Sierra's Writing Adventure

Writing from the Inside Out

2012-03-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Several months ago (okay, last July) I wrote a blog post called What Do I Believe. In it I referenced a TED talk by Simon Sinek. If you haven't watched it I give you permission to click on the link and check it out. He talks about this idea of a 'Golden Circle' that is the key to success. The idea is that people, businesses, movements, etc that are successful inevitably start by 'selling' their vision rather than their product. In this talk he referenced a book by Malcolm Gladwell called The Tipping Point. I would recommend reading it - it provides an interesting insight into how trends and ideas become widespread.

All of this got me started thinking about writing and marketing in particular. I wonder how many of you have read the same writing and marketing advice that I have and started to feel overwhelmed by the laundry list of things we should eventually be doing to perfect and market our book. As I was pondering this I realized that an epiphany I recently had in my personal life was very applicable here. When we focus on the details, the 'what' of our goal, and lose sight of our desires, the 'why,' all of the things we have to do quickly become overwhelming. However, when we have a clear vision of what we want the work that we put in is more enjoyable and seems less difficult. I've also come to believe that defining the 'why' helps us figure out the 'what' in a purposeful and efficient way.

With that lengthy background I invite you to participate in a little exercise with me. Grab a piece of paper and create three concentric circles. Make them big enough that you can scribble for a while in them. In the center start with the 'why' you write. Brainstorm until you fill the circle. Be as specific as possible.

Look at your 'why' answers and then in the next circle, write down how you are going to accomplish the goals that are in the middle circle. Now, in the outer circle write down what your final product is going to be. Be creative and take your time as you write these - they are going to be the starting point for a marketing plan that we will discuss on Wednesday.

As an example I'll tell you some of mine. When I started my 'whys' were kind of lame. I like writing, I like telling stories... boring. But the more I thought about it and the more ideas I wrote down the more interesting my 'whys' became. For instance, I wanted to think outside the box and get people to challenge the way they view the world. I wanted to spark their imagination. I wanted them to be excited about science and the counter-intuitive, almost fantastical, aspects of the world around us. I wanted them to interact with the story on a personal level and make it their own.

If you are having a hard time with this part, think about how you want people to feel about your book. What books made you feel a similar way? Why? I started thinking of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I wanted adults to feel as excited about my books as I felt about her book as a child.

Now for how you want to accomplish this. For me it meant researching the science in my stories thoroughly, including interesting twists on science and cutting edge technology, and having these elements shape the plot and character development. The 'what,' my final product, is hopefully an exciting book.

One of the things I really liked about this exercise is along the way I came up with some really fun ideas. For example, because science plays such a big role in my stories I thought it would be really interesting to provide a way for interested readers to read the same source material I used for my research. How I accomplish that will be food for thought as I continue writing but sharing information is something I'm passionate about.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and what you came up with. Save your piece of paper because on Wednesday we'll talk about how to transform the things you wrote into a solid marketing plan.

The Science of Growing Snowflakes

2012-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

For no good reason at all I was researching snowflakes last night and came across this awesome site called Snow Crystals which is created by a group at Caltech who study crystal structure. I learned some very interesting facts about snowflakes, such as:

* The six fold symmetry in snowflakes is caused by the hexagonal lattice structure of the water molecules as they form ice crystals.

* Snowflakes are not frozen rain but are formed when water vapor condenses directly into ice in the clouds. The temperature and humidity at which this happens determines the type of structure that is formed (seriously, they even have a morphology diagram).

* Sunlight reflecting off tiny ice crystals in the atmosphere can result in ice crystal halos.

This site is pretty awesome and I definitely recommend roaming around it for a while. They have books on snowflakes (ranging from children's to adult), photo galleries and instructions on how to make your own snowflakes and hoarfrost as well as how to preserve them. They even have designer snowflakes and movies that show them creating snowflakes!

In case you are still here, head over to the site now. Don't forget to check out the Guide to Snowflakes and then head back here to let me know what your favorite is. Mine are the stellar dendrites.

What Makes a Story Fail

2012-02-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Monday was a holiday and part of the day I took some time to watch Real Steel. I'm still not entirely sure what my opinion is. It wasn't terrible and it wasn't great. Mostly it got me thinking about what makes a story work and what makes a story fail. Here are a few of the things that went a little wrong in the movie that I thought particularly applied to writing.

The stakes weren't very high. I've been seeing this point pop up a lot in other blogs but I don't think it can be emphasized enough. When little is at stake we care less. The stakes don't have to be obvious either. Most of the time we are looking for high emotional stakes. For instance, in the movie the father 'sells' his child so he can buy a fighting robot. We expect such a reprehensible act to have some serious consequences but his son knows about this from the beginning and doesn't seem too put out by it. Then there is the love interest who expresses moments of annoyance at the father's selfish and destructive behavior, but is waiting in the wings the entire movie waiting for the inevitable change of heart. How much more impact could the story have had if the father stood to loose the woman he loved, the respect and new-found relationship with his son, as well as his reputation and livelihood?

Starting with a very unsympathetic character. It's important that our characters have room for growth but it's also possible to run the risk of starting with a character that is so unlikeable that it is difficult for the reader to emotionally connect. In the beginning of this movie the father is so incredibly self centered and horrible that it makes it difficult for the viewer to be invested in his story. It also makes the transformation into a caring and thoughtful father much harder to sell.

