Dawn Brazil’s Brilliant Babbles about Books

My Grown-UP Christmas List, Part 2

2011-12-14T19:53:00.002-06:00

1. Plot that is not predictable – I don’t want my readers to see it coming before I want them to. I also don’t want them to say, “this sounds exactly like (plug any movie or book similar to your MS here).” –that comment is not a complement (well not for me).

2. A Thrilling Middle – I don’t want my readers to put down the book and I know middles can sag if I don’t add drama/tension to that section. I want the middle to be as exciting as the beginning and the end. I want to add subplots to fill this area. And I want details the readers care about. I won’t add a new character in the middle of the book only for the purposes of filling space.

3. A Great Ending – I don’t want a forced ending. One the readers scratch their heads at and say “what the ?!@! was that.” I don’t want the readers to know exactly what is going to happen but I want them to say, “Oh, I see how that all connects. That makes perfect sense. Why didn’t I see that?” Then I want them to reread the book to find out if there were clues leading to the ending (there should be, subtle ones) – no dues ex machine here. There should be a clear path to the ending.

4. No Plot Holes – I don’t want my readers to get to the end and say, “What happened with the ___ she never told us what happened. Now the story doesn’t make sense." I don’t want to leave loose ends – frayed and almost falling a part. I want some ominous moments, some moments the readers will have to keep reading to understand, and some questionable actions on behalf of my protagonist and antagonist but my the end of the story, I want to have answered all of the questions. Or (if I'm writing a series – which I happen to be doing) I want to answer the major plot questions (and tie all loose ends) and answer most sub-plot questions. It will be good to leave the readers questioning some things but not major plot questions. I want to ensure it all adds up in the end and the readers don't feel cheated for their time invested.

My son came home and song this for me. I loved it. Too Funny!!! Enjoy!

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Grown-UP Christmas List #1

2011-12-10T04:00:00.000-06:00

As promised, I’m sharing my Christmas list. My writing Christmas list. These are the things I want for my manuscript. They should also be the things every writers wants and the things that make readers love a book.

v Characters – I want three-dimensional characters that jump off the page. I want characters that are not clichéd or boring. I want characters that my audience can relate to and like or love to hate.

v Tortured Characters - I want to torture my characters to the point that the reader can hardly recognize them at the end of the book. I want the readers to feel sorry for them and question my (the author) sanity.

v Realistic dialogue – I want my young adult (teenage) characters to sound like teenagers when they talk (and their inner dialogue when they think). I want their exchanges to be honest and not full of adult like mannerisms and thoughts. I don’t want people to think about the “old lady” who wrote the piece while they’re reading the characters words.

v A Clear Goal for my Protagonist – I want my character’s goal(s) and motivations to be clear to the audience. I want them to have goals that are attainable for the length of the book I’ve written. I want my young adult and middle grade characters to have goals that are realistic for their age.

I decided to pick a song with a lot of character for this post. So fittingly, I chose Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt. Enjoy!

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

My Grown-UP Christmas List

2011-12-06T00:03:00.000-06:00

Yes, I have one. Don’t you? A Christmas list I mean. I have a few lists to be perfectly honest. Last year I shared my list (and got most of the things on my it). So, this year I’d like to share it, in the hopes I’ll get everything again. I would also like the things on my list for you, too. Well, if you like to write that is. Or read… I won’t be sharing my list now. No. It’s much too long for one post. I’ll be posting parts of it from Thursday, 12/8 till Christmas Eve, 12/24. I’ll also provide a little Christmas spirit with my fav Christmas songs.

My first musical selection is, “My Grown-Up Christmas List” ***of course*** but I couldn’t decide between my fav version by Amy Grant or the updated version by Michael Buble. So here they both are for your musical pleasure.

I'm Back!!!!

2011-12-01T23:14:00.000-06:00

OMG, I found my way back to the blog. LOL Sorry I took a much-needed sabbatical. But I have still been busy writing, getting educated, and living. So what have I been up to:

1. Getting the house ready for the holidays. My youngest daughter has been harassing me everyday about hanging the lights outside since we already decorated the inside of the house. She greets me at the door when I come from work and gives me the evil eye…come on if you have a daughter you know the look.

2. I was supposed to start querying on Nov. 20^th but I didn’t. I chickened out…sort of. I just felt the MS needed something else. It’s been critiqued to death and beta read a few times, but I feel I’m missing something. Do you ever get that feeling? Anyway, until I feel differently I’m not sending it out.

3. I threw away the last of the Pecan Pie from Thanksgiving that was not eaten. Thank God Thanksgiving is over with. I had been doing so well – eating healthy and all. My co-workers actually think I’m a really healthy eater. I have them fooled. I ate so much on Thanksgiving that I might as well have ate all the donuts and breakfast taco’s they offered – I ate as many calories in one day to equal about 2 months of donuts and tacos! So sad.

4. Umm…starting to think about what I want for Christmas. I think I’ll do a separate post on this. LOL, yeah, it’s that much.

What have you been up to?

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

What Do Women Want????

2011-10-13T23:29:00.000-05:00

I’m taking a Literary Masterpieces class in school right now. One of the assigned readings was, The Wife of Bath’s Tale. Do you know it? Probably not. It’s really old. LOL Don’t I sound educated already.

The story is part of the famous Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. In one of the tales, told by a woman, Alisoun, a rapist is asked to answer the question, “What is it that women most desire?” If he can’t find the answer he’ll be killed for his crime. Whew!!! Glad they changed the law on that one.

Itchin’ to know what his answer was? Yeah, so was I. I thought he’d be hanged for his crime in the end because who can say what women want. Most of us don’t know what we want. Right?

Well, that was my initial reaction. Then I started thinking. Hey, I do know what I want. I have it all in my head. I know exactly what I want. What is that you ask?

To be Enough.

I want to be woke enough to write this post because I’m really tired right now.

I want to be loving and nurturing enough that my kids don’t hate or resent me when they are older.

I want to be spiritual enough that when my time comes to meet God I won’t be too frightened.

I want to be brave enough to query agents.

I want to be strong enough to take the rejection letters that will come when I query.

I want to be courageous enough to take risks when necessary.

I want to be pretty enough to still turn my husbands head when I walk in the room.

I want to be smart enough to know when enough is enough.

What was the rapists answer? Women most desired sovereignty over their husbands and for them to love them also. Yeah, I like that answer too. LOL What do you think women want?

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

Random Tidbits...

2011-10-05T05:50:00.000-05:00

Okay, my new schedule is kicking my...

So I thought I'd share what I've been up to the past few weeks. Life has been pretty hectic. Not that it's not always so but it has been even more.

1. I'm getting acclimated to my new job. It has been difficult. I haven't worked in some time now so I am adjusting horribly. LOL Well, I'm trying but going to sleep at 1 in the am is probably not a good thing when you wake at 5 am.

2. I found a TV show that seems promising: Terra Nova. I can't wait to see how this story progresses. I'm not a huge TV watcher so I'm kinda of excited. My last fav TV show was Lost. The only problem: I've been so busy I haven't had time to watch it at its regular time slot. Thank God for DVR and my secretive family. They won't spill the beans.

3. I've been writing a lot in a writing journal. I've never really did it before but when I take lunch at work the last thing I want to do is look at another computer. So I've been writing long hand. I like it. Didn't think I would though. Wish my fingers luck.

4. I'm working on the end of my high fantasy story. And I might be a little biased but it is coming along nicely. I'm super excited about this story. LOL, I'm excited about every story I write.

What are you up to? Let us know in the comments.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!!

Quick side note...

2011-10-01T12:48:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. I know that I've been posting once a week but I had to interrupt the silence and post. I'll be posting on Monday as usual. However, I just checked my email and found a request from another blogger, fellow Shewriter, and fellow YALitChat.org member - oh and she's an author, Kelly Hashway. Kelly is the author of May the Best Dog Win, a children's picture book. She has been chosen as a finalist in the "50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading Contest." Please follow the link, embedded in the title of the contest, to cast your vote.

So I'm asking that all my followers please take a minute to vote. It is super quick and easy and Kelly deserves it. As writers we should all try and support one another. I'm trying to do my part. Are you doing your part?

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

You Have Homework....

2011-09-26T00:12:00.000-05:00

How do you unwind your writer’s mind? I listen to music and watch movies. Movies though, I must admit feel like homework for me. I’m always trying to find the inciting incident, looking to see if the hook grabbed me, watching the character arc…you get the picture.

I’m a little nuts.

But there's a lesson in this obsessive-compulsive practice of mine: it makes me a better writer. I can immediately spot the inciting incident in most books I read and in my own MS. Well, I’d better be able to do that with my own work. Right!

Do you know your inciting incident? Do you have a killer hook or opening chapter? Will it grab your reader and make them keep turning the page even though their eyes are on fire from sleep deprivation? Let’s hope so. Not the sleep deprivation but the continued page turning. What about your character arch? Does your character grow/change as the story progresses? They should.

So, the next time you watch a movie: Stop. Put your writerly cap on. Invite the muses. Pop some popcorn. You can even grab a voice recorder to make notes. Then plop down into a comfy chair and do your writing homework. Believe me, it’s worth it.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!

How to make your manuscript shine, sing, dance and whatever else you want it to do

2011-09-19T15:49:00.000-05:00

I’m almost finished with my massive, colossal, humongous, edit. These are the rules I live by when editing. Of course, this list isn't all encompassing. There’s a ton of other great tips at your fingertips. So here, I’ve listed only 25 of the ones I can’t forget:

Don’t over do it on the adjectives. But a few sprinkled throughout the MS is fine.
Avoid starting a sentence with – There are/was/is/
Punctuation and grammar are important.
Avoid starting a sentence with – It is/was
You can delete most (not all) instances of the word “that” from your manuscript without changing the meaning of the sentence.
Don’t start all the sentences with the same first word. Can you say boring.
Structure your sentences so their not all the same length.
Use a comma before “which” in a sentence with a non-restrictive clause (the information could be removed without compromising understanding).
You do not use a comma before “that” in a sentence with a restrictive clause (the information is vital to the meaning).
Keep the dialogue tags to a minimum. Let the character’s personality be the tag.
Show the reader – don’t tell them.
If you can say it properly in 4 words, don’t say it in 10.
Subjects must agree with verbs, pronouns, and objects.
Use the active form of verbs.
Choose your nouns wisely. A carefully selected noun will not need an adjective.
Watch out for overused words: saw/see, can/could, then, just, look, felt …
Don’t make your villain a wuss. Make him as evil and diabolical as you can.
Don’t start your fantasy world off without first establishing the normal world for your protagonist.
If you’re going first person point of view (especially for YA) go deep.
Cut back on the use of the word “was” and “ing” ending words – it slows the pace of the story.
If you’re writing a YA/MG story and your MS is 120,000 words after the revisions and editing- you probably have an issue.
Don’t go it alone – get a Critique Partner and a Beta Reader (more than one if you can).
Pacing is the key to keeping your audience up all night reading.
Do research your setting if you’re writing contemporary realistic fiction.
Not one tip on this page is guaranteed to make your MS a best-seller. But they’ll enhance what you’ve written and make the possibility of a best-seller more a reality than a dream. And if you haven’t already figured it out, some of these rules can be broken and your story still be a best-seller. The key is knowing when to break the rule.

Do you have a writing tip? We’d love to hear it. Please share your tip in the comments.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Kids in movies

2011-09-13T02:45:00.000-05:00

I write YA and MG stories. And I adore movies with kids. So, I thought I’d do a fun post on movies with kids doing bad stuff- or just plain stuff. Sometimes the kids are good but sometimes the kids are terrible - I love them all. Some of my favorite movies are those with kid leads. Here are a few of my favs, categorized:

The Little Kids

The Fire Starter: Drew Berry was setting everything on fire…including our hearts. She was adorable.

The Champ: Little Ricky Schroder has (in my opinion) made the saddest scene ever in movie history. Period.

Creepy Kids

The Little Girl who Lived Down the Lane – A young Jodie Foster was extremely creepy in the role of abandoned little girl. But don’t fret, she could definitely handle her own.

The Bad Seed – Rhoda wanted what she wanted. And if someone stopped her from getting what she wanted, she could deal with them. In her own special way.

Orphan - The creepiest of all little creepers. She had me fooled, you too I’m sure. The best part about it – after she’d done all her dirt – you cold beat her senseless and it not be child abuse.

Kids Kicking Butt

Percy Jackson and the Olympians – Percy, the son of Posideion, along with his satyr and protector, Grover, and the daughter of Athena, Annabeth go on an adventure to return Zeus’s stolen lightening rod. Oh, yeah they kick some butt on the way.

The Last Airbender – This kid is awesome. He literally bends air. There’s another kid that bends/manipulates water…this is one of the best kids-with-powers movies I’ve seen in a long time.

Holiday Movies

A Christmas Story – “You’ll shoot your eyes out” – one of the greatest kid-movie lines ever. My family and I have to watch this movie during the holidays or it just ain’t Christmas.

Home Alone - "KEVIN" - What's Christmas without big family vacations to Paris and leaving the youngest one at home to fend for himself. And boy does he have to fend.

Honorable Mentions:

The City of Ember: Dystopian society where the entire population on earth live underground. Of course, it took two kids to discover that it was okay to go top side. Great movie.

The Ring – the creepy kid killer is not on screen much but when she is she makes her presence known and leaves you unable to sleep with the TV on for months – yeah, I said months. Don’t judge me.

E.T. – Okay, I love this movie. My kids love this movie so it had to be on this list. It’s a great family movie about the ugliest cutest drinking alien ever to stow away in a little boys closet.

The Hunger Games – Okay, I know the movie has not come out yet but I loved the books so much there’s no way they can mess this up. Right? Oh gosh. I hope not. Katniss Everdeen kicks major booty and Peeta Mellark is the smartest sweetest teen ever. Yeah, I’m Team Peeta.

Hope you've enjoyed my gallery of awesome kid movies. What's your favorite?

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

And the Winners are....

2011-09-08T14:59:00.000-05:00

And the winners are:

Alison - The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

Danah - The $10 Amazon Gift card

Congrats to the winners! Alison has already been notified. Danah, I tried to email you with the address you left in the comments, but it returned undeliverable. Please email me within three days or I will have to choose another winner.

This was my very first giveaway and it was a huge success. Thanks to everyone for participating.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

The winners were chosen using Random.org

Back to the Books Giveaway Hop

2011-08-31T22:49:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop!

This hop was organized by Kathy at I Am a Reader Not a Writer Blog and Heatherat Buried in Books.

Over 300 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we areall linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. Thehop runs from Thursday, September 1st through, Wednesday, September 7th.

I have 2 great giveaways for you. There will be 2 winners.

My first giveaway is a $10 Amazon gift card.

My secondgiveaway is a copy of two great YA reads:

If I Stay byGayle Foreman

TheKarma Club by Jessica Brody

GiveawayDetails:

To enter thegiveaway: Please follow this blog. Leave a comment below with your email address,for contact if you should win. If you were to win the books, please specify which youwould like. The last day to enter the giveaway is Sept. 7, 2011 at midnight. The winners will be announced on Sept. 8. The contest is open to US residents only, please.

Please click the next blog in the linky below. HappyHopping and Good luck!!!

Have a greatday. Read a book and laugh!

What I like about you...

2011-08-29T07:11:00.000-05:00

I'm a sucker for a good story. It's true! Give me a good book and you'll not hear a peep from me until it's finished. And I love reading young adult fiction the most. The characters are awesome and writers (in their infinite wisdom) keep coming up with new ways to say old things.

So instead of list all the reasons or things I love about YA fiction, I'm listing what I don't like. That's a much shorter list. Believe me you'd thank me if you'd seen the other list.

Things I hate to see in my YA fiction:

Perfect characters – nobody’s perfect, not even your hot guy lead who always knows what to say to make your MC drool all over herself. He’s not perfect and neither is she. Before you submit that story to an agent, you’d better find out more about your character. Make them believable because nobody’s perfect and everybody’ll be able to tell you didn’t flesh out your character(s) enough.
Unrealistic dialogue. Um, kids don’t always talk in complete sentences. Well, sometimes. But not always. You’ve got to mix it up. Give the reader a taste of intelligent characters, but unless there is a specific reason for them sounding like Harvard Professors (something like an experiment gone wrong- sci-fi story) then stop trying to woo us and let the kids be kids. Oh and keep the slang to a minimum. I have a sixth grader (all his friends are older) and a 10th grader with dozens of friends and nieces and nephews - they don't talk slang 24/7. So your MC shouldn't answer their parents with, "Yo, what up, yo." I'm not even sure I wrote that right. A little goes a long way, but too much just starts to show your age- not your MC's. Plus it's distracting. Maybe give one character the habit of talking slang a lot- not every single one.
An MC with no choice. Everyone has a choice, if they didn’t where would the tension be. If your MC learns of something he/she has to do don’t make it so that they must do it. Let them decide that they don’t want to do what everyone is expecting of them- it gives the reader something to look forward to - Are they going to change their mind? And of course, this adds tension. This is what the reader wants. It propels the story forward.

