Classics Challenge: "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"

What a letdown!
With such great build-up: the mystery, the murder, the mayhem...
Yet Hyde/Jekyll kills himself before the lawyer can break down the door. No confrontation, no epic battle. Nothing.

After Hyde/Jekyll's death, the lawyer finds himself with a full confession from the mad scientist which reveals (surprise, surprise!) Hyde/Jekyll to be the same person. This confession was the longest chapter in the book, go figure!
What I found most interesting about DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (that the pop culture stereotype doesn't portray) is that Jekyll liked being Hyde. Not only that, but he had some amount of cognizance as Hyde. He was aware of his actions, even if his temperament meant he couldn't control them.
Of course, once he started changing to Hyde without the aid of the potion... Well, Jekyll didn't like that too much.
Overall, this book was a disappointment for me. I was expecting a bigger reveal and a show down between Jekyll's dual selves. Alas, that was not what I got at all. Boo.

Summer's Bucket Goodbyes

Summer 2016 has officially ended. Which means my bucket-listing has too.
This summer was a bustle of activity and editing. So many things happened from June to September that it's hard to nail down what my favorite things were! But I'll give you a few highlights.
Click here to check out my full Bucket List.
3. Make a Onigiri. This one was a lot of fun because of the company and because it was a new experience! My sister and I always have a good time, no matter what we're doing. And cooking is no exception. In the moment, the onigiri tasted delicious (which I said in the YouTube video). But looking back, I don't think I could eat another one. I think I'll just salivate over them in anime instead.

11. Pick cherries at Cherry Hill Orchards Outlet. I loved this activity because it was something my family got to do together--all six of us. With our hectic schedules, it was hard for us to spend time together this summer. Not only were we trapped together for an hour or so, but we also got a sweet reward while we were at it! The mold on the cherry trees (do to a damp and cold spring) made hunting for fruit difficult, but luckily my sister, Becky, has eagle-eyes up to the task.
16. Watch an outdoor movie. Not only did I get to watch one of my favorite black and white movies on a big screen, but I got to watch it with friends! Said friends put up with me as I crammed quite a few bucket-listing events into the evening, but I think we had fun--or I did, at least. It was a great girls' night (as my dad dubbed it) and will definitely be repeated next summer. With hopefully even more attendees!
There were three items on my Bucket List that I missed, but don't worry! Just because they weren't done doesn't mean they'll never happen. I'll just carry them over to next year.
Look out, Summer 2017. I plan to make it even more epic. Adventure, here I come!
But until then slippers, fuzzy socks, and hot chocolate are calling my name. Happy Fall!

Magical Lines

Do you ever find yourself reading a book and stumble upon a line that makes you do this:

Ahh, those magical lines. Beautiful words, beautiful rhythm, beautiful imagery.

It's rare to find such lines. It's rare to right them. But when you do either of both it is so, so, so rewarding. 

I'll admit I have an Anne Shirley way of writing: depths of despair, marble halls, etc. (If you don't know who Anne Shirley is, look it up! Gilbert Blythe is swoon worthy.) It's taken me a long time to find a good balance between too pretty writing and writing that moves the plot along.

A book that really helped me to find the right groove for my style wasn't a "craft" book. It was a fictional YA book. One of my favorite actually.

The Wrath & The Dawn.

If you want to read beautiful lines, you better pick this one up.

Do you guys have any favorite lines that you've read or written? You show me yours and I'll show you mine! Or you can just check out my Twitter. I'm a fan of #1linewed. 

My Kind of Research

Back in school, I hated the mention of research. Even now the word elicits nightmares of MLA, APA, in-text citations, and avoiding plagiarism at all costs. Yuck.
But as a writer, research is so much more fun. Trapped in the days of term papers, I had to research using "trusted, scientific" sources. As a writer? 
Keep reading, and you'll see.
Currently, I'm editing THE KILLING WISH, a YA mystery about genies, killings, and a boy who wants to be a lawyer. To get into this boy's head, I've been doing some legal research, yes. But I've also been doing much more entertaining research.
I've been watching Suits.
On top of being a great legal drama, it's given me great characteristics and vocabulary for my dear male MC to use.
Being a writer is so much fun!
I just need to be careful not to binge watch all six seasons...

