she was arrested. I'd like to think it wasn't her fault. She was fleeing from her bad-news boyfriend, who was a drug user, and in her hurry to get away, she was speeding. The police pulled her over and found her boyfriend's drugs in the back seat.

Of course I totally made that up, but I'll never know the truth.

Whether you're a writer or just a people-watcher, have you ever tried to fill in the blanks when observing strangers? Why do you think the young woman was arrested?

Stories in the Ordinary is...

2011-08-16T13:39:00.007-04:00

Sorry. I know I just came back from a hiatus, and here I am, going on another one. I need another (shorter) break for two reasons:

1. School starts next week. I'm not as prepared as I'd like to be. I'm also sick with a cold, which makes preparing that much harder.

2. I would like to re-do this blog. I think many writing blogs (not all, but some) get stuck in a rut. We can only post so many analogies for writing, lessons on grammar/craft, and updates on our own WIP before having to repeat ourselves. I am guilty of all three, and I think I'm a little exhausted from riding that carousel.

I'd like to bring Stories in the Ordinary back to its roots -- finding stories in every day life, such as interactions with strangers and interesting episodes of people-watching. You don't have to be a novelist to appreciate the stories that are all around us. I'd like to make my audience less exclusive.

Any thoughts on blogging? What is the theme of your blog? Who is your audience?

Stay tuned for a potentially new blog -- at the very least, a new layout and a broader focus.

How Well Do You Balance?

2011-08-03T11:35:00.004-04:00

Before I ramble on about today's topic, I'd just like to say that I appreciate your comments on my last post. I apologize for not responding personally, but I did read each and every one. The coma cliché is more common in TV and movies than in books, as some of you noted, so I guess I was just talking about clichés in general. (Translation: I don't know what I'm talking about.) I plan on posting another "Cliché Explained" next week, for those interested.

On to today's topic - balance.

I currently have two short-term goals (and a plethora of long-term goals, but that's another post.) I aim to finish my new WIP and edit my most recently finished MS ~~by the end of the summer~~ (okay, that's unrealistic) as soon as I can, preferably getting the bulk of it done before the school year starts.

I only started my WIP a week ago. I haven't felt like tackling revisions on my last book, so I figured I'd dive into a fun new project. Now, after a weekend away visiting the fabulous E. Elle (*waves*), I've given it enough space and I'm ready to revisit my beta reader's notes. But... how do I balance the book I'm writing with the book I'm editing?

Both are important. The book I'm writing needs my attention now because I have momentum. I'm already on the third chapter, baby. But I'd really like to pursue my latest completed MS and attempt to have it published. I'm frequently asked if my books are any closer to getting published, and the answer is no... because I keep focusing on writing new ones instead of editing the old.

If you're the type to manage two projects at once, how do you do it? If you focus on one project at a time, how do you make that decision? What are you working on right now? What are your plans for the upcoming months?

Clichés Explained: The Coma

2011-07-27T14:46:00.004-04:00

In the writing world, we hear a lot of valuable advice. "Don't start your manuscript with the character waking up." "Don't use a mirror as an excuse to describe your character." "Don't have a deus ex machina save the day."

This advice is important (crucial, actually, if you want readers to take your story seriously) and we've learned why it's suggested that we don't do these things. But have we ever thought about why we do them in the first place?

I've decided to start a small series exploring why clichés are so desirable and comfortable to writers (until we realize they're clichés, that is). If you find this utterly boring, I don't have to continue the series. We'll call this post the pilot.

The Coma

I was watching a show on Netflix a few weeks ago... okay, it was Desperate Housewives, and I'm only on the beginning of season 3, so please no spoilers unless you want us to not be friends anymore... and, in the spirit of being spoiler-free, let's just say Character 1 ended up in a coma. Surprise.

Actually, not surprised. Fellow ABC show Brothers & Sisters also had a comatose character. And so have fifty thousand other TV shows, books, movies, etc. What's the appeal?

Putting a character in a coma, especially a major character or love interest to a main character, forces the people in that character's life to evaluate their surroundings. How will they go about their lives without that special person around? Will the patient's love interest find a new lover? It's also a cheap way to make time pass with nothing happening, since people can be in comas for years. (Brothers & Sisters and Desperate Housewives, looking at you both!)

Perhaps the greatest appeal of comatose characters is that it's not as permanent as killing that character off completely. Whether or not the patient wakes up or remains unconscious until they die, the writer is keeping everyone in that devastating limbo. It's a relatively easy way to throw an emotional curveball... even if Character 1 wakes up after a few chapters or episodes anyway.

The coma plot can still be used effectively. Just keep in mind why your character will be in a coma, and make sure it's realistic. (My sympathies to anyone who has/had a loved one in a coma; obviously this only applies to fictional plots and not real life. And, it goes without saying that this is just my personal analysis.)

Any thoughts on this cliché? What are some of your favorite clichés? I may use your answers in a future post.

What's In Your Head?

2011-07-20T18:13:00.004-04:00

Today's post is a bit shorter, since I have a lot going on this week. Please forgive me if it takes me a few days to respond to comments and read your blogs. I'll be back at normal speed soon!

One of the awesome things about connecting with other writers is finding out that you're not alone. Many writers have similar idiosyncrasies. The one that comes to mind is having characters talking in our heads.

For some writers, the character speaks directly to them. For others, the writer is in the background, watching a scene unfold in front of them. Others may have no characters talking in their heads, just vivid images that inspire them.

What is going on inside your head right now? Is anyone talking to you or going places or getting in trouble? How much do your characters communicate in your mind? What exactly happens when you let your mind wander?

I Can Explain...

2011-07-13T18:36:00.006-04:00

If you visited me, and you got nosy enough, you might read the bulletin board that hangs above my computer desk. And you'd probably mildly amused for the most part.

Here are some things you might see: addresses of friends and family members, letters and cards from friends, business cards of doctors and hairstylists and other professionals, a few inspirational quotes... and a weird handwritten list.

It looks something like this:

dork
geek
nerd
loser
jerk
idiot
fool
doofus
butthead

And you'd probably raise an eyebrow (if you can raise only one eyebrow, which I can't) and make an excuse to leave.

But wait, I can explain! I'm a writer!

See, when I first started writing for children after completing two adult novels, the insults on the tip of my tongue weren't kid friendly, so I had to find some cleaner alternatives. Since my main character was going to be an eleven-year-old boy (a demographic I know quite well from working in elementary schools), I knew this kid wasn't exactly going to call his friends "silly" or "funny." No. Boys this age are quick to make fun of each other. So I did some research.

Now that I'm pretty firmly planted in the middle grade genre (for now), I need that list handy on my bulletin board. Because kids -- real and fictional -- are mean... and sometimes funny. (My personal favorites are geek and nerd, because I am both.)

What kinds of things in your life might seem strange to someone, especially someone who isn't a writer, but you could explain away by saying, "I'm a writer!" Do you collect something? Keep a list or log of anything? Find pictures of people who look like your characters and save them on your hard drive? (Guilty...) Do share!

I Didn't Expect That!

2011-07-07T13:56:00.006-04:00

Here's a story for you.

Hubby and I went to Vegas in May. It was his first time on the west coast and only my second time, and we really wanted to try the acclaimed In-N-Out Burger to see if it's just as good as Five Guys. We could see the sign for the restaurant from the strip. So, we walked there and we ate there and it was amazing. The End.

Actually, that's not how it happened at all. Here's the real story.

...We could see the sign for the restaurant from the strip. So, we tried walking there. We hiked forever until our legs felt like they were made out of lead, and we still did not reach the In-N-Out Burger! A busy highway blocked our path, but even if we crossed that highway by some miracle, we still would have to cut across five thousand other parking lots to get to the restaurant. It looked so close, and yet it was so far.

We never reached that In-N-Out Burger. We returned to our hotel with empty stomachs and severe sunburns. (We did end up eating at a different one later on, but to our dismay, it was not as good as Five Guys.)

So, the point of this post, besides the fact that it's amusing how much we failed, is that I totally did not expect our quest to In-N-Out to end up that way. I love being surprised... in a book. I'm still learning how to make my storylines the least predictable as possible. I want readers to go, "Oh wow, I thought XYZ would happen."

Like the way I said, "Oh wow, I thought we'd actually make it to In-N-Out Burger." Except it's not as fantastic when that happens in real life.

How well do you write unpredictable storylines? What are some of the best and worst books you can think of in terms of predictability?

Status Report - July 2

2011-07-02T16:11:00.007-04:00

Thank you all for the warm greetings as I return to the blogging world! I have missed all of you.

Since it's been a few months, I thought it would be appropriate to write a status report post. As always, I want to know what's new with you as I share what's new with me, so please feel free to leave your own status report in the comments.

I spent much of the spring months writing and writing and writing. I just had a ton of momentum and cranked out two middle grade novels within two months of each other. Naturally, the more we write the more our style and mechanics evolve, so I've decided to concentrate on the most recent MS right now. The others can wait.

I am actually seeking a beta reader or two for my latest novel, "The Queen of Camp Respecto". Here's an incredibly amateur mock cover that I made out of boredom:

Want a one sentence pitch? *Clears throat*

Ten-year-old Typer spends an unforgettable summer at "behavior camp", where she ends up learning lessons about respect – not from the camp, but from the results of her own mischief.

(P.S. I took advice from someone in the industry and wrote that pitch before I wrote the book. It was way easier than writing it after drowning in all the complicated storylines.)

Sound like something you'd be interested in beta reading? If so, please email me. I would be happy to return the favor and beta anything 70K or shorter. (QOCR is 35K, so I'm willing to read double that word count.)

Lastly, I'd like to announce that this is my 100th post! I know, it only took me nearly a year and a half to post 100 times because I took about eighteen hiatuses. But please feel free to throw confetti anyway!

If I haven't already caught up with you, where are you in your writing process? How many times have you posted on your blog? Probably a lot, because you're actually good at posting, aren't you? *Wink*

The Blue Balloon

2011-06-20T21:33:00.003-04:00

On my last day of work, I saw a blue balloon in the sky, floating away from the school building.

I watched it, tempted to jump and try to catch it. But even if I wanted to, it drifted out of my reach far too quickly. So I let it go.

That balloon and I had much in common on that day, but I'm not going to hit you guys over the head with an analogy. We all get smothered with analogies and metaphors in the blogging world, and though there's nothing wrong with it (and though I'm just as guilty as the next blogger for doing it), I'd rather my entrance back into the blogging world be... lighter. Like the balloon.

(Rats.)

Figurative language aside, and really aside this time, my point is that I had a moment last week that left a lingering image in my mind. That image doesn't have to mean anything, even though I'm sure most writers reading this are already making connections. But sometimes an image like that is just enough to remind us that we're alive.

We're the real characters. The events in our lives are the real story lines. Symbols and signs and coincidences all happen to us sometimes, too.

I think, for once, instead of reading about someone experiencing something symbolic, I was thankful that I was that character who happened to look in the right place at the right time.

I didn't really escape the analogy, did I? Oh well. My goal is to ease my way back into the blogging world within the next few weeks. What's new with you? I've missed you guys and can't wait to catch up with you all!

Don't Be Fooled; I'm Still On Hiatus

2011-04-07T13:23:00.007-04:00

I thought about you guys today.

Well, I think about you (blog friends) nearly every day, but I especially thought of you today. I was reminded of how much I miss blogging, reading your ideas and sharing mine. I miss connecting with you guys.

But really, the only way I was able to find the time to make this post is because I left work early today. I have another ear & throat infection, and the dreadful side effects of the antibiotics have been killing me. The kids are on a field trip, so my boss insisted I go home and rest.

So, I rested a bit, and now I'm here, checking in with you guys. I've been reading many of your posts, even though I don't comment. (Mostly because I don't have time to log in, type the word verification, etc.) I love the topics you guys have chosen for the A-Z blogfest. For those who aren't participating, I'm enjoying the encouraging, inspirational, and humorous things you have to say. You may not hear from me, but I'm reading it and I love it.

(Here's an off-topic question for you: Do you prefer mechanical pencils or regular ones? Working in an elementary school has helped me rediscover how classy regular ones can be... no pun intended.)

Anyway, as for my writing progress... I finished my fourth MS and I'm three chapters into my fifth MS, while still editing my third MS. Productive? Yes. Worn out between this and my day job and my body feeling like crap? Yes. Is it all gonna be okay? Yes.

I'm afraid I won't return to a regular blogging schedule until mid-June, when school lets out. That feels like a long time away, but I'll try to check in again before then. Wishing you guys warm weather, positive spirits, and successful writing!

On Hiatus

2011-03-02T16:48:00.004-05:00

I hate to do this. But...

Source

I have to.

I love blogging, I love my blog friends, I love reading what you have to say. But it's no secret that I haven't been able to keep up with everything lately.

Not only have I been sick for a week and a half so far (ear infection, strep throat, a migraine and a cold), but I'm devoting a lot of time to my day job, my family, friends, housework... and writing. I'm editing one novel, writing another, and outlining yet another. *exhausted sigh* Google Reader told me yesterday that I had over 1,000 blogs to catch up on. As much as I wish otherwise, I know I don't have time to blog right now.

I'd like to end on a happy subject -- YOU, my favorite reason for blogging! I'd love to know what you're up to right now, writing or otherwise. And please don't hesitate to keep in touch via Twitter (which I'm not good at updating either, but it's a tad easier), email, or however else we might communicate.

So, while I'm on break, what are you up to?

I miss you all! I'll try to be back within a few weeks!

Bernard Pivot's Questionnaire!

2011-02-16T18:54:00.000-05:00

Nicole is hosting a mucho fabuloso Bernard Pivot Blogfest! What a creative idea, Nicole! I really appreciate the easy and quick questionnaire, and found it super fun to fill out!

Here are my answers:

What is your favorite word?
Cadence. As a member of the marching band in high school, I love the significance. But I also just love the sound of the word. It's a nice name, too.

What is your least favorite word?
Hmm... hard to choose just one. But I'll go with putrid. Gross.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
Music. Music is my muse, and most of the time, good music can lift me out of even the crappiest of moods. I rely on my iPod to cheer me up, give me creative ideas, and fight boredom when doing housework.

What turns you off?
Negativity. Now, I am not always a happy sunny little flower, but when I'm around people who constantly put others down, or even degrade themselves repeatedly, my mood and productivity is affected. I'll gladly listen to a friend or family member who is having a rough time, but chronic harshness/rudeness gets to me.

What is your favorite curse word?
I don't mean to sound like a prude, but I don't have one. I work with kids all day, so I can't swear at work, and I write middle grade fiction, so I can't swear in my writing. Yes, I let words slip from time to time, but I can't say I have a favorite.

What sound or noise do you love?
Music. Voices harmonizing. Violin solos. Piano pieces. Catchy bass riffs. But also the sounds of laughter, cheering, and purring (which my cat doesn't do often enough.)

What sound or noise do you hate?
The deafening fire drill at work. Kids yelling out insults. My cat hissing...

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
It would be neat to be a children's librarian. I'd be ecstatic to be surrounded by all those books, and I would so love to see kids develop a passion for reading at such a young age.

What profession would you not like to do?
Retail. I don't know if it's considered a profession, but it's a job category and it's not for me. Tried it. Couldn't handle it.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Relax. You're home.

I'll be going around and reading as many of these as I can. In the meantime, if you haven't signed up, click the link at the top of the page to participate! I can't wait to read your answers!

Complex Characters In Real Life

2011-02-09T17:06:00.000-05:00

I don't use Facebook that often, and I can't remember how many years it's been since I've logged on to MySpace, but I feel the need to share one of my social networking pet peeves. (One of many, I must say.)

It always irritated me when someone's hobbies consisted of "chilling with friends and having fun" or their bio only contains something like, "I'm always up for a good time, so give me a call". Just that, nothing else.

Basically, their profile tells me that they're a human being. Boring. Expected. Who doesn't like having fun?

I like learning something about a person that I would never know from looking at him/her. One of my friends truly loves thunderstorms. An acquaintance of mine loves tropical vacations but really hates cruises. A quiet student I know actually loves to sing in front of an audience.

A student I worked with last year surprised me the most -- he demonstrated a consistent "I don't care about anyone" attitude, but one day when I was injured at work, he rushed to my side to help me. When I encounter people in my life like this kid, it makes me realize how complex and layered we are as humans, and (with my writer hat on) how layered our characters must be as well.

As I'm rewriting my MS in first person from third person (I always seem to find my character's voice by doing this), I'm challenging myself to think about how my main character stands out from any other boy his age. What makes your characters complex unique? How might they surprise your readers? What characters in books or movies have surprised you?

One Year Blogiversary!

2011-02-02T19:06:00.006-05:00

One year ago today, I started this blog! Wow, time does go by so fast!

Although I haven't been able to post that much lately, (please excuse the cobwebs in the corners, folks), I am still so grateful for the opportunities that blogging has given me. I've grown as a writer by following industry blogs, reading your thoughtful posts, and participating in blog fests.

Most of all, I met you guys -- my wonderful followers!

I have discovered the best community of blogging friends, and I am so thankful for all of you! I read every comment you leave, and try my best to get around to your blogs as much as I can, even if I don't have time to comment. (Here's hoping my schedule clears up soon so I can experience this "free time" that is rumored to exist!) I feel like I know so many of you really well. Thanks to blogging, I finally joined Twitter and got closer with some of you, and I'm even meeting up with a few of you soon!

So, here's to you guys. Thank you for sticking around Stories in the Ordinary as it has evolved. Thank you for your forgiveness when I don't have time to post or comment. Thank you for being incredibly, ridiculously awesome -- I couldn't do this without you.

