ink slingers

Book(s) of the Month July Edition

2011-07-31T21:57:00.000-07:00

* 13 Reasons Why
An amazing story told in two voices (and two times) about the string of events leading up to a teenage girl committing suicide (including the opportunities others had to intervene). Highly, highly recommend - a heartbreaking story with an inspiring and emotional ending. I want to give this book to every reader I know. Please, don't fear the heavy topic, it's worth the risk.

* Anna and the French Kiss
Read this one by candlelight during the great Chicago power outage. Laugh at me all you want, but I still contend this bears a shocking resemblance to my freshman year of college... except that I was in West Lafayette, Indiana instead of Paris. I was able to laugh hysterically as I read because, in the end, I married the boy.

* The Maze Runner
My attempt to get back to reading things in my action/adventure genre of choice. Unfortunately, I think I read the end in my sleep somewhere between 1am and 3am - need a refresher before moving on to book two.

* Captain America
Okay, this is a movie, not a book. It was alright, I'd probably give it a grade somewhere in the "B" neighborhood, but it kind of stuck with me. I don't want to be little miss spoiler alert here, but I want to go on the record as stating that 'if you didn't actually see the body, don't believe he's dead.' That's probably a good rule for most fiction, actually - don't you think? (See: Pettigrew, Peter - all they ever found was a finger.)

I've read enough and designed enough plots of my own to get that prickly feeling at the back of my neck that tells me when something's not quite right. In Captain America, "Him" being dead didn't sit well with me, so I did a little research in to 'Avengers' lore, followed by a victory dance when all signs pointed to "Him" being resurrected, assuming the franchise continues. Am I the only one who looks in to things like this? Obsessive compulsive fan-girl I may be, and I can live with that.

We saw Cowboys and Aliens, too - there was a lot of icky slime and Harrison Ford was cranky. My Intern loved it.

** WILDEFIRE CONTEST **
This is my Debut Author Challenge book for the month, so if you'd like to enter to win a copy, you can enter the contest here.

Book of the Month: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard!

2011-07-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

For the month of June I was a good little reader, because not only did I finally manage to read one book, I ended up reading three! And these books are part of the fabulous PRETTY LITTLE LIARS series by Sara Shepard! Today, for those of you who haven't read the series, I'll just review the first one, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. Here's the summery from Goodreads:

Three years ago, Alison disappeared after a slumber party, not to be seen since. Her friends at the elite Pennsylvania school mourned her, but they also breathed secret sighs of relief. Each of them guarded a secret that only Alison had known. Now they have other dirty little secrets, secrets that could sink them in their gossip-hungry world. When each of them begins receiving anonymous emails and text messages, panic sets in. Are they being betrayed by some one in their circle? Worse yet: Is Alison back? A strong launch for a suspenseful series.

Sounds awesome, no? The first thing you should know about this series is to not let the Barbie-like cover fool you. It may look like a harmless MG novel on the outside, but on the inside...it's YA all the way, baby! This book is amazing, it's dark, suspenseful, creepy and full of secrets and lies and twists and turns that'll leave you guessing all the way to the very end!

I also love how the book is told from four POVs! I can hardly handle writing from one, let alone four! But Sara's got it in the bag! I also love how she "goes there" throughout the story, exploring tough subjects such as a student-teacher romance, an eating disorder, infidelity, and figuring out your true sexuality.

Sara explores these subjects with honesty and really makes you experience the feelings that accompany these subjects as if your the one experiencing them, while all the while mixing in a creepy murder mystery, a relentless stalker and of course swoon-worthy boys and kissing!

I devoured this book in just three days and quickly began eating up the rest! In fact, I'm ready to start reading book four! So, take it from me: don't judge a book by it's cover, you might just be surprised at (and love!) what lies between its pages!

Now, go forth my friends and READ THIS BOOK! You won't be sorry! :)

~Ella

Book of the Month: The Zusak!

2011-07-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to read a few good books this month, including:

- HOURGLASS (to satisfy my time travel wants and needs; I need more time travel in my life)
- CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS (to confirm once again that Jace Wayland-Morgenstern-Herondale-Lightwood-Jingleheimerschmidt is one of my favorite guy characters EVER)
- BUT I LOVE HIM (which I talked about just a little bit here)

But the best book I read this month was a blast from the past: I AM THE MESSENGER by Markus Zusak (which has become affectionately known in my household as simply 'The Zusak.'

SUMMARY
Ed Kennedy is an underaged cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That's when the first ace arrives in the mail. That's when Ed becomes the messenger.

Markus Zusak is better known for THE BOOK THIEF, which I read and loved several years ago - but for some reason, I never investigated whether or not he wrote more books. The answer is yes, I've found three others so far. For now, let's dive in to I AM THE MESSENGER to see what we can glean from his Aussie genius.

CONVERSATIONAL VOICE

I AM THE MESSENGER is told in first person, almost as though you're sitting in a pub next to Ed (our narrator) and he's just talking to you. He makes this look deceptively easy, the way he unfolds the story and gives you all of these tangenty-asides. I'm thinking your average newbie writer would NEVER get away with half of this stuff.

The story begins with Ed face down on the floor of a bank during a robbery - and his best friend is on the floor next to him, antagonizing the robber despite the fact that he's waving a gun around. About four pages in, we get this aside in terms of a pseudo-introduction to Ed:

(My full name's Ed Kennedy. I'm nineteen. I'm an underage cabdriver. I'm typical of many of the young men you see in this suburban outpost of the city - not a whole lot of prospects or possibility. That aside, I read more books than I should, and I'm decidedly crap at sex and doing my taxes. Nice to meet you.)

Zusak is breaking a few rules there. Brownie points if you can find them all.

But the whole thing is like that - conversational.

HEART: FROM HILARITY TO HEARTBREAK IN SECONDS

This book made me laugh out loud to the point that the other residents in my house started making me read it out loud. That didn't last long because Zusak uses words I don't like to say (go ahead, call me a prude - I don't care). I also got all misty-eyed several times, and Zusak had my emotions turning on a dime. You couldn't get comfortable because it changed so quickly. In a good way.

This story has heart. Depth of emotion that tugs you around. You care about the main characters. You care about the "extras" that flit in and out. You care about the stupid dog and the obnoxious supporting cast. You care about the bullies and the criminals. You see yourself in just about all of them at one time or another.

I like to use the books I read as measuring sticks - HUNGER GAMES is the gold standard in pacing; A TALE OF TWO CITIES is the gold standard in endings; Zusak may be my gold standard in heart. Must conduct more research before declaring for sure.

PLAYING WITH LANGUAGE

Another thing I appreciate about Markus Zusak is the way he plays with words (tools he uses to jerk your emotions around). And it wasn't just the words he chose, it was the way he used linebreaks on the page. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it, and I sure as hell suck at this sort of wordplay myself. Maybe I'll just post a couple examples...

A dark wind makes its way through the trees.
The sky is nervous. Black and blue.
My heart applauds inside my ears, first like a roaring crowd, then slows and slows until it's a solitary person, clapping with unbridled sarcasm.
Clap. Clap.
Clap.
Well done, Ed.
Well given up.

---

I open the curtain to look outside.
Nothing.
I get past the Doorman and stand on the front porch.
"Hello?" I call out.
But again, there's nothing.
The breeze looks away - almost embarrassed at having watched - and I'm left there standing. Alone.

THE TAKEAWAY

In the beginning, Ed's a self-proclaimed loser. He seems himself pretty clearly (and by the way, I'm enjoying all of the books featuring self-aware characters lately - ones that don't think too much or too little of themselves, ones that have a good handle on their strengths and weaknesses and are just honest with us - keep those coming, down with false humility!).

Some mysterious, omniscient someone starts sending Ed cards with clues on them - clues to other situations he's assigned to resolve (much like he resolved the bank robbery at the beginning). Each "mission" almost reads like a short story, getting us invested in the people he has to help.

But all of these short missions weave together to grow Ed out of loserdom. Ed learns a lot about himself through studying and helping others. There are a LOT of takeaways, the text is rich with some pretty serious dagger moments that convict the reader, make you want to look at yourself, to DO something. If Ed can do it, so can I!

So what is this book really about? It's about challenging yourself to step outside of yourself, to get involved in a stranger's life (in a hopefully constructive, non-creepy way). It's about the hope that we can grow ourselves into a better people. That every day we can choose to do the little things - things that seem tiny, insignificant on the surface but can turn someone else completely around. It's about whether or not we're willing to take the risk of caring.

To close, I will now be reading the collected works of Markus Zusak. Please, join me.

June Confessional....

2011-06-30T00:37:00.000-07:00

Uh I'm not so sure what I'm going to do. That's confession one.

I have college coming up and I have NO idea what I'm doing. I pride myself on having a sense of direction and you know purpose...but college is scary and big (alright well mine isn't that big but not the point...) and I'm going in blind. Big life transitions aren't my strong suit. I fight change. I understand its purpose, and that nothing can stay the same or the world would cease to be but that doesn't mean I have to like change.

Confession two...I a terrified of snakes. I bring this up because the other night my dad was watching some show and there were snakes. Like these people were catching them, for fun. And it freaked me out. So badly, it made me make him change the channel.

Confession three... Parker and Hardison! I don't even know what their relationship is yet, because I'm pretty sure they don't know but the point is they are together and it made me really happy. Like flail around jump up and down with the clicker in my hand happy. That is sad. I know but it is what it is.

Four, I maybe haven't woken up before noon for two weeks in a row now...don't judge but I've been working and then get home and have stuff to do so I'm up late. And then I sleep.

I think that is it. June was kind of uneventful. Uh how did I do?

Oh the Search...

2011-06-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

In life we search for a lot of things. Some things we are not ashamed to share others...not so much. Following Bethany R's lead I've decided to open up my history and take a gander at what I've been searching via Google and other lovely search engines. If the FBI is following up on me they may be a slight bit concerned.

First and foremost I had Fred Weasley Fanfic, okay don't judge me but with the final coming up I've been focusing in on my favorite character and his inevitable tragedy. This is a SPOILER. If you haven't read the books by now well then, you missed the train by four years. Fred is killed by a WALL. Not okay. And so I have been conducting what I am calling the "Epic Reread" in which I reread every single Harry Potter book. Including all the little companions JKR came out with, such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Though the Ages, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. So I have been dabbling into the imaginations of others--Just for the record I do not read HP fanfic that is AU (it just annoys me because more likely than not the writing is not too mind blowing, occasionally I will find one that is beautifully written and therefore I do indulge), or where it is Character X and OC, I don't know I just prefer things to be a little closer to the original -- with a special focus on Fred, George, Draco, Snape etc. all my favorites. But especially Fred.

Then there is POTTERMORE. I tried to make this page my homepage but it wouldn't take, so I've left the window open for the past week, along with the countdown clock that was available on youtube, waiting for it to come online. I got my butt up super early this morning to watch the countdown tick to zero and enjoy the launch of the site. I love JKR have I mentioned that yet because that woman is my hero, and I'm pretty sure I'd spontaneously combust if I ever met her.

Next up are the things that may have placed me onto the FBI watch list...I've been looking up how to hot wire cars, pick locks, make a potato gun, forge Ids, etc...all for a new story about criminal life and things, I'm still just in the beginning stages so I'm not sharing anymore details than that with anyone but my critique group, (I love you girls!) and my besties whom I see every day--we write during school together so yeah they are my trampoline I bounce ideas off of them, and sentences sometimes I just can't form sentences without them.

Then there was the Amazon pages. I've been living on Amazon forever, and recently it seems like I spend even more time browsing pages looking up new books I've heard of and searching for books that might catch my eye or help me to improve my writing (you can always find room for improvement!). So there is like at least two hundred items on my Amazon recently searched/viewed list, and I'm pretty sure that was just from like the last few days.

That is my search engine confession...what's yours?

My Poor Google...

2011-06-19T14:16:00.001-07:00

I may really regret asking this question, friends - but what are some of the wacky things you've Googled in the name of WiP research?

I've been feeling a little ashamed of my search history lately, what with my husband asking why I was looking into marriage annulment, very large diamonds, and drinking games... not to mention that I now have extensive knowledge of EXACTLY what menu items are available in baseball stadium luxury suites.

Now it's your turn to confess: If I looked at your Google history, what item would make you defensively rip your laptop away from me and yell, "IT WAS FOR RESEARCH FOR SERIOUS DON'T JUDGE ME!!!"

Wrestling With Dialogue

2011-06-17T00:28:00.000-07:00

I don’t know who said this, but I dislike them anyway. They make it sound like if you aren’t a dialoguing natural then you’re doomed, but it isn’t that way at all.

I’m not exactly a world class conversationalist, so it isn’t surprising that I suck at dialog. Then again apparently, I’m not a lone. I was surprised to learn that a lot of people struggle with dialogue. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

One of the problems for me is that there is a lot of advise floating around out there about writing good dialogue. I’m in desperate need of that advise, but sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s just blowing steam and who can actually help. Take this quote for example…

"The best way to send information is to wrap it up in a person."
- Robert Oppenheimer

It sounds like solid writing advise, and the name sounds somewhat familiar, so my first instinct was that his opinions must be relevant. Wrong. It turns out Robert Oppenheimer was the director of the Manhattan Project during World War II. He helped create the atomic bomb not the great American novel. So chances are he isn’t going to be able to help me.

Then there are the articles that are helpful just not in the right way. They’re written by published authors. They have bullet points. Everything points at them offering you good information, so you start reading. It isn’t until you get half way through the incredibly long article that you realize that while the tips are helpful in making the dialogue count they just don’t actually help you write the dialog in the first place.

Finally there are the article that look helpful but really aren’t. They have bullet points too. They’re at the top of the Google list, and they’re peer based. What could be better? A lot depending on the peers. Just because someone claims to know how to write good doesn’t mean that they can actually help you write good dialog. It’s one of those cases where the phrase “those who can do and those who can’t teach” really comes back to bite the reader. Someone who’s clueless isn’t always the best teacher.

“You can't worry about what your mother will think of your fiction.”

-Terence M. Green's

Some of the best advise I’ve found on writing dialog hasn’t come from Googling “how to write good dialogue in a story.” It’s come from Googling authors who’ve written Newberry Medal Winners, Caldicot Award Winners, and Hugo Award Winners. Now those guys know how to write amazing dialogue, and in a lot of cases they’re willing to give some helpful hints those of us who struggle with dialogue (or any number of other writing corner stones).

The most helpful article by far I’ve found was written by Robert J. Sawyer. He didn’t just talk about what should come before and after dialogue or the importance of making it short. He went into detail about how people talk and how to take the canned stuff our minds create and turn it into something a real person would say. He ever covered using swear words in, which gives him major brownie points in my book.

Anyway, happy hunting, and if you find any good tips out there please pass them back my way.

-Aaron

THE SEVENTH MILE - THE ART OF FINISHING

2011-06-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

I recently conducted some statistical analysis on my life and discovered a phenomenon I've termed "The Seventh Mile."

Memorial Day weekend I participated in the Soldier Field 10-mile Run (for which I acquired the shiny new t-shirt I am currently wearing). I trained for months prior to the race (following a program), and got to a place where I could consistently run 6.5 miles any time I wanted. I ran it very slowly, but always with a predictable result.

You know what happened the day of the race? When I reached that seventh mile, my body assumed I was done. That's what I'd trained it to do - go about seven miles and then stop.

About a year ago, I started working seriously on my second manuscript. When it was about two-thirds of the way finished, I decided to set it aside for an idea that I thought would be more marketable. Now, that third manuscript is also two-thirds of the way done.

I'm nothing if not consistent.

And I'm in danger of training my writer-brain into a rut - a repeatable result of coming up short. There is something to be said for getting rep's in the art of finishing.

I watch a lot of sports and study a lot of athletes. When you look at your Kobe Bryants and Peyton Mannings, the experts always want to talk about how they prepare, train, maintain control and relish the clutch moments - because they are READY for them.

I want to pattern my writing life after them. I want to study the competition, do fundamental exercises, study the craft and the business... I want to be the best conditioned, the most prepared, etc so that I never fall into the seventh mile trap again.

During the run, I walked that seventh mile. I nursed my fatigue and my side stitch and put one foot in front of the other. When I got to mile eight, I felt better. And when I hit mile nine, I could actually SEE the finish line and struggled to control my adrenaline so that I didn't run too fast and completely burn myself out.

The point is, I finished. It wasn't pretty, but I made it. And the same thing will happen with my WiP (both of them, actually). You don't get style point for your process - just your finished product. One keystroke at a time, I'll give it a beginning, a middle, and an end. Even if it sucks, I will practice the art of finishing.

(Note: The InkSlinger topic this week is "What I would skip if I could" - in case it isn't clear, I'd bulldoze through that 66.7% completion point. Every time.)

(Double Note: Giving away a copy of DIVERGENT + a bonus book at the end of the day Monday - comment here to enter, IT'S SO EASY!)

Wake Up to a Darn Good Book

2011-06-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

Caitlin Decter is young, pretty, feisty, a genius at math—and blind. Still, she can surf the net with the best of them, following its complex paths clearly in her mind. But Caitlin’s brain long ago co-opted her primary visual cortex to help her navigate online. So when she receives an implant to restore her sight, instead of seeing reality, the landscape of the World Wide Web explodes into her consciousness, spreading out all around her in a riot of colors and shapes. While exploring this amazing realm, she discovers something—some other —lurking in the background. And it’s getting more and more intelligent with each passing day…

It’s been a long time since I read a book that pulled me in so absolutely. From the cover to the story line to the character to the pacing Wake truly is a work of art.

Robert Sawyer took the phrase “all good things comes to those who wait” to heart when setting out the pacing for his story. Caitlin doesn’t immediately get her sight back as soon as she gets the implant, and Webmind doesn’t pop into existence as a fully formed sentient genius. They both have to go through a lot of trial and error to progress to the next step in their journeys, and sometimes it’s only by blind luck that they make it to the next step at all. If it weren’t for these realistic bouts of trial and error the two of them would never have discovered each other, and their struggles go to show that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination although the destination was pretty darn important too.

I also found the secondary characters captivating. They weren’t stock characters. Each one was unique and real. There was the research scientist who loves Abba and who traveled half way around the world, leaving his family behind, to help Caitlin. I especially loved the way Sawyer developed the characters over time. He started by introducing us to them without visual descriptions, and then as Caitlin ability to perceive the world changes so does her perception of the people in her life.

My favorite parts were Caitlin’s interactions with her dad. She spent the first part of the book wondering why he was so distant and trying to connect with, and it wasn’t until much later that it was finally reveled why it was so difficult for them to connect. I don’t want to spoil the surprise so I’m not going to say what the difficulty was, but it was a dynamic that really hit close to home for me. Major plot arc aside I’d recommend Wake based solely on that dynamic.

-Aaron

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

2011-06-07T01:36:00.000-07:00

During the month of May I had the huge pleasure of reading an amazing Middle Grade called A Tale Dark and Grimm by the clever and talented Adam Gidwitz. I don't read a lot of MG, but I'm so glad I decided to read this one! Here's the summary from Adam's website:

Reader, beware.

Warlocks with dark spells, hunters with deadly aim, and bakers with ovens retro-fitted for baking children lurk within these pages.

But if you dare,

Follow Hansel and Gretel as they walk out of their own story and into the wilds—where magic, terror, and a little bit of humor shine like white pebbles lighting the way.

Come on in. It may be frightening, and it’s certainly bloody, but, unlike those other fairy tales you know, this one is true.

Once upon a time, you see, fairy tales were awesome.

I loved this book. From the first page I was hooked, laughing, gasping, and crinkling my nose in disgust. This book has it all! My favorite parts were when the author himself would cut in during the story to offer his own bits of humorous wisdom or advice. This book would be great to read aloud at bedtime or in the classroom and I think it would delight both kids and adults alike! I'm 22 and in college and I loved it! What's awesome about this book is that Adam takes familiar (and not so familiar) fairytales and turns them upside down to create a story full of action, adventure, sibling loyalty, a little romance, a little blood, and finding a place to belong in the world. I highly recommend this book! :)

~Ella

May Recap in Books and Confessions

2011-06-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

Confessions of the Month of May:
1. I ran 10 miles Memorial Day Weekend.
2. I discovered, through lots of trial and error, that the latest version of IE is not exactly compatible with Blogger's "publish post" button.
3. I read a LOT, so let's talk best books of the month!

The two books I enjoyed the most:
* Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
* Divergent by Veronica Roth

What I loved most about these books:
* CLOCKWORK ANGEL: Comparing and contrasting Clare's two leading men, Jace Wayland and Will Herondale. For anyone else who has read both - please skip over to my post and TALK about these two with me, I'm fascinated by how Clare put them together.
* As I posted, DIVERGENT met me right where I was - and then today I had the privilege of meeting author Veronica Roth, and listening to her speak (along with Katie Crouch and Daniel Kraus) at Chicago's Printers Row Lit Fest.

I highly recommend both of these (and for Clare's, I don't think you need to have read any of the Mortal Instruments to read Clockwork Angel - it's a companion series - similar but different).

I also highly recommend Veronica Roth's blog, especially if you've already read DIVERGENT. She writes about bravery in her novel, and fear on her blog - enlightening to see both sides of her thought process.

Some highlights from the "Young and Restless" panel at the Lit Fest:

ON INFLUENCES:
* Daniel Kraus cited Steven King as a major inspiration, especially in the plotting and general feel of his work. If you're in to King-esque scary/creepy, check out Kraus.
* Veronica Roth listed a lot of Sci-Fi, including Dune, Ender's Game, The Giver, and 1984. She says that as a writer "what you put into your brain eventually seeps out" - we internalize the books we love and it becomes a part of our own work.
* Katie Crouch listed all the great "Southern" writers, such as Faulkner, but also listed John Green.

ON INSPIRATION:
* Daniel Kraus got the idea for his book ROTTERS (about an apprentice grave robber) while he was working as a camera man for a TV new affiliate. He was literally trying to out-run a hurricane when he passed a flooded cemetery and then wondered what would happen if the flood unburied all the caskets.
* Veronica Roth's DIVERGENT began with a mental image while driving, listening to the radio - that image was of a young woman leaping from a tall building and landing safely in a net. (Doubly interesting once you learn Veronica is terrified of heights.)
* Katie Crouch got the idea for THE MAGNOLIA LEAGUE from growing up in the South, where her babysitter practiced Hoodoo.

(Note: In the last two days, my Google has searched for Hoodoo, Prop Betting, Dodger Stadium Luxury Suites, and Annulment. All in the name of literary research.)

(Double Note: I'll be reading THE MAGNOLIA LEAGUE next, and yes I wish I'd read it before attending the panel.)

One last thing about Veronica Roth - remember a few weeks back when the InkSlinger topic was "How do you write yourself into your work?" Veronica answered that question in what I thought was a cool way. She said, 'Every character is me, somehow.'

