Write Chic

What's Your Name Again?

2011-03-22T12:46:00.002-05:00

First I’ll post the official book description of Jackie Barbosa's The Reiver and then offer my review.
“Duncan Maxwell, laird of Lochmorton Castle, gets the shock of his life when he discovers the reiver captured in a raid on his lands is not a boy, but a young woman. Although she flatly refuses to tell him her name or how she came to be riding with a raiding party, Duncan cannot countenance imprisoning a woman in his dungeon but neither can he release her without compensation. Unable to ransom her back to her family, he treats her as an honored—though exceptionally well-supervised—guest. He takes to calling her Reva and determines to seduce the truth of her identity from her. There’s just one problem—the reiver may steal his heart before he can reveal her secrets.

This short story (approximately 35 pages) was originally published in the Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance."

There is much to be said about this story. The Reiver has a healthy amount of mystery for the hero to puzzle through. Befuddled heroes are always fun, imo.lol. I loved how he tried to figure out her name by calling her something different every time they met up just to see if she’d react to it. So funny and clever! This story has a love that defies years of familial hatred(think Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending). The characters are incredibly mature and what would take hundreds of pages of thoughts and soul searching to come to their conclusions about each other in another book comes to them with some ease.

I’d also like to say that Jackie Barbosa is perhaps the most underrated author living right now. Her prose is exquisite. She clearly researches her books very thoroughly and her clear intelligence fairly oozes off the page.

Read this book and open yourself up to the genius that is Jackie Barbosa. You won’t regret it.

Bette Davis Eyes

2011-03-21T11:25:00.003-05:00

I’m afraid I’ve royally fallen down on the job as a blogger. The thing that’s weird, though, is that I really do love to blog. I love offering my unsolicited advice and opinions to the world(or the two or three people who might read this.lol)

Today I want to talk about heroines. Did the title give me away or were you just expecting me to praise an old favorite song of mine? Inevitably all of my heroines wind up something like Bette Davis. I love her. I love that she can play a shrew and still make me love her. I love that she can play a crazed killer and I still wouldn’t mind being her prison pen pal.lol. She also has played some of the most lovable characters ever. And lovable hoity-toity party hungry snobs. What’s not to love? *g*

She is quite possibly the most talented actress of all time and she leads me to my topic today.

I read somewhere once that Eloisa James(A.K.A Goddess of Writing!) said she starts her stories by first thinking up a spectacular heroine and what type of journey she will go on. In the Essex Sisters’ Quartet Eloisa gave herself a huge challenge. She took a character, Imogen, that was perhaps the tiniest (very tiny)bit likable in the first books in the series and made her into the type of heroine I could aspire to be like in real life.

When I write a new story I tend to come up with the heroine first and make her fabulous. I especially love if she’s insanely naughty or even evil. That gives me something to work on for her character arc. There’s nothing better than redeeming a character. And I also love a heroine who’s so strong that she redeems her hero. Bette Davis could perform all of these duties and then some.

So, when you write does the heroine come first or the hero? What’s your favorite type of heroine to write? And who are you writing now? I’m currently writing a whiskey swilling, cheroot smoking absent mother. I know it sounds awful but if I do it right it should all turn out well in the end.

Where, oh where art thee?

2011-02-17T11:28:00.003-06:00

I think eventually as a blogger the same subject is bound to come up-well, at least for me but play along so I don’t feel dumb! Today I’m going to talk about inspiration for our stories. Specifically where we get our ideas from. See, I get the dumbfounded looks from writers when I ask where they got their ideas. Yes, they do sort of drop into out heads but for me sometimes there’s a tiny seed of something, somewhere feeding me. I always felt out of the loop because of this. But one day I walked into my local Borders to find this amazingly beautiful woman signing books. I hadn’t known it was an author day-in fact I’m fairly sure my Borders doesn’t often do this- if ever!

She was so sweet and welcoming that I had to go talk to her. Her name is T. Marie Benchley author of Once Wicked Always Dead and one of my first questions for her was,”How did you get the idea for this book?” Internally my stomach lurched and I felt like a dolt. This is the king(or queen) of bad questions for authors. I’ve read so many blogs about it and couldn’t believe my faux pas. I scrambled to say, “Oh, um, I know that’s a hard question so…” And she graciously stopped me and said, “No, I know exactly how I got the idea.” Phew! There won’t be a review of the book today but one is coming.

We talked about writing and I felt so pleased to have met her. As an aside: Interestingly enough she’s related to the author that wrote Jaws.

So now I’m just hoping the question won’t be greeted with banal looks. When a person asks that question they’re taking an interest in us. It’s flattering and Benchley’s good conversation and winning personality sold many books that day-I saw so many people checking out with it.

How do you feel when people ask where you get your ideas from? Do they literally drop from the sky and land in your head? Or do they stem from something? I’m truly curious.

Deadly Distractions

2011-02-01T13:35:00.005-06:00

I'm easily distracted. This is no doubt a modern problem. With everything there is to do, it's hard to focus on just one thing. We could be writing that awful twelfth chapter, but we could also: tweet our friends, look at the latest fashion week pictures, watch another episode of Downton Abbey, or listen to Richard Armitage read Georgette Heyer. Sadly for the 21st century novelist, the research is plain about what this does to us - multitasking is rarely efficient.

Personally, I struggle with this a lot. It's not just the internet that distracts me, it's everything. I'm much more productive during wee hours - after midnight or before dawn - precisely because there's nothing else going on. There's no little sister calling for help on her math homework or a car inspection that just has to get done or an adorable white puppy insisting you to throw her toy. This would be fine, if I was the kind of person who could do without sleep. I'm not. Without a full 8 hours, I turn into a Disney villain. Namely, one who can shoot fire from her eyes.

These past few weeks have been worse than normal. Exciting things are happening for me, in seemingly every area of life. Which not only makes it hard to carve out time to write, it makes it hard to do the actual writing. I'm not thinking about the GMC of my heroine, I'm instead replaying that phone call I just had. This had to stop. If I get out of rhythm with writing, I'll wake up three months later with barely 1200 words written. So what did I do?

I turned to books. Of course.

Last night, I drew myself a bubble path, brewed some tea, and amassed some of my favorite writing books. The theory? Reading about writing would get me more excited about writing. This is something that happens to me all the time -the more I research a topic, the more enthusiastic I become about it. If I'm looking at gorgeous fabric, I want to sew a dress. If I'm reading about character archetypes, I want to write my own characters!

Does anyone else find this to be true? I know craft books can burn some people out, but there's nothing that rejuvenates my writing mojo like reading a good one. We all get distracted from our goals from time to time, but what do you do to counteract that?

The books in question:

The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever and Sue Viders.
Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell
Beginnings, Middles, and Ends by Nancy Kress

The Romance Manifesto

2010-10-07T14:08:00.011-05:00

I've been thinking about love lately. It's probably an inevitable musing, considering I'm a single twenty-something. Except, I reject that explanation. I hate the stereotype of the desperate 25 year-old, hopelessly searching for a man and eating ice cream by the gallon.

It's not just that I hate ice cream, it's that resorting to such stereotypes belittles the notion of love. It turns it into the stuff of fantasies - the naïve hopes of a pitiful caricature of a woman. In our modern society, where for the first time in history more people are free to love and be loved as they choose, it's appalling how much we buy into this view of love.

Taking my group of friends as an example, I see it happen all the time. When we talk about love, we tend to do it in a snarky cynical manner. Phrases commonly overheard are:

"Not that I believe in soulmates, but..."
"It was so cheesy, I don't know why I'm even talking about it." (In reference to a romantic thing a love interest has done.)
"I'm in the mood for something silly. Let's go see a romance!"
"That relationship will never last. Passion fades, you need something consistent."

Even I'm guilty of it. When referencing my ex-boyfriend, my sole brush with real love, I normally laugh the relationship off as my attraction to exotic, well-dressed men with tortured pasts and addiction issues. Yes, that does sum up a big part of the relationship, but it was more. We were mismatched in many ways, but I have no doubt that we loved each other. It wasn't the sort of happily ever after of fairytales, but I don't blame that on love, I blame timing. If anything, love in the face of such issues proves to me that it does exist.

So, why am I ashamed to admit my belief in romance? Why, when people categorize happy endings as the stuff of fantasies, do I nod along? Countless times, I have sat idly by while people defended their love of the romance genre by portraying it as escapism.

The truth is - I don't buy that.

I don't think movies and books with happy endings are any less real than hard hitting crime dramas. People sit through movies with epic car chases and bank robberies, without questioning the validity of such stories. But make a bunch of critics watch a romantic comedy and they may praise it, but it will be backhanded for sure. The writing will be great for a romance; the acting will be great, in spite of the shmaltzy plot line. In literature, Romance is the one genre that is consistently berated for its formulaic writing. Yet, do mysteries not always involve solving a crime and fantasies consistently feature involved world-building? Is boy-meets-girl any more formulaic? It's all in reader expectations of the genre, not some masterful formula.

From here, my argument quickly devolves into a gender politics discussion, which could easily turn into a 500 page tome. (Essentially: why is love, a phenomenon closely associated with the feminine mindset, so mocked when both sexes experience it?) But, this is not a textbook, it's a manifesto.

True love is not a myth, it is a fact. It has nothing to do with wedding dresses or naïveté or even red cartoon hearts. Love is not just for the dumb, the dreamers, the little girls, or literary characters. It is for everyone. It is two people finding a deep, incandescent emotional connection. Love doesn't automatically produce any ending -happy or tragic. Love is. That's all. The ending is what we make of it and every relationship is different.

And, in keeping with that spirit, I give you my new set of rules to live by. I will no longer hide my romanticism in the closet, ashamed to be thought naïve or empty-headed. From now on, I am a romantic - fiercely so.

The Romance Manifesto
A Guide for the Defiantly Optimistic

Followers of the guide will practice the prescribed rules in their daily lives, spreading the belief in true love and arguing against the misguided stereotypes of romance whenever possible.

Never belittle love, soul-mates, happy endings, or any other classic tenet of romance. They may not exist for every couple, but they do exist.
Defend romantic love to the cynics, not as a naïve hope, but as a universal truth.
Seek out love in your own life. Whether in strengthening existing relationships or staying doggedly open to new relationships.

So, are you a romantic?

Catching Up

2010-08-27T09:51:00.001-05:00

Sorry about my limited blogging everybody! My life is a bit chaotic at the moment. School is back in session and I’m glad for that. I’ve always loved school which probably makes me a massive nerd-oh, who am I kidding? I am, without question, the largest nerd in American history. lol.

I have been preparing to write my first YA novel and that’s exciting. I’m trying to take pleasure in the little things because if I looked at the big picture of my life right now I’d be a sobbing mess 24/7.

Losing Mommy has thrown my whole life off track but I’m hanging in there.

How are all of you? I hope well!

A Writer’s Top Five Tools and Why They Make the List

2010-07-12T00:00:00.008-05:00

Happy Monday, friends! Today, we're thrilled to welcome our very first guest blogger, Elizabeth Spann Craig, to Write Chic. Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series for Penguin as Riley Adams, the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink (under her own name), and blogs daily at http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com, which was named by Writer’s Digest as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers for 2010. Delicious and Suspicious released July 6, 2010: When a food scout from a cable cooking channel is murdered, it's only natural for restaurant owner Lulu Taylor to take it personally. After all, her barbeque restaurant served the scout's last meal. But danger lurks as Lulu investigates the crime. Will she clear the restaurant's name, or is she next to be skewered?

As the mother of two, Elizabeth writes on the run as she juggles duties as Brownie leader, referees play dates, drives carpools, and is dragged along as a hostage/chaperone on field trips. We're honored to have Elizabeth here today, giving us an insightful look into the tools every writer should have in his or her literary kit.

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The writing life isn’t an easy one. In fact, there seem to be obstacles around every corner—from lack of time to the difficulty of obtaining a literary agent.

But there are some great things about writing as a hobby or career. It’s inexpensive. It’s portable and can be done anywhere and in varying chunks of time. And there are few simple tools that can help you achieve your goals.

Here are five tools to help you on your path to publication:

Backup. How you do it doesn’t really matter, but doing it is really a necessity. Almost every writer I know who has been writing for more than a year has lost data. Even if you write on paper, you should consider a form of backup (either by typing completed text into a computer…and backing that up, or by taking your notebook paper to the copy shop and letting them copy the document for you.) USB drives can be bought for under ten dollars and text files use up little space. When I’m feeling especially lazy or can’t get my hands on a USB drive, I’ll email the manuscript to myself. That’s also handy if you travel a lot, as long as you email it to an account that you can access from other computers.

Paper and pencil. I’m merging these two tools into one unit. They’re inexpensive, but invaluable. I always think that I can remember an idea, plot shift, or scrap of dialogue when the idea comes to me. But nine times out of ten, the thought is gone just hours later. If you keep just a small, flip-top notebook and pencil on hand and jot down the ideas as they come to you, you have the ability to make greater progress on your novel.

An honest beta reader. It doesn’t really matter who this person is—friend, family member, or fellow writer that you connect with through an online critique group. It does matter that they can give constructive criticism of your novel. Sure, it’s great hearing that we’ve written the best novel ever, but if we don’t hear ways to improve our novel then it’s going to be tougher to make our way past the publishing gatekeepers.

Support and information from other writers. I think one of the best things a 21st century writer can do for their writing career is to connect with other writers. Writing is a tough slog, and friends and family may…or may not…understand why we’re taking it on. The online writing community can be your best friend when you’ve reached a brick wall with your plot or research, or when you’re dispirited from rejections or critiques. Where can you find other writers online? Go to any popular writing blog and look in their sidebar for a blog roll—you’ll find blogs of other writers. Those writers will have blogs listed in their sidebars, too. Then befriend these writers you’ve found on blogs on Facebook and Twitter for more ways to communicate beyond blog commenting.

A blog to serve as a living room for visitors. I’m going to go ahead and add a personal blog to the list of important tools for writers. If we have a blog, we have more than a place for other writers to visit us—we have a place for agents and editors to glimpse our writing style, voice, and professionalism. How much does a blog cost? Besides the regular cost of your internet access, you can have a blog for free…mine doesn’t cost me a cent. Blogger is one of the hosts that offers free blogging.

Are these some of your top tools as a writer? What would you add to the list?

Elizabeth Spann Craig (Riley Adams)
Mystery Writing is Murder
Mystery Lovers' Kitchen
Follow her on Twitter: @elizabethscraig

More Zombies...

2010-07-02T20:19:00.004-05:00

I am quite certain I’m entirely wrong when I say that there have been six million and five point three combined zombie books and movies and blogs written. I am "quite certain" I’m wrong because I’m thinking it’s actually more. But something has excited me in the zombie genre recently. Something I never expected but it makes me so incredibly happy that I want to put on dancing shoes and cut a rug(I should say that I prolly would cut a rug literally. Like for instance, I’d fall in really high, spiked heels and tear tender fabric. Oops! Sorry in advance).

But here’s the news that has rejuvenated my interest in zombies- not to mention my blog writing soul. Here’s another lead up! This new excitement directly involves one of my fave authors who is largely known as Jenna Petersen. She is also known as Jess Michaels. I love her under both names. I’ve reviewed her books more than once. Her books just plain make me happy-I am sure you are shocked.*g* When I pick up one of her books I trust that she’ll guide me through a gamut of tumultuous emotions and then lead me safely home again.

What more can I say? Well…

She now has a new pen name!!!! Under the lovely name Jesse Petersen she is writing zombie books! I am too excited and can’t explain the books so click here to go the web page. You won’t regret it. Now go and read the page and drool, and ponder with me what will happen.

Anything y’all excited about? Well, post it here. Yes, Eclipse and the two part Breaking Dawn movie are allowed to be mentioned. Harry Potter is allowed. Heck, everything is allowed. BTW, it’s good to be back. I love you all so!

First Love: Layering, Drafting, & Zombies

2010-06-01T00:30:00.004-05:00

The internal editor. Every writer has one. She is the plague of our collective existence - always telling us that last sentence wasn't good enough or asking whether our hero would really use the word snazzy. Never is the IE more insistent (and annoying) than while writing a first draft. Every plot twist, every character introduction, she criticizes. However, I find that what she focuses on is different for every writer.

Which makes sense, considering she's a figment of our imaginations. We are the ones criticizing and insisting that we're just not good enough. Whatever facet of our story we deem to be most important is what we'll harp on. But what facet is most important? In the first draft especially, it can be difficult to balance all the ingredients of good writing - great characters, compelling settings, tight plotting, interesting style, etc. We can't concentrate on them all at once, or else we'd go mad. Writing conferences would look like reenactments of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the soul sucked right out of aspiring authors by the overwhelming "big picture" of their stories.

My solution is this: pick the area of writing most important to you and chuck the rest. At least for the first draft. I would never get a chapter written, if I were worrying about every little aspect. I'd just sit at the beginning, working and reworking until it was perfect...even if it took nine months. That can't happen. If I worked that way, it would take years to finish a book. Instead of hoping to be published within two years, I'd be hoping for two decades. That way Zombiefication lies.

Personally, my first draft focuses on style (or, if you prefer the term, voice). Heresy, right? I know that "real" writers probably focus on their characters or plot. Those are no doubt those same writers who write whole scenes of idle conversation in their initial drafts just to explore their characters. I do not work that way. At all. In fact, it would drive me absolutely batty to have big swaths of prose I know I'm going to cut. For me, I have to do a lot of characterization work and plotting beforehand, so that I can concentrate on the literal writing of the book. That stringing the right words together part. When writing a scene for the first time, I'm not thinking of what my characters must be feeling or how to best express their goals. Instead, I'm concentrating on the perfect first and last lines, snappy dialogue exchanges, and the most evocative way to describe the warmth of the bonfire.

It's the language of the first draft that concerns me, how it sounds and flows, what emotions it sparks. I want to be able to read the whole thing aloud and revel in how it feels on my lips. It needs to sound right to me, before I can focus on whether the characters are acting in a believable manner or the setting is properly moody. I think that's why I rely so much on outlines and collages beforehand - I need the freedom to just think about the words. After the draft is finished, I go back and add in all the other necessary ingredients. But the style always comes first. Everything else grows from it.

In some circles of writing, this technique is called layering. The art of rewriting - going back and focusing on one aspect per rewrite - to achieve the final, finished draft. I call it sanity. Writing a first draft, quite frankly, sucks. We need a strategy, however unconscious, to cope with it. I think this probably where the true difference between plotters and pantsers lies - what's most important to the individual writer is what shapes his or her process.

So, what comes first for you? Are you wrapped up in the characters, their conflicts and personalities, or do you revel in that next plot twist? How do you think your favorite aspect of writing influences your process and your final drafts?

What's Out, What's Buzzing

2010-05-27T23:22:00.000-05:00

It's officially summertime! The breeze is heating up and so are the bookshelves. Publishers must be convinced that we have nothing to do but sit by the pool this June, because there are almost too many fantastic books to choose from. Debut authors and beloved favorites all seem to have intriguing releases this month, whether you're in the mood for romance or mystery. The only question left is: Which will you read first?

WHAT'S OUT

General Fiction:

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin - "In the popular Giffin's latest, Nick Russo is a pediatric plastic surgeon; his wife, Tessa (sister of Dex, from Something Borrowed), is a professor turned stay-at-home mom living a cushy life in Boston. Nick is called in to care for a six-year-old burn victim, and Nick's devotion to his work is soon tangled up in his attraction to the boy's mother, Valerie, a single attorney. Narrated in turn by Tessa and Valerie, the action centers around—will they or won't they, and, if they do, will Tessa forgive him? While unclear what Nick finds so unsatisfying in his marriage, adultery is always tempting and Tessa and Valerie both have their charms." - Publishers Weekly

Mystery:

61 Hours by Lee Child - "Jack Reacher is back in his element—Smalltown, U.S.A.—in bestseller Child's fine 14th thriller to feature the roving ex-military cop. When a tour bus on which he bummed a ride skids off the road and crashes, Reacher finds himself in Bolton, S.Dak., a tiny burg with big problems. A highly sophisticated methamphetamine lab run by a vicious Mexican drug cartel has begun operating outside town at an abandoned military facility. After figuring out the snow-bound, marooned Reacher's smart, great with weapons, and capable of tapping military intelligence, the helpless local cops enlist his assistance, and, as always, he displays plenty of derring-do, mental acuity, and good old-fashioned decency." - Publishers Weekly

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - "The exhilarating conclusion to bestseller Larsson's Millennium trilogy (after The Girl Who Played with Fire) finds Lisbeth Salander, the brilliant computer hacker who was shot in the head in the final pages of Fire, alive, though still the prime suspect in three murders in Stockholm. While she convalesces under armed guard, journalist Mikael Blomkvist works to unravel the decades-old coverup surrounding the man who shot Salander: her father, Alexander Zalachenko, a Soviet intelligence defector and longtime secret asset to Säpo, Sweden's security police. Estranged throughout Fire, Blomkvist and Salander communicate primarily online, but their lack of physical interaction in no way diminishes the intensity of their unconventional relationship." - Publishers Weekly

Romance:

A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh - "Balogh's final entry in the Huxtable family saga focuses on enigmatic cousin Constantine, long the most maligned of the Huxtables. Hannah, widowed duchess of Dunbarton, has set her sights on Constantine as the ideal lover—a handsome man of experience that she can seduce and set aside once she is done with him. Constantine, meanwhile, is thrilled by Hannah's beauty, but scornful of her reputation, and though the intention is just to have a little fun, they fall in love. Balogh has saved the best for last; Constantine—dark, wicked, and cryptic—has a perfect foil in Hannah, and their encounters are steamy, their romance believable. Though series fans will be disappointed to see it come to a close, they couldn't ask for a better way to go out. " - Publishers Weekly

His At Night by Sherry Thomas - "Thomas employs grand misunderstanding (as she did in 2008's Private Arrangements) to motivate this Victorian romance, which is replete with perfect period touches. The marquess of Vere fakes stupidity so no one will suspect he's investigating Edmund Douglas for fraud—and murder. Douglas's niece, Elissande, is thoroughly fooled and plots to snare the marquess and escape her vicious uncle. Through a comedy of accidents involving rats, spicy Victorian parlor games, and sneaking around hallways at night, Elissande tricks Vere into marriage. As attraction grows, she wants to admit her motivations, but Vere shuts his conniving bride out as Douglas swears revenge." - Publishers Weekly

Married By Morning by Lisa Kleypas - "Everyone in the Hathaway family loves Catherine Marks. Well, everyone except for the head of the family, Leo, Lord Ramsay. Leo thinks Catherine is far too outspoken, opinionated, and obstinate for a companion, and Catherine has an equally high opinion of her employer. For the sake of his sisters, however, Leo manages to strike an uneasy truce. But when he suddenly discovers he has one year to find a wife and produce an heir or lose the family’s beloved home, the first (and only) woman he even considers marrying is the one who drives him crazy. The only problem is that Catherine is a lady with secrets, and one of those secrets is about to destroy her carefully cultivated new life unless Leo can convince her to trust him to help set things right. " - Booklist

My Reckless Surrender by Anna Campbell - "

A well-practiced rake, weary of easy conquests and empty pleasures, Tarquin Vale, Earl of Ashcroft, knows women—and his every instinct warns him to beware of this one. Diana Carrick's brazen overtures have thrown the haunted, sinfully handsome lord completely off his guard. Why, the exquisite temptress stated outright that she wishes to be his lover. But it is neither Diana's boldness nor her beauty that intrigues him so—it is the innocence he senses behind her worldly mask. Intent upon the seduction that will finally free her, Diana has set her sights on the notorious Ashcroft—never dreaming that there is much more to the enigmatic rogue than sin and deviltry. His kiss is bewitching, his caress intoxicating—and even the dangerous secret Diana must protect cannot shield her from Ashcroft's dark allure." - from the back cover

One Dance With A Duke by Tessa Dare - "This standout Regency romance, the first in Dare's Stud Club trilogy, matches an unlikely heroine with an arrogant, secretive duke. Plump, plain, and poor, spinster Amelia d'Orsay is astonished when Spencer Dumarque, duke of Morland and a famously handsome and wealthy bachelor, literally sweeps her off her feet and out the door at a London ball. The news of a friend's unexpected death leads them on a significant detour, and Amelia returns home at dawn. Deciding others will believe Amelia compromised after a night in his company, Spencer asks for her hand, leading to a hasty, often conflicted, and deeply passionate marriage. " - Publishers Weekly

Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn - London's most charming rogue, Sebastian Grey, is the heir to an earldom - at least, right now he is. His quite-over-the-hill uncle, Lord Newbury, is out to find a wife and get himself an heir, so that unfortunate occurance never comes to pass. When Newbery sets his sights on Annabel Winslow, a fresh, funny country girl with "child-bearing hips," he's convinced he's found just the woman to help him thwart his nephew. If only Annabel didn't think Mr. Grey quite so very charming and if only Sebastian didn't find himself finally coveting something of his uncle's...Miss Winslow, herself. Julia Quinn is at the top of her from in this delightful follow to last year's What Happens in London. Favorite secondary characters are back, her much beloved family interactions are present, and the romance between Sebastian and Annabel is both sweet and sultry. Does JQ ever get it wrong? Not yet!