(Is it just me, or is the blogging community awesome? What's something you love about blogging? How long have you been blogging for?)

Favorite Male Characters

2011-01-26T10:10:00.004-05:00

As promised, here is the post on our favorite male characters!

There are quite a few qualities I like in a great male character, but I'm going to focus on two. First, he should be funny. Whether his humor is more subtle (think Dr. House) or more goofy (not to bring up Castle again, but Nathan Fillion's character just cracks me up), if a male character can make me laugh, he wins.

I tend to write the goofier ones. I have a character named Ryley who says a lot of dumb things. Then there's Pawell, from the novel I'm querying. He's half human, half dog, and his naive and hyperactive nature makes me giggle.

Besides humor, I like a character with depth. I'm drawn to male characters that have a complicated history or a haunting secret. BUT I don't like them to be whiny emo kids. I think this is why Severus Snape is my favorite Harry Potter character. There's so much under the surface with him; so much that I was still learning who he was in Book 7.

In my brand new WIP, my villain is this type of character. I've given him a ton of crappy experiences in his past that affect him in the present day. While he isn't a whiny emo kid, he did end up being a villain, which isn't much better. Good thing I like villains.

What are your favorite traits in a male character? What are some of your favorite heroes (or villains, I might add) from books, TV, movies, etc.?

Favorite Female Characters

2011-01-19T17:32:00.001-05:00

Well, 2011 has been hectic and busy so far. And that's not including the fact that I started querying yesterday. (Thank you to those who encouraged me on Twitter!) I'm not going to give my query stats on this blog, but I may mention if there's any good news. Not betting on it, but surely hoping!

Getting my mind off the impending rejections, I thought I'd talk about my favorite female characters. I've always loved the tough, unconventional, tomboyish girls. My favorite characters, though, are ones that strike a certain balance. Not too tough that she has no emotions; not too wimpy that she can't do anything for herself.

A popular example of the strong, I-can-take-care-of-myself type is Kate Beckett from TV's "Castle", played by Stana Katic. In my own writing, my character Lumina is a younger example of this type. She's a bit of a sassy girl, definitely does not like to appear weak, but she'll show how soft she is in front of people she trusts.

But I admit that I also don't mind the naive, innocent girl every once in a while, especially if she gets herself into humorous situations. The protagonist of the Shopaholic series comes to mind, though I think she's a little ditzy. My character Sailor is similar to this type; she's not a total ditz, but just naive enough that she gets into trouble.

What are your favorite traits in a female character? What are some of your favorite heroines from books, TV, movies, etc.?

Up next week: Favorite Male Characters!

"Writing With The Stars" Blogfest!

2011-01-08T08:00:00.003-05:00

I happily interrupt my regular blogging schedule to present my entry in E. Elle’s Blogfest, “Writing With The Stars!” Check out this link for details and other entries.

I chose actor Matt Bomer, star of USA Network’s "White Collar", as the Star that I coached.

(Mmm yes, take a minute to check out his picture. I’ll wait.)

My entry is written as a transcript of what went on during Week 3: Romance writing. I’d say that while Matt is a brilliant and talented actor, he had some trouble getting the hang of writing this genre. See for yourself:

Me: So, Mr. Bomer, you showcased significant talent during the Mystery and Young Adult Fantasy rounds. Let’s see how well you do this week with Romance.

MB: All right, I’m up for it. [Sits down in front of laptop and places fingers on keyboard] Romance novel… [Begins typing] Once upon a time…

Me: No, no, no. Romance doesn’t start with “once upon a time” – in fact, hardly any book begins that way nowadays unless it’s satire.

MB: Hmm… okay. How about this? [Continues typing] Jake was walking down the street one day…

Me: Who’s Jake?

MB: He’s my character. I made him up. Basically, he’s me but with a different name.

Me: [Suppresses an eye roll] Okay, well, I appreciate your attempt to start with action, but the opening just doesn’t hook me. Can you go for something a bit more… interesting?

MB: Sure. [Tilts his head to the ceiling for a moment, then resumes typing] Smack! Jake and Ashley kissed with intense passion…

Me: Ashley? Who’s Ashley?

MB: She’s my other character that I made up. She looks like…

Me: [Smoothes out hair and bats eyelashes] Someone you know?

MB: Yeah. My old neighbor, Hayley. She’d make a great character.

Me: [Sulks] Whatever. Keep writing.

MB: [Types] “I love you,” Jake said to Ashley lovingly. “I love you, too,” Ashley said back. They kissed again.

Me: So, Jake and Ashley are going to break up, right? I mean, clearly Jake is going to find a better girl later in the book. Maybe based on another girl you know?

MB: Uh, I wasn’t planning on it. It’s a romance novel, not a breakup novel.

[Awkward silence]

Me: Right, but there has to be a little something called conflict. Jake and Ashley break up, and then Jake falls for this new girl, but they have some problems that they need to work out before they can be together. How about that?

MB: [Yawns] I think I’ll just stick with my idea. [Types] “Will you marry me?” asked Jake on one knee. “Yes!” said Ashley gushingly. The End.

Yeah, The End is right. The End of Matt’s participation on Writing With The Stars. The dude totally blew it. What a shame.

Thank you, E. Elle, for hosting this fabulous blog fest!

Photo Credit

How To Get Past That Doubt

2011-01-05T20:33:00.000-05:00

This week's post is a short one, since it's my hubby's birthday today, and I didn't think far enough ahead to write a post in advance. Oops.

I'm querying soon, and -- here's a secret -- I'm nervous. I finished my manuscript in June '10 and worked on revisions for six months. I changed major plot points, removed a character, added and deleted scenes, tightened my sentences, and the finished product looked pretty good. Or so I initially thought.

Now that I'm ready to query, though, my story suddenly seems stupid. I can't pinpoint anything specific that should be changed, but I think the prospect of submitting my work has caused me to second guess myself. Has anyone been through this before?

How do you get past self-doubt in your writing life? Whether you're querying, submitting to publishers, sharing with a critique partner, or posting your work somewhere, how do you gain confidence if you're initially unsure of yourself? Any tips or stories to share?

If You Like [That], You'll Love [This]

2010-12-29T14:53:00.005-05:00

How easily can you fill in this sentence: "My book would appeal to readers of _____." (Or even better, "the readers of _____ AND _____.")

Some writers have this down. You may be one of them. But before we high five and you tell me your book's comparison in the comments (yes, I'd love to hear it), first I'd like some advice on what to do when you can't find a book to fill in that blank.

Because guess who's having trouble finding a book similar to hers?

It's not that I write in an obscure genre. I write middle grade. Sounds simple enough, right? Except after browsing the school library, the town library, and sites like Amazon and Goodreads, and even helpful children's book blogs, every middle grade book I've come across fits into one of these categories:

1) Epic novels with heavy fantasy elements (Narnia, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, etc.)

2) Light and funny stories, often take place in a school setting or otherwise realistic environment (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and a bunch of similar books that my students read.)

3) Mysteries (39 Clues, and books like Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix.)

4) Literary masterpieces (The classics. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlotte's Web, etc.)

My manuscript is none of the above. It takes place in an ordinary environment but has one fantasy element -- animals that transform into humans. So, nothing epic, nothing overly silly, nothing mysterious, and certainly not a literary masterpiece. There has to be something in between. I just have to find it.

Anyone else struggle with finding books that are similar enough to their manuscripts? For those of you that have your comparisons figured out, how easy was it to find a similar book? Anyone care to finish the sentence about their own MS or WIP: "My book appeals to the readers of _____"?

Holiday Wishes and Announcements

2010-12-22T20:12:00.007-05:00

I'm making a list (and checking it twice -- no, ten times. Ten is a nice number.)

1) Welcome new followers, and thank you all so much for helping me reach 300 followers! Yea!! I've truly met some of the most terrific friends through this blog, and I'm excited to get to know more of you. Thank you for following my blog, I appreciate every single one of you.

2) I've been thinking about running a contest to celebrate this milestone, but I'm still not sure what the prize would be. I don't think I'll run a blog fest, due to zero time with holidays and work and, if I'm ready, querying in January. So, I'm just thinking of a simple contest. I'll let you guys know.

3) You may or may not have noticed that I'm on a blogging schedule, and a pretty sad one at that. I'm currently blogging every Wednesday. We'll see how this works out. In the meantime, I use Twitter often, so feel free to follow me on there. I'm catching up on your blogs, slowly but surely. If I haven't stopped by in a while, don't be afraid to nudge me in the comments and direct me to your blog post.

And finally, since I won't be posting until next week...

4) HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy any holiday you celebrate, and Happy New Year! Wishing you all the very best, my dear friends!

Watch Out For That Step

2010-12-15T17:47:00.005-05:00

Setting and scenery just aren't my thing. Description in general is one of my weaknesses. Instead of overwriting, like many writers, I'm the type that skimps on details and then has to go back and add them in. Not fun.

I'm trying to get better at description, especially setting. What I've found helps me is adding at least one odd detail to an otherwise typical place.

An example is in the TV show Modern Family (I know, I'm making many connections to modern entertainment lately.) There's a recurring joke that in one of the families' homes, there's a broken step in the staircase. The writers remember that detail and have the characters trip on the step episode after episode.

Broken, ugly, or otherwise odd additions to settings are easiest for me to write. In one short story I wrote in high school, the villain's lair had only three-legged chairs for his minions to sit on. In another story, a supporting character's bedroom had bright orange walls (yes, it hurt the main character's eyes.)

Drawing attention to that one flaw doesn't make up for creating a vivid setting, but it's at least a start for someone (me) who doesn't always know where to start.

Do you have any out-of-the-ordinary details in your settings? Have you read any books with settings that stick out in your mind? Does writing settings come easily to you, or do you struggle a bit like I do?

The Author-Character Relationship

2010-12-08T09:47:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, Hubby and I finally watched Toy Story 3. As usual, I will steer clear of spoilers, but I will say that I thought it was fantastic (and also very sad!)

Photo Credit

The basic premise is that Andy is now grown up and about to leave for college, and the toys must cope with the possibility of being tossed in the attic or being given away, if not offered the chance to go with Andy to college.

I may be cheesy and lame, but this so made me think of my relationship with my characters. In the movie, toys are described by humans as friends, always there for you and never giving up on you. (This is where the tears -- I mean, my allergies -- started.)

I think of my characters in the same way. We've been through a lot together, and even if the road has been long and bumpy, they've never let me down. I've lost touch with some of them and have moved on to new projects with new characters. But we have a special bond that only an author and her characters could have.

Do you have a relationship with the characters you've created? How much like real friends are they to you? Have you seen Toy Story 3?

Twitter. What Is Wrong With Me?

2010-12-02T19:41:00.004-05:00

I joined Twitter. Like, a minute ago.

You can find my empty, undecorated page here. Please note that I'm @ShellSly not ShellEYsly, because that was taken by someone who hopped on the Twitter train before I did.

Here's the question: Why did I join Twitter if I can't even keep up with blogging? We all know how far behind I am on life. What is wrong with me?

Well, I've thought about joining for a while now, but always had the same excuse, "I have no time." But how long does Twitter really take? All I need to do is type in a status, right? I'll make sure to read my followers' tweets, too, but it looks like it doesn't take as much work as blogging.

I could be wrong. But I'm going to give it a shot.

Please don't hesitate to find me on Twitter! I'd love to be able to keep in touch with you better! And if you have any advice to share with a newbie, please leave it in the comments. I could use all the help I can get.

I'm off to ~~stalk~~ follow some friends...

Talli Roland's "The Hating Game" -- Check it out!

2010-12-01T08:00:00.006-05:00

Today is a very happy day! My friend Talli Roland's novel THE HATING GAME makes its e-book debut!

Sure, Talli is pretty darn awesome, but that's not the only reason why I'm promoting her book. It's because the story looks freakin' fantastic! See for yourself:

When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she's confident she'll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she's perfected from years of her love 'em and leave 'em dating strategy. After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £2000,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it's revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end?

Sounds incredible, right? You know you want to read it.

You can help THE HATING GAME hit the Kindle bestseller list at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk by spreading the word today. Even a few sales in a short period of time on Amazon helps push the book up the rankings, making it more visible to other readers.

No Kindle? Download a free app at Amazon for Mac, iPhone, PC, Android and more.

Coming soon in paperback. Keep up with the latest at www.talliroland.com.

Congratulations, Talli!!

Turkey and Spam

2010-11-24T21:05:00.004-05:00

Before I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving...

...I want to ask, has anyone else been hit with a lot of blog spam lately? I've received more spam comments in the past two weeks than I'd ever received before, and I even received an email or two from spammers. I currently don't have any word verification set (that I know of, anyway), and I was wondering if I should turn that back on, if it would make a difference. Know any other ways to keep out spammers?

Thanks to the bloggers that warmly welcomed me back from my unintended hiatus. After the holidays, I plan to go back to blogging regularly. I hope, anyway.

Happy Thanksgiving!! If you're not in the U.S., have a happy rest of the week and weekend, too!

Status Report - November 21st

2010-11-21T16:23:00.000-05:00

Wow... I totally apologize for my unintended absence from the blogging world. I've had a lot going on, so I thought I'd take this time to do a Status Report and fill you guys in on everything.

I'm not doing NaNo, and I honestly haven't been doing a whole lot of writing. I was feeling overwhelmed with, well, life in general, so I took a break from pretty much everything -- writing, blogging, editing. But I'm now that I'm on Thanksgiving break from work, I'm feeling better and finding the inspiration to write again.

I'm on my fourth draft of my latest book, The Discovery of Lumina, and have my super valuable beta reader and my wonderful, plot-hole-finding husband both looking it over and making suggestions. Incredibly helpful! I've had to rewrite this darn MS again and again, but I feel so much more confident with every rewrite.

I'll be ready to query in a few weeks, but I think I should hold off until after the holidays. I read here and here that agents are swamped between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Some agents even close for queries during that time. And lucky me, it happens to be that time of year.

So, I'll wait until January. In the meantime, I've started outlining my next book. It was tough to narrow down my ideas and pick only one manuscript to work on, and I hope I've made the right choice. Anyone else ever feel this pre-writing doubt?

What are you working on right now? If you're participating in NaNo, how is your manuscript coming along? If you're querying or thinking of querying, are you going to keep sending them out in December? Please fill me in on your progress, and I'll be around to visit your blogs soon!

I Can Quote That Whole Thing

2010-11-10T18:42:00.000-05:00

My brain is mush. I've been pouring a lot of energy into my day job and my revisions, and I have hardly enough brain cells left to devote to an intelligent blog post. An exaggeration, I know. But I still wanted to post today, so this is what I came up with: a post that has nothing to do with writing. *Shrug*

Hubby and I quote movies, TV shows, video games, and internet videos on a regular basis. I think half the time we don't even realize that we do it. It's pretty amusing.

Even when my brain is fried, I manage to reference some silly thing that we watch or do. Sadly, a lot of the media that I quote tends to be of the "stupid humor" variety (Dumb and Dumber, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Hot Rod, Nacho Libre, Napoleon Dynamite.) (Yes, still. I know that movie is so 2004. I'm uncool.) But I can identify a quote from some of my favorite Disney movies as well, and I can't forget video games that have voice acting (Star Fox, Metal Gear Solid...)

So, what can/do you quote? Have any favorite movies that you know by heart? Any TV shows from which you recite lines? Feel free to share some of your favorite quotes, too.

Go On, Advertise Your Book!

2010-11-03T19:50:00.005-04:00

Please excuse this impromptu rambling post. I'm swimming in revisions and don't have much time to blog this week.

I don't need any more books at the moment. This is proof:

I got these children's books for free at work. I'm very thankful for the generosity and excited to dive into some childhood favorites. Picture book lovers, are you drooling yet?

So, I don't need books, but I want books. Don't we all? I would especially love to read your books. I discovered a ton of blogs in the past two weeks, and the more blogs I follow, the harder it is to keep up with everyone.

If you have a book (or books) published, or about to be published, please leave a comment with info. I apologize if I've been following you and haven't read your book yet. But now's the time to catch up, and I'm making a master list of blog-friend-books that I want to buy. I probably won't have the time to read 'til winter break, but I'll get around to it, really.

If you're unpublished (like me!) please feel free to leave a suggestion of one book you think I REALLY should read. Any genre. I'm open.

I'll get around to your blogs as soon as I make a bigger dent in my revisions. (And to my amazing beta, I promise I'll get your pages to you soon!)

How Much Cheese Is Too Much? (In Children's Fiction)

2010-10-30T10:30:00.005-04:00

Two announcements:

Theresa Milstein has a Halloween Haunting going on RIGHT NOW until 11/1. Hurry and visit her blog to enter in a contest and meet some awesome bloggers! I've already discovered a handful of fun new blogs. (And welcome, new followers!)

E. Elle just announced a sweet new blogfest: Writing With The Stars! Fantastic name, don't you think? It sounds like it will be a blast, so check it out.

Now onto this:

Cheesiness. I'm primarily concerned with middle grade books, but even if you don't write for kids, feel free to respond.

I work in an elementary school, and I take note of what the students in my classroom are reading. I've noticed that some of the books they choose can be a little silly. I don't mean this in a bad way, since the stories are geared toward a younger audience, but I don't know how cheesy is too cheesy. As a writer, I don't want to dumb down my writing, but I want the conflicts to be relevant.

For instance, some of the students read books about elementary school-aged girls getting into fights about who sits with who at lunch, who's invited to a sleepover, who partners up for a project, etc. In adult fiction, this isn't enough to qualify for major conflict, but to my students, these things really are a big deal (along with who has the coolest school supplies and who's at the front of the line for recess.)