Relying on sparkle instead of substance. Sometimes it is easier to rely on a particular strong point while ignoring the rest of the package. In the movie the big name actors and extensive action scenes don't quite make up for the mediocre dialogue, lack of a well defined back story and uninspired acting. Although these did get significantly better as the movie progressed, it was a mistake to ignore the finer details and present an unpolished final product.

All that being said, I still enjoyed the movie and thought there were some very good moments. Just maybe not enough to turn off that pesky internal editor. What are your thoughts?

I'm going to be published!!

2012-02-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the blog hiatus. I've found that if I try to write my posts during the week it just doesn't get done in time so I've come up with the brilliant solution to write them on the weekends and schedule them to be posted later. I know, I know, it shouldn't have taken me nearly this long to come up with that solution. What can I say, I'm a little dense sometimes.

So, on to the big news. I found out on Friday that a short story I wrote for the 'Variations on a Theme' anthology was selected as one of the entries. I a month or so I'm going to have a story I wrote published in an actual anthology! As you can guess, I'm pretty stoked.

That being said, it was really interested to examine my feelings when I first found out. I was definitely excited; this is the first time I've had anything published since the time I wrote a small poem in middle school that made it into a poem collection. I'm pretty sure parents were the only ones that bought them. But in addition to excitement I was also a little anxious. I know the story has flaws and there is a part of me that desperately wants to recall my story for edits before it's published. I have to keep telling myself that most readers are pretty forgiving, right? My good friend (and a kick-butt writer as well) DB Smyth recently wrote an article about this phenomenon that I can now fully sympathize with.

Add to anxiety a small dose of guilt. I have a couple of friends who submitted stories as well. Quite frankly, I think that both of their stories are much better than mine and they are much more experienced writers, so I feel bad that mine ended up being selected. Needless to say these friends are absolutely awesome and supportive - I'm incredibly lucky to know them and learn from them.

All in all, this first initial experience has taught me that, just like everything else in life, writing is a mixed bag and I've decided that's okay. Some aspects of it will be wonderful, some will be difficult and some will be just plain confusing. Perhaps most of all I'm glad to find this out now. If I'm lucky this won't be my only opportunity to be published and now I'll be a little more prepared for the next time.

What have your experiences been?

Idea Envy

2012-01-18T17:56:00.000-05:00

One of the seven deadly sins. Envy. Have you ever had it? The desire to possess something achieved by another person. I have. In fact, I've suffered from envy more in the past few years that I've been seriously writing than in the two decades before that. And the source of all this covetousness - idea envy. That's right. I envy your ideas.

Usually I'm pretty convinced that my shiny new idea is the best thing that has ever happened in the entire world. I get really excited about it and tell someone. They promptly ask, "Wait - isn't that just like that one movie I saw recently?" Darn. Now I envy the guy who thought of it first.

Or there are the times that I hear about a movie/book/shiny new idea from a fellow writer and think WHY COULDN'T I HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT?!?! It's so super cool and I want to be the one to write it. My idea envy starts to rear it's ugly head.

Well, now that I have that confession out in the open, what can be done about idea envy? I have a couple of ideas.

First, keep envying. That's right - you heard me. I'm a pretty competitive person and all that idea envy occasionally stirs up a conviction to come up with the next brilliant best story idea ever.

Second, focus on your own work. Your idea is still super cool, so get crackin' on the WIP. Make someone else out there envious of your awesome-sauce idea.

Third, let it prompt your imagination. I've definitely had several times where thinking about another story line got my started on a tangent that ended in an entirely new and different story idea.

Those are my suggestions for fighting down the green-eyed monster's twin. What are your thoughts?

Winter

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone - happy MLK day! I know you are all busy and have great plans for today (right?!) so I'll make today's post brief. I haven't posted any poetry lately (mostly because I haven't been writing much poetry lately) but today I'll share the latest.

Winter

Bereft beneath a windswept sky
our heather hands uplifted still,
in supplication vain to try
submitting to a fickle will.

Barren, stripped, all glory shed,
a silent witness still to keep
that life may stir the seeming dead,
this death is but a wintry sleep.

How to Write a Good Book Review

2012-01-11T09:51:00.003-05:00

First, a HUGE thank you to each awesome person who commented on Monday's post. Your comments gave me a lot to think about and have informed a large portion of this post. Today I'm following up on the idea of how to give a good book review. I've come up with 3 things to remember any time you review a book.

First, remember to be objective. Sometimes it can be difficult to discern the difference between a book that is poorly written and a book that simply doesn't suit your fancy. Although you may not have personally enjoyed it there are probably a lot of other readers who will think it's amazing. Make sure to identify personal opinions as such and distinguish between them and objective criticism (or praise). A review is more helpful if you have good reasons for your feedback.

Remember the Golden Rule. There is a person behind every book and author you review. You can be honest about a book's flaws, but also make sure to point out things that were done well. Choose to be respectful of the hard work that has gone into writing the book and gentle about how you handle criticism. Basically, treat the author whose book you are reviewing as you would like to be treated.

Remember your audience. As a writer you probably tend to notice and be overly critical of writing mistakes that the average reader will overlook. Think about the books you loved growing up. If you read them now you will probably notice that they have some flaws, but it didn't hinder your enjoyment of them at the time (for a fun blog post on that click here).

What are your thoughts? Are there additional things we should remember to do when writing a book review*?