Now there are a few other things I don’t like to see in my YA. I have had my mind changed once or twice about what I like and don’t like. Are there any that I missed that you hate? I’m sure there are. Leave a few of your own YA pet peeves in the comments.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

Randomness...

2011-08-23T06:07:00.000-05:00

I’m tired. I’m hungry. And I’ve been up all night. So today’s post are random tidbits about what’s been going on with me:

1. The kids went back to school yesterday. I have three – a 10^th grader, sixth grader, and a third grader. The hubby’s conveniently gone away on business. Yeah, I was up all night signing papers. I can’t remember any more why I was excited about them going back.

2. I’m adding extra villainous traits to my villain/antagonist in my current WIP at the suggestion of my CP. You can never have a villain that is evil enough. Right now, this pen and paper to my right with my children’s names on them are the most evil, loathsome, inhumane things I’ve seen in a while.

3. I’m so ready to stop editing I want to smack someone. Of course, I’m practicing patience. But the hubby better watch out around the 18^th of every month. That’s all I’ve got to say about that…

4. Pleasantly surprised about a new movie I’ve heard about, Magic Mike. Yeah, I know that title is something else, huh. It stares Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello, and Matt Bomer. I could probably watch with the volume turned down. I’m wondering though, I usually see movies with the hubby, but I’m thinking he might not like this one too much.

5. I’m thinking of writing a MG story. I haven’t decided yet, but I have a short story I never completed – I fell in love with the characters. A female protagonist who kicks some major butt and a nerd on a special mission- umm I’m thinking. Not sure right now all I can think about with any real clarity is snuggly up in my bed.

What are you up to? Let everyone know in the comments.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

Blog Award

2011-08-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

I received this Appreciated Follower Award from Fi at Fi's Magical Writing Haven. Thank you so much Fi. It's nice to be recognized. I follow quite a bit of blogs and most days I simply don't have enough time to comment. But there are times when I just have to. Maybe it's something in the post that resonates with me on a personal level or I have a couple extra minutes (yeah, it does happen) or sometimes I can't explain it I just have to leave a comment.

This post is dedicated to the followers who comment on my blog the most. Those that grace the comment section with their wit, suggestions and sometimes rants. I appreciate you all, of course, but the rules were that I could only pick five followers.

Here are the rules handed down from Fi:

1. Reveal the top 5 followers
2. Copy and paste the award here
3. Cross fingers followers will spread the love to other deserving bloggers
4. Do what I do best....Have bloggity FUN!!!!!!

So my top 5 appreciated followers are:

1. Kelly Hashway
2. Catherine Stine
3. Brenda
4. Bella
5. Totsymae

I'd like to extend a hearty thank you to all my followers. Thank you for your comments, always.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Part 2: Who's a good CP???

2011-08-13T03:11:00.000-05:00

As promised, I’m continuing my discussion on critique partners. The focus of this post is showing proper etiquette. And no, it’s not just about saying thank you.

How can you have good CP etiquette?

· Never show your CP’s work to someone else without their approval first

· If your CP asks a specific question about their MS, please do answer. Even if the answer is, “I have no idea.”

· Your comments can’t all be criticisms. Come on. I’m sure you can find something positive to say about the piece or you wouldn’t be working on it (see previous post here).

· Don’t take a month to get back to your CP on ten pages of their MS. Unless you both decided to work at a snails pace.

· Do respond to emails or phone calls from your CP in a reasonable amount of time. Even if you’re only responding to say, I’ll respond later. Don’t writers have to wait enough on others – don’t make your CP have to wait on you too.

· Be humble. Do not assume that your suggestions are money in the bank. If they were you’d already have a book published. So what if your CP chooses to not take your advice/suggestion – get over yourself.

· Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve. Remember your CP is trying to help you improve your piece. Don’t fight them. If you disagree on a particular suggestion and it means a lot to you, talk about it. If you can’t agree, agree to disagree. If it’s something you feel is a deal breaker – be honest. Being stuck with an unwanted CP is like being in a bad marriage (not that I’d know – I’m just saying).

· If your CP reaches publication before you, you should be dancing with them – not frowned up in a corner with your thumb in your mouth. Their success is your success. After all, it was your excellent suggestions that helped to strengthen their MS.

I’m sure there are tons of other CP etiquette rules, but I’m tired and don’t feel like working the muscle in my head anymore. So, please, if you can think of others list them in the comments.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!!

Who's a good CP???

2011-08-10T07:51:00.000-05:00

I’ve been going through detailed edits with my CP for the last couple weeks. It’s been brutal. No, really…it has. Critiquing someone’s work can be tough, not everyone can do it. Well, not without some training. No, you don’t have to go to school or take a class. But there are some things that you can learn before you start the process to make the experience less painful for you and your CP.

What are those things?

You need to know the characteristics of a good CP
You need to have good CP etiquette
You must be knowledgeable
You must be thorough

Okay, if you looked at this list and said, “Where the !@&!!@ she get that?” you’re not alone. I just made it up. But wait, before you click unlike or the little “x” at the top of the page, hear me out. If you or your CP don’t have all/some part of the elements above then you’ll be in for a bumpy ride.

I’ll break down each of the elements that make a great CP. But not all today. In this post, I’ll discuss the characteristics of a good CP.

There are certain traits a CP must have that set that person apart from others – for you and your writing. What are they?

Loyalty – a good CP will not toss your story to the side because someone else comes along and asks if they’ll look at their stuff. Not saying your CP couldn’t have another CP- they can. But they shouldn’t dump you in the middle of edits for weeks to work on someone else’s work. Unless, there’s extenuating circumstances and it’s agreed by the both of you.
Likability – if you can’t stand your CP your not gonna do a good job at edits. It’s like having a job you hate. Somewhere down the line your gonna skip something, thinking – oh, well, they’ll figure it out later. It’s all a matter of time. So do you have to be in love with your CP? Of course not. But there should be some kind of camaraderie. Finally, they must like your story. If they hate every detail of your piece, why are they trying to improve it for you? It’s like burning a cake but going through and putting the frosting on it and decorating it all pretty. Why would anyone do that? So if your CP, for instance, hates science fiction, and you write science fiction, I don’t think you’ll mesh well. My advice, if you wouldn’t read it – why critique it.
Thoughtfulness – a good CP points out the good in their CP’s piece and the bad. If you and your CP have been working together for some time and you feel you’ve grown – your CP’s work should reflect that too. What am I saying? Share. Play fare. Don’t hold onto new knowledge. Share that info with your CP to help better their work too. If you hear about a contest that your CP could enter, tell them. Let them enter and root for each other. If you found an article/blog post… that you absolutely love and has helped you tremendously, fork over the info.
Commonality – you should have something in common with your CP. Okay, you say, why do I have to have something in common with that person? Good question. It has been my experience that people who have zero in common don’t work as well together. True Life Example: My last CP (note: she’s not my CP anymore), and I had zero in common. I thought, that’s fine. She wrote Christian fiction, I write YA. Her children were grown; my children are school age. I could go on but I think you get the picture. We worked on one project together, after that I never heard from her again. No, we didn’t have a fight. We never argued over edits, we got along…well, well. We exchanged our work at a nice pace and kept our edits and emails strictly to the point. I don’t know anything about her except she is a talented Christian author and when her book is published, I’ll definitely get a copy (I’ll have to go out and buy it myself, though). I harbor no ill will toward her but our time together was some of the most boring I’ve ever had. Once the last email was sent, I never heard from her again. I emailed later to ponder about her progress – she didn’t reply. That was okay, I’m a tough cookie. My current CP and are have tons in common. We are both super goofy moms who write YA and our emails sometimes have one line – usually something super silly. And when she’s published, I’ll probably cry. Tears of happiness, of course. I’m sure she’ll do the same for me.

There are more traits I could’ve listed but this get’s us going. You get it. Right? You don’t have to be in love with your CP but you must be able to work with them. And preferably not on one project. If you work together on multiple projects just think of how much more that person can add to your revisions. They’ll have an inside track already to how you work and write. It’s crazy to stop at one project. Of course, this is all my experience – thus, my opinion.

What do you think? Can you list other qualities/traits a CP must have? Do you not agree with a trait I listed?

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Musical Inspiration

2011-08-05T02:05:00.000-05:00

I'm busy with edits, school, kids, drafts, ....

So I thought I'd share some of my fav songs. I love John Mayer and both of these two are my fav by him. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Belief

Stop this Train

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

The Best ending ever...

2011-08-03T07:56:00.000-05:00

Most people will discuss the opening of a novel and never mention the ending. But it has been my experience that I can like a book all the way through but the ending can kill it for me. Not always. Not as important but it still has a vital impact on the overall feel of the story and how readers respond to it.

So today, I take my cue from movies - not books. I love movies just as much as books. Well, almost as much. Some of the more memorable ending movies have been my favorite. I love a story line that I cannot guess. One of the things I do upon watching a movie is try to determine “who done it and why.” If after 15 minutes of the movie, I can guess the ending, I don’t typically like it. I want to be surprised.

There are spoilers for some of the movies I listed. So, two things: shame on you for not seeing the movie sooner, and where do you live that you haven’t seen or heard this?

What are my favorite movies with killer endings?

The Skeleton Key – You never knew what was going on until it was too late..too late for you and too late for her. This movie made older southern women creepy. Yeah I would say it made New Orleans creepy but it has always had its own mystery. Hasn’t it.

The Sixth Sense – Yeah, dead guy walking through the entire movie…What else is there to say about this M. Night Shyalaman’s masterpiece. As a side note: I haven’t liked any of his other movies. I tried but just didn’t like any of them. The Village was promising but just didn’t do it for me.

Wild Things – This movie had so many tiny twists that they caught me off guard. Not a kiddy flick but it was a really good movie. And it wasn’t just Matt Dillon – but it didn’t hurt to have him in it either.

The Usual Suspect – Okay, the cripple guy’s (Verbal, don’t you love that name) the crazy killing loon. Love the entire cast of this movie, too. It has some of the best movie lines ever! This is one of my favorite movies of all time. Love it.

The Blair Witch Project – Yeah, this low budget movie broke new ground and scared the crap out of me. The final scene where the girl is hit from behind and the camera falls… Be honest you went and looked up the Blair Witch Project on your computer, too. You had to know if it was real. Right. My hubby and I ran from the theater to the computer when we got home. The freaky part – at first they kept saying it was real. Couldn’t find anything to refute this for a while… Yeah I slept with the lights on for a while.

Primal Fear – Who would have thunk the babbling, stuttering country boy was the murderer – not the lawyer who defended him that’s for sure. Plus, Edward Norton is a genius in front of the camera – love him.

Stephen Kings The Mist – I want give this one away- it’s not that old. But the ending will leave you wanting to fight or break down in tears. Or scream “Why” repeatedly at the TV screen…Gotta love the mind of Stephen King

The Ring – Come on Samara Morgan, you’ve killed my Estranged Baby Daddy, my precocious niece, and now you’re still gunning for me and my strange silently creepy son too… What do you want? You’ll be surprised. What would you have done? Made that copy???

What do you think of my choices? Did I leave your favorite movie off the list? Let us know in the comments.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

Lost in revisions...

2011-07-28T13:04:00.001-05:00

Okay, I’m knee deep in revisions now. And kids.

I have a ton of kids at the house (nieces and nephews) coupled with my three kids, their driving me crazy. Everyone will be gone in two weeks. Yeah, two. I’m counting the days. But it also means that my editing keeps being interrupted.

I pulled an all-nighter a couple days ago. Yeah, right! My daughter (15) and niece (13) came pounded down the steps. It seems at 2 am she had an allergic reaction to something. Her lips swelled up and her face had blotchy spots over them. Well, about 4:30 I sent her and the niece back to bed. About 5:00, I finished my shower then the hubby was getting up for work. So I stayed up with him. Oh, and I forgot, and apparently the hubby and son did too, that it was trash day. I took the trash out then thought I’d check my email before going to bed. Somehow, it was 8:00 before I crawled, defeated into the bed. My all-nighter had produced nothing. Frustrated isn’t even the word.

So to cheer me up, I thought of something that makes me happy. Other than writing, fam and books. It’s my fav TV show: Lost. So in honor of my fav show - that airs no more, I give you *drum roll, please* the cast of Lost.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Random Musings of a YA Paranormal/Sci-Fi/Fantasy writer/mother/cook/pasta lover...

2011-07-25T12:06:00.000-05:00

I have three WIPs that I need to work on. It's a tough job with all my other responsibilities but I'm getting it done. Well not without a little hair lost and insomnia. I've been thinking about my WIPs - here are my thoughts:

I’m editing my WIP, on Chapter 15 of 27. I think these are the final edits. I’ve had 2 beta readers – early on before I started editing. I’ve went through one complete critique with one partner and now I’m working on another session with another partner. Now the only thing I need is two new beta readers and I’m done. Yay, baby!!!!

My other WIP is at 56,000 – I’m almost finished. Yayjdfdf *sorry, I was doing my happy dance and I accidently hit the keys. I’m so uncoordinated.* Once I finish the draft of this WIP, I’m going back to my first book and edit it. I can’t wait my first story is by far my fav.

I’m having trouble with one scene – one of the last scenes in my current edit. It is where my protag is supposed to kick the stuffing out of the antagonist. She’s female and he’s male, and they both have extraordinary power. It’s an important scene and I don’t want to goof it up.

I was really inventive with the WIP I’m currently editing. I’ve created another world and made up names for all kinds of stuff. Like, a special chemical toxin in the air, a cooking apparatus, the unlawful people of that world, the type of clothes they wear… And science plays a part in the overall story…actually without the science part the story wouldn’t sound right. Well early on, someone classified my story as paranormal – I had no problem with this, as I love the genre. But it never sat well with me. But out of all my stories, I would classify this one as more paranormal than the others. Anyone else have a similar problem? I’ve decided to query it as paranormal –whenever that happens- and let the agent/publisher decide the final genre.

My current draft is getting down to the last couple of scenes but I’m having trouble. My protag has been in another dimension for a while. But now she has returned home – to her surprise – but there is something she must do in the other dimension. She is desperately trying to get back to that place. I’m having a hard time getting her back. Grrrr…I can’t explain it. I have an outline but I deviated from it at one pivotal scene. Why? Oh, because I lost 100 pages (in the middle of the story- not the beginning) and had to start over and when I did, that scene came out different and changed the ending of the story. I still can’t figure out why she can’t go back…she has to. I’m kicking her scrawny behind out the door today. I will not go to sleep tonight until I have her back where she needs to be.

How many keyboards do writers go through? I never thought about that much until I started seriously writing. My keyboard (merely a tot at two years) is worn out. Many of the keys are rubbed off so you don’t know what letter you’re typing. Well since I can type, it’s not a problem for me. And the hubby has a lap-top. But the kids- who are using my computer until theirs is repaired – complain about it. Funny problem to have, huh? I never hear any other people with this complaint. I never even noticed the letters were rubbed off until the Telephone man came and was looking at the computer and said, “Wow, someone has been doing a lot of typing. The keys are rubbed off.”

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

The Best Book Ever...

2011-07-21T00:53:00.000-05:00

I’m back. Yes, I’m really back and I feel awful about not posting. I thought I had it all figured out. I didn’t. I didn’t have the correct hard drive with me with the post on it. And my attempt to recreate the post, while my hubby and kids glared at me was null. So my apologies. I have been playing catch up (with the laundry, with the cleaning, with my schoolwork…) since I’ve been back and I’ve neglected the blog.

Since I’ve been away, I’ve been thinking of what makes a story great. What makes me want to turn the page and not stop until I get to the end? What makes me daydream about it long after I’ve put it down? And what makes me want to run out and purchase other books from the author? Well, those are tough to answer. There aren’t any right or wrong answers. What I like is my personal preference. It may differ greatly from what someone else likes. Nevertheless, there are certain elements of a book that cannot be compromised.

What are they?

Character Development – This is the most important element of the book - in my opinion. Great characters can make up for some of the other things that may be lacking in the story. Some…not all. The characters must be three-dimensional. Think: Stephanie Meyers character “Wanda” from The Host. Larry Brooks provides a great article about character development at his blog, Story Fix.

Setting – The setting (where your story takes place) can be like another character in your book. If done correctly. The setting should be rich and make the reader feel that they are there with the characters. Think: James Cameron's, Avatar (I know its not a book but it was great). A great article on settings can be found at The Storytellers Unplugged.

Villains – Now this is where I think some writers goof. They don’t spend enough time developing the villain. Now the villain does not have to be a live person. It can be nature, societal pressures, friends, relatives, or even the protagonist can be his/her own villain. Get creative, treat the villain like a real character, and make them three-dimensional too. Think: James Patterson’s character, The One who is the One, Witch and Wizard. I thought I’d direct you to an earlier post by me for the villain – here.

Pacing- This is another area (for me) that makes or breaks a novel. Don’t give away too much or you’ll lose your audience. But don’t make me wait until the last line of the book to start getting answers to questions. Think: Edward and Bella’s romance in Twilight. Janice Hardy over at The Other Side of the Story has a great article up about pacing.

