WOTP Interview: Alexandra Moon, Young Adult Author

Our last (but not least!) in Writers Yet to Query or Be Published is a writer I've known for a long time, Alexandra Moon. She delves into her novel that's been years-in-the-making and shares background information about her life as a multi-talented college student!

To start things off on a personal note, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Well, I’m both a musician and writer. I’m currently in my third year of college, pursuing a BA in music therapy. Which, by the way, I LOVE.  (If you’re curious as to what a music therapist is/does, check it out here).  That being said, I live a pretty busy life.

I’m a vocalist. I have a heart for the stage, and spent most of my high school and now college career appearing in various plays, musicals, and operas.

I am a fantasy writer at heart. I’ve always loved stories that deal with the otherworldly. Whole societies and peoples and cultures that are different from our own. That’s not to say I don’t read non-fantasy (one of my favorite books ins Rainbow Rowel’s Fangirl), but dragons and mermaids and princes (oh my!) make me squeal like a child.

What novel are you currently working on? And what is it about in a few sentences? (Feel free to list as my novels as you like, if you’ve written more than one. I’ll tweak the question.)

My current painintheneckbutiloveitanyway  baby is an YA fantasy called THE BLOODSTONE.

Ms. Moon in perfect concert form.

As I said, I’m a sucker for high fantasy so naturally I decided to take a crack at one for myself. THE BLOODSTONE takes place in the realm of Vurga. A thirty year war is raging, pitting the four “Continental Kingdoms” against the Dragon Kingdom. And the Dragons are winning. The story follows Arielle, a trick rider employed by the Elf Queen, and Cayden, a musician hired by an Elf noble. When Cayden is kidnapped by an unpredictable Dragon, who claims to be doing so for Cayden’s own safety, Arielle is commissioned to rescue Cayden. What ensues is a dangerous quest into the very heart of the Dragon Kingdom itself. A quest that reveals the stakes of the war are higher than anyone realized.

If you can remember, where did the idea for THE BLOODSTONE come from?

So, I have this interesting habit of creating the characters, then their worlds, then the story that I feel like best shows off these worlds. So, I actually created my two MCs, Cayden and Arielle, in eight grade. Obviously, I’ve developed them a great deal since then, but I fell in love with those two and their relationship. I kept trying to find a perfect world for them but none of them felt right. Around the same time, I created Vurga, a world for which I had no characters. It didn’t take me long to realize I’d created the perfection solution to my problem. Cayden and Arielle were meant for Vurga. And so, the BLOODSTONE was born.

Who is your favorite character from your novel and why?

Vurga’s Dragons are born human and gain the ability to shift to their serpentine form over time. The aforementioned “unpredictable Dragon” is my unquestioned favorite character. Her name is Oki Dane and she is a ball of energy and snark. What I like most about her is how confident she is in herself. She knows who she is and she won’t let anyone else’s ideas about her define how she views herself. This is a characteristic I’ve always admired and always wanted to cultivate in myself. Plus, she looks so darn cool (I may be a bit biased here though!). 

When she isn’t a gaint fire-orange dragon, she is cinnamon-skinned and yellow eyes. Her hair—as all Dragons—matches her scales. Basically, Oki is five-feet, ten-inches of orange-haired, yellowed-eyed sass.

And the one-liners.

Oh the one-liners.

Do you have any tips for people who have “always wanted to write” but have never actually attempted it?

It’s hard to begin, but honestly, just start writing with reckless abandon. Don’t start out trying to create a serious project at first. Write for fun. If you’re in class and get an idea for a character, write it down. Do a brief sketch. Start getting a feel for how you find inspiration and your process. You’ll start to realize things will begin to come together. The more your write, the better the words will flow. The more your plots and characters will work with you. But you’ve got to be willing to experiment, to try and fail sometimes.

My early stuff is a mess—heck, some of the current stuff I turn out is a mess. But, the beauty is it

Alexandra performing in Carats and Crumpets

keeps getting better and better. Seeing improvement from one draft to the next is amazing.

Writing is a craft, that is carefully honed. Like a musical instrument, it takes practice. And practice takes a willingness to not sound so hot for awhile.

Be patient with yourself. You’re not going to turn out your magnum opus on your first try. Or your second. Trust me, I’ve written stuff I thought was a Shakespeare and then gone back and read it years later and…..oh my. But, I am grateful to those cringe-worthy little 1,000 word stories because they got me started. And as long as I’m writing, I’m learning.

How do you find the time to write? Do you give yourself a strict schedule or do you have a different plan of attack?

Finding time to write is a CHALLENGE as a full-time music major. I don’t know if any of you have heard the rumors about music majors having no life outside the practice room…

I can conform those rumors.