Here's what I'd like to know: What conflicts do you think are important and relevant for children (let's say, ages 8-11), but might otherwise be too insignificant for adults? What conflicts have you observed in children's fiction or from your own childhood? What topics would you consider to be too cheesy for this age group?

Worth It In The End

2010-10-28T20:32:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week, I read a short story aloud to the fifth grade class. Another teacher handed me a book of scary stories and told me to pick one to read. Of course I accidentally picked the most disturbing one. Go me.

The story fit its purpose. It was creepy. But as I read it aloud, I considered closing the book twice. Why? Even for a scary story, I didn't think it would redeem itself in the end.

Dogs and other animals got killed and eaten. That was disturbing to me, never mind to the thirty ten-year-olds in the room. Once I reached the end, though, I was a little grateful for a small twinkle of hope: the protagonist (the young man whose pets had been eaten) was rewarded with a beautiful bride for showing selflessness. Or something. It was supposed to make up for all the gore and horror, but it didn't make me feel that better (or the kids, either.)

Maybe the author got away with it because it's a scary story -- though I don't like anything where the dog dies -- but I'm still a sucker for good endings. It doesn't have to be perfect, happily ever after. Not everything wraps up neatly in the end. People die. Lovers break up. Protagonists don't end up achieving that big thing they set out to do.

But authors can still make it worth it, right? Even if the last chapter is no Disney World, I'd like to close the book and think, That end was fitting. That end was satisfying.

How do you write your own endings? In writing or in reading, do you prefer the sweet happy endings or something a little less perfect? What makes a satisfying ending in your opinion?

I Found My Muse!

2010-10-23T20:40:00.000-04:00

Welcome new followers, and thank you new AND old blog friends for helping me make it to 250! You guys are incredible -- I wouldn't be blogging without you! If I haven't yet followed you back, it might be because I can't access your blog link from your profile. Please feel free to leave a link to your blog in the comments.

Today's topic... the muse.

I've heard plenty about writers having muses, and read posts about several of my blog friends' muses, but until recently, I had no idea who my muse was. I had desperately tried to come up with possibilities. Was my muse a real person? A figment of my imagination? Male or female? Old or young?

Did I even have a muse? Are all writers expected to know their muse?

I Googled and Googled. I read articles on "What Is A Muse?" and "How To Find Your Muse." From my research, I concluded that I DID have a muse, but it wasn't a human.

My muse... is music.

Sounds crazy, doesn't it? As much as I hoped my muse would be a young, attractive man with long hair and toned muscles (...er, just as an example...) I'm actually pretty content to learn that my muse is more abstract.

It makes sense. I get ideas from music. I'm inspired by songs, particularly those by my favorite [little-known indie] artists. Sometimes when I'm lost in the writing world and can't figure out what to do next, I turn on my iPod and my imagination goes wild.

I'm able to create art because of someone else's art. That's kind of cool.

Do you have a muse? Who -- or what -- is it? How did you discover your muse? Do you think all writers have one?

What's Your Resolve?

2010-10-18T18:41:00.006-04:00

I recently started watching anime again. (Anime = Japanese cartoons. Except they're not cartoons like Looney Toons. They have more drama and action. Call me weird, it's okay.)

One of my favorite series, Bleach, has quite a few deep and inspiring moments. It also has quite a few plot holes in it too, that I'm noticing the second time around, but that's besides the point.

Since most of you are probably unfamiliar with Bleach, the story is about a fifteen-year-old boy named Ichigo who becomes a Shinigami (Death God). He sends wandering ghosts to the afterlife, but more importantly, he fights evil spirits -- and other Shinigami -- to protect those that he cares about.

Photo Credit
At the beginning of the series, Ichigo goes through training in order to become a better fighter. During training, his mentor gives him advice about finding his resolve:

After all, there’s nothing but fear reflected in your sword.
When you dodge, “I’m afraid of getting cut”.
When you attack, “I’m afraid of cutting someone”.
Even when you try to protect someone; “I’m afraid of letting them die”.

Yes, your sword only speaks to me of absurd fear.
That’s not it.
What’s neccesary in a fight isn’t fear.
Nothing can be born from that.

If you dodge, “I won’t let them cut me”.
If you protect someone, “I won’t let them die”.
If you attack, “I’ll cut them”.

This got me thinking about my own resolve, especially in writing. Am I full of fear -- "I'm afraid of rejection" / "I'm afraid no one will like my book" / "I'm afraid I'll never get published" -- or do I have determination?

The trick is to replace fear with confidence:

When I write, "I will work hard to complete this manuscript."
When I edit and receive critiques, "I will be open to changing my story in order for it to be the best that it can be."
When I query, "I will not be discouraged."

What's your resolve?

My Novel. Sent From My BlackBerry.

2010-10-14T17:19:00.003-04:00

After I complete each new draft of my latest novel, I email a copy to myself for safe keeping. Since I primarily check my email on my cell phone, I decided to see if I could open the attachment on there, too. I could.

Whoa... I can read my novel on my phone!

Which got me thinking: If I can read a novel on my phone, I can write a novel on my phone, too. How strange would that be, to see something you typed on that tiny wireless device end up as a hardcover book at Barnes and Noble?

We've come a long way with technology. Before computers, I imagine that writers couldn't picture typing their manuscripts on anything other than a typewriter. Then came the inventions of desktop computers and compact laptops, not to mention e-readers, which are becoming increasingly popular (or so it seems.) And smartphones... what would people in decades past think when they heard we could read and write books on a telephone?

Besides obviously using the computer for blogging, how big of a role does technology play in your writing? Many writers begin typing "Chapter One" in Microsoft Word, while others handwrite and then type their drafts. Some use computers for the entire process (planning, writing, editing). Others use pencil and paper for one or more of these steps.

Personally, I tend to handwrite my early novel plans, then type up an outline, type my manuscript, then print it and edit it with a red pen.

And another question, how do you feel about the advances in technology? Are you excited about e-books, or are they not really your thing? Would it surprise you to hear that an author wrote his/her novel on a cell phone, or would it not faze you? Any fun predictions for the future of the writing world?

Status Report - October 10th

2010-10-10T21:32:00.001-04:00

I figured it was time for another Status Report. I'll fill you guys in on what's new with me in terms of writing, and then I'd love to hear what you're working on.

1) I've revised my third novel three times, and pretty drastic revisions too, (adding and taking out entire scenes, deleting characters, changing character motivations), but I still don't feel like the manuscript is at its best. So, I'm looking for a beta reader.

My past experiences with betas have been nothing but awesome -- I had three very smart, lovely readers critique my last MS and point out things I couldn't see with my own eyes. Incredibly helpful. The only thing is, at that point in my life, I got too busy between work and moving into a new house, and I couldn't keep up.

Now, I'm looking for just one beta at a time. I didn't want to single anyone out to ask specifically, because I don't want anyone to feel obligated. Here's the description: My MS is a 30,000-word middle grade adventure about animals that can morph into humans. If you're familiar with children's books and this interests you, please email me (my address is in my profile.) I'll happily critique a manuscript -- preferably with a word count of under 100K -- or critique a query, or a partial MS, or anything you need help with.

2) Speaking of queries... After a number of revisions, and with the help of several wonderful bloggers, I finally got my query into shape! I just need to tweak my synopsis, and then the rest of the work is on the actual manuscript. I hate queries and synopses, so it's great getting those out of the way.

3) Last week I received a coupon for Borders, all teachers get 25% off this weekend. So I went and browsed the writing instruction section, and bought "Thanks, But This Isn't For Us" by Jessica Page Morrell.

I had a hard time deciding which writing book to buy, but this one seemed to suit me best. I know the mechanics of writing (even if I don't show it in my blog posts!) and know how to write a novel. I just need to stop making dumb mistakes in how I tell the story. Anyone else read this book? What did you think?

Writers, where are you in the writing process? Working on a WIP? Revising? Querying? Planning? Somewhere in the middle?

Do you have any writing goals for the fall and winter?

Laughs From The Past #5

2010-10-06T17:14:00.005-04:00

First, thank you for sharing your opinions on my last post. It seems majority of us really trust our bloggy friends, but don't cross the line and share too much info. I decided that if I ever get enough free time, I'm going to start using Twitter to connect with all my lovely friends. But I've got to catch up on blogging first, so we'll see if I ever have the time.

I think this might be the last Laughs From The Past for now. I have plenty more, but I don't want to bore you guys with the same old "Oh man, I was soooo ridiculous back then" stories. But if I run out of blogging ideas in the future, maybe I'll post more.

Judging on my handwriting and other clues, I wrote this when I was nine or ten years old. Check out the epic title:

The Song Of Doom

The beginning is pretty standard for a Little Shelley Sucky Story, so I'm going to skip over to the good parts.

Catey was listening to her favorite tape. On the tape was one song, her favorite song. The song was called "Summer Blast." It drove everyone crazy mainly because it was a loud rock song.

Yeah, this was definitely early to mid 90s, since I still listened to cassette tapes. The memories...

So, after a ton of backstory, our protagonist Catey sits down at dinner with her family.

"So, I was thinking about doing a play with my friends while dancing to my favorite song." Catey was saying.

At that moment she twisted a strand of her long blond hair with her finger excitedly. Then she looked at her parents with her brown eyes sparkling.

*cough* Forced physical description! *cough*

"And what song is THIS?" Mrs. Twirl asked curiously.

"Summer Blast." She said trying not to sound too happy about it.

Mr. Twirl dropped his fork and got up from his chair.

"This can't be happening!" he complained.

Oh, the exaggeration! He must hate "loud rock songs."

The story continues with unintentionally hilarious scenes involving Catey's friends, her neighbor, and her teacher all expressing their disgust for the song. I never finished, so it ends with a cliffhanger: Catey finds out her brother, Marc, is coming home from college.

"Oh, I can't wait to see him." Catey said as she jumped up from her chair. Then something else came to her mind - Did Marc like "Summer Blast?"

Dun dun DUNNNN...

Hope you enjoyed this series, guys! I highly encourage you to post some of your early work, if you have any. It's always fun to go back and read where we started out. Happy Wednesday!

Do You Trust Your Blog Friends?

2010-10-03T12:37:00.000-04:00

I really suck at blogging lately. I'm down to posting twice a week, if that. I try to get around to each of your blogs at least once a week, but I'm struggling with that, too. I've never been great at time management, and taking on a busy job has me exhausted at the end of the day and overwhelmed with where to begin in terms of catching up on blogging.

But I do have a new, fabulous Droid phone from which I send emails and use Facebook. (Your comments are sent to my phone, too, but I don't access blogger directly with it.) I started thinking... if only I kept in touch with my blog friends through other means besides Blogger. It would be nice to still socialize with you guys on days that I'm too tired to blog.

After all, I've known many of you for months (some as long as 8 months, when I first started blogging) and even if we don't know each other in person, I still consider you my friends. I really do enjoy chatting with you guys.

BUT.

There's always the question of security on the internet. Are we who we say we are? Is there harm in sharing, let's say, your full name, your location (even just your state, if you're from the U.S.), where you work or go to school, etc.? We've always been told to be extra cautious on the internet, but is there maybe a sense of safety in our familiar blog circle?

There are no wrong answers. I'd just like to hear your thoughts on how much you share and how much you trust others.

I don't have the desire to get into a stalkerishly uncomfortable relationship with anyone. ("Where do you live? What are you wearing right now?") I was, however, thinking of offering to be Facebook friends or starting up a Twitter account, and didn't know if it was "appropriate" to mix blog friend and real life friends, or to start a separate account just for you guys.

Thoughts?

Shocking Your Readers

2010-09-29T16:49:00.006-04:00

...no, I don't mean like this:

You know what I mean. Taking them by surprise. In your opinion/experience, how does a writer execute this well?

I can think of several books, TV shows and movies that do this wonderfully. This is a Spoiler-Free Zone, so we won't name any endings, but I'm sure you can think of stories that took an extraordinary turn that you didn't see coming.

What bothers me, though, is when writers throw in a twist just for the sake of shocking the audience. For instance, the season premiere of a certain ABC drama. (Sorry for being vague, but just in case someone stumbles upon this blog who hasn't watched the premiere yet, I don't want to spoil it.) The writers had us thinking that a certain character was dead at the season finale, but the show returned announcing that he wasn't dead. Yet. He's in a coma.

So, we mourned for this character back in April, and then they let us know that Oh My Gosh he's alive -- only to pull the plug on him at the end of the episode anyway.

What was the point of that?

Just so the writers could say, "Ha! Thought you knew everything, right? Guess again"? But it made no difference in the story. The comatose character was treated as if he was dead to begin with. Might as well make it quick and not drag it out.

Please share your thoughts on surprising your readers, on horrible shocks-for-shocking-sake, and feel free to name the titles of some of the best books/TV shows/movies with twists. If I haven't read/seen them, I might check them out.

Laughs From The Past #4

2010-09-24T16:59:00.004-04:00

I'm back with another installment of Laughs From The Past. I was going through my binder of old stories and found one in particular that really cracked me up, but I'll save it for next week when I (hopefully) will have more time to choose passages, type them up, format the post, etc.

Today, I thought I'd quickly share two poems that I found among my stories. I was around 7-8 years old when I wrote these. They're written on the same piece of paper.

Noises #1

On the beach,
After our bash,
I jumped in the water,
And that went "splash!"

I was in a race,
In a rush,
Stepped in ice,
And that went "slush!"

Went on a swing,
Got a push,
Fell off the swing,
And that went "woosh!"

Noises #2

When the flute gives no toot,
When the trombone has low tone,
When the bassoon has no tune,
Your voice is the best choice.

Well, I definitely knew how to rhyme back then, and I could get away with being cheesy since I was under 10 years old. (I don't know about the trombone having "low tone" being a problem... I mean, aren't trombones supposed to sound low? And who runs a race when there's ice on the ground?) I guess these are kind of cute. Sadly, they're probably the best poems I've ever written. Ha.

Did you write any silly poetry as a kid, either for fun or for a school assignment? Can you write better poetry now that you're older, or are you like me -- poetically challenged?

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

My WIP Follows Me

2010-09-21T16:47:00.005-04:00

How appropriate was that last post? I haven't had a free minute in the past week to post on my blog or read any of yours, and for that I'm sincerely sorry. It's a combination of work and feeling sick. The usual, you know.

This also means I haven't worked on my WIP in a week, but I haven't forgotten about it. Please, I couldn't forget about it if I tried. Little reminders of my book kept popping up in unexpected places.

Yeah, my writing stalks me.

Here are some examples:

- At work today, the students were learning how to write a hook for their essays. "You want to write something that will draw the reader in at the beginning," I told them, and at the same time, I was reminded that I need to work on the hook for my own lousy beginning.

- I keep seeing a stray cat in the bushes on my front lawn. One of the students told me there's a stray cat on her lawn too. How does my book start? A boy sees a stray cat in the bushes (that he later finds out isn't just an ordinary cat...)

- I went food shopping, and the cashier looked and acted just like one of my characters. She had a different name and was maybe two or three years younger. But still.

Have you seen any little reminders of your writing in daily life?

P.S. Thanks for your comments on my last post. I'll try to catch up and visit a bunch of blogs each day, so I'll get around to you, it just might be a little while. I missed you guys!

If You Had Free Time...

2010-09-12T16:22:00.004-04:00

If only there were more hours in a day, right? Think about what you could get accomplished...

My writing life is suffering because of a number of things. My health still hasn't been the same since I was in the hospital. I've been battling headaches and nausea for weeks. But even if I was feeling better, I'm still busy with a new job (working as a teacher's assistant in a fifth grade classroom) and getting some Real Life things done (our dishes and laundry desperately needed to be washed, for instance.)

I will find time for writing. Soon. I hope. In the meantime, I've imagined what it would be like if I had tons of free time, and came up with two lists:

Writing-Related Things I'd Do In My Free Time

- Edit the darn MS. I'm on the second (or third? I lost count) round of revisions on my latest book, and I'd like to just get it done.
- Edit my query letter.
- Write a synopsis for this book.
- Work on songwriting.
- Pick up a new writing project to work on in the meantime.
- Rewrite a couple of stories that I wrote a while ago and see if they turn out any better.

Non-Writing-Related Things I'd Do In My Free Time

- Get better at catching up on blogs/commenting/etc.
- Continue decorating my home.
- Finally start quilting. My grandmother is amazing at quilting, and I've been wanting to start a quilt of my own. I have the materials, just not the time.
- Scrapbook.
- Other miscellaneous crafts -- for instance, I collect buttons/pins and would like to decorate some accessories with them.

How about you? If you had more free time, what kinds of things would you want to do? (Aside from spending more time with people, or sleeping more. I think we'd all like that.) Anyone else having trouble squeezing everything in?

Laughs From The Past #3

2010-09-09T14:49:00.006-04:00

Before I begin, welcome new followers! I met a whole bunch of wonderful new blog friends through Karen's Blog BBQ -- what a great experience! Thank you, Karen, for hosting it!

If you're new here, "Laughs From The Past" is a series where I post snippets of stories that I wrote when I was younger. They're usually unintentionally hilarious, and if nothing else, I can just say, "At least I don't write like that anymore."

It was hard to pick a story this week; there are so many painfully written pieces to choose from. But I decided to go with another untitled story from when I was in middle school.

Monday

Ring!!
I hurried into homeroom just as the bell rang.

We're off to a great, cliche start. Might need a few more exclamation points, though.