If any of these things are off in the story, I can’t continue to read. It throws me off. What do you like most in a story? What do you barely pay attention to in the story? What do you think? Do these things make you want to continue reading also if done properly? Or are there other things that you look for?

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

What does your MC want???

2011-07-06T07:37:00.000-05:00

Every novel has one thing in common. The main character, the protagonist, has a goal. They want something and that desire is what propels the story forward. I’ll use the novel, Twilight by Stephanie Meyers to illustrate my point.

Example:

In Twilight, Bella didn’t want to come live with Charlie in Forks. But she sacrificed her happiness for her mother. She had low expectations for Forks from past visits, all she wanted was to blend-in, graduate, and move on.

What does your character want?

Your character’s goal does not have to be tangible. Their desires can be to become a better person- this is an intangible goal. Or they could want acceptance, or peace… The goal could be to gain something tangible: a new car (maybe a first car for a new driver), a coveted award they have been vying for, the heart of a love interest… The possibilities are endless and are only narrowed by your imagination.

The thing about goals, however, they change. Your character may begin the story with a specific goal but usually a quarter into the story something changes. This change makes it impossible for the protagonist to continue in the same manner. The change that takes place is called the inciting incident.

Example:

In Twilight, the inciting incident is when Edward rescues Bella from being crushed by the van. She was already highly aware of him because of his aloof attitude with her. After he rescues her from being crushed – and with supernatural strength to boot – she is awestruck.

Once the inciting incident occurs, usually the protagonist has a change of heart regarding their goal. It is no longer what they want or it is unachievable and therefore a new goal is found. Why?

Example:

After the nearly fatal almost-accident, Edward saved her from, her goal changes from blending. She is drawn to him and wants to know him. Wants to be with him despite her growing suspension (then confirmation) that he is very different from any boy she has ever met. This is her new goal.

Okay, so you got it right? I thought I’d list one more example to ensure you understand.

The Hunger Games

Initial Goal – Katniss’s initial goal was to survive her current circumstances: The harsh life in District 12.

Inciting Incident - The Hunger Games are taking place and Prim, Katniss’s sister is called as a tribute for District 12.

New Goal – Katniss rushes to take Prim’s place in The Hunger Games. Her new goal is to survive the games.

Do you see that after the inciting incident Katniss’s goal changes? It must. She does not have a choice in the matter. It is either win (survive) or lose (die). Not all stories, of course, will have such compelling inciting incidents. Some will give the protagonist a choice. You can do this or you can do that…but some, like in the example, only leave one possible choice. Win or die.

Can you point out the inciting incident in your own work? What is your characters goal before this? How does that goal change after the inciting incident?

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

Don't ever give up!!!

2011-07-02T04:12:00.000-05:00

I know sometimes you get discouraged. I know because I do. But I love what I'm doing. Writing isn't a hobby for me. It's the real thing! So don't stop chasing your dream. Every time I hear this song that's what I'm reminded. Don't give up. Keep on chasing my dream. I won't give up. Don't you. When you need someone to lean on - come lean on me. I may have to come looking for your shoulder one day, too.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Thankful for Thursdays..Vacations

2011-06-30T15:27:00.000-05:00

Oops. My post today is really late. My apologies.

I'm posting in connection with Oasis for YA Thankful for Thursday weekly meme.

I'm preparing for a big event: Vacation. Yes!!! Can't wait. Soooo excited ***ahem*** I've been looking forward to a small break. I'm running myself racket all day between three kids, school, blog, writing, maintaining the house, looking for a new job...

But if I can be honest with you a moment, I love the fast pace of my life. However, sometimes I do have to take a break. Yes, we can't always be Supermom or Wonderwoman (I would love to be Wonderwoman. No seriously. I would). Sometimes we have to just be - human.

Funny thing about my vacation is were going to Disney World, again. We've been a couple times before - but you never can see all of Disney. Right? The funny part is that I'll be up at the crack of dawn and in the bed when the sun starts to crest the horizon. No. Seriously, It'll be like that. My two best friends and their families are coming too. You know what that means. We'll be up all night ~~gossiping~~ discussing current events the first couple days. So I'll need a mini vacay from my big one...I won't get it though. That's okay. That's my life. I freaking LOVE it!!!

I'll be gone a little over a week but I'll still update the blog. I've already started the post for Wednesday of next week. I'll be talking about your character's goals.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

The Opening Line

2011-06-29T12:14:00.000-05:00

On my last post, I discussed the troubles that plagued the first chapter. Well, I thought I’d explore a facet of the first chapter that I know many of us obsess over: The Opening Line.

What a great opening line does for your story:

It engages the reader
It sets up the voice of the story

The first line is essentially the receptionist for your novel. Have you ever gone to an office and the receptionist was…well, terrible. She smacked gum and talked fast. She threw her hands up to silence you because she was taking a personal call. She gave you the “how dare you interrupt me” look. Well, that’s kinda how some of our opening lines are.

We pull them from somewhere obtuse and smack them on our book. I’ve seen opening lines that have absolutely nothing to do with the book. A line floating from somewhere ominous and you wonder while reading the first page: What does that mean? What does that have to do with the story? You’re readers shouldn’t have to guess about things like that. If they do, they may not continue reading.

What’s a “good” opening line? Honestly, I can’t tell you that either. For every book, it’s different. What it must have, however, is:

Some relevance to the story – even if it’s a random thought, make it relatable to the story in some way
Something that will draw the reader in and hold their attention

However, I caution you. Don’t try to perfect the opening line while you write the first draft. It’s nearly impossible. Stories change into something wholly different at the end. You’re wasting your time trying to perfect a line at the draft stage that will invariably be different in the end. I changed my opening lines about 10 times. So wait until you’ve completed the first draft, stored the novel away for a while (getting your fresh eyes ready), then and only then will you be able to write an effective opening line.

I found an awesome article on opening lines here that has awesome examples of opening lines and why they are effective.

Some of my favorite opening lines:

“LISTEN TO ME” --- James Patterson, Witch and Wizard: The Gift -- YA

Everyone thinks it was because of the snow. ---Gayle Forman, If I Stay – YA (contemporary fiction)

I knew it would begin with the end, and the end would look like death to these eyes.—Stephanie Meyer, The Host, Science fiction (Adult)

Maybe if I had loved her less there would have been no murder – Andrew Klavan, Man and Wife, Thriller (Adult)

Streeter only saw the sign because he had to pull over and puke. – Stephen King, Full Dark No Stars; Fair Extension (story # 3) Horror, Suspense (Adult)

My opening line from my current WIP:

If the twilight zone was a place, I was there – The Chloe Chronicles and the Rebirth – YA, paranormal

What is your opening line? Are you satisfied with it? Do you have any tips on how to improve your opening lines?

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

First Chapter Woes

2011-06-24T09:44:00.000-05:00

Today I’m going to talk about something that eludes many writers. Something that makes us scratch our collective heads and sigh,“Will I ever get this right?”

The elusive first chapter.

My CP and I have gone many rounds trying to perfect the first chapter. But what’s the problem? Why are we having such a hard time? Just write the story. Tell it. It’s that simple. Right? But it’s not. Not at all.

What is a first chapter supposed to do?

It hooks the reader
It sets the story up.
It tells the reader where the story is taking place
Who the main character is
It sets in motion our attitude toward the MC – do we like them –

What usually holds the first chapter back?

No hook. The readers need something to make them turn past the first page. I’ve read many agent blogs and most say it takes them until the second or third page of a story to tell if they’ll request to read more. But some don’t even make it off the first.

What do they want to see? Maybe this isn’t the best question. What don’t they want? Yeah. That’s a better question. Back-story – they don’t want to hear about what happened before the story actually takes place. They want what’s happening now. Don’t info-dump the reader in the first chapter. A good writer weaves back-story into the plot in small doses.

They don’t want action for no apparent reason. What do I mean: action with no dialogue, no insight into the MC, no introduction to the setting to ground the reader? Action is okay to start the story if it moves the story in a forward motion. It provides vital info about the MC so that the reader can empathize with them, and it’s clear who’s doing what and why.

Another culprit in the first chapter woes: The setting is not clear and neither is the genre of the book/piece. The readers have no way to ground themselves if they don’t know where the story takes place. Or what kind of story it is. This is a simple fix. Tell the reader where the story takes place. In addition, tell them what kind of story it will be. Caution: it should be revealed organically to the reader the setting and genre of the story.

I thought I’d share part of a short story here as an example of each element of the opening chapter I’m talking about.

Hook: “Um…uh, hey…Rachel.” This is the very first line of the story. It does a number of things. It tells us someone is reluctant to speak to someone else. Why? This should propel the reader forward. They want to know why this person is nervous about speaking to Rachel. And who is Rachel anyway?

Setting: Someone says as I sit perched beneath a massive oak and wait for my sister, Melissa. I look up to see Sharon Potts standing in front of me. She blocks my view of the one-story school. I lower my head and take a deep breath. These are the next sentences in the same story. They establish a) that the story is in first POV b) the main character is Rachel because we’re in her head c) the story is taking place outside of a school d) which might mean that the story is YA (might). This also shows a little about the character, Rachel. She’s waiting for her sister to exit the school and is concerned that Sharon is blocking her view of it. Does that read as anxious? Her reaction in the last sentence says she doesn’t really want to be bothered. Great. There’s conflict immediately.

Setting the story up (more) and character development: I turn my attention back to her. Her throat goes up then down as she swallows hard. “Hi, Sharon,” I say. My stomach does a flip. Go away. I don’t feel like talking. I cup my hands over my brow to shield them from the glaring sun and Sharon’s searching espresso colored eyes. I glance around her to ensure Melissa hadn’t come out of the building with the small cluster of kids trickling down the front steps. Okay we have conflict – for sure. We’re in her head and she does not want to be bothered with Sharon. She is the one who actually seems nervous now. Why? We also have more information on the setting.

And more set-up and conflict: “Um, Rachel, I’m really sorry to hear about your mom. She was great.” She paused. The side of her mouth turns up into a small grin, well, half smile. I wanted to smack her. “You know…um…you can always come and talk to me…if you need someone to talk to…I mean. How are you holding up?” Her glance falls sideways, as if she does not want to hear the answer.

I’m not confident I’ll see Melissa exit despite my attempt to peer around Sharon. So I stand. I wipe the back of my jeans to remove the dirt. And I reach behind and pull the band on my long ponytail to loosen it. My head aches. I inhale a deep breathe and exhale it slowly. Sharon is two inches shorter than I am so I don’t initially notice her standing there still. She is looking at me with wide eyes. Is she waiting for a reply to her question? I groan internally. Not again.

All this sets the story up. It’s a short story so you have a limited amount of time to grab your audience. But the same goes for longer pieces. I set up conflict early and tried to incorporate tidbits about the MC’s character right away. I also included info about the setting: a school, the glaring sun (midday), a massive oak tree. There is also info about how Rachel looks, a) long hair b) in a ponytail c) she sounds like she might be tall c) she has on jeans

The part of the story posted here gives the reader a lot to think about already and it’s only the first few paragraphs. I haven’t given away the entire story (good pacing) but I have given the readers enough to want to keep reading.

All the elements above should be in your first chapter to ensure your audience wants to keep reading your piece. Do you have any tips for starting the first chapter? Leave it in the comments.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

Totally Random

2011-06-22T08:10:00.000-05:00

Today I feel a little random. So I'm going to totally ramble here:

I’m learning about the world of myths in school right now. Can you say “so excited.” I love the world of mythology! Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Theseus, Herakles…Yeah, I’m partial to Greek mythology. But I’m starting to broaden my taste.

I totally sucked at the Read-a-Thon last week. The timing just ended up being off and I didn’t read nearly as much as I usually did. I’m trying to make up for it – somewhat. But I was serious about pacing myself (not during a Read-a-thon, of course). I need to slow down a little when I read. I’m trying. LOL Hard.

I’m reading Maximum Ride by James Patterson and A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks (I know I was supposed to read the Sparks book for the Read-a-Thon but I didn’t get to it). Love both stories – very different though. Since there’s absolutely nothing on TV to watch, I’ll be reading until The Vampire Diaries comes back on in the fall. Not a bad trade for time though.

I just bought six books on Amazon last week. I'm eyeing four more. Help me: I have an addiction.

It’s raining, finally. It hasn’t rained in a while. I was starting to get nervous. They banned fireworks this year so we’re forced to go to the Festival to see them because of the drought. That’s a bummer!

My revisions for The Chloe Chronicles are coming along really well. I can’t wait to finish, but I’m not rushing it. I learned my lesson about rushing revisions.

I’m going to eat a bowl of Chocolate Shredded Wheat now. Yeah, it’s good.

What’s happening with you today? Anything interesting to share? Leave it in the comments.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

Short Story...Breaking up is Hard to Do

2011-06-17T04:21:00.000-05:00

Today, I thought I'd share a short story I wrote with everyone. Enjoy!!!

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO

BY Dawn Brazil

I faced the toughest decision ever: should I recycle, or not.

I twisted to a better view of the hall. Colin could sneak up at any minute and ruin everything. I placed the call as quick as I could, though I didn’t understand how they could stand these shiny things with all the numbers on them. They were archaic – we hadn’t used them in ages.

“I love you, Amy,” Colin said. He strolled over and traced his slender finger over my chin. I slammed the device shut. No time for a call now. I would have to make the decision without my audience’s help. I smiled despite the rise of fear that attempted to choke back what I knew I had to do.

“Hey there.” I tried to sound normal. “We should talk later.” I refused to engage eye contact. I opened my locker and peered inside for my calculus book instead.

“Let’s talk now,” he said. He seized me by the hips and pulled me to him. “We still have ten minutes before first period starts. What’s up?”

“Maybe we should wait until after school,” I proposed, hoping he dropped it until then. I knew it was the human condition to be curious. Why had I opened my mouth? I clinched my fingers into a fist and dug a sharp nail into the palm of my hand.

“Why? Is something wrong?” He drew my chin to meet his inquisitive gaze. His eyes were the handsomest shade of brown, like chocolate velvet. Regardless, I had to remain composed. I’d gotten the approval to dump my package, all I had to do was guide it home.

Why did I even mention talking? Why couldn’t I have waited, I thought, souring inside. Oh yeah, because I was sick and loved to torture others, I reminded myself, with a nervous flutter of my abdomen.

“Listen, I really think it’d be best to wait until after school. Plus all the extra ears.” I drew from his grasp to lean on my locker - away from his probing hands.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Drop it, drop it, drop it, I stormed in my head. I could not afford to do this wrong; tact and skill were my allies. This isn’t my first offense but it should be my last, I reminded myself.

“Hey Colin,” came Jennifer Riley’s syrupy voice. “Looking good today.” She ran a hand over the collar of his light blue tee shirt. “How’s it goin?”

“Oh…uh, hi, Jen,” Colin responded. He always got nervous around Jennifer Riley, all the boys did. If only they knew. “Hello, Jennifer.” I poked my head around Colin and peered at her with disdain. “Shouldn’t you be running along…somewhere else,” I said, through clenched teeth.

“Amy,” Colin exclaimed, “be cool.” He reached over, grabbed my hand, and gave an encouraging squeeze. I pulled my hand from his grip. He was such an idiot.

“Yeah, be cool, Amy,” Jen said. Her eyes glistened and I knew her audience hated me. They had every right to.

“Do you need something, Jen?” Colin asked.

“I wanted to invite you to my birthday party.” She reached into her oversized bag and pulled out a hot pink invitation. As she slid the invitation to him, she ran her pink manicured nails over his hand, caressing and folding his hand into hers. She knew I was watching and she didn’t care. I was taking note.

“Oh, thanks for the invite Jen. Amy and I’ll be sure to stop by,” he said. I’m fairly certain she would rather he drop me at the side of the road, or off a bridge on the side of the road before he arrived to her party. I stifled a giggle at her jealousy. How hilarious! How completely interesting!

“Uh, Jen, Amy and I were about to talk about some personal stuff. Can we have a minute, please?” Always so polite. Just tell her to get lost. So weak. That was why he came up as a target I suppose.

“Whatever,” she replied deflated. She rolled her large ebony eyes at me as she marched off down the hall, eyes as black as the soul that possessed them. I observed her as she traipsed down the hall, every guy turned to ogle at her. She was beautiful but lacked discipline and charm. However, she did have potential. She was on her fifth offense. No wonder.

Not wanting to get too ahead of myself, I turned to face Colin. He stared at me as if he were trying to pick the thoughts from my head. He was nervous. You didn’t tell a guy you wanted to talk. They always assumed the worst.

“Babe, you know I don’t care about anybody listening to us. I love you. You can tell me anything.”

“I still think we should wait. We can always talk later.” I sucked in a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. “I won’t be mad Amy, or upset. I promise. You can tell me anything. Did I…do something wrong? Are you upset about something…?”

“Colin just drop it.” Losing it, I bit the inside of my lip until a trickle of coppery blood tasted on my tongue. I was ready to go home; I didn’t need another strike on my record.

“I can’t just drop it.” He wrung his hands through his thick hair. “It doesn’t work that way Amy and you know it. You put the idea in my head -”

“I think we should break-up-” Dang it! I wanted to do that different. “Look what you made me do, you moron.” I took a step in his direction. Anger rose up the back of my neck and swelled in my chest.