Classics Challenge: Mid-Month Update

Back in high school, when classical reading was a requirement, I read a few of Robert Louis Stevenson's books. Think Kidnapped and Treasure Island. I loved both of them. I even bought Treasure Island for my personal bookshelf.
Because of this, I dove into The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde confident that, at least, I wouldn't hate it.
And I don't!

The book is incredibly short. In less than an hour I found myself halfway through. So I put it down to type up this midpoint update. I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Not in the story or anything. It's interesting the way Stevenson weaved together suspicions and oddities while adding the appropriate amounts of suspense!
No, I'm disappointed because I already know the ending. Popular culture has made it clear that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (SPOILER!) are the same person. 
While it's fun to pick up on the clues scattered about the first half of the novel, it's not as compelling a read as it would be...
If I'd been left in the dark.

You Don't Like This, But I Do

I love salt & vinegar chips, but my sister can't stand them.
I adore Rhett Butler, but my friend thinks he's deplorable (she's an Ashley fan).
I think kneeling during the national anthem is childish and disrespectful, but plenty of people support the "men" in football uniforms who do.
Suffice to say, we're all different. We have different opinions, tastes, and preferences. Especially when it comes to books.

Give your novel to three people and you might get three different responses, varying between:
"I LOVED it! Don't change a thing."
"You need to have more (insert genre) elements in your story."
"This just wasn't for me."
The writing industry is so subjective that it becomes impossible to know what opinion to trust (though if more than one person is telling you something about your story, you should definitely take their suggestion into consideration). When it comes down to it, there's only one person you can really trust.
Yourself.
All writers have a certain instinct that tells them when something they've written is worth keeping...or needs some tweaking.
I'm not talking about when you're in the euphoria of writing when everything is ahh-mazing (or horrendous). But when your brain is permanently fixed in editing mode.
So, if you get some feedback you're not sure about, sit back and think. Decide if, based on the opinion at hand, you believe a certain scene, dialog, sentence, etc.  needs to be fixed.
And then proceed from there.

Hurry Up & Wait

As the eldest daughter of an officer in the U.S. Army, I've become familiar with the term "hurry up and wait." I often heard my dad describe the Army this way a kid. Back then I didn't know what the phrase meant. Now I do. And I also know that it applies to other areas of life. 

Like the publishing industry.

As a writer, I spent a little less than a year working on my book, wrote a query letter, and hurried to send it out (once it was deemed ready, of course). Then I waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

A little more than a year after sending my first query letter, I have an agent (yay!) and we've made four passes through THESE WICKED WATERS for editing purposes. Now we're embarking on the pitching process (to publishers) which will involve, as you might've guessed, more waiting.

After I've hopefully signed with a publisher, gone through edits and other changes, more waiting lurks around the corner until my book is finally printed. Which, from date of publisher-signing could take anywhere from 1-2 years.

Crazy, huh?

Yet, in a way, it's also wonderful.

While the publishing industry involves a lot of hurry up and wait, there's opportunity in the waiting. Waiting offers time to savor, to prepare, to research. Or to work on an entirely new book!

Because of that, I've decided to twist the phrase. Instead of hurry up and wait...

Hurry up and wait, while savoring each moment. 

I hope you do the same!

Query Critique #20: AND EVERYTHING WASN'T

My thoughts are added in red. 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 ____,

16-year-old recluse, Ashter, is assaulted by guilt everywhere and every second of his existence. (I don’t think you need the rest of this sentence. The word “assaulted” clues the reader in that guilt is always hanging around Ashter, whether he likes it or not! Great verb choice, by the way!)

He has constant visions of his dead father (I’d consider saying “memories” instead of visions. It makes it seem like Asher has a special power.), every time he looks into the eyes of his only friend he dreads the fact he saved her from suicide (Why would he dread the fact that he saved her from suicide? Wouldn’t that be a good thing?), and he can hear the pain in others around him through his "hyperacusis" (What is hyperacusis?). Ashter wants nothing more thatn to escape people, his environment, his memories, and even his physical being.