*rhyming intentional =)

Being Honest or Being Kind?

2012-01-09T16:57:00.000-05:00

I have to say, I’m in a bit of a dilemma. I’ve been seeing alot of posts on how to deal with negative book reviews as an author (for goodposts on the subject click here and here). Over the last few weeks I’ve beendebating adding the occasional book review to the blog so I’ve been paying alot of attention to these types of posts. However, I never really thought abouthow a reviewer feels when writing a negative review.

Now I know. It sucks.

You see, I hate to disappoint people or make them unhappy.As I write these reviews I keep wondering how the author would respond if theyread the review. Would they be upset? Angry? Should I be honest about thebook’s flaws or be kind and smooth over the rough patches?

All this stress about not making anyone unhappy has methinking hard. Look forward to a post on Wednesday on the art of writing a goodbook review. In the meantime though, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

What would you prefer to have in a book review as a reader?As an author?

Differences in the Teenage Brain

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today's science post is for all you YA writers. There has been an abundance of research into the teenage brain and today I'm hoping to give a little insight that might help with your writing. So here goes...

Risky Behavior
As far as teenagers go, I was pretty mild. But that didn't stop me from doing my fair share of stupid stuff. I remember one incident in particular. I was 16 and had just got my license. I was at home and my brother (a 15 yr old) wanted a driving lesson. So I thought...why not? I proceeded to take my 15 yr old brother out for a drive along with two younger siblings. Not my finest moment. Luckily the worst that happened was a good 'talking to' from my parents. They asked me one question that I've never been able to answer - 'Why did you do it?' Honestly, I have no idea. The thought occurred to me and I did it.

Enter, the teenage brain. It turns out that teenagers have a reduced ability to consistently make rational decisions. Duh right? There are several reasons for this. A study looking at the teenage brain found several interesting things. First, teenagers have to use their frontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for rational decision making) much more than adults to reign in their impulses. Consequently, they might be responsible one day and make a very stupid decision the next.

Our brains also undergo an interesting process after childhood where the grey matter begins to thin and be replaced by white matter. This is actually a good thing - white matter consists of nerve cells insulated with layers of myelin which allows neural connections to be much faster between sections of the brain. The ability to retrieve information and make connections between information in a consistent way depends on myelination. Teens (who are still undergoing this process) have a decreased ability to evaluate a situation and bring information to bear that will help them make a rational and reasoned decision.

It turns out that risk-taking might be an evolutionary development to help teenagers (at the peak of their sexual ability) leave home and find a mate. Hey-it's biology, for better or worse =) The teenage brain has an overdeveloped response to large rewards and an underdeveloped response to small awards, meaning that they might tend to seek out 'high-pleasure' experiences, including those that could be bad for them in the long term. The ability to delay gratification, even at a young age, can be an indicator for the ability to avoid risky behavior during teenage years.

So there you are. I'd love to know - does any of this explain some bewildering teenage behavior or give you any ideas for your writing?

What is Your Special Talent?

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

So, earlier this week, on Monday actually, I watched 'It's Kind of a Funny Story.' I loved it. If you haven't seen it already I would recommend it. I thought it was charming, eclectic and dealt with a serious issue in a lighthearted way without being cursory or trivializing the subject matter.

Strangely enough, after the movie I wasn't thinking about depression, or mental illness, or even anything related to those. Instead it got me thinking about one of my talents, and how I would go about defining it.

See, everyone has talents. But most of the time we tend to sift through our talents and only recognize the ones that are demonstrable. For instance, I might say that I have a talent for writing (that one's debatable sometimes), or a talent for music (if I practice) or a talent for baking (at least when I'm following a good recipe). However, none of the talents that I've listed are ones that define who I am. Those are a little harder to pinpoint.

That's why I had to think so hard after watching this movie about how I would define this specific talent. I think I finally decided that the best way to describe it is to say that I'm not afraid of the truth. That sounds like an odd thing to say right? But think about it. How often would you say that the genuine truth makes you (or someone you know) uncomfortable? Maybe it is recognizing that someone close to you is struggling with mental illness or abuse. Maybe realizing that a person you looked up to isn't the person you thought or a relationship that is important to you has serious problems. Maybe it is simply finding out that you did something poorly or that you have issues you need to work on. Do you feel better when these problems are brought into the light or do you feel more comfortable when you can hide them from the world?

For me, it's usually the former. Now that doesn't mean I'm perfect at this. Sometimes I am very uncomfortable when something comes up, sometimes I don't know what to do or say, and most of the time I probably don't handle it perfectly. But there is a sense of freedom when the truth is known. Once I know the truth I feel more capable of identifying how to act and what to do, even when what I've learned is difficult or hurtful.

So, why is any of this important and why have I shared it on the blog? Well, I started thinking about how I could incorporate this into my writing and came up with some interesting ideas. What I really want to ask you today is, what talents do you have and how can you incorporate them into your writing? How do you feel when something uncomfortable comes up? Have you ever tackled difficult issues in your writing?

To Mull or Not to Mull...

2011-12-14T09:55:00.000-05:00

I just love the word mull, don't you? Perhaps because it has so many different uses. Mull can mean to ponder or to make a failure of something. You can mull a drink by heating it and adding spices. Mulling can mean pulverizing or grinding into powder, or mull can be a thin fabric.