I rushed into the nearest seat and tried to fit in with everyone else. Unfortunately, I didn't. Everybody else in the room was staring at me, including the teacher, Mrs. Charles.
"Paul Fisher? Is that your name young man?" Mrs. Charles questioned me. I looked up at her through my thick glasses and sighed.
"Yes," I replied in a quavering voice.
"This isn't the fishing pond, Fisher," the guy behind me snickered, and a few girls giggled. I turned around and faced him. My eyes filled up with tears.

Okay, here's the thing. Bullying is not funny. In real life. But in this story, I don't know what made me laugh more, the fact that Paul cries at a simple joke about his last name, or the fact that the bonehead behind him thinks he's so clever with that pun.

The teasing continues until Paul leaves the classroom to calm down. He meets another student in the hallway. Think they might become friends? Guess again.

"My homeroom was making fun of me. It's bad enough that I have a vision problem," I told him.
"A what?"
"A vision problem. I can't see well, so I wear these thick glasses," I explained.
The kid made a face. "See you later," he responded in disgust.

What a turd! This guy judges Paul for wearing glasses AND has the nerve to go "what?" and make him repeat his problem. I must have hated wearing my glasses back when I wrote this. It's funny, 'cause I love wearing them now.

The story goes on, and Paul meets this girl Mekayla, who helps him become less of an oversensitive crying machine. And it ends with the cheesiest line:

I'm starting to think that middle school is not so bad after all.

Right. He just hasn't had algebra yet.

If you wrote stories in middle school, what were they about? If you didn't, what do you think they would have been about if you did write back then?

What Else Do You Write?

2010-09-05T22:23:00.006-04:00

Wait, didn't she say she'd be back Friday or Saturday? But today is Sunday. And the day's almost over.

I know, I'm a liar. Actually, no -- I had the intention of posting either yesterday or Friday, but I'm still not feeling all that great, so I haven't been motivated to spend much time on the computer. But as I answered in the comments of the previous post, each of your comments have made me smile and helped me feel the tiniest bit better.

But I'm back, and here's today's topic: I get the impression that most of my blog friends are working on novels, novellas, or short stories. Anyone here write nonfiction? Poetry? Plays? Song lyrics? If you write more than one type of work, which do you work on primarily? Do you dabble in anything occasionally? What don't you write?

At one point or another, I've worked on all of the above mentioned projects. As you might have read in my sidebar, my poetry is beyond awful. And my plays... ugh, when I was a kid, I wrote dozens of terrible plays, complete with cheesy musical numbers (I smell possible content for Laughs From The Past.) But my not-for-musical songs aren't too bad.

In my free time, (which is as rare as a clean McDonald's bathroom, as I do tend to juggle a lot), I've decided that I'm going to start writing songs again, just for fun. I used to want to be a professional songwriter back in high school, but now I'd rather just keep it as a hobby. It might be a different way to exercise my writer mind, you know?

So, as I asked above, I'd love to know what you enjoy writing, what you write most, and what you'd rather not write. Feel free to share. I'll do my very best to catch up on your blogs in the coming days!

Quick Post: Taking A Small Break.

2010-08-31T20:56:00.004-04:00

Blog Friends, thank you so much for your comments on my last post. You guys helped cheer me up from the I-hate-my-beginning blues.

About three things I [am] absolutely positive. (Oh no. Sound the sirens. I'm quoting the back cover of Twilight.)

First, I started a new, exciting, and busy job yesterday.

Second, there is a part of me -- and by that, I mean all of me -- that ended up in the hospital last night with a severe migraine. (I'm mostly okay now, but still on the road to recovery.)

And third, I am truly and sincerely sorry for not being able to read and comment on your posts for the next few days. I hope you understand. I'm absorbed in learning everything there is to learn about my job and then coming home and resting as much as possible so I don't get sick again. But I'm hoping by Friday or Saturday to be back here with a new post.

Also, I want to assure you guys that I always read every single comment you leave me. I always have, but now I 100% promise it, because I just got a Droid phone and now have my comments emailed to my phone. So, even if I don't get the chance to respond, please know that I appreciate your comments and they probably made me smile.

Hope you guys have an awesome week! Keep me updated on what you're doing, and feel free to direct my attention to posts to check out once I have the time.

I'm Bad At Beginnings

2010-08-27T20:05:00.001-04:00

True story: I'm so bad at beginnings, this blank post sat on my screen forever until I came up with how to start it.

Before I talk about beginnings, I think it's time for a Status Report for August:

After taking some time away from my recently finished MG novel, I revisited it with fresh eyes. With Hubby's help (he's excellent at plot holes and grammar, which makes him an incredible beta reader), I figured out what wasn't working with the main plot and changed one of the character's motivations, which changed a lot of the story. I'd like this to be queryable (it's a word now) by sometime in September or early October. The hard part is getting to that point.

Looking back at my MS once again, I realize the beginning isn't right. I read a lot of children's classics when preparing to write this book, and some of those older stories start with a lot of telling. But the recently published children's books I've read seem to start with more action. I chose the telling route, not really on purpose. It's a weird beginning, not quite a prologue, but just a few sentences about what's going to happen, then some asterisks (* * *), and then the story actually starts.

Which is dumb, right? Why not start from the actual beginning, instead of the... wherever the heck I started?

I'm bad at beginnings. I wrote the beginning scene for my first novel six times.

I don't want to start with some random dialogue or a hook for a hook's sake. These are the first pages an agent will read. They've got to be good. Any advice on going back to a novel and putting a new beginning after you've already written "The End"? Anyone here actually good at beginnings? How many times have you written your beginning?

Laughs From The Past #2

2010-08-24T15:38:00.003-04:00

I told you there was more. (Lots more, in fact.) Here's the second installment of Laughs From The Past, where I share snippets of stories that I wrote years ago, and we point and giggle together. All out of fun and love, right?

This story is untitled and unfinished, as many in my childhood story binder are, but I know I wrote it when I was twelve. I'll post the beginning and then I'll skip around.

Chapter 1

"Watch out, Sapphire!"
I pulled my little sister out of the way as Johnston walked by, carrying a tray of food in his hand. Johnston, one of our many butlers, does a fine job at serving food, but he is sometimes a little too pushy. I mean literally.

If you look past the fact that they have many butlers (a "we're too rich to exist" theme that you'll see throughout this story), it's not too bad, right? Kind of cute with the pun at the end.

I almost forgot, my name is Kirsten Carlin, one of the well-known Carlin kids. The reason my siblings and I are well-known is because we're rich.

Okay, I hate this story now. First reason: I can't stand how I used to introduce my main characters with "I almost forgot," or "In case you don't know," or "If you're wondering..." I did this all the time at this age! Ugh.

Second reason: Nothing against the wealthy, but I can so tell that I wrote based on a concept (well-known rich girl) rather than a story. Since this is unfinished, I don't even know what the main plot was going to be. If there was one.

One more excerpt. A few paragraphs later, Kirsten and Sapphire's brothers come into the house from soccer practice, and they're all dirty.

The butlers kneeled down and took off the boys' shoes and replaced them with clean ones. This was so our new $250,000,000 carpet stayed clean. My father, in his million dollar suit and tie, entered the foyer then and nodded his head, approving.

Can you tell I don't come from money? When I first pulled this story out of my binder and reread it, I cracked up. Did I watch the movie Richie Rich too many times or what?

I'm noticing a theme among my old stories -- they don't make sense. But if you guys are up for another dose of ridiculousness, let me know and I'll post more!

Your Wildest Dreams

2010-08-20T18:52:00.006-04:00

This may sound like it's directed at unpublished writers -- but published writers, I'd like your input, too:

What are your wildest dreams in terms of a career?

So, the easy and over-used answers are:
A) To be a published author.
B) To make a six figure advance.
C) To land on the Best Seller's list.
...etc.

But I want to know specifics. When you daydream about the future (admit that you do), what exactly do you imagine? What does "being a published author" mean to you? For instance, I doubt you daydream about the mundane act of going to your mailbox and opening a royalty check, but rather what you'd do with that check. Or you when you say you think about being "well-known," do you imagine going to the grocery store and having someone recognize you from the internet/back of your book/your appearance on Oprah?

Okay, just for fun, I'll share one of my wildest dreams:

I'd like to buy my own book at a Barnes and Noble and pay with my debit card. Instead of my signature, I have it written on the back of the card "ask for ID", so I'd hand the cashier my license... and they're like, "Oh my word, where did I see that name before? Oh, right, on this book right here." Then the cashiers would all freak and ask for autographs. Ladies, ladies... one at a time...

Totally not thinking that will ever happen, but it's fun to daydream!

What are some of your wildest dreams? Be honest -- nothing is too silly to share! Published authors, do you view "being published" any differently now? Agented/soon-to-be-published authors, have your daydreams changed?

Laughs From The Past #1

2010-08-17T12:37:00.005-04:00

This past week, I visited with my mom up in New Jersey. Lucky blog friends, I brought you guys souvenirs. I dug up old binders of my childhood stories, ready to rip apart and laugh at!

I'm starting a new series called "Laughs From The Past", inspired by Summer's post on her own childhood stories. (But Summer, I must say you were a much better writer as a child than I was!)

I've been writing since kindergarten, but I'll admit even my high school and early college stories are almost as painful as the ones I wrote in elementary school. Even now, I'm not immune to writing terribly. The point is, though, at least I'm not this bad anymore.

Here's the beginning of a story I wrote when I was eight years old.

Vicky and the Video Game

Vicky Greenberg is a very good child. She knew that already. Vicky was outside walking down the street when she passed a new video game store. Since she was very good, just an hour ago, her mother gave her money.

Geez, don't you hate this little snot already?

She walked into the store. She looked around for games for Mega Genesis. She found one. It was called Funny Fido's Dog Tricks. She never heard of such a thing, so she paid for it and then she went home.

I don't know what irritates me more: the fact that I made a pun on the Sega Genesis game console, or the fact that in my little handwritten manuscript, I wrote the registered symbol (R) next to Mega Genesis.

Also, little Vicky is kind of impulsive. She's never heard of a game, so she buys it. Maybe she's not such a "good child" after all. Brat.

I'll save you the boring yet outrageous plot set up, but Vicky discovers that this game sucks her in through the TV and places her in random scenarios. (I thought it was about a dog doing tricks? Whatever.) At one point, she warps to outer space, and her mother comes in her room looking for her. Apparently, Vicky can still talk to her mother through the TV.

"Where are you?" Vicky's mother asked impatiently.
"In outer space!" yelled Vicky as she looked and saw planets in the game.
"I'll have to take the State Rocketship!" cried Vicky's mother.

The State Rocketship?! What kind of screwed up education did I receive in second grade? I mean, I know it's great for writers to have fantastic imaginations, but this is ridiculous/shameful/freakin' hilarious. The rest of the story is just as terrible. (It was a series, actually. The horror!)

I'll try to post a Laughs From The Past entry every few posts. If you need to feel better about your own writing, come on by!

Birds of a Feather versus Opposites Attract

2010-08-14T19:43:00.000-04:00

Romance... it's one of my favorite genres to write, and frankly, I'm surprised I don't have more posts about it.

Although, this post isn't about romance as a genre, but types of romance that can be found in nearly any kind of story. I'm thinking back to a Social Psychology course I took in college, where we discussed two contrasting types of romantic love: Opposites Attract and Birds of a Feather (Flock Together, as the saying goes).

Now, I know there is an in-between. My husband and I are more alike than different, but our differences are crucial. There is only room for one nagging complainer in our house, and that is ~~the cat~~ me.

In my characters' romantic relationships, I tend to write Opposites Attract couples. For those of you who have read even a little of my first book, you know that KayPaz are initially very different from each other. (Side note: Yes, I Brangelina-ed my characters by putting their names together. Hey, it used to save me time in my outlines.) However, as the story progresses, they realize they're more alike than they seem. Aww.

For this new story that I'm test driving, I'm playing around with a Birds of a Feather option. The guy and girl are alike in several ways (she reminds him of himself when he was younger; ten year age difference, am I a creeper or what?) but since they are both equally stubborn, there's room for conflict.

If you write stories that involve romance, do you tend to write characters with contrasting personalities or those that tend to think alike? Or somewhere in between? How about the dynamic of your favorite book/TV/movie couples? Your own relationship/marriage, even?

Best Frenemies

2010-08-10T13:03:00.006-04:00

I sincerely hope that each of you have at least one real, true friend. One that you can tell anything to and not worry if it's going to be leaked on the internet. One that you can call up at any time of the night and not worry that she's going to hold a grudge for waking her. One that loves you regardless of how nice you dress.

Yet, while I don't wish for any of you to go through heartache, I kind of recommend having experienced a bad friendship. Even though it hurts. Like heck. I know, because I've experienced it. (Not those specific examples I gave, but just unhealthy, one-sided friendships in general.)

The obvious benefit of an awful friendship is that the drama can give us great story ideas. But beyond that, it helps us form realistic characters.

Oftentimes, the reason why a "bad friend" hurts us so much is because they're not strictly nasty. We have a complicated relationship with them, and despite their hurtful behavior, they have some redeeming qualities that still make us consider them a friend (at least for a while.)

In this respect, frenemies are like complex characters.

I've read a lot of advice on how to create a successful villain, making him/her have both positive and negative characteristics. The same goes for our protagonist, who shouldn't be all perfect just because s/he's the main character. (...Right?) If we find it challenging to think of a believable balance of good/bad qualities in a villain, it might be a good idea to take a look at those complicated friendships.

It's not black or white, friend or enemy. There's so much under the surface about these kinds of friendships. That's what we need to bring into our writing.

Have you found writing inspiration from your friendships, whether healthy or unhealthy? Have you written characters who have a particularly rocky friendship?

Test Driving Your Story Idea

2010-08-06T21:18:00.000-04:00

Before I say anything else, I want to let you guys know about two incredible contests:

Theresa's Platform Contest (It's for a good cause -- believe me, you'll want to sign up!)

and

Lola's Back From Maine Contest (Guys, she's giving away Stephen King's "On Writing", one of the best writing books ever!)

Check 'em out!

Now, at the risk of making myself seem even weirder than I already have, I'll admit that I must test drive my novels. There's something so real and so definite about typing a novel in Microsoft Word. It's almost as if I'm making a huge commitment once I write "Chapter One." I guess, in a way, I am. I've finished every novel I've started.

But -- before you think I'm bragging, I've outlined a TON of novels. I mean, literally more than I can keep track of. I try to make sure that I'm completely ready to write a particular story, that my heart is fully into it, before starting.

Before I even outline, I create the characters and I test drive. Without writing or typing, I run through a number of scenarios in my head. I see how many situations they can get into, how many variations and directions I can create, and then ultimately decide what I'd want to happen at the end of a prospective story.

I may look like I'm insane as I pace the room and formulate my ideas, but test driving is good for me. (There has to be another term for it; all I can think of is relating it to buying a car, mostly because we just bought a new one. Well, a new used one.)

See, I'm able to see when an idea definitely will not work out for me. I had some adorable, fun, humorous characters in my head a few months ago, and after imagining a few scenarios, I realized that the two main characters -- a couple that I wanted to fall in love -- really didn't have much conflict in their relationship, and it didn't feel right to push them into a situation that didn't fit. So I let them go, and I found a new group of characters to test out.

The problem is that it doesn't go both ways. I can practice a scenario and realize it doesn't work, but I'm never guaranteed that if I go ahead and write the idea, the whole darn novel actually makes sense. My books are filled with plot holes, even after the most meticulous of planning.

Do you plan your story in your mind before writing, or do you plan only on paper, or not at all? Is acting out and vividly imagining scenarios a silly waste of time? Is it considered writing, even when there isn't physical writing going on? There are no wrong answers. Let me know what you think.

Stories From Strangers, Convention Edition

2010-08-03T17:31:00.005-04:00

This weekend was the perfect opportunity to observe strangers, as I was surrounded by 29,000+ of them in a kind of small space. But first, a little bit about my time at Otakon.

I saw some incredible costumes this past weekend, but unfortunately I wasn't able to get many pictures. But among the characters I saw were Inspector Gadget (anyone remember him? This guy's costume was amazing), what appeared to be a steampunk version of the Super Mario Brothers, and a very convincing Severus Snape (my favorite... and I almost literally ran into him, as the room was very crowded) and a little Luna Lovegood alongside him. I wish I got pictures of them.

Majority of the costumes were from anime, as well as video games like the Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy series.

The Baltimore Harbor was gorgeous. It was hot, but such a beautiful day.

And, yes, I got to eavesdrop on strangers without being a creeper, because we were all close together (squished, at times) at the convention. Some interesting things that stirred a story in my head:

1) We waited in line for over an hour for an event, and next to us was this young couple that I assume just started dating. They were cuddling and massaging each other -- ugh, PDA, right? -- but their conversations were so interesting. The girl was telling him about herself, her likes and dislikes, making it clear that they were a new couple. It brought back the feelings of first falling in love, and their cute interactions inspired me to reconsider writing romance.

2) While waiting to use the restroom, there was a middle-aged woman a few feet away talking on her cell phone. I heard her say, "Is he okay?" and then "Was he wearing a helmet?" but not with the typical tone of concern you'd expect. She was a little suspicious... or maybe I was just hoping to get a good story out of it!

3) We went to the mall across the street (someone had pulled the fire alarm at the convention, causing an evacuation and hour-long break) and I continued my people-watching. I saw an elderly lady standing around a fountain, fishing in her purse for quite a few minutes. She finally pulled out a single penny and dropped it in the water. I wondered what her wish was, and thought it must be important if she spent that much time looking for a penny.