So, I mostly write on weekends during the school year. And, of course, things like Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, etc. All this means I can’t be a “fast drafter,” which is annoying for someone who used to be able to sit down with her laptop and binge-write 10,000 words in a single sitting without breaking a sweat. Still, I take it one day at a time, and I have to make sure not to put too much pressure on myself. I love my life as a musician just as much, so I don’t mind taking a little extra time if it means I get to do both.

Finally, what are your future aspirations as a writer?

Short term, I want THE BLOODSTONE ready for querying by March. Which, I think is pretty realistic given my current pace. If that falls flat on its face, I have a couple projects in the kettle cooking and I’ll tackle them as soon as query letters go out.

Long term, I want to hold a book in my hands. I want to know people are getting the same joy from my worlds and characters that I get from the worlds and characters of my favorite books.  That is what bring me joy. What makes me excited to do this. 

This was such a fun chat, Alexandra! I hope to see THE BLOODSTONE on shelves in the future (who doesn't love a snarky dragon?!). 

If you want to stay up-to-date with Alexandra's exploits follow her links below:

Blog

Facebook

Goodreads

WOTP Interview: Stephanie, Young Adult Author

Second in Writers Yet to Query or Be Published is the NaNoWriMo victor Stephanie! She talks about her 2016 NaNo novel and tips on getting ideas on the page.

To start things off on a personal note, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Stephanie and I am twenty eight year old from New Jersey. I have completed and won National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), in 2014, and I am competing again this year (2016). I also write different articles and posts for my blog. I write mostly about theatre and I write about books. Other than writing I really enjoy musical theatre as both a performer, tech crew, and an audience member. I’ve been doing musical theatre since around age nine, and it is a huge part of my life.

I read a lot of Young Adult Fiction and a lot of different classic novels. I’m the kind of person that is an avid TV junkie, and I watched a lot of different shows on TV and Netflix.  I am in school getting my BS in General Studies, but I have three AA’s in: Theatre, Journalism, and English. I want to be a writer and a journalist when I’m done with school.

What novel are you currently working on? And what is it about in a few sentences?

The novel I’m currently working on is called A NOT SO ORDINARY LIFE. It’s a young adult real life fiction aimed at teens and adults that enjoy reading young adult fiction. The novel itself is about two twins named Phoebe and Lizzie who are fostered after they’re born, and it talks about them and their foster family. I also talk about their mother, Scarlett, and where she is in her life at that time. I jump around between the present, the past, Scarlett, and doing a trans media post which is Phoebe’s journal or Lizzie’s blog entry.

If you can remember, where did the idea A NOT SO ORDINARY LIFE come from?

Steph's writing area

The odd thing is that the idea for A NOT SO ORDINARY LIFE came to me one day, and I just had this idea about twins that were fostered from a young age and didn’t know their mother. After I had found the two characters the plot wrote itself, and it just kind of flowed from there.

Who is your favorite character from your novel and why?

In my current novel it’s my character Phoebe. I designed her a bit like me but a little bit different from who I am and how I act. She is my favorite because she and I have the same interest. For example, she wants to be a journalist.

Do you have any tips for people who have “always wanted to write” but have never actually attempted it?

My biggest tip is to just get the novel down on paper if you have an idea. If you don’t have an idea yet, but you have the start of an idea just start with what you have and expand on that. Think about the stories that you read, and the characters that you already love, and write a story like that. Just write even if it’s anything that doesn’t make sense write the story that you want down, and edit it later.

How do you find the time to write? Do you give yourself a strict schedule or do you have a different plan of attack?

I find the time to write by using NaNoWriMo sprints on twitter. I do follow a strict schedule of three or four hours a day, this works most days because I’m a planner and it’s the way that I live my life every day. For days when I’m busy I use the time that I have, and I just will either write in the morning before I need to do other things.  

Finally, what are your future aspirations as a writer?

As I was saying before, I’d like to be a writer of fiction mostly in the Young Adult genre, but one day I would love to write a historical fiction novel because I have always loved History. I’d also like to write reviews and recaps for entertainment: Broadway shows, TV, Books, and Movies, I would love to just write to write, and hope that people enjoy the things that I’m writing. 

Thanks so much for stopping by Stephanie! I wish you the best with your NaNo novel!

If you want to keep in touch with Stephanie, check out her accounts below:

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Twitter

Blog

On Vacation

With the holidays fast approaching, I've decided it's time to take some vacation time. Quite a long vacation, actually!
But don't worry, my WOTP blog series will be ongoing every Tuesday at 3 PM EST.
That said, I have some big changes brewing on the horizon, and those changes have kept me from doing the one thing I love: WRITE!
So I'm going to take time from now until February 1st. 
See you in 2017!

WOTP Interview: Caitlin Bronaugh, Adult Romance Author

My Wielders of the Pen blog series kicks off with the first category of talented novelists: Writers Yet to Query or Be Published. 
Click here if you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about.
Caitlin Bronaugh is here today, offering up some facts of the trade, some fun details about her current project, and some great tips for fellow writers!