I've been mulling this month - meaning pondering, or potentially making a failure of, something. I recently (as of two days ago) submitted my first short story to an anthology. This particular entry was supposed to be inspired by one of two other short stories, and in the beginning I had nothin'. I tried really hard to think of something because I wanted to write the story quickly, turn it in, and then enjoy a vacation with zero writerly stress.

Yeah - that didn't happen.

The problem was, I was trying to force myself to be creative. This shouldn't be too surprising, but sometimes creativity isn't 'on-demand.' Sometimes it requires that special mix of time and thought. In other words... mulling.

I finally came to my senses and realized that I needed to give myself permission to be creative and that meant giving myself permission to take my time. So I thought. And then thought some more. Apparently that wasn't enough thinking because I pretty much took the whole month to think. Then I wrote the story in a couple of days.

Now, it isn't brilliant or anything. In fact, I'm pretty sure it has some serious flaws. But I did learn something valuable from this whole experience. The work of writing doesn't take place only in front of a keyboard. It's okay (and even necessary) to give yourself time to ponder and mull over your story.

What are your thoughts? What helps you be creative?

Writing for a Good Cause

2011-12-13T10:16:00.002-05:00

Sorry - this post should have been published yesterday and would have been if I weren't so temporally challenged. Anyways...

Today I wanted to talk about something really important. Every once in a while we writers have the chance to do something really great with our talent. We have the chance to help someone else in need.

If you haven't already seen the following on twitter, facebook or the blog circuit, I hope you will take a chance to look at it now. Annie Cechini has organized a Christmas anthology titled Christmas Wishes: A Collection of Holiday Tales and Truths. Earlier this year Annie's family experienced a tragedy in the death of her uncle, a principal at the Louisiana Schnell School. This anthology is written for Annie's aunts and cousins, with the proceeds going to the girls college funds.

I hope you will take the chance to look at the anthology and consider purchasing it for yourself and as a gift for family members. You can purchase a copy on Amazon by following this link. Please consider spreading the word and checking out the facebook page.

You can also order a physical copy by presenting the following information at any bookstore:

Title: Christmas Wishes: A Collection of Holiday Tales and Truths
ISBN: 978-1467975087

If you are able to make a donation you can do that here:
Sam LaCara Memorial Fund
Wells Fargo Bank
Acct #: 3880289081

Show Don't Tell

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'll be the first to admit that this phrase puts me on edge. Only because I've heard it SO many times. I'll also be the first to admit that there is a reason everyone uses this phrase.

So, what if you are like me and were totally flummoxed by this phrase the first time you heard it? This phrase is supposed to encourage writers to write in a way that helps the reader experience the story instead of being told what is happening by a narrator. It's important to intersperse showing with telling - we can use telling to quickly summarize parts of the story and showing to make certain scenes more vivid and intense. For a really great article on showing vs telling check out this post.

All good information. But today is Friday, which means what we are really going to talk about the science. And there is some very interesting science to support the idea of increased learning when a person is being shown something vs told about it. For instance:

The brain is more interactive, learns better, retains more information and makes more synaptic connections when it is emotionally involved. And that happens best when a story is being told in such a way that they feel they are experiencing it. In short, when the storyteller is showing instead of telling. (see The Art of Changing the Brain)

People also learn better and retain more when they have ownership over the information they are processing. In this case explaining or telling is less effective than showing. The latter gives readers the opportunity to engage directly in the story by using their imagination. You might be tempted to think that showing gives the reader too much information, thus limiting the extent to which they can use their imagination. However, correct use of showing gives the reader just the right amount of information to help them feel engaged in the story. The pleasure centers of the brain are also much more active when a person is responsible for their own learning (in other words, they will like the story more =).

People learn better and enjoy what they are learning more when multiple sections of their brains are simultaneously stimulated. In order for this to happen they need to not only receive information but derive meaning from it, create new ideas and act on those ideas. Each of these things can happen for a reader as they process the information given by the author, use it to create a mental image and expand that image using their own imagination. This process is also much more likely to happen when the reader is fully involved in a scene.

So there you have it. There's nothing wrong with telling, but make sure to show your important scenes. What are your thoughts?

Reading in Your Own Genre

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'll spill the beans here and admit that this is a tough one for me. I grew up reading classics and the occasional fantasy or mystery novel. Some science fiction in there of course, but only a small amount. I did my undergrad in physics. When I had time to read I was usually acting on the suggestion of one of my English Lit friends. Very little in all of that reading that resembles the stories I would eventually write.

When I started writing it took me a while to define my preferred genre. I'm still not sure I have it completely pinned down. Science fiction thriller? Thrillers with a science edge? I didn't start writing these kinds of stories because that's what I liked to read. They were just what happened to be floating around in my imagination.

So without any prior incentive to read similar stories and without anyone in my life to make recommendations I found myself at a bit of a loss. I know that this early stage in my writing career is the time to begin familiarizing myself with the market so that someday I will be able to develop a successful marketing plan. But how do I get started? Where do I find books that are similar to my own? How do I know what books have been successful to the readers I'm writing for?

Well, I started looking for answers and here are some of the solutions I found:

Google it. I'm actually not kidding. The first thing I did was go to Google and type in 'science fiction thrillers.' Then 'science thrillers.' Then 'thrillers and science.' I went through a dozen different iterations. It took me about 20 minutes and I found 10 websites that were relevant. Most were book reviews or blog posts. But I came out with 18 books to read. I'm just beginning to work my way down the list but it's a place to start. Identify some key words that describe your writing and then search for them. You'll be surprised by what you come up with.

