Logline #31

Title: Storm Front
Genre: mystery

A serial killer has made the worlds most popular social networking sites his personal hunting ground and is now coming after Bainbridge Island homicide detective Sarah Lake and her past.

Logline #30

Title:  Riding the Dam
Genre:  MG humor, coming-of-age

The year is 1952 in San Angelo, Texas and ten-year-old Allan spends most days looking for adventure—adventures like riding down a 128 foot dam on his best friend, Raymond’s handlebars, riding on a bucking bronco, and winning the best Concho River storytelling contest.

San Angelo has its share of quirky characters like John the rodeo rider with the glass eye, Mr. Franklin who has the gift of taming wasps, and Aunt Hope who teaches Allan to catch, kill, and fry up chickens and wrangle snakes. In other words, it’s a young boy’s paradise…until Allan’s mother becomes ill and his world is changed forever.

Logline #29

Title:  BABY DOE
Genre:  Mystery

One wintery night in the woods, a man wrenches a baby from the arms of a teenage girl, thereby opening the door for murder, rape, and incest. Bucky Ontario, clever and daring, learns the shocking truth and goes up against a town determined to stop him at any price.

Logline #28

TITLE: Gladys Gatsby Takes the Cake
GENRE: Humorous MG

http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-4.html

Gladys Gatsby has dreamed of becoming a restaurant critic for the New
York Times—she just didn’t expect to be assigned her first review at
age 11. Now, if she wants to meet her deadline and hang on to her
dream job, she’ll have to defy her fast-food-loving parents, cook her
way into the heart of her sixth-grade archenemy, and battle
Manhattan’s meanest maitre d’.

Logline #27

Title:  Polaris
Genre:  YA sci-fi

After seventeen year-old Geneva Reid is found floating in the middle of the ocean, missing for ten years without having aged a day, she struggles to understand the events leading up to her disappearance and the reasons why she is in danger now.

Logline #26

Title: Terra Incognita
Genre: Fantasy

http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-8.html

When Haylee Wells is attacked by a pale creature and transported to a future she barely recognizes – where these creatures reign and humans are their prey – she must realize the growing power within herself.  If she fails to do so, she faces consequences much worse than never returning home – she risks becoming a slave to the “Pale Ones.”

Logline #25

Title: Saving Andromeda
Genre: YA mystery

Eighteen year-old Emma hunts for the truth behind her birth mother’s murder confession. A famous bio-dad, simmering family feuds and a hostile crew of new relatives trip up her investigation, which kicks into high gear when Emma realizes Andromeda gave a false confession. Her hunt to discover who Andromeda was really protecting leads to a killer determined to let the truth die with Emma.

Logline #24

Title: Ripple Effect
Genre: YA Time Travel Dystopian

http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-2.html

When the time machines seventeen-year-old Kali Addison’s dad invented are destroyed, she discovers the power to travel through time is within her. With a heavy handed government wanting to reproduce Kali for their own use and those who wiped out her dads work wanting her dead, she hardly has time to figure out who she really is. If one of them catch her before she does, it’s times up—for everyone.

Logline #23

TITLE: Dream Weaver
GENRE: YA Sci-Fi

#39 http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-39.html

Megan has her first dream at seventeen, but she doesn't realize her dreams are special, they become reality. Confused and frightened by this new power, she teams up with mysterious new guy Mason who's been sent to help her learn the truth: there's a group of people who will stop at nothing to harness the power of her dreams.

Logline #22

Title: SOPHIE
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

Previous post: #38

Revised logline: Sophie accidentally travels backward in time to 1895 Paris, and must find a way home or risk changing the future when she is mistaken for a missing girl, and falls for the Jewish activist meant for the girl’s sister.

Logline #21

Title: SO YOU DON'T WANT TO BE AN EVIL SORCERESS
Genre: YA Fantasy

Mysty dreams of dating high school basketball star Eric Gallante; instead, she accidentally turns him into a frog. Her kiss could make his amphibious problem permanent so she has to find someone with a pure heart – who he hopefully won’t like too much – to kiss him before she is lured into fairy tale land and punished for her crime.

Logline #20

Title: Into Nevermore
Genre: MG Fantasy Adventure

On Firma, Earth’s unusual sister-planet, Felix witnesses his puckish mentor being dragged into the Nevermore Woods by cloaked figures. Everyone thinks the kidnapping is a prank, but Felix knows better and must brave the forest and its sinister creatures in order to save him.

Logline #18

Title: Bloodlines - The Hourglass Bridge
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

#17 http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-17.html

When an ancient ritual drags Diamond into a hidden, magical civilization in the 16th century, she quickly realizes there's more to worry about than how much school she's missing. Her ancestors hold the powers which protect their city and an immortal witch threatens to destroy them for it, forcing Diamond to fight for her bloodline's survival or risk being eradicated from history itself.

Logline #19

TITLE: SWIM
GENRE: YA Urban Fantasy

http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-11.html

Even though it's against Mer rules, seventeen-year-old Meredith thinks she can keep her relationship with the human boy she saved a secret. She trusts herself to keep it all in control...until she falls in love with him, her secret is found out, and a mysterious death has the Mer suspecting she is a Siren, a caller of men. Suddenly, Meredith's friendships, love, and ultimate freedom all depend on her finding answers, even if they are not the ones she wanted.

Logline #17

Title: The Rowaness of Shalott
Genre: YA Fantasy

http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-5.html

After spending her life loveless and nameless, an immortal girl falls in love with the young knight Lancelot, who names her Guinevere and awakens her dormant ability to feel touch. But their forbidden romance threatens to expose the secluded existence of her irresistible female race, and the addictive sensation of touch weakens the bond to Guinevere’s rowan tree—the force keeping her alive.