Young Adult:

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols - "Lori can't wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wakeboarding and hanging with her friends--including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she's turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that's not going to happen--not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it. Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori's romantic summer melt into one hot mess?" - from the back cover

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han - "Belly, 16, lives all year for her summers at Cousins Beach. But when a family friend dies and the beach house tradition is threatened, she faces the season without her second family and without the boy she loves. In this follow-up to The Summer I Turned Pretty (S & S, 2009), Belly is still reeling from the dissolution of her relationship with Conrad, her lifelong love, and the death of his mother. But mourning Suzanne is even harder since Conrad has shut down, refusing to talk to Belly or anyone else. When he suddenly leaves school without explanation, his brother, Jeremiah, recruits Belly to help find and mend him. The trio find themselves at Cousins Beach after all, and the memories and feelings of the past come flooding back. Complicated and fragile, Belly's relationships with the two young men are put to new tests as she and Conrad come to terms with their relationship, and Belly and Jeremiah begin to build a romantic bond of their own." - School Library Journal

Infinity: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon - "At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity. Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead. But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu." - from the back cover

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan - "Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set--has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs. " - from the back cover

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti - "Lani and Erin are older teens who share an interest in fortune-telling. Erin is less serious than Lani, who backed out of the popular crowd because she is more interested in things like environmental action than parties. Although the two girls have a deep bond that began in childhood, Lani’s true best friend is Blake, who fears his father will discover that he is gay. Erin is delighted when she starts dating Jason—one of many crushes she has shared with Lani—but when the three start hanging out together, Lani realizes that she and Jason are meant for each other. Colasanti provides credible and engaging character development for each cast member and interactions that spark just the right amount of tension to make this a romantic page-turner." - Booklist

Spells by Aprilynne Pike - "In this second installment of a series that started with the best-selling Wings (2009), Laurel, who recently discovered she is a faerie, finds herself completely immersed in her new world when she begins studies at the Academy at Avalon. There she can spend more time with Tam, the faerie who is hopelessly in love with her, and also learn about the benefits and burdens her heritage entails. But the action really begins when she returns home. The trolls that stalked her in the previous book are more dangerous than ever, and this time Laurel is not the only one being targeted. Pike astutely mixes these breathtaking events with the real meat of the story: the angst and uncertainty Laurel feels as she tries to combine—and sometimes keep separate—her two lives. At the heart of that conundrum is the affection she feels for both her earthly love, David, and the deliciously different Tam." - Booklist

WHAT'S BUZZING

June 1, 2010:

The Dead Lie Down by Sophie Hannah (Mystery) - "Det. Sgt. Charlotte Charlie Zailer and Det. Constable Simon Waterhouse face one of their strangest cases yet in this superb thriller from Hannah (The Wrong Mother). Ruth Bussey, who suffered a violent attack years earlier, arrives at the police station in the English town of Spilling and explains that her boyfriend, painter Aidan Seed, confessed to murdering a woman named Mary Trelease. Charlie and Simon—who recently got engaged, despite their bizarre relationship—are reluctant to take Ruth seriously, especially after they learn that Mary, a reclusive painter, is alive and well. Ruth's insistence, bordering on the obsessive, prompts the detectives to start digging into Mary's history. The pair soon discover disturbing links to Aidan and the art world. When an actual murder is committed, Charlie and Simon must sort out what's real and what's imagined." - Publishers Weekly

The Irish Warrior by Kris Kennedy (Historical Romance) - "As his men are slaughtered around him, legendary Irish warrior Finian O'Melaghlin is held captive by the despised English Lord Rardove. Struggling to break free, Finian finds aid from an unlikely source: the beautiful Senna de Valery, who is also trying to escape Rardove's bloodthirsty grasp. Risking both their lives, Senna releases Finian from his shackles so they can both flee, but their plight has just begun...Seeking safe refuge, Finian and Senna have only each other to depend on for survival. Neither can deny their immediate attraction, but indulging their desires will put them both in grave danger. Finian vows to protect the woman who saved his life, but he soon learns she is a pawn in a much larger battle. For Senna has an unbreakable link to a priceless treasure many centuries old. It is the stuff from which dreams are made and for which men will kill - and not even Finian may be strong enough to save her. " - from the back cover

The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne (Historical Romance) - "Bourne (The Spymaster's Lady) returns to the French Revolution for her latest romance, this time matching up an English spy and a French aristocrat. Marguerite de Fleurignac, a noblewoman who smuggles émigrés to England, encounters William Doyle in the charred remains of her chateau outside of Paris. She needs sanctuary and agrees to let him escort her through the French countryside. Though she pretends to be Scottish and he claims to be French, no one in this book seems able to keep secrets: William knows Marguerite's identity, she and the French secret police both know he is hunting her father, and everyone, including the secret police and the British, knows everything about the smugglers. Nonetheless, the romance is sweet, and once William and Marguerite admit their love, the ensuing adventure story is everything a spy thriller should be." - Publishers Weekly

The Making of a Duchess by Shana Galen (Historical Romance) - "Julien Harcourt, duc de Valère, is more than willing to marry the lovely young lady his mother has chosen. Little does he know, she's been sent to prove him a spy and a traitor. Sarah Smith's mission is to find out whether the Duc's trips to the Continent are as innocent as he claims, but the way he looks at her is far from innocent. Their risky game of cat and mouse propels them from the ballrooms of London to the prisons of Paris, and into a fragile love that may not survive their deceptions..." - from the back cover

Tempting the Marquess by Sara Lindsey (Historical Romance) - "While Olivia Weston loves matchmaking and romantic novels, she intends to make a suitable match. But first she wants an adventure, and when given the opportunity to visit a reclusive widower living in a haunted castle, Livvy can’t possibly resist. After his wife’s death, Jason Traherne, Marquess of Sheldon, shut his heart to everyone but his son, and until now he has succeeded in maintaining his distance. But there’s something about Livy – her unique blend of sweetness and sensuality – that tempts him beyond all reason. Though there’s nothing suitable about the feelings he inspires in her, Livvy can’t help falling for the marquess. But can she persuade him to let go of the past and risk his heart again?" - from the back cover

June 5, 2010:

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer (Young Adult) - "Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion. " - from the back cover

June 7, 2010:

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (Young Adult) - "For Scarlett and Rosie March, the world is not what it seems. Werewolves, called Fenris, live among them in the form of good-looking men who prey on pretty young girls. When a Fenris attacked the March girls, it killed their grandmother and left them emotionally and, for Scarlett, physically scarred. Since then, they have taken action and revenge. With the help of a friend, Silas, the girls are on a mission—to destroy as many Fenris as they can. This goal becomes more complicated when they try to unravel the mystery behind the pack and prevent the next "Potential" from transforming fully into a soulless, evil monster. Pearce is on the mark with this modern-day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. " - School Library Journal

June 8, 2010:

Insatiable by Meg Cabot (General Fiction) - "Cabot (Princess Diaries) winningly applies her trademark likably fallible protagonists and breezy storytelling to a vampire war in New York City. TV writer Meena Harper creates fabulous plots for Insatiable, the second-highest–rated soap opera, thanks to her burdensome if lucrative psychic ability to see into the future and determine how people are going to die. And just as Insatiable is switching to a vampire theme to attract a younger demographic, a spate of chilling murders-by-exsanguination grips New York City. Enter Lucien Antonescu, a sexy, melancholic Romanian history professor/vampire who recognizes that the murders are the work of rogue vampires who have broken away from his order. (Lucien happens to be the son of Vlad the Impaler, whom Bram Stoker gave such a bad rep.) Lucien's opposition: Alaric Wulf, a sympathetic detective from the Palatine Guard, who hopes to use Meena and her prophetic gift to stop the murders and track down Lucien. Unfortunately for Alaric, Meena is a little in love with Lucien." - Publishers Weekly

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Young Adult) - "Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two. But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs." - from the back cover

Wanted by Sara Shepard (Young Adult) - "Back in middle school, Ali plucked Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer from obscurity and turned them into the beautiful, popular girls everyone wanted to be. Ali was the best friend they ever had. But she also made them do terrible things and taunted them with their worst secrets. Now, three years later, all their questions about Ali have finally been answered and they can put this awful chapter of their lives behind them. Or so they think. Not every story has a happy ending, especially when four pretty little liars have done so many wicked things. In the dramatic conclusion of Sara Shepard's bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer could get everything they've ever wanted—unless A has one more horrifying twist in store." - from the back cover

June 22, 2010:

Dark Flame by Alyson Noel (Young Adult) - "Ever is trying to help Haven transition into life as an immortal. But with Haven drunk on her new powers and acting recklessly, she poses the ultimate threat—exposing their secret world to the outside. As Ever struggles to keep the Immortals hidden, it only propels Haven closer to the enemy—Roman and his evil companions. At the same time, Ever delves deeper into dark magick to free Damen from Roman’s power. But when her spell backfires, it binds her to the one guy who’s hell-bent on her destruction. Now there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, and no matter what she does, she can’t stop thinking about Roman—and longing for his touch. As she struggles to resist the fiery attraction threatening to consume her, Roman is more than willing to take advantage of her weakened state…and Ever edges closer and closer to surrender." - from the back cover

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evonovich (Mystery) - "Stephanie Plum has inherited a “lucky” bottle from her Uncle Pip. Problem is, Uncle Pip didn’t specify if the bottle brought good luck or bad luck. BAD LUCK: Vinnie, of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, has run up a gambling debt of $786,000 with mobster Bobby Sunflower and is being held until the cash can be produced. Nobody else will pay to get Vinnie back, leaving it up to Stephanie, office manager Connie, and file clerk Lula to raise the money if they want to save their jobs. GOOD LUCK: Being in the business of tracking down people, Stephanie, Lula, and Connie have an advantage in finding Vinnie. If they can rescue him, it will buy them some time to raise the cash." - from the back cover

Twice Tempted by a Rogue by Tessa Dare (Historical Romance) - "Luck is a double-edged sword for brooding war hero Rhys St. Maur. His death wish went unanswered on the battlefield, while fate allowed the murder of his good friend in the elite gentlemen’s society known as the Stud Club. Out of options, Rhys returns to his ancestral home on the moors of Devonshire, expecting anything but a chance at redemption in the arms of a beautiful innkeeper who dares him to take on the demons of his past—and the sweet temptation of a woman’s love. Meredith Maddox believes in hard work, not fate, and romance isn’t part of her plan. But when Rhys returns, battle-scarred, world-weary, and more dangerously attractive than ever, the lovely widow is torn between determination and desire. As a deep mystery and dangerous smugglers threaten much more than their passionate reckoning, Meredith discovers that she must trust everything to a wager her heart placed long ago." - from the back cover

Are there any other books that you've loved lately or can't wait to dive into? Let me know in the comments and I'll add them to our next list!

Sick

2010-05-25T00:00:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago I turned 25. I'm in the midst of that quarter-life crisis (what have I done with my life, where am I going, what have I missed, what is yet to come?) and I had a realization. I don't have to be peppy, excited, and optimistic at all times. I just don't. And that goes for my writing as well so I am going to make a confession.

I am SICK of my novel.

It's somewhat cathartic to get it out there. My secret hope is for saying it aloud to somehow get me back to that feeling of not being sick of it.

I guess I should explain.

It's no secret that I suffer from lack of butt-in-chair. Poor writing discipline plagues me. That feeling hasn't gone away yet now I have the "sick to death" variety along with the usual "I'm so lazy and so ashamed" variety. And I think the two really feed into each other. I have been plugging along at a WIP for years now. At least three. Possibly four or more if I'm really, really honest. My own laziness yoked me to this novel for much longer than I'd anticipated and now that I'm in this position I just want to throw my hands up and cry out in defeat. During the past four years I haven't let my mind stray to new ideas and all I can think about is doing just that. The thought of trying something new, hell, just thinking about something new, is like the distant lake in the desert of my writing despair.*

Have I learned a lot in this journey? Yes. Do I still have a lot of things to figure out? Yes. There is no doubt in my mind that I'll be back at the old novel at some point, but for now I'm moving on and getting excited about something new because I need it.

I'm lifting my margarita to the first new beginning I've had since I started on this writing journey and most importantly dedicating my birthday wishes to and committing to putting this new excitement on the page. Cheers!

*That may have been a tad dramatic.

Set Your Mind

2010-05-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Steph talked about Thinking Write, a book she's been using to help get in writing groove. She also mentioned that I'm the one who spotted this book and forced it upon her, because - seriously - it's like the author went out and a wrote it just for our favorite Dallasite (Dallasian? Dalliance?). What Steph didn't mention is that, while over at her house a few weeks ago, I may have cracked up while watching her do one of the guided meditations the book comes with. Because I'm both easily amused and a horrible friend.

Here's the thing: there's a reason I bought the book for Steph and didn't pick up a copy for myself. Writing is personal. What helps one author won't work for another. Steph and I may be best friends, but we have processes and routines that are wildly disparate. Which is how it should be - writing is an intensely private act at the beginning. We're pouring every little piece of ourselves onto that page. How we go about preparing for that release should be as unique as we are.

Personally, I have a definite routine to my writing. There are a few pre-writing steps I go through nearly every day that help my productivity.

Shut The Internet Off. Okay, I love the web. A lot. Which is precisely the problem! Inevitably, I write for a bit and then automatically click the little Firefox icon to check something. Thirty minutes later, I have gone through every site in my favorites: Twitter, Blogger, Gmail, Jezebel, Anderson Cooper fan sites. Everything. Luckily, with the touch of one button, my new laptop (small, pink, named Antoinette) turns off and on my wireless without the normal rigmarole. It's a godsend...even if I do find myself opening up blank browsers before remembering my ban.
Pick a Soundtrack. From years of writing at noisy coffee shops, I have grown accustomed to listening to music while I work. This has become a helpful habit. Music is such a great way to set the mood of a scene or character. Of course, the wrong music can also knock you out of writing quicker than anything. To prevent that, I make soundtracks for my books - playlists that help me convey the emotions on the page. By the end of writing Into The Woods, I had 107 songs on the list and, the moment I pressed play, I could go into super-productive mode. It's a trigger for my creativity.
Visualize The Story. Like my playlists, I have inspiration folders for each of my books. In these, I drop images I come across that evoke my story and characters. This is actually an idea I co-opted from the wonderful Maggie Robinson (Mistress By Mistake hits stores on April 27!) who blogged about her routine of flipping through image sites as daily inspiration. For the life of me, I cannot find that blog post now, but it struck me as a genius idea. Since then, I've collected images for each book and flip through them when I need a good dose of inspiration. It worked so well that I now make collages for each book that serve as my laptop backgrounds (my newest one, for CAIRO, is below and will get bigger, if you click!).
Free Write. Most of the time, I stop my day's writing at the end of a scene or chapter. This is great for my peace of mind, but can make it a little hard to jump back in the next day. I've found that, when starting a new scene, it's really helpful to grab a piece of notebook paper and free write what comes next by hand. Inevitably, I end up halfway through, before I'm so in the book that I have to stop and type it all out. There's just something about pen and paper that gets the words flowing. If I wrote the whole book that way, my hand would probably fall off, but it's great for starting out.

These are just a few of my little daily little rituals, but each one has evolved into an important part of my routine. It would seem crazy to non-writers, I'm sure. Yet every writer I know has these little steps of preparation, whether it's picking the right music or going over the words from the day before. The steps are different for what kind of writer you are, but whatever works for you is the right way to go.

What is your pre-writing routine like? Do you need a perfect cup of coffee to start or do you pre-plan your next scene while shampooing your hair?

Thinking Write: Affirmation Index Cards

2010-05-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Thinking Write by Kelly L. Stone is a book geared toward writers and secrets to freeing their creative mind. The book addresses everything from relaxation techniques and dream analysis to hypnagogic states and subconscious programming. Mary gave me the book as a present, knowing the types of things that seem to work for me and she really hit the nail on the head with this purchase. It would be better named A Book All About the Process of Stephanie, it's that right for me. This work strikes me as one that might not outright appeal to everyone simply for the fact that it's a bit more outside the box. The techniques mentioned aren't in the usual realm of things we hear about as writers. That's why I've decided to do a series of posts about various techniques proposed in the book. Through my review of the techniques, I hope you'll be able to see how the book could work for to you too.

Do you use affirmations as part of your daily writing routine? One recommended practice from Thinking Write is to write positive, affirming statements on index cards and review those index cards every time my Anti-Writer rears its ugly head or just before I get started writing. The idea is for the statements to counteract the Anti-Writer thoughts and help you feel motivated to write.

I used a small notebook that I kept in my purse and on my bedside table to record any negative thoughts about my abilities as a writer at any point that they came to me. Do you know how often those thoughts can come to you? I had them while writing, while doing the dishes, in the middle of a work meeting, mid-cheeseburger bite, and so-on. The process took two weeks and at the end of it, I had quite the list. Some thoughts seemed like they would be common to a lot of aspiring writers while others were very uniquely me and there were often many repeating thoughts. At the end of two weeks, I created a table listing Anti-Writer thoughts on one side and Writer thoughts on the other. I used the positive and counteracting Writer side of the table to develop a few index cards:

I know how to be disciplined and dedicated.
My process is unique and different but it is not fake.
I deserve to have the same writing success as others.
I have a voice that is unique and interesting.
I can put a lot of words on the page. I'm not limited by lack of ability.
I WILL FINISH THIS NOVEL.

Some of the statements might sound odd to others (process that isn't fake? what?) but they speak to very specific limiting thoughts that I often create for myself. I also limited the number of index cards created and tried to come up with a few statements that addressed several of my negative thoughts on one card.

Give it a try -- I think you'll like it!

Maggie Robinson Winner!

2010-05-04T12:14:00.003-05:00

The names have been tossed into a hat and the winner of last week's giveaway is...

Gillian Layne!

Congratulations, Gillian!! If you send your snail mail address to me at staff (@) writechic.com, I'll get your books in the mail!

If you didn't win, but you're dying to read Mistress by Mistake, you're in luck! Not only can you find it at all major booksellers, but, for a limited time, you can download it on your Kindle or Nook for free! Awesome deal, right?

Character Connections

2010-04-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Writers use a lot of tools to develop characters. We work with everything from character sketches to collages to using index cards. The need to deepen a character is often discussed and each characters is supposed to play an integral role to the story. I knew all this and worked with various methods to flesh out the ways in which my characters would react to events but something wasn't quite clicking. My plot didn't stall as a result, but the connections between my characters weren't quite there - until I drew a character connection chart.

Above is one example of a (de-identified) chart I created. The sketch of this in my notebook is quite a bit messier but you get the feel. If you're a visual person, this can be really helpful. Using a non-linear method can free your mind creatively and help you to see something that might be otherwise be hidden.

As I made the chart, related members get spots near each other while some of my main characters get placement across from each other. There's not really a reason for placing them far apart, other than the fact that I have the longest line on which to write their relationship description. That's part of the image you don't see. On each line I write a brief note explaining the major plot thread that ties the two characters together. The chart didn't drastically alter my plot and there wasn't a light bulb moment upon completion, but I felt more secure in the connections I'd developed.

Character Connection Chart:

Identify the number of key characters in your story.
Evenly place tick marks representing the prior mentioned number around the circle.
Identify your four main characters and place them across from one another.
Fill in remaining characters, keeping family members or friends together whenever possible.
Draw lines connecting the different characters.
Write a brief note on each line explaining the relationship or connection between the characters.

One further step you can take is to color-code the lines. Should there be some type of romance, you can denote that line in red. Similarly, you might use black to identify relationships that are a threat to the protagonist or you might highlight subplot connections in green.

April Agent News

2010-04-28T23:15:00.005-05:00

I have some wonderful news for any writers who are querying right now: there are two new agents on the block!

Amy Boggs became an acquiring agent at Donald Maass Literary Agency last week, moving up from her roll as an agency assistant. She joined Maass Literary last year, after working at the Beth Vesel Literary Agency, and has a degree from Vassar College. According to her biography, she is actively seeking fantasy, science fiction, paranormal romance, steam-punk, Young Adult, and children's fiction. If you have an outside-of-the-box historical fiction, multi-cultural fiction, or western, she would also love to see those! For information on how to query, check out the Maass Literary site.

Today, FinePrint Literary Management also welcomed a new agent to their fold. Well-renowned editor of Young Adult fiction, Marissa Walsh, has joined their team as a newly acquiring kidlit agent. Ms. Walsh was an editor at Delacorte Press for seven years, editing such YA icons as Ned Vizzini, E. Lockhart, and Maryrose Wood. She is also the author of two books of her own, humorous memoir Girl With Glasses: My Optic History and YA novel A Field Guide to High School, as well as the co-author of the bestselling Tipsy in Madras. Ms. Walsh will be focusing on mainstream (no paranormal) picture books, middle-grade, and YA, but she is also interested in pop culture, humor, narrative non-fiction, and memoir submissions. More detailed information about what she's looking for and how to query her can be found on the FinePrint website.

In other agent news, if you've ever been interested in becoming a literary agent yourself, here's your chance! Kathleen Ortiz, of Lowenstein Associates, is taking on her first ever summer interns. So, if you're going to be hanging around New York this summer and need an internship, send in your resume! More details (along with many other publishing internship opportunities) can be found at BookJobs.

Maggie Robinson Means Romance

2010-04-27T12:32:00.011-05:00

This weekend, I put together a list of most anticipated new-releases, which I shared on the blog yesterday. It’s time for a full confession about that list: I was not excited about all the books equally. There was one upcoming release that I’ve been dying to get my hands on for months! So much so that, on the way to dinner last night, I stopped by Borders just in case they had shelved it early. Luck was on my side. Maggie Robinson’s Mistress by Mistake blithely sat on the shelf in all its luscious scarlet-hued glory.

I’ve heard about Maggie and her wonderful writing for years. Back in the day, I was lurker on a board where a lot of our writing friends congregated, chatting up books they’d read and doing flash fiction exercises to keep their writing fingers spry. And whenever someone read something by Maggie, you could tell. They loved her work. Every time. It was to be expected, after all her blog title back then was Maggie Robinson Means Romance, so you had to assume she knew her stuff. I can finally, unequivocally say: they weren’t lying. Not only is Maggie the gracious, wonderful woman we’ve come to know through her blog and the Vauxhall Vixens, but she’s one heck of a good writer!

Early this morning, I had to make the 45-minute commute to the teaching hospital I’m studying at this month. I knew I had to get up early and I am not a morning person. If I have to wake up before 8, there better be a full night of sleep and then some behind me. This didn’t matter – I stayed up until 3 a.m. last night, reading Mistress by Mistake. Normally, I’m not one of those readers who gets so glued into a book she forgets about sleep, but the story of Bay and Charlotte wouldn’t let me go. Reading Maggie’s debut, I experienced that rare feeling that only happens every so often: that buzz of awareness that comes when reading something truly wonderful, by someone who is destined for a shining career. You don't have to trust me though, bestselling author Anna Campbell, even called Mistress by Mistake "A marvelously sexy romp.” Just one look at the back cover copy and you know she's right...

Charlotte Fallon let her guarded virtue fall once—and she’s paid dearly for it ever since. She swore she’d never succumb to men’s desires again. But even a village spinster’s life miles from temptation can’t save her from a sister with no shame whatsoever. Or a heart that longs for more, whatever the cost…

Sir Michael Bayard found more than he expected in his bed when he finally joined his new mistress. He’d fantasized about her dewy skin and luscious curves, assured her understanding that what passed between them was mere dalliance. But he didn’t expect the innocence and heat of her response in his arms. Nor her surprisingly sharp tongue once she was out of them…

A few days of abandon cannot undo the hard-learned lessons of a lifetime. Nor can an honest passion burn away the restraints of society’s judgments. Unless, of course, one believes in nonsense like true love…

But, honestly, this isn’t a review. This is a celebration! Of a wonderful woman and her wonderful writing. We would like to wish Maggie a spectacular release day! One which will be the first of many, trust me.