So, there are my strange observations. I'm happy to be able to write an encore Strangers post, and hope for more opportunities soon.

Anyone observe anything interesting/inspiring lately? And what would you do if you nearly ran smack into Severus Snape?

Dressing Up As Characters

2010-07-28T13:59:00.006-04:00

I apologize for the scarcity of my posts. It seems like I'm on a once-a-week schedule here, which isn't what I was going for. Life gets busy, though, and I've at least managed to read many of your blogs a few times a week (which to me is more important than blabbing on my own blog.)

However, I won't be blogging Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, since I'm going to Otakon -- a massive anime convention in Baltimore. I used to watch a ton of anime (Japanese cartoons) in college, and I, along with my husband-then-boyfriend and our friends, would attend these conventions dressed up as our favorite characters. It's like Halloween year-round.

I still dress up here and there, once or twice a year, though my costumes aren't as elaborate as they once were. But at conventions as big as Otakon, you don't see just anime characters walking around. People "cosplay" (dress up as) characters from video games, comics, American cartoons, the occasional celebrity or politician, and... books.

Well, okay, I've seen people cosplay* Harry Potter and Twilight. There might be other popular book characters here and there, but dressing up as characters from books will never be as popular with the anime crowd as, well, anime. But when I do see a costume of a book character -- even from a book that has been turned into a movie -- it's funny to think about how that character was once words on a page... and before that, he/she was an idea in the author's mind.

And now, readers love those characters enough that they want to look like them, even act like them, in public! Wow. I don't ever expect to join the rankings of authors who are popular enough to have people dress up as their characters, but if I did, it would be so flattering.

If you had to dress up as a character from anything who would you choose? (You don't have to go out in public, don't worry.) And, taking a moment to daydream, what would you do if you encountered someone dressed up as one of your characters?

* If you're interested, you can go to Cosplay.com and at the search bar at the top, type in a character's name to see if someone uploaded pictures of that costume.

My Characters Wouldn't Eat Seafood, Until Recently

2010-07-22T19:21:00.007-04:00

I know, I come up with quirky posts. But this struck me funny, so I had to share with you.

I hate seafood. It's unfortunate, because I live in such a seafood-loving area. I've never been able to stand the smell and the texture of the food, and luckily I married a man who doesn't like seafood either, so I'm not forced to be around someone else eating it in the house.

Because I find seafood so repulsive (no offense to those who enjoy it, which is most of the world, I think), I never wanted to make my characters eat it. I couldn't stand to write the words "the waiter brought them their food, the smell of FISH wafting through the air..." because, ick, I don't think I could finish the scene. My characters aren't me, and thus they don't have to hate seafood too. But it was much more convenient for me if they did hate it, so I wouldn't have to write about it.

But... unfortunately, for my sad, picky-eating self, I wrote a story in which the main characters love fish, and for a reason. My latest story (which I can't seem to stop mentioning all the time, please stop me, will you?) is about animals who can communicate with humans. There's a scene where the human protagonist eats lunch with a group of animals. The dogs are eating meat of some kind, the birds are eating seeds, and the cats... are eating fish. Of course.

I wasn't going to make the cats allergic to fish, or not in the mood for fish, or plain don't like fish like their dear author over here, but I had to be authentic. (Well, actual authenticity would involve everyone eating bland pet food, but I wanted it to be a little more interesting than that.)

So, I detached myself from my central characters and gave them permission to like things that I really don't like. Sure, I've had my differences with my characters before -- how boring would it be if I only wrote about a bunch of Shelleys? -- but I'd never made them love a food that I totally hate. The mark of a picky eater and picky writer, I guess.

How about you -- is there something that you really can't stand (not just disagree with or not so crazy about, but really dislike) that your character loves? Maybe the other way around? Did you find it a challenge to write? Anyone else hate seafood?

This Will Not Get Published

2010-07-19T17:44:00.007-04:00

Before I talk about definitely not getting published, I just want to thank my amazing blog friends for helping me reach 200 followers!

Thank you times a million to those who follow, those who comment, and those who write such unbelievably awesome posts that I read and comment on. You guys are the reason why my blog is still standing. Group hug! You're all fabulous!

I still don't have the financial means to run a contest, and since I just ran the blog fest for my 100/150 milestone, I won't be doing another one anytime soon. But I'd like to do something fun to celebrate, and I'm open to ideas. Feel free to make suggestions in the comments.

As I mentioned here, I finished my Middle Grade novel and I've been giving it some space before editing. In my free time aside from cleaning/unpacking/catching up on blogs/hiding from thousand leggers, I've been working on a novelette for fun, to keep my writing skills sharp. (I'm almost finished with it, and I expect it'll be about 10,000 words, hence "novelette")

This will not get published. I have no desire for this story to be shared with the world, except maybe snippets here and there on my blog. This is the way it used to be: writing for fun, completely disregarding the query stage. What a concept! I haven't done this since college.

The premise is simple and silly. While I'm waiting to edit my MG novel, I decided to write about what the characters of my other stories are doing in the meantime. I placed them all in a mansion together, introduced some lame plot, and enjoyed the chance to write about all of my favorites again. I even break the fourth wall and have them talk about me. (I will say, their opinions of me are quite varied.)

And you know what? It's fun, this not-writing-for-publication thing.

Anyone working on anything that you don't plan on publishing, but writing just to write? There's probably many writers like this out there, but I think I got so caught up in the possibility of publication, I hadn't stopped and deliberately wrote a non-publishable piece until now.

I highly recommend it.

Experience versus Research. Oh, and Earthquakes.

2010-07-16T15:13:00.009-04:00

I was awakened at five o'clock this morning by an earthquake.

If you read/watch the news, you'll see that Washington D.C. got hit with a 3.6 magnitude today, which might not be all that big in general, but it is for us. We (DC/MD/VA) aren't California; we're not used to this. It was certainly my first.

I didn't expect it to sound/feel like it did. Maybe I'm naive, but when I thought of earthquakes prior to this, I pictured the room shifting crazily from side to side, and crevices appearing in the floor. I guess larger magnitude earthquakes could be like that. Instead, this starting out sounding like a low flying plane and got louder. The ceiling started to make creaking noises, quick in succession, like making popcorn. Then I felt the tremors and the house shaking, though not enough to knock any furniture over.

I don't have any plans to write about earthquakes, but if I did, now I'd be able to write about it more accurately. There's always the option of researching, Googling "what does an earthquake feel like" or something similar. I could read personal accounts and try to lend those emotions to a character. But would it compare to my own feelings and my own experiences?

Sometimes research is just as good as the real thing. Sometimes it can't compare. In this case, my perception of earthquakes was completely changed.

What kind of things do you research? What do you write from your past or present experiences? Have you ever written about a situation or a setting that you've learned about solely through secondhand sources?

Anyone else experience an earthquake (or The Earthquake of today)?

You're Killing Off WHOM?

2010-07-12T18:45:00.010-04:00

Two people died in the past few days. Not in real life, but in a book I finished and a season finale of a TV show that I watched.

Since I'd like for this blog to be a Spoiler-Free Zone, I won't say who died, but I will mention that the book was Harry Potter #5 and the show is Brothers & Sisters, season 4. So if you've read/watched them, you know who I'm talking about. (I'm only just starting Harry Potter #6 now -- I know, I'm years behind -- but I'm all caught up on B&S and would love to discuss if anyone else watches.)

These deaths were sad. Harry Potter's brought tears to my eyes, while B&S made me bawl loud enough to wake my husband in the next room. But I don't know if I'd say that it was wrong to kill off these characters, as much as I loved them both. Even though the TV character's death is most likely due to the actor/actress wanting out of a contract, the writers made it work well enough that it wasn't a random "we feel like killing someone so let's eeny meenie miney mo and pick this character" a la Joss Whedon's Serenity. (My opinion, anyway.)

This got me thinking about why writers kill off the characters that they do. Sometimes it's heartbreaking, but sometimes it's necessary. Sometimes.

For stories that revolve around a death, such as The Lion King, this affects the whole plot. Major actions happen because a character dies. If Mufasa wasn't killed, the entire plot would be different.

But what about a story that has an important death, but doesn't necessarily revolve around it? The story of Finding Nemo could have still happened if Nemo's mother and the rest of the babies didn't die in the beginning. The real action begins when Nemo is caught on his first day of school. Yet, Marlin might not have been as protective/paranoid/frightened if he hadn't lost his wife and the rest of the babies. The movie isn't spent lamenting over those losses, but they DO significantly impact the story and the characters.

This all comes down to one point: as writers, we need to give more than just a fleeting thought about who we kill in our stories. If we get that feeling that we just HAVE to kill a character (assuming we're not writing a book called something like After My Great Aunt's Death, where it's expected and automatically central to the plot), let's think about what we're doing and how it affects our surviving characters. Before we, you know, get all death-happy and kill half our cast.

I have one relatively minor character die in each of my first two novels. It shakes things up, but the subsequent conflicts are resolved in a few chapters. For the MG series I'm working on, though, I'm seriously considering the death of an important character, because that particular character's death would cause everything to shift, and more storylines to open up in the series.

What are your thoughts on killing a character? Have you done it, or planning on it? If so, did/do you know the consequences of his/her death?

Thank Yous and Thousand Leggers

2010-07-09T10:36:00.002-04:00

I don't know about you, but I had a great time in the blogosphere on Wednesday! You guys wrote some fabulous entries. I liked every single one of them. A hundred thank yous to those who participated, commented, and even just went around and read the entries! I might have to try this blog fest thing again.

I realize that a good number of bloggers on the list didn't participate, but that's okay. I completely understand that life gets in the way of preparing entries. I had life "get in the way" of blogging for almost a month. So, no hard feelings.

I'm happy to say, though, that it's likely you'll be seeing more of me in the coming weeks. I have quite a few blog topics planned for Stories in the Ordinary, and I'm just itching to continue catching up on your blogs. You guys post some of the smartest, funniest, most thought-provoking things I've ever read, and I don't find that anywhere else around. Feel special, blog friends!

One last thing -- does anyone else have thousand leggers (house centipedes) in their home? We had them in our old apartment, and now we have them here. This morning I woke up to one on the ceiling above my head! Oh, and it's still there. Our ceilings are a tad higher here, and little me can't reach it to kill it. I'm just hoping it'll crawl away and leave me alone. These freak. me. out.

Any sympathy? Any advice on how to get rid of the nasty things? Anyone else glad I didn't choose to post a picture of one?

The "I Can't Say It" Blog Fest -- TODAY!

2010-07-07T08:10:00.006-04:00

Today is the day! I am hosting my very first blog fest right here, right now at Stories in the Ordinary. Thank you to all who are participating and reading! Check out a list of the other participating bloggers here.

I didn't have a particular scene in mind when I came up with this blog fest, but I knew that I had plenty of moments in my books where a character has something to say... but can't quite say it. I was going to post a romantic-ish scene from my first novel, but I settled on a more subtle scene from my second novel, titled AVID HEIGHTS.

Some back story: Main character/narrator is Sailor, the sidekick of the city villain. Ryley is her boss (the term is used loosely, he's really more of a friend.) She lives with him and his "villain" crew in his, er, "villain" mansion.

What she's hiding: She's actually dating Corey -- Ryley's rival and the city hero -- and she's going home to introduce Corey to her parents.

Something else you might want to know: Her neighbor that she mentions isn't really dead.

And here we go...

* * *

I carefully avoided Ryley until the next morning, when I was about to leave for Skim Valley. I woke up at seven o’clock to give myself plenty of time. I had to arrive at my house before Corey did at noon, to give the impression that I actually lived at home.

I packed a duffel bag of belongings and then tiptoed over to Ryley’s office to write him a note. I planned on keeping it simple, something like “Went home for the weekend. Be back tomorrow. –Sailor”. By the time I returned to the mansion, he would hopefully have cooled off from the Duane incident.

But I didn’t expect Ryley to be in his office so early on a Saturday morning. He was inches away from his computer monitor when I peered in. I waited a few seconds and rehearsed possible lines, and then knocked on his open door.

He glanced up. “Come in, Sailor.”

I stood behind one of the chairs across from his desk, the very chair I sat in for the interview. He pressed a button on his keyboard.

“Sorry,” he said. “I was catching up on the game I missed last night, West versus Justville.”

“Oh? How did we do?” As if I had to ask.

“Haven’t finished watching yet, but we’re losing pretty badly.”

“That sucks.”

He leaned back in his chair and motioned at the one in front of me. “Take a seat.”

“Uh… no, that’s okay, thanks. I’ll only be a minute. I have to go soon.”

“Go where?”

“I’m going home for the weekend.”

He stared at me blankly.

“If that’s okay,” I added.

He twisted his mouth to one side, actually considering this. Was I really not allowed to go home when I wanted to?

“Sure, it’s okay,” he said finally. “But why so early? Did something happen?”

Yes, a beautiful romance is happening. Please let me go.

“It’s a family thing,” I said, when I really should have just said “no”.

Ryley leaned forward. “You all right? Need to talk about it?”

“No, I’m fine. It’s no one I’m close with. It’s our neighbor, Mr. Buckle… he died.”

That’s it. I’m going to hell.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” He reached his hand out, and I stepped forward to let him hold it. This would have actually been comforting if I wasn’t such a dirty liar. “Well, take the time and be with your family. Don’t think about work until you get back, all right?”

“Okay,” I said.

He looked into my eyes and squeezed my hand lightly before letting go. Despite his recent erratic behavior, he really was a good guy.

I left his office with a heavy sigh.

* * *

This is an excerpt from the first draft, so it's not the best written thing ever, (I know, excuses, excuses...) but it serves its purpose. Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out the entries!

I'm Back, and Living Elsewhere

2010-07-03T12:39:00.006-04:00

Hello there! Remember me?

It's okay if you don't; I was gone for maybe an eternity and a half. But I'm back in the blogging world, and it's catch up time! I'll share my news in a list (I think we know now that lists are my favorite things) and then I'd love to hear in the comments what's new with you.

1) As you probably know, Hubby and I bought our first home and moved out of our apartment. This took a lot longer than expected. Not only did our closing date change twice, but there's so much more to moving than I ever thought. Plus, we didn't get the internet hooked up until late last night, which made things even harder.

2) Before the move, in this random in-between time that I found, I managed to finish my MG novel! Of course I haven't looked at it for a long time (which is good, right? Distance from the MS and all...) but I'm hoping to start editing later this month.

3) I've just been generally busy with other things. On the good side, I had my golden birthday on June 24th with a month full of surprises from family and friends. On the bad side, I've been cursed with migraine headaches literally every day for the past 2 weeks or so. It's been a month of ups and downs for me.

4) Finally, I know I said I'd pop in and out of the blog world, and I kind of did that. I mean, I visited many of your blogs before the move, even if I didn't comment. But I'm going to try to be back for real this coming week. I'd still like to hear what I've missed -- in case I didn't get around to visiting you -- so feel free to comment and fill me in.

I'll check by my new followers and commenters in the next few days too. New and old friends, you are not forgotten!

Also, the "I Can't Say It" Blog Fest is still on! This Wednesday, all day. Check it out.

Missed you guys. Glad to be back!

Limited Blogging Time

2010-06-09T19:48:00.003-04:00

Hey friends, I'd like to apologize for not being present in the blogging world lately. I don't think I've read blogs since the weekend. Don't worry -- It's not you, it's me. It's a combination of work exhaustion (luckily school ends Friday), packing (we move into our new home next week!) and other busyness. Also, since I'll be out of town this coming Saturday to Tuesday for my sister's college graduation, I know my blogging presence isn't about to get any better.

So, here's the deal: in the coming weeks, I'm going try to pop in to the blog world here and there whenever I can, so it's not technically a hiatus. But in case you don't see me for a while, you know what's going on. I plan on being back "for good" before my blogfest on July 7th.

I miss you guys and can't wait to catch up as soon as I can!

Middle Grade -- What Do You Know?

2010-06-06T15:27:00.004-04:00

Since my current WIP is my first attempt at writing for children, I thought I'd write a post today about Middle Grade Fiction (usually categorized as books written for kids 8-12 years old). At the risk of sounding self-absorbed, I could use your help. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the genre, to help me get a better understanding of what works and doesn't work in MG.

I read about twenty MG novels in the weeks leading up to the day that I started my rough draft, and I found them all to be drastically different from one another. I mostly read classics (Books by Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Patricia Reilly Giff...) but now I'm searching for lesser known books in the genre to research.

So, I have a few questions for you, blog friends. Feel free to answer however many you want, or none at all.

1. If you write/have written middle grade fiction, what's the biggest difference you've noticed in writing this genre versus writing for adults?

2. If you or your kids read middle grade, what do you look for in those books?

3. What are/were some of your (or your kids') favorite MG novels?

4. Anything else you'd like to add about the genre?

Thanks in advance! I can't wait to read your answers.

If you're wondering about my favorites, I love so many MG books, mostly by the classic authors I listed above, but I think my favorites are The Baby-sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin, and a detective series by Patricia Reilly Giff called the Abby Jones series. Both series bring back fond memories.

Status Report - June 2nd

2010-06-02T19:34:00.009-04:00

Thanks for all your input on the blog fest! The date is officially changed to July 7th. I'm glad that seems to work for many of you.

I figured it was time for another Status Report. I know I mentioned here that I started a new WIP, a middle grade novel. I guess it could be classified as fantasy? I'm not sure.