Logline #16

Title: The Saint and the Smith
Genre: Historical Fiction with strong elements of fantasy

Merewyn's powers swirl out of control every time Warin, the cynical blacksmith, comes near. To keep from killing the man she can't help but love and protect him from King Henry III who wants his head, she must risk the noose and master her sometimes saintly, oftentimes devilish abilities.

Logline #15

Title:  The Paradox Cure
Genre:  MG Science Fiction

http://lindamclaren.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-3-paradox-cure.html

Bioengineering genius Amanda Shine has a trash-talkingpipistrellus bat, a bonobo ape with personal-space issues, and a snow leopard on wheels. Good thing, because Amanda will need all their help to rescue her missing mother and save Earth’s dying animals—going extinct thanks to widespread amateur genetic engineering. Problem is, both her mom and the potential cure for extinction are nine billion miles away on planet Paradox. She’ll have to suck up to smarmy real estate mogul H.C. Chafey to make the trans-universal hike. And Chafey has plans of his own for Amanda’s stratospheric I.Q.

Logline #14

Title: Smoke and Wait
Genre: Urban Fantasy

http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-21.html

Special Agent Alexandra MacPherson’s forte is arresting sociopaths who
blow things up, not decapitating monsters that replicate through their
victims. But she will, and accept help from a man she barely knows and
doesn’t trust, if it means solving an ugly case. With any luck, Alex
won't die in the process, or come back if she does.

Logline #13

Title: FanGirl
Genre: YA

Ms. Snark Post #3

In FANGIRL Ruby Miller is cast as an iconic zombie hunter in the television adaptation of her favorite graphic novel. Between navigating hot actors and script lines the eighteen year-old learns that trusting her instincts in a world of agents and paparazzi is as terrifying as coming face to face with a reanimated corpse

Logline #12

Title: Master of the Miracles
Genre: Literary/Historical Fiction

When Ora's attempts at conception fail she starts to think that God wants more from her than prayer. She begins to have stigmatic visions of a 2nd Century woman named Bruriah. In a quest to learn more, Ora studies Talmud with a Yeshiva student who she should not be speaking to - let alone meeting in private. When she becomes pregnant with twins that were not conceived with her husband, Ora is confronted with the same choice Bruriah faced 2000 years before.

Logline #11

TITLE: Supernatural Freak
GENRE: urban fantasy

http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-12.html

In contemporary London, 25 year old paranormal consultant Robyn Wise joins
forces with the ancient spirit living inside her to fight the Dark Cloud,
a malevolent entity determined to absorb Fairyland's power. If Robyn
fails, all good magic will be eradicated from Earth, and our planet will
turn into a hopeless desert where mercy is dead.

Logline #10

Title: Opposition
Genre: YA Fantasy

logline #20

The Aerisians—people living on the invisible, floating continent of Aeris—were given a power beyond the elements and a legendary task centuries ago: protect the Yin Shadow and the Yang Light, the syzygy that makes up the balance of the Earth. But in the week Atalanta Raire turns fifteen, suddenly the Light is stolen, her sister goes missing, and the only thing Ata can do is go to the Earth Plane, where there are much more awaits than just a lost sister and a pilfered Light.

Logline #9

TITLE: KILLING HORIZONS
GENRE:  Women's fiction / thriller

http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-2-10.html

Lena, a stunning and mysterious mail-order bride from Russia, trades her troubled past for The American Dream – but gets a husband as rotten as he is rich. When Lena and the au pair, Amy, begin a secretive affair, things start to get hot, and dangerous. Desperate for freedom, both women are faced with life-or-death choices – until they learn who really is in control of their lives. But does this lesson come too late?

Logline #8

Title: Here Comes the Sun
Genre: YA-Contemporary

http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-24.html

Everyone has a soundtrack to their life; a list of songs they listen to when they're excited and happy or lonely and sad. But just as 17-year-old Natalie's soundtrack mirrors her life with sad songs brought on by a severe dose of shyness, she meets an unavailable and outgoing Beatles fanatic who has her heart crooning love tunes, forcing her to confront her introverted ways before he, too, walks away.

Logline #7

TITLE:  REMEMBRANCE
GENRE:  Paranormal Romance/Fantasy

Original Log Line:  http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-10.html

Arianh, Tiernan and Aiden are the reincarnation of a medieval lord, witch and wizard, who have been reunited by an ancient spell.  The three must remember and settle their past differences in time to save their futures as a sinister man from their prior life is back too, and he wants revenge.

Logline #6

Title:  BUTTERFLY GIRL
Genre:  Upper middle grade

#34 of round 3

Abandoned on her grandfather’s farm, twelve year old Madison stumbles on a spell in her ancestor’s journal, awakens magic hidden in her genes…and sprouts wings!  When Madison’s story goes viral, her long-absent mother shows up with superstar plans for her Butterfly Girl.  Madison will have to decide if a glamorous life with the mother she dreamed of is worth moving away from the friends who stood by her – and from Grandpa, who loved her before the whole world knew her name.

Logline #5

Title:  Dying Is Not An Option
Genre:  Crime Fiction

Round 3, Logline #18

Santa Barbara Police Officer Claire Hartman relies on control, courage and an unwavering will to survive to get through her shift—bonus points if she gets to draw on her sardonic wit instead of her sidearm, but when she becomes the target of a vengeful gang member, Claire wrestles with who to trust while she hunts the man who has sworn to kill her.