Congratulations, Maggie!

Mistress by Mistake can be found at an independent bookstore near you, as well as at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and The Book Depository. And since it’s not a proper celebration without a few presents, I’m doing a giveaway. One lucky commenter will not only receive a copy of Mistress by Mistake, but I’ll also throw in one upcoming book of your choice. All you have to do is leave a comment here, before Friday at 11:59 P.M. CST, telling me which new release you’re most excited about!

What's Out, What's Buzzing

2010-04-26T01:00:00.004-05:00

April is almost over and summer is so close I can almost taste it! Apart from suffering in the Texas heat, summer also brings a wonderful round of highly anticipated books. It may be a little early to bust out the floaties and lemonade pitchers, but there are already some great reads on shelves right now and releasing in the next few weeks. They are the perfect books to help bring on that summer feeling!

WHAT'S OUT

General Fiction:

Bite Me: A Love Story by Christopher Moore - Tommy and Jody, San Francisco's favorite vampires, are back in the hilarious Moore's third Bloodsucking Fiends novels. Last we checked, the vampire lovers were imprisoned in a bronze statue, but when a monster begins stalking the City by the Bay, the duo are sprung from captivity to track down the big baddie. Anything by Moore is guaranteed to be surprising, madcap, and - as always - uproariously funny. I suggest starting with the first book, Bloodsucking Fiends, but if you're in the mood for a laugh, there's no author better.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - "In her charming debut novel, Simonson tells the tale of Maj. Ernest Pettigrew, an honor-bound Englishman and widower, and the very embodiment of duty and pride. As the novel opens, the major is mourning the loss of his younger brother, Bertie, and attempting to get his hands on Bertie's antique Churchill shotgun—part of a set that the boys' father split between them, but which Bertie's widow doesn't want to hand over. While the major is eager to reunite the pair for tradition's sake, his son, Roger, has plans to sell the heirloom set to a collector for a tidy sum. As he frets over the guns, the major's friendship with Jasmina Ali—the Pakistani widow of the local food shop owner—takes a turn unexpected by the major (but not by readers)." - Publishers Weekly

Mystery:

A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters - "Set in 1910, the delightful 19th Amelia Peabody novel from bestseller Peters, takes Amelia and her husband, Emerson, to Palestine, where an English adventurer, George Morley, is planning to excava
Jerusalem's Temple Mount in search of the Ark of the Covenant. Gen. David Spencer, the director of Military Operations in London, suspects Morley, an amateur archeologist at best, of spying for the Germans, whose influence has been growing in the Middle East. Spencer wants Egyptologists Amelia and Emerson to stop Morley from undertaking a project sure to offend the three religious groups that consider the temple site holy. Meanwhile, son Ramses embarks on a treacherous journey to convey to his parents important information learned from two travelers he meets while on a dig in Samaria." - Publishers Weekly

The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz - "In Edgar-finalist Lutz's entertaining fourth and final novel about the eccentric Spellman PI clan, Isabel Izzy Spellman juggles the usual family drama—her mother tries to sabotage Izzy's relationship with her Irish bartender boyfriend and younger sister Rae throws herself into freeing a wrongly convicted man—while helping to drum up business in a dreary economy. While Rae works on her Free Schmidt campaign, Izzy investigates the whereabouts of a missing valet with a checkered past and sifts through garbage for a screenwriter client. Older brother David, the only Spellman not involved in the family business, grows closer to his defense attorney girlfriend. On the sly, Izzy is also tailing Rick Harkey, a rival San Francisco PI, and discovers that Harkey left behind a trail of suspicious arrests and conveniently misplaced evidence in his career as a cop." - Publishers Weekly

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley - "Flavia, the precocious, imaginative, and adorable 11-year-old sleuth, returns for her second adventure. Flavia’s world is 1950s England—specifically, a very old country house that just happens to have a long-abandoned chemistry laboratory. And Flavia just happens to be fascinated by chemistry—particularly poisons. This helps her solve mysteries because, as Flavia says, “There’s something about pottering with poisons that clarifies the mind.” This time she becomes involved with the members of a traveling puppet show that features the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk. When the puppetmaster is mysteriously electrocuted during the show, Flavia knows it can’t be an accident and eventually finds the murderer." - Booklist

Romance:

Burning Lamp by Amanda Quick - "Crime lord Griffin Winters rules a vast underworld empire in Victorian London, but he fears the descent of a familial curse of madness brought on by an ancestor's alchemical experiments. Only a powerful magical artifact, controlled by a woman of rare power, can save him. Magically gifted orphan Adelaide Pyne, recently embarked on a crusade to save women from prostitution, could be that woman, and a psychic connection soon draws Adelaide and Griffin into a dangerous partnership. Fast-paced and cleverly constructed, the tale perfectly balances lively adventure, passionate romance, and the paranormal against an elaborate and refreshingly original background. " - Publishers Weekly

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah Maclean - "Lady Calpurnia Hartwell, a plain but wealthy 28-year-old who refuses to marry a man who only desires her fortune, acts on a long-held crush and flings herself at Gabriel St. John, marquess of Ralston. Gabriel finds her antics more amusing than enticing, but his half-wild half-sister needs an impeccable chaperon and he chooses Callie for the role. Their proximity creates an infinite series of opportunities for the rake to practice his wiles on the more than willing wallflower. " - Publishers Weekly

Something About You by Julie James - When Assistant U.S. Attorny Cameron Lynde checks into a posh hotel for a night of relaxation, the last thing she expects is to become the only witness in a high-profile murder investigation. Now, a woman has been murdered, her married U.S. Senator lover has been framed for the crime, and Cameron is put into the care of the F.B.I...and a man who blames her for nearly ruining his career three year before, Agent Jack Pallas. Now the duo must get over their issues, track down a murdered, and try to avoid the real danger - the fiery sexual tension that threatens to bring down both their hearts. Julie James is an emerging star in Contemporary Romance and her third book doesn't disappoint - I stayed up way too late, so sucked into Cameron & Jack's story that I had to finish it in one sitting.

Young Adult:

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting - Violet Ambrose has a secret: she can feel dead bodies...and the imprints left behind on their killers. This isn't exactly the kind of talent that gets a girl invited to prom, so she's kept it under wraps for most of her 16 years. But when a serial killer begins picking off girls in her town, Violet's gift may be the only hope her friends and family have to fight the killer. With the help of her best friend, Jay (who she's developing feelings for), Violet must track down the killer, before she becomes his next victim.

Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr - This, the fourth book in Marr's Wicked Lovely series, follows the story of Devlin, an adviser to the High Queen of Faerie, and his love for Ani, a half-mortal whom saved from death years before. In typical Marr fashion, the duo is plagued by Faerie complications - not the least of which is that Ani is supposed to be dead. Readers will enjoy the return of beloved characters from previous books, as well as the intriguing set-up that Marr puts in place for the next, and final, book in the series.

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles - In the sequel to the awesome Perfect Chemistry, Elkeles introduces the story of Carlos Fuentes, the younger brother of Alex from the first book. After getting involved with a dangerous gang in Mexico, Carlos is sent to live with Alex in Colorado, where his family hopes he can clean up his act, like his brother has. Unfortunately, as soon as Carlos arrives at his new school, he's framed for a drug possession and sent to live with a foster family (of sorts)...that of his annoying, goody-goody peer guide, Kiara. Elkeles is skilled at bringing characters of different backgrounds together and it was a joy to watch the flames ignite and smolder between Kiara and Carlos. If you loved the first book, expect Rules of Attraction to be a similarly addictive read.

Runaway by Meg Cabot - In the third Airhead novel, Emerson Watts is still stuck in the body of Nikki Howard - with no clue as to how she got there, other than the evil corporation Stark Enterprises is somehow involved. Em's now on the run, her family, friends, and job all left behind. There's only one person who can help her - Christopher, her former best friend and the (secret) love of her life. But can Christopher and Em truly expect to unravel all the secrets surrounding her transplant and bring down the might Stark all by themselves? Knowing Meg Cabot, the answer is...yes. But seeing how the finally get there will be a roller-coaster of thrills and, naturally, quite a few smoldering kisses.

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott - "Gorgeous Brianna and less-stunning Sarah have been best friends since kindergarten, but now Sarah’s got a wicked crush on Brianna’s new boyfriend, Ryan—and it’s reciprocal. As in Love You Hate You Miss You (2009), what drives this quick read is the complex interaction of the two girls. Sarah and Ryan’s relationship, with the visceral thrill of physical attraction, is beautifully captured, but it’s the delicate balance between insecure Brianna’s need to put Sarah down and Sarah’s loyalty to her needy and lonely friend that will stay with the reader. The painfully abrupt ending fits the characters and story, and will leave readers wanting more. Scott’s realistic dialogue and empathetic view of symbiotic relationships will have teens thinking she has been eavesdropping on their conversations." - Booklist

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan - " Two superstar authors pair up and really deliver the goods, dishing up a terrific high-energy tale of teen love, lust, intrigue, anger, pain, and friendship threaded with generous measures of comedy and savvy counsel. Though the ensemble cast revolves around Tiny Cooper, “the world’s largest person who is really, really gay, and also the world’s gayest person who is really, really large,” the central characters are the two titular narrators, who share a name (but don’t meet until partway through) and trade off alternate chapters. One Will has been Tiny’s satellite for years but is starting to chafe at the role—especially after Tiny forcibly sets him up with Jane, an infuriatingly perfect match. The other, whose clinical depression is brilliantly signaled by an all-lowercase narrative and so intensely conveyed that his early entries are hard to read, sees at least a glimmer of light fall on his self-image after a chance meeting with Tiny sparks a wild mutual infatuation. The performance of an autobiographical high-school musical that Tiny writes, directs, and stars in makes a rousing and suitably theatrical finale for a tale populated with young people engaged in figuring out what’s important and shot through with strong feelings, smart-mouthed dialogue, and uncommon insight." - Booklist

WHAT'S BUZZING

April 27, 2010:

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell (Young Adult) - "Before Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw was a small-town girl who knew she wanted more. She's ready for real life to start, but first she must navigate her senior year of high school. Up until now, Carrie and her friends have been inseparable. Then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture, and a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With an unforgettable cast of characters, The Carrie Diaries is the story of how a regular girl learns to think for herself and evolves into a sharp, insightful writer. " - Back Cover

A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior by Suzanne Enoch (Historical Romance) - Theresa Weller has always followed the rules and prides herself on being one of England's perfect ladies. But when one of her social outings turns disastrous, thanks to the intrusion of Colonel Bartholomew James, her perfect life turns upside down. Can a woman who has always followed the rules find love with a man who sets out to break them? Suzanne Enoch is one of the treasures of Historical Romance, a writer who brings warmth and depth to each of her stories. If anyone can see these two opposites matched, it's Enoch...and watching it unfold is sure to be a delight.

Lover Mine by J. R. Ward (Paranormal Romance) - " Newly made vampire John Matthew vows to free his mate, the symphath Xhexania, from Lash, a paranoid coke addict who's transmuting into a non-temporal entity like his vampire-killer father, the Omega. Once freed, Xhexania joins the Brothers in battling the Omega, but refuses to acknowledge her emotional connection to John. Meanwhile, sexually promiscuous Qhuinn, shockingly jealous of his cousin Saxton's new lover, wonders whether he should have seduced Saxton when he had the chance. Complicated subplots and tortured heroes abound, but attentive readers will love putting it all together. " - Publishers Weekly

Mistress By Mistake by Maggie Robinson (Historical Romance) -Beloved friend of the blog, Maggie Robinson, has her own debut novel hitting the shelves this week! Charlotte Fallon let her virtue slip once and has regretted the decision ever since - she's sworn off men and all of their ridiculous, tempting desires. But when her sister accepts a marriage proposal from one of her own paramores, Charlotte must stand in for her sister's other obligation - that of new mistress to Sir Michael Bayard. Can Micheal's loving touch overcome Charlotte's mistrust, or is she destined to miss out on true love out of fear of the consequences? Maggie's debut is already garnering quite the buzz and it is all truly deserved - if you like your romances smoldering and filled with emotional depth, this book is for you. Even better, you have quite a few chances to win this fabulous debut, which I've detailed below!

Mistwood by Leah Cypress (Young Adult) - Isabel awakes and remembers nothing - not the handsome prince standing before her, or her identity as The Shifter, an immortal woman who is bound by a spell to protect his kingdom through her abilities to shift into animal form. Isabel is instant drawn to the prince, but soon realizes all is not what it seems - can she uncover the threat against him, before it's too late? Or will her loyalty fade, once she's faced with the truth about him? Mistwood is receiving a lot of praise as a very unusual take on Young Adult Fantasy; it's not often you have an immortal adjusting to the human world, rather than a human suddenly becoming immortal. This is sure to be a unique and compelling debut from Cypress, perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore's Graceling.

Nothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson (Contemporary Romance) - Chelsea Ross is finally admitting the truth: her acting career is going nowhere fast. Dead Girl #1 is just not that great of a resume credential. Now she's wising up, leaving Hollywood, and taking a real job, that of personal assistant to Mark Bressler, superstar hockey player. Unfortunately, this might just be her worst career move yet. Mark's own career came to a screeching halt when he suffered an injury, one which he's not to happy about. Determined to take his frustration out on everyone else, Mark's become a curmudgeon, no matter how hot he may be. It's up to Chelsea to straighten him out and prove that there's more to him than hockey skills. He just may have a heart of gold.

Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts (Contemporary Romance) - "Happily-ever-afters continue to bloom in book three of Roberts's sugary Bride Quartet (after Bed of Roses) as the spotlight shines on pastry chef extraordinaire Laurel McBane. Vows, the Greenwich, Conn., wedding business run by the four BFFs, is also a hotbed for romance, as two of the friends have already found true love and dream of their upcoming nuptials. Laurel, meanwhile, sets her sights on Del, the older brother of Vows partner Parker, a handsome lawyer she's secretly loved since they were teens. Passion erupts, but will they be able to make it last?" - Publishers Weekly

The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King (Mystery) - "Those who enjoyed the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. may appreciate bestseller King's 10th novel featuring Mary Russell and her much older husband, Conan Doyle's iconic detective. The plot picks up in the summer of 1924 right after the previous entry in the series, The Language of Bees. A religious fanatic, Rev. Thomas Brothers, who seeks to unleash psychic energies through human sacrifice, has shot Holmes's artist son, Damian Adler, seriously wounding the young man. Holmes's desperate quest for medical help to save his son's life takes him to Holland, while Mary travels throughout Britain in an effort to keep Damian's half-Chinese daughter, Estelle, safe from Brothers and his allies." - Publishers Weekly

Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran (Historical Romance) - Gwen Maudsley is done with being nice? What has it ever gotten her, other than not one - but two! - ex-fiances. After her latest beau jilts her at the alter, Gwen decides that it's time to be a little naughty and who else could be a better tutor than her brother's notorious best friend, Alexander Ramsey? However, there may be more to Alex and his roguish exterior; this charming man has secrets so dark that any real future for the pair is impossible. But when a trip through Europe brings them closer together, Gwen must tempt Alex into being very, very naughty himself...and giving in to his heart.

May 1, 2010:

We Hear the Dead by Dianne Salerni (Young Adult) - One of the first books for Sourcebooks' new teen imprint, We Hear the Dead is already a hit with early reviewers. Kate and Maggie Fox don't mean to fool the world into thinking they're psychics, but one little lie grows into another and soon the sisters are famous...for something that can't actually do. Can the girls live a lie, pretending to speak to people's loved ones who have passed on, or will the pressure be too much to handle?

May 4, 2010:

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris (Mystery) - "Still reeling from the deaths of her fairy cousin, Claudine, and many others in 2009's Dead and Gone, Sookie Stackhouse struggles with paranormal politics in her entertaining if slow-moving 10th outing. When Claudine's triplet, Claude, appears at her doorstep, Sookie reluctantly allows him to move in. The government threatens two-natures with mandatory registration, and tensions run high in the local Were pack. Then Eric's maker, a Roman named Appius Livius Ocella, arrives without warning, bringing along Alexei Romanov, whom he rescued from the Bolsheviks and turned into a vampire. Though the action often builds too slowly, the exploration of family in its many human and undead variations is intriguing, and Harris delivers her usual mix of eccentric characters and engaging subplots." - Publishers Weekly

Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey (Young Adult) - Jill Jekel knows not to peak inside the mysterious box her parents keep, but when her father is murdered and her future is up in the air, she's finally tempted to peek, hoping whatever is hidden inside might be the key to a prestigious science scholarship and getting her life back on track. On her quest for success, she enlists the gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, a boy with shadowy secrets of his own. The pair plans to recreate the experiments of the classic novel they share a name with, but there's more than just winning at stake - soon Jill realizes their experiment could save something else...Tristen's life.

Straight Up by Deirdre Martin (Contemporary Romance) - On the run from one of New York's mobster families, Liam O'Brien has returned to Ireland and to running his parents' old village pub. But staying out of trouble doesn't last long, when he meets Aislinn McCafferty, the local beauty and heart-breaker who has a few painful secrets in her own past. When a wager sends Liam on a pursuit to win the ice queen's heart, neither of them expects that their attraction could turn into more. But will Liam's secrets put not only their relationship in danger, but Aislinn herself?

Sweetest Little Sin by Christine Wells (Historical Romance) - Lady Louisa Brooke and the Marquis of Jardine have been secret lovers for years, when he suddenly abandons her without a reason. With no other options, the ruined Louisa accepts a mission from Britain's secret service and begins a very dangerous operation. Unfortunately, her secret mission brings her into contact once more with Jardine, who is out to catch a criminal who has threatened everything and everyone he loves - including Louisa. When he finds out Louisa is engaged to the very enemy he hunts, they find not only their missions colliding, but - once more - their hearts.

May 18, 2010:

The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan (Young Adult) - Sequel to Sarah Rees Brennan's fantastic debut, The Demon's Lexicon, we return to England and the world of Nick and Alan, two brothers on the run from vicious magicians. Honestly, I haven't been able to track down a single synopsis of Book 2, but it doesn't matter - after the thrilling first installment, TDC could involve samba-dancing clowns and I would still buy it. Here's what I do know: Nick and Alan are back, as are Mae and Jamie, and...there will be kissing. Do we need to know more? (Note: The cover shown is the UK cover, which I will personally be buying, because...well, the US ones do not properly showcase this series' awesomeness.)

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (Young Adult) - Fifth in the Vampire Academy series, Richelle Mead returns to the story of Rose Hathaway and her heart-breaking love, Dimitri. Rose has just returned to St. Vladimir's, after a failed attempt to save Dimitri from his horrible fate as a Strigoi (ie: evil vampire). Graduation is just around the corner and the girls are excited to finally be free of the Academy and all of its rules. But all is not bright for Rose, who knows Dimitri is still out there, hunting her. She failed to kill him before, because of the love they once shared, but will it be too late? Is Rose destined to join him in his awful new life...forever?

[Note: Where noted, some of this week's book summaries were produced by Publishers Weekly and Booklist, two of the most reputable book review publications. Why? Because they can sum things up much better than I'll ever be able to!]

Are you in the mood to win a book, instead of just read about them? Well then, get yourself over to Twitter! Today, if you add the hashtag #MistressMonday to your tweets, you'll be entered to win the fabulous Maggie Robinson's debut romance, Mistress by Mistake from the Vauxhall Vixens. Start tweeting and good luck!

Also, are there any other books that you've loved lately or can't wait to dive into? Let me know in the comments and I'll add them to our next list!

Untitled

2010-04-21T22:11:00.008-05:00

I’ve debated off and on what my come back post, so to speak, should be about. I wondered if I should pour out my heart or play it light. I wondered if I should pretend the past few months had been a long vacation and just click right back into the status quo. My heart won’t let me take the easy route and allow my online persona to become someone that I’m not in real life. I have to somehow be true to my real life and maintain the integrity of this site. It’s a site about writing and reading and romance. It’s not a site about my personal struggles.

But, dear reader, it would seem that us writers are always encouraged to write from our hearts. I’ve heard the expression “write the book of your heart” so many times it reminds me of an echo-each time it sounds again it gets duller and duller, carries less and less impact and eventually fades away completely. But it might just be true. Now, I’m certainly not going to turn this blog into a book but I might be able to make a book into a blog. (Huh? Yeah, I seem to confuse myself most with the things I write...)

Now, where to begin? Oh, prologue! Yes, a prologue slows the pace and I may have skipped reading one…like once! Or twice…*shifty eyes* Yes, prologues are pretty much all telling and I hate being told things excessively but sometimes I break my own rules.

I first should mention that I look to the side of Write Chic’s toolbar(Look!--->) and I see three names written under the “contributors“ section. Mary and Stephanie are accompanied by some Kelly Krysten person. Who is this elusive Kelly? Most of you probably don’t know. She’s been on a hiatus of sorts, I suppose. But why is she still listed as a contributor? She doesn’t write blogs, she doesn’t even write period anymore. Well, for the new readers of Write Chic this would be the moment to unveil the mythical “Kelly’s” identity. I am Kelly Krysten. I am Kelly Krysten Bunkley and my mother died two months ago. Mom fought to the bitter end but there’s really no concrete way to defeat cancer. But I don’t want this blog to be about death. Mommy would not approve of that at all. Anything she was listed in would have to be raw in its honesty, open with its humor, and elegantly written. I can’t promise I’ll hit all three,or even one, but we’ll see.

I’m not going to break this up into a chapter list. This is a summation(I really like that word!). And though I said only prologues are for telling...well, I'm breaking another rule.

It all starts,this whole tale, with a girl. In our genre that’s who we’re encouraged to begin with. I mean, there are books upon books about the "hero’s journey" but without a great female presence I’m typically going to go MIA before the last page. I love men! Do NOT get me wrong. But I want a strong foil for him. And for me the greatest foil, or rather, the thread that most surely unravels the fabric of the hero’s existence, is a girl.

Now back to the girl herself. She’s as beautiful inside as she is without. But her exterior is probably admired more when she’s this age. She’s 15 and has had few boyfriends or even dates. Her hair is a sort of golden brown amalgamation, her form is willowy. Her eyes are large, innocent, and hazel. She is extremely shy but strong willed, extremely quiet-some think she’s a snob but she honestly thinks she’s too stupid to have anything worthy to add- but hilarious to those that take the time to get to know her. She’s convinced she’s ugly. She’s obviously wrong.

He’s eight years older and helplessly in love. She knew at age 8 that he was the one, he needed to see her grow up(this is why I love May/December romances so).

They marry(when she‘s older!), they remain crazy about each other their whole lives. Everyone comments that they never had a bad thing to say about each other, that they doted on each other, that they brought out the absolute best in each other. He told her she wasn’t stupid and enrolled her in college. She encouraged him, let him know he was the very best man she’d ever known and allowed him to feel the genuine confidence that a well loved man has, the one that swells their chests up with pride. [Side note: She attains one Masters degree, he attains two.]

They have three children. Two boys and a girl. [I would like to note that the girl was the most beautiful, intelligent, amazing baby in history…lol.]

Well our girl, who is now a woman, prays every night that she’ll live long enough for her children to be grown. It terrifies her, you see, to imagine what would happen to them if she weren’t there to nurture them. God answers her prayer.

And then when her babies are fully grown-her youngest was 24- she...

My mother(as you've guessed, she's mine) was getting in her car at Sears, she turned her foot awkwardly and it broke. Just like that my life changed forever. I didn’t know, you see, that a broken ankle could have many implications. My Mommy got sicker and sicker. There was dizziness and mild incoherence that came and went for weeks and then there were these nonstop headaches. One morning she hit our neighbor’s mailbox with her car. The next morning she went to the doctor and was sent immediately to the ER. They thought she was having a stroke. She wasn’t. She had a brain tumor. All I could do was lay on her chest and cry. I was so positive she would die and all I wanted was to lay beside her and go too. By that Friday she was having a biopsy. She’d been so optimistic, so certain she’d live. And when her surgeon walked in he said one sentence that I’ll never forget. I heard it with the crystal clarity of a song that’s lyrics won’t get out of your head. He said, “No one in the history of the world has survived this type of brain cancer.”