[Brief plot description removed for security reasons]

So far I've been working on this WIP every night, managing to write a chapter a day. I'm participating in both Guinevere's Novel Summer 2010 Challenge and T.J. (Beta Bud)'s Write-A-Holic Anonymous Challenge. Putting those two together, I'm trying (key word: trying) to write a chapter a day to kick this WIP's butt and have it finished before Labor Day. Think I can do it?

I have 2 more weeks of work, and then a bunch of summer craziness. I discovered yesterday that my family and friends are doing a "24 Days of Shelley" countdown, surprising me with a special message or little gift each day until my golden birthday on the 24th. They are so thoughtful! This is especially neat because I live far away from my family, so their little tokens of appreciation make them feel that much closer. I love the people in my life.

I don't know about where you are, but the weather's been in the 90s here lately, and the heat is exhausting me. What do you have in store for your summer? Do you have any changes in your writing, editing, or blogging going on? And if you're experiencing this heat too (or worse), how are you keeping cool?

Update On Blog Fest

2010-05-29T10:32:00.005-04:00

The "I Can't Say It" Blog Fest was scheduled for Wednesday, June 16th. However, a blog friend of mine came forward and let me know that there are several other blog fests that week, and suggested that I give you all more time to prepare.

So, I'd like to propose a new date, Wednesday, July 7 for this blog fest. Would this work better? I apologize for not realizing that you guys needed more time.

The Mr. Linky is still in the post below. If you're thinking of participating, please comment here any time this weekend or in the coming week and let me know if July 7th would work better. Then I'll change the date on the previous post.

Happy Weekend! (And Happy Memorial Day to my U.S. friends!)

Edit: It's official -- the new date is July 7th. Thanks to all who are participating! I apologize for my relative quietness in the blog world. I'll be back with a real post sometime this week!

The "I Can't Say It" Blog Fest

2010-05-27T18:20:00.004-04:00

Have you written a scene where a character has something to say (even better if it's something s/he needs to say) but can't quite get the words out? Or are you up for writing one?

It can be humorous, dramatic, even heartbreaking. It can be super obvious that they're struggling to find the words, or more subtle. Any mood, any subject -- as long as there's something they're not saying.

I've decided to hold this blog fest on ~~Wednesday, June 16, 2010~~ Wednesday, July 7, 2010. This will be kind of a happy moving/happy 150 followers/happy birthday blogfest.

Are you in? Hopefully the Mr. Linky works below.

The "I Can't Say It" Blog Fest -- Wednesday, July 7, 2010.

Now, as silly as it sounds, I don't know which scene I'm going to use for this blog fest. I just know I have a bunch of these moments in my novels. Gonna look for a scene now...

Some Fun Odds and Ends (You Want To Check This Out)

2010-05-24T13:41:00.013-04:00

I love making lists. It's kind of a thing with me. I can't explain it. But I feel so much better when I see things in list form. (Wait, how could you tell I have OCD?)

There's no rhyme or reason to the things I'm posting. It's just... stuff. Here we go:

1) If you haven't already heard, the incredible Elana Johnson has a book deal!! Congratulations, Elana! I am absolutely going to buy her book as soon as it comes out.

2) Sara McClung at Babbling Flow has an amazing giveaway going on! She has a signed Twilight and much more signed vampire awesomeness. Check it out here!

3) Remember that Blog Fest I was talking about a few weeks ago? The "I Can't Say It" blog fest? It seems like you guys are into that idea, so I'd like to set a date. The problem is, I'm out of town the weekend of June 12, and then I'm in the process of moving from June 18-30 (which means I will most likely have no internet.)

But if I held it during the week, say around Wednesday, June 9, we might make it work. What do you guys think of blog fests during the week? Too stressful? Or do you prefer weekends? I'm so over-thinking this, aren't I?

4) I'd just like to report that I officially started my new WIP. Some of you know that I've been battling with my contemporary romance (er, whatever genre we're calling that book right now), and aside from plot holes, that book just doesn't seem to have a market. So, the past few weeks I've been researching middle grade books, and I decided to start a MG novel of my own. I work with kids in the age group that I'm writing for, and I definitely have a feel for how they act, what they like, etc. I'll keep you all updated on my progress.

5) Awards! Man, have I held onto these long enough?

I apologize if I somehow missed an award that someone gave me. It wasn't on purpose. I've been disconnected from the blogging world here and there for one reason or another (one of my best friends calls it my "chronically injured or ill" self -- so true), so I'm sorry if I missed any.

I do appreciate all the awards you guys have given me, though!

First up, from T.J. Carson (my fun, pig latin-speaking beta buddy) and Laura Marcella (who writes some of the most thoughtful, can't-miss blog posts ever), the Sugar Doll Award:

Second, also from T.J. Carson, the Superior Scribbler Award:

Next, from Creepy Query Girl (except I don't think she's creepy, I think she's wonderful with an equally wonderful blog), the Oh My Blog Award:

And finally, from Carolyn V. (a really sweet blog friend whose posts always make me smile), the Blogger Buddy Award:

Thanks so much, all of you!

Since I know some of these awards have been going around a while, I'm going to pass any of these awards along to the blog friends below. You can take whichever you'd like.

Donna Hole
Nicole Ducleroir
Tracy at Forever Endeavor
Michelle Teacress
Talli Roland
Sarah at Falen Formulates Fiction
Susan Fields

One last thing -- I know my awards in my sidebar are outdated. I'm planning on reorganizing them into a slideshow or something (it's on my To-Do list) so it'll be updated eventually.

EDIT: You guys are so kind to ask about me! I'm doing a little better. I'm still pretty sore and need to take it easy, but I'm at least back at work and getting better as opposed to worse. Thanks for asking!

A Star Is Born

2010-05-20T19:34:00.013-04:00

Last week marks the one year anniversary of creating one of my favorite characters.

I remember this because last weekend was commencement at my alma mater, and it was at last year's commencement that I created him in my head. It was a pretty strange thought process, too.

I was staying with one of my best friends for a few days. I'd just gotten my hair cut, not too short but shorter than I was used to, and one night I happened to wear a loose T-shirt and baggy shorts.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I thought, I kind of look like a boy. But a really girlish boy. And then, you know the way my writer mind works, I began to create this "girlish boy" based on my reflection.

His name was Lake DuBois, and he was a 22-year-old aspiring actor who worked part-time at a movie theater. I gave him a French accent and a flirty, happy-go-lucky personality, and he was instantly my favorite.

I held onto this (very life-like) sketch of Lake for about three or four months. I talked to him, I gave him friends and enemies and love interests, and really enjoyed watching him grow into someone that I knew backwards and forwards. After months of playing around with what kind of plot he'd fit into, I ended up having to alter both him and his environment. Changed his name, his job, his accent, and most importantly, his love interest. (That last girl was a snob.) And I'm pleased with who he's become.

This one's for you, Lake. Happy Birthday!

How are your characters born? Care to share how you've come up with any of them? Have you ever looked into the mirror and saw someone else besides yourself? Did that question just sound like I'm insane?

P.S. I apologize for being absent again, but I'm afraid I won't get around to most of your blogs until the weekend. For those of you that I email, and to my betas waiting for a critique, I'll be a little late on that too. I realized the hard way today that my body isn't completely healed from last week, so I'm having a little trouble. Thanks for understanding, guys.

Stories For The Week of 5/10

2010-05-14T20:10:00.008-04:00

I'm here and I'm alive! I sure took a hard fall, but I'm recovering. Thanks for your kind words, friends.

I thought I'd write again about my writing-related encounters of the week, but since I was home resting almost all of this week, this is more for the month of May.

First up is Reading Aloud Is Supposed To Be Fun.

I love reading aloud to classes. The kindergarten in particular is always an enthusiastic audience. This month I've read Curious George (with silly commentary on the pictures), Cindy Ellen (a wild west Cinderella tale -- which I read with an accent), and a chapter from the middle of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (with, you guessed it, British accents.)

I'll tell you this: I had way much more fun reading than the kids did listening. While the kindergarten class with Curious George and the second graders with Cindy Ellen seemed to enjoy it, the fifth grade Harry Potter group looked like they were bored to tears. Bored? Of Harry Potter? It's about a kid their age using magic, with voice acting courtesy of yours truly! And they were bored. Today's youth, everybody. Give them a round of applause.

(Not all fifth graders are like that. I think after Monday's incident I'm a little, um, unimpressed with them.)

I know many (all?) of us writers are readers too, but do you guys enjoy reading aloud as much as I do? Or is it something you're not comfortable with? As I said, I have too much fun with it.

Next Up, The Spelling-It-Wrong Test.

A few weeks ago, I had to give a spelling test to a fourth grade class. I was only covering the afternoon, so I met with the teacher before she left, and she very kindly walked me through the lessons for that day.

When she handed me the sheet of hand-written spelling words, I noticed something that looked out of place. One of the words was "quiting".

"Is that quitting?" I asked, pointing to the word.

The teacher looked over. "Yes."

"Oh. Looked funny to me, that's all. What do I know?"

So I gave the spelling test, and when I went home, I typed "quiting" into Google. Did you mean quitting? it asked. I knew it! For some reason, my spell check still recognizes quiting as a word, but Google and Merriam Webster Dictionary both say it's quitting. I know, in the grand scheme of things, it's not a big deal. But I do feel bad for any student who wrote it with two T's and gets a point taken off.

I'm still trying to catch up on reading and commenting on posts. I'll get there. In the meantime, happy weekend everyone!

I Fell On My Face

2010-05-11T12:14:00.002-04:00

Blog friends, this is just a short, temporary post apologizing for not being around the past few days. I know I'm not always up to date with reading and commenting, but I'm not usually this bad.

As the title says, I fell on my face. A kid accidentally pushed me (he meant to push his friend, but his friend backed out of the way) and I landed hard on my knees, and then on my face. I cut my mouth in three places and had to have my knees X-rayed. I'm okay, but I'm in a lot of pain and I'll probably be away from my computer as I'm resting.

I wouldn't say this is a hiatus -- I'll be in the blog world here and there, but I just wanted to apologize for missing out on some beautiful, witty, and awesome posts. But hey... I'm taking a few days off work, and once I'm feeling well enough, that translates to more writing and blogging time, right?

Talk to you guys soon!

150+ Followers... and a Blog Fest?

2010-05-08T17:10:00.005-04:00

Welcome new followers! I'm so happy to see so many new faces (or non-face pictures... not that I'm judging, my face is a sea shell) and I can't believe I've reached over 150 followers already. Thank you, friends!

I know I said here that I'd consider running a contest when I reached 150, but I'm still not in the right financial state to do that. But I was considering a blog fest. What do you think? There's been some awesome blog fests going around lately, and still more to come. Are you up for yet another one, or should I give you time to rest?

I don't want to repeat a blog fest subject that anyone's done before, so please correct me if you've seen this around, but I was thinking of an "I Can't Say It" blog fest. I'd like to see scenes where your characters have something to say, but can't quite bring themselves to spit it out. Any opinions?

If this has been done before, or if you plain don't like it, feel free to leave blog fest suggestions in the comments.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend, and to all the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day!

Tagged

2010-05-06T16:34:00.010-04:00

A huge Thank You to those who commented on my last post! I really needed some opinions and advice, and you guys gave me some ideas to work with. (Plus, you introduced me to New Adult fiction, which I hadn't heard of before.)

To make things more complicated, I did come across this definition of the romance genre as stated by Romance Writers of America (click the link for the source):

Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending...

Romance novels may have any tone or style, be set in any place or time, and have varying levels of sensuality—ranging from sweet to extremely hot.

So, according to RWA, (you know, the RWA), my book would still fall under romance, even if it's not typical of the genre. But there are other aspects to consider, so I'm still undecided.

Thanks again for your thoughts!

Anyway...

My buddy Tracy at Forever Endeavor tagged me to play the five question game that's been going around.

The rules: Answer five questions, five times each. Then tag five other super awesome blogging friends.

Here are my answers:

Question 1 - Where were you five years ago?
1) A freshman in college in the strange land of Pennsylvania
2) Settling into Psychology after abandoning my English major
3) Hanging out with a group of girls that I've now lost touch with
4) Going to the spring formal with some no-name, forgettable boyfriend
5) DJ-ing with my friend on our college radio station

Question 2 - Where would you like to be in five years?
1) Raising our first child
2) Moving (again) to a larger home to accommodate the baby
3) Published, or at least closer to being published than I am now
4) Loving whatever I end up doing full-time
5) Financially comfortable

Question 3 - What is on your to-do list today?
1) Find a work assignment (didn't get called in)
2) Critique my betas' manuscripts (almost done)
3) Update my blog (what I'm doing now)
4) Work on my WIP (hopefully tonight)
5) Do some returns at the mall (ha, right...)

Question 4 - What snacks do you enjoy?
1) Brownies
2) Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
3) Chips and Salsa
4) Oreos and Milk
5) All this considering, I don't snack all that much anymore. But if it's unhealthy, I'd probably eat it. Especially if it's chocolate.

Question 5 - What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?
1) Pay off anything that needs to be paid off
2) Generously award family with cash
3) Foster or adopt kids
4) Quit working and concentrate on family and writing
5) Save up for when our (someday) kids to go college

I hate to be that cheap, no-fun friend, but I swear I've seen these 5 questions all over, and it would take me forever to sort through and see who's done it and who hasn't. So -- if you follow me and you haven't done this yet, consider yourself tagged!

Also, I know I have a ton of awards to hand out. I'm so sorry. Thanks to my friends who have awarded me, I haven't forgotten you! I'll catch up one of these days.

The 18-25 Demographic, and a Status Report

2010-05-03T20:46:00.001-04:00

Today's post was supposed to be a Status Report, but I'm not sure that I have enough interesting news to fill a post, so I'm combining it with a topic on which I'd really like some advice.

But first, some news:

1) I'm late in announcing this, but my blog friend (and probably yours, too) Talli Roland is getting her novel published! Congrats, Talli! Can't wait to buy your book when it comes out!

2) I'm participating in Roni's Let's Talk dialogue blogfest hosted at her blog, Fiction Groupie, on May 18th. Dialogue is fun to both write and read, so if you want to participate and haven't signed up, head on over to her blog.

Now for my Status Report:

I'm almost finished editing/rewriting my first novel, which I've renamed BEHIND THE YELLOW LINE. I have two smart, sweet, helpful beta readers (*waves to Lisa and Marsha*) who have read and critiqued my first 30 pages so far. Their advice is so valuable, I don't know why I ever queried without sending a MS to betas first. Highly recommended.

But the more I explore my novel, the more issues I'm finding. (That's always the case, isn't it?) One of the most frustrating is my genre. I thought I was writing contemporary romance, but as I browsed books in that genre on Amazon and B&N.com, I realized that my particular book doesn't fit in there as much as I thought. I don't really write steamy; I write cute and sweet love stories.

About a year ago, a friend of mine read a few chapters of my first draft (Yikes!) and compared my genre (not my writing skills) to authors like Meg Cabot and Sarah Dessen. Having read and researched some of their books, I can see that. Except they're mostly YA.

Here's where it gets tricky: My book has a young voice, suitable for YA, but my main characters are 19 (female) and 23 (male). I hunted and hunted, and I had the hardest time finding other books with protagonists between the ages of 18 and 25, YA or adult.

So, I went with Hubby to Borders tonight, excited that he had a book he needed to buy, and used that time to skim through YA books for the age of characters. I only got as far as the "D" authors when it was time to go, but I found 3 books with 18-year-old MCs. I'm kind of surprised -- 18 is when students start college. Wouldn't there be more books on college-aged teens?

Where are all the 18-25 year olds?

I toyed with the idea of lowering my main characters' ages to 18 and 22 and calling it YA. (But another road block is the word count -- approx 100,000. Too long.) Or do I just shelf this book and write another? Sadly, my next novel's main characters are 22 and 24, still in that darn age range!

I know that knowing your market is crucial, and I'm wondering if that's my book's downfall. Any advice?

"No, Not Grandma!"

2010-05-01T15:20:00.006-04:00

It's no surprise that many of my "writer hat moments" happen at work, considering how much time I spend in the schools. A few weeks ago, when I was teaching a fourth grade class, there was another instance where I thought about what it would be like if one of the students was a character in a novel. (An earlier example of this is David and the Girls' Bathroom)

Near the end of the day, our class got a personal announcement over the loud speaker that one of the girls, we'll call her Elizabeth, was going to be picked up by her grandmother after school. I approached Elizabeth to make sure she heard the news, and her eyes were the size of planets.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"No... not Grandma! I really don't want to go home with Grandma."

The girl sitting next to her asked, "Why?"

But before she could answer, the secretary came on the loud speaker again to make a correction, that Elizabeth's older brother would be picking her up instead.

"Yea!" she cheered. "I love my brother!"

"That's great," I said.

"Yeah, he's twenty-two, and he has his own car..." She glowed as she told me all about her brother. Funny how her reaction to her grandmother and her reaction to her brother couldn't be any more opposite.

Funny, but not unusual. Don't we all have different relationships with each of our family members? Even if you don't dislike anyone in your family, you're probably more comfortable with some relatives than others. Especially when you were a kid.

But what got me is how drastically Elizabeth changed after that first announcement. When the "G" word was said, she looked like she turned into a zombie. I thought for a brief moment that there was no way she'd finish her school work now that she was so preoccupied. As a sub, I don't meet many parents of students, so I don't always think about their home lives. [In my opinion,] family life is a factor in how students behave in school... and how characters behave in novels.

If you're writing a story that's centered around family (like Anne, who does this amazingly with the family drama she's created), then you know the strong impact parents, siblings, grandparents, spouses, etc. can have on your characters.