“No,” someone in my audience yelled. I bit down on my lip again. Hard. Then I took a step back to calm myself.

I polished that line, now it was ruined. I did not have an adequate glimpse of his reaction either. I wondered if my audience had a good view of it. Maybe I could still salvage the moment.

“I think we should talk about this later.” I grabbed him and pulled my chin to his chest. I turned my eyes up in that seductive manner he liked. “I’ll come by later. We can talk then. Forget what I said, we can work it out.” I thrust my shoulders back and raised my chin, the epitome of self-control and confidence. But I felt a bead of sweat caress the right side of my face. I never perspired. What was wrong with me?

“You wanna break-up,” he said. I sighed and backed up to the locker to peer at him in disgust. “Why? What did I do wrong?” With rough hands, he jerked me back to his side. “How can you expect me to concentrate after what you just said? We need to talk. Now.” His grip on my arm tightened and he dragged me towards the exit.

Once outside in the crisp morning air, he released me. I did not move and neither did he. Though I tried arduously to keep my eyes diverted, I could feel his on me. With a lengthy stride, he was by my side and thrust me into his arms. He smothered me with kisses.

Shocked, I slapped him across the face. I bit the inside of my lip to stifle a giggle that was forcing its way to the surface.

“What’s the matter with you?” he asked. He starred at me with large dejected eyes. “You don’t love me anymore? How could you not love me anymore?”

“Let’s go,” I flung his hand away as he offered it for me to hold. Was he serious? I was ready to dump him. We walked to his Corolla parked in the student lot. I did not look at him, though I could sense his eyes drift to me every couple seconds. The longer I played this out, the better. I could finally get this right. I could do it. I knew my audience would be rooting for my success back home.

Once we reached the car, I climbed into the front passenger seat. I sat as still as stone. I was not ready for this, though I practiced what I would say repeatedly. We sat in silence, not looking at one another.

“You don’t love me,” he asserted. It was not a question - he was starting to understand. I sighed softly, relief flooding me. It wouldn’t be so hard after all.

“No. I don’t. But, if it’s any consolation, I don’t love anyone. That’s my problem.” I looked at him to gage his reaction. Like everyone else I revealed this information to, he seemed confused. Unbelieving, everyone loved someone they all thought pathetically.

“What. I…I don’t believe that.” He shook his head. I could almost see his head collide with his heart through his pathetic expression.

“Amy was loving, not me.” I waited for this statement to penetrate. Every crevice of my body tingled with excitement. It would all be over soon.

He turned and looked at me, his face scrunched in confusion. “You are Amy. What’s wrong with you? Are you in some kind of trouble or something?”

“Again, I’m. Not. Amy.” I emphasized each word to ensure he understood. “Not Amy, do you understand that.” Of course, I knew he wouldn’t but it was riveting to see the puzzling scowl on his face. I suppressed another smirk. The potential for a real breakthrough was possible, if I could control myself.

“Who do you think you are?” He gazed at me with the outline of tears in his eyes. How weak. Males were supposed to be the dominant gender, strong and hard. I broke him easily. I had to put an end to this charade.

“Let me tell you a story,” I said. “A far more advanced human civilization exists in a far away galaxy, called Savoria. Citizens of Savoria come to Earth as part of their therapy. On my planet, I’m a Tessorian. On your planet that would be a criminal…a murderer. My anger often gets the better of me and it’s highly frowned upon.”

“A murderer…another planet-” He exhaled deeply and clasped his hands on his lap. “What-“

“I’m almost finished. Don’t interrupt me again.” I smiled to soften the blow of my words.

“The purpose of my therapy is to rid me of my toxic thoughts and deeds. The patients’ assigned therapy on Earth are young. They often infiltrate the school system for their targets. Back on our planet, our doctors, family, and friends are rooting for us to complete therapy successfully. We call them our audience. We each have a target, we must find them and complete our acts and hopefully the aggression and anger that is within us dissipates.

“Each Savorian is the equivalent of a walking television and can manipulate situations to create a better scene. It has become entertaining for my people, but it’s still used as a form of therapy. Of course, all of this is unbeknownst to the people here on Earth. We are strictly forbidden to kill or mutilate our targets; that would be the opposite of our therapy. After each ‘act’ the actors are given the option of recycling, which is letting the target go and wiping their memory clean. Or sending them home for research.” I released a deep breath, as if I’d been holding it the entire time.

“Are you joking? That’s a sick story.” He squirmed and inched closer to the door.

“What I don’t understand is, if you loved Amy so much how could you not notice the shift in behavior. I made it so blatant. She’s been lost to you for some time. She was such a wimp.”

He raised his brow and squared his jaw. “I-I…don’t know.”

“Well, we should get this over with. You’re my target Love.” I smiled proudly.

I pulled out my receptor and pushed the red disenthrall button. A cloud of billowing gas emanated from two slits that appeared on either side.

“What the… What are you doing to me?” His eyes locked on me and bulged so wide I thought they might pop. “I can’t feel anything.”

“My apologies love. I had to etherize you. This could get quite messy if I hadn’t”

“Are you gonna let me go now?” His brow scrunched and creased together. “Wipe my memory clean.”

“Um…sorry, I can’t recycle you. I’m not certain but I guess it’s your eyes. They are far too interesting.”

His eyes bulged more and sweat broke out and trickled down his forehead. “I thought you couldn’t kill me.”

“I never said I couldn’t, silly. But don’t worry, I won’t. You should be happy you got me and not Jennifer. She would’ve surely killed you.”

“Jennifer.”

“Yeah, she’s awful sick. Her birthday party wouldn’t have been a good thing. I think I’ll send you to Savoria, for research. I’ve been in therapy for some time and I’ve never sent anyone back. But I could never recycle you. Sorry, Love. Don’t take it personally; know that you’re performing a good deed. And after you’ve been researched, you will be used to fertilize our planet to sustain our crops.”

I pushed the receptor closer to him. “Now, hold still please, this will hurt terribly, but only for a moment.”

The End.

What do you think? It was just for fun but I really enjoyed writing the story. I may even adapt it to a full novel - one day.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Gotta Love it...Reading

2011-06-15T08:39:00.000-05:00

I’m in the throes of editing my WIP, The Chloe Chronicles, working on the first draft of another WIP, entertaining the kids for the summer, completing class assignments for school and reading.

I listed reading last because it’s something of an obsession of mine. I take breaks but not much. I read something almost everyday but it’s not enough (at least for me). So I’m trying to streamline my daily routine so that I can read like a normal person.

Usually what happens is, I find a book I love, and then I stay up all night reading it. It throws me off for days, which means, I don’t sleep, but I can’t keep doing this.

So, I’ll devote the maximum of 2 hours for reading each day – no more. No matter how good the book is. No matter how much I want to know what happens next. I won’t stay up all night reading and obsessing over what the characters will do next. I won’t daydream about the characters while I’m supposed to be writing. I’ll read the book at a good pace. Once I’m finished reading, I’ll move on to the next book without breaking down every aspect of what I’ve just read.

LOL Who am I kidding. I can’t do any of that! I’ll still obsessively read. I’ll finish every book with 48 hours. I’ll then deconstruct what I’ve read like a million times. I’ll daydream about the protagonist and try to think of news ways to get them out of danger or in more of it. And I’ll lament over not thinking of the concepts in the book myself.

But you know what, its okay to do this. I think as a writer I’m supposed to do this (maybe not the no sleep part). As writers, we are required to breakdown the novels we read – in and out of our genre – to see what works and what doesn’t. We should have certain questions in mind while we read so that we can learn from everything we read.

Some questions that you should ask yourself when reading:

What was my first impression of the story? Why?

What is the theme(s) of the story?

What literary devices did the author use to make the story more believable or memorable?

Do I like the voice in the novel? Is it unique? Why?

How is the pacing of the story?

Where is the inciting incident? What is the structure of the novel?

What POV is the story told from? Is it the best for the novel?

These are just a few questions that you can ask when reading. Of course, there are a ton more. Use your imagination to deconstruct what you’ve read, especially if you really enjoyed it.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Useful info, anyone

2011-06-10T12:44:00.001-05:00

Welcome SheWriter's from the Blogger Ball. To get back to the Ball Click here.

I thought I'd share cool links to some awesome writing sites. And give a tip on the art of suspending your readers belief.

Awesome Links for writers:

Daily Writing Tips

Storyfix Article

Muse It Up Conference/Info

Writing Tip:

How to suspend your reader’s belief

I write paranormal, science fiction, and, fantasy stories and my job is to make my readers believe what I write. No matter how far-fetched it may seem. How do I do this? I place my readers in a believable world initially, and have my protagonist react to that world in a realistic manner. Once my MC has credibility with the readers and has reacted normally, as my readers would to changes in their world, then I can add elements of fantasy, science fiction, etc. to the plot that the MC must overcome. But add those elements slowly. Don’t dump your MC into everything all at once and expect them to sink or swim…it’ll be too much. And your readers won’t believe it. I’m sure you’ve thought it, ‘Nobody could endure that,’ or ‘they’d go crazy or that just doesn’t seem believable.’ So sure go ahead and torture your MC, but do it a little at a time to make it more believable.

Do you have any writing tips? Come on and share it with everyone.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!!

Stirring and Sidesplitting...all in one post

2011-06-07T22:39:00.000-05:00

I thought I’d tickle some funny bones and illicit some inspiration with my post today. So, laugh to your hearts content, then go write something.

A Canadian psychologist is selling a video that teaches you how to test your dog's IQ. Here's how it works: if you spend $12.99 for the video, your dog is smarter than you. ~ Jay Leno

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. ~Ray Bradbury

When I was born my father spent three weeks trying to find a loophole in my birth certificate.
~ Jackie Vernon quotes

Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. ~E.L. Doctorow

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.

~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Smack your child every day. If you don't know why -- he does.
~ Joey Adams quotes

Be obscure clearly. ~E.B. White

The only cure for writer's block is insomnia. ~Merit Antares

Manuscript: something submitted in haste and returned at leisure.

~ Oliver Herford quotes

Only a mediocre writer is always at his best.
~ W. Somerset Maugham quotes

Women complain about premenstrual syndrome, but I think of it as the only time of the month that I can be myself. ~ Roseanne Barr

A young musician plays scales in his room and only bores his family. A beginning writer, on the other hand, sometimes has the misfortune of getting into print. ~Unknown

When I was a little boy, they called me a liar, but now that I am grown up, they call me a writer. ~ Isaac Bashevis Singer quotes

Children ask better questions than adults. "May I have a cookie?" "Why is the sky blue?" and "What does a cow say?" are far more likely to elicit a cheerful response than "Where's your manuscript?" Why haven't you called?" and "Who's your lawyer?"
~ Fran Lebowitz quotes

There are only two things a child will share willingly: communicable diseases and its mother's age. ~ Benjamin Spock quotes

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh

Non-stop Reading...say what???

2011-06-04T21:08:00.000-05:00

This post is to announce that I'm participating in the Spring into Summer read-a-thon hosted by Enna Isilee of Squeaky Books.

This read-a-thon is going to be so great! It's two days where you try to do NOTHING but read. The Read-a-thon starts Friday, June 17^th @ 8 am (MST) thru Saturday, June 18^th 8 pm (MST). That’s a lot of reading. So call the sitter over, order a pizza, lock yourself in your room or your closet, turn the cell phone off and read like mad. It's a great chance to get rid of some of those books that have been sitting on your TBR pile FOREVER!!!

But that's not all! There will also be awesome mini-challenges and a TON of giveaways every few hours! And just for signing up you’re entered to win a $25 gift card to Amazon!

SO GO SIGN UP!!! And if you say that I, Dawn Brazil, sent you, you'll get 5 extra entries to win that gift card.

All I’ve been reading is YA, so I thought I’d take a break from the kids and hang-out with the adults for a while. I’m in a romantic mood, thanks to my CP. The books I plan to read are:

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

A Bend in the Road by Nicholas Sparks

Relentless by Dean Koontz

Well, have you signed up yet? What are you waiting for? DO IT NOW!!!

****CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP****

Have a great day. Read a book – or two or three and laugh!!!

Thankful Thursday...kids

2011-06-02T13:16:00.000-05:00

Today I'm inspired by the ladies at the Oasis for YA to discuss what I'm most thankful for. I thought hard about what to talk about...there's so much I'm thankful for that it's hard to pick one specific thing. Then I thought, what has brought me the most joy in my life and the answer was simple: my kids. But I thought, I'd take it a step further: all kids.

So, I am most thankful for...kids. All kids. Young adults, cute little newborn babies, the terrible twosters, terrific tweens, and fabulous fours...all of them. A lot of us write our stories based on their lives, why not pay homage to them.

I write YA and MG so all my material comes from my children, my nieces and nephews, and the neighborhood kids. I sit down and talk to them all the time and the neighbor's kids don't think I'm the weird lady that lives in the middle of the block! They just think I'm nice. Some even think I'm cool. *gasp*

They provide me with an endless amount of material to work with. They say and do things that I, nor most adults, wouldn't expect. They mess up, their loud, they are always hungry for something sweet, and they bring the biggest smile to my face. The late nights, the tears, the noise, the messes are all worth it in the end. Why? Because I can make money off their shenanigans!!!! LOL Just Kidding.

But children are like fireworks. They are always popping off and jumping around and surprising us. So, in honor of "the kid" I felt this musical selection was fitting.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

Blogger Issues...Grrrr!!!!! And Randomness

2011-06-01T08:05:00.000-05:00

I've been having major issues with Blogger. I can't leave a comment on my own blog. I couldn't even leave comments on other blogger sites for a while also - and I read some awesome posts that I wanted to comment on. No fair. **slams fist on computer desk (ouch)** I've been trying to wait until it's fixed to post. But it's taking forever. Seriously!!!!

Anyway, I've been editing my WIP, The Chloe Chronicles and reading (of course). I am so thrilled with the revisions I could kiss the computer. Chloe is coming to life before my eyes and I'm loving it. Developing my characters personality was very important to me and has been a major focus of my revisions. My main character, Chloe, is the coolest 16 year old I know!!!!

I just finished reading, If I Stay by Gayle Forman and can't wait to read the sequel, Where She Went. It was a great book!!!! It was moving, romantic, and poetic. After I read the sequel I'm going to read, Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Can't wait to tear into it.

Yesterday evening my youngest daughter and I sat down to watch E.T. together - just the two of us. In the end, she was curled up on my lap watching it. During the credits, she looked up at me and said, "Mom, I know this movie is fake." I smiled. Oh, I think, my baby is really growing up. She is 8 after all, I remind myself. Then she looks at me and says, "Yeah, Mom, because I know that aliens don't really dress up like girls and talk." My baby is back!

Have a great day!!! Read a book and laugh.

I Learned my Lesson

2011-05-25T08:42:00.000-05:00

What is the theme of your story? Do you know what theme is? Every novel should have a theme. And no, it’s not the plot. Writers often confuse the two. Plot is what the story is about – what happens to the characters. Theme is why the story happens. The moral lesson(s) learned by the characters in the story. And yes, you can have more than one. So, what counts as theme and what doesn’t?

I’ll use one of my favorite novels, The Flowers in the Attic, by V.C. Andrews as a basis for the answer.

What is the Plot: Four children are abandoned in an attic awaiting the death of their grandfather.

What is the Theme: Family relationships (mother and child relationship/abandonment), struggle against societal pressure (the mother’s place in society was far more important than her children), man’s struggle against nature (greed, sexual desire, inner demons)

Theme is not preachy and in your face. Even Christian authors can write great fiction without preaching to their audience, think Dekker, Peretti (see below). All fiction should have a theme but that message should never be shoved down the reader’s throat. It should be intricately weaved into the plot of the story. The reader should read the entire story then realize, “Oh, what she/he was saying was …”

My examples of great themed books:

House by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti (Christian supernatural) – Man’s struggle with divinity, family relationships (Jack and Stephanie are going to counseling and considering divorce), Death (Jack and Stephanie’s daughter died and they are struggle to understand), man’s struggle with nature (they must kill one of the people in the house or the crazy serial killer, Barsidious White, will kill them all and they struggle with the decision)

Twilight by Stephanie Meyers (YA paranormal) – never judge someone based off stereotypes (all vampires are bad- per Werewolves; all werewolves are bad – per Vampires – until they have to work together), love can come in many forms be willing to accept it (Edward’s struggle against the love he felt for Bella), man’s struggle with divinity (Edward’s refusal to believe he has a soul).

Common Literary themes:

Love; unrequited love, forbidden love, love conquers all…

Family relationships; mother and daughter bonds, abandonment by family, failed marriage …

Man’s struggle against nature; the struggle to remain youthful, sexual struggle, inner demons, death…

Struggle against societal pressure; peer pressure, unfulfilled dreams, the American dream…

Yin and Yang; something good happens then something bad happens to balance it all out

Can you think of more themes? What is the theme of your story? If you don’t know how to answer that, you’d better make some changes to your MS. Every story needs a theme.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh.

