Friday, May 29, 2015

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Editing Reaction, LOTR Style

Last week I finished editing one of my books, Wishes, Maybe. Also last week I binge-watched the entire LOTR series (not The Hobbit, sorry. I'm pretending that was never filmed). Now the two activities will be forever merged in my mind. The last seven days went sort of like this:

1. Opening up Wishes, Maybe to start editing.


I really missed my characters. It was a wonderful reunion

2. Reading the first few paragraphs.


Reading/editing makes me hungry. Don't ask why.

3. Finding that first awkward phrase/typo.


Bring. It. On.

4. Realizing my writing sucks.


I've wasted my life writing this book!!

5. Admitting that my book isn't that bad.


I'm so over-dramatic. This is actually pretty good!

6. Reading that scene I don't remember writing.


Where did you come from?
7. Finishing my edits, at long last.


Let's do it again!

And this gif, just because.
                                     

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Changes on the Horizon



Since January of this year (2015 for you time travelers), I've been focused solely on my writing. No school. No job. Just words, words, words.

But this routine is about to end. Okay, not end. I'll still be writing like crazy, but I will have slightly less time.

Today I start my job as a part time administrative assistant at a college. I'm excited for the opportunity.

I also hate change.


It's a bit of inner conflict at the moment. But change, as I've so often been reminded, is a part of life--a good part! Even with my writing there will be change. My abilities will improve, I'll think of new characters/stories, and hopefully my unpublished status will change one day too.

In the midst of some transition yourself? Look at is as an adventure. You never know what exciting things wait around the corner.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Baaack It Up

Have I done a lot of harping lately? It feels like I've done a lot of harping.

Just consider me a mythological woman with bird claws, as far as this post is concerned.

Guys. My computer isn't working. Well, it'll turn on, but it won't stop turning on. It's like an endless cycle of turning on. I might've clicked something I shouldn't have in the drive section.

I hate myself.


Thankfully the laptop is still under warranty and HP is lovely and working on putting in a new hard drive as I type (probably).

The one downside: I'm going to lose everything on my computer.

Why don't you see a plethora of "Freaking Out" gifs splattered all over this post? I AUTOMATICALLY BACK MY BOOKS UP ON GOOGLE DRIVE.

You see, I learned from a recent mistake that I mentioned in this post. And also the unmentioned time (recently, mind you) I got soap in my keyboard and had to get a new computer. The same "new" computer that I sent in for repairs...

Sheesh. I have issues with computers, don't I?

Well, this is just a friendly reminder from a computer-illerate dummy to you.

Back. Up. Your. Stuff.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Take The Time

A few posts ago, I commented on the importance of taking it slow when it comes to query letters (speaking from my own mistakes here). Well, in this post I wanted to show proof of that. Below I'm going to post my FIRST draft of These Wicked Waters' query letter (though it's going to cost me a lot of self-esteem points...) and the FINAL version (as far as today, anyway). Draw your own conclusions, but here are mine:

1. Use the Write & Hide Method. In other words, write the query letter and then leave it alone for a few days. Fresh eyes are an asset.

2. Make use of query critiques! Get whoever you can to look at your letter. Search for contests. Check me out, I offer free critiques (on more than just query letters!). AgentQuery Connect is also a great resource for critiques--but be prepared to give back!

3. Take. Your. Time. My final version is Draft 15 (literally, that's the name of the doc on my laptop) and it took me 2+ months to get to it.

Without further to do... I reveal, the queries!


DRAFT ONE

After an unfortunate incident involving a tutu and a school’s patron saint statue, eighteen-year-old Annie is yanked from her summer rock-climbing fantasies and shoved into indentured servitude via cleaning toilets at her mom’s newest project: a fancy-shmancy island resort.

Gawking at hairy amazon armpits, handling strangers’ tighty whities, and avoiding a cute but troublemaking lifeguard are all part of a day’s work. Annie resigns herself to a mentally scarring, yet deathly boring, summer. Until she sneaks out for contraband climbing and discovers the skeletal remains of siren.

Then human bodies start washing up on shore.

The NIS (National Intelligence Service) invades. Annie knows their suspect pool is kiddie-sized, mythological women don’t have a notch in the modern-day man hunt. Curiosity over the island’s mysterious inhabitants and the government’s ineptitude lure Annie into treacherous waters.

Foiled attempting to swallow half the Atlantic Ocean, Annie is shocked to face her rescuer: a scaled woman with two tails. Annie fires off questions, but the siren, Lorelei, only answers with gestures. Her tongue has been sliced from her mouth.

Lorelei manages to reveal three truths. One, Lorelei has been banished from her kind after an unexplained betrayal. Two, the sirens despise humans—lung-breathers—courtesy of a century’s old vendetta. And, three, the sirens are preparing to attack the island, ravenous for human blood.

With the overtime Annie’s going clock while convincing her mom of sirens’ existence and protecting guests from a gory death, she deserves a promotion.