Mommy was a fighter but soon I felt her letting go. One night as I bathed her she cried and told me that she wished she could tell me she’d survive but she just didn’t know if it would be true anymore. There were never any lies between us. We held each other for a very long time after that.

As she slipped farther away she began to lose her ability to speak. But one night I asked her where home was and she pointed to me. This woman was my anchor and my life. She was the best thing about me. She believed in me when no one(other than Dad) would. She held me when I had bad dreams or was heartsick over some silly boy and throughout our whole lives together I told her everything. I never held back and she never judged me, just loved me. And I was losing her.

God answered that first prayer but for some reason it wasn’t His will to answer her follow up prayer. The one she whispered to me one night, “Dear God, please let me live longer. Please let me watch my children have more children, my daughter get married[...]And even if you allow me fifty more years with them, it would never be enough.”

As she faded more Dad would get out his book of hymns and sing to her each night. It was almost like a light switched on every time he sang. Her eyes would brighten and fix on him. Her husband of thirty five years, the man who gave her a card on their final anniversary together that read, “We will never have a last anniversary.” She’d always loved his singing voice so. And as he serenaded her to her end, as I listened, as I soaked in the power of their love that filled the room, I can’t say I had or will ever again hear a more beautiful sound.

When Mom couldn’t speak she still wanted Daddy to be assured of her love, she reached up one night and patted his chest exactly over his heart. Her final I love you to the love of her life.

And then she went. One day I said to my father, “It was too perfect, wasn’t it?” And he concurred. Nothing that perfect-a love and life so beautiful-could survive in a world so unworthy of the state.

And there it is. The encapsulated blog of my heart. I like to think Mom-always the first person I let read my work-would have liked this blog. I like to think she would’ve liked it very much.

I love you, Mommy. Thank you for everything. It was an honor and a privilege to be your daughter. I can't wait to see you again.

What Would YOU Ask?

2010-04-08T11:15:00.006-05:00

So, I hate the phone. A lot.

I'm one of those people who would love to throw out my cell phone and never see the damn thing again, relying instead on real-life and the Internet for my social interactions. Trying to have a conversation without the nonverbal cues that are 90% of our in-face communication makes me dizzy. The invention of text messaging - getting straight to the point without all the "Can you hear me now?" business - was a godsend. I'm just better in writing and real-life than on a wire. Blame it on the Speech Communication major.

Unfortunately for me, we use the telephone all the time in modern society. Like say, when you are the runner-up in a writing contest and one of the prizes is a phone consultation with a literary agent. This would be an awesome prize for anyone else. For me? I'm filled with dread.

So, I'm making a list (surprise, surprise) in preparation for tomorrow morning's conversation. I know that if I don't come up with questions now, I'll be a babbling mess on the phone and kick myself later for the missed opportunity.

But - I'm running out of ideas! Friends, if you had 15 minutes with an agent, what would you ask her? Are there any query secrets you're dying to know or publishing inner workings you'd love to hear more about? Leave your questions in the comments and, if all goes according to plan and I am coherent enough to ask them, I'll post the answers in a follow-up blog tomorrow.

The Healthy Pen: Welcome!

2010-04-05T00:00:00.005-05:00

Welcome to my new bi-weekly installment about health topics for writers! Since I work in the health insurance industry, I'm constantly bombarded with messages about the importance of wellness. Luckily, it's a topic near and dear to my heart. The messages resonate with me and wellness frequently ends up as a topic in conversations with my friends and family. I know I'm not alone. Wellness is on the minds of those trying to lose weight, those trying to prevent the onset of a condition that's part of their family history, and those seeking an overall lifestyle improvements.

I wanted to bring wellness as a writer to the blog because we're challenged with our own set of health issues as writers. Writing is a sedentary activity often accompanied by a myriad of habits common to all of us. We might be up at the crack of dawn or awake until the wee hours of the morning because we're under deadline. We sustain ourselves through snacking during marathon writing sessions. We're familiar with caffeine on a far more complex and advanced level than the average person. We write in bed, at desks, on the couch, in coffee shops, on the bus, and in the car (parked, of course). All those activities present their own health challenges that I'm on a mission to address.

Join me bi-weekly to comment, commiserate, share your own tips, and perhaps even win a giveaway!

There's Still Time!

2010-04-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to sign up for upcoming April workshops for writers. A listing of workshops is available here.

A few tips for online workshops if you haven't taken one before:

It's easy to let life get in the way of visiting the forum that's hosting your workshop so set aside a daily time to go out to the group, complete any lessons, and interact.
Treat the workshop like a formal class -- have a special notebook (even if it's a small one) and have a folder either in physical form or on your desktop to keep class handouts and notes.
Show an interest in your other workshop attendees and don't be afraid to help them with any questions. Workshops are great for learning but they're also a great place to network and gain friends.

The common thread in my tips is to engage, engage, engage! You'll get what you put in to the workshops.

Happy writing!

Workshops for Writers: April 2010

2010-03-28T17:00:00.012-05:00

We're wishing you a happy springtime of writing! This month's workshops for writers post is going up a bit late so if you see a workshop whose registration deadline has passed, don't be discouraged - ask the workshop facilitator if you can still join. They're often extremely flexible and happy to have another student in their class.

If you're unsure about taking an online class, don't be! My first workshop was with author Eliza Knight and the class was about online research. Ms. Knight was extremely helpful and encouraging. The other classmates never made to feel stupid for asking my questions. I also learned a lot from the questions others posed for the group. Remember, we're all out here to help each other achieve writing success!

General format of the information is as follows:

Workshop Name
Workshop Facilitator
Dates of Workshop
Deadline for Registration
Link to More Information
Chapter Name/Organization Name

April Workshops

Breaking into Corporate Writing
I.J. Schecter
Wednesday, March 31st
More Information
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Sponsored By: Writer's Digest Online Events

Marketing for Authors
Chip MacGregor
Thursday, April 8th
More Information
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Sponsored By: Writer's Digest Online Events

Legal Issues Affecting Writers
Amy Cook
Thursday, April 15th
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How to Publish Your Poetry Collection
Robert Lee Brewer
Thursday, April 29th
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Writer's Digest Recorded Events
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The Tiny Art of Elevator Pitches: How to Craft Them and How to Use Them
Carrie Lofty
April 5th - 16th
Deadline April 1st
More Information
Sponsored By: Elements of RWA

Fixing Your Fiction
Jeannie Eddy
April 11th - 24th
Deadline April 7th
More Information
Sponsored By: From the Heart Romance Writers

Writing Between the Sexes
Leigh Michaels
April 5th - May 2nd
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Sponsored By: Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal

Journey Steps, Taking the Train to Somewhere
Susan Meier
April 5th - May 2nd
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Sponsored By: Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal

Knights Templar: Fact and Fiction
Jody Allen
April 1st - 30th
Deadline March 30th
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Sponsored By: Hearts Through History

The Anatomy of a Love Scene
Jenna Petersen
April 5th - 7th
Deadline April 3rd
More Information
Sponsored By: Hearts Through History

The Dreaded Synopsis
Elizabeth Sinclair
April 12th - 16th
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Sponsored By: Hearts Through History

Does Size Matter? Yes It Does! Big City Cop - Small Town Cop
Phyllis Middleton and Kathy Bennett
More Information
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Sponsored By: Kiss of Death (Mystery & Suspense)

Let's Talk Dialogue
Stephen D. Rogers
More Information
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Sponsored By: Kiss of Death (Mystery & Suspense)

Sex & Violence (Without the Sex) and Alpha Male Warriors
Bob Mayer
April 4th – April 18th
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Sponsored By: Passionate Ink

Prose and Contests: Everything You Wanted To Know About Contests But Were Afraid To Ask
Amy Atwell
April 5th - 30th
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Sponsored By: Black Diamond RWA

What Does Nora Roberts Know That You Don’t? -- Learn How to Unlock the Simple Secrets Behind Every Best Seller and Blockbuster Film
Carol Hughes
April 12th - May 8th
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Sponsored By: Orange County Chapter

Secrets of the Prolific: How to Overcome Procrastination, Perfectionism and Writer's Block
Hillary Rettig
April 5th - 30th
Deadline April 4th
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Sponsored By: Yosemite Romance Writers

Breathing Life into a Scene/Getting Your Story Off to the Right Start
Beth Cornelison
April 5th - 30th
Deadline April 4th
More Information
Sponsored By: Yosemite Romance Writers

Skips, Lies & Videotapes (How PIs Find the Missing, Nail the Fraudulent, and Obtain the Proof)
Colleen Collins/Shaun Kaufman
April 5th - 30th
Deadline April 4th
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Sponsored By: Yosemite Romance Writers

May the Force Be With You
Kerri Nelson
April 5th - 30th
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Sponsored By: Colorado Romance Writers

Changing Genres
Beth Daniels aka Beth Henderson aka J.B. Dane
April 5th - 30th
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Sponsored By: Colorado Romance Writers

Characterization
Karen Sandler
April 5th - May 1st
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Sponsored By: Charter Oaks Romance Writers Inc.

Muse Therapy
D.D. Scott
April 5th - 30th
Deadline March 25th
More Information
Sponsored By: Carolina Romance Writers

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Grammar & Style But Didn’t Think It Really Mattered
Annie Oortman & Darlene Buchholz
April 5th - 30th
Deadline March 25th
More Information
Sponsored By: Carolina Romance Writers

Mastering Point of View
Diane O'Connell
April 1st - 30th
More Information
Sponsored By: Heart of Carolina Romance Writers

Query Letters that Sell
Julie Rowe
April 5th - 16th
April 4th
More Information
Sponsored By: Northeast Ohio RWA

Behind the Scenes: The Research Before the Book
Jacqui Jacoby
April 5th - 30th
Deadline April 2nd
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

Plotting for Pantsers
Beth Daniels, aka Beth Henderson, J.B. Dane
April 5th - 30th
Deadline April 2nd
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

Infusing The Romance Novel With Emotional and Sexual Tension
Presented by Laurie Sanders
April 5th -30th
Deadline April 2
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

The Pirates Guide to a Successful Publishing Career
Natalie J. Damschroder
April 5th - 17th
Deadline April 2nd
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

Archetypes Versus Stereotypes
Becky Martinez & Sue Viders
April 1st - 30th
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Sponsored By: Yellow Rose Romance Writers

The Power of GMC: Crafting Compelling Characters and Kick-Butt Stories
Renee Knowles and Eliza Knight
April 5th - 30th
More Information
Sponsored By: Celtic Hearts Romance Writers

And the winner is...

2010-03-05T10:22:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday, everyone!

So, after carefully placing everyone's names in my virtual hat (aka: a random number generator), we have a winner of the Will Grayson, Will Grayson ARC:

Casey McCormick!

Congratulations, Casey! Send your snail mail address to me at staff (@) writechic.com and I'll drop it in the mail tomorrow.

Thanks again for all the excitement and I hope everyone has more good news to share soon!

Passing It On

2010-03-01T10:13:00.009-06:00

Originally, this was going to be a blog about conflict. It's been on my mind lately, as I revise The Suspicions of Cairo Jones, because there's no element more intrinsic to a story's success. At least, that's what I would've said earlier this weekend. Since then, I've had some news which has changed my mind.

The most important element of a story? It's actually enthusiasm.

Whether it's for your characters, your setting, or the ingenious way your villain slips poison into someone's soup, at some point in the writing process you have to be really, over-the-top excited about the story you're telling. The joy of writing a book you're passionate about translates onto every page - the readers can feel it, just like the author can. That excitement may (will most likely) fade when you hit a snag, but once you have that spark, it can always be rekindled.

But, honestly, this isn't a blog about enthusiasm either. This is just a blog about good news! Yours and mine. You see, yesterday I opened my e-mail to discover that I'd not only finaled in an agent-run contest with both Cairo and Into the Woods (now titled The Sherwood Confessions), but this lovely, wonderful totally-at-the-top-of-my-eventual-querying-list-anyway agent wanted to see both of the fulls! Then, as if that wasn't enough to make my entire month right there, this morning that little manuscript - the one that started as pure enthusiasm for a quirky character and my favorite time period - was named as a runner up in the Dear Lucky Agent contest, as well. In the immortal words of Stacy London: Shut Up!

So, now that my little writer heart is all aflutter, I'm passing the joy on. First off, comment below with YOUR exciting news - be it writing related or just how your adorable daughter sold the most Girl Scout cookies in her troop - so we can all squee with you! Second, to one random commenter, I will give away my ARC of Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. So, start sharing your news, friends! (Incidentally, if you mention that you Tweeted about this blog post, I'll throw in a second entry!)

Workshops for Writers: March 2010

2010-02-15T07:00:00.005-06:00

The month of shamrocks, 3.14, and women's history will soon be upon us which means that the workshops are right around the corner as well. End the first quarter of 2010 with some craft training! Please let me know if you hear of any workshops not included on the list below so we can add it right away. Enjoy.

General format of the information is as follows:

Workshop Name
Workshop Facilitator
Dates of Workshop
Deadline for Registration
Link to More Information
Chapter Name/Organization Name

March Workshops

Critique Series: Your Very First Page (Novel & Memoir)
Jane Friedman, Publisher & Editorial Director, Writer's Digest
Thursday, March 4th
More Information
More Information
Sponsored By: Writer's Digest Online Events

How to Create an iPhone App
Al Katkowsky
Thursday, March 25th
More Information
More Information
Sponsored By: Writer's Digest Online Events

Writer's Digest Recorded Events
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The Power of the Senses; Enhancing Author's Voice, Characterization, and Conflict
Bill Haggart
March 1st - 12th
More Information
Sponsored By: Elements of RWA

Down, Dirty and Quick Plotting Boot Camp
Raquel Rodriguez
March 1st -28th
Deadline February 24th
More Information
Sponsored By: From the Heart Romance Writers

Critiquing
Camy Tang
March 1st - 28th
More Information
Sponsored By: Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal

The Synopsis Queen Tells All
Kara Lennox
March 15th - 28th
More Information
Sponsored By: Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal

The Ins and Outs of ePublishing
Dara Edmonson
March 29th - April 4th
More Information
Sponsored By: Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal

What a Wicked Web We Weave - A Spider's Approach to Subplots in Storytelling
Theresa Meyers
March 29th - April 11th
More Information
Sponsored By: Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal

Get Grammar
Kat Duncan
March 29th - April 4th
More Information
Sponsored By: Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal

Hey Baby, What's Your Sign? Tapping into the Wisdom of Astrology to Build Characters and Harness Your Writing Mojo
Catherine Avril Morris
March 1st - 12th
Deadline February 27th
More Information
Sponsored By: Hearts Through History

Ancient Falconry
Eva Gordon
March 22nd - April 2nd
Deadline March 20th
More Information
Sponsored By: Hearts Through History

Paranormal Forensics
Katherine Ramsland
More Information
More Information
Sponsored By: Kiss of Death (Mystery & Suspense)

The 4 C's: Building Characters and Plots
Sue Viders and Becky Martinez
More Information
More Information
Sponsored By: Kiss of Death (Mystery & Suspense)

Understanding Men
Dr. Debra Holland
March 1st - 31st
More Information
Sponsored By: Passionate Ink

Romance 101
Anne Marie Novark
March 1st - 14th
More Information
Sponsored By: Black Diamond RWA

The Regency Women
Nancy Mayer
March 15th - April 10th
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Sponsored By: Orange County Chapter

Make 'Em Laugh, Make 'Em Cry
Lori Wilde
March 1st - 26th
Deadline February 28th
More Information
Sponsored By: Yosemite Romance Writers

The Art of Rewriting
Martha Engber
March 1st - 26th
Deadline February 28th
More Information
Sponsored By: Yosemite Romance Writers

A Perfect Ending
Regan Black
March 1st - 26th
Deadline February 28th
More Information
Sponsored By: Yosemite Romance Writers

A Noble's Life in Medieval Times
Eliza Knight
March 1st - 26th
More Information
Sponsored By: Colorado Romance Writers

Walking Off the Page: How to Bring Characters to Life
Kelle Z. Riley
March 1st - 26th
More Information
Sponsored By: Colorado Romance Writers

The Hapsburg Dynasty
Eliza Knight
March 1st - 29th
More Information
Sponsored By: Charter Oaks Romance Writers Inc.

Action Sequences: Writing Heart-Pounding Fight Scenes, Chases and Climaxes
Angela Knight
March 1st - 28th
Deadline February 25th
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Sponsored By: Carolina Romance Writers

Scene CPR: Breathing Life into an Ailing Scene
Laurin Wittig
March 15th - 31st
Deadline February 25th
More Information
Sponsored By: Carolina Romance Writers

Breathe, Focus, Achieve
Stacia D. Kelly, PhD, MHt
March 1st - 31st
More Information
Sponsored By: Heart of Carolina Romance Writers

Mastering Point of View
Dianne O'Connell
March 1st - 26th
Deadline February 28th
More Information
Sponsored By: Northeast Ohio RWA

No Matter How Busy You Are, You Can Find TIME TO WRITE!
Kelly L. Stone
March 1st - 31st
More Information
Sponsored By: Mid-Willamette Valley

Is That Hollywood Calling?
Cindy Carroll
March 5th - 31st
Deadline March 2nd
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

Beyond Fangs Creating New and Interesting Paranormal Characters
Deborah Blake
March 5th - 31st
Deadline March 2nd
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

Prose and Contests: Everything You Wanted to Know About Writing Contests But Were Afraid to Ask
Amy Atwell
March 5th - 31st
Deadline March 2nd
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

12 Stages of the Writer's Adventure: You Are the Hero of Your Book Writing Adventure
Beth Barany
March 5th - 31st
Deadline March 2nd
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

May The Force Be With You (Adding Realistic Law Enforcement & Legal System Elements Into Your Novel)
Kerri Nelson
March 1st - 31st
More Information
Sponsored By: Yellow Rose Romance Writers

Pitch Perfect
March 13th - 31st
Kerri Nelson
More Information
Sponsored By: Southern Tier Authors of Romance

Contests! So Very Many Contests!

2010-02-13T14:25:00.006-06:00

So, it may have been a quiet week here at Write Chic, but the writing world is buzzing with tons of contests. Really, really excellent contests. Each of the following events is linked with a reputable literary agent, so all are wonderful opportunities to get your work in front of an agent without braving the whole query process. Some are based on your writing, whereas others are pure chance, but either way...Good Luck!

Agent Nephele Tempest, of The Knight Agency, is holding an "In The Mood For Love" submissions festival on her blog. Until 11:59 pm PST on Valentine's Day, you can pitch Nephele your novel on her blog. The only requirement is that your MS should have a little bit of romance in it and be in one of the genres she represents (which includes both YA and Romance).
The Guide to Literary Agents blog is holding their 2nd "Dear Lucky Agent" contest, this time with Agent Jennifer Laughran of Andrea Brown Literary Agency as judge. The contest is for Young Adult and Middle Grade writers and will run until February 21st. To enter, contestants submit the first 150-200 words of their manuscripts, which Jennifer Laughran will then judge and choose her top three favorites. Grand prize includes both a 25-page and a query critique from Laughran.
Over at the newly created YALitChat community (formed from one of the most popular TwitterChats for KidLit writers), they have partnered with the teen imprint of Sourcebooks and Agent Regina Brooks for a submissions contest. Once again, authors submit the first page of any YA or MG manuscript and a brief pitch, which will then go through three rounds of judging. Grand prize (for the top 20 entries) is the submission of their pitch and the first 2o pages for consideration by Sourcebooks.
At Market My Words, Shelli is holding a week-long contest in celebration of Mardi Gras! In order to participate, you have to follow Shelli's blog and her partner in crime, Elana Johnson's (whose contest is up next). All week long, Shelli will be giving away free books and prizes, culminating in two grand-prizes given out on Friday! For unagented authors, the grand-prize includes a three chapter critique from Agent Alyssa Eisner-Henkin, of Trident Media Group (aka: friend of the blog Jessica Burkhart's superagent); for agented authors, the grand-prize is a fabulous marketing package, including a two-house consultation! More details are at Shelli's blog, but this is a fabulous contest for authors at any stage of their careers.
Rounding out the contests is another Mardi Gras celebration, this time from QueryTracker contributor, Elana Johnson. Details will be released on Monday, but Elana has already teased that her contest includes FIVE literary agents! I'll update this post on Monday with more details, but it's sure to be another great opportunity.

I'm back!

2010-02-07T07:02:00.003-06:00

So I went on hiatus...for a long, long , long , long time and I wish I could say it was relaxing and fun but my life doesn’t belong anywhere near such descriptions anymore. I suppose I should get the really hard part out of the way and then go on from there. My mother and very best friend on the planet was diagnosed with brain cancer Dec.11th . Since then she’s had rigorous chemo and radiation treatments and has had to put up with me being her full time care taker. I intend to write a longer post about that one day but I wanted my return blog to veer away from my personal struggles.

I’ve missed blogging. There’s something about getting your voice out there and working toward something that is rather uplifting. I haven’t written word one on in any of my WIPs since this happened and I suppose that is to be expected. I’ve barely read anything-novel wise, that is. My life has turned into something I never expected or wanted. But I am back now. I don’t know how regular my posts will be but there will be some. I don’t know how happy they’ll always be but you will never get the doom and gloom. My mom would never approve of doom and gloom.

I’ve been raised by the perfect parents and they want me to go on with my life like everything is normal-like I don’t have the losing hand in a poker game. So I will.

And as my first post back I would like to say to Mary that my next WIP is about the following:
I'm writing a mystery about a girl reporter named Cairo Jones. I have analyzed and stolen Mer’s writing voice. I’ve stolen her outline so I can copy every event she used! Oh, and I already finished writing it!

Yeah, I’m still evil. Your old pal Kel is here to stay.:)

Your Book Is Different

2010-02-04T15:10:00.007-06:00

Today, I had an embarrassing writer moment. You know the kind: when some publishing tidbit or deal news sends you into a tizzy of self-loathing. When you start bemoaning your lack of a talent and cursing humanity for ever inventing the written word in the first place. About an hour ago, I had one of those.

What prompted the moment (and subsequent doom and gloom e-mail to poor Stephanie) was this news from Publishers Weekly: 2010 Printz Award winner, Libba Bray, just inked a major 4-book deal for a Jazz Age supernatural series called The Diviners. First off, let me just say, I love Libba Bray. The woman could publish her tax return and I would happily shell out the $24 to buy it in hardback at a midnight release party while wearing a silly costume and video-blogging about the experience.

Which is precisely the problem. My little lizardly writer brain looked at my own 1920s WIP, which I'll probably query in late March, and said: Noooo! You'll never be as good as anything Libba Bray can write, WIP! I might as well just burn my computer now, so the world doesn't think I tried to imitate her brilliance! Because, just like The Highlander, there can only be ONE YA 1920s book!

Moments later, after a half-joking Tweet of misery had been sent off, an agent on my query list posted that she was waiting for the onslaught of quickly written Jazz Age books to show up in her query pile. That sound you heard? That squeal of agony so loud you thought it was a passing firetruck? Oh yes, those were my worst fears being confirmed.

Finally, I started breathing again. There's a funny thing about oxygen: your brain works a whole lot better with it. I calmed down, stopped my damned whining, and did what I always do in times of woe: I made a list.*

Namely, 10 Reasons Why This Is Not Mary's Writing Apocalypse:

1. I'm writing a mystery, not a supernatural fantasy.
2. She probably isn't writing about a girl reporter named Cairo Jones.
3. Even if she is, I have a completely different writing voice. (Note: normally this would not be a good thing - to be less like LB - but I'm looking on the bright side here.)
4. If this book sucks, no one ever has to know or even read it.
5. The 1920s were an exciting time period - lots of things happened. There will be leftover awesome for me.
6. The more books written in the 1920s, the more books I get to read set in the 1920s! My favorite time period! Win!
7. Ergo, perhaps there will be a bigger market for 1920s books.
8. Ergo, maybe Libba Bray's new series will in fact make agents/publishers more interested in another Jazz Age series.
9. Ergo, even if I'm not Libba Bray, I may be able to have a writing career, after all.
10. Ergo, I better stop making lists and finish the book already!

So, just in case you've recently had a moment like mine, remember: your book is different.

I don't care if it's about a boy wizard going to a magic school called Bogwarts, you make it unique. Your voice, your story decisions, your characters. No one else can write those like you can. They are yours. You've created something no one else has or can. Even if we end up consigning these WIPs to dark, gloomy closets somewhere, that's a pretty wonderful accomplishment, isn't it?