Another Award and some Inspiration

2011-05-21T08:49:00.000-05:00

I received the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award from LisaAnn at Kicked, Cornered, Bitten, and Chased (Isn’t that name totally cool).

Thanks, LisaAnn you’re awesome. She’s amazing. Visit her site to hear about all the great things she does. She’s an adventurer, an animal lover, and a book writing manic!!! LOL No, she’s not really crazy, but you will be if you don’t head over there and check out her blog.

I just received another award where I had to reciprocate to another blog, so I can’t choose the blogs to give this award to now. I try to choose blogs with low followings and/or great informative posts to offer that blogger some exposure. Not that there aren’t hundreds out there but I’m swamped today so, how about a little inspiration instead.

Keep dreaming. Your dreams will come true...

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Blog Award

2011-05-20T00:34:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the lateness of my post. Life caught up with me today, but in a good way.

I received the Stylish Blogger Award from LMPreston.

Thanks, LM, you’re great!!! Now I have to pass on the award to other deserving blogs. I also have to list seven facts about myself that most won’t know.

1. I’m in school getting my English degree. I have an Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies and started a business degree right after that then stopped. I hated business. It didn’t hold my interest and I knew I didn’t want to work in an office my entire life. So English is perfect for me. While I wait for my writing to take off, I’ll teach. I love kids so the choice was obvious. However, it didn’t occur to me until the company I’d work at for years closed. If it hadn’t closed I’d probably still be there – I was just that loyal. I’d still be writing but I’d be there doing it…on my hour lunch break with my company phone ringing off the hook and my email flashing.

2. I love being home with my family. Why hadn’t I done this before? Oh, yeah, reality says, “you couldn’t afford it.” Right. Well, I love it now.

3. I’m not an animal person. I love to look at them. I’ll swoon and say how cute they are, but I won’t touch them. And I don’t have any pets. We tried a dog but when I did most of the upkeep work, I told the kids never again. I meant it. I think?

4. I’ve written two full manuscripts and I’m almost complete with a third. None published. The first novel I wrote was so bad it ought to have a disclaimer: do not read while operating heavy machinery. This thing’ll put you to sleep faster than NyQuil. Yeah it was that bad. Great plot. Great characters. Horrible writing.

5. I loved the characters from my first novel so much. I miss them like I miss an old friend. I’m never going to give up on it (I mean making it shine. I only sent it to a couple agents so I’m good on querying it still). I am going to work on it as soon as I finish my current WIP.

6. I am the biggest nerd I know. I love the history channel, science channel, - well, anything not Reality TV. One huge exception, American Idol. This is my first year watching it and I’m so excited. I loved Lauren from the start and hope she wins. I haven’t seen tonight’s episode and I’m anxious to see who went home.

7. The very first book I ever read was The Flowers in the Attic by the late V.C. Andrews. I was in the third grade ***too young, I know*** and I haven’t been able to stop reading since.

I’m passing the award on to four deserving blogs that I discovered just recently:

Tabitha Olson @ Writer Musings

Suzanne @ Suzanne Writes

Cat @ The World Crafter’s Inkspot

Carmen @ Carmen’s Chronicles

Please go check out these awesome blogs.

Have a great day, LOL, tomorrow. Read a book and laugh.

What's in a Word...or your story

2011-05-17T15:24:00.000-05:00

I am the proud recipient of two awards. I received the Stylish Blogger Award from LM Preston. I’ll reciprocate this award on Thursday of this week. Thanks LM, you’re great!!!

Next, I received the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award from LisaAnn at Kicked, Cornered, Bitten, and Chased (Isn’t that name totally cool). I’ll reciprocate this award on Friday of this week. Thanks, LisaAnn you’re totally awesome!!!

I hadn’t posted any substantial writing tips, so I thought I’d post something today. I thought about the Literary Devices we could employ as writers to ensure our audience’s full attention would be on our book.

What is a literary device? A literary device is a method of story telling that expresses ideas through language and can be analyzed or interpreted. Simply put, it is the manner in which writers tell the story. You probably use some of these techniques in your own manuscripts but didn’t know the technical terms for them:

Cliffhanger - The story/chapter ends unresolved. This device is used to keep the reader reading. Example: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Witch and Wizard by James Patterson are great examples of this device at work. Almost every chapter ends with a cliffhanger.

Foreshadowing - To give the reader a sense of things to come. Example: You hint at a past love or a thought of a past love right when the MC’s boyfriend proposes to her. The reader automatically thinks that there might be a connection or that she still has feelings for this other mystery guy. Later at a crucial time in the story, you introduce this guy and wham – instant tension.

Hyperbole – this device is used in poetry but can be used to sprinkle your dialogue with. Not too much though, it can weigh the MS. It is exaggeration and not to be taken literally. Example: My stomach had started eating my surrounding organs I was so hungry. (Bad example, but you get it, right.)

Narrative hook – The elusive “hook” we hear so much about. It is the opening sentence of your MS and must grab the reader’s attention and make it impossible for them to put down your book. Example: (this is from my MS) If the Twilight Zone was a place, then I was there.

Plot Twist – this is an unexpected shift in what happens in the story. No *dues ex machina here, though. The twist must make sense and be apart of the logical clues and points left throughout the plot. Example: The Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis had a great plot twist. If you hadn’t seen the movie, shame on you. Go rent it and you will understand what I mean. There are a number of clues that led up to the conclusion and it made total sense but we were so enthralled with the main plot that we forgot everything else. This is genius if pulled off correctly.

Ticking clock scenario – This device has to do with pacing. You up the stakes for your protagonist by making him/her have to accomplish the goal (they must have some goal/desire for a compelling read) within a specified amount of time. This device can be employed throughout the story or in a particular scene. Example: Nick of Time (movie) with Johnny Depp or Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyers

Irony – this device presents a difference in what is expected and what actually occurs. Situational irony is where a discrepancy between what is expected and what is actualized occurs, Example – Your MC has a lifelong fear of flying at night. So he/she avoids the red eye flights at all cost, but is in a plane crash on his/her noon flight. Dramatic irony occurs when a character is unaware of important information already revealed to the audience Example – Horror films are great for this one. We know Michael Myers is behind the MC and we wish we could scream for her/him to run. The MC however is not aware of him lurking behind, waiting to spring. (This is also a third person point of view device. First person perspectives couldn’t do this, as the MC is the head you’re in – unless this was done to a secondary character) Lastly, Verbal Irony is irony in dialogue. It’s when someone says one thing but mean another. (No explanation necessary, right)

Setting – a richly imagined setting can act as a third character. And setting does not simply mean where the story takes place. It is the car the MC drives, the bed that they sleep in, the period of time the story takes places…Examples – The Hunger Games and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling are great examples of richly drawn settings.

There are more, many more devices. Can you think of more? Did I get a detail wrong? Leave a comment.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!!

***deus ex machina - is a literary device that is evidence of weak writing. It is when the story/controversy/plot is resolved by some random act not associated with the story. Example: The villain has beaten the protagonist and an act of God rescues the protag - yeah this sucks and is a clear sign of a weak plot and writing. Don't do this!!!

Thankful Thursday meme...Teachers

2011-05-12T08:50:00.000-05:00

It is Thankful Thursday and this weeks meme is, Teachers. Those teachers who inspired your love for writing or just inspired you in general.

The teachers that I'm most thankful for are: Mrs. Green and Mr. Demecurio.

Mrs. Green was a teacher that made learning fun. She was not an English/Writing teaching though, she taught Social Studies. Her method of teaching gave me an insatiable desire to want to learn and that desire has not dissipated in my adult years. Aside from her creative teaching methods, she listened to me and was almost like a second mom. I'll always appreciate her educational guidance, but it was her friendship that meant so much to me.

Mr. Demecurio was my drama teacher. He cultivated a love of books and writing in me. Well, I already loved to read but he introduced me to new literary works I had not discovered. He, when we weren't working on a masterpiece for the school theatre, worked on his own novel. After I'd made a suggestion once, he started enlisting my help on a regular basis. He told me that I had good creative instinct and that I should write a book one day. He said that he'd dedicate his book to me for all my help. Not sure if that book ever got published but he inspired me and I never forgot his words.

Do you remember that teacher that inspired you? Tell us about them. Leave a comment here and a link to your site with your favorite teacher that you're thankful for. Grab the badge and post on your blog.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Girl's Night in...I'm having a Sleepover

2011-05-09T09:07:00.000-05:00

It’s my oldest daughter’s birthday. This post is inspired by her. She’s having a sleepover so I thought my blog could have a sleepover also. The things listed below are what her and her friends would do but also what we could do/talk about at our sleepover.

So get comfy and slip on your PJ's. Enjoy the night!!! But be warned, don’t be the first to fall asleep – you may get smacked in the head with a book!

Azia at five years!!!!

Azia now!!!!

What other blogs would I invite to my sleepover? I limited it to 7 blogs because I told her only 7 for her sleepover. It was hard to decide!!! Can you think of more? Leave it in the comments.

Kelly @ Kelly Hashaway's Books
Jessie @ The Daily Harrell
LM @ LM Preston
Jennifer @ Serendipity’s Library
Adrian @ The Mother Centurion
Aimee @ Seeking the Write Life
Christina @ Kafe Castro

What movies would we watch at our sleepover?

Thor

Twilight: Eclipse (to get ready for Breaking Dawn part 1)
Devil (gotta have one scary movie)
Hanna
Her movie: The Hot Chick
X-Men: First Class

What books would we talk about?

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
If I stay, Gayle Foreman
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

What music would we scream the lyrics to?

Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”

Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records”
Cee Lo’s “Forget you”
Miss Independent by Kelly Clarkson
Waka Waka by Shakira
Her Choice: Rihanna, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Fergie, and Alicia Keys and …. ‘s “ All of the lights”
Azia's choice: Casey Abrams version of I put a Spell on You

What hot guys we’d talk about?

Channing Tatum from The Dear John

Idris Elba from “Takers”
Ian Somerholder from “Vampire Diaries”
Paul Walker from “The Fast and Furious”
Josh Duhumel from “Life as we Know It”
Azia's choice: Taylor Lautner from “Twilight”
Azia's choice: Zack Efron from Charlie St. Cloud

Items of Discussion

Beiber Fever – Do ya’ got it?
Team Edward vs. Team Jacob
What new books should be movies
Writing, YA or MG

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

To: Writing, From: Dawn

2011-05-03T01:10:00.000-05:00

I have a love, hate relationship with writing. I hate that I love it so much. But honestly, I can't live without it. If I stay away too long, I feel lonely, sad, depressed. I'm lost and abandoned sometimes by it, but I know that it does not do it on purpose. I forgive writing for making me cry and making me feel inferior to others. I can get pretty jealous at times too. Does this sound like your relationship with writing. Yeah! Funny huh - how it feels like a real relationship sometimes. Writing makes me cry more than my real husband. I thought Kelly Clarkson put it perfectly. "My Life Would Suck Without You"

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Thankful Thursday - Book Series

2011-04-28T11:16:00.000-05:00

It's Thankful Thursday Meme, courtesy of Oasis for YA.

What book series are you most thankful for and why?

I, like Jessie over at Oasis, had the hardest time narrowing this down. I love The Hunger Games but she used that one already. So, I had to come up with something original. I choose, The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. It is about a family of witches, The Mayfair's. The books are grouped as, The Mayfair Chronicles. The Witching Hour, is the first book; Lasher, is the second; and Taltos, is the third and final book. They aren't YA but they are a great read!!!

I love this series because it cultivated my love of all things paranormal. And that's what I write now, and overwhelmingly what I read. I do like other genres, but Anne Rice put paranormal on the map for me!

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Another Blog Award...Yay Me

2011-04-26T15:41:00.000-05:00

Yes, that is my stylish blogger award. Thanks!!!***ahem*** Isn't it pretty. I received this striking award from Judy @ Among the Pots and Pans. Thanks so much Judy!!! Please stop by and visit her wonderful blog.

Now according to the rules I am to write seven facts about myself. Next I am to give the award to other deserving blogs.

Seven Facts about me:

1. I like to write and read...LOL, I know I'm not really giving too much away here, am I.

2. I have a son who is in the fifth grade. He once saw a picture of me when I was his age and commented, "Mom, your mother must not have liked you that much to let you take a picture with your hair like that."

3. My youngest daughter, aka "The Diva" once exclaimed to a female cousin I hadn't seen in over 10 years, "You are a lot bigger than my my mom."

4. My oldest daughter, "The one who wants to date" said proudly at the tender age of six, "I want to be a police officer when I grow up because they get to eat all the best donuts."

5. My husband has a nickname for someone we know: slobber. The embarrassing part is it's a grown person. He whispers it to me when they are around and we both howl with laughter. Of course, this is unbeknownst to that person.

6. I think maybe my house is haunted. If so, that's cool with me. But every niece or nephew that comes over is scared to go upstairs by themselves. Even the ones that are bigger than me!!!

7. My son to me: "Mom, why do you write so much if you don't get any money for it." Me: "Because I love to do it. But some people do actually get money for it. Some get a little but some get a lot. Like the ladys who wrote Twilight or Harry Potter, those were books before movies." My son: "Really. Oh, Wow! Keep writing and I'm gonna pray for you to hurry up and finish."

Do you see what I'm dealing with here. Loads of material - in-house!!!

The blogs that I've chosen to give the award to are:

http://adayintothewriter.blogspot.com

http://www.erinlschneider.com/blog

http://ambersteenreads.blogspot.com

http://www.madiganreads.com/

Please stop by and visit these great blogs. Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Blog Hop and Randomness

2011-04-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

Hello, fellow She Writers!!! Glad you could stop by:

I thought I'd list some random things about my family and myself and offer a writing tip.

I have a teenage daughter. She recently came to us (the hubby and I) and wanted permission to date. So, you can imagine what my life is like right now!!!
My youngest daughter (8) is a total diva. She often looks at me crazy when I suggest clothes or hairstyles that she doesn't like. Seriously, I can't understand whose child she actually is. She's been picking out her own clothes since she was 2.
My husband is a hoot. He keeps me laughing and that's probably the biggest reason I keep him around. Oh, and the help with the kids is invaluable.
My family and I love playing card games, especially Phase 10.
My oldest daughter (15) is in love with Casey Abrams from American Idol. Seriously. She loves music and singing and she says he is the best "artist" on the show. Ever.
My favorite TV show of all time is "Lost." Of all times, no others even come close.
I think I have a super power. Seriously. I do. It hasn't fully materialized, but its there, lying dormant until the moment that I need it the most.

Okay, now for my tip.

Pacing is very important in your novel. If done right it can transform your work. I know that many people aren't fans of Stephanie Meyers, Twilight, but I am. For the simplest reason of all - the pacing was great. She didn't give everything away in chapter 2. No, she made you wait and languish over what would happen. Will they end up together or not? Another great YA novel that has awesome pacing is The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (my favorite YA book- right now). Study both books and you can learn a lot about pacing. Even if your not a fan of either - you can read to learn.

The thing about pacing is it keeps your reader engaged. If you give everything away in the first chapter, what are they to keep reading for? Give them hints of what's to come (foreshadowing) but don't give away the big moment. And don't just give us one big moment. Give us a couple. Each time make the stakes even bigger and make us bite our nails with anticipation over how the MC is going to solve/get out of this one.

Pacing people...it’s the star of the show.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

A Little Inspiration

2011-04-18T15:42:00.000-05:00

"Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams. Just go head let your hair down..."
Go ahead - you really should relax a little. You're dreams are coming. It's okay to take a break sometimes.

Have a great day. Read a good book. Relax. And laugh.

Blog Award

2011-04-16T09:29:00.000-05:00

I received this award from awesome Jennifer over at Serendipity's Library. I am to thank the person who gave me the award - check. Provide a link to their site - check. Write seven things about myself - check, see below. Get ready to be dazzled and delighted by yours truly - check.

I love chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I'm not a chocolate lover by itself though.
I moonlight as a supermodel and I have three obnoxiously beautiful kids. Okay, just joking, they're not that good looking.
When I was younger I read books that were highly inappropriate for my age. While other little girls were sneaking to play with their Barbie's I was reading Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews under my bed. A book I stole from a cousin.
I love to cook. Unfortunately, me and food aren't on speaking terms right now and haven't been for the last six years. Well, I'm kinda in love but I keep getting the cold shoulder.
I love American Idol. This is my first year watching and I want to slap myself for it.

Now I have to give the award to other deserving blogger. This was the tough part for me. There are so many great bloggers. I tried to give the award to new bloggers, like myself, but admittedly most of these bloggers have been around for a while:

Beth's Blog
The Mother Centurion
Departing the Text
The Daily Harrell
Fi’s Magical Writing Haven
The Scribblers Cove
Carpe Keyboard
Writer’s Blog
YA’s the Word
Nindogs
T.G. Ayers Blog
Creepy Query Girl
See Heather Write

Please visit these wonderful blogs. Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

I'm not finished, yet?????

2011-04-13T09:35:00.000-05:00

Every time I think that I couldn’t possibly edit my WIP anymore, I find something to correct. I’ve compiled a list of things that are sure signs that your MS is not ready to send to that agent yet.