FINAL VERSION

After her rock climbing trip is cancelled, eighteen-year-old Annie Mayfield expects a boring summer at her mom’s island resort—until she stumbles upon a human skeleton. Though a closer look reveals the skeleton isn’t human at all. Humans don’t have fish tails.

Days later, a guest’s bloated body washes ashore. Law enforcement pronounces the death an accidental drowning, yet Annie wonders if something mythological is at play. Revealing the skeleton would give investigators a better lead, but Annie keeps quiet, aware her discovery occurred while scaling the Forbidden-By-Mom Cliffs. Instead, she channels Nancy Drew—minus the skirt and pearls.

While scavenging the island for clues, Annie discovers a siren tangled in submerged netting and cuts her loose. The siren’s thank you is a warning: others are coming, and they’re hungry. When Annie’s childhood crush is found next, mutilated and half-eaten, things get personal. No more waiting for an attack. Annie’s bringing the fight to the sirens.

~~~~~

Unlike the first, the final version snags Annie's voice, the plot, and the stakes--without giving away too much. Thoughts? Feel free to comment!

Thursday, May 14, 2015

The Book & The Glasses

I know I've kept you marvelous readers in suspense the last few days.

Has she finished her book?

Or hasn't she?

Dun, dun, dun...

Okay, probably not. You guys forgot, no doubt--but I didn't!

In fact, I did something I didn't think possible. I wrote 11,129 words in one day. And finished my sixth book!!!


That gif's level of excitement doesn't even cover it.

Of course, now the "real" work begins (though that depends on which you consider more difficult: writing or editing). But I'm okay with that. Why? Because I've already got another book idea I want to pursue! The sooner I get Wishes, Maybe and These Wicked Waters agent-ready, the sooner I can start on Book Number Seven!

I also recall, a few posts ago, mentioning a certain something that begins with a "G." Hmm, what could it be? OH, YES--GLASSES! And you guys thought I'd forgotten. Well, the joke's on you! Below I've got two pictures. On the left is what I like to call The Artsy Writer. And on the right is 22 Year Old Posing Like a High Schooler. Enjoy!


Tuesday, May 12, 2015

It Just Clicks

Sometimes writing is a painful activity. You have to drag yourself to the computer, force your fingers onto the keyboard, and plead your brain to think of something fantastical to say.

Other times, it just flows.

The outside world fades away. You don't even feel your fingers tapping keys. You're completely immersed in your story. It's like watching a movie unfold. I LOVE IT!


Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen. In fact, for me it's pretty rare. But yesterday? Oh, yesterday it happened. I spent 9-5 writing (with a quick break for lunch, of course; I'm not Wonder Woman) and wrote about 9,000 words. It was the most rewarding and exhausting day ever. Not only does it shove me far ahead of my progress chart, but it lines me up to possibly finish Wishes, Maybe...TODAY!

That is, if I can get everything to "click" again like it did yesterday. We'll see if my muse decides to be nice to me. Fingers crossed. Hoping my next post (Thursday) will be giddy and excited news regarding the completion of my sixth novel!

Just the idea has me all bubbly inside!

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Slow & Steady Gets an Agent

What's the first thing about your book an agent scenes?
A query letter (usually).

How important is a query letter?
Very!

How long should you spend working on your query letter?


First off, everyone's different. Some people can get a perfect query letter in one day of writing (if you're one of these people, we really should meet up) others it can take weeks. In my case, two months. And I'm still not finished yet, though I think I'm close.

The thing is, unlike my last three queried books (unsuccessfully, might I add), I'm not in a rush to send out my letter. I want to take it slow and get things right. Which, in turn, will get me an agent (I hope!).

How am I so blase about querying? Let me tell you my recently discovered method via a step-by-step diagram. I was a business major, after all.

1. I wrote These Wicked Waters.
2. I did a quick edit of These Wicked Waters.
3. I wrote the query letter for TWW.
4. I started planning/writing another book.

While writing my other book, I go back to my query letter and make changes, then I send it out for other people to edit. I've got about 12 different drafts of it. Currently I'm on my 13th.

Honestly? It's the best query letter I've ever written. We'll see if the whole process works come June 29th, when I plan to start querying. Fingers crossed!

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Write More, Procrastinate Less

Some days I'm so into writing, it's crazy. Other days, writing is the last thing I want to do. I'll run around my house, literally avoiding my computer. A lot of writers only write when the muse strikes. Unfortunately for me, my muse has a day job and neglects me a lot (yes, I have attachment issues). If I don't set aside time (and a word count!) to write, then nothing gets done.

I also invent lots of new ways to procrastinate. Like redoing my YouTube Page and researching better lighting for my vlogs. It's not good. At all. I'm not even halfway through Wishes, Maybe, and it's been three weeks!


Enter in the schedule for the next two-three weeks. I'm not going to set an exact time for writing, because, honestly, that never works out. There's always a last minute something that needs to be done. But I will be setting word count goals. PLEASE HELP ME TO STICK TO THEM!!! Normally I'm very self-motivated, but I could always use some help!

So, the daily word count is...

*DRUM ROLL*

...3,000. If my calculations are right, Wishes, Maybe will be completed in 14 days. 

Bring it on, writer's block!