Use book-centric websites. Amazon. Goodreads. Library Thing. A lot of these websites have groups, communities and lists organized around genres and topics. Wander through their recommendations and book reviews. If a particular group seems interesting, join in the discussion and ask for recommendations. These websites are fabulous for targeting the people who read what you want to write. They are a great place to find book recommendations and network with readers.

Make friends with a librarian. Check out the local library for books in your genre and ask for recommendations. These men and women are an under-utilized resource. Remember however that they are often overworked and underpaid so try to go during slow hours and be super nice.

Ask an agent. Okay, not really. But if you've already started to seriously research agents who rep books in your genre then see what other authors they represent. Conversely, if you find a book in your genre that you like, look at that author's agent and see what other authors they represent.

This certainly isn't an exhaustive list but it should give you a good start. Any other great recommendations you guys have to find books in your genre?

A Note To Madeleine

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

A question on Rachelle Gardner's blog by guest blogger Richard Mabry made me think. Have I ever thanked an author for changing the way I viewed the world?

Nope.

So, sorry to all of you amazing, fantastic writers out there who have written world-altering books. Many of you are no longer living but for the ones who are, I will be sending you a note soon.

Among all of those wonderful people I can no longer thank in person, the one I would like to thank today is Madeleine L'Engle.

I first read your Wrinkle in Time series as a little girl. They were magical. Those books helped me discover that an awkward, book-smart preteen could still be capable of doing remarkable things. I felt empowered and strong. For a gawky adolescent girl, that is something of a marvel.

Those books also played a big role in starting me down the path of loving science. From them I learned that science was more than just numbers and equations and meaningless symbols. It was unknown, exciting, a mystery that was always slightly out of reach. I fell in love with the idea of discovering how the world worked and learning each day that the universe was more strange and exotic than I could have ever imagined.

I also fell in love with the idea of writing. I realized how wonderful it could feel to turn those odd thoughts churning around in my head into a story that had meaning and relevance for someone else. I learned the power and importance of stories. They exist not only to entertain and enlighten, but to bind people together through a shared identity. When I read your stories I was a part of that community of people who loved that story and the world it created for them.

So to Madeleine, thank you. You are a part of my childhood and for that I will be forever grateful.

What about you dear readers? What author would you like to thank today?

Practice Makes Perfect

2011-12-02T10:38:00.001-05:00

Yep, we've all heard it. The more we practice the better we are at something. It seems pretty intuitive and not all that surprising. And we all know from experience that it applies to our writing.

But why?

Today I want to discuss a quick article on neuroscience titled The Art of Changing the Brain by James E Zull. This article discusses some of the basic implications of the latest neuroscience discoveries for learning and teaching. I'll be discussing some other aspects of the article next Friday, but today I want to talk about the element of practice.

Once upon a time, neuroscientists treated the brain as if it were a fixed thing - the neural pathways and synaptic connections determined and set by the time someone was a toddler. However, the last few years have shown us that the brain is dynamic and ever changing, experiencing significant change even during later life. In fact, the brain can expand and create new synaptic connections when exposed to a new environment or when learning a new task.

See the relevant connection? One of the primary reasons that we become better at writing with more practice is because our brain is busy extending and developing new neural connections in the parts of our brains that we use the most while writing.

This got me thinking. I've always been one of those people who write primarily when I'm 'in the mood,' and haven't been that great about setting a consistent schedule to write. That's about to change. Because even if what I write during my scheduled writing time is complete garbage I'm still accomplishing something. I'm practicing - teaching my brain to be better at writing. So here goes... time to get writing.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

Keeping Perspective

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

I don't follow the celeb gossip very carefully, but every now and then I catch snippets here and there, mostly while browsing magazine covers at the grocery store checkout stand. This celeb couple are divorcing, that young starlet confessed her drug addiction. Sometimes the blowups are so massive that even I hear all about them (Charlie Sheen anyone?). What I can't help wondering each time is how these nice, seemingly normal people ended up in such a mess. There are probably a lot of reasons why celeb lives fall apart in such a spectacular fashion, but I can't help suspecting that one of the primary reasons is that these people failed to maintain some perspective in their lives.

What is perspective? Good question. To me, having perspective means retaining the ability to see our own contributions in context, as part of a much bigger picture. It is the paradox of finding joy in what we do while simultaneously recognizing that our impact, while important, plays only a very small role. Being proud of what we do and humble about who we are.

What happens when we lose our perspective? We might become close-minded, unable to balance writing with the other demands in our life, become obsessed with writing to the exclusion of other important activities, turn into one of those obnoxious people who are convinced that the world doesn't understand their genius. It happens differently for each person but it's a problem we all will face at some point or another throughout our writing journey.

So, how do we maintain the 'big picture' when writing becomes a primary focus in our lives? When it's so easy to get caught up in our writing and research, in all of the ins and outs of the industry and all of the latest publishing trends?

Don't take yourself too seriously. Develop the ability to laugh at yourself. Realize that while you might be important in your little circle, chances are that a vast majority of the world will move on just fine no matter what you do. If you find yourself obsessing and worrying, focus on something or someone outside of yourself.