*Okay, that's a lie: I don't always do this, but I should. The people who do seem quite rational and non-crazy, unlike myself.

What's Out, What's Buzzing

2010-02-03T00:00:00.004-06:00

Let's face it, this winter has been a phenomenal season for books. If this is any indication of how 2010 will progress, my personal bank account may end up weeping, while my bookshelf sags with purchases. Since the last month has brought both richly praised debuts and a line-up of new releases from beloved authors, it seemed like a great time to revive our What's Out, What's Buzzing column. We've listed some of our picks of what's on shelves right now, as well as a peek at what's to come later this month:

WHAT'S OUT

General Fiction:

The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig - This, the sixth book in the beloved Pink Carnation series, brings those devious flowered spies to a new locale: colonial India. Penelope Deveraux, a minor character from previous books, has married under a cloud of scandal and fled with her new (and less than chivalrous) husband to the colony, where he is meant to be special envoy to one of the Indian courts. Unfortunately, there's talk of an uprising and the dashing, morally upright Capt. Alex Reid is assigned to take the new envoy and his infuriating wife to their post. When Penelope tangles with a French spy, the Marigold, and she has no one left to trust - not even her husband - the two must band together to prevent disaster.

A Rather Charming Invitation by C.A. Belmond - In the third installment of Belmond's Rather series, American heiress Penny Nichols is finally planning her wedding to her adorable barrister fiance, Jeremy. But when a family heirloom, a priceless tapestry, is lent to the couple for their wedding and then stolen, the two must once again solve the case of a mystery antiquity...and try to convince their relatives that this isn't a bad omen for their wedding. Like the first two, this promises to be a perfect "bathtub" book, one that will let readers escape to rural France and promises to leave them utterly, well, charmed.

Mystery:

Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn - Chet, the crime fighting canine, and his private investigator owner, Bernie Little, are back in the follow up to last year's much adored Dog On It. Their pockets a little bare, Chet and Bernie take a case to investigate threats against a spoiled celebrity dog. But when threats turn to kidnapping of the dog and her wealthy owner, every one's favorite four-legged detective must sniff out the villain before it's too late. This promises to be another quirky, thrill-ride of a mystery, with Bert & Chet getting tangled up with everyone from a corrupt small town sheriff to two Iron Butterfly obsessed hippies.

Nonfiction:

Th e Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - In 1951, Henrietta Lacks was a mother of five dying of cervical cancer in a Baltimore hospital, when a doctor took a tissue sample from her for research. Little did anyone know, these cells would change the course of modern medicine. Why? Because even though she passed on, Henrietta's cells never died. For years the donor of the "HeLa" cells was kept a secret, even from her family, but Skloot tells us all the story of the medical miracle and the tragic young mother who gave it to us.

Romance:

The Golden Season by Connie Brockway - The belle of the ton, Lady Lydia Eastlake is in trouble - her fortune has disappeared, leaving her no choice but to marry a wealthy husband. Luckily, Capt. Ned Lockton, a dashing war hero is there to save her. All too late for Lydia's heart, she discovers that Ned's supposed wealth is no greater than her, leaving one question: Which is more important - love or money?

Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale - After entirely too many years away, Laura Kinsale is back with one of her much-loved historical romances. This time, she follows former lovers Lady Callista Taillefaire and her lost love, Trevelyn, who are reunited after a nine year separation. Unfortunately, no sooner are they together again than Trev is convicted of forgery and forced into exile. Will Callie follow him after all this time? Fans of Kinsale's romances have been waiting with baited breath for this one and from reader reviews, it seems that have not been let down.

Promise Me Tonight by Sara Lindsey - Friend of the blog, Sara Lindsey, debuts with this sparkling tale of Isabella Weston, a girl who knows exactly what she wants, or rather whom: her older brother's best friend, James Sheffield. Unfortunately, James has never believed in love and, despite his attraction to Izzie, it will take every one of her feminine wiles to ensnare his heart. Fans of Julia Quinn will adore Sara's lively style and the seven delightful Weston siblings. Luckily, this is just the beginning of a series that's sure to become a classic!

Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan - Another friend of the blog, Courtney Milan's December debut has been garnering rave reviews from readers and critics alike. It's easy to see why, in this tale of a faux fortune teller and the man out to prove her fraud, Courtney has practically invented her own genre: the smart historical romance. Jenny Keeble has avoided the streets by using her masquerade as one Madame Esmerelda, but she never counted on one of her client's relatives coming out for revenge - especially not handsome, if charmingly awkward, scientist, Gareth Carhart. Soon, it's not just Jenny's charade that's in danger, but her heart. Trust me, intelligence and charm positively drip from Courtney's prose and, combined with spot-on characterization, this is one romance you won't be able to put down!

Steamed by Katie MacAlister - Steampunk is being lauded as the next big thing in romance (and YA and Mystery and every other genre out there!), so readers are sure to be thrilled that the first author to try this new sub-genre is Katie MacAlister, an institution in paranormal romance already. When an accident in Jack Fletcher's lab sends him into the world of his favorite novel - a Victorian steampunk society - he's bombarded not only by a rogue airship, but also its gorgeous captain, Octavia Pye. MacAlister has always had a deft hand at balancing complicated worlds with satisfying romance, so this is sure to be a good bet for anyone wanting to dip their toes into Steampunk for the first time.

Young Adult:

Albatross by Josie Bloss - New to school, Tess is thrilled to find comfort in the form of brooding, brilliant Micah, even if everyone else warns her that he's trouble. Unfortunately, Tess' interest lands her right in the middle of a love triangle, a problem which soon spins out of control as she loses not only her heart, but herself. Meg Cabot has already blurbed this book and, personally, I've never disagreed with one of Meg's recommendations. A timely subject and solid writing are sure to make this one of the best unsung YAs of the year.

Captivate by Carrie Jones - The sequel to last year's stunning Need, Zara and Nick are back with more troubles than ever - the pixi king my be in captivity, but his dark needs are growing, while a new king is in town and claiming he is destined to be with Zara. Now Zara finds herself torn between her love for Nick and her growing trust of the new king. But it's not just love that's at stake, their very lives may be in danger this time around.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain - First off, I'm halfway through The Dark Divine right now and can already recommend it wholeheartedly. The story follows Grace Divine, who has always known something awful happened the night her longtime crush and older brother's best friend, Daniel, disappeared. Her family won't talk about it, but when Daniel reappears in her life, Grace knows she has to get to the bottom of the truth...even if it puts those she loves most at jeopardy. It's a lush, surprisingly romantic story that readers won't be able to put down.

The Poison Eaters by Holly Black - The two stories in Black's newest work return readers to the faerie world of her bestselling Tithe series. One of the best writers in the YA genre and the founder of YA Urban Fantasy as we know it today, Holly Black's tales of two girls with deadly gifts is sure to be a cross-over favorite of both teens and older readers.

Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson - A lighter entry on the YA side is the sequel to the uproariously funny and adorable, Suite Scarlett - the story of one girl, her crazy family, and the Art Deco hotel they live in. Scarlett Martin is once again working for eccentric socialite/talent agent Mrs Amberson, this time trying to woo a teenage Broadway sensation into accepting representation. Scarlett braves her boss' antics, while also getting over her first failed romanced and dealing with her own brother new semi-famous status. Maureen Johnson is one of those never fail YA authors and this sequel is sure to be just as entertaining as the original!

WHAT'S BUZZING

February 4, 2010:

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker (Young Adult) - When Fiona is forced to "wed" Todd, a male cheerleader of all things, for a course on marriage at her high school, she's flabbergasted - was there ever a worse match in all of history? But when her own faults leave her on the outs with her best friend and her love life becomes a disaster, Fiona may start rethinking the was she judges other and herself. Walker's YA debut is being billed as a romance with depth, teaching all readers that joy can be found in very unexpected places.

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (Young Adult) - When their cheerleading captain is publicly humiliated by her boyfriend (and her boyfriend's other girlfriend), they - led by Tessa Crimson - turn themselves into the Society of Smitten Kittens, a covert group that launches investigations against suspected cheaters. But when Tessa's own relationship becomes increasingly troubled and a pair of newcomers swirls up trouble for the kittens, Tessa has to discover who she trusts - the boy she loves or The Naughty List tipsters.

February 9, 2010:

After by Kristin Harmel (Young Adult) - As an adult author, Kristin Harmel is a favorite of our dear Stephanie, combining chick lit themes with surprising depth for some of the best twenty-something heroines of the past few years. Now, with her second YA novel, Harmel tackles the story of Lacey, a girl whose beloved father died in a car accident and who is left dealing with the consequences. Trying to make it better for her now-dysfunctional family, Lacey jumps a every chance to make a difference in the world around them, but she never counted on actually enjoying herself or falling in love. Does life really go on after the unthinkable happens?

Gone by Lisa McMann (Young Adult) - The third and final installment in McMann's phenomenal Wake series brings some heavy issues for dreamwalker Janie and her boyfriend, Cabel. At the end of Fade, Janie discovered a life-changing secret about her abilities, something that may ruin her life and Cabel's, if he stands by her. But when a stranger enters their world and threatens the future, Janie must choose between the lesser of two evils...even if she has to sacrifice everything to eventually save the day.

Heist Society by Ally Carter (Young Adult) - Katarina Bishop has left her life of high-stakes theft behind for good. Or so she thinks. When a former co-conspirator appears, he brings bad news: Kat's dad has been framed for a theft and the mobster victim is out for revenge. With only two weeks and a teenaged crew, Kat has to pull off the heist of the century to clear her dad's name. Ally Carter's Ghallager Girls are a hit for a reason, so her new series about teen thieves promises to be a another girl-centric thrill ride for the YA set.

February 18, 2010:

Aunt Dimity Down Under by Nancy Atherton (Mystery) - Lori Shepherd and the ghost of her indomitable Aunt Dimity are back in the 15th installment of Atherton's beloved series. This time Lori, armed with Dimity's otherworldly journal, find themselves in New Zealand tracking down the long lost brother of the charming Pym sisters from previous books. But when Lori finds the brother dead and his son soon follows, she's entrusted with a vital message for the Pyms, an orphaned 18 y/o, and yet another mystery on her hands.

The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum (Nonfiction) - Okay, I'm a bit picky about my nonfiction, because I demand that it be both education and entertaining, but you can't go wrong with this pick. The byline says it all: "Murder and the birth of forensic medicine in Jazz Age New York." Mix neat medical facts, the 1920s, grisly crimes, and an storyteller like narration and - voila! - a guaranteed thrill ride of a nonfiction book. Yes, my copy is already pre-ordered.

February 23, 2010:

Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb (Mystery) - Lt. Eve Dallas is back in the 31st "In Death" novel, but the tough homicide cop may be facing one of the most challenging cases of her career. When a gaming tycoon is found dead in his apartment, with no evidence of visitors or intruders, and while playing his revolutionary not-yet-released game, it's up to Eve and her husband, Roarke, to track down the killer. But since Roarke is a potential business rival of the victim, more than just Eve's career is on the line this time.

The Marriage Ring by Cathy Maxwell (Historical Romance) - Richard Lynsted's perfect wife would be genteel, dainty, and a perfect lady. Namely, everything Grace MacEachin is not, especially considering she's currently blackmailing Richard's father! But when Grace's plan of revenge puts her in Richard's path, the two may find out true love can happen even between two delightfully opposite people.

Provocative in Pearls by Madeline Hunter (Historical Romance) - After two years, Grayson Bridlington, The Earl of Hawkeswell, has located his missing bride Verity Thompson. Coerced into marrying Hawkeswell by her duplicitous cousin, Verity fled London for the countryside. Now, the couple must make the most of an arranged marriage-even if it means surrendering to their shared desire. A favorite of our dear Kelly, Madeline Hunter always writes emotionally powerful romances, so her newest is sure to leave readers reaching for a tissue or two.

Secrets of a Scandalous Bride by Sophia Nash (Historical Romance) - Elizabeth Ashburton lives a lie and she's much happier that way - after all, life is easier for a "widow" than a fallen woman. But when a devil from her past threatens her new life, she must turn to Rowland Manning, a self-made man with secrets of his own, who's empire of wealth means more to him than anything...except, perhaps, Elizabeth.

Like always, I'm sure I've missed some great reads. Are there any books you've adored this winter or that you're highly anticipating later this month? We'll include any recommendations in our next What's Buzzing section!

Fashion, Minded

2010-02-01T01:00:00.002-06:00

When it comes to historical detail, I love to read about fashion. It alludes to the time, to the personality of the character, and it draws me into the historical world. I would go so far as to say fashion description was part of what first drew me into romance and kept me coming back for more. For a middle school girl just starting to figure out that turtle necks tucked into sweat pants didn't equate to stylish, the dresses and the hats were part of the escape into a world far more elegant than my own.

Working fashion into my own novel isn't so simple. It's not my particular talent. Plus, it falls into the category of things that I haven't researched so it also falls into the category of things I plan to address at the end of my novel. That doesn't mean that it doesn't hold a special place in my heart. They say to write what you love and I love that particular detail. It sets the mood and it helps me shape the characters when I read. I'd like to impart the same experience to my [future] readers.

Take this example from Soulless by Gail Carriger:

"It was impossible not to grin at Lord Akeldama; his attire was so consistently absurd. In addition to the heels, he wore yellow checked gaiters, gold satin breeches, an orange and lemon striped waistcoat, and an evening jacket of sunny pink brocade. His cravat was a frothy flowing waterfall of orange, yellow, and pink Chinese silk, barely contained by a magnificently huge ruby pin."

An image of Lord Akeldama pops into my mind and I assign a personality to him by this one paragraph alone. He is absurd, yes, and I think of a garish personality to match the garish colors of his ensemble.

Here we have a different example from Eloisa James' A Duke of Her Own:

"He was wearing one of his favorite coats, made of pale green silk, the color of the very first leaves of spring. It was embroidered with mulberry-colored flowers, a fantasy of climbing trumpet vines. His hair was tied back with a ribbon of the same green."

An elegant man, highly detailed and taking pride in his appearance is evident. For me, this description was Villiers through and through. I paused my reading to picture the man, turning left and right, extending a leg, turning back again to inspect his appearance, then admire. Perhaps he smoothes out a non-existent wrinkle in the coat.

Then there is the example of a description that sets the mood of the scene as Deanna Raybourn does here in Silent in the Grave:

"I gazed mournfully at the heap of clothes I had acquired upon Edward's death. There were several hundred pounds' worth of bombazine and velvet and lace tumbled together on the bed..."

Mention of bombazine triggers thoughts of mourning wear. Velvet of the time brings to mind heavy dresses. To describe these as "tumbled... on the bed" imparts a lighter mood, like a weight has been lifted in the story.

And simple descriptions can be effective for placing the setting of a novel:

"Miss Taraboti leaped forward--as much as one could leap in full triple-layered underskirts, draped bustle, and ruffled taffeta top-skirt--and bent over the vampire."

Soulless by Gail Carriger

The perfectionist in me will analyze every instance of fashion described in my work. It will be scrutinized to make sure it's not there "just because." It will be reviewed knowing there are other readers like me. It can be dangerous to have unnecessary detail in a world where we're encourage to cut the fluff.

How do you approach fashion in your novel? Do you find it an easy part of the writing process or does it require more work?

[Image Sources]

Surprise! It's Your Narrator!

2010-01-26T15:14:00.009-06:00

As you can probably tell from my last post, I've been thinking a lot about heroines. What makes some memorable, while others fade from my mind like last Tuesday's dinner menu. How some narrators are so likable that they can hold their own over a series - like Mia Thermopolis from the - count 'em - sixteen Princess Diaries books. For me, a great narrator or heroine is someone interesting. Rocket science, right?

Uh, well, yeah. It can be! Left unchecked, I think all writers have the tendency to write the same kind of characters. They're either a product of our natural voices or they're who we're drawn to in our favorite books. Personally, my narrators tend to be made of snark and neuroses. If I'm not careful with characterization, every single heroine I write ends up sounding like Willow Rosenberg.

That works, if I want to write the same story over and over again, but I don't. Even more, YA is filled with sarcastic, self-conscious narrators. Bookshelves are positively littered with slightly unpopular girls having boy troubles or quirky teens unsure of themselves at new schools. These characters are common for a good reason, of course. They speak to the self-consciousness that is a hallmark of so many of our high school years. But not every high-school girl is shy or unpopular or bad around boys. There are plenty of teen girls who are too outspoken or go through guys like Starbucks goes through seasonal drinks. Even more, as a girl who was both snarky and neurotic in high school, if not a total social outcast (thanks to the world's best group of friends), I've always liked reading about heroines who are braver or more confident than me, girls who aren't afraid to ask out a boy or break up a ring of Napoleonic spies.

Writing these heroines is be a challenge, however. Take beginnings - automatically, my first impulse to start a story involves the heroine being nervous, whether about going to a new school or picking up her class rank. Her heart is in her throat, her nerves are spiraling out of control. Because, well, that would be my reaction to any of these inciting incidents! To get around this in my newest story, about a very capable and head-strong 1920s girl, I've started asking a question: What's the most surprising thing she can do?

If my first inclination is to have her accept punishment, instead she brazens it out, telling all the world that she's in the right. If the logical thing is to run the other way, she stands her ground. So far, it seems to be working! I'm not only having more fun writing her, but she's taking shape far quicker than my other heroines did. This book may end up under my mattress, but writing Cairo Jones is teaching me a thing or two about interesting narrators!

Do you have any fall-back characters you've had to branch out from? How do you ensure your main character is well-rounded and likable for readers? Heck, how do you make sure YOU love your MC?

Workshops for Writers: February 2010

2010-01-22T00:00:00.003-06:00

Are you sticking to your 2010 writing resolutions? Are you looking for a way to jump start your writing? Check out a February workshop to hone your craft or gain further insight into the publishing world. As usual, if you're aware of any workshops that you don't see on this list, please feel free to list in the comments and we will add it to the list. Happy writing!

General format of the information is as follows:

Workshop Name
Workshop Facilitator
Dates of Workshop
Deadline for Registration
Link to More Information
Chapter Name/Organization Name

February Workshops

Critique Series: Query Letters
Jane Friedman, Publisher & Editorial Director, Writer's Digest
Thursday, January 28th
More Information
More Information
Sponsored By: Writer's Digest Online Events

Get Your Children's Writing Published
Alice Pope, editor of Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market
Thursday, February 11th
More Information
More Information
Sponsored By: Writer's Digest Online Events

Critique Series: Nonfiction Hooks & Book Proposals
Jane Friedman, Publisher & Editorial Director, Writer's Digest
Thursday, February 25th
More Information
More Information
Sponsored By: Writer's Digest Online Events

Writer's Digest Recorded Events
More Information

Druids: The Ancient Priesthood of the Celts
Sharon Gunn
February 1st - March 29th
More Information
Sponsored By: Celtic Hearts

MS Word for Writers
Cathy Chant
February 1st - 12th
More Information
Sponsored By: Elements of RWA

Discovering Your Author Brand
Theresa Meyers
February 8th - 26th
Deadline February 4th
More Information
Sponsored By: Elements of RWA

Muse Therapy
D.D. Scott
February 1st -13th
Deadline January 27th
More Information
Sponsored By: From the Heart Romance Writers

The Art of Rewriting
Martha Engber
February 1st - 14th
More Information
Sponsored By: Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal

Writing Action Scenes the WWE Way
Matt & Natalie Duvall
February 8th - 28th
More Information
Sponsored By: Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal

Mythic Elements
Marcy Weydemuller
February 15th - March 14th
More Information
Sponsored By: Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal

The Age of Sail
Cindy Vallar
February 1st - March 31st
Deadline January 30th
More Information
Sponsored By: Hearts Through History

Powerful Openings
Kris Kennedy
February 1st - 12th
Deadline January 30th
More Information
Sponsored By: Hearts Through History

You Stab 'Em, We Slab 'Em
John Foxjohn
More Information
More Information
Sponsored By: Kiss of Death (Mystery & Suspense)

Deep POV: Myths, Methods, and Madness
Alicia Rasley
More Information
More Information
Sponsored By: Kiss of Death (Mystery & Suspense)

Power Promotion
Robie Madison
February 1st - 5th
More Information
Sponsored By: Passionate Ink

The Art of a 3-Line Pitch
Cindy Carroll
February 15th - 20th
More Information
Sponsored By: Passionate Ink

You CAN Write a Synopsis!
Camy Tang
February 1st - 28th
More Information
Sponsored By: Black Diamond RWA

Fast Draft and Revision Hell
Candice Hern
February 15th - March 13th
More Information
Sponsored By: Orange County Chapter

Writing and Selling Your Romance Novel
Jessica Barksdale Inclan
February 1st - 26th
Deadline January 31st
More Information
Sponsored By: Yosemite Romance Writers

Passion, Heat, & Ecstasy: Writing the Erotic Romance
Carolina Valdez & Lyndi Lamont
February 1st - 26th
Deadline January 31st
More Information
Sponsored By: Yosemite Romance Writers

Behind the Scenes
Jacqui Jacoby
February 1st - 26th
Deadline January 31st
More Information
Sponsored By: Yosemite Romance Writers

The Secrets of Selling to Woman's World Magazine
Kate Willoughby
February 1st - 26th
More Information
Sponsored By: Colorado Romance Writers

Organize Your Writing Life
Adele San Miguel
February 1st - 26th
More Information
Sponsored By: Colorado Romance Writers

The Mad Science of Writing: How to create & build a brand around the invention that is your book!
Corey Blake
February 1st - 14th
Deadline January 25th
More Information
Sponsored By: Carolina Romance Writers

Developing the Perfect Pitch and the Winning Synopsis through Narrative Structure
Jennifer Talty
February 1st - 28th
More Information
Sponsored By: Heart of Carolina Romance Writers

Discover How to Grow a Story Spine
Sylvie Kurtz
February 1st - 18th
More Information
Sponsored By: Northeast Ohio RWA

Writing Evocative Fiction
Ann Schroeder
February 1st - 28th
More Information
Sponsored By: Mid-Willamette Valley

Fishing In: Hooks that Grab the Reader
Kristin Hardy
February 5th - 26th
Deadline February 2nd
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

Yummy Heroes
Jackie Ivie and Teresa Bodwell
February 5th - 26th
Deadline February 2nd
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

Goal, Motivation, Conflict and Disaster
Misa Ramirez
February 5th - 26th
Deadline February 2nd
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

Dirty Little Secrets of Character Development
Keena Kinkaid
February 5th - 26th
Deadline February 2nd
More Information
Sponsored By: Low Country RWA

Creating Characters That Walk Off The Page
Karen Sandler
February 1st - 14th
More Information
Sponsored By: Yellow Rose Romance Writers

The Plotting Wheel: Elements that Move Your Story Forward
February 1st - 26th
Becky Martinez and Sue Viders
More Information
Sponsored By: Southern Tier Authors of Romance

The Anti-Heroine Advantage

2010-01-19T14:23:00.001-06:00

The mean girl. She swiped your lunch money, made fun of your new bangs, and - for good measure - stole your boyfriend. She's also one of the most commonly used archetypes in both the YA and Romance genres. From regency ballrooms to high school cafeterias, she's dished out torture to our poor heroines for years. This girl gets around. Lately, she's even gotten her own happy ending.

This is a natural shift, especially in Romance. For decades we've swooned over the Anti-Hero, that rogue eventually redeemed by true love. It was only a matter of time before enterprising authors turned the trope on its ear. With increasing room for creativity, and changing opinions of what readers approve of, the Anti-Heroine has moved from the role of villainess to a layered character worthy of her own story. So, it begs the question: What's so fun about the Anti-Heroine anyway?

Like her male counterpart, she's rough around the edges. Instead of a blushing flower whose faults read like a bad interview response ("Sometimes, I care too much. Also, it's hard for me to not help stranded puppies or orphaned children stuck in a trees."), this girl is real character with real flaws. Often sneaky, manipulative, or just lacking a strong moral compass, she's not anyone's ideal of womanhood. Which is awesome, since many interesting real women aren't either! The Anti-Heroine is so fun to write, exactly because she calls to that more insidious side of human nature. We all have our wicked moments, enjoying the failure of an enemy or indulging in petty jealousy, so it's reassuring to read about someone with the same issues come to a good end. Besides, those perfect debutantes get old after awhile, don't they?