You’ve never had a critique partner. No, sorry folks, mommy dearest doesn’t count. You need an objectionable person with knowledge of writing to critique the story. It’s like when mommy said you looked pretty for your 8^th grade dance with the fuchsia puff dress, purple headband, green stockings and white dress shoes. She didn’t want to tell you you looked like a mix between Punky Brewster and Rainbow Bright. She’ll do the same to your manuscript. Trust me!

You enlist the “Find” feature in Word and discover that you’ve used “was” 30,000 times. Um…clear sign you’ve probably overused other words also. Grab a thesaurus and have a go at it. But don’t go crazy with that thing. ***ahem*** I’ve had that problem, well still do. You're not writing a dissertation. Remember that.

You’ve never had a beta reader. Now you can get mommy to read it. You need a regular lay reader to read it and tell you what they think. If you write YA or MG, you should get a young person to read those. Don’t ask your grandpa to read your YA romance with a female protagonist. What’s the likelihood that any grandpa anywhere would be reading a Gossip Girl type book? Not very likely. ***I’m just saying*** But I guess it could happen. Maybe???

You need a dictionary or another writer friend to explain what some of the terms in this post mean. If you don’t know what YA, MS, WIP or MG is then you may not have done your research on the craft of writing enough either. I know that may seem harsh but it is the truth. Do you have to write a perfect MS? Yes. As perfect as you can get it. But you can’t do that until you know: how to edit, how to revise, and use proper story structure. So, if you’re having trouble with this post, then you’ll have problems in your MS.

You've only deleted 10 words from your first draft. If you’ve deleted at least 1500 words of the original MS that’s a good sign you’re on your way. This is just a "me" thing, but I can’t see how you could edit/revise your MS and not delete at least 500 words. I always make my draft considerably long, with too many unnecessary words and phrases, and too much backstory. I have a lot of cutting to do in the end. You should too. If you can’t cut some of what you’ve written because you’re emotionally attached to the words, then that’s okay. You won’t be able to sell it but you do have other options. Print your MS and use the pages to line the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. It’ll save you money and time since you won’t have to get cabinet liners. ***I’m just saying***

I hope you find inspiration to keep editing. It can seem a daunting task but you can do it. If you feel that you can’t then I have one last tip. ***You could print the MS and wallpaper your office with it. It might actually look nice if you used colored paper. Ask your mother, she'll tell you if it looks good.

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!

A Little Inspiration from Carrie Underwood

2011-04-12T09:43:00.000-05:00

Love this song. It embodies the position that I'm at in life: my temporary home. No, I'm not homeless, but I'm at a cross-roads. Many of us are. I'm not published yet, but I know I will be. It's my permanent home. So don't get discouraged, know that "unpublished author" is your "Temporary Home".

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!

Who are you? "Um...I'm your MC..." -- Answers

2011-04-08T11:58:00.000-05:00

It’s that time. Time to find out how the teens answered the questions posed. The answers might surprise you.

I thought I’d provide a little background on the teens polled. There were 6 teens polled, male and female, with diverse backgrounds. The age of the teens raged from one 13 year-old, one 14 year-old, three 15 year-olds and, one 16 year old.

How would you say?

Chloe’s Answer

“Sorry” or “My bad”

“Really”

“What the…”

“What’s your deal?”

“I’m jammin’…”

“Crush” or “boyfriend”

The real teen answers for this were predominately the same. I was thoroughly surprised. Soul mate was the one word contested the most. But not by the guys - the girls. They felt that soul mate was not the correct word and opted for words: bestie or lover. Yes, lover. LOL

Chloe’s Answers

Flip Flops -- 5 tennis shoes and 1 flip flop (1 g)

Sherbet – 4 ice cream and 2 sherbet (2 g)

Books – 4 kindles and 2 books (1 g, 1 b)

Music –4 music and 2 TV (2 g)

The Hunger Games – 3 Hunger games (2 b, 1 g)

Action – 3 action (2b, 1 g) and 3 romance (g)

Comedy – comedy (all)

PB and J—5 pb and J and 1 ham and cheese (1 b)

Zeus – neither (2 b) and Zeus (girls, 1 b)

Drama – comedy – all

1 or 2 friends – 5, 1 or 2 friends and 1 popular (1 b)

Nerd – 3 Cheerleader/Jock, 2 nobody (2 g) & 1 nerd (1 g)

Mints – gum (2 b, 2 g) & mint (2 g)

Science – Health (1 g), Social St. (1g), English (1), Math (1 g), World His. (1b), Biology (1 b)

Latin – English (2 b)Reading (2 g), Algebra (2 g),

***Bonus question (actually I just accidently left it off the first post) –

*Hero or Villian --- this was easy…they all wanted to be the Hero

Q and A

How do you feel about PDA?

Chloe: I don’t want everybody in my business so I keep it to a minimum.
Teens polled: All teens but one boy thought it was okay to display affection in public.

What do you do on the weekends for fun?

Chloe: Shop with my two best friends.
Teens polled: Two girls and one boy hung with friends and one person did nothing – a girl, and one person played sports - a guy.

When did you start dating?

Chloe: In the 8th grade.
Teens polled: Never dated (1 – 15, 13 girl), three teens said the 7^th grade (2 b each 15 & 1 g 16), and one teen said 4^th grade (1 g, 13 years old)

Do you and your siblings get along?

Chloe: Sometimes but he’s a snob and I’m not.
Teens polled: Four of the teens said sometimes (2 b & 2g), and two girls said no (13 year old & 14 year old)

Would you cry in public?

Chloe: I try not to get too emotional in public. My mother would have a heart attack if she knew I was crying in public.

Teen polled: Four of the teens said no (2 b and 2 g) and two girls said maybe, it depends.

Would you follow your friends if they were doing something wrong or would you do the right thing?

Chloe: It depends on what they were doing. I wouldn’t hurt anyone physically. But I’d be down for a practical joke even if it were on a teacher.

Teens polled: Five of the teens polled said they would do the right thing. One teen, a girl, said she’d go with her friends.

Was this eye opening at all? Yes, actually it was for me. I hope you gathered some info from this exercise to help with creating your YA character.

Have a great weekend. Read a book and laugh aloud!

"Who are you?" "Um, I'm your MC..."

2011-04-06T09:52:00.001-05:00

I’ve seen character sketches before, but I wanted to do something a little different. Do you know your MC? I’m going to see how close to a real teen my protagonist is. How you ask? I’ve randomly selected things to test my knowledge of my character but also to see how close I come to what real teens think.

The second part of this post will be on Friday. Then the fun starts. I’ll compare my answers to real teens. I’ve surveyed **well, my daughter has** 6 teens (3 boys and 3 girls from her high school) and she’ll get the answers tomorrow from them. I haven’t seen them.

I know every character/teen is different. However, I think there are some similarities inherent in most teens. It would be fun to get the teen perspective on some things/issues.

My character:

Chloe Carmichael is 16 years old. She lives in New York City with her parents and older brother Matt. She attends a private school. Many of the students’ parents at the school are celebrities or in politics. Chloe’s father is a senator and her mother is an attorney.

How would you say:

Adult

“I’m sorry”

“I can’t believe you did that.”

“I can’t believe that happened.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m listening to music”

“Soul mate”

Chloe’s Answer

“Sorry” or “My bad”

“Really”

“What the…”

“What’s your deal?”

“I’m jammin’…”

“Crush” or “boyfriend”

This or That

Flip flops or tennis shoes

Ice cream or Sherbet

Kindle or books

Music or TV

Twilight or The Hunger Games

Action or Romance

Comedy or Suspense

P B and J or Ham and Cheese

Zeus, Hades, or Neither

Drama or Comedy

Popular or 1or 2 friends

Cheerleader/Jock, Nerd, or Nobody

Gum or mints

Favorite subject in school:

Least favorite subject in school:

Chloe’s Answers

Flip Flops

Sherbet

Books

Music

The Hunger Games

Action

Comedy

PB and J

Zeus

Drama

1 or 2 friends

Nerd

Mints

Science

Latin

Q and A

How do you feel about PDA?
I don’t want everybody in my business so I keep it to a minimum.

What do you do on the weekends for fun?

Shop with my two best friends.

When did you start dating?

In the 8th grade.

Do you and your siblings get along?

Sometimes but he’s a snob and I’m not.

Would you cry in public?

I try not to get too emotional in public. My mother would have a heart attack if she knew I was crying in public.

Would you follow your friends if they were doing something wrong or would you do the right thing?
It depends on what they were doing. I wouldn’t hurt anyone physically. But I’d be down for a practical joke, even if it were on a teacher.

Thankful Thursday

2011-03-31T14:39:00.000-05:00

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. There's a new post and it's not Wednesday. I'm inspired by Oasis for YA bloggers to post what I'm thankful for:

1. My family. I have an unconditional springboard for creative release with them. They understand me and, yet they still love me. Yeah, I got a little mushy.

2. Writing. Yes, I'm thankful for it. It's my means of release and my sanity. Who wants the world in black and white - I want full technicolor. With writing, I don't have to wait for someone else to give me thrills. I can do it myself.

3. Lastly, certainly not least, I'm thankful for the chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting sitting on my counter top. I've got to get off here before everybody gets home. I need to eat that last piece.

The highly generous Oasis for YA bloggers are offering a free critique from all five bloggers. Yes, I said that right. All five bloggers will critique your work. They'll either critique your query or your first chapter. So hurry on over. You must join the site to particpate for a chance to win but if you're a writer you should already be a member. There's so much going on over there. You won't regret it! I promise.

Have a great day. Don't forget to read a book. And laugh-out-loud. That's an order!

I'm sooo Random...

2011-03-30T11:24:00.000-05:00

I don't have anything significant to say. No wise words for my followers. No wisdom to depart. So, I thought I'd babble. If you don't mind. I love list - can't you tell. So in no particular order, I'd like to introduce my ramblings.

1. I purchased, If I Stay, by Gayle Forman a couple days ago. I can't wait to read it but my daughter nearly wrestled from my hands. So, I'll wait until she finishes it.

2. Can't wait to read Delirium, by Lauren Oliver. Love is a disease. Why didn't I think of that?

3. I just ate a giant piece of chocolate cake with chocolate fugdge frosting and I don't feel guilty at all.

4. Everyone keeps telling me to read the Odd Thomas books by Dean Koontz. I want to but I keep finding YA books to read instead. Well, except that new Stephen King compilation I read.

5. I love how my bookcase looks. So full. But I need to get a new one. Too many books.

6. Actually, I'd like to retract the last part of that previous sentence. One can never have too many books. Sorry about the slip.

7. I wish I could kick booty like Katniss Everdeen, love as hard as Bella Swan and have as much money as Oprah. LOL, well a quarter of Oprah's money would be nice.

8. I wish I had a Super-Power or powers like Wisty and Whit Allgood from Witch and Wizard.

9. I need to read the sequel to Witch and Wizard, The Gift. Can't wait.

10. I need to go lie down and have a real lazy day. Before the kids come home and I have to help with homework, cook dinner, clean the kitchen....

Have a great day. Don't forget to read a book. And laugh-out-loud. That's an order!

Help, I need somebody!!!

2011-03-23T22:49:00.000-05:00

Okay, I’m being selfish this week. I need your help ***said in the whiniest voice I could muster*** I have a list of agents I want to send my Manuscript to. Apart from hiding in the bushes outside their homes, I’ve properly stalked them for months. I know what they’re looking for. I’m polishing my manuscript until it shines. Last, but not least, I must rewrite the query letter, again. Yes, again. Will the madness never end? *ahem* Rant aside, here I place it for all to see. I humbly step to the side so you can rip it to shreds. And here we go:

Dear Agent,

Sixteen-year old Chloe Carmichael possesses great powers; she only wishes someone had told her of their existence sooner.

Chloe’s sheltered life has no room for the supernatural. Yet, she continually exhibits supernatural power. She witnesses the death of her boyfriend before it occurs, hears voices of people that aren’t present and sees objects move when she’s angry. She cannot ignore the things that have transpired, or the fact that they began the day Chris Thomas arrived.

Chris, suave and handsome, arrived to Whitney Young High School exploding with mystery. He, along with six other teens, weaves a remarkable tale for Chloe, one she’s reluctant to believe. Her real name is Amanda. She and Chris are soul mates from another universe. They must fight to save the world from an enemy they call the E.N.O. Or he’ll destroy them and everyone else on all the universes.

As she acclimates to this new life, she struggles with the perfection of Amanda and the imperfections of Chloe. Her often-overwhelming attraction to Chris is as perplexing as the new super-abilities she possesses. However, she must face a dubious truth. She may never recall Amanda or her infallible life and if she does, she may lose Chloe forever.

THE CHLOE CHRONICLES AND THE REBIRTH is complete at 75,000 words, and is young adult paranormal. This title should fit well with your current interest. It has the elements that you mention on your website… yada yada yada…

The entire novel can be sent at your request. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,

Are you using your Weapon?

2011-03-15T23:51:00.001-05:00

The position as writer can be a lonely one. As writers we struggle with hardships that others just can't comprehend. "If it causes you pain, then stop." "Nobody's making you do this." Do those words sound familiar?

My family is supportive, in their way. And my friends say they understand but they don’t. I’m not going to sit and have a pity party, though. Because I have a tool at my disposal that can turn any frown or wayward thought on its head.

It’s my imagination.

Yes, my imagination. We, as writers, use it everyday when we pound out words at our computers, typewriters and place pen on paper. Unless, you write nonfiction – I mean the boring, textbook kind – you use your imagination to create. This is an indispensable tool in our arsenal against those creeping thoughts that come to sabotage our creativity and kill our spirits.

How can we use imagination to our advantage?

I tell myself stories all the time and the best ones are always about me. I see me accomplishing my dream of becoming a published author. I picture the conversation between my agent and me. He/She will call and express how they are so happy to have found me in their slush pile. They will explain how they couldn’t put the book down. “I was up all night,” they’ll say.

I picture the next phone call from my agent. “We’re going to auction the book tomorrow.” Yeah, I know, I’m dreaming big. Right. But that’s the point. Dream big or go home! Well, something like that.

My point is, motivate yourself. Stop having a pity party for a week when you get a rejection. Cry, stomp, cry more, punch the wall…then move on. Rejection hurts. It’s like a personal attack against you. Only, its not.

I’m ready to start querying for a story that I’ve been working on and I think that situation spawned this post. I struggle with rejection too. But I do still have my imagination and it won’t allow me to dwell in pity.

So everyone’s invited to my party. My book release party. YAH ME!!!! Come dressed in your finest. I’ve invited some of my closes friends, like, Oprah, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Stephen King…

Terms, What terms???

2011-03-10T10:17:00.000-06:00

I thought I’d have a little fun today ***gasps*** with terms every writer should be familiar with. Hey, it’s my blog. I’m entitled to some fun. There’s also some good info here if you read closely. Here’s my list of terms you'd better know before you hit the ‘send’ button releasing your MS to that agent:

Protagonist – The lead drama queen or mysterious dude in your story. The lead character.

Manuscript (Ms) – that thing you’ve toiled over for the past year or ten. No further explanation necessary.

Plot – If you don’t know this, you shouldn’t be writing. But just in case, it’s what happens in the story. It’s the story.

Character Driven Stories – Stories in which your main character takes over everything. The story develops around the main character and how they feel, or act, or look or don’t feel or don’t look.

Dialogue – Stop the babbling people, please. What your characters say to one another. Only to advance the story. Only.

Agent - the person born with the singular objective of torturing you. Also the literary representative for your fiction/nonfiction writing.

Point of View (POV) – The characters head you’re stuck in for a year or ten. The characters prospective the story is told from.

· First Person – yeah, only I have the spotlight

· Second Person – who cares, nobody uses this right? Just in case, it’s told from the POV of “you” – like academic material.

· Third Person – your head hopping in first person POV here.

o Omniscient – the know-it-all POV. Feelings, so many feelings… Everything is seen and known by the reader.

o Limited – Hey, you. No, not you. Her. Yes, her. From one-person’s perspective…he, she, they, are utilized.

o Objective – oh, God, I can’t feel anything. The reader gets action and dialogue, only.

Genre – a particular style, content type and form of literature

· Mystery – Who killed Mrs. Shoemaker with the knife in the Library? Was it Colonel Mustard? If so, why?

· Thriller/Suspense – Can our hero stop the bomb from blowing up that school bus filled with kids that’s on the train track with a train barreling towards them…?

· Science Fiction – I went to the future yesterday and met my agent and she told me that my book will bring about world peace and I’ll be elected the first President of the World because of it.

· Romance – I love Billy but he loves my best friend, Sue. Sue dies in a horrible accident but now I’ve married Bob. Then Bob dies in a skiing accident and Billy and I reunite for our 20^th School reunion and we fall in love and live happily ever after.

· Horror – Blood streaked his face as he inched closer to me. I tried to scream but only a garbled incoherent sound escaped my lips…

· Fantasy – Last night while I slept, a set of dwarves entered my house. They cleaned everything from top to bottom then they left a neat note, thanking me for the opportunity to clean my home.