I love that, and I think that's part of why I loved her book so much. She scattered little bits of herself throughout her work, and that made it so REAL. She wrote through her real problems, her fears and anxieties. That's why I say her book is three-dimensional.

Confessions? Have I EVER!

2011-06-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

May has been nothing but a pain in the butt month. With the exception of this idea thing that happened. Other than that it has been a dud. I got into a huge fight with my sisters, have been at the throats of my best friends, and humiliated myself more than once struggling to get work done.

Here are my confessions.

-My bestie Olya and I basically did the yearbook by ourselves (Oh and this nice boy did the Sports pages) but between the two of us, out of say (and I'm ball-parking here because I do not know off the top of my head, and no longer care to) 13 sections, we did nine. NINE. Our editors did jack shit. They were supposed to organize and scan photos. We did that. THEY were supposed to set up the page designs for the other sections. We did that. They were supposed to get everything finished on time, and when they didn't Olya and I took it upon ourselves to finish the supplement. I am so pissed about this.

-My boss hasn't given me a weekend off in two months, and by weekend off I mean I've been working for at least a three hour shift EVERY Saturday and Sunday for six freaking weeks.

-I'm tired. Like could curl up where I sit tired and sleep, forever.

-My bestie, whom I will refer to as Callian is maybe getting on my nerves a little. I'm not allowed to complain about my job because it irks her, cause she doesn't have one. I'm not allowed to slack off and enjoy my senioritis because it bothers her. She gets to get all snappy and bossy with me but I don't get to do anything like that with her. I'm sick of it.

-I had to ask five people to my prom before someone said yes. It was embarassing, skin thickening and mostly frustrating. But it only gets more frustrating when you hear people takling about their prom dates. For example, while trying on dresses one girl was bemoaning the fact that she got asked out eight times. While scrambling to pull together a budget for my dress, transportation and tickets, etc., one of my sisters classmates got a prom dress for EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS!!! And just yesterday one of my classmates was complaining about how he didn't have a date, and when someone (not me) inquired if he'd asked anyone the answer was no. And it pissed me off because you don't get to complain if you didn't even try. UGH.

Was that enough confessions for today? I can't think of anymore at the moment but if I do I'll add them in later. Please forgive me for that rant, I do apologize.

An Uneventful May

2011-06-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

My birthday is today, and I suddenly wish I was more interesting. Looking over my confessions I feel like I've wasted my 22nd year doing boring things, but I'm a college student so I guess boring is a good thing. If I was more interesting I probably wouldn't have made it this far.

1. Next November I get to guide 20+ fifth graders through NaNoWriMo.

2. I’m taking my first creative writing class this summer.

3. As a goodbye present my students and their parents made me a book where the students each answered three questions about me. According to my first and second graders when I’m not at school I spend all my time either in classes of my own, baking cookies for them, and coming up with cool things for them to do. My greatest desire is to own more fish and have millions of children, and the best thing about me is that I say funny things.

4. My birthday was hell, so from here on out I have decided to ignore its existence completely.

5. After spending an hour looking for a good sci-fi book for a struggling second grade reader who loves Star Wars I have come to the conclusion that there aren’t any, and I may just have to write one myself. I’m thinking of something along the lines of Arthur only in space and with shootouts.

-Aaron

Tuesday Confesses

2011-05-31T11:11:00.000-07:00

1. I'm in love with a book...a MG called A Tale So Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz! Check it out! You won't be disappointed!

2. Come join me for JuNoWriMo, where you choose your own writing goals (word count goals, revision goals, etc.) for the month of June, starting tomorrow!

3. My new favorite show on T.V. is Mercy, it's addicting! Check it out on Netflix!

4. I think I've finally discovered a method that will help me make first drafting fun and structured at the same time: The Outline-Pantser Hybrid Method!

5. I'm in awe of Nova Ren Suma (author of Imaginary Girls) and her amazing path to publication! Check out her bio and the links within it to learn more about her inspiring journey!

~Ella

A Love Hate Relationship

2011-05-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

Fortunately, time management is something I’m very good at. I’m very good at planning things out. I enjoy drawing up schedules, and when I make a schedule I stick to it. The major decorations in my room are schedules, calendars, and day planners, and every aspect of every day is written on every last one of them.

This is the schedule of a typical week for me, and you can find it in various forms in about five places around my room.

However, as you may have noticed my schedule only has four colors on it: school, work, family, and everything else. I have managed to manage myself straight out of a personal life. I may get everything done that I need to get done, but that’s about it.

I’ll make the schedule. I’ll follow it to the letter, but just because I like having a schedule and am good at making them doesn’t mean I like its contents. May be one day my writing time won’t be in the same boxes as breakfast and dinner and I won’t have to schedule family dinners just so I don’t forget my brother exists. But for now I do, and that’s what I hate about effective time management.

- Aaron

Me+Time Management=FAIL!

2011-05-25T00:07:00.000-07:00

I have 3 words for you: Me+time management=Big. Fat. FAIL!

Take my blog posts, for example: My post day for this blog is every Tuesday. Do I ever post on time?

Rarely.

Like this afternoon, I knew I had to do a post today and I almost took advantage of the fact that it was still early in the day and wrote my post so that I would get it done on time, but did that end up happening? Obviously not, because, like what usually happens, is I think about completing the task for a second, but then immediately after that I get sidetracked by something else, like blog surfing, lol.

So, since I get easily sidetracked and distracted, things that I know I should be doing get put on the back burner for things that I would rather be doing. It's a vicious cycle and affects every aspect of my life, like exercising, homework, and, of course, writing.

I know writing should be categorized in the Things I'd Rather Be Doing category, but for months now its felt like such a chore, an obligation, and I hate that. Lately, I've been trying to make it more of a priority by starting word wars, making schedules and even forcing myself to get out of the house and go to my favorite coffee shop to write, but even that was difficult.

So I think, where writing is concerned, I can't make it a priority until I learn to love it again, or else every time I make time to write and manage my time correctly, it'll still feel like pulling teeth and that's the last thing I want to have happen. As for figuring out how to manage my time for everything else...wish me luck! :P

How about you? Are you good at time management and balancing writing with life's other demands? Any tips? Lemme know in the comments!

~Ella

On becoming a highly functional human being

2011-05-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular topics we've had here at InkSlingers was Tips on Time Management. Let's figure out our summer schedules together, shall we?

There are a LOT of great posts out there on time management:
* Our friend Ghenet has a great one, and even shared it during our "Block Party" (thanks again, Ghenet!)
* Tahereh Mafi recently posted writers are minute thieves.
* Nathan Bransford wrote about balancing your schedule.
* But back to Tahereh... maybe it's just me, but I thought one of her more fascinating posts was when she wrote about her average daily schedule.

I'm not sure I have a lot to add, except maybe to say that time management is all about discipline. Actually, growing yourself in any way comes down to discipline. For example, the last few months, I've been training to run a race. My day circulates around my training. It dictates what time I get up, what I eat, what I drink - every action is preparation for my next run.

I need to plan ahead, make sure I get enough protein for breakfast if I'm running in the evening, make sure I have enough liquids in the evening if I'm running in the morning. I need to skip the pizza and the ice cream even if I really, really, REALLY want them because I know they'll make me feel miserable later. I know the little lapses in discipline aren't worth it. I've learned the hard way.

In the same way, my day circulates around my next write. Maybe it's today, or tomorrow, or next Saturday - but it's always at the back of my mind, in a state of preparation. I hear a word on TV or radio that has a nice ring. I receive an email at work from someone with a cool name. I absorb the way people converse and interact. I read, I listen, I think, I daydream in the car and during meetings and pushing the cart at the grocery store.

I need to plan ahead, create a mental image of a scene before I try to write it, get to know a character before I make him move. I need to balance reading in with writing, because I've learned that reading is writing fuel. I need to skip the mindless TV and sometimes when friends call I have to say no. Writing is rhythmic, and if you give up your cadence, it can be very difficult to get it back. The discipline is worth it. I've learned that the hard way, too.

What about you - do you have any tips, or have you stumbled across any other useful posts on time management?

A Tale of Two Covers

2011-05-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

I have most definitely bought books and passed them up based on what their cover looked like. On a few occasions I’ve put back an interesting book because its cover didn’t catch my eye, but then several years later when it was reprinted with a different cover I suddenly remembered how much I had wanted to read that book.

For example…

I walked right by this cover because it looked busy and confusing,

but when felt the raised bullet holes on this cover I couldn't resist.

If I had seen this cover first I definitely would have bought the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder of my own accord.

However, the cover on my copy looks like this, but it was a gift so the cover attractiveness factor is irrelevant since I didn't pick it out myself.

Both of The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax covers are equally intriguing to me given their unusual centerpieces.

Then again when I first read this book it was part of a Reader's Digest big book, so by the time I went to get a stand alone copy I would have bought it regardless of the cover.

As I hope this illustrates I'm such a fickle cover girl that the only time I don't pay attention to the cover is if a) I've already read the book, or b) I didn't buy the book myself. Otherwise if it doesn't have an intriguing cover chances are I won't be buying it.

I feel so petty :(
- Aaron

Cover Love!

2011-05-18T00:44:00.001-07:00

There are sooo many amazing book covers to choose from these days, and as hard as it is to decide on a favorite, here are my top 6 (in no particular order):

Clearly, these lucky authors have struck gold and won the cover lottery! I can only hope that the cover for my future published book will be half as amazing as these ones! What are some of your fav book covers? :)

~Ella

What comes after aspiring

2011-05-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

Good day, inkslingers! This week our topic has to do with book covers, and I'm betting the other ladies will have plenty to say. However, I witnessed an interesting talk on how aspiring authors make the leap by agent Mary Kole of Andrea Brown Literary Agency the other week at SCBWI Indy, and I wanted to share what she had to say - interested to hear your thoughts!

Step one to leaping from 'aspiring' to 'experienced' is to know your market. Agent Mary Kole defined the three children's markets as follows:

PICTURE BOOKS
ages 3-5/5-7,
roughly 500-700 words.
And pictures. The end.

MIDDLE GRADE
Ages 8-10/10-13
35,000 words average/60,000 words max

* Keep in mind that readers read UP, meaning a big-time reader will jump above his/her age and experience.
* Fantasy currently rules in middle grade (see Potter, Harry).
* After middle grade, boys tend to either skip to "adult" books or stop reading (thus there are more middle grade "boy" books than YA ones).
* Middle grade characters are a bundle of contradictions (i.e., loyal, but independent). They want contradictory things (i.e., adventure, but safety).
* They have to make tough choices, and sometimes make WRONG choices.
* They're discovering that the adults that were once heroes are actually flawed human beings.
* Avoid bad language and keep romance sweet. Remember - top markets will be schools and libraries, so you gotta be able to sell to them.

YOUNG ADULT
ages 12+ (age 16+ for edgier)
65,000-90,000 words

* Anything goes content wise, but there has to be a feeling of possibility.
* Avoid anything forced that might trigger the teen BS detector.
* Romance is popular because teens are interested and can experience vicariously.
* Teens relate to characters under pressure, who want control, who they can empathize with when they are NOT in control.
* They like the idea of empowerment.
* Right now there is a demand for strong contemporary voices and stories that take place in REAL LIFE.
* Focus on intense emotions: first love, first hate, first real failure, first real triumph.

*****

Step 2 is to know the three things that separate aspiring writers from established ones.

And those three things are:
* Character
* Voice
* Authority

CHARACTER
* Your character must be relatable in thoughts, feelings, and actions --> strong motivation and strong objective.
* We all know what it feels like to want something. Your character MUST always want something. It's not enough to just exist in the present moment.
* Your character should change.
* A reader should be able to pick any page out of your book, regardless of context, and learn something about your character - reactions, wants, fears, obstacles, etc.

VOICE
* Language affects the mood and sets the tone - your voice sends your writing to the next level.
* Remember that storytelling is, at its core, an oral artform. Speak your work outloud.
* Common issues with voice include: too dry/clunky; doesn't sound like a person, but rather like a business memo; TOO ADULT

AUTHORITY
* This is not just about the writing - it's about the writer's confidence.
* When something is written with authority, the reader no longer notices mechanics or words. The writing fades away and just the reader and story remain.
* Every line/word/image is deliberate. Controlled. It's not so much the exact words; it's what they accomplish.
* It comes with time. Writing is a journey, and time makes you stronger. Writing with Authority is the LAST thing to click before an aspiring writer makes the leap.

For more, Mary recommends Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. As an agent, she re-reads the book at least annually to stay sharp in her craft. Visit Mary's blog for some other great resources. She also accepts questions via email (link on her blog).

So what do you think about Mary's YA/MG definitions? What does 'writing with authority' mean to you? Are you ready to get back on topic and talk about your favorite book covers!? My favorite is the one from Twilight: Eclipse, the one with the red ribbon on a black background!

imprint on a page

2011-05-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal, I believe--whether it is a conscious action or not--every writer pens themselves into their work. And not just themselves, their environment, friends, families, enemies etc.

I favor my environment, there are a few places in my world that I love--small little towns I retreat to when I have the chance, high up in the mountains on the edges of the East Coast. I love writing about the places I feel comfortable in, and therefore I favor placing my characters into those kinds of places, quaint towns full of vibrant color, granted they aren't always filled with the nicest people (not my experience btw, just how it works out not every town is filled with all nice people) but they are just like the places I consider to be my other homes.

I write myself into my characters in different ways. I want tattoos and piercings. But I don't have them, something that permanent terrifies me and I will not tattoo my body unless my tattoo will mean something, something that will stay with me and mean something forever. So all those of the cuff whim tattoos I'd like well they get bestowed upon my characters, and all those pieceings that a to-be teacher can't have, well those are the piercings that end up all over the bodies of my characters.

But physical aspects aren't just how I incorperate myself into my characters. I am not perfect, far far far far far far far from it, and I write my flaws into my characters, my horrible streak of not knowing when to shut the hell up, rash decisions, nasty hateful thoughts, even sometimes violent urges (which for the record I do NOT act upon, but sometimes people are bitchy and you just want to punch them in the face. I cannot be the only person on the face of the planet who feels this way sometimes.) And the good, or at least the pieces of my personality that I think are positive.

My characters also have a lot more freedom than I do, or if they don't they make it for themselves. not that I don't have a lot of freedom in general just I can't take off whenever I want, or do shit on a whim, I have a job, friends, a family, and even though I'm tempted to--I cannot just take off and do whatever. They also have the courage to do things that sometimes make me feel nervous or things that I'm too afraid to do myself.

I also write other people into my stories, people I people watch, people I actually know, not like verbatim but I take things about them that I like and add it in, or things that I don't like. So please do not walk away from this post with the idea that I write actually live people into my stories. Every character I write is purely FICTIONAL, however I steal aspects of personalities from real live people I know/encounter.

People watching is fun, and leaves room for a shitload of inspiration, just saying.

Uh I think I've covered all my bases about writing reality into fiction. Or at least I hope I have.

Sorry this is a day late, Blogger wouldn't let me on yesterday. Have a nice weekend peoples!!

A Part of Me

2011-05-11T02:00:00.000-07:00

My chosen profession is somewhat… restrictive in terms of self expression. Not presenting yourself in a certain way can result in not having a job, and for the most part I’m fine with that. However, there’s a part of me that will never be alright with having to dress and act a certain way, and that’s the part of me that I write into my work.

Basically, my main characters are the person I wish I could be. They…

have a funky sense of humor.
voice unique opinions on just about everything.
live unconventional lives.
express themselves through their clothing.
do not have a typical hair color/style.
are pierced and/or tattooed.
aren’t afraid to stand out.

- Aaron

Making My Hopes and Dreams My Characters' Realities

2011-05-11T00:44:00.000-07:00

I think I write myself into my work by making my hopes and dreams into my characters' realities. For example, there are many things I wish I was and had, such as:

1. I want to be skinny
2. I want to have my first kiss
3, Go on my first date
4. Be athletic
5. Be musical
6. Live in a farmhouse
7. Have awesome paranormal abilities :)

So when I'm trying to come up with a new story idea or plot or character, I just choose from my long list of of hopes and dreams and wants and add one or many to my story and then go from there, because if I'm writing about something that I long for personally, then I'm much more willing to keep writing (and living vicariously through my work)! :)

~Ella

Writing Yourself

2011-05-08T11:48:00.000-07:00

I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. When I run, I feel His pleasure. --Eric Liddell, from Chariots of Fire

When I first proposed the topic of how do you write yourself into your work, I envisioned some cute posts about how one of my characters 'inherited' my fear of water, or how I drew inspiration from a trip to the mountains, etc. But since my initial proposal, I've seen that the writers who truly write themselves into their work are like Eric Liddell.

Eric Liddell was the son of a missionary, raised to be a messenger of God in China. He takes a detour to the 1924 Olympics, where he lets his running become a platform for his bigger message - his testimony - where his gifts and purpose collide into something that stands long after he has gone.

So what is your testimony, that little piece of yourself that demands to be shared? What have you seen or experienced that you would leave behind for others to discover? I had a professor in college who used to say that, upon experiencing something that resonates, your response would write itself. And it did.

It was my senior year of high school. I'd excused myself from class because of a coughing fit and stepped into the restroom to recover. But someone was already in there. A girl I didn't know, sitting on the floor, crying.

I asked her if she needed anything, and she said no. I splashed my face, wondering who she was as she pulled herself together, looking ashamed at being caught. In truth, I was the more embarrassed because I didn't know her - it was a very small school. I felt like such a snob that I asked one more time - what's wrong? And that's when the whole story came out.

A relative with cancer. Parents threatening to separate. A little sister who needed someone to raise her. This girl was nurse and daughter and mother all at once. And I didn't even know her name. She was anonymous, invisible. Broken. How many times had I passed her in the halls? How many times could I have lightened her burden? Just a smile? Or by picking up something dropped? Or by staying after school to help with a tricky homework problem? Maybe just acknowledging she existed, letting her know she didn't have to fight the battle alone?

That was my initial mission as a writer - to explore the everyday ways we pass each other by, lost in our own haze. To ask the question, what if someone saw the invisible and picked up their burdens, asking nothing in return? How might the invisible be changed? And how might that "hero" change as well?

Since that day, I've had other moments that demanded a response, moments that resonated with me and challenged me to present them to others in a vibrant way. So whether I'm read by one or a million, I write in hopes to feel His pleasure. Maybe one day I'll demand a response from someone else.

Best book in April....

2011-05-06T03:22:00.000-07:00

Source

goes to: Welding Technology Fundementals
(I would have given them bonus points if they changed it to Funde'metals', ha ha.) <--please excuse me, it's finals week.

Anywho, this may seem like an off the wall selection, but not as off as you might think.

Ever heard the expression, write what you know? I have about a million times. What happens though if you have the perfect solution to your plot problem but it means 'Mike' who used to work at a desk job, actually has to work in a motocycle shop for everything to work out? Give up? NEVER! Your solution is to buy a textbook.

Text books can come in every variety but there's one thing that makes them different than any random information you could dig up on mororcyle shops on the internet:
It's guarenteed to be correct. That, my friends is worth the expense.

I'm the first to complain about a teacher who insists on the newest version because on page 88 they changed "a" to "the." It's a pain for poor college students like me, but it means great news for writers like you. It floods the book markets with college textbooks just a year or so old and sells them cheap. (We're talking 20 bucks a pop or less on some) Most of the time they just change a couple pictures or a phrase here or there. 99% of the time the information is the same.*

*this is a completely made up statistic. Made up, but with strong personal opinoin backing it from a college student in the know.

So, what do you think? Ready to invest in some textbooks? If you are there's of course amazon.com. There's also half.com and a sleu of others with a simple google search.

The story that needs to be told

2011-05-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

Tamra Tuller is an editor at Philomel, a division of Penguin. I met her at the SCBWI Illinois conference last fall. I picked up this book because it was her work, and this is what I found inside:

Some wars are about bombing. For the people of the Baltics, this war was about believing. In 1991, after fifty years of brutal occupation, the three Baltic countries regained their independence, peacefully and with dignity. They chose hope over hate and showed the world that even through the darkest night, there is light. (From Ruta E. Sepetys's Author's Note at the end of Between Shades of Gray).

Have you ever heard authors/agents/editors say "Tell the story that needs to be told?" I thought I understood. That was their way of saying "stop thinking about how popular dystopia is or how everyone says garden gnomes are going to be the next big thing." I thought it meant "write what you're passionate about, write what you know."

Sometimes you have to see something exaggerated before you get it. Ruta not only showed us what it means to "tell a story that needs to be told," but also a great example of "explain why you are qualified to tell this story."

ABOUT RUTA

You have to understand who Ruta is and who the Lithuanians are before you can understand the hole this story fills. Lithuania is a small country in Eastern Europe (Finland's neighbor, sort of). At the beginning of World War II, the Germans and the Soviets started carving up Europe - invading, taking over, stifling, destroying. Lithuana went the way of the Soviet. Then it disappeared off the map, absorbed, assimilated. I still remember in the 1990's when it suddenly reappeared, along with Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia and all sorts of other Soviet occupied territories that confused me in geography class.

Ruta's family escaped the occupation, and you almost get a sense of survivor's guilt. And a sense of appreciation for whatever opportunities have resulted from her freedom. Between Shades of Gray is a work of fiction, in that the characters never existed. But Ruta did her homework. She talked to survivors and experts and traveled to see things for herself. The characters are fiction, but the events and actions were real. She's telling the story of those who suffered, those who were punished for helping people, like her, escape. (For more, see this interview.)

WE'VE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE - BUT NOT ABOUT THEM

People rounded up in the dead of night, packed like animals into train cars, hauled to work camps, starved, abused, shot for stumbling, punished for crying, families separated, lice, disease, harsh weather elements... these are all images we've associated with the World War II era. We've seen it almost to the point that we're numb to it.

In Sepetys's book, the perpetrators are the Soviets. The prisoners are heartened when they hear the Nazis have invaded Russia. They have hope that Hitler might rescue them from Stalin. And then they hear the Americans have allied with the Soviets and they are crushed. At times, this book seems to take place in opposite-land because the reader knows how the war ends - we know what Hitler did, we know they are clinging to heartbreaking false hopes. In a way, we're relieved their prayers weren't answered.

A STUDY IN HUMAN NATURE

Do you believe that people are inherently good or inherently evil? When left to their own devices, without rules, without consequences, will people care for one another, or will they regress to animals with nothing but 'survival of the fittest' on their hearts? These are the sorts of question a book like this inserts in the back of your mind.

If a selfish, angry, semi-suicidal man constantly berated and insulted a member of my family, would I share my 300 gram bread ration with him?

If I were given complete, surpreme power over a collection of entities I'd been brainwashed to see as "subhuman" and evil, would I be bold enough to show kindness in front of my peers, when I could be punished for it?

If my family and I were thrown into the worst case scenario, would I be able to think clearly? Would I panic? Would I give up? Would I see survival as more desirable than death?