From a writer's point of view, Anti-Heroines are great for another reason: they come with instant conflict. A girl with a shady past or bad habits is going to burn a lot of bridges. Whether she's a courtesan or a thief, she'll have enemies out for her blood and mistakes that come back to haunt her. Both of which are exceedingly helpful when that sagging middle of a manuscript comes around. This conflict also gives us a great way to tackle the Anti-Heroine's main problem, likability. It's not a coincidence that most stories featuring heroines of dubious morality start after a crisis of some sort. Whatever it is - a newly broken scandal or an impending arrest - something has to bring our girl low. She's bottomed out and trying to get back on her feet. Poof! Unlikable mean girl turns into plucky heroine worth rooting for! A reader likes nothing so much as a heroine who's resilient in the face of utter disaster.

Another point in her favor? Anti-heroines are tailor-made for some divine heroes. Lauren Willig, author of The Pink Carnation series, is an expert at pairing flawed heroines with fitting heroes. Two of her recent books, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose and The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, feature potentially irredeemable women falling in love with very different types of men. In Crimson Rose, vain and self-centered Mary Alsworthy is still recovering from being jilted in favor of her bluestocking sister, when she gets tangled up with Lord Vaughn, a man known to readers as a too-charming rogue with his own questionable morality. Willig thus pairs her anti-heroine with the series' ultimate anti-hero, and it works! The qualities other men may have thought awful in Mary, Lord Vaughn admires and even fings useful in his own dealings. The couple works precisely because they are both flawed characters - they can come together on common ground, without any of that pesky judgment.

For those who like the old standard "opposites attract," Willig gives us Blood Lily's Penelope and Alex. First off, flirty, impetuous Penelope is married. Not a widow, not engaged, she's newly married and has traveled to India with her husband. Sure, they had to marry under a cloud of scandal and there's no love lost in this marriage, but Penelope is still Lady Fredrick Staines. Upstanding picture-of-a-perfect-hero Cpt. Alex Reid is assigned to take the new envoy and his unruly, seductive wife to Hyderabad...and promptly finds himself falling for Penelope and her wild ways, despite his strong set of morals. In this case, our anti-heroine is exactly what the hero needs - she breaks him out of his shell of nobility, while he teaches her to truly value herself as a person. Of course, Penelope and Alex have their happy ending, though I won't spoil it and tell you how that cad of a husband gets out of the way. Suffice it to say, setting up two such polar opposites is a dream come true for an author in need of a conflict-filled romp. The anti-heroine's very core is at odds with her beau's heroic nature, so it's rough going for them both.

As for the Young Adult genre, writing anti-heroines is a great option for producing YA that's outside of the box. Jennifer Echols has made a name for herself writing charming, pastel-colored romances that girls everywhere adore, but in her latest book she used an anti-heroine to add depth to her story. In Going Too Far, she kept that engaging, funny tone she's known for, but introduced a more serious set-up: the romance of an at-risk teenage girl and the young cop who makes it his mission to save her. This book has garnered fabulous reviews and is one of my own favorite YAs from last year, which I attribute to the narrator, Meg. Meg could easily be another two-dimension bad girl, with her snarky narration and adrenaline-junkie habits, but Echols steers away from that. Over the course of the book, we find that Meg is college-bound, has a good reason for her reckless actions, and is filled with the kind of brazen likability that readers adore. Because she's so out of the ordinary, so is her story. Going Too Far automatically stands out on the shelf, thanks to Meg and all of her faults.

When written well, a heroine with true flaws can be more three-dimensional than any waif or innocent miss. The following are some of my personal favorite mean girls of literature, but what do you think of the Anti-Heroine? Are you a writer who prefers your heroines on the darker side, or do you favor the Regina George ending for those bad girls? Who are you own favorite anti-heroines from books, movies, or TV? More Recommendations:

The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne Long (Romance)
Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers (YA)
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (YA)
Something Blue by Emily Giffin (Lit Fiction)

KidLit Contest!

2010-01-14T15:58:00.005-06:00

Happy Thursday, Originals! I hope you're having a drier end-of-the-week than we are in Austin - it's like drippy pea soup outside.

Over at KidLit.com, I just stumbled across a great contest for Middle Grade and Young Adult writers that needed to be shared. Mary Kole not only runs that fabulous blog and has a fabulous name, but she's also an associate agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (ie: every Kidlit writer's dream agency). It's not often we get a free pass to have our work seen by an agent at ABLA, but that's just what Mary is offering! Until January 31st she's running a contest to find the best beginnings or MG of YA manuscripts. It's as simple as putting your first 500 words (or less) into an e-mail and sending it off. The coolest part? She's giving away critiques to the winners!

More details are over at KidLit, but it's a wonderful opportunity for any YA writer! Good luck!

Turning Points Revisited

2010-01-04T00:00:00.004-06:00

Today I tried to persuade myself that I look much better with long hair and shouldn't pull it out. The turning points in my novel were not coming together and my frustration over it was acute. I had nothing for the midpoint crisis -- it became the inciting incident at some point -- which left me with a concrete inciting incident, climax, and a huge muddle of events in between.

Jenny Crusie's workshop about turning points was incredibly helpful so I revisited my own recap as well as Crusie's blog post on the subject and hit upon the issue: I was trying to place events, but not the protagonist's decisions that went along with them. My heroine would find a key journal but wouldn't make the choice to do/not do something with it (not an actual event in my WIP, just an illustration). My heroine wasn't pushing the plot.

I'm won't go back and adjust my original post but it's interesting to revisit the topic. Yes, new information should be presented and yes, it should change the course of the novel but there's a lot you can do with character at these points. After analysis of my own turning points, I opted to have my heroine charge forward with certain actions and hesitate with others. The turning points are no longer only revealing basic plot developments but rather showing my heroine's growth, and some of the finer points that make her the woman she is at the end. If you struggle with any point of your plot, this is an excellent area to analyze as it might be the source of your problem too.

Aside from the frustration of the turning points it was a huge relief to realize my mistakes on this topic. It might have created a big mess later on. This is my first work and I give myself room to experiment and commit error every once in awhile. We're allowed to do that. Learn the lesson and move on, right?

This is me moving on and happy to have progress with my work.

What have been your Aha! moments about your WIP? Is there a moment with a past work that particularly sticks out? Share your thoughts. Perhaps there's another writer who might benefit from your discovery.

As an aside, you might also check out Story Wonk as run by Lani Diane Rich, the author referred to in Crusie's blog post. The current wonkshops are closed and I apologize for failure to include notice in my workshop post after an excellent tip from Terri. I still hope some of you were able to sign up!

Workshops for Writers: January 2010

2009-12-17T12:00:00.000-06:00

If writing is any part of your New Year's goals, then you might interested in a few online workshops to kick off 2010. Write Chic will post the next month's workshops around the 15th of every month. If you know of any other workshops that you'd like to see added to this list, please email us!

General format of the information is as follows:
Chapter Name
Workshop Name
Workshop Facilitator
Dates of Workshop
Deadline for Registration
Link to More Information

January Workshops

Celtic Hearts
Edit Your Book in a Month
Eliza Knight
January 1st - 30th
More Information

Electronic and Small Press Authors' Network
Self Editing
Angela James
January 18th - unknown
More Information

Elements of RWA
Surviving Almost There
Jeanne Adams
January 11th - 29th
Deadline December 28th
More Information

From the Heart Romance Writers
Anatomy of a Hook
Natalie J Damschroder
January 10th - 16th
Deadline January 6th
More Information

Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Chapter
A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter
Susan Sipal
January 4th - February 6th
More Information

Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal
Creating Your Space Military: Using What We Have to Invent What You Need
Linnea Sinclair and Michael L. Helfstein
January 4th - 31st
More Information

Hearts Through History Romance Writers
The No Tears Way to Write Query Letters
Connie Cox
January 4th - 15th
Deadline January 2nd
More Information

Hearts Through History Romance Writers
British royal Navy 1770 - 1815
Cindy Vallar
January 4th - 29th
Deadline January 2nd
More Information

Kiss of Death (Mystery & Suspense)
The Truth about Psychic Research: What it is, Who Does It, and How to Use Psychic Research to Build Your Fictional World and Distract Your Readers with Red Herrings
Mary O'Gara
More Information
More Information

Kiss of Death (Mystery & Suspense)
Breaking Rules to Break In or Break Out
Allison Brennan
More Information
More Information

Passionate Ink
Story Sense/ Story Logic
Beth Daniels (AKA Beth Henderson or J.B. Dane)
January 4th - 31st
More Information

Black Diamond RWA
The No Tears Way to Write Query Letters
Connie Cox
January 18th - 31st
More Information

Orange County Chapter
Purpose Driven Scene
Lynn Kerstan
January 11th - February 6th
More Information

Yosemite Romance Writers
This is the Year You Write That Book!
Susan Meier
January 4th - 29th
Deadline January 3rd
More Information

Yosemite Romance Writers
Layering Your Scenes for Maximum Impact
Lori Wilde
January 4th - 29th
Deadline January 3rd
More Information

Yosemite Romance Writers
Mastering Point of View
Diane O'Connell
January 4th - 29th
Deadline January 3rd
More Information

Colorado Romance Writers
The Basics of Writing the Romance Novel
Terry Irene Blain
January 5th - 28th
More Information

Colorado Romance Writers
Muse Therapy
D.D. Scott
January 5th - 28th
More Information

Charter Oaks Romance Writers Inc.
The Tiny Art of Elevator Pitches: How to Craft Them and How to Use Them
Carry Lofty
More Information

Carolina Romance Writers
Writing Between the Sexes; or "Why Can't A Woman Be More Like a Man?"
Leigh Michaels
January 4th - 31st
Deadline December 25th
More Information

Heart of Carolina Romance Writers
Turn Your Dreams into Reality
Tawny Weber and Beth Andrews
January 1st - 31st
More Information

Northeast Ohio RWA
New Year, New You
Laurie Schnebly Campbell
January 4th - 15th
Deadline January 3rd
More Information

Mid-Williamette Valley RWA
Personal Brand Express: An Action Plan for Authors
Jenn Stark
January 4th - 31st
More Information

Low Country RWA
The 2nd Annual New Year's Resolutions and Revisions: Hands-On Revising and Polishing Workshop
Lyn Cote
January 5th - 29th
Deadline January 2nd
More Information

Low Country RWA
Lessons of Firefly: Learning From the Works of Joss Whedon
Jacqui Jacoby
January 5th - 29th
Deadline January 2nd
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Low Country RWA
Social Networking for Published and Unpublished Authors
Beth Barany
January 5th - 29th
Deadline January 2nd
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Low Country RWA
Creating a Web Presence for the Techno-Challenged
Anne Marie Novark
January 8th - 22nd
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Yellow Rose Romance Writers
Screenwriting Tricks for Authors
Alexandra Sokoloff
January 1st - 18th
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Yellow Rose Romance Writers
Voice: Get Your Fingerprints All Over Your Story
Eileen Wilks
January 18th - February 1st
Deadline January 5th
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Declaring War

2009-12-14T00:00:00.008-06:00

We're talking my favorite topic this fine December Monday. Namely, process. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this topic. So bear with me.

I signed up for NaNoWriMo at the beginning of November then promptly went into a month long writing hiatus. There's no particular reason for the hiatus. I had work, sure, and I did enjoy my evenings of complete laziness but there was nothing that would have prevented me from writing. Said hiatus included much of a blogging hiatus as well. No posting on here and not a lot of keeping up with other blogs.

Then I finally opened my Google Reader and delved into all of my favorite blogs and got that itch again. But my confession is this: I declared Wednesday as my get back in the writing saddle day and haven't written a word since. I came clean to Mary a few days ago and went on a rant about my laziness, frustration, and more. We came to the same conclusion about my writing that we always do.

My plot isn't complete and I don't have a process that works for me.

I talk about process. I talk about plot. I make little efforts in both areas. But I haven't given any process enough chance to become a habit and my plot is never detailed enough for me to feel confident about the direction of my story. Which I know. I'm I'm honest with myself, I know this is the issue every time I get stuck. I just haven't taken the necessary steps to address the issue.

So here I am, at least three years into the writing effort - or is it four now? - and I still don't have a complete novel. But instead of beating myself up about it, I'm choosing to view these past three years as three years of building myself as a writer and experimenting. I know this novel might not turn into anything (tho I hope it will) but it will have turned me into a more developed writer. The frustration of Friday turned into my process and plot revelation and I started an aggressive tackling of the issues. These feel like my last hurdles in completing my first WIP and I am determined to see it through.

There will be no more laziness or failure talk from me from this point on. Just because it takes me longer to finish a novel doesn't make me less of a writer. Just because I have writing issues doesn't mean I'm a failure. I have the determination and the tools to see me through all of this. And seriously, I'm 24. It's difficult enough finding who I am as a person, let alone as a writer so I need to stop beating myself up. I'm going to declare war on plot and process instead and we'll delve into my first battle later this week.

What are your writing foes? The internal editor? Voice? How do you tackle your writing issues?

[image courtesty of Ginger and Shayla]

Writing by Hand

2009-11-16T00:00:00.003-06:00

Oh the miracles of scheduled posting... As you read this I'll be in NYC on a work trip. The nice thing about traveling to NYC (besides the sights, the food, and the experience) is the longish flight. Sure, I'm bringing a book, but I'll have several hours of writing time on the way there and back. Hell, I'm not even bringing my laptop so I'll have plenty of uninterrupted (hand)writing time at night too.

If you're participating in Nano you probably saw the recent pep talk by Lynda Barry in which she discussed writing by hand. What's even neater is she wrote her pep talk by hand. The handwriter in me did a little jig when I saw this come through because I'm a big fan of the writing by hand. I know, I know, it's not the popular thing do and the words get on the page at a much slower rate than if fingers were flying across the keys. Hear me out on why I like it and why you should try it.

One of the best things about putting words on a physical page is your ability to see the process behind those words. You see the words you crossed out, you see where you went back and added a thought or a sentence, and you see where you might have moved entire chunks of text. It's not that we don't ever know these things when we're typing but we forget over time because there's not always a history of it. And sure, history isn't always the most important but when you're stuck or when you're trying to figure out where you were going with something it doesn't hurt to look at the past.

I don't think everyone should switch to handwriting. I reiterate that this process is sloooooow. I'm just saying that it's not a bad thing to try it out. You might unleash a creative side of you that was waiting to get our. You might even get distracted and start doodling in the margins which could turn into full blow storyboarding. If you're visual, there is also something that can be inspiring about seeing your written words. They'll get put in Word at some point but they take on a bit of personality with your own loops. A paragraph or two by hand might even give you just that little bit of time you needed to mull over a set of dialogue or an interaction.

NaNoWriMo & GH: Officially Behind.

2009-11-09T00:00:00.001-06:00

That's right, readers. I'm over 13,000 words behind on NaNoWriMo and the odds aren't looking good for my GH entry either. If you're calculating, that basically means I didn't write for the entire 1st week of NaNoWriMo. To say I'm behind in both areas actually feels like the understatement of the year. So in the spirit of getting back on board, making me move my lazy a...er, bum, and trying not to hyperventilate about the idea of failing at NaNoWriMo for the third (or is it fourth?) year I've devised a plan. Feel free to steal any of my ideas.

1. Use 20 min. self word wars to boost my word count.

20 minutes is long enough for me to get a few hundred words but short enough that my attention doesn't fade. Plus there's the word "war" in this plan. "War" brings out my competitive side and makes me feel less conscious about writing crap knowing that I'm somehow beating someone else. Which, in this case, is me, but you see what I mean.

2. Nix the TV watching.

Do any other writers out there find that TV is a time vampire? It seems to suck away all free time of mine if it happens to get turned on. I'll make an exception for Glee and Gossip Girl but that's it.

3. Track my word count. Inflict punishment* when goals are not met.

*Not of the physical variety, people. I find I respond well to nasty reminders of my progress ("You are 13,000 words behind. Shame on you!" or "Why the hell aren't you writing?!") posted in a visible spot in my apartment like the front door. Some people don't respond to negative feedback but I certainly do.

4. Track my word count. Reward myself when goals are met.

For all the nasty reminders I also like positive reinforcement. This will come in the form of something which I haven't quite figured out. How do you reward yourself?

5. Take advantage of random writing opportunities.

While scheduled times and a daily ritual work well for making word count goals I know I'll need more. There seem to be a lot of opportunities during the day that I could eek out a few more words. Those might include the breakfast time, at lunch, and at the end of the workday when I'm waiting for things to shut down.

6. Plan the hell out of my days.

There's no time for dilly-dallying in November. Workouts, meals writing, and every little task in between will have a set time. Mary has mentioned her (weird) love of mathematics and writing. I have a love of lists and scheduling and an odd obsession with following said lists. If I plan to brush my teeth at 7:41a I will be brushing my teeth 7:41a. If I schedule 20 minutes of writing starting at 10:42p I will be writing at 10:42p.

7. Don't give up.

I think this is pretty self-explanatory.

When faced with hefty writing challenges like NaNoWriMo, the Golden Heart, or another deadline, do you devise a specific plan for yourself?

The Right Image

2009-10-26T10:16:00.013-05:00

I have a rather unorthodox approach to pre-writing. This probably doesn't come as a shock. After that foray into writing with math, we all know I'm capable of great insanity when faced with a blank page. It's even worse when faced with a blank story. So, I employ an eclectic mix of brainstorming tactics - creating the perfect soundtrack, casting the movie of my book, and most recently: digital collaging.

Like most good ideas, this new tactic came from Jenny Crusie. For years, I've wondered and gawked over the elaborate collages that she makes for each book (<---like the one at left, her collage for Don't Look Down). These are confections of brainstorming - lush, colorful, and filled with the kind of whimsy that comes from unleashing the right brain. Crusie's collages are of the real-life variety: she cuts and glues and assembles all the pieces. So, how did I end up with my digital version? Well, the idea of collaging sounded great - tracking down images that inspired, putting a face to my characters, having a visual representation of the story - but here's the thing: I hate glue.

Back in fourth grade, there was a popular pastime at Spicewood Elementary called put glue all over your hands, let it dry, then peel it off. It was the grossest thing imaginable to my nine year-old self. Purposefully putting something sticky (and smelly) on your hands? Then peeling it off like a snake? Ugh. Call it childhood trauma, but to this day I'm not a fan of the white gloppy stuff, so regular collaging was out. Okay, plus: I was lazy and didn't have any magazines ready and willing for my scissors. What I did have were some Photoshop skillz and the great wide Internet.

I spent a few hours hitting my favorite art-centric websites, saving every image that seemed right - from fairy tale themed photo-shoots to paintings of English manors. A folder of odds and ends and characters was amassed, before I finally arranged my favorites in Photoshop. The result was a one-of-kind visual representation of my story. With just a collage, I could convey the setting, the main characters, and even the tone of my novel. Even better, a digital collage is an ever-present reminder of my story. I set it as the background of my computer and there, even without opening a Word document, was a subtle reminder of my WIP. I'd find myself wanting to write every time I looked at it. Plus, there was no glue!

I'm now a hooked collager, albeit of the nontraditional kind. A few weeks ago, I finished one for my current WIP, a ballet-centric story set in New York, and there are big plans in the works for my NaNo novel, as well.

Do you use visuals in your writing process? I've heard of writers making book covers, casting their books as movies, and using novel-focused bulletin boards - are these some of your favorite crafty strategies? If you're interested in digital collaging, I've compiled some tips, tricks, and resource sites that can help you get started!

Tips:

You don't have to be a Photoshop whiz. In fact, you don't even have to own any photo editing software. A lot of free online image hosts (like my fav, Photobucket!) have now incorporated "scrapbooking" tools into their site. You can upload the images you want to use, then they'll help you put them all together. Another site specifically for scrapbooking & collaging is Photomix, which offers free easy-to-use software for the beginning collager.
Pick a theme. We were taught in that same paste-encouraging grade school that collages are a bunch of pictures jumbled together. They can be, if you like, but you'll enjoy looking at it more and your brain will find the inspiration more quickly if there's something tying the images together. A color scheme, a layout, or even a concept like Jenny Crusie's jungle can all work to keep everything organized.
Visit art sites. There are tons of communities online for artists and photographers to show off their work - which means there are a ton of places to gather inspiration. Sites like DeviantArt and Flickr are my favorite resources, providing an endless source of beautiful images and design. Check the artist's personal preferences, but 90% of the time, they're okay with their work being downloaded and used for personal projects.
Keep an inspiration folder. For each of my novels, I have a folder on my computer where I dump images that catch my eye. Even if I never use the images in a collage (which would be impossible, as there are hundreds for each book), it's a great place to go on my comp. when the words need a little more coaxing.
Add to your blog roll. We all read great writing blogs everyday, but for pure inspiration nothing beats a good design, fashion, or other topical blog. I save bits and pieces all the time from blogs like The Pioneer Woman, Apartment Therapy, and Posie Gets Cozy.

Cake or Death for Writers

2009-10-21T12:16:00.004-05:00

With NaNoWriMo and the Golden Heart deadline coming up next month, there's been one topic on my mind: word counts. Or, rather, the best strategies for hitting my goal word count. Here's the deal, friends, I've done something slightly moronic. I entered not one, not two, but three manuscripts in the Golden Heart. It should be noted that I do not, at this time, have three physical manuscripts.

I have one that's all polished and shiny, but the other two are in disrepair. Let's put it this way: If they were houses, Ty Pennington would have already shown up at my door with a wrecking ball and a team of sympathetic designers. Sadly, there is no Extreme Makeover for manuscripts, so I've got a month and half to get these books in shape, with only my own rudimentary tools. The grand total adds up to 80,000 new or totally revamped pages. Yikes! This all begs the question: Are there any secrets in hitting our goal word counts?

Turns out that yes, yes there are. We writers do love our strategies, after all, be they for crafting believable characters, forming a seamless plot, or just getting the pages down.

Fast Drafting: The scariest thing a writer can face is a blank word document. So, for those just starting out on a draft, Fast Drafting can be a godsend. It's a two-week blitzfest of writing - writing your first draft as fast as you possibly can, not thinking about how awful it is or all the little parts that you're leaving out. For outliners, especially, this can be a great method, because you don't have stop and think about what comes next - it's there on your outline! If you're more of the slow and steady writer, like I am, this sounds absolutely terrifying, but a lot of writers swear by it.

Daily Goals: For many writers, it helps to have a daily goal they must meet. They can write the number down on a calendar, their foreheads, wherever, but they must get __x__ number of words each day. It can be a little amount - just look at the 100 words a day group - but the theory is that any word count gets you further toward your goal and gets you into the habit of writing every day. If all you need is a routine, rather than a kick in the pants, this is a good - and rather obvious - way to do it. It's amazing what can happen in little increments of writing each day, if you have a goal in mind.

Butt-In-Chair: Like I said, some people (read: Mary Beverly Danielson) need a little more motivation to hit that word count. Enter the Butt-In-Chair-Hands-On-Keyboard method of writing. You have your daily goal word count, you have a few hours to burn, and you sit down. You cannot do anything else until you've hit that word count. It sounds a little extreme, which is why the few hours of extra time are needed. I find this method charmingly intertwined with the lesser known No-Cookie-Until-This-Chapter-Is-Written strategy. When I'm forced to write in order to do something else (as in: I can't go to dinner with that cute guy tonight, until I have 2000 new words!), I can move past any writer's block standing in my way. If you're the kind who needs to barrel through, like I do, it might also help to keep a pen and notebook handy. When starting at the blank screen gets monotonous, putting pen to paper can jump start creativity. Or, at least, turn off that internal editor so you can make your dinner date.

Write-or-Die: If even the BIC method isn't kicking that case of writer's block, the evil geniuses at Dr. Wicked have the website for you: Write or Die. You enter your word count goal and time goal, then select the level of punishment you want the program to give you if those words stop coming. The modes and consequences are:

Gentle Mode: A certain amount of time after you stop writing, a box will pop up, gently reminding you to continue writing.
Normal Mode: If you persistently avoid writing, you will be played a most unpleasant sound. The sound will stop if and only if you continue to write.
Kamikaze Mode: Keep Writing or Your Work Will Unwrite Itself
Electric Shock Mode: Something truly evil will happen to you. No, I don't know what it is, but it will be BAD.

It sounds a bit out there, but trust me when that sound starts, your hands start flying.

And the absolute best way to keep your word count going? Keep your blog posts short and sweet, saving the good stuff for your WIPs...however many you might have.