A quick note on this paragraph. First, I would suggest bringing it up to the hook. That way it’s clear that this list are reasons why Ashter is assaulted by guilt.  One thing I wasn’t sure of is if Ashter has super powers or not. It seems so, the way you described him being able to hear the pain in others. But I think you might want to come out and make that a little clearer. Furthermore, I’m not sure why visions of his dead father would make him feel guilty—unless Ashter is the cause of his father’s death. If so, make sure you say so! Rule #1 in queries: no questions until the end! And the only real question an agent should be asking at the end is: how fast can I request this awesome book or how does this story wrap up, I’m dying to know!

After the death of his drug dealer, Ashter finds his relief in the form of through Bacchard, a guilt-ridden, drug-addled teen whose love for his vintage Polaroid is only rivaled by his constant need to remember (Remember what?).

When Ashter moves in with Bacchard and his fellow escapist, Adona, he finds an eternal haven from his former life-- except for threat the trio's unwilling drug dealer, and his strange little sister (This is a little confusing to me. So all three of these teens are on drugs. Why is an unwilling drug dealer a threat? And how does “his” (who is this “his”? Bacchard or Ashter?) strange little sister pose a threat?).

Throughout his chimerical odyssey, Ashter discovers boundless “friendship”, the world of the heroin, and the seemingly unconditional safety of escape. As reality thrashes against Ashter's new life, he descends deeper into mental disarray and into the perfect world he fought for. Will he be able to save his fantasy at all costs, or will he destroy himself trying?

AND EVERYTHING WASN'T, complete at 62,000 words (you round up and no parentheses!) (61,346 words) is a Young Adult Novel (Young Adult Novel isn’t a genre. It’s just a category (like adult or middle grade). Make sure you give the genre. I’m thinking Young Adult Contemporary from your query.) that is heavily psychological. The stream-of- consciousness narrative is comparable to that of WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson (Good comp!).

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

All right! We made it to the end! I have a few suggestions for you that I’m going to break down into a numerical format because it’s easier to read. Ready? Hope so!

1. I already mentioned it inline, but you need to make clear whether Ashter has special powers or not. It will change the entire mood of the query letter if he does.

2. I don’t see much by way of stakes. I see a bit where you mention the “drug dealer” but I’m not sure what threat he really poses to these kids. Try to make it a little clearer.

3. From the tone of your query, it sounds like you are abdicating for drug use in teenagers, that Ashter doesn’t want to (and will never) find freedom from drugs. I’m not huge into the contemporary genre, so don’t quote me. But if this is the case, you might struggle to find the right representation for this book. With the drug problems we have with kids now, agents might not want to lobby a book about teens escaping into drugs and never coming back. On the other hand, if that isn’t your intention and instead the challenge Ashter faces is to confront reality and overcome his guilt (and get off drugs), then I think you might want to make that end-goal a little clearer. It could also be part of the “stakes”!

Thanks for sharing your query with me. I wish you the best of luck!

Classics Challenge: Robert Louis Stevenson

"The cruelest lies are often told in silence." ~Robert Louis Stevenson
This month we're hosting a Scottish writer! Robert Louis Stevenson, born November 13, 1850,  came from a family of lighthouse designers. In an attempt to follow the family profession, Stevenson studied engineering at Edinburg University, but later switched to law after lighthouse design failed to spark his interest. After he graduated with his law degree, he never practiced. The love of writing had taken him hostage.
Stevenson's first published book was AN INLAND VOYAGE. 
While Stevenson stretched his writing muscles, he met his would-be wife (who happened to already be married), Fanny Osbourne, an American with two children. After Fanny divorced her then-husband, she married Stevenson in 1880.
Shortly after his marriage, Stevenson's health declined (what some believe to be undiagnosed tuberculosis). He was forced to remain in bed, but it was at this point that his writing career took off. While bedridden he wrote the classic novels: Treasure Island, Kidnapped, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and The Black Arrow.
Stevenson died of a stroke on December 3, 1894.

Writerly Things to Learn from Robert Louis Stevenson:
1. What your family wants you to do, might not be what you're meant to do. If Stevenson had suppressed his love of writing in favor of lighthouse design, we wouldn't have his precious books today! We are all given different gifts. Don't let yours go to waste!
2. Travel is a spark for the imagination. Stevenson spent his life travelling. In his college years, he used his vacations to trek across France. In his lifetime his visited various places such as France, California, the islands of the Pacific Ocean, to finally settle in Samoan islands before he died. His travels richly influenced his imagination and his books.