What would I be willing to give up to save (even temporarily) the life of someone I love? Could I separate myself from my community and sell myself to the enemy, letting them use me in any way they see fit?

Can the worst possible human behavior actually bring out the best in human nature?

THE GRAY, GRAY WORLD

I think just about everyone is familiar with Siberia. It's cold. Snowy. Harsh. Isolated. It's a place where undesirables are sent to be out of sight, out of mind. It's a prison. It's another world.

But admit it - to a lot of us, it's almost a punchline to a joke. We know the Soviets sent people there as a punishment. We know a lot of people suffered - a lot of innocent people. But I know I've never developed a mental picture of it. Sepetys doesn't let us get away with that. Just as her main character, Lina, is an artist who copes with her situation through drawing, Sepetys paints pictures with a very limited color pallet. Siberia is gray. The sick, downtrodden people are gray. The gruel and bread they get to eat are gray.

But even between all of those shades of gray, there is just a bit of light. Don't be afraid to enter this world. I don't like "sad" stories. Stories where things go from bad to worse to hopeless and then they end. This is not that kind of story. You're left with a sense of strength. That's Sepetys's core theme - beautiful strength.

Con Fessing

2011-04-29T02:36:00.000-07:00

Source

I'll keep this simple. I am fessing to a love of a show about cons, convicts that it.
No, I am not in love with someone in jail.
I am in love with two characters though who happen to be convicts in a show.
Prison Break.

Quick Summary:
One guy who has a sketchy past gets set up and convicted of a murder he didn't commit. He has this brother who plots out their escape, tattoos it on his body and then pulls off the biggest jail escape of all fictional time. Through the next part in the television series the brothers are on the run and go through extreme obstacles in their search for the truth, justice, and a normal life.
I am in no way influencing you to take the law into your own hands or do any crime at all.
I am inflewancing (or trying rather) to take another look at your characters.

Here's what I've learned from the show:

Keep true to what your characters would and wouldn't do.
Completely flesh out your character's family background. This will tell you the lengths they'll go to help not only family, but also their friends.
Keep them working. Do not give the characters or yourself the easy way out.
Make it original.
Throw in realistic curve balls.
Don't forget the love.
Get them in some trouble.
Don't make them perfect.
Have your characters make mistakes.
Make them real.

I can't stress that last one enough. Bring a picture of them to your mind. Pause for ten minutes and consider what they'd do in every hard decision you've had to make. Don't make them paper. Make them alive until they jump off the page. I know, easier said than done. It's great to say those things and most of you already know them. I'm holding by the old saying "what practice can't make perfect, experience can."

You can see the series online at Netflix.com or Hulu.com Also, you get to see Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller (among others). Not a bad thing in my book. Seriously, look at those eyes. If this isn't character inspiration I don't know what is.

Source

Tuesday Randomly Confesses

2011-04-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

Here are my confessions for the month of April (in no particular order):

1. Watching the movie Enchanted makes me believe in fairytales and true love again :)

2. I'm actually really excited about the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday! I've never watched one live on T.V. before!

3. Last night, at exactly 1 A.M., I finished watching the complete series of Veronica Mars and I couldn't be more sad that it's over. :( Kieth and Veronica Mars had the best father-daughter relationship I've ever seen and I will miss the show terribly. It's so wrong that it had to end after only 3 seasons! Veronica Mars FOREVER!

4. I'm seriously considering trying to write something in a teenage boy's POV...wish me luck!

~Ella

Conference Time!

2011-04-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

Time for the InkSlinger April confessional. This weekend I'm enjoying Easter brunch (and visiting in person with my "coach" in an attempt to resuscitate my running career). Here are my quick hits:

* Our family Easter luncheon gathering will have approximately thirty-five people, ages ranging ~1 to ~90. Of all of those people, who was contacted to provide the cartoons for the kiddie rec room? Me. Although I have no children, my cartoon collection is enviable.

* One of my co-workers convinced me that our upper management was forcing him to move his desk to the basement. I feel like a sucker, but in my defense, it was a very believable story.

* Between @TaherehMafi on Twitter and Young Indiana Jones streaming on NetFlix, I've accomplished minimal writing this month. I did, however, remove all of the forbidden tabs from my manuscript per this blog by Agent Vickie Motter.

* I'll be at the SCBWI conference in Indianapolis next weekend - will you?

Hating the Action

2011-04-22T02:20:00.000-07:00

Source

Sorry B. Robison, not much of a PG-13 rating here today, but it could escalate so watch out!

While there's nothing I really HATE to write (except for maybe nonsensical essays with no room for creativity), there is one thing I don't enjoy writing as much. What? You ask, not enjoy writing something? BLASPHEME!

Super action scenes.

I know and I'm even hanging my head in shame right now...sort of. Okay, not really.

Little action scenes are fine, it's those monumental, climatic, stupendous, make-it-or-break-it action scenes that really make the book superb that I flounder with. It's not flounder really, but I'm constantly tweaking them, constantly reading them again and again. I'm in constant doubt if it really hits the level that it needs to be at, hits it and then supasses it. It very nearly freaks me out. I mean, what happens if the only reason I'm feeling something in that moment is because I now my story well and I know what I want it to be, not what it is? What if I'm blind to the biggest flaw in the biggest part of my story?

Ahhh!

This would be the point when I run for cover.

Thankfully, I have a great critique group that tells me what works and what doesn't. What detail adds the right touch and what is a tad too much. (Thanks gals!) Without them, I'd probably be on my millionth rewrite of the same scene and in the end it'd end up in the same place, back in rewrite mode. (Not that I'm downing rewriting because it's rockin'. The trick is knowing when you've hit gold and knowing when you're still at iron ore.)

So, which type of scenes do you stuggle with? Do you know why? Let me know in the comments!

Kissing Scenes = HATE!

2011-04-20T02:00:00.000-07:00

Even though it’s not the last week of April yet I have a confession. I’m 22, and I haven’t had my first kiss yet. Personally I’m getting a little antsy, but as an individual I can live with out it. However, as a writer it blows.

Every time I get to a kissing scene I freeze because I have no experience whatsoever to draw from. Oh, I can fake the emotional stuff like the warm fuzzes, the little light headed buzz, and the surrealness of the situation. It’s the physical stuff and the mechanics of kissing that get me.

If you’ve already had your first kiss the whole process probably doesn’t seem all that complex and mysterious to you, but from where I’m standing it’s like this huge brain teaser that I have no idea how to solve. I don’t even know where to start. What does it feel like to be pressed against someone? What does it taste like? Does it even taste, or is it a naive assumption that it would? How do you know when to kiss someone and when not to? Do you just smush your lips together or is there more to it than that?

Over Christmas Break I went so far as to try to remedy the situation by getting my first kiss, but it didn’t end so well. I felt like it wouldn’t be smart to just randomly kiss a guy in case they got the wrong idea, so I decided to ask the men I knew if they’d help me out. My ex thought I wanted to get back together, a friend from high school was all for it but only if I’d date him, and a socially awkward family friend actually had an anxiety attack.

After those lovely experiences I’m back to avoiding kissing scenes like the plague and faking it when every other alternative fails.

Does anyone out there have any advice on writing a kissing scene for someone with no personal experience?

- Aaron

Tuesday Hates Writing About...

2011-04-20T00:18:00.000-07:00

For the most part, I love everything about writing, but there are some things I despise writing about, like:

1. Settings: This one is so hard, I never know where my stories are going to take place, so I just avoid mentioning a specific setting until after the rough draft is finished.

2. Opposite sex MCs: I have a love-hate relationship with this one, because I love the idea of writing a story from a male point of view, since my MCs are almost always female and it'd be fun to switch things up and try something new, but I'm always so afraid of making my male MC sound "girlish". Lately though, I've been wrestling with this one since I've stumbled across some new books (THROUGH TO YOU by Emily Hainsworth and TEMPEST by Julie Cross) where the author is female and their MC is male and the stories and male MCs sound fascinating, and it sounds like the authors had a lot of fun writing from the male POV, so I'm reconsidering giving it a shot! :) *quakes with nervousness*

3. Sex scenes: I have no problem reading them, but writing them...no thank you. I don't know the first thing about writing scenes like this, and I'd be afraid of it coming off as unrealistic, plus, I have way too much fun writing about first kisses, anyway. 'Cause really, is there anything better then a perfect (or not so perfect) first kiss? :)

4. Writing a story from multiple POVs: I have the same feeling about this one that I do about writing opposite sex MCs. I love the idea of it, but when it comes to the execution... :P There are some authors however who do this very well, like Jackson Pearce (As You Wish, Sisters Red), who seems to be able to eff0rtlessly switch from one character's head to the next without breaking a sweat, it's amazing and I want to be (and write like) her when I grow up! I'd be willing to give this one a shot too though, so we'll see! :)

So, what things do you hate to write? Do you have any tips for getting over the above writing hates? Let me know in the comments!

~Ella

April Showers Bring Venting Sessions

2011-04-17T17:26:00.000-07:00

Alright folks - it seems to me that things have been a little tense lately. You're tired, you're stressed out... You look like you could use a forum to vent. Am I right? Well, you've come to the right place!

This week InkSlingers everywhere are letting off some steam by confessing: "I hate writing [fill in the blank]!" So everyone find your seat in the circle of trust, take a deep breath. This is a safe place.

I'll get things started. There aren't many things in this world that I "hate" per se... I don't like answering my phone at the day job. I don't enjoy it when swarms of bicycle riders in matching jerseys ride on major roads taking up entire lanes of traffic when there are perfectly beautiful bike paths EVERYWHERE around us. I strongly dislike snow and the New England Patriots. I really WANT to hate the collected works of Katy Perry, but her songs are so catchy that it makes our celebrity feud almost impossible to perpetuate (ps, feud rule #1 - Always feud UP, not down).

All of those things are kind of unavoidable, but the nice thing about writing: I feel like I'm kind of the master of my own destiny. If I don't want to write it, I don't have to. I'm the Empress of my own little world. I get to make the rules. I don't have to write about death or taxes or kissing or vampires. I don't have to blog or tweet or tumble or even type. And until recently, I didn't really do any of those.

Here's the dirty little secret about me, friends - I tend to "hate":

Things I haven't tried/don't understand.
Things I'm not prepared for.

So, over the course of the last couple of years, I've "hated":

Writing query letters. I didn't understand them. I stressed out about them. I still don't think I'm GOOD at writing them, but now it feels more like a game than, you know, water torture. Practice. Write a letter. Send it. Get rejected. Change the letter. Send it again. Get a request. You know you're on the right track. Repeat.
Writing synopses. I think I hated these because I felt like I was SUPPOSED to hate them. Everyone hates them. But then, once I "had" to do one, I pounded it out, then said, "Huh, that wasn't so bad..."
Blogging. I'm still learning how to blog. I often struggle with what to blog about - where do I fit into the conversation. I don't have anything profound to say. I'm not visual-graphically inclined. I just want to entertain, my friends. I'm here to stuff your Google Reader full and hopefully help your day go a little faster.
The Twitter. Yes, I joined Twitter, and some of you have already noticed. As far as I know, I haven't had a career ending moment yet. I'm frightened, friends. [head spins] I joined Twitter in the dark of night during a particularly challenging week. I'm hoping it will help me practice being funny. All I ever wanted to be was funny. And tall. Funny and tall.

Alright - your turn. What do you need to get off your chest this week? Just please keep it "PG" rated. Any PG-13+ rated material should probably be posted on Friday. Mattingly'll love it. [snicker]

Shh!

2011-04-15T00:39:00.000-07:00

I tend to keep my writing habit quiet for two reasons:

1. People's first question is: Write anything I know?

They just assume it's published. A lot of people have no idea how complicated it is to get published. It's not easy. Then again, I'm preaching to the choir if you're reading this.

2. I have a strange enough "main" career that's complicated enough to explain without having to add in the whole writing thing.

I have one year left until I'm an official high school agriculture teacher. That takes some explaining like...why yes, I am a girl....I'll teach shop, welding, mechanics, horticulture, floral design, animal science, business, and who know's what else....that's right, high school kids....(and my favorite) no, I'm not crazy.

I've got a feeling that until my book hits shelves I won't tell the everyday person. My family knows, my closest friends know, and well everyone else....they can wait. (Except for you, you're special.)

Source

I'm actually considering just getting a new wardrobe...what do you all think? It might work?

Have a great weekend!

The Stigma of Being a Writer in High School.

2011-04-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

Alright so it isn't so much a stigma as it is a stereotype I automatically get cast into by my lovely immature peers. A lot of people look at me and immediately think that I'm the teen who hangs around coffee shops with alternative music, black clothes and a somber expression waiting to get up on stage and read my poem about a scuff in the middle of my hardwood floor, and how sucky life is. Because yes they believe I, in fact I think they assume most writers, have the emotional rang of a teaspoon. And that rang only has one setting: emo.

Now I am taking it on good faith that all you lovely readers are aware that is not true, in the slightest sense. We all know that what qualifies someone as a writer can be a three sentence fan-fiction that rocks your world, to a twenty seven book series chronically the life of a fruit fly. Because to be a writer, you have to pick up a pen and let your mind wander to wherever you please.

The reactions I receive when politely attempting to dispel the stereotype they have cast upon me vary, from the rare "Oh me too!" to the "Wow, what do you write like Twilight Fan-Fic or something? Because that isn't writing." (See people suck. Or at least people who don't really know you.) And once I explain it to them most people are just like, "yep okay whatever don't really care..." anyways, so some days it is just not worth it.

So as a high school writer I tend to keep to myself about my life's passion, unless someone else brings it up or asks and then I feel free to share.

I am lucky. I can say this a thousand times over and I fear still most people just wont understand. My parents have never been anything less than supportive when it comes to my writing. Granted that does not make them the best analysts or anything but it makes them the best cheerleaders ever. Never once have they told me they don't have faith in my writing. They talk about it to their friends like they're proud. My siblings get introduced based on what sports they play or which dance they love, I am introduced as the writer. They have no shame in it, and because of that I never have either.

My siblings are just as great if not better, they are the ones I can always count on to be brutally honest and tell me when what I'm writing is shit. And I know, unless we are fighting, they say it because they care. They have gone with me to Writers Club at school, even though they could care less about it. They get me copies of writing magazines on my birthday, they pick out cute journals they think I will love.

My family is my writing rock.

However, my family is not the norm. My best friend Kathryn is an amazing writer, but she doesn't see it because her mother has never encouraged it. Despite how much I reassure her a piece is good, and how many times our teachers confirm what I have already said she doubts herself, and that breaks my heart.

I believe every writer will come in contact with at least one person over the course of their life who does not react in the most appropriate or nice way, in regards to their passion. Kids in high school are the best example I can give you of this. Kids in Middle school were even worse. I was made fun of for it, and two of my journals, that I had written my first real "novel" in (though remembering about that I cringe because it sucked) were stolen, and I later learned disposed of because they thought I was weird.

I guess my point is that you can never let the haters get you down. Because lets face it, they are probably jealous you found your calling in life, and that you are not afraid to seize the bull by the horns while dressed in red, while they are. People react differently, sometimes for the better or worse. When they accept you, keep them close those are the people who will be with you through it all, when they don't just let it be. Your writing life and your personal life do not have to intermingle, it would be nice if they could but that isn't always possible. (I can write my novel while I'm working, no matter how much I want to.) Breathe, and move on, it is the best thing you can do for yourself, your ego, and most of all your writer's state of mind.

Shades of Acceptance

2011-04-13T02:36:00.000-07:00

There’s no simple way to sum up how the people in my life react to the fact that I love to write since everyone reacts to the news differently. To complicate my answer further some new people have wandered into my life and some of the existing occupants have changed their reactions.

Up until this last year I would have said my parents reacted about the same as they’d react to me saying I ate babies. The fact that I write has always worried my family because they thought it was a distraction that would keep me from a stable career. For a long time whenever I tried to talk to them about writing they would nod, smile, make a comment about how maybe I needed to ask the teacher for more homework if I had all this spare time, and take advantage of that statement to start talking about school and my future.

I hadn’t realized how much the situation had changed until recently when I mentioned to my mom a Writing Celebration Piece I’d written for a Language Arts class. Out of the blue my mom stopped me, and asked what my piece had been about. Unsure I hedged telling her it was just a character description before I tried to move the conversation into safer waters, but instead of letting me she stopped me again and asked if she could read it. She had never done anything like that before.

For as long as I’ve been writing my dad and my brothers haven’t changed their opinions on my writing, and their opinion is they don’t have an opinion. Honestly, they really don’t care, and they’ll tell you as much if you ask. As long as I get good grades my dad doesn’t care, and as long as it doesn’t keep me from helping them out when they need me my brothers don’t care.

Most of my friends are pretty apathetic when it comes to my writing. They aren’t writers, so it makes very little sense to them that I am. They try to be supportive by offering to read my work or giving me topic suggestions, but mainly they shuffle their feet and ignore it for lack a better response.

The exception to that comment is James. Whenever we talk he asks is how my writing is going, and he asks if he can help with anything. He doesn’t ask offer ideas or ask if he can read it. No, he asks if I’m getting stuck on anything and want to talk it out of or if I was having any problems incorporating the military into Monstrous. Also, he’d tell me about what he was working on, and we’d talk out scenes he was having problems with.

Then of course there are the Ink Slingers. I don’t know what I’d do without them. Ella was the one who got me back into writing after everyone else had convinced me to throw in the towel. Ella, Bethany, Hayley, Emery, and Bethany were the first people ever to read my work, and their support has made all the difference to me.

- Aaron

How Non-Writers React

2011-04-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week we're talking about how non-writers react to our "hobby" of writing. I love talking about writing with with both writers and non-writers alike... It just depends where the talking takes place. If it's online, then I can talk till the cows come home, but if it's in real life, I freeze up and get super shy. I'm not sure why this is, I think it's because I feel more secure talking about it online because I don't have to talk to people face-to-face. If I'm sitting across from the person, I feel vulnerable, scared of being judged, afraid that the person'll laugh in my face if I say too much. As for how they react, both online and real life non-writers have been very supportive of my writing for the most part and are always interested in learning about what I'm writing about, whether I'm seeking publication and wanting to read some of my stuff. I love the attention, even though I may be a little shocked and embarrassed that they even want to listen to what I have to say on the topic of writing. There was one time, when I was writing at a local coffee shop, that I got to talking with another customer when she helped me carry my drink to my table. She saw me hunched over my writing notebook, scribbling away, and started asking me the usual questions that non-writers ask writers, "Ohhh, what are you writing?" and then, as she was leaving, she stopped by my table and asked me to write my name down on one of her business cards so that she could look for my name if I ever got published and read my book. :) I was flattered, to say the least, and hastily scribbled down my name on the business card. That was a very significant moment for me in my writing career because it showed me that even though we barely knew each other, this women was willing and open enough to believe in me and my writing. And that means more to me then I can say. :) ~Ella

I Am Selfish

2011-04-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

...and using my Monday post here at Inkslingers to write about my own topic: my agent! As of last week, I accepted representation from my total dream agent, and I couldn't be more excited!

See more about it on my brand new personal blog: www.emerylord.blogspot.com.

Aspiring Writers + Debut Authors

2011-04-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

This week we're discussing how non-writers react to our "hobby" of writing.

To be honest, I don't talk to about my writing very much. Somehow, I've still had strangers asked me, "Hey, aren't you the novelist?" To which I answer, "Not exactly..." as I side-shuffle from the room, wondering how in the world they found out. People react positively (and with curiosity), but at this point in my career, I'm not sure there's much else to say.

I joined the Story Siren's 2011 Debut Author Challenge for a couple of reasons:

To see what books are getting picked up, what "new" authors are producing.
To remind myself that debut authors get published all the time, and THAT would give me something to talk about.

I know last week was supposed to be "the best book I read..." week, but I neglected to post a "Debut Author" post in March. To make up for it, I'm doing TWO this week over on my personal blog, including a giveaway.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. A story of a girl snatched from her home during a World War II era Soviet occupation.

Liar Society. By popular demand! We'll turn the pink hair inside-out and study a murder mystery.

As a bonus incentive, I'll also throw in a copy of The Sky is Everywhere.

I'll post studies on Tuesday and Wednesday, and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on ONE of the two posts. Looking forward to sharing and hearing your thoughts!

Love is in the Air... Sort of

2011-04-06T02:44:00.000-07:00

Daisy Flattery is a free spirit with a soft spot for strays and a weakness for a good story. Why else would she agree to the outrageous charade offered by her buttoned-down workaholic neighbor, Linc Blaise? The history professor needs to have a fiancée in order to capture his dream job, and Daisy is game to play the role. But something funny happens on their way to the altar that changes everything. Now, with the midnight hour approaching, will Daisy lose her prince, or will opposites not only attract but live happily ever after?

After reading the back cover I almost skipped reading this book. It sounded like one of those corny made for TV movies about the successful person who hires the not so successful person to be their “fake fiancé” so they can impress people, and I was a little disappointed that Jennifer Crusie do something so overused. However, I really liked her work and trusted her as an author, so I bought it anyway.

Thankfully, the back cover sorely under described the book. Yes, Daisy and Linc pretended to be engaged, but they didn’t fall in love on their way to the altar. Also, unlike in the TV movies the charade didn’t stop at the altar. Daisy and Linc were too good for their own good, and even though they tried to break off their fake engagement the people at the job Daisy helped Linc get wouldn’t stand for it. Even though they still didn’t love each other they ended up having to go through with the wedding, but the book didn’t stop there. After they got married they were faced with the problem of actually living together.

The book was brilliantly executed with a great comedy of errors feel to it. The best part was watching the characters grow and develop throughout the book. Both characters changed drastically from the first page to the last, but the changes were so natural and well crafted like the characters themselves the reader may find themselves so rapped up in the story that they won’t even realize how much the characters have changed until the end.

Since Jennifer Crusie often collaborates with other writers on projects this was also a nice opportunity to see what her own individual writing style is like. It was very interesting for me to see how different this solo book was from some of her collaborative works and how similar it was to others. For example the style and sense of humor present in The Cinderella Deal was very similar to that of Agnes and the Hitman, which Jennifer Crusie teamed up with Bob Mayer to write. However, the tone and style of The Cinderella Deal seemed vastly different from those of the books she wrote with Anne Stuart and Eileen Dreyer.

- Aaron

Lair, Liar, Pants on Fire!

2011-04-06T00:09:00.000-07:00

In March, while on vacation in Mexico for two weeks, I had the absolute pleasure of reading The Liar Society by the famous sister witing duo, Lisa and Laura Roecker! Here's the product description from Amazon:

Since when do the dead send emails?

Kate Lowry's best friend Grace died a year ago. So when she gets an email from her, Kate's more than a little confused.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu

From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu

Subject: (no subject)

Kate,

I'm here... sort of.

Find Cameron. He knows.

I shouldn't be writing.