Develop humility. One of my lifelong heroes is Paul Newman. Here was an incredibly talented (and let's not forget, also gorgeous) man who managed to have a fulfilling life AND a fulfilling career. In Hollywood his story seems like something of a miracle. Newman never concealed the fact that one of the secrets to his success was remembering never to 'believe his own press.' He fully recognized that he worked in a culture that distorted reality and inflated egos. Instead of becoming self-important Newman was continually self-effacing and humble.

Worry about writing. I've been reading a book by Madeline L'Engle and in one of my favorite parts she argues that in order to be truly creative we have to be so absorbed by our work that we entirely forget ourselves. Familiarizing ourselves with the industry, maximizing our social media presence, studying technique, networking - all of these are important details to our writing career. But NOT if they interfere with our basic ability to lose ourselves in the process of creating stories. Never let the details bog you down so much that you lose sight of the real reason you started down this road.

Listen to other people. Remember that your family, friends, critique partners, editors, agent, etc all have your best interests at heart. Listen respectfully when they have suggestions and never belittle their contribution. Even when what they have to say stings a little. They aren't as emotionally attached to your work and are able to offer a more realistic opinion. Surround yourself with people who will be honest with you - it will improve the quality of your writing.

Those are just some of my thoughts - I would love to hear what you think!

New Blog Format

2011-11-28T18:14:00.001-05:00

Hi there everyone!

So, remember about a month ago when I said I was all finished with my thesis and ready to be posting again? Well, I wasn't lying - just failing to anticipate the craziness that would be my life for the next two months. I'm still working through edits but at least things have calmed down a bit. Yay!

Anyway, to the business at hand. I've decided the blog needs to be a little more focused, and with that in mind I've decided on a new blog format. I will be posting three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

On Mondays I will post something from my personal writing experience. This might be something I've written, an anecdote from my life related to my writing or my thoughts on topics related to writing.

On Wednesdays I will post resources for writers, hopefully something that will be of use to all you fantastic followers =)

On Fridays I will be posting something science related - maybe related to writing or just maybe something to inspire the imagination.

That's the plan. Tune in on Wednesday, I've got a great post planned!

Links of Awesome

2011-10-12T07:59:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday everyone. I'm going to make today's post quick since I'm actually writing this is the few seconds I have before heading to work. Check out the awesome links below and make sure to be there for the writers chat tomorrow!

Wrong and Right Ways to Solicit Reviews - Jody Hedlund
Tips on Marketing Your Novel - Natalie Lakosil
5 Reasons Why Blogging Works for Writers - Sierra Godfrey
Pre-Nano Story Structure - Charity Bradford
Introducing inkPageant - David Powers King

And about that writer chat. Tomorrow (Thur) at 9pm EST a group of lovely and talented ladies will be participating in a live panel on queries. Everyone is welcome to come and submit questions on the process of writing and submitting queries. There might even be a prize for a couple of you lucky participants!!

Here is the link: http://www.annielauriecechini.com/Chat.html

How much do you share?

2011-10-11T17:57:00.000-04:00

I've seen so many authors stressing about this recently. How much personal information should they share with the public? Where is the line between sharing too little and too much?

As I've thought about this and reviewed blogs, articles and tweets relating to this very topic, a few interesting ideas have floated to the surface.

The most personable author in the world can't sell a bad book. Think about the last three books you read. Did you know the author? Did you check out their blog/website/twitter/facebook page (assuming they have one, of course)? I didn't. In the end, what matters most is that you have a great book. Readers want to be entranced by the story more than the person writing it.

You can be personable and friendly without baring your soul. When I was writing my essay for my college application, I faced a similar struggle. The admissions board needed to know to have an idea of who I was as a person. However, that didn't mean that they needed to know the darkest, deepest secrets of my life. It's possible to be friendly online and show your personality without sharing deeply intimate and personal things. Never feel pressured into sharing more than you are comfortable with.

What you say online stays online. Sometimes the internet gives us a false sense of security. If you are using the internet and social media in a professional capacity (and yes, your writing persona is a professional one) it is important to always stay professional. Try to refrain from posting anything you might regret a day or week later. Remember that your grumpy rant will be there long after you've stopped being upset. Don't get so comfortable that you behave in ways you will regret later.

Those are some of my thoughts. What are your suggestions? How do you make the decision on how much is too much or how little is too little to share?

Awesome blogs to follow

2011-10-05T15:15:00.000-04:00

Hello all! I usually list some places on Wednesday that you should check out and today I want to feature some bloggers I stumbled across yesterday.

The first is Christine Tyler, who made some great comments yesterday on the post about self publishing. Her blog can be found at The Writer Coaster

The second is Liesl Shurtliff, who also commented on yesterday's post AND who wrote a fantastic article on self publishing on Tuesday. Her blog can be found at Writer Ropes and Hopes

The last is the blog of agent Sarah LaPolla, an agent with Curtis Brown LtD. She also is running a series this week on self-publishing and interviewing authors who have successfully self-published, including Michelle Argyle (note: if you haven't checked out Michelle's blog and/or read her two books, Cinders and Monarch, now is an awesome time to do so!) Sarah's blog can be found at Glass Cases

Hope that gives you some great places to look today and have a fantastic Wednesday!

What to do, what to do?

2011-10-04T10:43:00.000-04:00

I don't know about all of you, but I am at an interesting place right now in my writing. I'm currently writing (and days away from submitting) several short stories. I'm working on a novel and gearing up for some serious work in that department (seriously - would school just be over so I could move on?!) and I'm asking myself a pretty big question:

To publish traditionally or to self-publish.