Logline #4

Title: Cloaked In Fur
Genre: Urban Fantasy

#31 http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-31.html

With Daciana’s boyfriend abducted by the wulfkin alpha because he is convinced she wants his position, chances are her human lover won’t be alive much longer. To make matters worse, her transformation ceremony is less than five days away and promises to make her human forever. Daciana will do whatever it takes to save her man before the ritual, even if it means revealing her true wolf nature to a human and outing herself from the pack family.

Logline #3

Title:  BRITTLE
Genre:  YA Urban Fantasy

Standing at the edge of her own freshly-dug grave, Sara Jacobs is about to tell the most important story of her life. From a gossip-crazed high school to a moonless limbo of tombstone-covered hills, this is how her mysterious mother’s legacy blew her boring world apart. And how she put it all back together.

Logline #2

Title: Tripplehorn Parker, Hesitant Heroine Extraordinaire
Genre: Upper MG Adventure

Previous logline link: http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/10/logline-critique-round-3-37.htmlRevised

The night before leaving for the Ugandan bush, adventure-phobic 12-year-old Tripplehorn Parker is horrified to receive a secret message urging her to protect an ancient idol by hiding it forever. But with her researcher parents distracted by African wildlife, and with the world’s destiny at stake, she’ll have to use smarts and nerve to find the powerful object and outwit a herd of bad guys who will kill to exploit it.

Logline #1

TITLE:  Pendulum
GENRE:  Mystery/Suspense

Revision from Round 3 Logline (Miss Snark's First Victim)    #25

When the coroner rules her beloved twin brother murdered his family, then committed suicide, Charlotte Reynolds (Charlie) moves in her brother's pre-civil war home, vowing to stay until she proves his innocence. But when she calls to report nocturnal visitations by an unseen intruder, the police dismiss her as a drunken whack job just like her brother, leaving Charlie alone to confront the terrifying possibility the unseen intruder may be real.

Calling All Revisions For Logline Round 3!

If you were one of the lucky ones and got into logline critique round 3 (or missed one of the previous chances for revised critiquing) at Authoress’s blog and have made your revisions, here is your chance to have them critiqued again! 

From now until 6:00 PM EDT Monday October 17, I will accept submissions.  I will post them later Monday night for critiquing right here on this blog.

Please send submissions to crowleykt [AT] gmail [DOT] com (the address is also posted to your right).

In the subject line, please state “LOGLINE”.

Please list title and genre above the logline (format it the way you normally would).

If you would like to include a link to your previous logline or if you want to include the # of your previous entry on Authoress’s site, I will include that.  Otherwise I will post as it’s received.

Please make sure to come back here tomorrow night and help out my fellow writers in their quest to perfect their loglines!  It’s a lot of fun and I know it’s very much appreciated.  As I’ve said before, this is a form of support, so let’s help these writers out!

Can’t wait to see how they’ve come along!  J

Emotional Space For Rent: Negativity Need Not Apply...

Little update on where I’m at before I get to the actual post. 

At this moment, I’m in the mountains, on a mini-vacation.  But since I’m a bone-head and forgot to post this yesterday, here I am.

I’ve got 5 novels in the works, with 6 ideas in development.  My brain has been on double overdrive.  My unique protagonists are being nice to one another, but jealousy is brimming.  It’s hard to pay attention to them all at once, and placating them is becoming difficult. 

If only there were 48 hours in a day, maybe I could actually get everyone’s stories written and completed. 

As for everything else, I’m going to save that for my anniversary post, which is in just over 2 weeks.  Now, onto this post!

Negativity has moved in, and it’s not paying rent. 

For weeks I’ve been in this weird place, not sure where I’m going or how to even get there.  It started out as this little whisper in my ear, easily ignored by some good music.  Now it’s full-on yelling, all the time.  It’s gotten so loud, it’s actually making my loudest protagonist, Kat (though we’re still arguing over her name, but this is what I’ll call her for now), quiet down a bit.  If you were in my head, you would know that says something. 

So this post is going to be about negativity and doubt, and some ways I find helpful in confronting them.  I’m going to refer to negativity and doubt as one entity, negativity, because they pretty much go hand-in-hand. 

Most negativity is self-contained, meaning it’s you and your mind creating it.  Once it’s there, in even the tiniest form, it’ll grow like a Chia Pet, because it’s human nature to pay attention to it.  If it’s there, it’s for a reason.  It may not be a good one, but there is a reason.  The question you have to ask is why it’s there. 

It may take a little soul-searching, but it’s worth the effort.  Dissect it.  When did it first appear?  Was there an inciting incident or did it manifest on its own?  Is there a deeper meaning behind this negativity or are you just being hard on yourself?  Is the negativity misplaced?  What can you do to erase it and get back to a good place?  There are many questions to ask, many answers to find.  For some, it’s simple, for others like me, not so much.  These are some of the questions I’ve asked myself recently.  Here are my answers.

When did it first appear?  About 5 weeks ago, while working on my query letter for the hundredth time.

Was there an inciting incident or did it manifest on its own?  Both.  I got an okay critique on said query, made suggested corrections, sent it back and got another okay critique, questioning the very things that were suggested I change the last round.  Enter frustration.  I instantly thought “If it’s still not perfect, it’s never going to be perfect.  I’m never going to get it right.”  It’s been a snowball rolling downhill since.

Is there a deeper meaning behind this negativity or are you just being hard on yourself?  I think I’m just being hard on myself, like always.

Is the negativity misplaced?  Maybe—perfection doesn’t exist.  Getting frustrated is easy to do, but it’s not the solution.  Just because my query still needs a little work doesn’t mean everything I’ve written stinks. 