Don't tell. They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace's death was more than just a tragic accident. She teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not-so)-shining armor-the dangerously hot bad boy, Liam, and her lovestruck neighbor, Seth. But at their elite private school, there are secrets so big people will do anything to protect them-even if it means getting rid of anyone trying to solve a murder...

Sounds juicy, no? :) I've been reading Lisa and Laura's blog for a little over two years now, and their posts always make my day, so when their book finally came into the world, I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed! I love a good mystery and Kate's story kept me eagerly turning the pages. The grief and confusion she feels over Grace's death is so raw and real and something I could totally relate to, how everyone tells you to move on with your life and to let that person go, but you just can't seem to find the strength to.

I found it interesting how Kate totally reinvented herself after Grace's death, complete with a fab. set of pearls and pink hair! Kate and her story actually reminded me a lot of another teen detective, Veronica Mars. Both Kate and Veronica are spunky, outspoken and willing to fight for what they believe in and are always on the lookout for justice and the truth, no matter what the cost. But they also have a vulnerable side to them as well and I love when they let their guard down and reveal their true emotions.

And no YA would be complete without a lovable sidekick and a totally hot guy! Seth, Kate's lovesick next door neighbor, is a total brain, loyal, and always willing to help Kate out when she's in a jam. Plus, he loves to snack :P I <3 dorky/lovable sidekicks! But let's not forget Liam *swoon*! He's all mystery and definitely a boy with some secrets, but, try as she might, Kate just can't seem to stay away from him. He may be tall, dark and handsome, but he's also kind, funny, and not afraid to get in harm's way to protect Kate. But also, he's just hot! :)

So, if you like a mystery full of twists and turns that'll leave guessing till the very end, unexpected surprises, hot guys and sassy heroines (with rockin' pink hair) then The Liar Society is the book the book for you!

~Ella

Em's Dystopian March

2011-04-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a ton this past month (well, and always :) ), so I'm going to write about two books today.

In the wake of The Hunger Games, it seems dystopian YA is having a heyday. Now, I actually had a really difficult time reading The Hunger Games. Of course, it's an amazing series with a profound premise (the blurring between reality TV and war coverage). But therein lay my difficulty- I'm terribly sensitive to violence, and I try to avoid media that turns war or gun combat into something gratuitous. I think Collins' trilogy agrees with my feelings on violence, highlighting how destructive and disturbing it is. Regardless, it was difficult for me to read about children killing each other as entertainment, even though I like the "lesson" it holds.

ANYWAY, after that series weighed on me so heavily, I wanted to give the genre another try, with something lighter. Enter the much-talked-about debut from Ally Condie, Matched:

I was originally drawn to it because of its majorly hook-y hook. (From Amazon: When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen.) Plus, let's be serious- the cover is beyond gorgeous.

Matched was so engrossing that I read it in two days. The world-building is phenomenal, and, coupled with my willing suspension of disbelief, I was both impressed and disturbed at its believability. Isn't that what dystopia is all about? A vision of the future which disturbs our reality in the present.

In full disclosure, I especially like this book because Ally Condie is LDS, and I find the Mormon faith and culture fascinating. I see pieces of it woven indelibly into Matched. I already can't wait for book 2 of 3, out in November.

Also this month, I read XVI.

Sidenote: When I Google-d for this cover image, the search returned

hundreds of pictures of Pope Benedict XVI-not what I was going for :)

I knew from the synopsis that this book was dark: in the year 2150, when girls turn sixteen, they are tattooed to mark them as available for sex. Yikes, right!? But the message is really the opposite: in a teen culture so saturated with sexuality, it's okay- and better, even- to maintain and be proud of your innocence. Nonetheless, this joins the ranks of Perfect Chemistry for books I might not, on record anyway, recommend to Hayley until she turns 18 ;)

I'll also add that I struggled to a little in keeping up with the world- there were some acronyms and slang that jarred me. What can I say? I'm still a dystopian newbie :)

Any other dystopian recommendations for me? Have you caught dystopian fever?

The Sky is Everywhere

2011-04-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

Book: The Sky is Everywhere
Author: Jandy Nelson, literary agent for Manus & Associates
Represented by Emily van Beek of Pippin Properties

The Sky is Everywhere... is in fact everywhere.

I first heard of it from Casey McCormick.
And that pointed me toward Tahereh Mafi's post.
Then Carrie Harris from the Bookanistas.
There were multiple mentions on The Story Siren.
That was just the beginning.

It seemed like everywhere I went, even though this book has been out since March 2010, people were talking about The Sky is Everywhere.

"Hype" has historically been a turn off for me. If something is popular, there's a little trigger in the back of my head that wants to jump straight to "It's not that great" when I should be asking "Why does everyone like it?" I don't want to jump on bandwagons, I don't want to be a lemming. Joining the ranks of YA Lit is slowly reprogramming that gut reaction.

There are several humiliating stories out there of me adamantly resisting books with hype: Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games... my bookshelves are littered with that which I once ignorantly dismissed.

Now I understand, when it comes to YA Lit, the books with hype are being discussed for a reason. Even just seeing a book cover repeatedly (without reading the reviews) is enough to get attention. Good or bad, the book is being discussed, it's part of the conversation. If I want to be part of the community, I need to know what the community is talking about.

When Across the Universe came out in January, I'd been hearing about it for months. I wanted to understand why, but I was hesitant. Skeptical. But more than that, I wanted to know I'd learned my lesson. Books are different than trendy, over-played songs on Top-40 radio stations. They aren't wanna-be blockbuster movies with huge marketing budgets that bombard us until we can't see straight anymore. Good books are works of both art and scholarship, and the ones that deserve attention rise to the top by the best advertising possible - word of mouth. There is no better endorsement than "I read this - I loved it - I want you to share this experience with me."

So that's why I read The Sky is Everywhere. Under normal circumstances, just browsing my local bookstore, the cover might have been enough to get me to pick it up (the one with Lennie laying down surrounded by ivy, not so much the other one with the big heart). But then I would have skimmed the back for key words and concepts. Death. Grief. Two great guys --> love triangle. Not my scene.

Without the repeated conversation, I would have put it back. And I would have missed out. There is so, so much to talk about in this book. The language. The setting, the CHARACTERS (you know how I love a fiery male lead). Jandy Nelson even did this very cool thing where the lead character, a girl named Lennie, literally scatters her grief all around town, writing little poems or messages to her dead sister on walls, trees, bits of trash - and the book shows us these beautiful little crumpled up wrappers and discarded to-go cups covered in handwriting. Very cool.

The plot and pacing were perfect. As a reader I didn't feel like I had to work because Jandy Nelson made it all look so easy. But the coolest part - there was a tiny (but amazing) little illusion - a hidden subplot going on right in front me that I almost missed. The lightbulb went off for me in the last sentence of chapter 35, and I thought I knew how the pieces would come together. I love those lightbulb moments. One of my non-slinger critique buddies said she likes it when books put a few of those "ah-ha" opportunities in there because it makes readers feel smart when they get it. This one almost made me cry - and that's saying something.

There is so much to say about this book. I'm going to do a study (as opposed to a review) today over on my personal blog, just to prove that I DO actually read things other than fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal. I can do serious, yo! Stop by to join the conversation, especially if you've read it already. I'm ready to TALK about this!

BLOCK PARTY: Building a Book

2011-04-01T02:14:00.000-07:00

Stacy Henrie is a writer of inspirational historical romance novels. When she's not writing or blogging (go here) she's reading, interior decorating, digital scrapbooking, seeing new places, watching movies/TV with her hubby, joking around with her boys, or cuddling with her daughter.-Bethany

My husband and I have dreamt of finishing our basement since we moved into our house more than six years ago. This month we’ve finally taken the steps to make that dream a reality. Getting an up close look at my first real construction project, I’ve been inspired by how many parallels there are between building and writing. Here are just a few:

A Plan – The first day my DH and some of his buddies started on the basement, I was surprised to discover there wasn’t much visual evidence they’d done anything. Instead of throwing things up haphazardly, they had taken the time to plot out how things would look and what order to do them. Even though I’m a pantser, not a plotter, when it comes to outlining, I still need some sort of idea or plan before I start a book – even if it’s only the beginning and end, or a character, or a series of scenes.

Time – Like finishing a basement, writing a book takes time, a lot of time. And that amount varies from person to person. For me right now, I’m learning to be okay with the slow but steady progress I’m making. Writing a book, or building a basement, also requires sacrifice of time. If we want the end result, we must be willing to let a few other things go.

Friends – We would not have accomplished what we have so far on our basement without the help of friends, and gratefully, friends who are experts in things like construction and electricity and sheet rock. When I first started writing, I was sort of a writing hermit. It took some time, but I eventually realized I need the help of friends – friends who can see things I can’t in my own work or who are more knowledgeable about certain subjects or who can relate to the good and the bad of building a book.

Rules and Guidelines – There are some rules and guidelines we have to stick to in our basement project to save ourselves headache later, like compensating for heating ducts and pipes. There are a million rules out there about writing, but I’ve learned which basic ones I need to follow. I also try to pay attention to the guidelines in the genre I’m writing or the agents I’m submitting to. That way I save myself some headache later on.

Perspective – I think one of the biggest hurdles to writing is not comparing our work or efforts or journey to somebody else’s. Too often we’re comparing our framed-only, concrete floor basement with somebody else’s finished, painted, carpeted and nicely decorated basement. Too often I forget that they were once where I am now – the rough draft – and that my work can and will shine one day too.

The End Goal – This is probably the greatest take away from this project. Through all the time and effort and sacrifice, I try to keep in mind the end result – our new, finished space. When discouragement sets in with my writing, I try to remember why I started this project in the first place – my dream of being published and sharing my stories/my voice with others. It’s a dream that can become a reality.

-Stacy

Block Party: Mean Peoples.

2011-03-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

The mean people of the world can bring everybody down. K.M. Walton (who's debut novel CRACKED--about two boys, a bully and his victim, whose very different circumstances at home have led them to become roommates in the same psych ward-- will be released in Spring of 2012 by Simon Pulse!!!) has agreed to grace us with her presence and so a post about crafting the perfect meanie. She is represented by the epic Sarah LaPolla from Curtis Brown Ltd.

It’s hard to be around mean people. I'm not kidding when I say mean people suck. You know the kind: pot-stirrers, nasty thinkers, back-stabbers, hateful meanies, talk-behind-your-backers. And phony-baloneys are the worst of the mean people.

Well now that we’ve established that mean people suck let me tantalize you with this thought: The actions and characteristics of mean people make captivating characters. Don't they? We writers love drama and tension in our writing. Without the jerky characters we'd be left with Barney and rainbows.

Ka-phooey.

While reading through the first draft of my first-ever-novel, complete with a really bad, bad guy, I thought – hey, why is this dude so bad? He can’t just be bad for badness sake. That would be so hollow of him. So un-interesting. The poor guy needed motivation and distinct character traits and some dang good reasons for his evilness. I went back to the drawing board and carefully crafted his personality. His quirks. Him. I gave the bad guy just as much attention as my main character. When I read the manuscript now he feels alive to me, and deep and rich with development, and not at all “Oh, he’s just a bad guy’ish.”

I mean, bad guys captivate. The dark characters draw you in. Imagine a world that cruelly hawked Star Wars without Darth, or Harry without Voldemort, or Jeannette Walls (The Glass Castle) without her idiot parents, or Jack & Rose without Cal, or Austin without Dr. Evil...

I don't want to live in that world. No way.

I want my evil dude to be interesting and a little complicated. You know, like a real human being - even though he’s actually not a human being, but, whatever, you get my point.

But, REAL mean people still totally and completely suck rotten eggs.

~Kate Walton

K.M. Walton

CRACKED~Simon Pulse/Simon&Schuster~Spring 2012

TEACHING NUMERACY: 9 Critical Habits to Ignite Mathematical Thinking (co-author) ~Corwin Press~April 2011

Blog: http://skateorbate.blogspot.com

Twitter: KMWalton1

Thank you so very much Kate!! And to all our readers I advise you go follow her, her posts are always interesting and to be frank she rocks. So the only logical thing to do is go and read all her posts from here on out!! ~ Hayley

Block Party: Why I Think Bloggers Are the New Booksellers

2011-03-30T02:02:00.000-07:00

Technology has changed a lot of things, and the world of publishing is no exception. Holly, the author of A BLUE SO DARK and PLAYING HURT, has gotten very good very quickly at navigating this new world.

Right before I got my undergraduate degree, I remember a girl in one of my lit classes asking the prof, “How do you know what new stuff is good to read? Where do you start?”

What she was saying was that she’d been buried in her classroom reading so long—so inundated with thick classics—that she was completely out of the loop, as far as contemporary lit was concerned.

She got snickered at, though—because at that time, in my hometown of Springfield, MO, she had plenty of bookstores where she could browse and become reacquainted with contemporary writers.

Now, though? My hometown has no independent bookstores. Not one. Recently, my favorite used store closed. The Borders Express in the mall shut down around the holidays, and the larger Borders is in the process of shutting its doors, too.

The loss means the art of bookstore browsing is dying—and not just in my hometown. Walking aisles and pulling spines is no longer something you can do on lunch hours or Saturdays…it’s something, quite frankly, you do online.

And nothing—NOTHING has helped introduce readers to new authors quite like book bloggers. Instead of having a bookseller who can recommend titles, we now have bloggers.

Bloggers have been instrumental in connecting my books with the right readers. They’ve been incredible to me, shouting my praises from Twitter, using their own money to pass along copies of my books in tours.

I know exactly how much work bloggers have put into helping to promote my books—and I’m eternally, eternally grateful…

Holly

THE PARTY CONTINUES: A Story to Tell

2011-03-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

Hey all! Hope you're having a wonderful day in sunny where-ever-ville.

Part of a great Block Party is spreading the news about wonderfully awesome things and we have a great one for you! Tahereh Mafi is a 23-year-old author represented by Jodi Reamer of Writer's House. Her debut novel, SHATTER ME, is set to release November 15th of this year! We have the great pleasure of sharing a post she published on her blog (go here!) just a few days ago.

READ ON! READ ON!

so this is a story.

it's a story about all the things you've ever wanted and all the things you didn't know you even had it in you to want and you sit there. you watch the windows and you wait for the mail and you jump up, alert, ready for even the smallest bit of news, something to change, something different coming your way, something to tell you your time has come. maybe now maybe in just a moment maybe even tomorrow.

you wait for it.

you open the doors and look outside and walk up and down the driveway. you check your watch and peek into the neighbor's yard and wonder why they never open their blinds anymore. you sit on the sidewalk. you smile at the strangers who stroll past, leashes laced into fingers clenched, concentrated on keeping the dogs at bay. don't step out of line, little quadruped. don't bark too loudly and don't jump too high and make sure, they tell you, they say make sure you sign on the dotted line and don't forget to file your taxes on time. wear your shiniest shoes just to stand in lines and fidget just enough, smile just a little, nod at nothing in particular and shove your hands in your pockets and pretend you're unable to make eye contact with anything but that spot, that little mark on the wall 50 feet from where you're standing. pretend you're just a number.

tap your left foot. shift your weight. tug at your collar and bite your bottom lip and take a deep breath. look around a little. check your wrist for the time you've lost and beg a stranger for a cigarette.

flip the channels on your television and watch the colors flicker and fade. pay your bills and play with the kids, touch the aging walls, run your hands through your hair and ignore whatever it is in your throat that you just can't seem to swallow. close the windows in your home and open the windows on your desk, forget all about outer space and lose yourself in cyberspace and click away the moments, the conversations you're not interested in having.

open that word document and stare at it.

wait for the moment. stare at the cursor blinking back at you and study it, try to ignore the bleats of your heart as you check your phone for no missed calls, no new messages, no news worth staining your screen. try to stop your fingers from running a marathon down your thigh.

tell the moment to jump off a cliff.

stack the dishes in the sink and shove the papers off your desk and cut the cord on your internet connection. lose the pleats in your pants. pick up your fingers and put them to work. catch the clock on the wall and put it in your pocket. chain it to your wrist. don't let it go.

don't wait for someone else's moment. write the book ripping a hole in your chest and seize the hours slipping through your fingers because it's now, the moment is now, it's right now it's always been right in front of you.

don't apologize for having a story to tell.

apologize for not telling it.

<3

Thanks Tahereh for letting us post it! Go here to visit her in her own domain. (You won't regret it!)

So, what did you think? Inspired? Fired up?

What story do you have to tell? And better yet, are you telling it?

Block Party- Make It Work

2011-03-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

I hear many aspiring writers cite lack of time as their biggest obstacle. Ghenet of Ghenet Writes is a master of time management and has some great tips to share. Thanks Ghenet, for sharing your writerly wisdom! -Emery

When Emery asked me to do a guest post on time management in writing, I was happy to oblige. You see, when I was in an MFA program I was one of the few people in my class working full-time. Balancing a 40-hour workweek with my MFA classes, required events, assignments and actually writing was hard. Then I got engaged and added wedding planning to the mix! I had to quickly adapt to my hectic schedule and figure out how to get everything done while maintaining my sanity.

Even if your life isn't as busy as mine was (I wouldn't wish that upon anyone!) you might relate to feeling overwhelmed with everything you have to do. It's hard to be a writer when it's not your only job. I'm channeling Tim Gunn by giving you five ways to make it work.

(source)

Create a schedule and stick to it. If you figure out exactly when you have time to write every week, you'll feel less overwhelmed. Write it down in your planner (or use Google Calendar like me) and hold yourself accountable.
Carry a Notebook. If you have a notebook with you at all times, you'll always have a place to write when inspiration strikes. You should make use of every free minute you have. Write bits of your WIP during your commute (if you use public transportation), your lunch hour or when your kids are napping.
When you aren't writing, think about your book. If you need to brainstorm for your story, multitask. Work out problems with your plot while you run errands or do chores. If you think of something worthwhile, you can jot it down in your notebook. Then when you sit down to write, you can get straight to work instead of spending time outlining or plotting.
Stay focused. You don't have the luxury to procrastinate. When it's time to write, avoid checking your email, Twitter, and Facebook. Make the most of your time and get to writing!
Be patient. Writing a book isn't easy, and if it can take a while if you don't have a ton of time. That's okay! There's no reason to feel rushed. What's more important than writing quickly is writing happily. You have to love the process.

Whether you're balancing writing with work, school, kids or another life event, you can always make it work. Happy writing! And thanks, Ink Slingers, for having me!

~ Ghenet

Block Party - Once Upon a Time in TV Land...

2011-03-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

We're hosting a Block Party this week in an effort to get to know our blogger neighbors. First up is Lisa (aka The Blonde Blogette), a TV producer and reality television guru (and my good friend since approximately 1999). Thanks Lisa!

Who watched 30 Rock this week? The correct answer is, “I did!” (I will also accept, “It’s sitting on my DVR and I’m going to watch it as soon as possible,” or, “I’m watching it on Hulu right after I finish reading this.”)

Here’s why I love 30 Rock: it’s about Liz Lemon, the head writer of a TV show. And since Tina Fey created the show, writes for it, and stars as Liz Lemon, the series is mostly told from a writer’s perspective. And I love that! (Plus, it’s really funny.)

Because the show focuses on a TV writer’s world, it often addresses Liz Lemon’s fear of being out of a job as reality shows become more and more popular. This theme has popped up several times throughout the series, but last week’s episode took the idea to a new level, suggesting that writers may actually be going the way of the travel agent. As The Social Network and West Wing screenwriter Aaron Sorkin puts it to Liz in his cameo on the episode, “Our craft is dying while people are playing Angry Birds and poking each other on Facebook. What is poking, anyway, and why won’t anyone do it to me? I’m cool!”

There’s a lot of truth to Sorkin’s statement. And I can’t help but feel that this trend is being blamed on my generation and those to follow because we’ve made reality TV, celebrity news, and American Idol a part of our culture. Additionally, social networking has allowed us to immediately voice our opinions, judgment, and commentary on the shows and movies we watch. It seems unfair for a writer to sweat and slave over an original idea only to see it ripped to shreds by 17-year-old online commenters while some drunk, unscripted crazy-fest on TV gets another season for pulling in more ratings and revenue.

But scripted TV is evolving in that its creators understand pop culture itself is a language my generation speaks. It’s one of the reasons NBC’s Community is a hit; it constantly references other TV shows and movies, or even just popular genres of entertainment. Glee is such a pop culture phenomenon that in its second season, it makes references to itself. Both of these shows, along with 30 Rock, use a sort of meta-story format that allows the fictional characters to somehow live in the same world as the viewers. It gives the show a new level of relevance for my generation. These shows form a social community, which is what the next wave of entertainment is all about.

What do you think? Is a story more fun and entertaining when it’s relevant to your world as an audience? What about science fiction and fantasy? Let me know in the comments section!

Thanks to the fabulous Ink Slingers for inviting me to guest post on their blog!

Lisa ;)

Titles Reign here....as do Block Parties

2011-03-24T00:45:00.000-07:00

Hey all! So titles, they will drive you crazy, drive you wild, make your hair fall out, and give you the urge to slit throats. <---just me?

*cough*

How embarrassing. *blushing like a firetruck*

Titles are super-substantially-importantifical (yes, I did just make up that word, it's 1 am. Give me a break) because they are the first thing the reader is exposed to, aside from the cover in some cases, of a book. A book called, "Dusk" is most likely going to be different than something called, "Willy and the Witch's Brew." It gives a general idea of your story.

How to come up with a title: No Clue
This is what I do: _________<---big period of time where I wait for it to "come to me"

Source

What I suggest: Find titles that you like and try to figure out why. Symbolism? Simplicity? Superficiality? (just kinda kidding on that last one. I really just wanted 3 "S" words...like I said, it's late.) Then, mess around with some words, think about what you want the reader to get make a big mess of what your brain is thinking on a whiteboard, chalkboard, wall, or other shiny surface, like a mirror. Play scrabble (but with words) just have fun. You'll be suprised what comes out...like Girl of Words, Boys of Betrayal or even Children of Reptiles. (At least one of those is a future book of mine. Guess which in the comments)

Part 2 of this post is a super awesome and amazing event the Ink Slingers are hosting all week long next week. It's going to be totally fun and really awesome. What is it?

Source

We're inviting all of our friends and that means you! YES YOU! Bring your friends, your family, your fellow writers! It's fun for all!

The best part is we've lined up some fantastical guest bloggers. Check some them out!

SUNDAY: My guest is Lisa (aka The Blonde Blogette) - http://the-blonde-blogette.blogspot.com/. She's a pop-culture/reality TV kinda guru. ~B. Robison

MONDAY: My guest is YA writer Ghenet, of www.GhenetWrites.blogspot.com. Her blog is a must-read for me, and I'm so glad she'll be regaling us with her insights about time management in writing. As someone who continued to write during a period where she was working full-time, planning her wedding AND receiving an MFA, she's an inspiration to us all! ~Emery

TUESDAY: Surprise guest blogger!