If your characters' family lives are a little more in the background, or even if your protagonist's family is present, but your secondary characters never mention their parents, it might be helpful to at least know what the dynamic of their home lives are like. It's not always necessary to describe the family of every single character, but just knowing how they're raised, who they're close to and who they're not can help flesh them out.

I'd also like to point out this post by Jennifer Walkup about parents being absent (I mean, really absent) in books just for the sake of convenience. It's definitely worth reading!

Do you write about families? Do you notice how the closeness/distance of your characters and their family affects who they are and how they act?

Running Jokes

2010-04-28T17:48:00.012-04:00

I was a member of the flag squad in high school, and one morning all of us girls met at a diner for breakfast in the Next Town Over (which is just as it sounds -- the town next to ours.) Most of us arrived on time, except for one of my closest friends. When our food was served and she wasn't there, we gave her a call.

"Where are you?" asked the girl who made the call.

"I'm lost in Ten-Minutes-Away Town," my friend said (which is just as it sounds -- a town ten minutes away. Yup, protecting my location here.)

Um, the diner was in the town next to ours. How did she end up so far away? We laughed and laughed, and my close friend and I never forgot it. (If you read this, please know I'm only posting this because I love you, and because it was funny!)

To this day, whenever she mentions that she's going either to the diner or to Ten-Minutes-Away Town, I always warn her, "Don't get lost! Ha ha!"

It's kind of a formula. Every time [this subject comes up], it unfailingly leads to [a particular joke.] Also known as a running joke or running gag.

Both of my manuscripts have at least one running joke in them. In my beginning of my first book, one of my characters has just begun dating a guy named Grant, but her friends can't remember his name. Throughout the story, he's referred to as "Gary" and "Greg" and "George" and eventually "Sir Starts-With-A-G". Poor guy.

I'm tempted to say that the gag in my second book are a couple of the characters themselves. My main character Sailor's parents are loony, and every time they show up, she feels like digging a hole to hide from the embarrassment. Their regular antics include the mother gushing over Sailor's crush, or both parents' inappropriate attire (off-white shirt with bright white pants... at a funeral?!)

Every time [Grant is mentioned], it unfailingly leads to [characters referring to him by the wrong name.]

Every time [Sailor's parents show up], it unfailingly leads to [humiliating dialogue or dreadful wardrobe choices.]

Do you have any running jokes in your writing? Care to share any? If you don't, what are some of your favorites from other books, TV shows, movies, etc.? When you notice any gags like these, do you usually find them amusing or annoying?

Return From The Sea

2010-04-26T11:50:00.010-04:00

I'm back from my cruise on the Disney Wonder, and it was phenomenal! If you're ever considering a cruise vacation, I encourage you to check out the Disney Cruise Line. The service is unbelievable, the entertainment is spectacular, the food is incredible... those are a lot of adjectives, so you know I mean it.

Yup, it's that huge, gorgeous boat in the back. I took this from the shore of Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. The brown ship next to it is one of the ships from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. There's a trunk in the foreground with life vests because we went jet skiing (definitely an adventure, especially in the rough waves we had!)

The beautiful Bahamas -- or at least, a part of the Bahamas that was beautiful. There are quite a few tourist traps in Nassau, but once you look past that, you can see this. I took this picture from the boat. What a view, right?

Then I came home to this:

Yikes. That's how many blog posts are waiting for me in my Google Reader. Probably more accumulating by the time I finish posting this. Please understand if I only get around to skimming your blogs. If you have super awesome news that you're afraid I might overlook, please feel free to comment or email me. I can't wait to catch up with you all!

I thought about my writing a lot on the trip, and encountered several interesting people that would be decent character material. Guess I packed my writer hat after all. So, I'm back at Stories In The Ordinary, but it's like I never left.

Except for those 620 posts waiting for me...

Stories For The Week Of 4/19

2010-04-20T20:34:00.021-04:00

Thank you all for the incredible response to my last post. I'll admit I worked harder on that post than any other, and I'm glad it was appreciated!

For those of you who haven't heard, I'm going on vacation from Thursday (tomorrow) to Sunday. Hubby's company is taking us on a Disney Cruise. (He works for the best people, really.) I know, I know... I wish you all could come too. So this means I'll be away from the internet for a few days. This will probably be my last post until early next week. It's a little different from my traditional posts, but I thought I'd tell you about my writing-related encounters of this week.

Aww... a picture of cute kids reading. This brings me to my first story: The Boy Who Loved Reading.

No, I mean, really loved reading. He was a student in a fourth grade class I subbed for this week, and he loved reading so much that he would choose to read instead of paying attention to lessons or doing any assignments. His regular teacher thought she could prevent this by putting his chair on the other side of his desk, so he didn't have easy access to the slot where he kept his books. Didn't seem to help.

Every time I turned around, he was reading a different Goosebumps book. He'd finish his assignments ridiculously fast (with all correct answers, too) and then fly through five or six books in one school day! As long as he was getting his work done, I encouraged him. I told him there needs to be more kids that love reading as much as he does. As a writer, it's so rewarding to see kids appreciate books at a young age.

That same day, I had another memorable experience that I'll call, I'm Like An Author.

The teachers at this particular school were really friendly, and one asked me a question I get often as a substitute teacher, "So, are you working on getting your teaching degree?" It's a valid question, since many teachers start out subbing. Except I'm just doing it because I love kids, and I need money.

I told this teacher the truth: "No, it's just a temporary job for me right now."

"What do you plan on doing, then?" she asked.

I'm not always that quick to let the writer-cat out of the bag, but I had enough courage to simply say, "I'm a writer."

And, can you believe, she just stared at me as if the word "writer" wasn't in the English dictionary, and she had to somehow translate it into something she knew.

So I added, "Like an author." Which I guess is true, right? I may not be an author, but I'm like an author.

What response did I get? "How many books do you have out?"

*face palm*

It was my own fault, because I said I was like an author, but she didn't respond to the word "writer". Oh geez. Me and my mouth, I guess. A lesson to anyone in this situation: Either leave it at "writer" and let them gape at you if they have no words, or don't mention anything at all. If you're unpublished, don't say the A word. You'll get the inevitable published remark.

There are plenty more where those stories came from, and I'm thinking of adding these weekly stories to the regular blogging schedule. (Ha! As if I have a schedule.) Hope you all have a fantastic week and weekend, and I'll see you here next week!

What Non-Writers Should Know About Writers

2010-04-17T21:22:00.002-04:00

I mentioned in a post here that I would write this list, and here it is. I suppose it’s written more for writers than non-writers (since we’re the ones that get it) but feel free to pass it on to non-writerly friends and see if they understand it.

As I stated before, this is written for fun and to be taken lightly. I don’t look down on anyone who isn’t a writer, nor do I pretend that I know anything about anyone else’s careers. But if you’re not a writer, and you’re curious about what it’s really like, this list is for you.

What Non-Writers Should Know About Writers:

1. We’re writing even when we’re not writing. This includes staring out the window, staring into space in general, people watching, daydreaming… you get the idea. Just because we don’t have a pen in hand or a keyboard at our fingertips doesn’t mean we’re not doing something related to our project.

2. It actually takes a long time to get published. Years. When we finish a novel, it’s flattering that you ask when you’ll see it in Barnes & Noble, but after we write “The End”, we still have a long way to go.

An approximate order of events is: Plan the book, write the book, let the book sit for a little while, edit the book, send the book to beta readers, edit some more, write a query letter and synopsis, have the query letter critiqued, send queries out to agents, get rejected, edit some more, eventually get requests from agents, accept offer of representation, and then wait while the agent shops the book around to publishers. There’s even more waiting after that. Assuming, of course, that we land that agent in the first place. Many of us go back to writing another book and do it all over again.

3. It’s a tough career choice. We sometimes get accused of having it easy, just staying home and typing on the computer or getting paid to do nothing. If only. Every job has its ups and downs, and while someone might complain about, let’s say, the strict “9 to 5” schedule of an office job versus the flexibility of writing, there’s always a trade off. From what I hear, published writers worry about (very public) reviews on Amazon and Goodreads; unpublished writers agonize about (also public) critiques on queries or manuscripts. Sometimes we wish we could dive under our desks and hide from the rest of the world, but our jobs require us to have thick skin and endure brutally honest feedback.

4. Our characters are very real to us. More than you think. It’s not uncommon for us to talk to our characters or become our characters. We spend so much time with them, it would be strange if we didn’t know them so well. So if we talk about these fictional people as if we know them, (as in, “Oh my gosh, Logan has that same car!” when Logan is, in fact, not real. Yes, this actually happened a few weeks ago), please understand that to us, it’s almost the equivalent of talking about a friend or family member.

5. We’re crazy, but we’re not. Right, I know that sounds like it makes a ton of sense. We like to joke about how strange we are, but there’s method to our madness. (Note from Shelley: Gosh, I’m using a lot of clichés today. Oh, writers also self-correct a lot, especially about grammar, but that’s something else entirely.) See, when we’re muttering to ourselves – or to our characters, as mentioned above – we may look like we need a psychiatrist. But before you refer us to someone, please note that this is normal. We write more natural-sounding dialogue when we say it out loud. Same thing goes for observation. We might appear to be creepers sitting on a park bench, but we’re really just observing human interaction. (I don’t do the park bench thing, but I do pay close attention to strangers.)

6. Sometimes, our brain is still on writing when it shouldn’t be. If we’re in the query stage and you ask us about our book, don’t be alarmed if we: A) Shout the name of our book, since we’re used to typing THE TITLE OF OUR BOOK in all caps, or B) Say something like, “THE TITLE OF OUR BOOK is a paranormal romance complete at 80,000 words” when really, all you wanted was a short description of the plot. Oh, um, sorry about that. We also might make weird comments about how you’d make an interesting protagonist, or how we found a plot hole in real life!

7. Writers need other writers. Whether in-person, in the blog world, on forums, or any other place, we really value our writing community. It helps to have someone with whom we can groan and complain about our ever-so-slowly-progressing WIP, our painful revision process, the dread of query rejections, and other topics that non-writers might not understand. So if we seem like we’re just goofing off on the internet with our pretty little online journals, we’re usually doing much more than that. Usually. Sometimes.

8. Writers also need non-writers. Though writing is a huge part of our lives, we also need you. We do have other hobbies and interests, and we enjoy taking a break from writing in order to talk to you and be with you. Because as passionate as we are about our novels and short stories, people do come first. We do like it when you show genuine interest in our projects (and your approval and encouragement really means the world to us) but we don’t want to shove it down your throat. So remember, we’re still us and you’re still you, but there’s a huge part of us that’s off in another world sometimes, and we’d love it if you understood.

Whew, I apologize for the length of this post. Any thoughts from anyone of the writer OR non-writer variety?

100+ Followers!

2010-04-15T18:37:00.007-04:00

Just wanted to shout a huge THANK YOU to all of my followers! Every single one of you. Because this week, I reached the big 100.

(Photo credit: Disneyclips.com)

It's not because of me. I'm not even going to kid and say "I'm so awesome" because it's YOU, my dear friends! You're the reason why I have a blog. You leave all the rockin' comments, you keep the discussion going, and you encourage me to keep posting.

You guys are the best!

I'm truly thankful for our friendship, even if we're just internet pals. I love reading your blogs and your comments, and for those of you who I've emailed, I always look forward to hearing from you. (And if you don't email me and you want to, my address is in my profile. I'm a talker. Just ask E. Elle, I send her emails long enough to qualify for a short story submission. But I know how to keep it short, I promise.)

I thought about doing a contest, but I think I'm going to wait until the 150 or 200 mark, due to finances. (We just bought our first home -- yay! -- but it makes things a little tight.) But for now, I just want to say Thank You again. I love you guys.

I'll most likely return to our regular scheduled programming tomorrow, so stay tuned!

EDIT on 4/16: Just kidding, I'll have the next post tomorrow (Saturday), not today (Friday). It's been a busy week.

Off Topic: Fun with Wordle (plus Awards!)

2010-04-12T13:59:00.012-04:00

Two items on my To-Do list yesterday:

- Clean Bathrooms

- Work on Writing

Decisions, decisions...

I actually went with writing (both Saturday and Sunday -- it was amazing) and cleaned the bathrooms today instead. And hopefully, if time allows it, I'll be able to work on the next chapter tonight.

You guys have had some really neat blog posts over the past few days. Two of my lovely blog friends, Summer and Amy made word clouds from their writing using Wordle.net. I decided to do the same for my second novel, AVID HEIGHTS. Here's the result:

(It came out a little smaller than I expected. If you click on it, it should enlarge.)

Okay, so I know there are a bunch of overused words in there: like, just, one, know, asked, time, right, back...

Avid Heights was written for fun, just to keep me writing, and I'm not entirely sure if I want it published. If I decide to go back and edit, at least I can keep an eye out for these words. Thanks Summer & Amy for this idea!

What I liked best about this Wordle picture, though, is the awesome design. Notice the positioning of the names Corey and Ryley. They are the two male MCs (Sailor, the female MC, tells the story in first person), with Corey being "the city hero" and Ryley "the city villain". I love how the picture accentuates their rivalry, with Corey a bit above Ryley, the way he is in society. Love symbolism like that.

Anyway...

I received a bunch of awards forever ago and haven't given them out. Some of them aren't in my sidebar yet, because I'm contemplating making a slideshow or something to save space. You guys are just too nice, giving me awards all the time! Thank you so much!

From two wonderfully sweet bloggers, Nicole and Meika, I received the Sweet Blog Award:

I'll pass this along to:

E. Elle
Michelle
Shannon
Talli
Jennifer
Lisa

From Anne, whose awesome blog and WIP I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to, I received the Awesomesauce Award:

I'll pass this along to:

Karen
Jemi
Tara
Sarah
Hannah
SarahJayne

And from Jen and Christine, both fantastic blog friends, I received the Blogger Buddie Award:

I'll pass this along to:

Lola
Julie
Crystal
Tracy
Justine
Summer

If I gave you an award that you already have (sorry, I don't have time to check), please feel free to take another award from this page.

One last announcement -- If you're following me and I'm not following you, it's not that I don't like you. It's that when I click on your picture in the little box of "Blog Friends", no link comes up. Not sure if it's Blogger or if it's just my computer, but if you want me to swing by your blog, please leave me a comment. I'd be happy to do so!

Writer, Misunderstood

2010-04-10T11:35:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, I asked my husband if he would take a look at my latest revisions on my WIP. I told him that I really value his critique, because even though he's not a writer, his grammar is about a thousand times better than mine, and he's ridiculously good at finding plot holes. But I especially love that he can give me insight into the male mind and let me know if my male POV is accurate or not.

It's funny -- it was so obvious to Hubby, but I didn't realize until after I finished my first novel that I based my male MC on him. They're not exactly alike; there are some definite differences between them. But I feel like the more he reads my writing, the more he points out how similar they are. He even told me that he feels like he knows my character almost as well as I do, so he'll make sure I stay consistent in the narrative and not stray into a female-sounding POV during the male chapters.

The point of this post is not to brag and say "look how awesome my husband is," but actually sort of the opposite -- I'm spoiled living with a non-writer who understands me as a writer. He's a rare exception. Frankly, I doubt most of my non-writer friends really get me.

Ha. I'm amused with the concept of the "non-writer"... I feel like we're two different breeds: Writers, who have our own quirks and spew jargon like WIP, MS, POV, betas, queries, etc. And then non-writers, the normal ones who just don't get us. I feel like I've found my niche in this little writers' corner, but there's more to life than my Blogger circle, and the truth is, I'm pretty misunderstood in the real world.

What are some of your favorite stories of interactions with non-writers? Do you have friends or family that don't get the publishing process? People who ask you when your book is coming out... when you just finished writing it? How about those who think that all writing a novel requires is just sitting and typing words, no editing or outlining or putting any thought into the craft of writing?

I don't mean that everyone who isn't a writer is clueless. I've just noticed in my own life that the majority of non-writers are uninformed about the writing process. Then again, how much do I really know about anyone else's careers?

For a future post, I'd love to put together a list of Things Non-Writers Should Know About Writers, not in a snooty way, just for fun. Feel free to contribute an idea that you think should appear on this list.

Happy weekend, everyone!

She's Nice, But...

2010-04-07T20:06:00.007-04:00

Looking back on the past few months, I realized that I've met quite a number of new people in the real world, whether at work or through other friends or family. I like meeting new people. I'm not a total social butterfly, but I do like making friends.

But, when meeting one or two of these people, I remember saying afterward to my husband, "She's nice, but..."

Ack! Why did I say that? I should not be saying "nice, but..." (which, for the record, is not the same as "nice butt.") I'd like to think I'm not that judgmental of a person, and I realize that admitting this, I sound A) a little snobby, and B) human.

In my defense, I think the kinds of things I said were, "She's nice, but we have nothing in common" or "She's nice, but quiet" -- so it wasn't that I was saying something ridiculously mean. But still. Why couldn't I just leave it at "she's nice"?

This got me thinking about writing, because what doesn't?

For those of us who write in first person and third person limited (meaning, I guess, anything but third person omniscient), it's helpful to think about how we are introducing our characters. Readers are usually following one or two main characters around and trusting their judgments on all secondary characters. When MC meets the new girl next door, or the supervisor of a new job, or the cousin of a friend of an ex-lover, I think we should almost expect a "She's nice, but..." reaction.

Because aren't we all a little biased? Not even in a rude way, but how often does a main character meet someone and describe him or her completely objectively, with absolutely no judgment?