To start on a personal note, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Caitlin Bronaugh and I live in Charleston, West Virginia. I work at a bakery as a cake decorator and baker. My boyfriend and I have a catahoula/pit mix named Quinn (or Ninnie) and she is our world. My favorite books are the Harry Potter series although anything by Anne Rice is a close second. Currently my life consists of work and writing and drinking tons of coffee.
What novel are you currently working on? And what is it about in a few sentences?

I'm currently working on THE IDEA OF CONTROL. It's about Adam Walker, a Dom haunted by an abusive childhood and the ghost of Henry, his late father who abused him. He believes he isn't worthy of love until he meets Annabelle James, a local woman who is the farthest thing from submissive. Regardless of their differences, the two start a relationship that enrages Henry and awakens all of Adam's insecurities as he starts to fall in love with Annabelle.

I've got a few others in the works but currently TIOC is my main obsession.

Caitlin and Quinn

If you can remember, where did the idea for THE IDEA OF CONTROL come from?

THE IDEA OF CONTROL has evolved one hundred times since I started writing it. However, the idea originally came from Fifty Shades of Grey. It began as a mash up of FSOG and Beauty and The Beast but has become something else entirely.

Who is your favorite character from your novel and why?

Adam is my favorite by far. I have always had a soft spot for the broken people in novels. They love the fiercest, whether it be their family or a lover and they are the ones who are most deserving.

Do you have any tips for people who have “always wanted to write” but have never actually attempted it?

A glimpse at Caitlin's awesome writing area!

Just do it. I started writing when I was twelve years old and I haven't stopped. What I wrote as a twelve year old was terrible. What I wrote as a twenty year old was slightly less terrible. What I've written as a twenty six year old is much better. The more you write, the more you read, the better your writing will get.

How do you find the time to write? Do you give yourself a strict schedule or do you have a different plan of attack?

I write when I can. I'm not good at keeping to schedules I make for myself. Some nights I only get an hour of writing in. Those are usually school nights. But on my days off or on the weekends I'm up till 2-3 o'clock in the morning, drinking multiple cups of coffee and pounding away at the keys. But regardless, I write every day.

Finally, what are your future aspirations as a writer?

I tend to dream big so naturally I would love to be a NY Best Seller and maybe even have a movie made from my book. But at the end of the day, I just want my novel and all future novels to be enjoyed. So if I never made the NY Best Seller list and never got a movie deal, I would still be completely happy. 

Caitlin, thank you so much for being here today. It was a special treat. And I'm totally coveting that epic typewriter on your desk! Feel free to follow Caitlin and her writing journey on Twitter.

See you next Tuesday for more Wielders of the Pen interviews!

Query Critique #26: SOMEWHERE BETWEEN YOU AND ME

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 ______,

New York belongs to dreamers. That’s why Aven moves from her small town in Oklahoma to study medicine in the Big Apple. Once there, she realizes she might be at the wrong place after all. She isn’t sure of who she is or what she wants anymore. She hates her gloomy job as a nursing assistant and the idea of getting into med school at the end of summer causes her a major anxiety attack. On top of all, she knows no one and nothing about her new supposedly home and after taking the wrong subway and ending in a dangerous neighborhood in Brooklyn, wandering the city streets alone scares her.

Wow! Aven is a brave young woman, moving to NYC from Oklahoma to study medicine. I love that you have things turn out to be everything but what she expected. This paragraph is a little long though. I think you could condense it into two sentences. The main goal of your first sentence is to hook the agent in right away with your main character, plot, etc. Here’s an example to get you started:

New York City belongs to dreamers, and twenty-year-old Aven Insert-Last-Name has dreams as big as the Oklahoma sky where she grew up. Except when she arrives in the Big Apple to study medicine, the dangers of city life and the rigors of nursing threaten to send her fleeing back to her small town.

(I think you should bring this up to the first paragraph since you have dual POVs in this query, each POV gets a paragraph.) But everything changes the day she meets Jeremy, a handsome street musician who plays at Central Park and captivates her with his melancholic music. Jeremy is everything she’s afraid doesn’t dare to be−brave (I think she’s brave for moving from Oklahoma to NYC!), confident, and passionate about what he does−and he knows the city like the back of his hand (I think this becomes clear when he offers to show her NYC). So when he offers Aven the opportunity to experience New York together she accepts, going against her plans and her mother’s warnings warns to not get distracted by boys and ruin her future. 

Jeremy knows what he wants from his life−play guitar, sing, and be the owner of his destiny. He’s not going to pretend to be some else or conform to a life half lived anymore. When he meets Aven, the a lost lonely girl who unexpectedly becomes his muse, he’s sure he wants her to be part of his future even though she wants nothing but his friendship (It looked like she wanted more than friendship in the paragraph above.).