Monday, May 4, 2015

Query Critique #2: NINE

My thoughts are added in blue. I may underline a sentence to draw attention for discussion. Every comment is my own opinion. Readers, feel free to leave your own comments below and help a fellow writer out!

If you're interested in a Free Query Critique, follow the link for more information.

Original Version (with comments):

Dear Ms. AGENT:

I am currently seeking representation for my YA/ Sci-Fi Science Fiction novel, NineNINE. Based upon your interest in this genre, I thought you might enjoy taking a look at it for your current list.

Paragraph #1: It's just my personal preference for writing out "Science Fiction." However, I think you could do away with the / between "YA" and "Sci-Fi." Sci-Fi is technically a genre in itself. Or really a sub-genre of YA. As far as capitalizing your title, I've only ever seen titles in all caps, never italicized, but I'm sure both ways would work. I cut the last sentence because it could come across as redundant. You are submitting to an agent because she/he represents your genre. On the other hand, if you were going into specifics here, like citing an exact book the agent represents that is similar to your book, you could keep that sentence.

At 16 years old, Faith Monroe is willing to die for her country (This is a great hook here. Patriotic teen, awesome! Already getting a spy vibe of sorts.) if she has to, just not when the government decides (I think there's a way you could vamp up this phrase to really pack a punch. Something like "just not on her government's whim."). In It's the year 2025, and Faith is one of the many teens slated to discover her death date (Is the italicized phrase necessary here?).  There’s only one snafu (Not sure I like this word in the teenage context. Throws me off a bit). The transport she’s riding in has a number of teens, including herself, who never received the population-control chip when they were born. Therefore, requiring an automatic official response--- certain death when they reach the facility. With their vehicle hijacked by unknown assailants and instructions to flee, Faith and her new friends contemplate the only way to resist an alien takeover of their bodies. Death. Unable to sustain life on earth without a human soul, the Niners must be genetically matched. Making their job more difficult are a sassy Faith and the others, who won’t die at their appointed time now, putting a huge crimp in their alien leader’s plan. No death? No available soul.

Paragraph #2: First, this paragraph was a little confusing for me. In the beginning, the focus is on Faith then it jumps to the aliens and then back to Faith again. You did a great job with the first and second sentences. WOW! Then it gets a little diluted and confusing. Suddenly she's on a transport and you're talking about control chips, aliens, and Niners. One of the difficult aspects of Sci-Fi and Fantasy query letters is establishing the world and it's rules while explaining the plot and keeping it interesting. I think you need to try to condense your world-building into 1-2 sentences, at most (like the alien war going on).

Fortunately, what the Niners can’t fathom is Faith’s resolve and untapped survival prowess. Maybe losing her mother at the age of 13 and overcoming a rare blood disorder was a blessing after all because it helps her conquer everything the aliens throw at her and then some. (Faith definitely has overcome a lot in her short lifetime. I'm sure those facts are very important in your story, but not your query. It slows down the pace by throwing a flashback into the mix.) Thankfully, she’s not alone in her endeavor. Apparently not all aliens are malicious, and her current acquaintances (are her acquaintances aliens? I thought she was traveling with a bunch of teens.) have just as much reason to live as she does. Survival is only the beginning, however. Convincing the world there’s a better way to overcome an over-crowded planet than technologically killing them off (Wait. I thought the aliens were the ones forcing people to have death dates, not the government.) is the real burden.  But if she has to die anyhow, she might as well die trying.

Paragraph #3: This one was better, understanding-wise. I wouldn't mind more intense verbs/adjectives in here to really pack a punch. Especially in the last sentence. It comes off as "Oh, well, guess I should give saving the world a go," instead of setting some serious stakes. I mean, Faith is going up against aliens (and her government?). She's got to be one tough girl! Show us!

I am a published playwright with Brooklyn Publishing and an 8th grade English teacher in a rural school in N.E. Ohio.  Nine is a completed manuscript at 73,000 words. Thanks for considering my query and sample pages. I look forward to hearing from you.

Paragraph#4: Good closing. I've heard lots of different comments. The rule of thumb is not to include any professional background unless it applies to your book, but I'll leave that up to you.

CLOSING THOUGHTS: I can tell you've got a really interesting story here--one I would like to read! It's hard to find a good sci-fi in YA with an interesting protagonist. They all seem to be set on spaceships lately! The thing I think you really need to focus on (which is the hardest part of writing queries) is to condense. I plugged your query in MS Word and the word count hit 348 words. The "hot spot" most agents and books give is a 250 word limit. I think the real issue is in Paragraph #3. Pull out the important bits of your world building and leave the rest for your book. If you haven't already, this site has some successful queries with agents explaining why. 

Good luck with your query letter! Feel free to send it back to me for a second look after your edits. Fingers crossed you get an agent, and I see NINE on the shelves in the near future.

Thanks for the opportunity to read your query letter.

~EL