So, what are your favorite tricks to get the words flowing? Did I list your favorite method, or is there another secret to your success?

Hello! My name is Stephanie and I am a writer.

2009-10-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Do you introduce yourself as a writer? When people ask what I do my first reaction is to tell them I work in the insurance biz and it's only later (and if it happens to come up) I tell them I'm a writer. Maybe I don't proclaim myself as one upon introduction because it's not driving my income or maybe it's because most people want to know your day job and writing is not that for me. Either way, I should really start proclaiming I'm a writer more often.

In the past several months I've met a lot of new people and inevitably the fact that I write comes up. In one instance it was one of my best friends telling her boyfriend about my writing. Not only did he think it was neat but when he introduced me to his friend he brought up the fact that I'm a writer. I was so happy that someone thought of me as Stephanie the Writer. Just the other night I was in the car with a few friends and mentioned the RWA conference. They thought it was really neat. Oh, and did I mention these were boys who (finally) didn't have the reaction of making some joke about trashy romance? They seemed genuinely impressed. Cue writer warm fuzzies! The list of positive reactions goes on.

Those positive reactions really fuel me to drive for my goals. Stephanie the Writer is really nice but it would be much better if I could say I'm Stephanie the Published Author. Oh yeah. I like the sound of that. As writers, shouldn't we position ourselves to be the most inspired and excited about our writing as possible? In the past those warm fuzzies I mentioned and a feeling that I could do anything were always inspired by positive critique feedback, contest placing, writing conferences, and writer get-togethers. Those come from within the community and while they're fantastic when they happen, I like a change of pace and feeling revved up from a non-writing acquaintance who shows interest in what I do. I cant wait until the moment I can tell that person my future pub date.

Spill friends. Is writing your day job? Have you always introduced yourself as a writer or do you remember the point you started doing so?

Those Friendly Competitions

2009-10-14T13:49:00.006-05:00

We are a society that thrives on competition. It's in every aspect of our lives - our educational system, our work environments, even our entertainment industry. After all, we are the inventors of the modern reality show. What other society would have thought it'd be good T.V. to strand 20 people on an island and watch them form alliances, while fighting over who could build the best driftwood hut? We're competition addicts.

Even in the creative arts, one of the more subjective areas of society, we create chances to unleash our competitive natures. There's American Idol for singers, So You Think You Can Dance for dancers, and even an MTV-hosted contest for the next Elle Woods on Broadway. Sadly, we poor writers are left out - at least, when it comes to television. It's understandable, since watching a person hunch over a laptop for five hours isn't my idea of intriguing Wednesday night programming either. But for those writers with competition running through our veins, how can we unleash it? You know, without getting into throw-downs at our local RWA meetings over whose Alpha is the most Alpha.

Personally, I live for contests. Always have. The only thing that can truly have me working at my full potential is the chance to pit my best against someone else's. It's fairly archaic, but I've always been that way - blame it on my Viking foremothers. Luckily, this is a season for writing contests. They're bursting out of the digital woodwork this Fall. So, if you're like me and prefer a nice side of war with your writing, here are some sites to check out:

Nathan Bransford's 3rd Sort-of-Annual Stupendously Ultimate First Paragraph Challenge: Running till this Thursday at 4pm PST, the popular agent is once more holding one of his invaluable contests. The challenge? Pit your first paragraph against those of over a thousand other of his blog readers. Right now, the entries number just over 1900, so whomever wins this challenge will certainly have bragging rights. Plus, the grand prize is a partial critique from Bransford, himself. Definitely worth a few minutes spent spiffing up your hooks and paragraphs!
Slate Magazine's Significant Objects Short Story Contest: The challenge here is to see if a writer can imbue a worthless object with a sense of meaning and value. So, teamed up with Significant Objects, Slate has chosen an object (this lovely - erm - barbecue sauce holder?) and is tasking its readers to write a 500 word short story featuring it. The winning story will then be placed on Ebay with the object and the writer will receive all the procedes from that sale. The deadline is October 16th at 5pm EST.
Romance Writer's of America's Golden Heart Awards: For the unpublished writers of Romance (or books with strong romantic elements), the Golden Hearts are the Oscars of writing awards. Finalists are selected by industry peers and RWA members based on a 55 page partial and synopsis, then a winner is chosen by a board of acquiring editors from romance publishing houses. The only thing that could make it more glamorous is if the awards were then presented in a lavish gala-style ceremony featuring famous authors in sparkly dresses. Oh wait, that is what happens, isn't it? The deadline for entering is November 16th at 5pm CST and all entry materials must be received by December 2nd at 5pm CST. Incidentally, if you are entering the Golden Heart this year, check out the blog put together by last year's finalists: The Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood. This is their debut month and not only are they giving out fun prizes, but they're dispensing invaluable GH advice while they're at it.
Harper Collins Publisher's Inkpop: Now in private beta testing, Harper Collins is about to launch the Young Adult genre's answer to their popular adult writing community, Authonomy. Inkpop writers will be able to register, then upload their work for other members to read. The community will vote for their favorite stories and each month an editorial team from HarperTeen will review the top entries. There's already been at least one book acquired from the adult version of this site, so it will be interesting to see where this goes for the YAers. Speaking from my own experience with the 2006 Harper Teen Fanlit competition, there is nothing more fun for an apiring writer than being able to interact with her prospective audience...especially when writing for teens. I have a feeling this will be a very enthusiastic web community for readers and writers alike.

So, where do you fall on the competition spectrum? Do enter contests like they're going out of style or do you prefer to keep your work private until you're ready to seek publication? Are there any other contests coming up this Fall that you're interested in?

I Got Nothing...

2009-10-14T03:15:00.004-05:00

Wednesday and no new blog. Can I have a free pass when I tell you I’m off to an exam in a little less than three hours and I haven’t had a wink of sleep? Do I get a pass when I tell you I took another exam this past Sunday? How about when I tell you I had horrible chills, was nauseated, and slept for 24 hours straight starting Friday and ending Saturday? How about when I tell you I’ve been attending classes AND writing my GH entry???(Won't mention my paper due next Friday-this does not count as a mention cause it's in parenthesis. You can say anything in parenthesis and it's as silent as the letter G in Government*I got more jokes if you'd like*) No? Well, damn. Apparently I can’t appease you people.*g*

I really have nothing to blog about today unless you want to hear about demagogues and the House Minority Whip.(BTW, it is currently Republican Eric Cantor).

So instead I’m going to do something that might make Steph and Mer mad at me. But it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission so here is a link to their respective AMAZINGLY wonderful first paragraph entries in Nathan Bransford’s prestigious First Paragraph Challenge. You will have to search but they are there(within about 3 or 4 pages of each other in the Newer sections)! Only reason I don’t post them here is out of fear that they’ll spam me with Brittany Spears dirtiness. Again.

If you enter/ entered then post it here. This is Uber cool as Bruno would assert.(Am I the only one with a dirty little crush on Sacha Baron Cohen? But I‘m faithful. Would never cheat on Tahmoh Penikett. Lately. Unless I'm asked nicely. Or if he's really, really cute.)

I’m Every Woman

2009-10-09T06:13:00.006-05:00

Bad song and yet really popular. Okay, now any connection this blog has with that song ends here.

Or...here.

Definitely here...

I think for Mer, Steph, and I it always comes back to Julia Quinn. Anytime we get to talking about great writing we almost compulsively slip into a dialogue about her books. Few authors are perfect from their very first book to their most recent but she, well, is. She keeps pumping them out one after the other. And every time I read something she’s written outside of her books(on the EJ/JQ BB or in an article) I take note of it as well.

So when one day I read a comment on the JQ/EJ BB(I think it was an older comment but it was no less interesting) it immediately caught and held my attention. JQ commented on the fact that before writing Romancing Mr. Bridgerton everyone was talking about Colin and begging for his story but after they finally got it everyone was talking about Penelope. JQ said(none of this is anywhere near an exact quote) that of course people still loved Colin(I do and you know you do!!*g*) but that Penelope seemed to have really, deeply resonated with many readers(me included!!). She said she thought everyone had a little Penelope in them(Oh, I hope so!*g*).

It takes a really great author to do that. To create a character that others feel such a deep connection to. But I always get the impression that JQ does whatever she wants with ease(research, plotting, dialogue, characterization,etc). But I sat back after reading that one comment and REALLY thought it out-for a few days, in fact.

I think typically the characters that I most take note of in books are the heroes. I don’t know why but it’s easy for any heroine to be overshadowed in deference to the hero(at least for me). Perfectly fantastic heroines have been sloughed off in favor of a deeper look into the hero. Probably why the word ‘tortured’ immediately evokes the image of a male in my mind. Brooding? Male. Tall? Male. Dark? Male. Handsome? Decidedly male, though there are many handsome women out there. And there are many women that meet all of the former descriptions.

So what was it about this small girl? This Penelope Featherington(love that last name, btw) who didn’t even know herself as well as she’d thought? What about her? We are introduced to Penelope several books before her own. She’s in the periphery but I always enjoyed her tiny parts. She was forced into dresses gaudily colored(the exact opposite of the colors right for her complexion). Her dresses also tended to be the exact opposite of the proper fit for her body type. If she was witty I didn’t hear about it or at least saw very little of it. I remember her talk with Kate in The Viscount Who Loved Me, when she talked about having lost some weight. How many of us know all about that? And a girl that has ever been fat(I actually don’t think Penelope was ever fat-just ill at ease with herself) or plump usually never believes she’s lost the weight or feels fully comfortable with it-yet another layer to Penelope. But at that point she still wasn’t the awesome character she became- at least not completely or noticeably. And the cool thing about JQ is that Penelope truly wasn’t at the point she was at in RMB yet. She wasn’t truly ready for Colin and he most definitely wasn’t ready for her. They had to grow into people that could adequately fill each other’s needs not to mention their own needs-I don’t think Penelope could’ve given Colin what for yet(LOVED her telling him off.lol) when he complained about his life which she aptly let him know was perfect. She let him know he should stop whining, too. lol.

In An Offer From A Gentleman we see a brief glimpse of the fact that Penelope has this deep, unrequited love for Colin-we also see a glimpse of her coming into her own if only for that one moment- how she handles a particularly embarrassing scene is one small step toward who she‘d later become. I wanted to read a story with the two of them at this point but she still wasn’t my focus. It was Colin(BTW, I read these books late so I read the Bridgerton books in quick succession-I actually read IIHK first and then read the rest in order. I don’t think I could’ve waited years to get all of their stories*g*).

And then in Colin’s own story Penelope hijacks it. Oh, it’s not a grand and showy thing. But she seeps inside of a person. And I did feel commonalities with her. She was witty but in private. I always felt in high school that I would be well liked if I ever got up the courage to be easy with myself around large groups. I had popular friends but never was popular because I only shared myself with a small group that I trusted. I was not the girl to unite a group(not the case anymore I‘m proud to say). But I have always been a natural leader- though in high school this applied, for me, more to school work, projects, scenes in a play(acting is a head trip. LOVED it). So I was willing to entertain in a role but never as myself. Hm. Penelope was willing to entertain to that small group of her friends but not as “herself“ with the masses…)

Oh snap! And there is Penelope. Lady Whistledown is beloved by the ton and everyone assumed she was one of their marvelously witty ‘popular’ girls. Of course it’s not that Penelope. The Wallflower everyone tries so hard to ignore. The girl in the bad colors. The girl whose figure is not svelte by any reach of the imagination. Is she beautiful? They wouldn’t know. They never saw her-or at least tried to keep it that way.

And there’s the hook. It’s my theory and from JQ’s own lips. Penelope is in all of us in one way or another.

Have you read Romancing Mr. Bridgerton? Do you have any commonalities, however small, with Mrs. Bridgerton?(I don’t know why-maybe the fact that it took many books for it to happen, maybe the fact that she wanted it SO badly- but I love referring to Penelope as Mrs. Bridgerton. Gives me a little thrill.*g*) Or would you like to explain how you are the polar opposite of Mrs. B?

PS: Gushing about the awesomeness that is JQ is also allowed. I want to write blogs about all of her heroines one day. LOVE them!!

The Debates Continue

2009-10-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Nathan Bransford opens a discussion about parental discretion versus censorship.

Wall Street Journal OpEd about censorship.

Banned Books and the Young Adult Genre

2009-09-29T16:15:00.008-05:00

In light of Banned Books Week, I've been making the rounds of Blogland, checking out banned book lists and arguments on both sides of this issue. It's the lists that are getting to me, friends. From my own very casual surveillance of these lists, it appears that the vast majority of the books fall into two genres: classic literature and Young Adult fiction. While I am astounded that anyone can think to ban The Catcher in the Rye (according to the American Library Association, one of 2005's most challenged books on the basis of offensive language and sexual content), the banning of classics seems to be generally met with an eye roll from the populous and a pat on the head of the challengers. Young Adult literature isn't given the same treatment or respect. In 2007, Maureen Johnson's The Bermudez Triangle was banned from a highschool in Barlettsville, Oklahoma without a single member of the committee bothering to actually read the novel. The grounds for the ban? Homosexual content and content unsuitable for children.

If you haven't read The Bermudez Triangle, it's the story of three high school best friends - two of whom happen to fall in love and both be girls. There is no sex in the book, just a few shared kisses. As Johnson herself says, this book is less about the gender of the two people and more about "what happens to friendship when you start dating." This is not a book that was being taught in class; it was simply sitting on the library shelves alongside thousands of other books. For the sake of not getting into politics on this blog, I'm not going to touch the homosexuality issue (except to shake my head vigorously at the thought that any book with homosexual characters portrayed in a normal and positive light can be considered offensive), but instead how a book that is mild in comparison with most adult fiction can be banned without the consideration of a read through. Young Adult fiction is the only genre written specifically with teens in mind. Sure, most teens read adult fiction from across genres - from romance to science fiction to Oprah's Book Club picks - but only YA is written with them in mind, their hopes and dreams and issues they related to. This is why it's easier to ban YA books - from their audience alone, they are marginalized by most adults. It's the same attitude that has people looking askance when you recommend a YA book and tell them that yes, they will have to venture into the teen section. What this ban did was tell any student at Mid-High who was dealing with similar issues as the characters in The Bermudez Triangle that they were offensive, that their feelings should be separated and banned, as well. And this is the part of this issue I'm going to focus on, because after trying to write this blog a million different ways, I've realized it's a topic I could easily write a 500 page book on, with a chapter for every different angle on this issue.

Young Adult fiction is a genre that is wide in its focus and level of maturity. Next to the adorable pink romances are the books dealing with harder issues, like teen drinking or sexuality. There's a simple reason for this - the spectrum of teens is just as wide. Browsing in the same section are girls who are nervous about their first kiss and girls who are debating going all the way with their boyfriends. Other than age, these girls don't have much in common. The things they talk about with their friends, their levels of sexual maturity, the environments in which they were raised, their core values: all different. Ergo, what they are going to read is very different. Teenagers are remarkably self-regulating. They know what their values are and what they're interested in, just like adults, so their choice of reading material is going to reflect that. People who would ban books are not only discounting the intelligence of teenagers, but also discounting their ability to know themselves.

Chances are, the girl who's worried about her first kiss isn't going to be interested in John Green's Looking For Alaska (currently on the list of potentially banned books in Lake County, Florida). Whereas, for the other girl, that is exactly the book she needs to read - a novel that is, at its heart, an argument against emotionless sexual activity and for the non-physical intimacy that comes with a true emotional connection. However, because of one scene in Alaska (a brief sexual encounter between two teens that is highly awkward and provides the argument for platonic emotional connection over emotionless sexuality), this girl would be banned from checking this book out from a PUBLIC library. She would be banned by people who do not know her or the issues she's facing. It is one thing to know your own child and help them mold the choices of what they're ready to read (though, once again, I argue in favor of the intelligent, self-regulating teenager), but to presume to know the needs of every person under the age of 18? That's not only wrong, but naïve. In a perfect world, maybe teens wouldn't need books with characters who abuse drugs or are prematurely sexually active, but that isn't this world. There are teens who abuse drugs. There are teens who are pressured into sex at too early of an age. There have to be books for these teens too, showing them characters they can relate to handling these problems, living with the consequences, and learning from their experiences. Not only is it a violation of free speech to take away these books, but it's telling teenagers that the problems they're experiencing aren't relevant.

There is always going to be a disconnect between parents and their teenagers, no matter how close the relationship. The nature of the parent-child relationship is such that a mother or father will always think of that teenager as the child they once were, whereas the teen will always think of themselves as the adult they will become. Because of this disconnect, it's a fact of life that parents will not be privy to every thought and problem that their child is facing. This is where books come in. This is where books can help guide that girl who's feeling the pressure from her boyfriend, or similarly let her next door neighbor know that yes, a first kiss is a big deal. Teens are different. Teens are intelligent. As a Young Adult author, I have to remember this while writing and as a Young Adult reader, I see this reflected all the time in the books on the shelves. It seems naïve to hope for an end to book banning any time soon, but I do hope that banning Young Adult books will be received with the same consideration as attempted bans on the classics. This is a remarkable time to be a teenager, with the choices on shelves finally reflecting the varied experiences of that age, and to hinder their access to these books also hinders our chances of reaching them and helping them navigate adolescence.

Taking a look at these lists, are there any YA favorites of yours in their ranks? Are there any books that helped you at one point or another? For those with children and teenagers, how do you handle the reading habits of your kids?

BBW09 Continues

2009-09-28T20:22:00.004-05:00

Books up for debate in Lake County. This is mind boggling. My jaw dropped.

Keira talks Banned Books Week!

A map of banned book cases. Pretty interesting.

Banned Books Week

2009-09-28T00:00:00.006-05:00

Saturday marked the start of Banned Books Week (BBW) which is held during the last week of September each year. If you'd like to read more about this event, you can find details on the American Library Association website. In short, BBW is one in which we celebrate our freedom to read, access information, and express ideas. We also protest the censorship and banning of books as it is a direct attack on our First Amendment rights.

This week at Write Chic we're celebrating BBW by bringing a few posts your way that put our own spin on the topic of censorship and how it relates to us as writers and readers. Mary will bring a fresh perspective on the topic as it relates to Young Adult books, Kelly has a discussion about romance in the works and I'll chime in as well.

I thought I'd start the week off with a link to this post by Jamie LaRue, librarian extraordinaire. I sincerely wish I possessed his eloquence on this topic. Beyond my support of the actual subject matter of the book, LaRue brought up a lot of thoughtful points about what is made available to library patrons and why. When he states, "...our whole system of government was based on the idea that the purpose of the state was to preserve individual liberties, not to dictate them..." I think he hits the Freedom of Speech nail on the head. My patriotic self may have teared up a bit...

I ask these questions of you:
1) What is your favorite banned book?
2) Have you actively participated in Banned Book Week before?
3) Are you posting about Banned Books Week? Send us an email/Twitter DM/comment and we'll post links to your blog this week!

The Age of Girl Power

2009-09-23T11:34:00.012-05:00

Over the weekend, I indulged in that time-honored Autumn activity – shopping for Halloween costumes. This is an event I anticipate each year, reveling in the possibilities of the season. Should I be a ghost? A witch? Grace Kelly in all her To Catch a Thief glory? I love this decision. What I don't love, it turns out, are official Halloween stores. Every year I tag along with friends, hoping this season will be different, hoping the Costume Gods will have spoken – banning polyester and any costume involving "shoe covers" from these festivities. Of course, they haven't. Not only is a girl expected pay $80 for a costume that will melt if she stands too near an open flame, but my number one complaint about Halloween stores has yet to be addressed. Namely: women's costumes.

If one believes these costume manufacturers, the XX-chromosomed half of the population has one goal when choosing a costume: attracting men. Girls don't just want to have fun, we do not want to indulge our own fantasies, and heaven forbid we look scary…unless being a ghost involves baring your midriff. A quick sample of mega-chain Party City's offerings is proof that anything can be made sexy with the right attitude (and non-existent pants): Eskimos! Disney Princesses! Elvis! So, you don't want to have skeevy men patting your butt and making Peanut-Butter-and-"Banana" Sandwich jokes all evening? Huh. Well then, you crazy spinster, there's one option: be a wicked queen. Which is only right, of course – women who want to dress for themselves are evil man-haters, after all. One would think it would get better if you move into the juniors section. After all, encouraging teenage girls to dress up as Racy Robin Hoods is a little crass even for these places, right? Which is why the teen section at our local store was called "Wicked Innocence" and featured such childhood favorites as Raggedy Anne – who apparently has been wearing the same dress all these years, poor thing.

Now, I have absolutely no problem with women dressing provocatively on Halloween, or any day they want for that matter. But when did that become our only option? Last time I checked, men weren't required to dress up in tuxedos just because we think they look hotter in them. Yet society has decided that a single woman's only goal in life is to attract a man. Personally, I could name a hundred other goals more important to me than seducing a guy. I don't hate men and I am definitely a sucker for romance, but I also don't believe the right guy is going to fall for me just because my gangster costume forgot to include pants. If he does, chances are he's not that great of a catch.

Fortunately, this is an age where women have a choice- in our rights, goals, and politics…if not always our Halloween costumes. Even more, this is an age that encourages girls to go after what they want with abandon. Literature especially has become a place of empowerment for young female readers. Sure there are the girls giving up their lives for sparkly boyfriends, but they are far outnumbered by books about girls wanting and having it all. Shelves brim with stories about girls kicking serious tail in sports, girls snagging sought-after scholarships, and – yes – girls also snagging those guys who believed they could do it all along. Even outside the YA market, women are being empowered by their books. This is one of the reasons Romance is the most successful genre in publishing. Not only does it provide satisfying emotional catharsis, but it also features strong women pursuing lofty goals – apart from their heroes. Gone are the days of damsels in distress and woefully naïve waifs, instead it's a genre populated by women chefs, hard working mothers, suffragettes, and –naturally – alpha girl vampires.

If I were of a sociological bent, I'd do a study on the self-esteem of girls who read and those who don't. Judging by my younger sister, a seventh grade man-eater, and her friends this is a theory that would stand up to testing. The Littlest Danielson, though only 12, is already reading romance novels, after zipping through the entire YA section in a matter of two years. When my sister's friends start bemoaning their ill-fated crushes on Tobias Cummerbund or delve into whether or not they should kiss their malodorous date at the dance, Laine is the voice of reason, handing out advice and wisdom that would make Dear Abby proud…all of which was instilled in her through reading. I'm not saying that reading girls will always do the strong thing, whatever that may be, but they may have a better chance. After all, they've lived more than just their own lives – reading about the problems, pitfalls, and joys of being a thousand different women in a thousand different books. They say it's best to learn from other's mistakes, but I say it's even better to learn from those in books.

Personally, I have a list of books that I'd gladly buy in bulk, stand on a street corner, and pass out to every sixteen year-old girl I see. These books were all read during different parts of my life – some recently, some eons ago – but each one left me feeling just a little more empowered, just a little more sure of myself. If you've got a reading girl in your life, or if you're just in need of a great dose of girl power, here are my recommendations:

Young Adult:

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart – Nominated for a 2008 National Book Award, this is a high energy, highly intelligent story of a girl who infiltrates and takes over her boyfriend's all male secret society. As Frankie becomes more self-assured and confident in her own intellect, the pranks she pulls get bigger and better. Unfortunately, it's hard for people to see you as an equal, if you're anonymous…but when her secret comes out, will Frankie lose not only her boyfriend, but her pride as well? Lockhart has written the ultimate story for smart girls, humorously and realistically covering everything from feminism, prep school politics, to how to steal a fish statue.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter – Nothing screams girl power more than a school full of intelligent, genius-level girls…who are also spies. Enter Ally Carter's charming Gallagher Girl series about a secret all girls boarding school full of geniuses, misfits, and girls who know how to say "I love you, but you're standing on my sword." in a hundred different languages. Great reading for any age level and a series that is sure to leave readers clamoring for the next book, as well as brushing up on their Mandarin.

Mystery:

Silent In The Grave by Deanna Raybourn – Lady Julia Grey is a widow, after her already ailing husband collapses at a party in their home. But when she learns that her husband's demise may not have been natural, after all, Julia joins forces with the enigmatic Nicholas Brisbane to solve the crime. Now, we know Victorian society didn't give women that much freedom, but Raybourn manages to write female characters who transcend the time – who are wise and strong and who never take no for an answer. The romance of the series keeps me coming back for more, but Julia's growth as a person is what keeps the novels fresh.