· Literary Fiction – Mrs. Shoemaker is dead. How will Mr. Shoemaker cope with life without her? What will he do?

Submission requirements – those snarky rules every agent wields over writers like an iron fists. For heavens sake adhere to them.

First Draft – the first complete copy of that garbled mess that filled your head for a year or ten.

Edit – take that first draft you slaved over for one to ten years and kill it. Polishing the ms for publication.

Slush Pile – Where my manuscript currently is. It’s the stack of queries an agent is currently dredging…I mean reading, from eager authors.

Who is your Villian

2011-03-02T08:41:00.001-06:00

Welcome SheWriter's from the Blog Hop!!!! Thanks for visiting. I hope you find useful information here. I thought I'd share two things about me that most don't know.

I love to play practical jokes on my kids. Well, my hubby and I do. We'll take them to the doctor and our youngest will just be there for a check-up but we'll tell her she has to get a shot. Once the waterworks start we'll stop but it is a fun way to keep the kids in-line while we're out. But they're getting older and I think they're catching on to us.
I adore action movies. I'm a junkie. I live vicariously through the andrenaline packed, tension filled, movies I see. I have dreams about them. When new movies are released that have all the elements I like: my mouth waters, I bite my nails, sweat beats my brow...LOL, okay, I just can't wait.

Now on to my tips:

We spend a great deal of time developing our main characters for our stories. We ensure that they have depth and that our audience is able to relate to them but we often overlook another character that is as equally important, the villain.

The same care given to developing the MC should also be given to the villain(s). If your villains are not as highly crafted as the MC, the story will fall flat. After all, the point of the villain is to bring drama and tension. If your story lacks a strong villain then your story will lack the tension needed to capture the reader’s attention. As you develop your villain, some things to consider are:

Who (or what) is your villain?

A villain does not have to be an external force, only. Actually, the best books I’ve read had a good measure of internal conflict. The MC struggles to reach his or her goal because of mistakes that they make. They are at odds with themselves. They can’t decide what direction to go or what to say in the heat of the moment. But remember eventually the MC must come to terms with what must be done and do it.

In my opinion, there should be multiple villains. Again, villains can be inner and outer forces, such as: the weather, doubt (inner struggle), friends, fear (inner struggle)… My point is, the more you throw at your MC the more tension and sometimes the better the story. If you have too much tension, however, the story can also fall flat. Find a happy medium between action (tense moments between the MC and villains) and narration (let the MC go to sleep, take a walk to relax…).

What is your villians goals?

Just as your MC has a goal, your villain must have one too. Even if the MC/narrator does not know that goal, you, the author, must. Everything that your villain does must be done to prevent the MC from obtaining his or her desires. So what does the villain want? He/She should do everything he/she can to accomplish their task.

Is your villain a formidable opponent for your MC?

Your villains villainous skills should parlay him/her a position on the America’s Most Wanted List. He/She should be ruthless and seemingly unstoppable. If every time the villain pops up your MC kicks booty there’s no conflict. If the MC can figure out what the villain wants and how to stop him from getting it on page two of your story, you’re probably going to lose your audience. You’d sure lose me. Make the villains goals complicated, not as complex as the Tax Codes but enough that your audience will keep wanting to know what he/she will do to accomplish this crazy thing they want.

Are You Prepared: As a Student

2011-02-23T15:46:00.000-06:00

As a mother, a writer and a human being I’m continually learning. Learning is an essential part of the human experience. We can never know enough. Society, technology and media, are always evolving and if you aren’t changing with them you’ll be left behind. Behind isn’t where you want to be as a writer. Especially for those writers of MG or YA. It’ll be reflected in your work. So do your homework. If you remain open and have the mentality of a student, you won’t miss opportunities to learn. The more you learn the better equipped you’ll be to edit your manuscripts.

How do I remain the consummate student?

I ask questions. Many agent blogs and publisher blogs allow readers to send questions via email and the comments section. Send in your questions or peruse the ones that have been answered. Some helpful sites to visit:

Mary Kole - from the Andrea Brown Literary Agency has a blog a wonderfully informative blog. Her blog has a plethora of information from editing tips, to querying agents. She also allows you to email her questions. And her answers are ultra honest and concise. I’ve learned quite a bit from her site. She has wonderful insight into the writing life from the perspective of an agent and a writer. You won’t be disappointed!

Nathan Bransford – a former agent with The Curtis Brown Literary Agency, has authored his own book and has a new job. But his blog is chalk full of helpful information. If you haven’t already checked in to his site, you’re sorely missing out.

The Blood-Red Pencil – This blog is awesome! It has some of the best editing tips I’ve seen online. I think in part because the authors are manuscript editors. I can’t do enough justice to this site you have to check it out for yourself.

Writers Knowledge Base: A search engine for writers – full of articles on anything having to do with writing. Great for finding articles about editing, freelancing and more. It’s a database of the best of the best online.

Other Helpful sites to visit that aid in the never-ending saga of editing:

WordCounter – this site will count the frequently used words in your document. You can have it search the 25 most used or the 200 most commonly used words. I recommend searching in batches as it can sometimes take time to load if you put too many words in. It may take a while to get a whole manuscript (I did my 75,000 words in 2 hours, while getting the kids out for school) analyzed but it’s free and well worth it. You can designate that it not count small words such as “the”, “it” and etc.

The AutoCrit Editing Wizard - this site gives you three free 500 word max, searches of your document. What are you searching for: overused words and redundancies, clichés, and sentence variation…these are the free wizards. You can search up to 500 words three times a day but if you need more in-depth editing you can pay a fee and have the wizard find other errors in your manuscript. The Wizard will analyze your pacing, dialogue, readability and other errors.

Once you’ve done your research and edited to your hearts content then try this site:

Writer’s Market – you must have a subscription. This site is the first that I subscribed to as a new writer. It is full of information on agents, publishers, contests, magazines – how to contact them, their current interests, organizations their affiliated with and more. It has great articles and can be broken down by different markets (Children’s, Fiction, Nonfiction…). It is well worth the subscription cost.

I visit these sites often. I’m always on the lookout for editing tips, either to share with my followers or for my own manuscript. I’m also on the hunt for great book reviews because as much as I love to write I love to read. Reading is a form of learning - if you read like an author (but, that's another post). The consummate student is always striving to improve. And a visit to any of the sites listed here will aid you in your quest for knowledge. Happy Learning!!!

Are You Prepared

2011-02-17T08:13:00.001-06:00

I’d like to take the time to say a special “Howdy” to all my fellow She Writers participating in the B&W Blogger Ball. Enjoy!

This post is a continuation of last weeks post on being prepared. Last week I explored being prepared as a mother, today I’ll discuss how I stay prepared as a writer.

Me, the Writer

Writing for me isn’t a hobby; I treat it as a profession. I devote at least five hours every day, with the exception of Saturday and Sunday to writing. Most of my writing is accomplished while my family is away at school and work.

How do I prepare for my day?

Before I sit at the computer to start my writing day I know exactly what I need to do…be it revisions, blogging, honing my craft….I’m prepared to accomplish it. Knowing what I'll do before I sit down aids me in staying focused and remaining productive.

I have a clean and tidy work area – nothing on my tiny desk to distract me from my task…that includes my very thrilling novel I’m reading right now. Every writer is always reading a great book. Right.

I have all the tools that I may need for my workday positioned around me so that I can find them easily. The two most important things I use when I sit to write are a dictionary and thesaurus. I have a link saved for the online Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus. In addition, I have both in book forms by my computer in the event I’m unable to get online.

I have bookmarked helpful websites for revisions for easy access. The favorites feature online is great. I can easily find a website or blog that I found a useful tip - just point and click.

And I’m realistic. I know that once my children and husband are home very little writing will get done because they demand most of my time. Many writers do not have the luxury (I won’t always) of full time writing and when you don’t you must still make the time to do it. But, it is my opinion that you don’t have to tell a true writer this. If you truly love to write, you will. Nothing will stop you. Only you can stop you.
　
Writing Tip:

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Okay, I know this is the oldest cliché but it’s the perfect sentiment for the situation. Rejection, a normal occurrence for most writers can cripple you as a writer – if you allow it to. I don’t. I choose to stay positive and see each rejection as a step closer to my YES. I’m not a robot - rejection hurts, period. But I don’t let it define me. I keep writing. So what your critique group hated the piece you presented. Take the advice you want from what they said and let the rest fall to the side. As a writer, you MUST have tough skin or this isn’t the profession for you. Please trust and believe that! If you love it then you’ll push pass the rejections, the revisions, the criticisms, to do what you want. Write.
　

Are you Prepared

2011-02-11T14:22:00.000-06:00

Being prepared, as writers, as mothers and as students

I volunteered to help my children’s school with their book fair and came across a book that helped students study for the SAT. I immediately reached for it as I have a daughter in high school. She’s only in the ninth grade but it’s never too early to prepare.

As a wife, mother and writer I must be prepared at all times. I thought about the roles I play and how I achieve success in each. Today I will explore my role as a Mother.

Me, the Mother

As a mother, I have to realize my limitations. I wear many hats and because of this, I must select wisely what hat to wear. I cannot overextend myself. I won’t function properly in any capacity if I’m completely burned out. I want to provide a stable and loving home. In order for this to happen, I must prioritize my many tasks.

How do I keep things in perspective?

First, I delegate. I allow my children to help with chores. I’m not superwoman and don’t want to be. Well, when I was in elementary I did – but that’s another post.

I don't beat myself up when the house isn’t clean. Though I must admit, I struggle with this. I’m borderline OCD about cleaning. I digress.

I have a set of rules that I won’t break. I have dinner ready at a decent time on weekdays; I keep the kitchen and bath areas sanitary and I wash our clothes. Aside from this, everything else is in the air. They may get accomplished this week. May not.

With three kids a husband and a profession, my life can get hectic. Sometimes I must be selfish and close myself up in my closet (the only place I can get some privacy) and relax with a book or sit in the dark and think. While I don’t do this often, it’s done enough to keep me sane. I need time to unwind, to let everything else go. The house won’t fall apart, the kids won’t kill each other and my husband won’t starve. Go ahead take a break. Try it out. I promise it’s addictive.

I have my dreams and my children have theirs. I don’t beat my children up about what they choose to call hobbies. I have a daughter who sings beautifully and I support her fully in whatever she wants to do with this gift. I encourage them daily to follow their hearts and not their friends. In essence, I want them to have their own minds. Be individuals.

I treat my children like little people. Some parents don’t listen to their children. Parents, we too can learn from our little ones…no matter what age. My children have taught me so much. I thank God for the gift of them everyday.

Okay, I don’t have anything relevent to say about my husband but I didn’t want my kids or him to see this post and wonder why I didn’t mention him since I mentioned the kids. So, my husband is the best. I feel fortunate to have a man that makes me laugh…sometimes when he’s not trying to – but that’s another post. Laughter is the best. I highly recommend daily doses of it.

Another helpful tip for preparation?

Pray. It helps. I ask God for patience to wait (we do a lot of that as writers). I ask for understanding. The ability to understand and empathize with others and their needs helps me to stay connected to my children and husband.

I pray for many other things but I don’t think you have all day to read my ramblings. So, go on get writing. Oh, but please leave me a comment. How do you as a mother prepare to write or prepare for life period.

Books that Should be Adapted for the Screen

2011-01-28T11:28:00.000-06:00

I just received my copy of Stephen King’s newest book, Full Dark, No Stars (purchased on the Literary Guild site, great prices)…I love it! Of course, I knew I would. I began to think of his books that have been adapted for the screen. And, that got me to thinking of other books that I would love to see adapted for the screen.

The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) – I’ve heard that this book is in the process of being made into a movie. I hope so. I couldn’t put this book down. The pacing of the story was great; you had to turn the page to find out what was going to happen or it would eat at you.

The Hunger Games tells the story of Katnis Everdeen and her journey through the most dangerous game any kid has ever played.

The Flowers in the Attic (V.C. Andrews) – This book was made into a movie in the 80’s. I remember going to the theatre the day it came out. I was so excited. This was the first adult book that I read. When I learned that it was made into a movie, I was ecstatic. Seated in the theater my little innocent heart pounded with anticipation. I was sorely disappointed. This movie left an indelible mark in my child mind – books should never be made into movie…ever. I have rescinded that opinion. However, I am aware that when I complete a book and hold it reverently towards heavens and announce, “Oh, this should be made into a movie” that I never expect the movie to be as satisfying as the book.

Flowers in the Attic is the story of four children who are stowed away in an attic for three years, with no contact with the outside world because of greed and a lie.

The Witching Hour (Anne Rice) – This is an epic 1038 page novel (paperback copy) but it is a great story. It is very much an adult novel but the story is superb. The characters are rich and you’ll feel you know that at the end of the story. Caution: You may have to sleep with the lights on for a few nights after this read.

The story follows a family, The Mayfair’s, through the generations as they cope with a demon spirit that wrecks havoc over the females (and some of the males) intent on destruction.

Gerald’s Games (Stephen King) – I read this book some years ago. Then recently re-read it. This book is great. It is classic Stephen King with physical and mental torture. I wish I could read his mind for an hour. How does he come up with such great ideas for stories? The protagnoist in this story is a woman and he captures her voice well. You will root for her from cover to cover and afterwards.

Gerald’s Games is the story of what happens when a husband and wife have not communicated properly.

Rose Madder (Stephen King) – I know, I’m a little biased. I adore Stephen King. This heart-pounding book is a masterly written piece. Full of tension, great pacing, characters you love to love, and love to hate.

Rose Madder is the story of Rose Daniels' supernatural transformation from abused wife of a psychotic cop to independent woman.

The Servants of Twilight (Dean Koontz) – I believe this book was made into a low-budget movie some years ago. Hated it! This book deserves some real big money Hollywood attention. The pacing of the story and the characters are superb. Long after you have finished the book, you will be contemplating the questions raised in it. Undoubtedly, you will glance over your shoulder a few times.

The Servants of Twilight is the story of a religious sect bent on eradicating the world of evil; they relentlessly pursue a young boy and his mother. The story culminates with an ending that will leave you questioning what really happened.

Did I miss your favorites? Think I should have had someone else on the list. Let me know. Leave it in the comments.

Revive that Story

2011-01-21T08:32:00.000-06:00

I was just over at The Blood Red Pencil and was inspired by a post by Maryann Miller. She hadn't abandoned an old manuscript and it worked in her favor...she recently got the story published. I too have a manuscript - my very first to be exact- that I have hidden away. Embarrassed by my lack of skill, I quickly realized the manuscript lacked something...actually, it lacked many things.

I have as of late taken on the notion that all my work is a "Work in Progress" until it is published. So, yes that means my current piece that I posted to this very blog. Since posting it here some weeks ago it has undergone some changes...especially the first chapter. I say all of this to say that we shouldn't abandon manuscripts. In my humble opinion, any manuscript is salvageable. The key is to know what to keep, know what works for your MC, and don't be afraid of criticism.

I was terrified of criticism! I said I wanted readers/friends to critique my work but what I really wanted was for them to say they liked it. They didn't even have to tell me why they liked it, just that they did. Boy, I was in for a wake-up call. I let a neighbor read it and she gave it back with a detailed list of my errors. Some of the things she mentioned went over my head...I had no idea what she was talking about. That was embarrassing! I got smart though. Quick.

I pushed myself to learn the craft. I bought books on the craft of writing. I subscribed to writer’s blogs, writer websites, Facebook pages...anywhere I could think. And, I listened. And read. And listened more and read more. Am I the perfect person to write that manuscript now - I think so. However, it’s not because I think I'm the best writer but because I think I'm a great "learner.” And any learner will tell you - you never know enough. There is always something to be learned.

Editing Tips for Writers

2011-01-12T20:30:00.000-06:00

I've been working on editing my novel, the Chloe Chronicles and the Rebirth for some time now. So, I’m constantly discovering new tips on how to edit my manuscript. There's a plethora of information available. It can be quite intimidating.

Therefore, my post today will be for writers. Of course, anyone can use the tips I've discussed here. I’m not a published author and know that my tips are not all inclusive. However, I’ve implemented the following editing techniques to my manuscript. I find it reads much better, clearer. The tips will allow my readers the capability of delving into my book without the distraction of messy, clunky, disconnected writing.

First Editing Tip:

The very first thing you should do once you complete the first draft is to put your manuscript away for at least two or three weeks. This will give you the opportunity to look at it again with fresh eyes. This waiting period is meant to give you the ability to look at the manuscript you've pondered for months (sometimes years) in a different light. Many writers differ on the length of time needed to produce these “fresh eyes,” but all agree that it’s necessary.

Second Editing Tip:

Once you’ve waited for your “fresh eyes” to appear, the next step is to do a thorough read through. I read my entire manuscript from first page to last. I try not to make any corrections during this step. This is very difficult to do. I see so many errors at this point and want to make changes to them. Don’t! My goal during this step is to:

spot gaping holes in the plot – your reader should understand what has happened, not scratch they’re head in confusion.
ensure character arc – your protagonist should be different by the end of the storyspot dialogue errors – know your characters, would they really say that.
look at sentence structure – sentence lengths should vary within each paragraph.
Your villain is well thought out – your villain will provide much of the conflict in the story so must not be weak. He/she/it must be strong enough to survive the entire story. If the villain is weak, your story will be also. The same thing goes for your protagonist.
Ensure your story has enough conflict to propel it to the end. Conflict is what keeps your readers, reading. No conflict = boring story = no readers!