Here's an example from my second novel, AVID HEIGHTS (which hasn't been edited, so it's a little rough):

The passenger door opened and out popped a petite honey-blonde wearing a cowboy hat, white blouse, and khaki shorts that had evidently been cut from pants. And I was worried about my plaid.

The girl blew a kiss to the driver and the truck honked before pulling away. She galloped over to me in her high-heel tan leather boots. I gave her a tight smile and was about to ring the bell, but within a second she was in my personal space, squawking in my ear.

This is the narrator, Sailor, meeting another character, Dixie. I'd imagine if the MC was a hormonal teenage guy instead of a jaded 23-year-old girl, the reaction to this cute young blonde would be much different. Instead, as the scene continues, we learn that Sailor just finds her irritating.

Judgmental? Yes. But we have to remember through whose eyes we're reading, and though we trust the character's perspective, it's also good to remember that his/her impression is just an opinion.

Any thoughts on how characters view other characters? Do you think I'm a snob now? I'm actually not all that bad, I promise. Ha.

The Plot Hole That Saved My Life

2010-04-05T12:35:00.006-04:00

I'm back!

Thanks so much for all your sweet comments. I'd ask if you missed me, but as I began to recover a little over the past few days, I actually commented on a few of your blogs. So, really, you couldn't get rid of me if you tried. Ha.

I'm not feeling one hundred percent better, but this is the first day that I feel like I have enough energy to stay at the computer long enough to write a blog post. I had another topic planned for today (or whichever day "back to blogging day" would be), but then something happened while I was sick, and I just had to post about it.

One night, while in a NyQuil-induced sleep... (A shout out to Lola, who has also had her share of NyQuil this week!) ...I had a bizarre dream.

I dreamed that I was in a small room with a bunch of my family members, pencil and notebook in my hand, trying to work on some unknown WIP, when my mother told me, "They're locking us in here!" I glanced over at the far end of the room, where a man I didn't recognize stood at a door, the only exit.

"We're holding you hostage," he said, and then closed and locked the door, leaving us trapped with him.

We panicked for maybe a minute or so, but then we just decided to wait it out. Some people started playing board games. (How nice of the scary man to leave us Monopoly, really.) After a little while, I noticed my grandparents were missing. I swore had seen them in the room earlier. And then, just the way dreams work, they entered through the door, shopping bags in hand, having gone out for a while.

"Wait," I said, "They were able to leave with no consequences. The man let them go shopping, even though we're supposed to be hostages. It's a plot hole!" (Yes, I said "plot hole" in my dream, I'm that bad.)

Then I concluded, "We've been free all along."

Free all along. This sounded so inspirational when I first woke up, but now that I'm fully conscious, it doesn't sound as cool. But maybe this concept of freedom, paired with plot holes, actually means something. Maybe my mind is trying to tell me to free myself from agonizing over all these issues I'm finding in my books, and just write.

Or maybe it was just a dream generated randomly by my brain. Either way, I'm back and I'm ready to push past whatever insecurities I was feeling before and keep writing.

Questions for you today: Are you nerdy enough to dream about writing? (Bonus points to anyone who wakes up in a cold sweat, muttering "Adverbs...") Otherwise, what is it that keeps you working on your writing even when you're doubting yourself?

Signing Off For A Few Days

2010-03-29T21:13:00.004-04:00

Burning sore throat.

Massive ear ache.

Pounding headache.

Nausea.

No voice.

Woke up Sunday morning with whatever this is. Been trying to stay in good spirits and just let myself rest for a few days, (which is hard for me -- I'm so tempted to do work OR beat myself up for not doing anything) so I'm taking a little break from the blog world. As if I wasn't already behind before.

Gosh, always something with me, right?

Miss you all, and can't wait to catch up with your blogs later this week! <3

A Question About Settings

2010-03-27T10:28:00.008-04:00

Our current house hunting situation has had me thinking about the homes and other settings of my characters. I know it's not uncommon for writers to have a very clear image of the settings in their books, so here's a question for you: Where do you get your settings from? Do they resemble buildings that you know in real life, or do you make them up? I'm mostly talking interior settings, since a lot of exterior places (parks and streets) are often taken from real life neighborhoods anyway.

One of my characters lives in a split-level home, very similar to the house I lived in until I was eight years old. The layout of the apartment she moves into is loosely based upon an apartment I had in college. My other book has a pet store that I imagine looks much like the pet store at our local mall.

But then there are some homes and buildings in my books that I can't quite figure out. I can see them in my head so clearly, but I have no clue where they came from. I must have gotten the idea of the setting first (e.g. this scene takes place in a restaurant) and then when I began that scene, the setting must have just revealed itself to me. Strange how that works.

I'd love to hear any of your input on how you write settings. Also, if you don't write contemporary stories, or if you write fantasy, or anything else that might be different, feel free to chime in with that too.

In other news, thank you for all your guesses on my Truth/Lies list! Here are the answers:

1. I HATE sneakers. They're ugly, they smell bad, and they remind me of gym class. I would live in flip flops the rest of my life if I could.

FALSE - I live in sneakers. I love flip flops, too, and I can see why someone would hate sneakers, but I wear them more than any other footwear.

2. I've lived in six different states, all on the East Coast.

FALSE - I grew up in New Jersey, went to college in Pennsylvania, and I'm now living in Maryland. So, two or three states, depending on if you count college.

3. The first and only time I've been to Disney World was on my honeymoon, and I almost cried at all the amazing things I missed as a kid.

FALSE - I actually went to Disney World a lot as a kid. I know the place really well.

4. In high school, a friend of mine dared me to stand up in the cafeteria and sing "I'm A Little Teapot", complete with hand motions. I did... and some people actually clapped for me!

FALSE - Oh, gosh no! I was the shyest thing in high school. But kudos to those of you who thought I actually did this.

5. Every once in a while, I like to dress up as a character from Pokemon. In public.

TRUE - Yes, I might have been shy in high school, but in college, my boyfriend-now-husband and I discovered cosplaying, which is going to an anime/comic convention dressed up as (and sometimes acting like) a fictional character. We've done five different costumes, and two are from Pokemon. Sounds silly, but we're actually award-winning cosplayers for both our costumes and our acting. One day I'll have to post pictures/videos...

6. I can't shop at Target anymore. I started noticing that I felt sick every time I walked into the store. Later, I realized that all the red gives me migraines!

FALSE - I just made this up on the spot. I do get migraines, but I haven't gotten them from Target. Yet. I kind of wouldn't be surprised if this started happening, though.

7. When I was 16, I asked a member of a certain boyband out on a date. He said no, but he was very nice about it.

FALSE - I did meet the boys of Plus One (a boyband in the early 2000s) and did crush on one of them pretty hard... and gave him a picture of me and him to keep (we'd met before)... and hugged him... twice. But no, I couldn't ask him out. I was creepy enough without the date invitation!

There ya have it! I appreciate all the guesses, that was fun!

Truths and Lies

2010-03-25T21:49:00.005-04:00

Here's a "Truth" for you: My real life has been incredibly busy. Hubby and I are house hunting -- we've seen some that we like, but we're still trying to make a decision -- plus work and other obligations on top of that, and I'm swamped. I've hardly been blogging, and I've been writing even less, if that says anything. So, I apologize for the lack of "stories" on Stories In The Ordinary. I'll get back on track soon, don't worry!

I've received quite a number of awards lately, and while I'm very appreciative, I don't have the time to post them all or to choose individual bloggers to pass them on to. But I will mention the very sweet blog friends who have been so thoughtful to pass these along to me:

The wonderful, one and only Nicole Ducleroir awarded me the Soulmate Award, a hilarious and creative award made by Christi Goddard.

I encourage you to check out the link above to Christi's blog to see what it's all about. I wish I had more time so I could play along, because it's a lot of fun to read! Thank you, Nicole, for thinking of me!

Christi also awarded me the Silver Lining Award:

If you haven't already, check out Christi's blog. She creates awards and generously gives them, too!

Two fabulous bloggers, Julie Dao and Lola Sharp, awarded me with the Sugar Doll award and the Prolific Blogger award respectively. Thank you so much, guys!

And finally (at least I think! Gosh, if I forgot someone, please bonk me on the head and let me know!), the lovely Crystal awarded me with the "Creative Writer" award! I'm actually going to participate in this one because, well, I admit it, I've had my eye on this award for a while and so I'd already thought of my list.

Six Lies and One Truth:

1. I HATE sneakers. They're ugly, they smell bad, and they remind me of gym class. I would live in flip flops the rest of my life if I could.

2. I've lived in six different states, all on the East Coast.

3. The first and only time I've been to Disney World was on my honeymoon, and I almost cried at all the amazing things I missed as a kid.

4. In high school, a friend of mine dared me to stand up in the cafeteria and sing "I'm A Little Teapot", complete with hand motions. I did... and some people actually clapped for me!

5. Every once in a while, I like to dress up as a character from Pokemon. In public.

6. I can't shop at Target anymore. I started noticing that I felt sick every time I walked into the store. Later, I realized that all the red gives me migraines!

7. When I was 16, I asked a member of a certain boyband out on a date. He said no, but he was very nice about it.

So... any guesses? I'll reveal the truth in the next post.

I'm sorry to be such a lame blog friend, but I'm giving any and all of the above awards to any of my followers. Please, don't hesitate to grab any of them!

Hope you all have a nice weekend!

It's Award Time... Again!

2010-03-23T13:24:00.007-04:00

I've been saving up awards for who knows how long. Sorry for appearing greedy. I'm just super busy.

First up is the Prolific Blogger award, given to me by two incredible bloggers, E. Elle at The Writer's Funhouse, and Anne at Piedmont Writer. They are two of my favorite blogs to check out. E's just got a fabulous blog makeover, and Anne always has something worth your time to read!

I'm going to pass this on to some newer friends of mine, whose blogs I enjoy reading:

Julie Dao at Silver Lining
SarahJayne Smythe at Writing in the Wilderness
Crystal Cook at Write Because You Must
Tiffany at Something About Everything

I apologize if any of you have received this award already, but I thought of you guys. :)

Next up is the Supportive Commenter Award from Shannon at Book Dreaming. I absolutely love Shannon's blog, and I encourage you to check it out!

I'm passing this onto some faithful commenters. It was really tough to narrow it down to only a few, because I really do have the best followers and commenters in the world. But I've decided to pass this award along to:

Theresa Milstein at Substitute Teacher's Saga
Anne at Piedmont Writer
Jennifer Walkup at Wonderings, Wanderings and Writing
Jen Daiker at Unedited
Joanne at Whole Latte Life

And we're not even done yet!

I received two "activity" awards, which requires me to share something. Rather than saturate this post, I'm going to post one today and one later this week.

Jemi at Just Jemi, a wonderful blog I always make sure to check out, gave me my choice of a few awards. I chose to go with the tag game of likes/dislikes.

• I like when I have a productive day.
• I like being organized... the rare times that I can be organized!
• I like watching a show or playing video games with my husband. Well, I like any time I spend with him.
• I like putting hot sauce or Italian dressing on majority of foods I eat (but not both sauces together!)
• I like homemade brownies. Not with hot sauce or Italian dressing.
• I like when the book I'm reading is so good, I don't even realize how fast I'm flying through it.
• I like wearing black. A lot. To the point that an old roommate made fun of me for it (story for another post, friends.)
• I like making kids smile.
• I like the occasional satisfaction I feel after reading something I wrote.

• I love a great conversation with someone I care about, especially if it involves laughter.

• Today is/was a day I was anxious about, but it actually turned out okay. :)

• I hate when people hurt others on purpose.
• I hate everything about my hair, which is probably why I cut and color it often.
• I hate getting up early.
• I hate animal cruelty and child abuse.
• I hate when I'm unable to solve a problem for somebody.
• I hate when I type a comment on someone's blog, then realize I'm not signed in and have to copy/paste and go through it again. Google, why can't you just keep me logged in??
• I hate the fact that the people I love are so far away.

• I (secretly) like some of the pop and hip hop music on the radio. Shhh.

• I love my family and friends! I couldn't ask for better people in my life!

For this one, I'm tagging all of my followers. If you want to fill out your likes, go right ahead! Stay tuned for the Bold Faced Liar award later this week.

A Boy In The Girls' Room

2010-03-19T21:58:00.000-04:00

I'm still a little behind on posting and commenting on blogs, (and I have a few awards to hand out as well) but I'll do my best to catch up this weekend. In the meantime...

A few weeks ago, I subbed for an elementary school art teacher who had a kindergarten class at the end of the day. For those of you who teach or sub, you probably know that kindergarten can be adorable and fun... but they can also be exhausting and difficult.

I had one boy in particular who made my day a bit challenging. We'll call him David. My initial impression of David was that he was a sweet little five-year-old, eager to please. He handed me a folded piece of paper that read, "I Love You." Awww, right? Until the girl next to him started to cry, because he had ripped off the corner of her paper to use for the note!

(Off topic story real quick: That wasn't the only note I got from a kindergarten student that day. Another boy gave me one that said, "You are a nice teacher. I live behind [Grocery Store]." Priceless!)

So, I kept an eye on David, who was still a sweet kid, but just had a knack for getting in trouble. He asked me if he could go to the bathroom, so I let him go. A few minutes later, he returned to the classroom, doing that I-have-to-go-potty dance.

"What happened? You didn't go to the bathroom?" I asked.

"There was a spider in the boys' room!" David cried. "Can you kill it for me?"

"I can't, David. I have to stay here and teach the rest of the class. I can try to find someone to take care of it for you..."

Then he pointed to one of his friends. "Can I take him with me to the bathroom? Maybe I won't be scared."

I gave him permission to bring his (male) friend to the bathroom with him. They came back to the classroom minutes later, neither of them doing a potty dance. Good sign. But when a little girl tapped me on the arm and said, "David and [his friend] went to the bathroom in the girls' room," things did not look good for David.

Because, just in time, another staff member happened to walk in. When I told her the situation, she was fuming. She pulled David aside and gave him a strict and memorable lecture.

"Don't you ever, ever, EVER, go into a girls' bathroom again! Not even for the littlest reason! A girl should never go into a boys' bathroom, so you should never go into theirs! Ever!"

Did I mention she said "ever"?

I let my writer hat creep onto my head for a moment, and I wished that David was one of my characters. I would take this situation in his early childhood and burn it into his memory. I imagined David as a high schooler in gym class, playing basketball with his classmates when the ball bounces out of the gym and into an adjacent room. The girls' room.

"Go get it, David," someone says. "No one's looking."

But he remembers kindergarten too well. Don't you EVER.

That's the thing about working with kids. I often wonder how much of what they're experiencing now is going to stay with them years down the road. And when I build my characters, I also take a glimpse into their childhoods to see what significant moments have affected them. It might not be as silly as going into the opposite bathroom, but then again, we as adults do remember the strangest things!

Any thoughts on specific childhood memories, either in your own life or in your characters'? Have you given any thought to your adult characters' childhood?

Status Report - March 16th

2010-03-16T20:00:00.000-04:00

I realized that I don't really mention what I'm doing in my writing life. I love keeping up with what you all are writing, editing, querying, and planning, but I don't really share what I'm up to. Not trying to be secretive. I think I'm just absent-minded.

So I've decided to include Status Reports every once in a while on Stories In The Ordinary, for those who are interested in my progress.

(Ha. Progress. As if I'm really getting anywhere. Haha.)

I have two novels completed. Here's a little bit about them:

Novel #1 is contemporary romance, just shy of meeting the YA criteria, I think. I queried this book last year under the name BARELY EVEN FRIENDS, but as I'm doing a drastic rewrite, including switching from third person to first, I've decided to change the title. Right now I'm deciding between a few, but I'll let you all know what I eventually decide to name it.

I described this story in an email to a friend as "kind of a modern day Beauty and the Beast story... A nineteen-year-old girl leaves her suburban home for Philadelphia and meets a guy on the train who is initially not very friendly but needs a roommate. She moves in with him, and though she tries to fight it, falls in love with him." (How cheap am I, copying and pasting a description of my own book? Actually I'm more tired than cheap.)

Novel #2 is commercial fiction, titled AVID HEIGHTS. I just finished this novel in January, and I'm giving it a little rest while I work on Novel #1. Hubby started reading it not long ago, and after reading only the first two chapters, he already found multiple plot holes. Sadly, he hasn't even gotten to (what I think is) the worst part yet! So, if I want Avid Heights to go anywhere, I'm prepared for a major rewrite.

In the same email to a friend (Look at me, ripping off again!) I describe Avid Heights as "taking place in a futuristic city that has no law enforcement and instead relies on a superhero to make the citizens feel safe. The main character is a girl fresh out of college who gets a job working as the sidekick to the superhero's nemesis. She ends up falling for the hero, which is a big no-no due to her job, and gets tangled in a bunch of lies in order to start a relationship with him."

To boil this long status report down to a sentence answering "What am I doing right now?" -- I'm rewriting my first novel while ignoring my second, trying not to worry about those plot holes until I'm ready to edit.

I'm taking a day off work tomorrow so hubby and I can go apartment/house hunting all day, so I might be a little behind in commenting on blogs, but I should be back on track later in the week. In the meantime, I'd like to know, writers, what are you up to right now? Some bloggers post regular updates on their writing progress. Others (like me) may not mention it at all. But I'm just curious what you're working on this week.

First-time visitors, feel free to comment too! In my opinion, learning about what someone is writing can tell you a lot about them, and no better way to introduce yourself!

P.S. Something that made my week awesome so far: I won Nicole Ducleroir's 100+ Followers Contest! There's a reason why she has so many followers. I don't know anyone who wouldn't want to follow her blog! Check it out if you haven't before. I know you'll like it. :)