What can you do to erase it and get back to a good place?  I have to ask my critiquer about why she questioned my changes (that she had suggested) so that I can get a better understanding as to what she’s looking for.  Maybe there was a miscommunication.  She’s there to help me and I can’t get help if I don’t ask for it.  I also need to lean on my support system a little more.  It’s been a while since I’ve gotten a pat on the back, and I could really use one right about now.

There.  Negativity located, addressed and after a conversation with my critiquer, resolved.  I’ve got more negativity lurking thanks to this one small thing, so to get rid of it all, I’ll probably have to rinse and repeat.  Maybe I’ll have to do more than that, like below. 

Not so cut and dry?  Went through your questions, but not happy with the answers?  Talk it out with someone in your support system.  A fresh set of ears (or eyes, if it’s negativity over a piece of work like me) can give you the advice and perspective you need. 

Or maybe you need to step away from whatever it is that has you feeling this way for a while, clear your head.  Everyone needs a break; it’s learning when to take one that’s crucial.  If you’re burnt out, you’re never going to feel good about what you’re doing.  And negativity’s friend, resentment, may start festering.  For writers, this means turning off the computer, tucking the manuscript away in a drawer, switching mental gears and focusing on something non-writing related until you feel good again. 

If it’s coming from someone instead of something, the same rules can apply.  Ask questions, get your answers, or simply walk away.  Remember, no one should make you feel badly just because.  Take what they say with a grain of salt.  The world is full of negative people and it’s something we have to deal with, especially writers, but we don’t have to be defined or discouraged by it.  Criticism should only be constructive and meant to help you, anything less than that is nothing you need to be listening to.  People are subjective and opinionated, so not everyone is going to be a fan of what you’re doing, but that doesn’t mean they have to step on your feelings or that you have to listen to it.  Know that if they don’t like your work, there are two people behind them that do.  I don’t expect everyone to be a walking ray of sunshine, but no one has to rain on you, either.  And if it’s not already clear, these types of people probably shouldn’t be in your support system.

If you ignore the root of the negativity with no positive results, it could swallow you whole.  It may make you want to quit, and that’s definitely not the answer, even when it seems like the best solution.  Negativity never has good ideas, and quitting is the prime example of how not dealing with it can turn out.  Push through it, conquer it.  Negativity should never win, nor should it ever make it to your heart.  Once it’s there, it can become permanent (trust me, I know from experience) and then it’s got a piece of you forever.  And what did it take place of?  Some of your confidence, and that’s hard to get back.  Save yourself the pain and evict negativity now. 

Once you’ve dealt with negativity, keep it at bay.  I post quotes almost daily that help me keep the positive energy flowing.  Reviewing the work I’m proud of also helps.  Lean on that support system.  The thing that helps me the most, though?  Remembering why I do what I do and how it makes me feel, how much I love it.  It helps keep away negativity 98% of the time.  I get to follow my dreams and feel passion for my work.  In turn, I feel not just happy, but lucky.  That’s what you should feel, too.

Try thinking about why you do what you do, how it makes you feel.  Go ahead, I’ll wait…

Are you smiling?  I hope so.  J

Cheerleaders Aren't Just For Football...

“We deceive ourselves when we fancy that only weakness needs support.  Strength needs it far more.” ~ Anne Sophie Swetchine

I’ll be the first person to admit I’m my own worst critic.  I’m self-deprecating, masochistic, and an all-around pessimist.  But I’m also stubborn, determined and a complete dreamer of dreams. 

How is that even possible?  Trust me, it is.

I try to believe in myself.  I push through the negativity to prove to my evil alter-ego that I can do it, even when she’s telling me I don’t stand a chance (she can be really snarky).  Sometimes, she wins and I go to bed deflated, defeated and ready to give up.  Sometimes I win, and she shuts up and scowls while I smile sweetly and pat myself on the back.  I don’t win enough, though. 

That’s where my support system comes in.

Don’t get me wrong, some people succeed on their own, with no support system, and I give them major kudos for being able to do so.  But only a few like that succeed.  Many others give up.  And come on, who doesn’t appreciate a pat on the back?  Whether you are on a sports team, part of a band, or a soloist like me, everyone should have somebody behind them.  To cheer you on and encourage you to push the limits of your potential, someone to slap you out of a funk or to pick you up when you’ve lost a round (because everyone loses sometimes) and tell you “Good job, go do it again”.  Everyone needs that validation that someone there believes in them, too, even the most egotistical and narcissistic. 

Why?  Without the support of others, the road to success could be much, much harder.  It’s easier to travel that road with company.  Whether it’s two people, two hundred, or two thousand, you’ll be amazed at how much better the journey is with them behind you.  It’s also more fun to celebrate successes with those people who were at the start line with you.  After all, it’s a little piece of success for them, too.

Support systems can be made up of all variations of the people in your life, such as: 

• Spouse/partner
• Parents
• Siblings
• Extended family members
• Friends
• Colleagues
• Neighbors
• Fellow writers, athletes, artists, etc.
• A mentor

Even people you meet online can become your supporters and allies.  It doesn’t matter who they are in relevance to your life and/or goals, as long as they are people who you are comfortable sharing your goals with, who believe in and respect you, and can be there to say “You can do it” when you need it.  That’s one criteria needed.  

The other criteria would be the ability to ask for that support.  I know first hand that people can assume you don’t need them, so it’s important to remind them when you do.  I also know how hard it can be to say when you need someone, so I’m telling you right now, swallow that pride—it can be rather useless when you feel like quitting.