… I make notes on the hard copy of the manuscript, with notes in the margins and underline or highlight things I need to change. Alternatively, I use a notebook with notations of changes that I need to make by notating page this, page that and paragraph this, paragraph that, beside it so I can find the things I need to correct later.

Third Editing Tip:

In this next round of editing, I’m looking to seek and destroy. Meaning: I'm going to have to cut a lot. What am I looking to destroy:

the endless back-story (back-story is info that gives the reader details of what happened before the story began). This should have been spotted and notated on your read through
All the other things you noted in your read through. Anything that does not propel the story forward – especially dialogue that does not push the story forward or reveal anything about the character(s) that the reader must know/understand to understand the plot.
Repetitive use of words – never use the same word in the same sentence, if possible, not the same paragraph (this mostly refers to verbs) Use a thesaurus to find new words to replace the repetitive ones. Nevertheless, remain mindful of your audience – you’re not trying to prove your intelligence but stimulate a reaction from your audience.
Cut down on the use of adjectives and adverbs – especially those words ending in – “ly” like, suddenly
Cut down on fillers, words that add no meaning and if deleted from the sentence does not reduce clarity, examples: just, then, probably, usually, almost, there was, there is, had, mostly…

Fourth Editing Tip:

Once I’ve deleted all the unnecessary things from my manuscript its time to ensure that my spelling, words, and sentence structure are correct. Sure go ahead and use your spellchecker but it will not catch all the errors. You must do a line-by-line edit to catch any redundancies or awkward sentences, misspellings, and proper word usage.

Fifth Editing Tip:

Don’t push that send button! Do not think under any circumstance, that once you complete your first draft it’s ready to send to agents. It’s not. Even if all your friends tell you, your story is great, flawless, and perfect. It’s not. Wait. Follow the steps in this post…nobody ever gets it right the very first time. Even the authors on the best-sellers list have to do a thorough edit…or pay someone to do it for them. Scour the Internet for editing tips. The easiest places to look are blogs. Blogs by other writers are filled with tips on editing. Keep looking until you keep finding the same tips or you can say that you’ve implemented almost every tip you’ve come across.

Sixth and Final Editing Tip:

This is actually two tips in one. ***no need to thank me*** Read then write. Read more, and then write more. I’ve never personally met anyone who loves (you must “love” to write to do it or else you must be insane, in my humble opinion) to write but does not like to read. I LOVE reading. I read quite a bit in my genre…actually anything I can get my hands on. My bookshelf is overloaded. I also read outside of my genre…to keep me on my toes. And, of course, I love to write. I feel sad when I don’t write. I miss my characters and feel as if I’m neglecting them.

Those are all the tips I could think of right now. I’ll gather more information and post more editing tips later. This should suffice for now. I should know…their keeping me awful busy.

If you have any editing tips please let everyone know in the comments section below.

Spare Time Activities

2011-01-06T04:47:00.000-06:00

With my children home for the holidays and a slew of nieces and nephews visiting, I had little time for writing. I’ve not written anything new in my ‘The New Kid’ installments for some time and don’t have a topic ready for this week. So, in light of my unpreparedness, I thought I’d share with everyone what I have been doing.

Watching movies (some new, some old)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Lightening Thief – Okay, I’ve watched this movie a gazillion times. I love it each time. It has everything I love: intrigue, great characters – especially a donkey boy, Medusa, and Greek Mythology. I love the scene where they are in the casino. All- around great movie that can be seen with all the kids in the family.

Salt – This movie is action packed. Angelina Jolie kicks major butt!!! Great acting, great story and a great twist that I actually saw coming ***ahem*** I guess it’s that great writer instinct I have. Would recommend in a heartbeat.

Resident Evil, After-Life – I couldn’t wait to see this movie. Unfortunately, it was not what I expected. Alice is usually kicking booty but this story-line is too unbelievable. I believe that conflict progresses the story but come on!!! Some of the things that happen just don’t make logical sense. “There is no way that she should have survived that,” I kept yelling at the TV. I wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone, unless they were looking for a great laugh.

Easy-A – I must admit I am not the biggest fan of the comedy. I love action movies and science fiction but not comedy so much. Until now. This was the best comedy I’ve seen in a very long time. It was well written, smart, and funny. The lead character, Olive, played by Emma Stone, is a sarcastic, intelligent, caring high school student with a huge lie that she can’t contain. I highly recommend, but due to the subject matter I’d say no one under 13.

I actually did get some reading done over the break also:

The Hunger Games Trilogy (by Suzanne Collins) – I know I am well behind everyone else in America on this one but I adore the Hunger Games. I read all three books and let me tell you, it was full of surprise moments, great characters, and action. No wonder they’re selling like crazy. I loved each book equally and am biting my nails trying to figure out when the movies are coming and who’s going to play Katniss Everdeen. My daughter is reading the second book now, Catching Fire. I think I may re-read The Hunger Games, just for fun.

How to Write a Selling Screen-play (by Christopher Keane) – It’s a great tool for any writer. It helped me to develop my characters, the plot, the dialogue…and so much more. It was amazing the incite I gleaned from his words. I read it like I was reading a fiction book. It had great exercises at the end of each chapter too!!! Would recommend to any aspiring author or screen writer. It’s awesome!!!

New Year's Resolutions

2010-12-29T13:48:00.000-06:00

Okay, it’s that time of year where everyone is optimistic about the New Year. Every one will sit down and write out what they will do differently this upcoming year. And, most people will give up after a few weeks. So, I decided it might be easier to list what I know I'll continue to do…though I know I shouldn’t.

Totally ignore the kids and husband and read a book in a day. This will of course not be while they are in school or work; it’ll be on the weekend. No breakfast, lunch or dinner. Reading, after all is fundamental. I’ll start another book the very next day.

Unclutter my huge closet. It’s stock full of paper. We don’t throw anything away. In the next millennia they will invent a product that will sort all my papers, dispose of them and organize the remaining lot, while I peck away at the computer. I’ll unclutter then.

Lose that last 15 pounds. I’ll just take up the Goth look for the year. I look good in black anyway.

Stick to a strict writing schedule. If I type 1,000 words it shouldn’t matter if I began at 3:00 a.m. and finish at midnight…it was still done in a day. Right!

Cook healthier meals. I’ll eat carrot cake, and peach cobbler to ensure I’m eating enough fruit and veggies. And when I go out to eat I’ll be sure to order green beans…deep fried. I’m sure these small changes will help my body kick into gear. Not sure what gear but I’m sure something will happen.

Drive my husband crazy. Women are all about emotions and feelings and crap. My three times divorced best friend said men just love that stuff.

I’ll spend money and not save, like I just inherited the lot of Bill Gates estate. Money will be no object. I’ll borrow; max out my credit cards, do whatever I can to get what I want. I’ll even ask you to let me ‘borrow’ it. Of course, I won’t be paying you back.

Volunteer more this year to help the needy. I’ll just call all my family over for a spaghetti dinner. That should hold me until next year.

Call my girlfriends more. I’ll just send a mass text message to everyone at the beginning of each month. I’ll make sure to put I love you so everyone can feel special.

Take a family vacation camping. I’ll get some sleeping bags and move the furniture in the family room. Well stay up all night watching movies on the blu ray and looking at pictures in the photo album. They can go out back in the yard and do #1 if they want to feel the great outdoors.

Spend more time admiring nature. I’ll open the windows of the house for a full hour each day.

Exercise more. I’ll make up short stories about extremely fit people and live vicariously through them.

Okay, this list was fun but I do have some real resolutions. Some things that I’d like to change, some things that I'd like to improve upon but there are just too many to put up here. LOL

My Grown-Up Christmas List

2010-12-22T16:41:00.001-06:00

In keeping with the holiday spirit, I thought it only proper for me to list what I want for Christmas. Yes, even parents/adults want gifts for Christmas. This list is in no particular order but getting all of these would make me the happiest little lady - well until next Christmas.

A literary agent to rep my work.
Excellent physical health for my family
Mortgage paid off, in full, 0 priniciple balance
Dragon's Naturally Speaking - it allows you to speak and the software types what you say...what writer wouldn't want that?
Books; anything in Ya, paranormal, science fiction, dystopian, fantasy....okay, just about any book will do.
To finish my first draft of "Volt" already!
A superpower, only one. I don't want to be selfish. It can be anything too. Like, reading minds, flying, seeing through objects, telekinesis...
For Hollywood to make the movie version of The Hunger Games, By Suzanne Collins already!!!
For Hollywood to make the movie version of The Host, by Stephenie Meyers already!!!
A third generation "red" Ford Mustang for my husband...a happy hubby is a happy home - and more time for me to write.

Well, that's what I want. I really want more but I thought how much reading will people do about what I want. Who seriously cares about what I want, other than the good Lord and maybe Santa. Hey, Santa...you. Yes, you. Take a gander at my list and at least choose three...pleassssse with a cherry on top. Okay, I believe that's enough begging.

The New Kid, part 4

2010-12-01T06:22:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving...didn't stuff yourselves too much, did you. Well, thankfully, I didn't forget to update early since I was late last week. So... Here it is another installment of The New Kid. Enjoy!!!

“Look, what can I do to convince you to give the thing to me? I know you have it - you little weasel.”

“Oh, how fun, we’re calling names now. You misguided feminist, back stabbing, little…word my mother says I should never use!”

I threw my hands into the air, exasperated. “Why did I get stuck here? Of all the places I could be…I should be. I was supposed to be going on vacation when they sent me here. A real vacation, as myself…my real self. I haven’t seen her in so long. Instead, I’m here with you. You maggot, you degenerate, scum of the earth, parasite…I could go on for days. My mommy didn’t limit my vocabulary.”

“Okay, look the processor you want doesn’t exist…couldn’t exist. We don’t have technology that sophisticated yet. And, if we did I’d be extremely reluctant to give it to you. Actually, reluctant is an understatement, you will never get it if I am your only source.”

“What do you mean reluctant to give it to me.” I said through clenched teeth.

“Well, honestly, you’re a girl. A pretty girl, just not the smartest one.”

“Oh, I see. Listen, I’m desperate here. I gotta get rid of this body. I didn’t even like kids when I was a kid. And, this mommy…Good Lord! If she kisses me one more time I’m calling child protective services. I’m willing to barter with you. Okay. You don’t have to give the processor to me, only the patent for the technology. We can reproduce it on our own. I, in turn, will give you of my services,” I said. I sashayed my hips and winked at him, desperately trying to flirt.

“And, what services might that be.” He licked his lips then stepped forward a foot.

“You want to stay here. I mean as this middle grade kid, that’s fine with me. But, you do know that everyone thinks you’re a geek, a major loser, a real tool, a real -”

“Okay, I kind’ a get that…not popular. Go on.” He rolled his eyes like the sissy I always thought he was.

“I could change that for you. I could make you popular.”

“How.”

“I’d tell everyone we’re going out. I’d even give you a quick peak in the halls in front of everyone. Of course, you must produce the processor first.”

“Oh…um, okay, uh…I have the know how to duplicate the processor. Come by after school and I’ll get started on it.”

Good boy, I thought. That was easier than I had anticipated. Now if I could just find the freaking gym.

The New Kid, part 3

2010-11-25T08:06:00.000-06:00

Oops, with all my Thanksgiving preparations I totally forgot to update the blog. My humble apology. Well, here it is, the next installment. Enjoy!!!! Have a happy, wonderful, joyful, thankful, Thanksgiving!

“Listen, you’re gonna tell me what I need to know. Or else!”

“Or else, what?”

“Or else. I’ll stick your head in the toilet. I’ll wash your mouth out with soap and I’ll stuff you in your locker.”

“Ha-ha! All those things have already been done to me. You’re too late. You need to be more original. I thought they were sending their best after me.”

“Listen kid, I need that information something bad.” I took a step forward and clinched my fist at my side.

“You’re a kid too now!”

“Regardless, I’ll break an arm or a leg. Don’t allow my stature to make you complacent. I can still do my job. Now give me what I want, and I’ll go away.”

“Am I really supposed to believe that? You know its kind’a hard to take you seriously with that yellow bow in your hair and that yellow and white sunflower dress. Didn’t someone tell your mommy that you were in the sixth grade and not elementary. That outfit is really babyish.”

“Do you really think I care what you think about my outfit? Are you an idiot or something? I said, I’d let you go. Just give the thing to me already!”

“You’ll simply let me live out my life here? You’ll just go away.”

“That’s right. You can trust me. I’ll let you go.” I held my breath with anticipation.

“Right. I should trust you. It seems you’ve forgotten the time in Paris that you shot me. Or, the time we got married in Costa Rica and you poisoned me. Or the time we were sailing the Caribbean and you threw me overboard to the sharks, right after you stabbed me in the leg. Or the time - ”

“Okay! Okay! I get it. You have…trust issues. Hey, it’s my job, don’t take it personal.”

“Right. Issues, major issues,” he said. He backed away from me and my intrusive stance.

He stared at me. I stared back. He wasn’t budging and neither was I.

National Adoption Day

2010-11-17T05:32:00.000-06:00

I interrupt this regularly scheduled blog to bring you this important announcement: November 21 is National Adoption Day. Please enjoy the post below as my tribute to the day. Your regularly scheduled blog continuation of "The New Kid" will be next Wedesday.

I’m in the room very impatiently waiting. Today was a huge day! I glanced at the clock on the night stand - they were late.

Today was special because I was receiving the best present a girl could get. No, it wasn’t money or a car - which both came in at a very close number two. It was even better than both of those.

What do you ask could be better than those? Not much, I’ll be the first to admit. But, wait for it…I’m getting a new sister!

Okay, honestly this enthusiasm is new. Seriously, when Mom and Dad sat me and my dork-fest brother down to tell us, enthusiastic wasn’t the word to describe how we felt.

The dork-meister, a mere three years younger than me, never agreed with anything I said or felt, until now. “No way. I don’t need two of them walking around. Do you know how uncool she already is and now you want to give me another one. Have you people lost it. Listen, if you want I’ll put on a wig and some of that cherry lip stuff and come and cuddle with you twice a month. You can buy me presents - only guy stuff though. That should get this out of your system,” he whined.

“Wow, can you get any weirder,” I said. I rolled my eyes at the thought of him with a wig on. “Mom, Dad, listen to me. You don’t need another kid to validate you. You did a wonderful job with me. It’s not your fault the dorkster’s such an embarrassment. All kids stray. We don’t need another kid in here mixing things up. I’m willing to give up some of my social activity to spend some time with you. And I’m willing to allow you to lavish me with presents. For my unselfishness, I only want one thing…no more siblings please.”

Of course my parents didn’t quite see it the way me and the dork-guru did. They marched us into the family room and turned on the computer. They showed us a video about the kids that are waiting in foster care to be adopted.

It was surreal. We saw this one kid, a girl, who lived in a group home. She could have easily been me. It was shocking. She seemed completely normal. We had similar interest, like sports and make-up. She also said she “loved math” but I think the adoption agency told her to say that because every girl I knew hated math. Aside from this one white lie (and come on people we’ve all been there) she seemed legit.

I guess I sort of thought only weirdoes and delinquents were the only ones needing to be adopted. I didn’t need the stress of some kid coming here, stealing my things, burning down our house and killing my parents and the dork. A little dramatic right. I’ve watched too many Lifetime movies.

I was so wrong though! By the end of the video I was convinced. Not totally thrilled about the idea but I was willing to try. I even thought I saw the dork-authority with a tear in his eye.

I was proud of my parents for making a decision like this. There were so many kids on that site that needed a home. I felt awful for them. I couldn’t imagine not having a family or being separated from mine - even the dork-master.

So I promised my parents I would try really hard to make her feel like apart of our family. She was the dorkster’s age, which was cool. I could help her to fit in…be a real big sister. The kid would probably follow me around, like a mini-me or a clone. I didn’t even mind.

A car door slammed and I jumped. I guess she's here, I thought. I took a deep breath and crossed the room. I spun around one final time. I wanted to ensure everything was perfect and in its proper place. Mom had requested for me to decorate her room. It was black and fuchsia leopard print. I was positive she would love it.

I turned the knob and walked out the room. Nervousness gone, a sense of pride lingered. I’m going to do all I can to make this kid feel wanted and part of our family. But first thing…I’ve got to meet her. Gulp!
　
　
Every year thousands of kids are placed in foster care. These kids need loving and supportive homes too. However, too often they are left to wait in the system. Can you imagine not having a family? Feeling like you don’t belong anywhere… Well, these children can relate to those feelings.

If your parents open your home to a child, be a good brother or sister. Aspire to make them truly feel like part of the family. It’s difficult emotionally for children (especially older kids) to be placed in foster care or adopted. They have the lingering feelings from their birth parents and/or siblings. This is a big adjustment for them also.

So, don’t open your doors without first opening your heart.