(This should be its own paragraph since its bringing the POVs together) As Aven and Jeremy they experience explore the city together, ignoring their growing attraction, they realize their stories dreams are not so different. But this connection they share could bring them together or tear them apart if Aven isn’t willing to admit her feelings. Aven finds herself torn between Her true dreams could become a reality, but she’s torn between breaking her mother’s heart (I think you need to make it clearer that her mom really wants Aven to be a nurse. Otherwise the stakes here don’t seem so dramatic.) or her own.

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN YOU AND ME (Love the title!) is a NA contemporary novel completed at 50,000 words (The WC seems a little low for NA). The story alternates between Aven and Jeremy’s point of view with some of Jeremy’s chapters written in verse. Some of Jeremy’s chapters include songs. Though it is a standalone novel it has series potential the potential of becoming a series.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Despite the red, this is a really good query letter. You made both of your characters real for me and introduced the stakes. Well done! I did a lot of shaving word count wise because the query clocked in at 364 words. The sweet spot for a query letter is 250-300. Since this is a contemporary romance, I think you’d be better off being closer to 250 words. Good luck! Let me know if you would like me to take another look once you’ve done some edits.

Wielders of the Pen Blog Series Kick Off!

I've been excited about this blog series for months!

Which is why today is the best day ever because I get to officially announce it and the fantastic writers who will be joining me. Some categories aren't 100% filled so I'm working behind-the-scenes to add more novelists, and this page will be updated as more join in.

On that note, if you're in a category (or know someone who fits in an open category) feel free to participate/spread the word. Click here for more info.

A new interview will go live every following Tuesday at 3 PM EST. Make sure you're subscribed to my blog so you don't miss a single post!

Below are the categories and the writers who you'll meet over the next few months:

DECEMBER: Writers Yet to Query or Be Published (FULL)

Caitlin Bronaugh, Stephanie, Alexandra K. Moon

JANUARY: Querying Writers (FULL)

Lindsay Adams, Emily Smith, Fiona Claire, Delise Torres, Michael Eigbadon

FEBRUARY: Agented Writers on Submission (FULL)

Heather Christie, Georgina Cross, Tracy Auerbach, Bethany

MARCH: Independently Published Authors (1 Spot Left)

S. J. Henderson, Katherine Bogle, Laura Baugh

APRIL: Authors Published Through a Publisher Only (1 Spot Left)

Abigail Borders, C.K. Brooke, Chanta Gadoury

MAY: Authors Published Traditionally (4 Spots Left)

...

JUNE: Readers of Young Adult Fiction (2 Spots Left)

Angelee Beauvais, Tako Chikhradze

I'm ready to meet some great authors, how about you?

Classics Challenge: A Year in Review

Wow. I can't believe I've come to the end of my Classics Challenge.
So many books have been read (and not read, unfortunately). I wanted to list my favorites...and not so favorites...to wrap up this blog series (seriously, has it really been a year?!).
Favorites:
Gone With the Wind

An obsession began after reading this book. I adore all things GWTW, especially the movie! Without this Classics Challenge, I doubt I would've found the motivation to put the huge book off my shelf. Now I own two copies!
Little Women
I'm counting this as a favorite because I'm leaving the ending out. I still don't like who Jo ended up with, and I probably never will! But the writing and sisterhood of the book was darling. As the oldest in a family of four girls, I think Little Women will always have a special place in my heart.
Didn't Finish:
Pride & Prejudice
A Tale of Two Cities
Lorna Doone
Jamaica Inn
Moby Dick
What can I say about these? Yes, a majority of the writers are British. But I don't think that had a huge impact considering Moby Dick was written by an American. These stories just lacked compelling characters and action (as they would say in GWTW, the character didn't have any gumption, at least not to me). I'll probably never pick these books up again. Especially Lorna Doone. Eek.
Not My Cup of Tea:
The Great Gatsby
The Lord of the Flies
The Time Machine
Is it a coincidence that all of these books start with "The"? I'm not sure. But I am sure that, though I finished these short books, I won't ever pick them up again. Each of them had their different quirks that didn't make them an enjoyable read. Most notably the violence that is The Lord of the Flies. I still don't like to think about it.
So-So:
Wuthering Heights
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
These books were okay. It wasn't a huge struggle to finish them, but I also probably wouldn't give them another read through or yearn to have a copy on my bookshelf.
Now...
Would I ever do another Classics Challenge? Sure! Just not anytime soon. I'm thinking 2018 or 2019. The required reading list was tiring! Especially forcing myself to read at times--which is something I've never had to do before.
This was a great experience though and opened my mind to different styles of writing as well as the human behind the writer. 
Meanwhile, I'm prepping for a massive blog series(because these are obviously becoming my new favorite thing)! Check back on Tuesday to see what it's all about.