My support group is made up of many parts.  So that I don’t offend people, I’ll spare you the pie chart (even though I’d really love to put one up because I love pie charts) and provide you a list instead:

• My husband, Bob:  I’d be lost without him most days.  He picks me up when I’m down, dusts me off and kicks me in the pants (sometimes a little too hard, haha) and tells me everyday that he believes in me.  He also knows when to give me a proper reality check.  Bob’s my beta reader, my sounding board, my shoulder to cry on, my ear to yell into when I’m frustrated and my #1 supporter. 
• My parents: They’ve come over almost every weekday the past year to watch my little guy so that I could work, and who are there to say (along with my husband) that I need to pursue my dreams.  They haven’t read a word I’ve written (I’m actually quite shy about my work and refuse to share with them until it’s in print), but they think I’ve got the talent to succeed and promise to be first in line to buy my books. 
• My extended family and friends:  This large and eclectic group of people in my life provides varying levels of support, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that. 
• Fellow writers:  Along this journey, I’ve met an amazing group of multi-talented people from all walks of life, and through their opinions, advice and support, I’ve seen myself and my writing from a much different perspective.  Most I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting in person, but we have a mutual respect and belief in one another’s goals.  To be embraced by the writing community like that and to be able to offer that embrace back is a wonderful thing.
• My followers:  The fact that you come here to this blog, follow my Twitter and/or Facebook and read my ramblings, comment on them, share them, and take the time to show interest in what I’m doing is not only flattering, but astounding (in the best way possible).  It helps me believe in myself.  It makes me feel worthy of someone else’s time, and for that I have so much gratitude and appreciation for each of you.  I love reading your emails, your tweets and comments, and I love hearing how my work has made you feel/think.  That validation for me as a writer is crucial to succeeding, and you’ve helped to give me that.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
• Critique givers:  They’ve read my work, given me the good and the bad, and in the end, they still encourage me and tell me to go for it.  Enough said.

These people have gathered together along my road to success.  Without them, I would have thrown in the towel a LONG time ago.  I look forward to celebrating with them when the time finally comes.  *Prays that it will come quickly*

Family, friends, workout partners, critique groups, classmates, strangers, the mailman, or the guy who sits a cubicle away from you.  There are so many options for support out there.  All you have to do is get out your “road to success” map, decide who you want with you and tell them where you’re heading.   

How did I write a book?

“How did you write a book?”

It’s probably the question I’ve been asked as much as what my book is about.  To me, it’s like asking why the sky is blue.  The truth is I don’t have a straight answer.  Telling people about my book in 140 characters on Twitter is easier than telling them how I wrote it.  But because I can’t leave a question unanswered, I am going to tell you how I actually wrote it and what I do while I write.

I’ve told the story before, but I’ll tell give you the abridged version on how I came to write my first book.  For those who want to read the full story, here’s the link to my very first blog post in which I go into more detail: http://crowleykt.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html

Back in 2009, I broke my ankle, leading to me spending LOTS of time sitting around.  I started thinking up stories and one story idea just stuck with me.  6 weeks later, I’d completed work on my first draft on Unnatural, the first novel in a series I’ve created.  Fast forward to the present where I’m in the 5^th and (hopefully) final draft of Unnatural and slowly sending out queries to agents after many, many rounds of edits and critiques, buffing and polishing my manuscript to a nice shine.

Now I’ll tell you what I needed in order to write Unnatural and what I still need to write to this day.

The Process:

As I’ve mentioned before, music is a muse and a must-have element in my writing process (not so much in the creative process, because that just happens on its own.  I’ll talk more about that later).  Some days I’ll know exactly what I need to listen to and others I have to scroll through the thousands of tracks I have until one sets the mood.  If I don’t have time to scroll (like when I’m trying to squeeze in some writing during my son’s very short naps), I have “go-to” artists I’ll put on, such as Paramore, Muse and The Bravery.  These in particular almost always help to set the mood for my writing time.

Once I’ve got my music going, I focus on clearing out the static around me; no twitter, facebook or email, no phone calls and no husband and baby (love them to pieces, but frankly, I can’t get anything done with them around).

So I’ve got my music going, I’m static-free, what next?  I need something pretty and inspiring to look at when I need a moment of reflection.  If I’m writing during daylight, I open my blinds.  I have a decent view of rooftops, trees, small mountains and endless sky to look at.  It’s not a fantastic, million-dollar view or anything, but it’s enough for me.  If it’s nighttime—which has become my temporary writing time until January—I google a picture of the area the current story takes place in.  Visual aids are very helpful during the wee hours.

To be as accurate as possible, a lot of writing requires research, so I pull together any reference guides I may need, any research that I’ve done that will help and keep them handy to avoid disturbing my flow.  Who wants to be in the middle of a scene and have to get up from their seat to search for a book or scour the web?  Not me.  Like a boy scout, I’m always prepared.

Then, if I’m being candid—which I always am—I stare.  I stare at my work-in-progress or a blank word document until my fingers start typing.  To avoid hours of just sitting and staring, I have notes written out on a pad of paper or in another word document on my second monitor and reference them for a mental kick.  (For those of you who’ve never used a dual-monitor set up, I HIGHLY recommend it if you’re like me and have several pages open at once on your PC and need to reference them often).  That usually gets the ball rolling, but if it doesn’t, I wait until my creative juices start flowing naturally. 