Now, I know that I am far from being the first person to have this internal discussion or to discuss the pros and cons. But here is my thought process for self publishing:

Pros
* I have complete artistic control. I have more than just a small say in cover design, title, editing, etc.
* I can price books as I wish. This is HUGE for me.The idea of asking a reader to pay $8 or more for an ebook from a newbie author really upsets me.
* I can publish books that might not be mainstream and/or can publish in multiple genres. I write stories that are an odd blend of paranormal/thriller/sci-fi. I genuinely have no idea where these would fit in a bookstore.
* It takes an enormous amount of effort and time to move from finding an agent to seeing your book in print, and the chances of getting there are small. Agents can only support a limited number of authors and publishers have to hedge their bets on what will be successful. Even if you have a great book you might not make it that far.
* It's all on me. This is a pro and a con I suppose. I hate disappointing people so the idea of letting down my agent and publisher actually gives me nightmares. On the other hand, there is no one along the way to help you with each of the little steps.

Which brings me to the cons...

Cons
* You are in it alone. There are businesses whose sole purpose and aim is to help fledgling authors move down the road of self publication. But the work primarily falls on you. And it's a LOT of work.
* Lack of resources. I don't know about you, but I'm a poor college student. And while self publishing certainly has become more accessible, it still costs some money to set everything up. Aside from the money, you also don't have access to the same editing and marketing expertise if you self publish.
* Limited distribution. Your sales will probably mostly come through ebooks. Physical books will mostly likely be POD (print on demand) and it will be much more difficult to move your books into bookstores, libraries, etc.
* Stigma. There is a lot less of this going around but let's be honest, for a lot of people it is still there. A fair number of people in the publishing industry (not to mention those all important readers) still consider a self published book to be of lower quality.

Whew - well, there are my thoughts. What about you? Would you ever consider self publishing? Are there other solutions you might consider (print only deal with publishers, small press or agent that would help with self publishing)? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Hello Boys...I'm back!!

2011-10-03T11:35:00.000-04:00

20 points if you can name the movie quote that made up that title (it's from my #2 favorite movie)

Sooooo... after a long hiatus, during which I mostly stressed about school and worked an insane amount, I'm back! Sorry to be gone so long and to leave the blog empty and sad. I guess I'll have to have super-extra-awesome posts to make up for it.

Since today is my day to share personal writing, I thought I would talk briefly about something I have come to believe is an absolute necessity in writing.

Writing EVERYTHING down.

I know, you all probably think that's a given. But I genuinely mean, everything. Did you have a funny thought while you were driving home from work? Write it down. Immediately (although, also be safe =). If you have a thought about a potential story, a character, a scene... even if it is just a funny 'what if.' Write them all down. I carry a small notepad with me everywhere (in fact, I have several) and anytime something like that comes along I stop everything and jot down a quick note so I can capture the thought before it leaves (and trust me, I only have a few seconds before it's ancient history).

Sometimes nothing happens with those ideas. Sometimes they develop into full stories after I've thought about them for a while. Sometimes they get combined into other stories and make for a fun plot twist. But I've never regretted writing them down.

Today I thought it might be fun to share just one of those snippets with you. Here's the setting. I was sitting at home one night in a thunderstorm and had an idea for a character. In my mind I could see this scene and hear her voice. So I wrapped myself in a blanket, sat on the front porch and wrote it out. It's rough and needs work but hopefully you enjoy it anyway =)

I need this time - this time away from everyone and everything. Sometimes the very stability and sameness that makes my life comfortable and happy is stifling. I can feel it suffocating me, weighing me down until my chest can no longer expand. It is in these moments that I want to scream, run in circles - anything to break the pressing monotony with chaos.

Instead I run away and come here. The sky is orange and the air smells of crushed rose petals. This is the one place I can be alone. Here I can be wild and untamed. I spread outward and the endless sky welcomes me home. Small flashes of light dart through the clouds and they tease me, beckon me.

Come join us. Be free.

Every grumble that follows is an invitation. Thin tendrils of wind wrap around my body and the embrace is that of a lover. A lover that has no gentle caresses but only a wild, passionate, reckless ecstasy that swallows and consumes you in a flash of fire.

Come be with us.

With every cell of my being I want to cry to the skies to take me, extinguish me, assimilate me. But the dancing clouds mock me and flit away.

I am here, alone. Slowly I pull myself back, contract inward. I am contained again, whole, the lid on and the cap tightened. I will return shortly and look the same, sound the same, act the same. Only my heart will know how close I came to flying away from this life forever.

Loss

2011-09-05T08:00:00.003-04:00

Another Monday and more poetry - I'm on a roll =)

Loss

Why do I still weep for thee?
Should not my tears subside,
my grief wane like the fleeing tide?

My loss of you fills every moment,
the pain of it in my deep breathing,
my empty chest both bled and beating.

What man said that sorrow ends?
There is no hope to break the endless night,
Nor joy that brightens my darkened sight.

Can death create a phantom self?
Perhaps I am that shadow that relentless follows
the love it's lost and the life it borrows.