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters – Another heroine who never takes no for an answer is the indomitable Amelia Peabody, a Victorian spinster with a penchant for sturdy parasols and Egyptology. I read this, the first in the wonderful Peabody series, when I was in seventh grade and I remember being amazed at the strength (and snarkiness) of Amelia. She's practical, joyful, and is usually right – three ingredients for the ultimate heroine.

Romance:

Not Quite A Husband by Sherry Thomas – It's no secret that I adore the work of Sherry Thomas, but her newest historical romance stood out for being not just a fabulous love story, but for having one of the best heroines I've read in quite awhile. Bryony Asquith is a doctor. Yes, a doctor in the 1800s…as a woman. Add to that time spent caring to the sick of India, halfway around the world from her native England, and you have the makings of a true Original. NQAH provides a wonderful, rich love story, as well as an interesting peek into what life was like for a Victorian woman working in a man's field.

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie – Crusie is a master of contemporary romance, not a little bit for how well she handles heroines who are coming into their own. Such is Minerva Dobbs, a Rubenesque actuary whose buttoned-up life gets turned upside down when she gets caught in the barside bet of Cal Morrisey. Cal and Min are a delight to read about on the page, but what makes this book a stand-out is how Min comes to accept herself and her worth over the course of the novel. A great intro to romance novels for any reader.

So, what are your favorite girl power books from past and present? Do you have any title that you plan to push on your daughter or niece as soon as she's old enough? And, of course – what are you going to be for Halloween? Personally, I'm going for Alice in Wonderland…in a nice, Grace Kelly-inspired cotton!

Please Enter Stage Right

2009-09-22T11:23:00.006-05:00

I’ve been doing quite a bit of reading(I know, shocking!!*g*). But I’ve actually been reading message boards and the like online. I have Outlander on my TBR pile and it’s exceptionally close to the top. I think this book engenders many mixed reactions amongst readers. For many it’s one of those staples of romance that you “OMG! Just have to read!” After all, how can you call yourself a *true* romance reader if you haven’t checked this out? Well, I don’t think there are really books you have to read but I do think it’s good to try them just to see what’s going on over there. I have a Laura Kinsale book on my TBR pile(oh, let’s be real. It’s my TBR MOUNTAIN. lol) for just such a purpose.

But I’m not going to comment on whether or not I agree it should be a staple or what books I consider staples. I want to address the comments I’ve read that say Outlander isn’t a “true” romance because the hero doesn’t enter the story until somewhere around the 60 page mark.

Why is this a problem? Does it stop being a romance if the hero isn’t there early on? I mean, in the case of Outlander this is a LONG book. There’s a ton of time for Jamie to assert himself as the hero. There’s plenty of time to fall in love with him.

In, to me, one of the most romantic movies ever made, Sleepless In Seattle, the hero and heroine don’t even meet until the last scene. The LAST scene. And it was totally convincing for me.(Must qualify this and say this would NEVER work in a romance novel. Ever! I‘m just pointing out that things don‘t always have to stick to an exact formula.)

Candace Havens writes paranormal romance. Although, the romance isn’t front and center. In The Demon King And I it was much more about the heroine’s journey with a lesser thread of romance- and yet it worked for me as a romance.

I’ll have to get back to you about Jamie.

But, in the end, I think I’m firmly divided on this issue because I love tons of H/h interaction and don’t want to miss a minute of it-I think a romance novel should have this as it’s hard to have a romance with someone you barely know. But I also think that in a long book like Outlander a 60 page late meeting works because, again, it’s long as heck.

But when reading a romance novel does it throw you if the H/h don’t meet for a while? Is it unsatisfying? Or maybe just annoying? Inquiring minds...:)

Happenstance: Or How I Stumbled Headlong Into My Working Title

2009-09-18T04:54:00.005-05:00

First and foremost, found out recently that niece 1 reads my blogs at her school. So, hello, baby!! I heart you.*smooches*

In other news:

In a weird twist of fate JK Coi figured out a title for my Victorian WIP which has heretofore been labeled Tess and Rory’s Story. I know, I am verrah, verrah creative.*g*

The awesomely creative J.K. came up with The Nameless Victorian. lol. This absolutely cracked me up until I realized that it actually fit my book. My heroine, Tess, is a writer. And she’s an anonymous writer. Her books are compulsively readable and she has a very large fan base. But her writing is too revealing. And her secrets must be preserved at all costs. But her publisher saw her lack of identity as a marketing tool. Instead of labeling her book as written by Anonymous he offers up a new moniker for her, The Nameless Victorian. And for many readers the mystery of who the author really is keeps them coming back to read more, trying to decipher her texts for anything that might be typified as a clue, more than the actual content.

Thanks, J.K.! Am hearting you right now.*g*(Well, in truth I’m always hearting you.)

What’s going on with y’all? Are you perhaps as awful at coming up with titles as I am? Or do you love it?

G-freaking-eez!

2009-09-11T10:25:00.004-05:00

It is a sad state of affairs when it comes to pass that I am the most productive Write Chicer amongst me, Mer, and Steph-as far as blogging goes, that is.

I was up till 4:30 am last night getting through all of the work for the week that I missed(ie. Procrastinated on*cough*). Today being the Monday-Free week(it’s so lovely to say that. Monday-Free.*sigh*) threw me off. ONE day off and I’m lazy for the rest of the week.(Heck, throw me off an hour and I’m lost!!*g*).

And after last night’s never-ending study fest I find that my list of things to do is actually growing instead of shrinking as one would expect since I got to check so much off the list last night.

So here are some(very few actually) things on my to do list:

On the Writing front: I am presently ironing out my Victorian romance(still no title. I am the queen of suckage in the title arena) and getting into the nitty-gritty of my YA. (This is a daily goal and I do meet it many times).

School: Studying for Wednesday’s exam. Reading a million and five articles for my other classes. And studying for my other exam(different class) the Wednesday after next. I am also having to sit and watch hour long videos for one of my classes online every week. So tedious!! They also are videos that were obviously made in the ‘80’s. I get caught up in the uninspired padded shoulders that reach the wearer’s ears and the crazily teased out, over processed, over hair sprayed coiffures-this means that I miss a lot of the actual video content.

Personal: Spend time with Niece 3. She's in town and requires constant attention. She’s the cutest baby ever!! I heart her and she’s obsessed with me.(I still can’t figure out why kids like me-seriously, all of them! I would think they’d sense my innate evil/bitchiness and shrink away.lol).

And so on and so forth. The full 20 bullet list is rather boring. I refuse to bore you anymore than I already have!

What are y’all up to this week? I have a craving for some rocky road ice cream. You?

La-Di-Da...

2009-09-08T12:27:00.005-05:00

Am praying I'm the only person to ever title a blog that.lol.

Well, it’s not Mer’s B-Day anymore so I suppose I better put something new up. Though I’m sure Mer is enjoying the spotlight. Well, Mary Cherry, step aside! We have much to discuss.*g*

For example, I am writing a blog up right now that is so good people will envy me forever! No, not really. But I am writing a blog(other than this one, that is). And I am writing more on my story. Should say storIES. My Victorian characters are revealing facts about themselves that they hadn’t disclosed before. I’m not rewriting, just making tons of notes. Here’s something I found out: My heroine looks exactly like Monica Bellucci(pictured above). See how her eyes hold many secrets?See how no man could possibly look away from her? See how aware she is of her own beauty? See how she seems to exude a confidence that she can have anyone or anything she wants…except the most important thing. See how naughty she could be when incited by the right man?*cough*Rory*cough*

As for my YA novel, I am trying to tack down my “voice.” I have a well established historical voice that works for me very well. I’m sure it will change over time but it is comfortable for me as of this moment. The contemporary aspect of my story isn’t the problem- nor is the paranormal aspects. My issue is the teen slang. Oh, I know how I used to talk but that was seven years ago!!! And I always spoke in a decidedly different way than many of my peers. Still do in fact.

And other than the slang I have huge issues writing in the first person. My heroine is not likable...not by a long shot. Well, at least not until situations beyond her control force change upon her. So I can’t figure out how to keep readers with me when she’s being a twit.lol.

I also am studying for an exam right now and keeping up on my school reading and then fun reading. But it’s not a bad schedule at all. I’ve found I write the most when I have limited time to do it. If I have all the time in the world, well, I’ll take it. All. Of. It.

So, ladies and (possible)gents, what are you up to? How is the writing coming? How is life coming? Are you better when working under stress? Do you know your “voice?”

PS: Had to introduce myself in one of my classes(it’s college! Not the third grade!Pffft!) but it was cool because I got to introduce myself as a writer of romance and YA fiction. Felt very proud. And, yeah, everyone had glazed over this-is-a-morning-class expressions but it energized me. It’s a mark that I’m actually taking this thing seriously. I like that.

Mary Danielson has a Birthday!!!

2009-09-03T09:25:00.004-05:00

Did you know that?

Well, we all have them. I had one recently. But all of that’s over. Faded to black. Now it’s Mer’s day...

...or was. Mer was born Sept 2, 1985. Say happy birthday to her or...or else! What is the "else?" No one knows but it’s intimidating...LOL!

Message from me to Mer: Love you! I thank God everyday that you're my BF! You're one of the few I call my sister(another is named Stephanie Janulis. Do you know her?*g*) I hope you ate naughty bad-for-you-foods. I hope you got awesome presents. And most of all I hope you were surrounded by all the people you love and who love you, too!:)

PS: Flaked and didn't get Mer a gift.:( But here is the gift I would've gotten her. Seriously. Promise. Totally Would've...

School's Out For Summer...

2009-08-27T10:45:00.003-05:00

...or atleast it was.

Looks like us Write Chic kids have been M.I.A. all week. Going back to school is exciting, insanely intellectually stimulating(as long as I don’t talk to the other students-they keep getting dumber and younger and younger as I get older.*g*), and of course it’s tiring. My schedule isn’t exactly rigorous but it’s tiring because I just spent an entire summer lounging around and doing anything I wanted to do at any given time(but this is me so these things were going to the bookstore, going out to eat, and taking naps.lol).

The fantastic thing about being back is I have structure in my life again. I seriously need structure! I don’t get anything done without it. I had a semblance of structure for a while this summer when Mer made me Word War with her and Steph-that is the only reason I finished that draft of my WIP.

I’ve been waking up early every morning before class and getting some writing done on my brand new WIP. The first two mornings were like pulling teeth. But yesterday morning I fell into a nice flow. Not quite a White River rapids kind of flow. More like a gentle stream. I am relieved and loving it.

My voice is my big problem for this WIP. This first-person contemporary YA is miles away from my Deep-POV Victorian ladies and gentlemen. Luckily Mer is happily making herself available for me to iron out my voice with her. I’ll start sending her my craptastic excerpts and am crossing my fingers it’ll all work out.

Well, Write Chick ladies and(possibly) gents, how is the end of summer affecting you? How’s your writing coming along? Have I told you lately how much I love you all?*g*

Something’s in the Ether

2009-08-19T18:32:00.010-05:00

It is with great joy that I announce the second draft of my, as yet untitled, Victorian novel (Rory and Tess’ story, so says my computer file. I‘m very creative.*g*) is done! Finished! Put to the side for a little while. I am now free to attack my next story idea. And this story is vastly different from my Victorian. This story is a YA contemporary paranormal.

Here’s the very basic idea: September Loring is the most popular little snob in school who everyone wants to be their BFF. But one day she wakes up and suddenly has the ability to tell down to the second when anyone who touches her is going to die.

If it weren’t for Mer I don’t think I ever would’ve gone forward with this new story. So I owe her many thanks for preaching the merits of the YA. I’m so excited to start. This is the beginning when all of the energy is pumping and flowing. Every word seems beautiful... even though it’s not (I do the Vomit method). Geez, I love this project. I think we can all agree that the contemporary paranormal has been done to death but it’s the idea that popped into my head so I have to run with it. Plus, I still love contemporary paranormals. Can’t get enough of them!

As for something being in the ether, I’m referring to the new(ish) trend of romance authors crossing over to YA. I’m definitely joining yet another cool kids’ club.*g* We’re all crossing over. Fun!

Here are my favs and inspirations:

Marianne Mancusi/Mari Mancusi. Whether it’s paranormal, suspense with a Manga edge, or about a little goth girl that loves video games she always hits the mark. Best examples of her awesomeness: Check out her YA Gamer Girl and her romance A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court.

Lorraine Heath is a very well known name in the romance world, but she has a dirty little secret. Or two. She is also YA authors Jade Parker and Rachel Hawthorne. Why three different names? Well, I don’t actually know, but the books are a bit different in tone, which is no doubt our answer. For her LH books, check out In Bed With The Devil (the first of her new historical series); for a Rachel Hawthorne YA, pick up Thrill Ride; for Jade Parker you HAVE to read the Making a Splash books. There are three and they have three fun heroines who are also BFFs. The boys that love them are awesome, too. Robyn, Caitlin, and Whitney are up for one heck of a summer while working at a water park. Much fun, romance, and a little taste of melodrama makes them satisfying and they’re extremely fast reads.

Meg Cabot is not one I can suggest because *bites lip* I’ve never read her books. Not one. Adult or YA. Oh, wait! I read one once. It was a Regency YA called Nicola And The Viscount. Very sweet book. The niece suggests All American Girl which is a YA... Mer once recommended Queen Of Babble to me(I have this book on my TBR pile). I think Babble is a contemporary romance.

Gena Showalter I love beyond compare. I have worked my way through her entire backlist and she has very consistently strong books. She is one of the queens of the paranormal. But she has written two non-paranormal romances. They are the romantic comedies Catch A Mate and Animal Instincts. A Paranormal romance of hers that I love is The Darkest Kiss. It’s second in her Lords Of The Underworld Series( beauty and the beast meets hot demon possessed immortals). And my fav YA from her so far is Blacklisted. The YA Red Handed precedes it and this is the first author I saw that wrote both YA and adult romances in the same world. They are part of the Alien Huntress series. All of her series are insanely strong.

And last but NEVER least is Sherrilyn Kenyon. She FINALLY joins the world of YA with her new books (second author I‘ve seen write YA in same world as her adult books). The hero of the stories is Nicholas Gautier. If you are as obsessed with the Dark-Hunter series as me you know that Nick will soon be getting his own adult romance but he is a changed man from the first Dark-Hunter books. He was flippant and sarcastic, cheeky and just really lovely. And I totally mourned the loss of that persona. He’s so dark and tortured now. But luckily we get to see that lovely boy again. The YAs are The Chronicles of Nick and two of the titles(I’m not really sure if she’s going to write more) are Infinity and Invincible. This makes me so happy. Her best Dark-Hunter book...well, they’re all really good. But I will suggest Night Embrace since I reviewed it on here a few months back.

Okay, I hope you try these guys out!! I am thrilled to be in their exalted company.

So, are you thinking of trying a new genre? Subgenre? If not, what are you working on right now? Do you know an author that I am leaving out? (I know I’m missing many!)

Workshops for Writers: September 2009

2009-08-17T12:00:00.013-05:00

Welcome to the kick-off of my monthly workshop preview. Workshops for Writers will be posted approximately a 1/2 month in advance of the start dates and will include schedule and sign-up information. Below you'll find a straggler from August and in the future I'll link to more ongoing workshops as I find them.

Have you participated in an online workshop before? Let us know your experience and any tips you have for other writers who might be trying it out for the first time.

Missed the RWA Conference? Workshop handouts can be found HERE.

August Workshops

RWA Online Class: Characterization - Making Strengths and Weaknesses Work for You (or, No More Mary Sues!)
August 17th - 30th
Linnea Sinclair
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September Workshops

Begin With a Bang
September 1st - 30th
Registration Deadline: August 30th
Tracy Wolff
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Behind the Scenes - The Research Before the Book
September 1st - 25th
Registration Deadline: August 25th
Jacqui Jacoby
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Great Beginnings
September 1st - 25th
Registration Deadline: August 25th
Lynn Kerstan
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The Journey Cycle - A Story Building Tool
September 6th - October 3rd*
Registration Deadline: September 4th
Robin Matheson
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*RWA notes this class is from 9/1 -9/25 so you may want to email the chapter to find out exact dates

Crisis, Climax, Resolution - Writing to the End
September 1st - 30th
Registration Deadline: Unknown
Robin Matheson
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Cyber Crimes
September 1st - 30th
Registration Deadline: Payment must be rec'd by 27th of the month prior to start date
Eric Way
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Cozy Is As Cozy Does
September 1st - 30th
Registration Deadline: Payment must be rec'd by 27th of the month prior to start date
Luisa Bueler
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The Language of Liars - How to Make Your Characters Authentic Liars and Sure-Fire Lie Catchers
September 1st - 30th
Registration Deadline: Unknown
Lucinda D. Schroeder
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Recipe for Success - Cooking Up a Great First Chapter
September 1st - 24th
Registration Deadline: Unknown
Faye Hughes and Christie Craig
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The Submission Process - It's Not Just About the Query Letter
September 4th - 25th
Registration Deadline: September 2nd
Lois Winston
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The Joy of Independence: Create Your Own Writing Business
September 5th - 26th
Registration Deadline: September 2nd
Virginia McCullough
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Stress Management Techniques for Writers
September 6th - 27th
Registration Deadline: September 4th
Donna Joy Foster
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Ongoing Workshops

Candace Haven's Writer's Workshops
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Weekend Round-Up

2009-08-16T16:00:00.007-05:00

Happy Sunday, Chic readers! Hope your weekend was filled with great books, writing breakthroughs, and end-of-summer fun. Alas, it's time for another work week. Luckily, you don't have to go into Monday unprepared. Here are our favorite publishing blogs and news stories from last week to help catch you up:

Friend of the blog, Elyssa Papa, landed a superstar agent this week - Kim Witherspoon of InkWell Management. Congratulations again, Elyssa!

Jessica Burkhart's fourth Canterwood Crest novel, Triple Fault, officially hit stores on Tuesday. My little sister (securely Team Jacob) stayed up way too late reading TF and is already bugging me about when the next one comes out (Best Enemies: October 20th!).

Carrie Ryan, author of the hauntingly wonderful The Forest of Hands and Teeth, blogged about how long it took her from original idea to publication. A must read for any aspiring author.

In a similar vein Chic favorite, Deanna Raybourn, blogged about the manuscripts that came before her debut, Silent in the Sanctuary. If you haven't read SITS, you should. And if you have any manuscripts sitting under your bed, start reading Deanna's blog - she's just as inspiring as she is talented.

Agent Nathan Bransford proved again why so many aspiring authors follow his blog, with this week's complete glossary of publishing. If you've ever wondered about the mysterious acronyms of publishing - from ARC to POD - this is the guide to study.

Agent and Author, Lucienne Diver, wrote a great article in response to the questions she is often asked about the Young Adult genre, including word counts, relevance, and language.

The Hugo Awards were given out earlier this week! Among the winners: Neil Gaiman for Best Novel and John Scalzi for Best Related Book. Congratulations to all the recipients!

Authors Kelly Parra and Tina Ferraro are using August as a month to spotlight multi-cultural YA reads and have some great recommendations on their joint blog, YA Fresh.

William Morris Endeavor Entertainment continued to take a stand against the Google Book Settlement and advised their clients to opt out of the settlement.

Over at Petit Fours and Hot Tamales, guest blogger Marcia James wrote a great post about the strengths and weaknesses of Author-Initiated Promotion.

Do you want to develop a case of serious author website envy? Check out the illustrations that debut author, Sara Lindsey, commissioned for her new site. Gorgeous, non?

If you're looking for an agent, then you should be reading Casey McCormick's ongoing blog series spotlighting individual agents each week. This week: Jill Corcoran of Herman Agency, Inc.

Do you love historical romances? Check out The Season, a site dedicated to new historicals and maintained by author, Beverley Kendall. She's having a fantastic launch party all this month with a ton of free books given away every day!

Start Spreading The News

2009-08-13T11:09:00.004-05:00

Well, dear readers, something has happened and it's been a long long long long long long(too many longs?*g*) time coming. Elyssa Papa, our dearest pal, has landed herself an agent! And it's not just any agent! It's, as Elyssa Papa said it herself, a rock star agent! It's Kimberly Witherspoon the agent extraoidinaire to Eloisa James, Sophie Kinsella, our own dear Sara Lindsey, and Carly Phillips! Um, that's some star power right there.

So, congrats to our beloved Vixen Elyssa. We love you and are so proud of you! We know you have a long(should I type out all those longs again?) career ahead of you. When I saw you landed an agent I immediately told my mom that you are the perfect example that perserverance does pay off. They say luck is when preparation and opportunity meet. Yay for you that the opportunity finally came.

I have Squeed like crazy and am still wearing a smile on my face after hearing this news. Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

Write down the name now, folks. Elyssa Papa is a shooting star.

Jenny Crusie's Turning Points

2009-08-10T07:00:00.003-05:00

Like her books, Jenny Crusie is one funny person! I had the opportunity to sit in on one of the most highly attended workshops offered at the RWA 2009 National Conference which was Jenny's workshop about turning points (TPs). It's been on my list of to-do's to bring you my own recap of the workshop and direct you to her handout so I'll consider this one more item I can cross off. Yes, I'm a list-maker. Yes, this was actually on my list. We'll discuss habits of the OCD writer at another time.

Disclaimer: Do what works for you. If this doesn't work for you, then ignore it!

Great advice on the part of Crusie. Some of us might always be interested about what works for other writers but it's never a bad thing to be reminded that your process is exactly that -- yours. If something works for someone else it doesn't mean that you have to make it work for you. Now that we've gotten that out of the way...

Crusie turned the concept of a plotline into a clothesline. If you had a clothesline you can imagine that the longer it is, the more it might sag. We all know our plotlines would be really long clotheslines. Poles would be needed to hold the line/plot and those poles are your TPs.

Crusie mentions both 4 (see image) and 5 turning points on her webpage which you can reference but for me it helped to think of it as five turning points that correspond to each pole:

Turning Point 1 (Inciting Incident)

Turning Point 2 (World Gets Worse) ~30%

Turning Point 3 (Point of no Return/Midpoint Crisis) ~55%

Turning Point 4 (Black Moment) ~80%

Turning Point 5 (Climax)

I like to start in the middle because it gives me something to work towards and from. We'll touch back on the two end poles but imagine that your clothesline sags a bit so you'd insert another pole somewhere near the middle. For the purpose of writing we'll say you insert that pole just to the right of center. That middle pole is called your midpoint crisis or the point of no return. It's at this point that your MC can't go back to where she was at the beginning of her novel. Her main goal might not have changed but she has changed and how she pursues that goal has changed.

Right. If you're not annoyed that I started in the middle, read on...

Here I go back to that first pole I stuck in the ground, AKA TP 1, AKA inciting incident. Our MCs experience something that changes their normal life. That something doesn't doesn't just change their normal life but they begin a battle with the antagonist of the story that leads to the other turning points. Again, I point out that I know what my midpoint crisis will be so I know what I need to work toward. You might start out with this inciting incident and see where the journey takes you.

The next stop in the line is TP 2, otherwise known as the point at which your MC's world gets worse. This is another incident that raises the stakes. Crusie mentioned that this point introduces new information. I hadn't thought about it quite like this but it makes sense. The raised stakes, the new information is what carries us to that middle TP that I mentioned earlier.

Since we talked about that middle point, let's move on to pole/TP 3 otherwise referred to as...

::dun dun dun:: The Black Moment.

Perhaps a trifle over-dramatic but drama is necessary at this point. Your MC should be (almost) broken at this point. Think of this as not only raising the stakes but it also as breaking your MC down. She has to dig deep to find what it is that she needs to overcome to get to the final battle and climax. That last battle or climax is your final TP. There is yet another change to the plot but this time, your MC ends up on top and her world has finally become stable.

Whew. It's a lot to think about on top of everything else that we're trying to accomplish. One thing that might help is to ignore these points as your write your first draft (I'm talking to you, pantsers!) but then go in and revise with these points in mind. Look at your big events and, as Crusie pointed out, cut like hell! Try not to write the parts that people want to skip. Focus on your pacing in revisions as well. Each chunk should grow smaller and your poles closer together. I included Crusie's percentage prompts as a guide but remember to dog what works for you.

This is my own recap from my notes at the workshop but to get the words straight from the source visit Jenny Crusie's handout from the workshop on her website, Argh Ink.

Have you analyzed the turning points in your novel? Is there one that you struggle with more than the others?