I don’t force my writing because when I do, it usually ends up being deleted.  It could take minutes or hours, but I always wait it out.  I think of my stories as real and my characters like real people; would I force a friend to tell me their story?  To relay a problem their having or a past event to me in specific, intimate details when they’re not ready to?  No.  So I don’t do that to my characters.  Otherwise, they go on strike and then I’m really stuck staring at a blank screen for days, possibly weeks until they feel I’ve been punished enough and decide to forgive me.  I don’t push them and they don’t push me (usually).

And that’s it.  That is my process.  To some it may seem simple, to others complicated.  But none of this matters without the creativity, which leads me to the second part of this blog post.

The Creativity:

I can’t say where my ideas come from.  I know, it sounds like a cop-out, so I’ll elaborate.  I take a topic I like, such as paranormal elements, and the characters introduce themselves to me.  Then I let it play out in my mind like a movie.  If the reel sputters then fails, I know the story is not worth my attention.  But if it plays smoothly and on repeat, new elements showing up with each playback, then I have a story to be told.  Or if I have a character that simply won’t leave my thoughts, I know I need to work with them to get their story out. 

I may get some eye rolls for this, but I’ve been doing this for so long that my mind is now on auto-pilot, and the ideas just come to me, unexpectedly, no prompting needed.  And out comes the laptop (or pen and paper, or eyeliner and napkin, whatever I can get my hands on when it needs to be written).

What I can say is where my creativity happens.  I get most of my ideas and do my best thinking in the shower and while driving my car; the two places a laptop can’t be of use.  I guess those are the places I relax my brain enough to let my mind open up to story/character invasions.  When I don’t have so much on my plate, I also get ideas while trying to fall asleep at night, another place my laptop is not welcome (though my husband now understands that it’s more effective for me to use a netbook I keep on my nightstand than having me run back and forth from my bedroom to my office).

And that’s my best answer to the question that kicked off this blog post.  I could have posted a more technical answer about how to write dialogue and structure a story, but I think I’ll save those topics for later posts. 

I’d love to hear what my fellow writers do when you write and how your creations are born, so if you’re willing to share, leave a comment below or send me a tweet or email at the right.  I’m interested to hear all about it, especially any strange rituals or practices that are a must to make it happen for you.

If you’re thinking about writing a book but don’t know where to start, start at the beginning; read reference books on writing and stories in the genre you want to write in.  Carry a notebook with you for when ideas strike.  Create an outline or a summary of the story you want to tell.  Or be like me and just dive right in, writing from beginning to end or write scenes as they come to you, piecing everything together and filling in the cracks later.  Figure out what works for you.  Get in your own zone and go for it, just let it happen.  My best piece of advice to offer is to stay dedicated.  It’s all on you.  After all, the story isn’t going to write itself.  ;-)  

I’ll be back next week with a post on a writing support system and its importance.  Stay classy, readers.  <3

What's Up, Grammar??

Before I give you my thoughts on grammar, I have some more news to share. 

Over the past three weeks, I’ve pretty much disappeared from the online scene (and from life itself, really).  Shortly after I posted my big news about my pregnancy, I got some bad news.  It turns out baby Crowley #2 won’t be joining us after all.  As you can expect, my husband and I are experiencing a range of different emotions.  Sadly these things happen, though, and there is no explanation for it.  We’ve come to terms with it—mostly—and still believe that everything happens for a reason. 

I’m not going to lie; it’s been tough.  I’m a really strong person, (to a fault, actually), but nothing prepares you for something like this, even if in the back of your mind you know it’s a possibility.  We’re still grieving, but all we can do now is look forward and hope that if we’re lucky enough to have another pregnancy, it doesn’t happen again.

As for something less depressing, my newest protagonist has turned into a real attention-hogging diva.  She demands I write about her and her alone, all the time, which has left Lexi to feel a bit neglected.  They had a catfight about it yesterday—there was name-calling, hair pulling, it got ugly.  Lexi won, surprisingly. 

Wouldn’t you just love to be inside my head while all this goes on?? 

My new protagonist and I have been fighting over her name, and since we can’t come to an agreement, I may hold a vote to decide it.  I may even make a contest out of it.  With the vote, I hope to quiet her down.  I’ll keep you posted.

Now back to why we’re here—grammar.

Grammar to me is like a little gnat, worming through my brain.  As I write, I try to stay conscious of it, but it’s not easy.  I don’t consider grammar my friend.  The problem is I’m an “organic” writer, meaning if the words and creativity are flowing, I’m not stopping the train until it runs out of steam, which in turn means I’m not paying attention to anything but the story I’m creating.  I go back and edit later. 

Besides, if I’m writing the next best seller, why should grammar be an issue?  An editor can take care of that for me.

Wrong.  Not everyone’s writing is going to be perfect (I'm sure my blog posts are riddled with errors haha), but a fantastic story can be ruined by poor writing, therefore be rejected by an agent or editor.  It’s your job as the writer to present a clean and well-structured story.  Grammatical errors can be a turn-off (minor ones may be okay to some, but why chance it?), and can easily be avoided and/or corrected by doing your homework.

This doesn’t mean you should harp on yourself or shove bamboo shoots under your nails until you get it right from the starting gate.  Grammar is intense; so many rules and strange words, it’s overwhelming.  And let’s face it, grammar wasn’t our only subject in school, so if you didn’t have the A-Z guide to grammar tattooed to your brain by graduation, there’s nothing wrong with that (if you did, consider me jealous).  If you don’t know it now, you can learn it by tomorrow and apply it from then on.   