WEDNESDAY: My guest is YA and MG writer Holly of www.hollyschindler.blogspot.com. In addition to being the author of the fantastic books A Blue So Dark andPlaying Hurt Holly was the first author whose blog tour Ella and I participated in. Her insights about using blogs to promote newly published books were a real eye opener for me. ~Aaron

THURSDAY: Surprise guest blogger!

FRIDAY: Surprise guest blogger!

So, what about it? Are you going to be at the cyber world's largest BLOCK PARTY!?

TitleTown, USA

2011-03-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

For those who watched the Super Bowl last month, you may have heard Green Bay, Wisconsin referred to as "TitleTown, USA." They earned the nickname (er, or at least claimed it for themselves) by winning several NFL championship in the early 20th century, and then a few Super Bowls on top of that. If it weren't for all of those "titles," how many of us would have ever heard of Green Bay? Probably not many. But, over the course of the last 100 years, they've earned the title "champion" several times, and now the word "champion" is well associated with that small town. You see one, you may think of the other. That's what a "title" can do for you.

This week, we Ink Slingers are going to discuss titles, one of my greatest struggles as a writer. Whenever I see that someone else has come up with a great title, I get so frustrated - "Why didn't I think of that?" I've been shopping my first project for about six months on-and-off, and I've changed the title probably six times.

How do you capture the essence of your work and boil it down to just a few words? A title is kind of like poetry - finding that small collection of words that conveys exactly what your reader can expect from you - and making them want it.

Some examples of titles that cause me envy:

Mattingly mentioned this last week, but take for example Demitria Lunetta's In the After - what would you think it's about, just based on the title? If you guessed post-apocalyptic sci-fi, you'd be right.
Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series about a school preparing "exceptional young women" for careers in espionage all have adorable titles. My personal favorite: Only the Good Spy Young.
Think about the Twilight books - how many of you when you finished reading the first one stopped and thought, "Huh, where did that title come from?" I know I did. It's a beautiful word that captures the aura of the story and world, but that particular word isn't really central to the plot. As I recall, that word only appears once in the first book (maybe only once in the entire series?) - but everyone knows the association, and that word has come to embody that work.

I also want to pose this question to the forum - what are your feelings on chapter titles? Do you like that little word-hint, or do you prefer your chapter to just have a number and be done with it?

When I read, I prefer to skip the chapter names - I don't want the hint. But, when I write, I name my chapters (like a hypocrite). For one thing, I don't write my chapters in order, and it helps me remember what happens in those pages until I piece it together. For another, I use it as practice - finding that word or collection of words that conveys my idea without giving too much away.

For example, in my current project, I named one of my first chapters "Pinnacle." The idea is that my main character has the best day of her life. She can't imagine life getting any better (and, uh, things are about to get a whole lot worse). For me, that's pretty good! Okay, fine, it's not great, but let me have my moment!

I would say that the secret to coming up with a perfect title is having something of a poetic soul - capturing the essence of an idea in such a way that the reader feels what you have to offer them without ever turning a page.

Love Smells....BAD

2011-03-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

I love a good classic romance like pretty much everyone else.

Ron and Hermionie = Perfection.

Harry + Ginny = (there are no words)

Emma + Knightly = LOVE!

Noah + Allie = Breath taking (The Notebook)

Benjamin + Andie = Lovely (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days)

Elizabeth + Will Turner = H.O.T.

Elizabeth + Mr. Darcy = Classic

Source

They can MAKE the story for me. That said....there are so many books/movies/etc out there with the happy couple ending that sometimes I want the love to be more complex. I want the challenge to be more that getting up the guts to ask that girl/guy out or get over the fact that your parents expect you to marry someone you'll never love. I'm not trying to say those aren't great, because they are. I find myself wanting...more. On those days I dig out the historical fiction books. Namely, anything to do with Elizabeth I of England, aka The Virgin Queen.

Elizabeth's love story is filled with rumors and accusations. That alone makes it fascinating. What I like most about her is she gave up love, among a lot of other things, for the chance to rule her people. I won't go into her history, because I know for some that's boring, but trust me when I say, she's more than the classic love story.

I adore love stories where one of the lovers has to make the ultimate choice: love or the greater good. I rejoice with them when they choose love, but I respect them when they choose the greater good. I think most of us would choose love, but people like Elizabeth couldn't be as carefree as we are. She had a country to lead, nothing she did could be done carelessly or selfishly, not even love. I find that really tragic. Which may be part of my fascination with her. I can't imagine going through the same thing.

If you are interested in Elizabeth's story I could name a million and one books to read, but I think it'd be more useful for you to check out what your local bookstore or library has. You'll be amazed the amount of historical fiction available. (One of the best things, is that these people lived. Sure, the writer may have fudged a little, but it's still fascinating.)

If want the quick version, I have yet to see an Elizabethan movie based on her life that doesn't give an overview of her love life. So go pick up a couple at your local rental. It seems they come up with a new one every couple years. I just saw ELIZABETH, the Golden Age. It was amazing and held true to most of the history I know.

So what about you? What couples make your heart flutter? Let me know in the comments!

One last note: Don't forget to go congradulate Demitria Lunetta!!! She just got an offer on her manuscript, In the After. Go here to check her out, trust me, you'll be happy you did.

The Hopeless Romantic Takes The Stage!!

2011-03-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

So this week it is favorite fictional couples.

I am warning you now. I am probably one of the biggest hopeless romantics in the world. I'm that girl in the movie theater who freaks out at the littlest motions and actions on the screen and you roll your eyes and think "Jeeze could she just shut the F up?" I apologize now if you have ever been in a theater with me, and I have been that girl. Recently I have been able to control myself more, however the bruises on the arms of my friends from where I grab hold and squeeze or whack to emphasize that something was important.

I take everything and when I say everything I mean EVERYTHING over analyze it, break it down and somehow manage to warp whatever it was into some deeper meaning about the characters suppressed sexual feelings...I sound crazy right? Yes, I do I know and hat is okay because I came to terms with it long ago.

BTW I am usually right. Just sayin'.

Alright. Lets get going then shall we?

First up, my first true ship, one I did not realized existed until I understood what a ship was. (For those of you who do not speak 'Fandom', and ship is shortened from relationship it means that you want a pair to be together.)

So first up...Ron and Hermione.

Now I will not lie, when I first read the first book I wanted it to be Harry and Hermione. Now please bear in mind I had a best friend who I maybe had a crush on, and well I placed my group of friends into characters shoes. What kid doesn't? Anywho so when I saw the second movie there was this moment, right at the end where Ron goes to hug Hermione then hesitates. And BAM! That was the moment. I just got it. Now there is a beauty to the dynamic of these two, they are always at each others throats, bating each other and forming a friendship that lasts through traumatic events and death. I have had a bond like that before in my lifetime, and she is still my best friend to this day, I would do anything for her. Their bond is one of those that is built on a complete understanding of the other person the good, the bad, and the annoying.

Now though I will not discuss them, Harry and Ginny, hello they rock. Enough said.

Second up, Will and Lyra, from His Dark Materials. Okay I am a sucker for tortured souls (yes I am a Romeo and Juliet fan, thank you very much), so when these two kids, who had become best friends, and sacrificed parts of themselves for each other, had to say goodbye, a permanent unchangeable goodbye. I cried. I cried long and hard and well was just sad. Their stories had crossed universes to unite two children who had basically no one else and they became the world to each other. And then by choice for the greater good, let the other go. If that is not love I do not know what is.

Wesley and Buttercup, The Princess Bride, I had to have watched this movie a billion times when I was little, there was a time where I could quote it word for word. And when I read the book, I was just completely blown away, the writing was amazing captivating, and the couple who I thought were just soul mates became so much more. I saw their relationship and understood, it was more than just a pretty story it was a love tale for the ages.

Julie and Luke from Don't Die, My Love, I read this when I was just twelve in Florida, sitting out by the pool, I had just suffered a big loss and this book caught me. Yes the title is a tell for the ending. Do not judge me I was going through a phase. The point is it was just a story about how two people even in the face of death stuck by each other and did everything they could to help the other, to make life easier for the other, despite the fact that both were dying on the inside (physically and figuratively). Safe to say they won my heart and took my breath away. Also really pissed off my family because I ended up crying in my sleep after finishing so...

Now I am just going to list, because I can. Listing is fun, and then I also have to go to bed soon so...

Shane and Claire, Morganville Vampires.
Remy and Dexter, This Lullaby.
Zoe and Chard, Aimee.
Fiona and Reed, The Safe-Keepers Secret.
Annika and Steve, Just One Wish.
Morgead and Jez, Night World; Huntress.
Brittany and Alex, Perfect Chemistry.
Landon and Jamie, A Walk to Remember.
Noah and Allie, The Notebook.
Aislinn and Seth, Wicked Lovely.
Jordan and Courtney, Two-way Street.
Jessica and Jonathan, The Midnighters.
Simon and Zoe, The Silver Kiss.
Ian and Cassie, Wild Roses.
Vivian and Gabriel, Blood and Chocolate.

Uh yes, bedtime now, and I need to go to sleep, school tomorrow, unfortunately.

I will see you next week yeah? And look I posted on time too, whoo whoo!!

Wednesday Loves Odd Couples

2011-03-16T02:00:00.000-07:00

When it comes to fictional couples I’m a sucker for a good odd couple, but not of the stereotypical uptight/ loose variety. I prefer something like…

Hannah, Norman, and Mike from the Hannah Swensen Mystery Series: I love how dynamic this relationship is. Hannah is a modern woman who owns and runs her own business and has two boyfriends, neither of whom she sleeps with. Mike is a buff detective who chooses to get his sex from other sources and thinks it’s cute when Hannah “plays detective.” Norman is a balding dentist who is by Hannah’s side though all of her crime solving escapades and built their dream home in hopes that she’d marry him and they could live there together. If there weren’t three of them they would make the perfect couple.

Agnes and Shane from Agnes and the Hitman: A cook and a hitman should be the ultimate odd couple, but they really aren’t. Shane is a government hitman who spent his childhood in military schools after his parents died, and Agnes is a food columnist with abandonment issues and a penchant for hitting men with frying pans.

Emily Pollifax and Jack Farrell from the Mrs. Pollifax Series: Since Mrs. Pollifax is about 20 years Farrell’s senior theirs isn’t a romantic relationship, but when it comes to these two spies when one of them gets into trouble the other isn’t far behind. Alternating between endearment and frustration they never cease to surprise each other.

John Crichton and Aeryn Sun from Farscape: They clashed from the moment they met, and even when they were getting along they drove each other crazy. They wanted to be together, but neither on of them wanted to be the one to admit it. They’d rather let the flip of a coin decide the fate of their relationship than actually admit that they want to be together.

Do you like unusual odd couples? Let me know in the comments.

-Aaron

On Loving Love

2011-03-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

For those who've never read my bio in the sidebar, I love stories about falling in love. (Actually, I love all character-driven stories which focus on the depth and evolution of interpersonal relationships...especially between female friends, but...you get it.) Romantic relationships in YA are important to me because the average age of the reader makes it more likely that they'll internalize what they read.* That's why I'm not much for these super-intense, I-barely-know-you-but-you're-my-soulmate relationships. They don't interest me as much as romance that's rooted in friendship. The couples I most like to read are the ones who:

- Are intellectually challenged by each other
- Are honest/real with each other (How much merit does any relationship have, if both parties aren't being their true selves?)
- Laugh together. A lot.
- Bonus points if they sometimes clash a bit ;)

Two of my favorites:

Ella of Frell and Prince Charmont- Gail Carson Levine penned the first couple that ever really resonated with me. And it's because they were friends. They laughed together, challenged each other, genuinely got to know one another slowly. It was sweet and believable and, for me, timeless. *If you don't believe me that young readers take cues from fictional characters...I swear after reading this book, I knew I'd be wasting my time with any boy who couldn't make me laugh. And whaddya know: this afternoon, my fiance made me laugh so hard that I had to run to the kitchen sink to spit out a mouthful of soda. Thanks, Gail Carson Levine!

Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie- Meg McCafferty wrote five books based on a relationship (and MC) which was so well-crafted and intricate that I couldn't help wanting to know them better. She allowed the characters to change while keeping the roots of their attraction in place; they were the same two people at their cores, but never boring. I think that right there is an important feature of YA romance: when two teens connect in the right way, that foundation can last a lifetime, no matter how much each individual (and their choices) develops. I would know.

I'll also note how convenient it is for me that Bethany Robison isn't that into romance. As her critique partner, I had better not write romantic relationships that are one-note, love-at-first-sight mushiness...because she will red-ink the whole shebang. I often hear people advising that you find a critique partner who writes the same genre as you, but I'd also recommend finding at least one who has very different interests/genre leanings.

What about you guys? Anyone wanna join me in the love-is-friendship-set-on-fire camp?

There's Love... and Then There's Love

2011-03-13T06:42:00.000-07:00

It's spring(ish), love is in the air, and Day Light Savings Time is rearing it's ugly head (did you remember to change your clocks? Did you?). To celebrate the changing of the season, this week we Ink Slingers are supposed to talk about our favorite fictional couples. And once again, I'm going to be the problem child and give it a little twist.

I'm not that in to romance. When I read, I hope the hero gets the girl. I hope the heroine lives happily ever after. But when I finish the book, the "coupling" isn't what resonates with me. What does really interest me is a well-written deep and loving friendship. I guess instead of couples, I'm thinking more about platonic "teams."

I grew up with two brothers. I tended to have more guy friends than girl ones. Looking back, I think part of why I tended to gravitate more toward guys was because I'm just a little fascinated by how two really close guy friends interact. Maybe it's just me, but have you ever noticed that two guys can fight - and I mean yelling-screaming-escalating quickly fight - and then ten minutes later be laughing like nothing ever happened? Or that they can say the nastiest, most hateful things to each other, and then just move on?

"Hey, haven't seen you for awhile."
"Yeah, it's intentional. You know I hate you, right?"
"Sure, and the feeling's mutual. Did you see the game last night?"
"Yeah, my team lost. Thanks for bringing it up."
"They suck."
"You suck. Want some scotch?"
"No, you have bad taste in liquor. It's one of the reasons I hate you."
"Welp, see you later."
"Pleasure as always."
(And yes, the above is loosely based on actual events)

Granted, I'm making huge generalizations, but I feel like this sort of behavior is more common with guys than with girls. I know everyone's shocked to hear this, but girls and guys are different - and they relate to each other differently. I, as a writer and a reader, really enjoy that dynamic.

Last week on my personal blog, I wrote about the relationship between David (from the David and Goliath story) and the King's son, Jonathan - two of the most famous best friend of all time. They had every reason in the world to hate each other, but instead they had each others' backs. That sort of brotherly love resonates with me more than the telepathic bonds of Beautiful Creatures or Graceling or any of the other books where a girl gets to fantasize about finding a guy who can read her mind.

I also enjoy the more destructive relationship of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, but I didn't really get what a crappy friend Tom was until the latter-half of Huck's book. That's more of a case when you really WANT a guy to come through for his friend, and you're just gonna be a little disappointed. Nobody's perfect.

Another example of guys who can scream at each other one minute and hug the next would be Luke Skywalker and Han Solo from Star Wars. Very cool relationship, especially since their power-dynamic shifts over the course of the story. They build their friendship through adversity. Actually, a lot of the best guy-teams come out of war-like scenarios. When characters go through battle together, they grow to understand each other on another level - there are things they just get without having to say anything, you know? That understanding is what I can't get enough of - that platonic, brotherly love.

Are there any other great teams out there I need to check out? (And please don't say Batman and Robin, for serious people.)

February's Down and Dirty Book

2011-03-09T02:30:00.000-08:00

If getting down and dirty is something you're looking to do Mud Works is definitely the book for you. Even though it was written for adults the recipes are designed to be able to be made and used with kids. However, since there’s just something about digging your hands into slimy, squishy, gooy blobs that never gets old it's a book adults can enjoy as well.

One night I was having friends over for dinner but hadn't had a chance to make dessert, so I whipped up a batch of edible peanut butter play-dough, which is one part peanut butter and one part dried milk. When I first put the bowl down on the coffee table everyone just stared at it, but everyone ended up having a blast making and eating dessert sculptures.

However, I prefer the recipes that can be used in model making because I can incorporate them into my writing processes. I like making models of my character and settings, and the recopies make it easy for me to whip up a model when I’m having problems visualizing something. Also each recipe comes with a little blurb about what it works best for, so I can easily find the perfect recipe for my intended purpose.

There’s also something to be said about the recipes I make for my students. After making “goo,” which is about three parts corn starch and one part water, I spent the better part of the day finding excuses to play with it. I had almost as much fun with it as my students did, and it was a great way for them to practice their spelling words. The Jell-O plastic, which is 1 packet of gelatin and 3 tablespoons of water, was also a fun one as it progressively changed from liquid to squishy solid to hard solid. The kids loved the way it felt when it was squishy and turning it into stained glass art using permanent markers once it was solid.

Even though it’s a book that’s designed to be experienced as opposed to just read I’d still recommend Mud Works to anyone who’s a kid at heart, regardless of whether or not you have kids.

-Aaron

Different Kind of Read

2011-03-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

Honest to Betsy Ross, the best thing I read in February was a Twitter feed. If you'd rather read about actual YA books, here are two I read and my thoughts on them:

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Years from now, when scholars study Twitter/social media and their effects on society, this will probably be one of their case studies. Here in Chicago, I feel like we've been on the cutting edge of something a little special as @MayorEmanuel did a written impression of one of our mayor candidates for the last six months, Saturday Night Live style. We saw something groundbreaking, something historic... but, I think we're still too close to it to fully understand what it was.

I wrote about this a few weeks ago on my blog, marveling at how the mysterious (and hilarious) @MayorEmanuel was able to put together an elaborate story 140 characters at a time: world building, character development, multiple subplots, a severe hatred of cupcake trucks - everything any other work of fiction would have... only he was submitting it in multiple tweets a day over the course of six months... and he couldn't go back and edit later. And he was tweeting about live events as they happened in the real world, overlaying fiction and reality.

I hesitate to link to the actual feed because:
a) So much of what he was tweeting about was "in the moment" - he was covering the candidate's actual actions live (as though they were happening to him - first person),
b) People outside the Chicago area might not be interested in the storyline/references, etc, since so much if it was localized, and
c) It has a LOT of profanity in it.

However, I've talked myself in to linking to it so you can kind of see why, despite it's local nature and filthy language (you've been warned), it really is something special. The language was part of the character - or at least the legend - of the real person he was impersonating (Chicago Mayor-Elect, Rahm Emanuel).

As it became clear that the real Rahm Emanuel was going to win the election, people grew more interested in discovering the identity of @MayorEmanuel. Real Rahm went on a radio show as part of his campaign and offered $5,000 to the charity of @MayorEmanuel's choice, if he would reveal his identity. (We joked that he put out a bounty and initiated a man-hunt.)

Turns out, the impersonator was a professor at Chicago's Columbia College. He revealed his identity and met the real Rahm face to face in order to claim the $5,000 for his charity: Young Chicago Authors, an after school program that gives local kids a voice through writing. Causes.com matched the donation, and the two radio personalities who made the "love connection" between @MayorEmanuel and the real Rahm pitched in so that the charity ended up with at least $12,000.

That's a pretty nice story, right? And even better, the real Rahm seemed to really dig it (which is good, 'cause he's scary when he's mad). He described the tweets as a sort of release during a tense campaign, saying that @MayorEmanuel often expressed "my sentiments exactly." He even hinted (or at least joked) that @MayorEmanuel should connect with his brother, Hollywood super-agent Ari Emanuel.

Very cool. @MayorEmanuel is retired from tweeting now (you see, he got sucked into a vortex mid-tweet the day after the election). I miss him already.

My Confession

2011-03-04T05:42:00.000-08:00

1. I could not think of a better title for this post than the one above...sad, I know.

2. Today, I found a little green man on my car in the parking lot. (He is plastic.) I think St. Patrick's Day is coming early this year.

3. I went to an awesome hockey game and now am dying to add something hockey related to some book I eventually write.

4. I really want to be on spring break right now so I don't have to worry about homework or class. Thank heavens it starts at 11a.m. today!!!

5. I have a reoccuring thing in a couple of my dreams. That thing may or...may not be a carrot vending machine.

That is all. What confessions do you need to voice? Let me know in the comments!

It has been too long since my last confessional.

2011-03-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

The last time I did this post, was well way to long ago.

Here goes.

1. I have not been writing regularly.

2. I have been letting my senioritis take complete control of my life.

3. I'm job hunting because my current job is making me miserable.

4. I have been being a horrible blog poster. HORRIBLE. I have no idea why my Critique group is even still talking to me.

5. I hate school.

6. I haven't read a book for fun in over two months.

7. I haven't had a full week of school since before Christmas break, thank you Snow Days and my
"personal" days.

8. I miss Florida where I would have been last week if my vacation had not been taken away. I am saying this now, if my spring break is so much as looked at by the school board I make no guarantees about what I may do. I will revolt. I will put up a fight. I will not miss my vacation. NOT happening.

9. I am sick of picking up yearbook slack. Our editors are editors for a f***ing reason. And they're getting graded on this. They need to be pulling their own weight and not "altering" the superlatives.

10.Prom is two months away and I'm already thinking a lot about it, and about how I'm dateless. What does that say about me?

11. I haven't been doing my homework.

12. I really need to clean my room.

13. I cannot wait for my, eighty dollars worth of girl scout cookies to come in. Don't judge me! I buy enough to last a year, and this year I have to accommodate for an eventual college roommate! There is logic behind it!

So that should cover it for the February Confessional. Please do not think less of me...my mind is not in its right place at the moment.

Lazy February

2011-03-02T02:50:00.000-08:00

It’s been a slow month for my personal life, so my confessions this month are pretty mundane.

1. The only reason I invite my brother and his wife over for diner every week is so I can spend three hours playing with my nephew.

2. Even though I’m single (and proud of it) I had the most amazing Valentine’s Day because I had forty pintsized Valentines who thought my multicolored Jell-O cookies were the coolest thing ever.

3. I learned the hard way that when square-dancing with partners below 4 feet tall it’s a good idea to wear kneepads because you’re going to end up dancing on your knees.

4. After taking individually decorated chocolate cupcakes to a staff potluck I was stopped in the hallway by another teacher who wanted to know if I was the one who’d made the decadent cupcakes. I had all of 20 seconds to be pleased and flatted before my students, who’d been lined up against the wall listening, indignantly wanted to know why I hadn’t made them cupcakes.

5. After four amazing months of 10:00 A.M. sunrises and 4:00 P.M. sunsets Alaska is finally gaining daylight, and it sucks. I’d forgotten how much of a pain it is having to cover up my skin every time I step out of the house.

Looking back on my month I have the sudden urge to take up hang gliding in March just so I’ll have more interesting things to confess in April.

- Aaron

It Has Been One Month Since My Last Confession...

2011-03-01T23:40:00.001-08:00

1. Lately, I've become addicted to eating fruit. Seriously, I've been eating 1-3 pieces of fruit everyday, usually apples or oranges. Weird, I know, but so good!

2. I <3 Rolling in the Deep by Adele! And what's most shocking to me besides her killer voice...she's only 23!

3. I can't wait to see Red Riding Hood and Beastly! 2011 seems to be the year for retold fairytales! :)

4. Lately, whenever I run across a blog saying that someone has snagged a book deal or it's the day of their book release, I get a little teary-eyed. Why? I'm not sure, I think, even though it's something I want just as bad as any other writer working toward publication and I may feel a pang of jealousy, it also feels great to see that if they can do it, I can too. It feels amazing to know that this dream, however elusive it may seem at times, really is possible if you have passion and you work hard enough. And, most importantly, when you refuse to give up!

And, on that note, I want to give a HUGE congrats to Lisa and Laura Roecker, whose debut novel The Liar Society releases TODAY! YAY! I'm so happy for you both, girls, you deserve it! Now, go out and get yourself a copy! :)

~Ella

An Ode to a Non-Leap Year

2011-02-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

It has been one month since we made our last confessions, so here it goes - Ink Slingers' February Confessional.

I hate February. It's my least favorite month. Lucky for me, it's also the shortest, but be warned - next year's a leap year. Ugh.

My "highlights" for February 2011:

We started out the month with Blizzaster 2011, one of the top five recorded snowfalls in Chicago history. That meant one day of working from home telecommute-style, and then life getting back to normal the next day, more or less. Not too shabby. I did enjoy this little tidbit from the Chicago Sun Times: "Power went out in a maximum security division and boot camp of the Cook County Jail, which was on lockdown since before the storm hit and was being powered by backup generators. Five inmates who were released Tuesday [the day of the storm] told the guards they had no where to go and asked if they could stay in jail overnight to avoid the storm." Ahh, Blizzaster 2011, we will write sonnets and tell our grandchildren.
Chicago had its mayor election, the highlight of which was a fake twitter account spoofing one of the candidates SNL style. It was brilliantly done (think Daryl Hammond as Al Gore or Will Ferrell as George W Bush... only over Twitter... and from Sept 2010 to Feb 2011 with thousands of consistently funny and profanity laced tweets). The mystery tweeter never revealed his (or her) identity, even when the candidate being spoofed more or less put out a bounty for him (or her). If we ever figure out who it was, remember the name - that person is going places.
We had the Super Bowl, and that was fun. At our Super Bowl party, we had one family who were relatively new arrivals in America and they'd never seen a Super Bowl before. And their little elementary school aged daughter won all of our party games except Super Bowl Commercial Bingo (which, by the way, was a pretty big hit, even though we had a winner before the first quarter was over).
We had Valentines Day, which means only one thing in my household - a trip to the Chicago Auto Show. Very romantic.
I also learned that, when you first start a half-marathon training program, the first week sucks. I mean really, really sucks. Like you want to die and you can't move kind of sucks. But, if you can keep going to the end of the SECOND week, it's kind of the exact opposite.

Whew, enough of that. Bring on March!

To See is to Know

2011-02-25T05:26:00.000-08:00

Source

Ever heard a future parent say that until they see their baby, they won't know a name? Or even that the baby will name itself, based on it's reaction to names said? That is basically how I name a character.

I'm a pantser, first and foremost (pantser = no/little planning for novel other than possibly knowing the end and a few tidbits ), so it may come as no surprise that I don't really create a character, except for the main ones. They just float in and out of the story, sometimes with more importance than other times (that's what editing is for right?) Sometimes, I won't know they're there until they start talking...and then the details come....and then their name. Other times, I start writing and fill in the details right before they jump in. (which is what happens below) (Keep in mind, that, like most things I do, this is a mental process that I don't write down and plan...normally)

Example: Let's say I'm writing something about a girl, named Lisa, who is skipping class...For all I know at this point, Lisa could continue walking down this sidewalk for the rest of her life, but something tells me she's going to run into someone who isn't in school either. As soon as the idea hits me to add another character, I start imagining it.

This is what I know, just from seeing him in my head:

It's a boy, though not one Lisa knows well or by name
He's a dweeb
Slighly annoying--makes me think he's younger than her
Brown hair that hasn't been combed
He has glasses that are too big for his face
Mismatched clothes, they're worn, as if they've come from a lower end thrift shop
He's bored and curious as to why "Perfect Patty" has skipped.

Here are the names that immediately come to mind, just from thinking about who I think he is:

Tom
Andrew
Matt
Harold

Two stick out the most for me (Which for you? or are you seeing another name?) Tom and Harold. He seems like an young kid under the influence of older people...like he lives with his grandparents or his parents are older. I don't confirm a name in my mind until I actually start writing him.

"Hey!"
Something flopped from the bushes not ten feet before Linda and landed on the sidewalk, blocking her path like an animated trash bag. It took a few minutes for her to see there was a head attached to the bag along with arms and legs. It waddled like a duck coming closer until she could see it wasn't a bag at all, but a boy in an oversized black jacket, floppy baseball hat, and shoes at least three sizes too big.
"Uh." She looked down at the mess and figured he was about ten. "Excuse me." She tried to edge past the blob of clothing.
"I said, 'hey.'" The boy complained in a whining tone, pushing the thick glasses up his nose, which like the rest of his attire were way too big. "I'm Harold."

Not my best, but you get my point...at least, I hope you do.
I can't name a character until they come alive on the page. Until they have an actual voice or flow about them, I find that I keep renaming them every ten seconds. Every image of a character conjures a name or two that seem to just "fit" the character. Of course, if I want to surprise the reader, I may pick a name like Harold, and turn him into the school jock, just because that seems less predictable.

So, what about you? Are you feeling a different name for this new character? How do you name your characters? Let me know in the comments!

What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet;

2011-02-24T14:00:00.000-08:00

I am SO picky about names.

In fact I will change names if I find ones that I feel fit more.

I have babynames.com favorited on my computer. And sometimes bounce around there during the day at school to see if I can find any that catch my eye. I have had a couple teachers who have asked me if there is anything I need to tell my guidance counselor, or if I'd like a pass to the nurse. Funny in retrospect but not in the moment.

That is not the point though, my love for names is insane. In fact I want to name my first born daughter Caesura, as in a pause in a poem because I think it would be a pretty name. My sister thinks it will scar her for life and I'm sure it will but that is what therapy is for after all.

The search. I tend to develop the character before I pic their name. I decide about traits I like, and then go to the advanced search bar and plug in the requirements I want. Like origin, gender, number of sylabls what I want the name to end or start with etc. And the proceed to scour the lists of proposed names to find the one.

Sometimes a name just appears. One that I can't help but fall in love with, I then build a character around that name. Like Zane, it means beloved and I can't help but put it into the occasional short story or essay for school, just because it is pretty. Another name I love is Aurelia, it means golden and well I really want to incorporate it into a novel one day.

I am a picky when it comes to deciding on names. Sometimes I can be found in the baby section on the ground surrounded by a thousand baby names books and a notebook scribbling names down left and right. I can't really give you solid advice on how to find it, it just happens. BAM! And you have a name.

But you always have to keep in mind that a character I could name Alice, you could name Jeane and it would be the same character. It's not about how other people feel about the name, it's about how you feel about it. If you are iffy about it, it will show through your writing. If you are unsure about how it fits, the reader will think it doesn't match up.

I guess what I'm trying to say is a name makes us who we are, or who our characters are. It shapes them, and as long as the name fits for you than nothing else matters.

Everything's in a Name

2011-02-23T02:16:00.000-08:00

I don’t know if it’s a Northern thing or a Southern thing or just a family thing, but I was raised with the impression that names are everything. It’s something you’re proud of, but at the same time it’s a burden that you have to live up to. Being told you haven’t lived up to your name is the worst insult anyone in my family can give.

On top of all the family stuff, I have this weird thing about refusing to change a character’s name once I’ve started writing the story. I’ll fuss around with names while I’m brainstorming and getting a feel for the character. In fact while I’m outlining and planning the names change almost every day, but as soon as I write their name in the context of the story it’s locked. They’re officially a person, and in my mind at that point I don’t have the right to change their name.

So yeah, what name I give a character is something I put a lot of thought into, and since I want it to be just right I tend to use a lot of outside resources when choosing a name for one of my characters.

In the end which resources I use depends on how much I know about character.

Like Bethany, if I base a character off a real person I normally don’t give that person’s name to the character. In my mind they are separate people both deserve their own names. However, I decided to base a character off that person for a reason, so I usually try to give them a related name. For something like this I usually use Baby Name Guide because they have a feature where you can locate similar names. I also use this if I’ve already decided on the names of the parents and want the child’s name to be in keeping with theirs.

However, if I’m writing a period piece or a piece with older or younger characters I make a point to use a site like Baby Names World at Parents Connect. They have a list of the most popular baby names in any given year all the way back to 1880. All you have to do to get time appropriate names is to select the sex of the character and the year they were born, and the site will give you a list of the 100 most popular baby names from that year. If I want the character to stand out then I simply go out of my way to pick a name not on that list.

For last names Mongabay is my favorite, since last names are important too. It provides a list of thousands of surnames ranked by popularity. Ranked names doesn’t sound like a big plus, but it comes in really handy. Since people don’t typically choose their own last names having the names ranked makes it easy for me to randomly pick last names. I just pull up a site search, randomly type in string of numbers, and it takes me to the corresponding name. It gives a nice random twist to the process.

Then again if I’m dealing with a character from a different country Familypedia is really nice because they have the top last names from hundreds of countries. I tend to worry a lot about giving a character from a different country the wrong last name, and this makes the process a lot less stressful for me. All I have to do is find the country of origin and presto a realistic last name from Russia, South Korea, Italy, ect.

If it weren’t for these sites (or the stacks of books about names I failed to mention previously) all of my characters would probably be stuck with names like Mary Smith and Jack Hopkins.

-Aaron

Name Sleuth

2011-02-22T23:59:00.000-08:00

I don't really have a system when it comes to choosing the the perfect name for each of the characters in my stories. The name I spend the most time deciding upon is my main character's name. Since I'm going to be spending a lot of time with them I really want to love their name and not despise it whenever it comes up, or else I might start hating the character all together. For other characters I pretty much just pick whatever name I can think of really, I'm not very picky when it comes to them, plus I know I can change names later on in future drafts if I want to.

For me, finding the perfect names for my characters is one of my favorite parts of the writing process (and a also a great way to procrastinate, lol)! Two of the websites I like to use when I'm on the hunt for the perfect name are Baby Names and Nymbler. They're simple and easy to use and have a ton of great name suggestions along with name meanings and other interesting information!

Some of my favorite character names from books are names that reveal a lot about the character themselves. Some great examples of this are: Scarlett and Rosie March from Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, Ethan Wate from Beautiful Creatures by Kamie Garcia and Margaret Stohl, and, of course, all the character names from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling! All of her character names are as unique and awesome as the characters behind them (I'm looking at you, Dumbledor, aka bumblebee! :))

Happy name hunting!
~Ella

Nomenclature

2011-02-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Is it trite and obnoxious to say that my characters name themselves?

...because they do.

I swear, I just know my characters' names in my bones, as certain as the keyboard in front of me. The names I use for characters aren't always my favorite names, by any stretch. I wouldn't want to trade names with any of them, nor would I give my hypothetical children these names. In fact, I don't even like some of the names that I give my characters, but they're right for them.

Here are some thoughts I've had about naming in literature:

1. If a name is extremely unusual, you have to explain its origin or at least mention it. When you have a strange name, there's almost always a story behind it. Names- first, last, nickname- help shape a person's identity, and that's all the more true for the unusual ones. Ignoring an unusual name = distracting, in my mind. For example, this past weekend, I was reading jacket copy for a book whose MC has an especially bizarre name. After reading the blurb, all I could think was...why would you name a kid that!?

2. Don't date yourself by using names that haven't been popular since YOU were a teenager. But also, don't use hip or trendy names where they're not needed- it'll look like you're trying too hard. Besides, that name trend will pass in a few years, and once again, you risk dating yourself.

3. Remember, unless a character goes by a nickname or has legally changed it, their name was chosen by their parents. So if an MC's mom is an aging wild-woman, and the MC's name is Ann? That creates a bit of a disconnect. Similarly, if an MC's name is Rhiannon and her parents are strict, no-funny-business types...where did that name come from? Maybe there's a good story there, but it's important to think that through.

When I was little, I coveted the names of my favorite characters. Oh, how I wanted my name to be Ella, after Ella of Frell. Now the name has become very popular, and I wonder if the book has anything to do with it. Would you ever name your kids after characters or authors that you love? My fiance says no way to my naming a child Atticus. (I know, I know...I wouldn't really...)

What about you? Any characters names that you love?

The Power of the Perfect Name

2011-02-20T01:00:00.000-08:00

This week we're going to discuss what's in a name - how do you name characters, what (if any) research goes into it, and what other already established character names do you love?

NAMES I LOVE
Let's talk JK Rowling (it's been awhile since we paid homage, so there you go). Has anyone actually counted the exact number of characters in the Potter-verse? And she didn't just throw around names. I read somewhere (I wish I could cite a specific source) that one of the reasons publishers were impressed with her was due to the attention she paid to her supporting cast. The specific example I saw referred to Dean Thomas - it dealt more with his backstory than where his name came from, but still.

JK does some cool things with her character naming - there's a lot of alliteration (Severus Snape, Luna Lovegood, Bathilda Bagshot, etc). In good old-fashioned Brit Lit tradition, the names even tip off the reader as to what to expect from that character (Fleur Delacour is magically beautiful while Argus Filch just sounds kind of harsh, doesn't it? And then there's Mundungus Fletcher...).

I remember when The Half Blood Prince came out, and the guy in the cube next to me at work laughed for days at the name "Cormac McLaggen." It still makes me smile.

You could write an entire thesis on the subject - how she drew from mythology for naming and character development. 'Sirius' being the 'dog star.' 'Minerva' being the Roman equivalent of Athena, goddess of wisdom, which incidentally, is ALL over the old Roman ruins in Bath, England, if you ever go there. 'Albus' means 'white' in Latin, whereas I believe 'Dumbledore' means 'bumblebee.' Somehow it makes sense, doesn't it? Wikipedia says it's because JK imagined him 'walking around humming to himself.'

The point is, I think most writers put a lot of emphasis on names. I do, both when I read and when I write. I may put too much emphasis, actually. I once spent more than three hours Googling ideas for a secondary character's horse that would hopefully leave the reader with the impressions of something shiny/silvery/star-like. The name is only mentioned once. In case you were wondering, I went with Trella. I think it's perfect and I'm not changing it.

HOW I NAME MY PEOPLE
When I'm naming characters, I have a few rules. For one, I try not to use names of people I actually know. I don't want people to think my characters are based on anyone real. However, this strategy could backfire on you, if you work on a single project for more than ten years. You could meet a lot of people with a lot of different names in that time.

But even as I stumble into others that distort my names, I can't change them. My characters' names have become part of their identities. I can't change their names without changing who they are. Or at least, it would hurt.

Also, when I'm choosing a name, I think about (for lack of a better word) what "aura" I want that character to give - what's that person like, what's his/her purpose - what feelings do I want the reader to feel when they see the name in print. Just like the horse.

For example, hypothetically of course, let's say I wanted a family to give off the "aura" of fire-like power. I might go with a last name of "Morgan" because "morgen" is the German word for "morning." I'd want the reader to see that name and feel a yellow/orangey/gold sunrise glaring in their eyes, burning. It could be good, it could be bad, but either way, it's young and beautiful and powerful.

And then, everywhere in the world, I see the name "Morgan" being used in other works (and it may or may not be the last name of someone I know in real life now). I've tried to change it. Unsuccessfully. Sorry, it's not you, it's me.

Here are a few resources if you're looking for some name ideas:

Recently, blogger Casey McCormick posted the tip of checking the Social Security website for ideas.

Sometimes, I like looking at names of a certain heritage. There are some nice websites for this if you just Google, for example, "Celtic Names" - most of them are baby name sites... but... it still works.

I also like to use FreeTranslation to look up words in other languages that might work, especially as last names or names of places. If there is a word or idea that captures the aura of your "people," you can see what sounds might go together to communicate what you want the reader to get - a subtle, almost subconscious plan of attack. Or something.

I genuinely enjoy coming up with character names, even if it can be time consuming. There's nothing like finding that perfect "click," almost like that character was trying to introduce himself all along. Naming the books themselves... now, that's an entirely different subject...

Leading Lady Wrap-Up

2011-02-19T20:43:00.000-08:00

I know I already had my say on the subject of female main characters, but I just wanted to add a link to this post on the Adventures in Children's Publishing's blog from last Tuesday. They posted about creating a likeable female character (or an unlikeable character that still captivates), and broke down the development of Katniss from The Hunger Games as their example. Thought it worked as a nice way to wrap up the week. Thanks to everyone who weighed in!

Fictional Females

2011-02-18T06:32:00.000-08:00

I love my female characters to stand out and surprise the reader. I also want them to be challenged to do something that may not follow their traditional gender role. I require my girls to be fearless and confront danger head on. (None of this damsel business). I don't want my readers to see my female characters and say, "Ugh, she's pathetic." (I'm talking to you Bella Swan and Sleeping Beauty. Seriously? The first time you see a spinning wheel you reach out to it...duh.)

Here's what I look for in a Fictional Female:

-Fearless (or if they have fear, they work through it)
-Don't let others fight for them (Take on their own battles, though in their own way)
-Challenge themselves to something better (They're not satisfied with being mediocre, *cough* Bella Swan *cough*)
-Don't let the boys have all the fun while they drink tea in the parlor (Self explained)
-Never use gender as an excuse (I can't! I'm a girl!!! <--Characters you're warned. I will kill you and it will be excruciating)
-DON'T WHINE. (this is pretty much any character for me, unless I mean for them to be annoying)

And the most important:

Have faith in themselves.

Eventually the young adults reading my books are going to have to go out on their own in the world. For some it won't be so bad (Harry practically ran from the Dursley's) but for others leaving home is not going to be easy. Home is comfortable and safe, and you don't have to worry about making really stupid mistakes.The world is freaking scary. I like to see my characters take the jump and not look at where they're landing, only have the faith that they will land on their feet. It goes back to the saying, "If they can do it, why not us?" Thank you J.K. Rowling for that brilliance.


Chloe Moretz: Rumored by imbd.com to play Katniss	.

Take Katniss from The Hunger Games.

- volunteers in her sister's place.
- fights her own fight, she doesn't even make really good alliances.
- risks her life to hunt food for her family.
- tries to save Peeta, even though he won't let her.
- takes on the role of mother when her own is out of it.

I know what you're saying...she was soooo stupid about Peeta though. Why did she have to be so dumb? He loved her.

Easy. Look at her stats. Female characters who are this self reliant (and awesome) usually have a common flaw: they won't let a guy close. They are often scared that by depending upon a guy, they will turn into those fainting Disney princesses (I love Disney, don't get me wrong, but sleeping while the prince comes to kiss me sounds a bit...pitiful.). This also adds tension to the story...will she fall? Won't she fall?

This means your guy characters have to be hunters (not literally). They almost have to be those guys you see in romantic comedies shaking the girl and screaming, "My God, when will you understand I love you and I'm not going anywhere?"

Basically, my fictional females must rock the world of my readers by being awesome and working through their flaws. What makes your fictional females awesome?

Sidenote: You're right if you were wondering if I choose that pic of Chloe just because she was with Rupert Grint.

Girls with Character

2011-02-16T02:13:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I’ve never really thought about what makes a good leading lady or even what goes into making a leading lady, good or bad. They just exist like anyone else, but that isn’t really true.

Lets see, I guess to me a good leading lady should…

Be independent: I’m not saying every leading lady should be anti social and have no ties to anybody, but at the same time it makes me sad to see a leading lady who is being led around by her family, friends, or a guy. I mean come on they’re called leading ladies for a reason. They should be leading something, even if it’s just their own lives.

Feel like she existed before the first page: I’m learning the hard way that it’s important not to just dump the reader into the middle of a story, but at the same time if it feels like the leading lady didn’t exist before I opened the book she’s already lost major points in my book (yes Bella Swan I am talking about you). In other words, to me a good leading lady feel real, and real women have lives of their own. In my book a leading lady should too.

Be original: There’s nothing wrong with standing out in a crowd, but not every leading lady has to have spiked hair and wear a dog collar. However, in keeping with my desire to read about girls who feel real I have no desire to read about someone who is like everyone else because that’s just not the way it is.

Changes in some way: I take issue with characters who are stagnant. There could be an alien invasion, true love, and time travel all in one book, but if the female lead is exactly the same on the last page as she is on the first then I’m going to be bored out of my mind. Servant to queen, human to vampire, prey to hunter it’s all good. But the best part is watching how their state of mind and personality chances over time.

In other words, if I’m going to read a book I want it to be a story with a leading lady that has a character all her own.

- Aaron

My Top 5 Favorite Leading Ladies!

2011-02-16T00:15:00.000-08:00

1. Veronica Mars from Veronica Mars

Let me count the ways I love this girl! First off, she's a detective, she's witty, she kicks butt and takes names, has a really close relationship with her Dad and always manages to snag the really hot guys! What I really like about her though is that underneath that tough girl exterior, she really cares about her family and friends and I love when she let's her guard down and is vulnerable.

2. Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls

I love Rory because her and I are a lot alike: we're both painfully shy around the opposite sex, we dress comfortable and modest, we have close relationships with our friends and family, we both want to be writers (!) and we would rather sit in our room and read then attend a raging party! See, soul mates? :P I love Rory because she's real, she experiences real teenage problems and is someone who I really admire, plus, I really want to live in Stars Hollow! (And marry Luke Danes, heehee!)

3. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series

I love Hermione, because, like Rory, she's my soul mate! She's super smart, loves to read, is fiercely loyal to her friends and, hello, she's a witch and goes to Hogwarts, what's better then that?! Plus, I love the fact that she's can be strong and tough, but also heartbreakingly vulnerable (especially when it comes to Ron, *swoon*!)

4. Stacey Brown from the Blue is for Nightmares series by Laurie Faria Stolarz

OMG, I love this girl! Stacy rules because she's a witch (do you see a pattern forming here? :)), lives in an awesome boarding school, has a hilarious group of best friends and spends her time trying to save one best friend from falling into the hands of a psycho stalker, while trying to hide her feelings for her BFF's boyfriend...Stacey's awesome because, again, she's real, she's not glamours with model-like looks, she gets zits, has bad hair days, is sometimes late to class, has fights with her friends, experiences the ups and downs of romance, I just love her! And I could read this series again and again!