Fortunately, my grammar isn’t terrible.  Like most, I have my weak points, but I spend a good amount of time researching my own grammar faux pas, and you should too.  The more you learn about the errors you’re making, the better writer you’ll become—as long as you apply what you’ve learned about your errors to your writing and stay aware of your weak points.  At the end of the day, wouldn’t you rather teach yourself to write sentences correctly?  I know I would.

Here are some suggestions for those of you who struggle with grammar and want to improve, but are at a loss as to how to:

• When in doubt, google it.  If you’re in the middle of a sentence and can’t figure out if it’s supposed to be “Allude” or “Elude”, “I” or “Me”, or whether or not there’s supposed to be an apostrophe, the answers truly are just a click away.  Simply pull up your preferred search engine, type in your query and the correct answer will pop up in dozens of forms with detailed explanations.  There are also some great sites and blogs that offer helpful advice and are worth checking out.  Here are some I’ve discovered:

1. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
2. http://writeonteens.blogspot.com/2011/08/basics-possessive-pronouns-with-gerunds.html (this is a great site for teen writers and the author of this particular blog post on grammar is one of my favorites to follow)
3. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
4. http://www.grammarerrors.com/category/grammar/
5. http://www.grammarphobia.com/grammar.html

·    Pick up a guide.  The classic “The Elements of Style” by Strunk and White is an essential tool for writers, and I highly recommend reading it if you haven’t already. (Stephen King recommends it in his book, “On Writing”, which is another good read for writers.) 

I also recently purchased “Sparknotes Ultimate Style: A Concise Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Style: The Rules of Writing” at Barnes and Noble online for, get this, less than $1.  It’s just about 130 pages and is organized alphabetically.  There’s not much to it, but it addresses the most common grammar issues, like misused words and expressions, rules of punctuation, etc.  It’s a great (and quick) reference guide to keep with you, especially if you don’t have access to the internet every time you’re writing. 

There are tons of books out there on grammar (and editing, and writing, and dialogue, and…well, the list goes on and on) so make sure to do your due diligence.  Read reviews, ask fellow writers/editors for recommendations, etc., and make sure not to overwhelm yourself by purchasing too many reference books on one topic.  I stick to 2 or 3 at the most.  If you don’t want to commit to purchasing them, see if you can borrow them (that’s what makes the library so great).  *wink*

• Take a class.  Okay, this one is a bit extreme, but if you really feel like you need the help, check to see if your local colleges or adult education centers offer classes.  There are also some online.  For some writers, you may feel silly, like “I should know these things”, but there is no shame in brushing up and bettering yourself in the way of education, especially if you plan to make writing your career. 

• Ask someone for help.  If you’re in a critique group, have a crit partner, or know someone who’s pretty good with grammar (and you’re comfortable sharing your work with them), ask if they’d be willing to look at your work and point out your grammar weaknesses specifically—with a BIG RED PEN.  This is a good idea if you’ve done your homework and still feel a bit leery as to whether or not you’ve gotten it right (like me).  It never hurts to have a fresh pair of eyes re-examine what you’ve already poured over countless times.   

Don’t know anyone?  There are a lot of great freelance editors out there who may be able to help you.  Depending on your budget, not only can an editor help you with your grammar issues, but again, a fresh pair of eyes reviewing your story can never hurt.  Again, do your due diligence—ask fellow writers for recommendations, request a sample of the editor’s work, collect references, etc.  Make sure you and the editor are clear on exactly what you need from their services before starting.         

I also want to add if you’re one of the fortunate with good grammar (and/or spelling, for that matter) please don’t make a point of correcting someone else in a less than constructive and helpful way.  No one likes being criticized for a mistake they may not be aware they made, it’s discouraging.  We’re all trying to better ourselves and support others like us, right?  So if it has to be done, let’s do it the encouraging way.  Be polite about it; say something to that person privately if you really feel it needs to be corrected.  (I know when I’ve been corrected, it’s mega embarrassing, but the nicer you are about it, the less idiotic I feel.)  You may be surprised at how grateful and appreciative that person may be for you catching their error.  If they’re not, well then at least you tried to help and were kind about it.  No harm, no foul.

If you have any grammar questions I can help with, or advice you feel would help other writers you’d like me to post, feel free to send me an email or leave a comment.  I’d love to do a full blog post dedicated to specific grammar FAQs tailored to my readers. 

I’m off to do some reading.  Peace out, folks. 

Well, That Was Unexpected...

In my last post, I talked about it being July already.  Now, it’s August.  Seriously, can time slow down, just a little bit? 

My vacation was great, relaxing and fun.  I only snuck online a couple of times, until my husband hid my laptop and phone from me, only giving it to me for good behavior.  What can I say, workaholics don’t take a break.  For those of you who had placed bets, I was online first thing Tuesday.  At least I made it through a long weekend before cheating on my vacation. 

My husband and I brought our son to a beautiful beach town north of where we live that Monday (hint: it’s where they filmed part of the movie “The Proposal”), and even though I sat in the shade the whole time we were on the actual beach, I still managed to turn as red as a lobster (that was three weeks ago, and my skin is still recovering)!  With that aside, it was so much fun watching my son play in the water and enjoy the sun and sand.  The next day we stayed at home and had a little pool party/BBQ, just the three of us.  Then we took a day trip to Rhode Island, spent some time with some special relatives who hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting my little guy yet.  That was a really special day.  Thanks again to my Aunt and Uncle for hosting us, it was such a treat.  The rest of the week was spent swimming, shopping and just spending time together.  It was exactly what we needed.

Then I learned something quite interesting on Saturday…  Something totally unexpected and really, really surprising… 

I’m pregnant again!