5. Violet Ambrose from The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting

Violet is awesome, plus I feel a little sorry for her since she has the ability to find the bodies of people that have been murdered...Not only that, but Violet is daring and brave and not afraid to search for the truth, no matter what it takes! She also has a really close relationship with her parents and extended family, which I love, she has an awesome group of friends and a raging crush on her BFF, Jay! This girl has it all...Kind of. Plus, Kimberly is a total sweetheart! :)

Now that you know some of my faves, it's your turn: who's your favorite leading lady and why?

~Ella

Get it, Girl

2011-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

This week we're talking about female characters and how we write them.

At first, I construct male and female characters similarly- by going to family life. Because this is YA and most characters don't yet have an "adult life," much of the character's personality is going to be shaped by their families. So what are their parents like? Do they have siblings- older or younger? What are those siblings like? Then I move to friends and school, which starts to define a characters personality traits, his or her interests and quirks and tics.

Now, here's where I diverge in my treatment of girls and guys. See, with girls, it feels more personal to me, being a girl myself. There are so many bad role models for teen girls (Miley Cyrus, I'm looking at you), and it's important to me that my girls have substance. Yes, I care about writing real, flawed characters- but then I give them character development in spades. That's my number one reason for not connecting with a female character- that she doesn't grow. I don't know about you, but my real-life female friends are always learning, evolving, and becoming more empowered to be their best selves (what up, Oprah).

I could never write a just-a-pretty-face MC, one who was helpless or completely dependent on other people or stagnant in her personal growth. Damsels in distress are a thing of the past, and they make for uninteresting heroines. When I was young, I loved Anne Shirley, Alice McKinley, Jo March- smart, feisty girls with lots of heart. That being said, I don't believe in having a feisty girl character just for the sake of feisty- why is she smart-mouthed and sassy?

Because if its well-written, a girl who finds herself is more compelling than a girl who finds a guy.

Defining a Love-able Lady

2011-02-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

It's been fairly well documented that, in order to fall in love with a book, all I need is a good leading guy. But, this week the Ink Slingers are studying what makes a good leading lady. I hope you'll all chime in, because it's something I personally am still working through - we're eager to hear a wide variety of thoughts on this one.

The main girl character in a story is probably never going to make a book for me - but she's definitely capable of breaking it. I'm not quite sure why this is? Are some girls just irritated by particular feminine traits? Are we reminded of people we know in real life, like that annoying classmate we went out of our way to avoid? No one wants to spend 300 pages in that head.

Well, as a writer, once in awhile I have to "create" a girl. I WANT the reader to be okay spending 300+ pages with her, cheering for her. It's not something I really worried about until several of my girl buddies were all reading the Twilight books at the same time, and they all started complaining about Bella: "I don't understand why these guys are fighting over her - it doesn't make sense, what's so great about Bella?" - or "I liked Breaking Dawn the best, we got to spend some time away from Bella's head for awhile" - etc.

Nothing against Bella - obviously she and her franchise are coping just fine. But, it made me a little paranoid about writing MY girls.

I think a writer can get away with more when it comes to writing boys, there's more margin for error. For girls, it's a delicate balance - not too weak, but not too combative - not too needy, but not too arrogant - and then make her stand out so she's NOT a cookie-cutter. Oh, and make sure she's not too perfect, either.

It seems like the leading lady everyone aspires to is Elizabeth Bennet; 200 years later, she may still be the gold standard. Just for fun, I asked some of my friends to compare Bella Swan and Elizabeth Bennet. Here's a sample (from friends who are readers but not writers):

"The secret to a good heroine is finding the mix of the woman we are and the woman we want to be."

"No one wants to be seen as whiny or completely helpless. We're okay with being rescued by a charming man, but we'd like to be strong enough not to NEED him."

"Elizabeth Bennet is awesome because she's confident, and she always says and does the right thing. Sure, she might have burned Darcy a couple of times, but maybe he deserved it a little."

"Elizabeth is completely likable and admirable. Bella? Not so much. She's mostly just whiny and emotional, all the while claiming to be neither."

Isn't it interesting that, at least in my small sample, Elizabeth was seen as the more "modern" woman? I also thought that last bullet might be key - readers are savvy and notice when the "show" and "tell" don't match.

What do you think - when developing a female character, are there certain traits we should strive for? Are some traits the "third-rail" so-to-speak? Are there specific words that, when associated with our girls, turn readers off? (Sounds like "whine" might be one.) What's your "gold standard" in literary heroine?

And I'd especially like to hear from some guys on this issue (come on, fellas, I know you're out there!) - what does a guy reader look for in a female heroine? What struggles do guy writers face when creating female characters?

Love and Destructive Habits

2011-02-11T05:45:00.000-08:00

It's actually perfect that I'm participating in the That's YAmore Blogfest (Go here for participants) during the same week as Destructive Habits.

Why?
Because my greatest destructive habit is spazzing (is that even a word?) myself out when writing intense scenes. Sometimes, I even put them off until the very last moment because I just know it's going to be excruciating.

I'm a detail writer. I love details. LOVE them. I love that I can mention a vase in book1 and bring it back in book5 and it will have a monumental role in the entire series. I think this is my problem. The details overwhelm me.

In non-action scenes, I used to write in too many details and it bogged my writing down. I like to think now, I can kind of figure out what's needed and what's not, but action scenes are a completely different thing. I guess maybe I can't figure out the right algorithm for them. (I've never been good at math) It takes me ages before I feel somewhat satisfied with an intense scene.

How do I work through it?
Simple. Critique partners. (Thanks gals!) And instant feedback from my writing buddy (Thanks Marin!)

Today, you're going to get a chance to play along. I'm posting my 250ish word excerpt from my WiP and you can help me out. Give me feedback. Don't worry about hurting my feelings, 'cause you're not.

Here goes nothing.
Things you should know: The two characters are in the loft of a barn sitting with their feet dangling over the edge of the hole in the middle that hay is tossed down. Oh, and the boy can do magic. So when it says golden sparks, think magic.

*Names have been changed, because Jack and Jill are seriously cool people. Am I right?

“There was something I didn’t tell you earlier Jill.” Jack slid closer again.

Jill tightened her hold on the boards making up the floor. “What?” Her voice came out wrong, all froggy. She swallowed.

“I followed you up here with one thing on my mind.”

Jill couldn’t talk. Her brain was getting fuzzy again.

“I wanted to thank you.” The hay crunched as he moved against it, closer. “Ever since I came here, people have been avoiding me, calling me the Smith, wishing I had never come.”

His eyes were like the ocean, or at least what Jill had read about the ocean, she’d never seen anything so deep before, so full. She was lost in them.

“Everyone, that is, except you.” His eyes dropped from hers and she remembered to breathe. “And there’s one more thing, I’m going to kiss you.”

Jill knew she heard him wrong. He was going to sass her or catch her or kick her, surely it wasn’t…it couldn’t have been—nope, it was definitely kiss. Jill held her breath as his hand cupped her cheek and his eyes got wider and brighter and closer.

Her brain wasn’t fuzzy anymore. It was non-existent. His head tilted as her lips touched his. Her eyes closed of their own accord as a thousand fireworks blasted inside her skull. Her hands gripped the boards beneath her as the kiss deepened and his hands tangled in her hair.

She was falling.

The kiss broke. Her eyes flew open as air whipped her hair. The floor of the barn rose coming up faster towards her face, but he was there, grabbing for her, tucking her body around his arms. Golden sparks filled the air as they crashed into the hay. She was in one piece. Laughter bubbled up from her chest. Jack joined her. His deeper laugh filled the barn.

“Look, you’ve already fallen for me.”

Whew, there it is. What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

Tick, Tick, BOOM!

2011-02-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

My biggest destructive habit when writing is my need to get it right. I really don’t mind if a scene is “right” or not because “right” in writing is relative. What gets me is the details. My stories tend to involve a lot of research, and I’m a stickler when it comes to getting those little things write.

I could be in the middle of a fast paced pivotal scene that I’d been planning and waiting to write all week, but if I come across a question that I don’t know the answer to I’ll stop dead in my tracks and go into research mode. For each book I work on I have a tub books on the subject and if I can’t find my answer there I’ll continue my search online. However, even once I find an answer I don’t feel comfortable using until I’ve gotten the same answer from at least two other sources.

For example, last year I was wrapped up in writing a scene in Entwined where the MC, who was a white Bengal Tiger at the time, was purring. The scene was going great, but then I started to wonder if tigers actually purred or not because heaven forbid she come off with the characteristics of a house cat instead of a tiger. Of course then I had to stop and go find out if tigers purred, which it turns out they don’t.

In many ways it’s a helpful destructive habit, but it’s still a destructive habit.

-Aaron

Will Self-Destruct in 3...2...1...!

2011-02-09T00:53:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure at first what my answer to this week's topic on self-destructive writing habits was going to be because I share a lot of the same habits as my fellow Ink Slingers, but I didn't want to repeat them here for fear of losing your interest in reading my post, so instead I've come up with a few other bad habits I know I have.

I am prone to boredom

You've heard this one from me before, several times as a matter of fact, but it's true: I have a horrible, horrible habit of starting a story and falling in love with it for a few days or weeks and then, slowly but surly, a Shiny New Idea will slither its way into my brain and I start to doubt the story I'm currently working on and decide instead to pursue that "better" idea until...you guessed it, that idea gets old as well and so I go in search of a new, "better" one and the ugly cycle repeats itself again and again! As a result, I'd say I have hundreds of unfinished stories hidden away inside various notebooks and computers from over the years, all left undone, my enthusiasm for each fizzling out. Shame on me, I know. :(

I lack confidence in my ability

This bad habit is also a biggie because it has stopped me (and is still stopping me) from pursuing certain story ideas because I think they're too much to take on, such as I don't know enough about my subject matter to continue, so I might as well move on to something I know I can tackle or I love an idea and it sounds fabulous in my head, but when I put pen to paper to try and write it down, the right words won't come to help me say what I'm trying say and my attempt at getting what I see in my head to transfer itself onto the page is total and utter poo and I give up.

So, as you can see, I have quite the dilemma, but unlike my fellow critique group members, I have no good solutions for how to dash these bad habits, so if you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments! I could use all the help I can get! :)

~Ella

In Your Head*

2011-02-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

My most self-destructive habit in writing is self-doubt.

I treat writing like it's a second job, and I work the late shift most nights. So I get the work done- it exists- but my first WIP was stalled out for six months because of self-doubt. I over-analyzed it all the way to the shelf. Instead of realizing that there were good elements worth fighting for, I started on another project, convinced that the first was too this, not enough that.

Sometimes I wish I could be arrogant, the way some fiction writers get typecast. I wish I could be so bombastic that I felt nothing but near-delusional confidence. But instead, I read and re-read, plucking out flaws both real and imagined. In fact, I doubt myself so much that I sometimes wind up removing things that should be strengths.

Now, what is the antidote? Easy. Critique partners. Whether you're your own worst critic like me OR you're so confident that you might be missing important details, critique partners and beta readers will set you straight. I had an over-dramatic OMG-I-can't-do-this moment earlier this week. Things have been going so well lately and then the doubt crept in. So I typed a crazy-person, late-night email to B. Robison, who talked me down from the ledge immediately. And now I remember- doubt has no place in my life! It's destructive to the process, and frankly, I will not be slowed down.

Anyone else second-guess their writing to the point of fault?

*Zo-om-bie, zo-om-bie...(The Cranberries? Anyone?)

Super Sunday Self-Destruction

2011-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone! Whew, what a week. First we had the Snow-pocalypse/Snow-mageddon/Blizzaster of 2011 (er, at least SOME of us did), and today we're gearing up for one of the premier media events of the year. As a result of everything going on... I'm thinking not very many people will actually read this post. That's okay. It probably won't be very good anyway.

This week the Ink Slingers are exploring Destructive Writing Habits. Mattingly posed the question, and I meditated on the topic for a couple of weeks. What are my destructive writing habits? I have no idea.

Ugh.

I know I have them. I probably have a LOT of them. The fact that I don't recognize them scares the hell out of me (I wake up in the night screaming, Mattingly). For the sake of posting SOMETHING, I decided to broaden the scope of the question. What are my destructive habits, generally speaking? Whatever they are, they probably leak into my writing life. Right?

I tend to set unreasonable expectations.
For example, when I was trying to finish my first WiP, I set a timeline. I learned that, if you try to rush things for the sake of a manufactured timeline... well, you get out of it what you put into it. These things always take longer than you think they will, and that's okay. What matters is that the end product is good.

I'm prone to burnout.
I've been told I'm an "all or nothing" kind of gal. I take it as a compliment... but I'm not sure it's meant that way. Anywho, when I work (at anything), I go at it full force until I can't go anymore... and then I don't do anything. And it takes a lot to get momentum back after that.

I get rewards and hinderances confused.
So... I'm supposed to be training for this 10 mile run thing... but instead, I spent the better part of this week (during the blizzard) eating deepdish pizza and raw cookie dough. I felt like I was getting away with something! Hee hee, this is so fun! I'm gonna pay for it later...

Probably the same for writing. Isn't the process, in a way, its own reward? When I successfully complete a milestone in my training for the run, do I really need to celebrate some way? When I reach a milestone in my writing, shouldn't that be enough? Or at the very least, shouldn't rewards help you move forward instead of setting you back?

Question: Is there a good way to point out self-sabotage in others?
You've seen it in movies a million times - the main character is making obvious mistakes, and you want to scream "Don't do that! You're making things so much worse for yourself!" Or maybe you have friends in real life who make bad decisions and you can see the blow-up coming.

Do you intercede?

If my Sister Slingers noticed a pattern of self-destruction somewhere in my writing process, I'd want them to point it out to me. Isn't that the whole point of being in a community like this? We're a support system, here to build each other up, make each other better, hold each other accountable.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have an awesome Super Bowl party to host. Bring on the self-destructive self-indulgence!

Must Love Dogs!

2011-02-06T01:58:00.000-08:00

So, without a doubt, I would have to say that the best book I read in January would have to be A Dog Named Slugger by Leigh Brill. Here's the product description from Amazon.com:

The true life story of a dog who changed everything for one woman. For the first time in my life, I didn't need to pretend, I didn't need to be tough: I only needed to be honest. "I have cerebral palsy. I walk funny and my balance is bad. I fall a lot. My hands shake, too. That means I'm not so good at carrying things. And if I drop stuff, sometimes it's hard to just bend down and get it." I waited anxiously for the interviewer's response. She smiled. "It sounds like a service dog could be great for you." So began Leigh Brill's journey toward independence and confidence, all thanks to a trained companion dog named Slugger. The struggling college student and the Labrador with a "a coat like sunshine" and a tail that never stopped wagging became an instant team. Together, they transformed a challenge into a triumph. Together, they inspired and educated everyone they met. Now, Leigh honors her friend with the story of their life, together.

Amazing, right? Not only did the product description and the picture of the adorable lab gracing the front cover compel me to pick up this book, but as soon as I started reading I knew I had found something special. Because it was with this this book, with it's author and it's four-legged sidekick that I felt an instant connection.

Why? Well, not a lot of people online know this about me but I too have Cerebral Palsy and a service dog. So, as you can imagine, I felt an instant kinship with Leigh and Slugger as soon as I began reading their story that only intensified the more I read. Almost from page 1 I started to cry and have cried multiple times during the reading of this book (which, I'll admit, I haven't actually finished reading yet, only because I have a feeling that I'm going to be crying buckets by the end, so I'm avoiding it for as long as possible). Leigh talks of her C.P. and the daily struggles she faces with such honesty and humor that I instantly felt more understood and less alone then I have before, because as much as my friends and family know of my own daily struggles with C.P., it takes a person like Leigh to fully understand what I go through on a daily basis. As Leigh says, "C.P. sucks". :)

But, as much as C.P. sucks, I know that it has been a blessing in disguise for both Leigh and myself in the form of a furry best friend. One of the other reasons why I connected so deeply with Leigh and her story was because of her unwavering bond with her service dog, Slugger. I know exactly what it feels like to love a dog as much as Leigh loves hers, because when I was a freshman in high school I received my first service dog, Ingram. We were together for 9 years and in that time I've never realized until later how deeply I could love and be loved in return. Like Slugger did for Leigh, Ingram was there for me unconditionally, even when I was mad at him or going through the ups and downs of my teenage years and didn't want to talk to anyone, he was there, steadfast and true.

Now, years later, I have a new service dog, Ginger, who, like Ingram, is never afraid to give love, even to those who seem undeserving, and for that, I am grateful. And I'm also immensely grateful to Leigh for having the courage to share her and Slugger's story with the world. For it's stories like yours Leigh that make me hopeful for the future, that make me feel confident that I will not let my condition get the best of me, that I am deserving of love (from both humans and animals) and that I can do anything if I set my mind to it, C.P. be damned! And to that I say, to both you and Slugger...thank you, so much.

~Ella

Best Book in January Goes to....

2011-02-04T08:50:00.000-08:00

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I read this quick middle grade just a couple days ago and was astounded by two things:
The vocabulary
The story

The vocabulary in this quick read was really complicated for the grade level in my opinion. There were some words that even I had to think about twice, and I like to think I have a pretty good vocabulary. I think for a middle grade or even young adult reader it would be very challenging.

The story was freaky and scary (Ella, totally a book made for you) in a good way. Coraline basically lets curiosity get the best of her and travels into another world. In this world, there are a lot of creepy things including rats (ewww) and a woman who looks like her mother, but isn't, and wants to replace her eyes with black buttons. TOTALLY CREEPY!!!!!

Now, I'm dying to see the movie now :) As an adult, I like it. As a kid, I think it'd really give me bad dreams. (Kinda like the Nightmare before Christmas did) If you're a fan of that though, you're guaranteed to love this book.

Have you read it? Plan on reading it? Seen the movie? Let me know in the comments!

The BFG Brain Suck

2011-02-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

I’m not sure if the BFG the best book I read in January, but it definitely made an impression. At the beginning of the year my host teacher started reading it to her class, and as soon as she opened that book it began to slowly take over my life. All of the kids love it, so of course we have to have a BFG themed party. Trust me Snozzcumbers, Frobscottle, and Whizzpoppers aren’t as much fun to make as they are to read about.

On top of that one of my first grade struggling readers has latched onto this book. She will spend every available moment wading through it one sentence at a time. Now that she’s started reading along with audio books on my i-Pod every morning she greats me at the door with “did you get The B.F.G. on That Thing?!” Not even my i-Pod was safe from The BFG this January.

But I digress. The BFG is an amazing book that I would recommend to any one. However, from a writing point of view there are a number of things that make it amazing.

Word choice: The best part of this book is that the author makes up a lot of his own words, a lot of which are combos of preexisting words. A half dozen different descriptors can be expressed with just one word.

Characters: Even if a character is only mentioned once they still manage to make an impression that lasts the whole book. Every character feels so well rounded and realistic in a completely implausible way, and I think the main way Dahl does this is through the names he gives the characters. Names like Childchewing Giant, the Meatdripping Giant, and the Big Friendly Giant give the reader an instant association with the character.

Visual imagery: There are so many new things and characters being introduced throughout the whole book that is the imagery wasn’t stellar it would be indecipherable. The big thing that helps with this is that this readers are getting the benefit of having the scene described to them from the perspective of both The BFG and Sophie, which really outlines the oddities of the book.

Setting: Roald Dahl creates a whole new society in The BFG, but it’s so realistic that it feels real. Yet Roald doesn’t waist a lot of time describing the setting. He gives it short and sweet making every word count.

The moral of this post is that The BFG is a wonderful, vivid book that I truly do love. I just wish I could get away from it!

- Aaron

I May Have Read Too Much...

2011-01-30T17:13:00.000-08:00

This week, we want to know - What's the Best Book You Read in January?

I've reached a point in my "career" as it were that I no longer read for fun. I still enjoy it (immensely), but I can't help studying the book (which means, when I'm reading, I can honestly say, "Don't bother me - I'm working!").

I want to know what makes a book special. Some books have a great voice and character development. Some have amazing world building. Others have a great plot and pacing. Every once in awhile, you find one with a combination of strengths, and those are solid gold.

I've gotten in the habit of keeping a record of what I learn as I read - studies, rather than reviews. I go through books so fast that, if I don't write down some sort of impression, I forget what I got out of it. Blogging has actually been a really nice outlet for this (and so easily searchable for future reference).

Well, here's the problem - I'm supposed to post about the best book I read in January... and I think I may have done too much reading. I got all of these shiny new books for Christmas, and I just tore through them. That also means that I did almost ZERO writing, which is really disappointing.

So, I guess I'll just break it down by category - depending on what sort of book you'd like (or, if you're looking for examples of books out there that demonstrate a particular strength):

Voice/Character Development

World Building

Across the Universe
Matched (alright, I cheated - I read this in December)

Plot and Pacing

I Am Number Four (I didn't read this in January, either - but the movie's about to come out, so I thought maybe it applied on that basis)

What kind of reader are you? Granted, we want all three of these things in anything we read (or write for that matter), but do you gravitate toward one over the others?

I personally am a character girl. I can fall in love with a character and forgive weaknesses in the other areas. I had a discussion over Thanksgiving with my uncle - he's a world-building guy. Once he figures out the rules of the world, he starts to get bored with the rest.

Happy reading this February, friends! As for me, I'll be doing much less this month. Time to get back to work!

It has been 31 days since my last confession.....

2011-01-28T05:45:00.000-08:00

and I have the following to confess:

1. If you are a writer and want a quiet place full of books and empty of people to work go to a University library the first two weeks of a new semester. DEAD. AS. A. DEADPERSON. (I should know, this is my place of work) promise they'll let you in free of charge and won't care at all if you stay there for hours or ask them endless questions. (There are only so many hours you can sit in one spot and watch nothing happen.)

2. If you are a gardener, then you will appreciate my laugh when my professor said the following while we, his students, were elbow deep in azaleas, "If you end up with a rash the next couple days, don't worry, it's the azaleas." (No worries, apparently azaleas don't think I'm at all that dangerous and therefore not worthy of rashness...ha, catch that play on words?)

3. Wednesday night I spent three hours re-reading....and laughing.....at my mauscript. Here are some of the things past me wrote: (I blame the writing challenge of 20,000words in two weeks)

"Lies are like balloons, when they pop, they scare the hell out of you."

"Lying to Ester(grandmother-type) was like eating a lollypop off the sidewalk, you just felt bad after doing it."

4. I discovered four songs, YEAH 4!, I can't believe it either, that fit one of my main characters to perfection. I usually have a terrible time finding a song that works perfectly and I found FOUR! I'm ecstatic. These totally get me in the writing zone. Click on them to hear them for yourself. Any guesses on what I'm writing?

Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson

Never Again by Kelly Clarkson

Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars

Haunted by Taylor Swift

Not me btw, Source

5. I started my welding class (I have yet to set fire to my person:) and had a major book epiphany just as the professor was trying to talk to us about a certain kind of welding. Not really funny huh? Well, imagine your face when you get a brilliant book idea.....right. Now, make that face in front of several people and your academic advisor/professor. Yes, welcome to my life. Above is a pic of welding, not me, notice lack of unruly tresses. Go here next week for a post when I compare writing to welding....sure to be fun :) and fiery.

A Mish Mash of Confessions

2011-01-27T01:32:00.000-08:00

1. Strawberry flavored Halls cough drops are da bomb!

2. I've written barely anything story wise in like 2 months or more-that's going to change, soon.

3. I'm near the end of reading an amazing book that caused me to cry after only the first couple pages...and it's not YA! More on this later. :)

4. Mytomatoes.com is my savior: it's a website where you can set a clock for 25 minutes and do whatever you need to during that time and when the timer goes off you get a 5 minute (or more) break. This tool has helped me get a lot of school done lately. It's great to use if you want to stay focused, which I've really not wanted to do lately due to an illness that I've had since last week that's kicking my butt. But with the help of Tomatoes, I set the clock and force myself to do school for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break to chill out and scour through my blog feed to see what everyone else is up to and then get back to work once the 5 minutes is up. It's shocking how much I can get done after a few 25 minute work sessions!

5. I <3>Veronica Mars. Gets better and better with every episode! :)

A Month of New Experiences

2011-01-26T02:00:00.000-08:00

2010 was a grueling year, and I went into 2011 expecting more of the same. But this month those expectations got turned on their ear.

1. I got several expensive gifts for Christmas, but my favorite gift by far was a package of four dollar cherry red hair extensions that my brothers got me. It only took me an hour of telling them over and over that no I wasn't joking for them finally believe that they would be a good gift for me.

2. My mom couldn’t get out of town to get her hair cut, so she had me cut her hair. All of my mom’s friends are commenting on the fact that it’s the first time in 15 years she has changed up her style. I’m not sure if that is a good thing or not.

3. My mom, who never talks about the fact that I write, asked me if I would write a book based on her mother’s life, and she was stunned when I broke the news to her that I was already planning on it.

4. The morning after I shaved off all my hair, I was walking through the halls of the school I work at and one of the male teachers turned to do a double take of my hair and ended up tripping over a book sculpture and almost crushing a kindergartner. People clapped.

5. My mentor teachers were joking about wishing they could have a large loom for the classroom, but I thought they were serious and built a 4 foot by 3 foot free standing loom out of PVC pipe for the kids to use.

emery's january clean slate

2011-01-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

1. I'm getting married in May. All of my vendors are booked, lots of things prepped; overall, I'm good shape. But I keep having these crazy, realistic wedding nightmares. In the daylight hours, I feel fairly calm about the whole thing, but my sub-conscious is freaking out.

2. With the wedding approaching, I've been a lot more careful about my diet and exercise. And I HATE it. Haha. Though I'm at a healthy weight, I still have room for improvement. BUT I LOVE DONUTS.

3. In other news, I was an absolute shrew to my almost-husband earlier this week- a hormonal, weepy shrew. I felt so awful once Normal-Emery pushed Crazy-Emery out of the way. He should have been mad at me, or at least annoyed. Instead, he brought me home bubble bath and my favorite coffee. Good thing we don't keep score in our relationship, because the dude wins every time.

4. So...I live in Ohio. I love that we have all four seasons, but I am over- so over- our snow and freezing temperatures. But it seems silly to complain about here because, uh, Ella and Aaron live in Alaska. Alaska, people. They would probably be wearing shorts in Cincinnati.

5. Not really a confession. Well, maybe a confession of excitement. My dog is scheduled for cataract surgery in a two weeks, and if all goes well, he will see us for the very first time. He's young- the rescue estimated between two and four- and we adopted him after he'd gone blind. He'll get his sight back for the rest of his life, be able to see the world (and hopefully not be so scared of strangers...), and I am so excited and nervous. I mean, look at this face:

Wish us luck!

January 2011 Confessional

2011-01-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's time for the Ink Slingers' First Confessional of 2011. As a reminder, this is that special time in the life of all Ink Slingers where we share a little of our quirky side with the public, as though none of this will come back to haunt us later.

Just a friendly reminder, I'm starting the 2011 Debut Author Challenge tomorrow (Monday) - you know, in case you wanted to enter to win a free copy of Across the Universe or Unearthly in the next few weeks.

1. January proved once again: I'll do just about anything for a free t-shirt.

2. I'm really in to cartoons. I'm not ashamed. I saw Despicable Me TWICE in the theater and then got the DVD for Christmas. I saw Tangled for my birthday, largely due to the fact that Zachary Levi was the voice of Flynn Rider and even did his own singing. And by the way, I think Tangled might be the prettiest movie that Disney has ever done.

And now, a little extra word on How to Train Your Dragon. Your homework for the week is to watch at least the first ten minutes or so of that movie. As an aspiring writer, I loved how they constructed that story. The beginning is a great blend of introducing conflict and developing characters. I made my whole family watch that movie over Thanksgiving. "LOOK! Do you see the perfect balance of character and conflict? It's GENIUS! TELL ME YOU APPRECIATE THIS OR I'LL MAKE YOU WATCH IT AGAIN!"

3. And speaking of Zachary Levi (and yes, we were speaking of him), I was both shocked and delighted when I saw him in the Chipmunks Squeakquel the other day. He was portraying Alvin, Simon, and Theodore's videogaming babysitter. I already freely admit that I have a full-blow "Chuck" obsession, but I think I may be in danger of a more generalized Zachary Levi obsession. Code Red.

4. And yes, Santa came through and got me that NFL playoff spot I asked for (short-lived though it was). The Indianapolis Colts won their way into the playoffs by defeating the Tennessee Titans on a last second field goal. I watched the game at home by myself, and I couldn't sit still. Around halftime, I put on my heart rate monitor that I wear when I'm working out, just as a joke. Believe it or not, when I checked my stats at the end of the game, I had burned more than 800 calories in the second half alone. I take this stuff seriously.

5. And speaking of football, I work in the 'burbs right in between Chicago and Milwaukee... so... this week was interesting with all the Bears/Packers drama. You know what I learned? Bears fans are mean...

Game on. Have a great week, y'all!

Get in the ZONE!!! Auto-Zone!

2011-01-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

If you have no idea what that title means then check out the quick commercial below. Sadly, it isn't one of those that says the tagline with a lot of feeling, but it also goes along with what I've got to say so check it out anyway...okay? Okay. (<--see I totally took in your opinion there)

Remember that nice guy tuning up his car? Well writing for me is a lot like that. Before I can start writing something new I have to get back into the world. I can do that by tuning/adjusting what I did yesterday, aka add some more oil, tighten a random bolt with a ratchet, or act like turning a piece of plastic with a wrench is actually doing anything at all to ready my car...I mean...WiP. *cough* (The funny thing is once you have a little mechanical experience (a college class in my case) mechanic and car commercials become a lot more fun.)

Back to topic. To get in the zone I need to remember where I was and my purpose. Once I'm there I'm usually good to go and if not, I've always got the back up plan of pixie popcorn and some diet beverages. Here's a good piece of advice I've found really helps: whatever gets you in the zone make it as easy and fast as possible. Make it something you can do every day. The more you do it, the easier it will be and the faster you can get into the zone (AUTOZONE!!!!) AUTOmatically and get writing.

I challenge you bloggers to get in the zone

(Sorry, I couldn't resist)

this weekend and get some stuff written. Let us know how you get in the zone in the comments!

Kicking Butt

2011-01-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

So I like never have time to write anymore.

And that is because my entire world consists of school/work/school/work wash and repeat a billion times.

So when I find myself in a position to spew words onto a page, it is safe to say that I take it by storm and uh ignore the rest of the world, seriously. I have failed exams because I...uh...lost focus and turned my minds eye to writing and forgot about studying. Yeah...

So I have these moments.

When I am prepared I like to have a nice box of thin mints, a steaming hot cup of Honey Chamomile tea(capitalized cause it's important), a dark chocolate bar, cheese and crackers, onion dip and pretzels, and my favorite chocolates from my local store.

I know you've got to be thinking, wow what a pig. But I do not have them all at once, the bolded ones are the ones that are a must. The rest are interchangeable, in fact talking about the onion dip makes me want some really bad...anywho I digress.

I then disconnect my internet (okay not always...) lock myself off from the world, in my room or the living room, blast my iPod and let it all go.

When I am not prepared...uh I use anything and everything I can to get the ideas down. My arm, old receipts, used napkins (okay that's gross, I'm kidding), pants, the back of a test etc. I get kind of desperate, and by kind of I mean like so very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very to like the billionth degree freak out.

And then I write. Just like that, I write.

I know I'm getting in the zone when I lose my train of thought and can't help but day dreaming, and talking to myself and appearing completely crazy to the world. And that is how I get in the zone and kick butt writing.

Jumping the Tracks

2011-01-19T21:37:00.000-08:00

I don’t get a lot of time to write, so when I get the time I really want to make the most of it. Since I’m a very structure oriented person I’ve created a writing routine for myself to help me make the most of my time. As long as I follow that routine I can easily get in my zone and make the most of my time.

Even though I write better when the music is off, the first thing I do when I’m trying to get in the zone is go to playlist.com and pull up the play list for whichever story I’m working on. Next I open up Write or Die and set my goals. 900 words in 30 minutes tends to be my sweet spot, but sometimes I adjust it for the first round depending on my attitude. However, I always cheat a little by pasting in the last line I wrote from whatever I’m working on. That way I can focus on the writing instead of worrying about repeating myself or getting the mood wrong.

However, the way that I know that I’m getting in the zone is when I start abandoning my routines. When I raise my word count goal I know I’m just about there. Then when I mute my music I’m there, but it’s when I transition from one typing session to the next without needing to carry a sentence over from the last session to help me keep my place that I know I am there and I’m not going to be leaving anytime soon.

- Aaron

Gettin' in the Zone

2011-01-19T00:34:00.000-08:00

For me, getting in the "zone" when I'm writing has been difficult (especially lately) but on a good day, when I've got some free time on my hands (HA! Free time? What's that? :P) and I feel the urge to put pen to page, I like to get out of the house and whole up in a coffee shop for a few hours and write, a steamer and muffin in hand, along with my writing tools and then, I'm off. That's how I prepare to get into the zone. It usually takes me a little while to block out the sounds of the coffee shop around me, but once I do...watch out.

I can tell I'm in the zone when my drink and snack have gone untouched for more then 5 minutes, when the minutes turn into hours and I don't even bat an eye, when my brain is moving faster then my pen, trying to bombard me with a bunch of ideas at once and my pen can barely keep up, when my hand is stained with ink, when I'm lost so deeply within the story that it feels like my characters and I are the only ones in existence. And the telltale sign that I'm definitely in the zone? When, by the end of my writing session, my hands are cramped and achy and it feels like I'm emerging from a fog, a glorious, crazy, imagination-induced fog, full of images, words, and dreams for of the future, my future, my book's future and that's when I know: I wouldn't trade that zone, that total creative high, for anything in the world.

~Ella

In Game Shape

2011-01-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

While everyone still has that New Year fire, we're going to talk about "the zone" - How do you as a writer get into the zone, and how do you recognized you're there?

I'm one of those people who tries to treat writing like an athletic endeavor. You gotta prepare, you gotta stay in shape, you gotta have a routine - a process that gets you repeated results.

Remember how you swore you'd work out more last year? No? Just me? Well, anywho, I did pretty well last year. I jogged, did cardio kickboxing, weight lifting, spinning. Well, I did all of those things until I got distracted. In October.

Now I've come up with the brilliant idea of training for a 10K, and working out is sooooo much harder now that I took all of that time off. The routine is broken so it doesn't seem to fit anymore. It's not natural. The muscle memory fades, and it takes a long time for it to get back to where you left off.

For me, it's the same with writing. I've found that I can get "in the zone" under the following conditions:

When I'm prepared. I need to know ahead of time what I want to write. I need a plan, an end goal. Answer all the questions, do the leg work, research, and outlining. Then, I can just sit down and let the stream of consciousness flow.

When I'm in game shape. I can't take a bunch of time off and then expect to just pick up the laptop and roll. I can switch between editing and writing something new (after all, a change of work is the best rest), but I can't come in completely cold and expect magic.

When I have a big block of time. My routine requires consecutive hours, especially if I'm writing something new. I can edit or revise in bits and pieces, but I can't get "in the zone" and really pound out something. Most often, I'll start in the evening and just roll until I either hit my end goal (meaning end of scene, specific moment in the plot) or I just can't stay awake anymore.

So how do I know I'm in the zone? I know after I'm done. When my eyes are red and itchy and I look at the clock and say, "Holy moley, I gotta be at work in five hours..."

And then I grin and say, "It was worth it." Now, the question is, will anything I wrote be any good?

I define "being in the zone" as getting in touch with an effortless stream of consciousness that flows from my brain to the keyboard, almost like the manuscript is writing itself. The funny thing is, after a night like I just described, it's not unusual for me to read over my work a couple of days later and say, "Huh, I have no recollection of any of this." And sometimes, that's my best stuff.

Productivity or BUST!

2011-01-14T05:48:00.000-08:00

Productivity is at it's max for me whenever I am most busy. It used to be that I was best at 2 am but most days I'm just too tired for that anymore and my brain is fried from classes and work. So.....

Exibit A:
One week before fall finals....alone in the dorm with super awesome sidekick roomie. It's about 10 in the evening after a full day of classes and work.
Bethany: I'm just sooooo tired of this crap. It's all crap. Who needs it?
Sidekick: No one. How was work?
Bethany: Uuuuuuuggggggghuh. (<--that was a really bad groan of exhaustion that I was too exhausted to utter)
Sidekick: What happened?
Bethany: There were people...everywhere....they all wanted things.....sooooo many things.
Sidekick: It is a university library and it is nearly finals week.
Bethany: I just want to stop. I want all of it to just stop. Why can't I just write. That's all I want, to write. (in a sad pathetic moan) I juuuuustt wannnnnna write!
Sidekick: It sucks.
Bethany: Why does it have to be so hard?
Sidekick: It's life?

As you can see, finals or near finals week would obviously be a bad time to try to write even more than I normally do. Could I have done it earlier? YES. Did I? Noooooo. Why? I don't know. I write pretty much all the time, but for some reason a huge surge hits me right when I'm supposed to be doing a project or during finals week.....you get the idea.

I guess you could say I strive when I'm challenged within an inch of sanity...note to self discover the units of sanity before you fall off that cliff.

I hope everyone has a good day! And happy writing when you're busy and when you're bored to tears. :)

My formula for productivity

2011-01-12T02:00:00.001-08:00

I tend to be my most productive from seven to ten in the morning on Saturdays in November. How’s that for specific? Although I have to admit that it almost sounds too specific now that I’m reading back over it. However, I have proof.

Saturdays: Every Friday night I spend at least an hour talking to a friend who is just now getting to a point where he feels comfortable admitting that he writes for fun. We bounce ideas off each other, do research, and e-mail segments of our stories back and forth. By the time we get off the phone all I can think about it writing, but I can’t because I have to go to bed. As a result I’m raring to go come Saturday morning.

Saturday mornings: Whenever people ask me what time I get up on the weekends I answer “about 10:00 or 10:30” but I’m actually up and dressed by 7:00. I just lie about it. Why? Because around 10:15 my phone starts ringing and e-mails start coming in. This way I can write for a few hours undisturbed before my life invades. If I didn’t have those three hours two or three times a week I’d never get any writing done.

November: In general the whole month of November tends to be a very productive time for me because I’m wracked with guilt. Every year I do NaNoWriMo in November, and signing up for it and making that commitment really helps motivate me. I pride myself on accomplishing anything I set my mind to, and I work my but off so I don’t have to suffer the humiliation of not getting the job done. A little twisted I know, but if it weren’t for November I probably wouldn’t have gotten a first draft of even one book done, let alone two.

Still amped up from the night before + deception + the month of guilt = productivity

There it is my secret formula for being my most productive. Yep, this is what happens when you ask a math nerd to figure out when they are their most productive. Thank goodness I’m cute.

-Aaron

Pushing Through the Pain

2011-01-12T00:41:00.000-08:00

So this week's topic talks about when we're most productive in regards to our writing and I have to say...I'm not sure anymore. In the past, I've been a total night owl and (if I'm on a roll) and can write-or stay awake daydreaming-until the wee hours of the morning. Unfortunately, that's changed drastically. I still stay awake pretty much all night (I'm a total insomniac) but I don't write much at night like I used to. I don't know what it is. Now, when night falls, I look forward to reading, listening to my Kindle, watching Veronica Mars (Best. Show. EVER!) on Netflix, or god forbid, actually sleeping. But writing? I always have the best intentions when I sit down at the computer at night. I say things like "after I write 200 words, then I can watch V.M., I mean it this time!" Ha! Guess which option usually wins?

I don't know if my lack of writing is because I'm exhausted from being a college student, pining away for an office (or even a bedroom for that matter) of my very own, unable to focus due to noise/no noise/homework, boredom, lack energy, motivation, or all of the above. Who knows, but I know that I can't keep using all those things as an excuse anymore. If I want out of this writing dry spell, I have to force myself out of it, not keep sitting around wishing. wondering when it will go away and tricking myself into thinking that if I wait just a few more days and give myself just a little bit more of a break that the dry spell will pass.

Writing for me is kind of like exercises at the moment. I haven't exercised regularly in a long time, and now that I have been for the last few weeks, it's starting to get a little more bearable every time I do it. Sure, when I first start to do the exercises, the last thing I want to do is keep going, all I want to do is quit, but then when I push through the pain and the urge to quit, things get a little easier and by the time I'm finished I'm exhausted and sweaty and in desperate need of a shower, but I feel better. I feel better for having pushed myself and working hard and not giving up (for long anyway, lol) when things got tough and that's when I know in the long run that it will all be worth it, all the agony I'm going through now, the burning lungs, straining muscles and sweaty brow, will all be worth it in the end when I get on the scale and see I've lost weight.

The same goes for writing. I may not want to do it when I first start out and try to come up with excuses for why I should quit and do something else more fun, but then when I get into it and get into a groove, it gets a little easier and before I know it I have a page under my belt and I'm feeling great and that's when I know: in the end it'll all be worth it, all the agony, the dry spells, the writer's block, the doubt, when I have a finished first draft in my hands.

Sorry for the rant, I just had to get this all of my chest, but I guess to answer the question when am I most productive the answer is simple: when I push through the pain and refuse to give up. I think that'll be my writing mantra this year: push through the pain and never give up. Well, I'm not making any promises, but I will promise to try my damnedest to make this happen.

~Ella

the early bird AND the night owl get the worm

2011-01-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Before I started my current 9-5 day job, I wrote late- really late. Like, until 2 or 3 in the morning. Then I’d sleep until 10-ish and go into work at 2pm or later.

These days, I edit/tweak on the weeknights and occasionally write smaller scenes. On the weekend nights, I prepare with caffeine and snacks, hoping I can get into a streak that goes until at least midnight. I am most productive Friday night, when I know I can sleep in the next day.

…But I never do. I almost always get up early on Saturdays. I make myself coffee and a healthy breakfast, then I sit at my desk, working while the sun rises. It feels like “extra” time somehow, the quiet hours while the rest of the world is sleeping in, including my fiancé. Nine times out of ten, getting extra work done feels better than an extra hour or two of sleep. (What do you MEAN this is the hallmark of a workaholic...? Ha ;) )

I used to be almost unable to write unless it was dark, but those days are gone. I’m so short on time that I can write whenever I have it, out of necessity.

One thing’s for sure though: I write best when I can have the window open in my office. In spring and autumn, I swear the cool breezes and fresh evening air spur something in my brain. (HINT HINT warmer weather!) Last weekend, as the temperatures dropped in Ohio, I cuddled up with the last bit of Bethany R’s 95k manuscript. Homegirl is going places, people. Now if you’ll excuse me. I’m off to be productive, as to keep up with her.

How do you stay productive?

Silent Night

2011-01-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Ink Slinger question of the week: When are you most productive?

Ha, this question is hilarious to me because I am a shining example of irresponsibility at the moment. To answer the question directly, I'm most productive at dark-time. When the sun is down. When normal people are at least thinking of going to bed.

For one thing, I have a day job. An 8-5 gig that pays me and gives me a fair sense of self-actualization (even if it prohibits audio streaming and blocks some of my favorite time-wasting websites). I do keep a notebook at work (break glass in case of brainstorm emergency), but for the most part, I live a double life and almost never do the two meet.

Also, my husband is a morning person (grrrr), which means he often goes to sleep pretty early. And I've always been a night person (guess who's the "fun one" in our household). If he's sleeping, I don't have to feel bad about ignoring him. Works out for everyone.

But here's the funny thing - even if I didn't have the 8-5 gig at Dunder Mifflin - and even if I wasn't connected to a single other human being on the planet - it wouldn't matter. God wired my brain for late night hours. Some writers turn to booze. I depend on sleep deprivation. My husband says that, when I'm in a groove, I remind him of the guy from the TV show Heroes who could paint the future. And that's why the other Ink Slingers have gotten emails from me on multiple occasions between the hours of midnight and 4am.

And that's also why the fine people who make Cherry Coke Zero should get in touch with me ASAP - an endorsement deal would be superb.

On an unrelated topic, I wanted to mention a slight amendment to my New Years Resolution post, where I set the very obtainable goal of reading 24 new books this year. I've decided to make sure half of those are by debut authors by joining the Story Siren's 2011 Debut Author Challenge. I'll want to read a lot of those books anyway, and the Story Siren is an Indiana girl. I'm in.

My plan is to purchase 12 books from the debut list (one a month, roughly), review it on my blog, and then each month I'll have some sort of contest to give the copy away to a lucky comment-leaver.

For January the book will be Across the Universe by Beth Revis. February will be Unearthly by Cynthia Hand.

Since this is my first contest, I'm gonna have to limit it to those here in the US, including, of course, our friends in Alaska. If you live in Hawaii... roll the dice, leave a comment. You never know what might happen.

The Best Magazine I Read In December

2011-01-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

In a recurring theme, the best book I read this December was once again about cooking. Only this time it was a cooking magazine instead of a cook book, but the information was just as interesting if not more so.

My mom picked it out for me the last time she was in the city. Apparently she saw the huge slice of decadent chocolate cake on the cover and thought of me. However, the Taste of Home Celebrations edition had a lot more than that in it.

One thing that I really liked about it was that it was centered on recipes for different holidays and get-togethers. Because of this there was a large variety of radically different recipes in the one magazine. For example “Celebrations” contained recipes for Asian Spring Roles, Spring Pea Soup, Southwest Rib Roast With Salsa, and Elegant Chocolate Torte. It was nice not having to buy eleven different magazine to gain access to such a wide variety of recipes.

However, my favorite aspect of “Celebrations” was that it had little tips and sidebar recipes. More bang for my buck that way. Not only was I able get all of those great recipes, but I was also able to learn how to prepare lobster tail halves and make white Russians. Since I love learning new things this was the perfect cooking magazine for me.

-Aaron