Now, before you go worrying that this blog is going to turn into a mommy-to-be gush fest with all the deets of my pregnancy and subsequent delivery over the next eight months, you can relax.  Besides dropping a line here and there to keep the folks who are interested up-to-date, this blog is going to continue to be about my journey to becoming a published author.  It won’t change until that happens—then it will become about being a published author, should I be so fortunate.  If enough people show interest, maybe I’ll start a separate blog documenting it—maybe.   

Anyway, I was totally shocked, as was my husband.  If I thought the pressure to success was intense before, I was way off.  Knowing that I have another little one on the way is super exciting (especially after what I went through to have my son), but I’m also freaking out.  Writing is a career I’ve chosen to pursue, but until I get a deal, I’m working for free, and a deal isn’t a guarantee.  Can’t feed two kids and pay a mortgage on that salary.  On top of it all is finding the time to work; my time before was limited with taking care of one child, now I will have two under the age of two as of March 2012.    

I’m pretty sure I just heard an “Oh boy”.

I’m remaining optimistic and I believe that everything happens for a reason.  Maybe this is just another nudge I need to push me to query as I’d planned to this month.  I always find time to work, though; I’ll have to be more creative with my days and nights. 

If you missed my announcement on Twitter, I’m going to be writing at night now.  Due to a situation out my control, I’ve lost my daytime sitters for a short time.  It works out though, because my son’s schedule is changing again and this will give me time to adjust and figure out what works best for everyone involved by the time they start sitting for me again.  As long as I get some time to write, I’m happy.

Which brings me to something else I did on vacation—those times I snuck online and got my computer back for good behavior?  I used that time to start another YA series.  It was one of the half-dozen ideas I’d been developing, but it just struck me Tuesday and I had to write what had come to me.  I have the beginning and the ending done.  I can’t wait to work on it some more.

All in all, I’d say I had a pretty successful—and eventful—vacation.  I’ll be posting next week (if all goes as planned) my thoughts on grammar.  Until then, I burn the midnight oil. 

Wish me luck.       

Summer, Summer, Summertime

It’s July.  *Pauses for reaction* I know, I can’t believe it either.  Summer is in full swing here in the States and that means BBQs, pool parties and trips to the beach are mandatory, because summer is synonymous with vacation. 

Apparently, summer didn’t get the memo that aspiring writers such as me don’t get vacations when deadline clocks are ticking.

Not that I’m complaining--I love what I do.  I get to escape reality through my writing, everyday.  The summertime weather has made my writing productivity skyrocket, and I’ve been in a good mood for weeks.  Why would I want to put the breaks on that high-speed brain train barreling toward my career goals, just to sit on a beach and enjoy a lazy day with my family? 

I think it’s important I address the whole “taking a break” rule.  Everyone needs a break, even me, the workaholic hermit.  Maybe even especially me, since I haven’t taken a real vacation in about 5 years.  A day or two off here and there are great refreshers, but sometimes you just need to shut down and fully recharge your batteries. 

Next week, my husband and I are taking the whole week off.  I can’t promise that I’ll stay true to my word and not work (I’m an artist, and if inspiration hits, I have to run with it), but I’m REALLY going to try.  *Crosses fingers* I swear, I’m going to relax and enjoy some lazy time for once.

You can start taking bets now.

Now for an update on Unnatural:  I was chatting with a writer recently about my difficulties getting my first full-length novel perfect.  “I don’t know what I’m missing, but there’s something I’m not seeing and I just want to get it right finally.  I’m so close!”  I said. 

In a few sentences, she made me realize exactly what I’ve been missing this whole time. 

See, I’ve written a dual genre book (paranormal romance).  I’ve been so focused on editing the romance that I’ve neglected reviewing and editing the paranormal without meaning to.  The paranormal is what headlines this book, the romance is just the side show; hence why it comes second in the genre listing.  Since talking with her, I’ve been looking at Unnatural with brand-new eyes, and I have to say, with a renewed excitement, too.  In my gut, I feel like I’ve finally done it. 

Of course, an agent could tell me differently, but for the first time since getting my critiques back, I don’t feel lost in all the little tweaks and tune-ups.  I now know my novel is my best version of “perfect”.  I can only hope someone sees it that way, too, and wants to help me make this manuscript a published book.   

With any luck, I could be officially querying by August.  I’ll make sure to let you all know how possible that really is, after my vacation next week.  *Winks*

This could be the best summer ever…

The Sequel Finally Has A Name!

You’ve all been waiting for it (some more patiently than others).  The long awaited working title to the 2^nd novel in my Unnatural series is:

1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back

Right now, I hate my manuscript.  I love it, but I hate it.  Confused?  Let me explain.

Versus Challenge FINAL Reward

I can't believe it; it feels like I started this challenge yesterday and here we are at the end.  What I thought was going to take a long time to finish, actually wrapped itself up pretty quickly!  Big thanks to everyone who helped spread the word about me and my journey; I appreciate it more and more each day, so much so that I have no words to descibe exactly how grateful I am.  Please continue to do so, as the support has really helped me along, especially on my "I want to quit" days (more on those later).

 

As always, I hope you've enjoy the snippets of my novel.  I'm hard at work on the sequel, which brings me to the big reward promised at the beginning of this challenge.  So who was the winner, Twitter or Facebook?

Versus Challenge Reward #8

Wow- only one more to go!  Here's the 8th reward:

Versus Challenge Reward #7

First, Happy Mother's Day weekend to all the Mothers out there.  I hope you have an amazing day.

So here is the 7th reward.  I'm so excited! 

Versus Challenge Reward #6

Here's your 6th reward...  17 until the next!