Sacrifice

2011-08-29T08:00:00.002-04:00

Hi all!! Sorry for the unannounced hiatus - life has been more than a little crazy in my neck of the woods. Luckily I am almost finished with my thesis (wait, how long have I been saying that?) and hopefully life will calm down or at least become a little more routine. Since today is Monday I will regale you with a poem (by which I mean I will make you read another weird angsty poem and hope no one throws virtual tomatoes =) Enjoy!

Sacrifice

What you ask of me is not
to be loved with a gentle touch,
but to break myself apart,
laying each remnant of pride
on the altar of my devotion.

You see me bruised,
fraying around the edges,
each bleeding seam
a grand gesture to prove
you can demand anything
and I will give it.

How much longer can this last
before you have reached the
core of me, and every sacrifice
becomes a small and lasting death?

Critique Partners and Editing

2011-07-27T09:11:00.000-04:00

Although I'm going to try hard not to show it, I'm all sorts of nervous today. I finally finished the short horror story I was working on and just sent it out to my writing group, my CP's and some friends and family. I'm hoping that they will have time to look at it over the next couple of weeks and send me back their thoughts and edits.

Strange as this may be, this is the first time I have sent out a story to such an extensive group. Usually anything I'm working on makes it to my family and to my writing group. So for a lot of these people this will be the first time they are really seeing something I've written.

What if they don't like it?

I actually have a pretty thick skin when it comes to critiques of my work and actually really enjoy hearing feedback. Often I'm so close to the story that I can't objectively see some of the major problems. Regardless though, I'm still a little nervous. Now to distract myself...

Since editing is on my mind, I thought for today's post I'd write just a few things I like to do when editing another person's work.

1) Big picture edits: Evaluating character arcs, plot consistency, etc to point out any major problems
2) Line edits: grammar (not that I'm an expert =), spelling, and small edits that help clean up the story
3) Focus on what's working instead of what I do (or don't) like. I may not be in love with a certain character or may find a particular scene too much, but what really matters is whether it is well written or not.
4) Include positive feedback. Very few stories fail to have at least one redeeming quality =) I always try to point out the things that are done well so that the author can develop those as well as work on any problems.
5) Have fun! It's a privilege to read other people's work and a whole lot of fun as well. I try to make sure to enjoy it and have that come across.

What about you? What do you try to do when editing someone elses story? What do you like people to do when they edit yours?

Lyrics and Poetry

2011-07-25T16:18:00.000-04:00

I'm getting a late start today but usually on Monday I share a poem or short scene from a story. Today however I'm going to let the RHCP's (Red Hot Chili Pepper's) do my work for me. Some of my favorite poems are really songs, and the one I have stuck in my head today is Snow by RHCP. Lyrics are below and there is a link to the Youtube video if you'd like to sing along =) Reading it out loud I realized again why I love this band and why many of their songs feel like poetry to me.

How about you - what are your favorite lyrics and do you think they count as poetry?

Snow by The Red Hot Chili Peppers

Come to decide that the things that I tried
Were in my life just to get high on
When I sit alone come get a little known
But I need more than myself this time

Step from the road to the sea to the sky
And I do believe it, we rely on
When I lay it on come get to play it on
All my life to sacrifice

Hey oh, listen what I say oh, I got your
Hey oh, now listen what I say oh

When will I know that I really can't go
To the well once more time to decide on
When it's killing me, when will I really see
All that I need to look inside?

Come to believe that I better not leave
Before I get my chance to ride
When it's killing me, what do I really need?
All that I need to look inside

Hey oh, listen what I say oh, come back and
Hey oh, look at what I say oh

The more I see the less I know
The more I like to let it go
Hey oh, whoa

Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder
Where it's so white as snow
Privately divided by a world so undecided
And there's nowhere to go

In between the cover of another perfect wonder
And it's so white as snow
Running through the field
Where all my tracks will be concealed
And there's nowhere to go, ho!
When to descend to amend for a friend
All the channels that have broken down
Now you bring it up, I'm gonna ring it up
Just to hear you sing it out

Step from the road to the sea to the sky
And I do believe what we rely on
When I lay it on, come get to play it on
All my life to sacrifice

Hey oh, listen what I say oh, I got your
Hey oh, listen what I say oh

The more I see the less I know
The more I'd like to let it go
Hey oh, whoa

Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder
Where it's so white as snow
Privately divided by a world so undecided
And there's nowhere to go

In between the cover of another perfect wonder
Where it's so white as snow
Running through the field
Where all my tracks will be concealed
And there's nowhere to go

I said hey hey yeah, oh yeah
Tell my love now
Hey hey yeah, oh yeah
Tell my love now

Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder
Where it's so white as snow
Privately divided by a world so undecided
And there's nowhere to go

Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder
Where it's so white as snow
Running through the field
Where all my tracks will be concealed
And there's nowhere to go

I said hey oh yeah, oh yeah
Tell my love now
Hey hey yeah, oh yeah

Having a tough skin might not be a bad thing...

2011-07-21T12:06:00.000-04:00

Is it Thursday already? Where did the week go?! Never fear, I have today's cool science post ready to go!

Today I will be talking about one of my all time favorite subjects, biomimicry. Or the idea that we can model technology after biological systems. You know, the ones that have been designed by millions of years of evolution. Turns out that evolution produces a pretty innovative and well designed product.

Today I'm going to be focusing on an article over at Biomimicry Institute that discusses the benefits of imitating shark skin.Sharks face the same problem that boats do, namely, trying to avoid the adhesion of organisms to their surface as they move through the water. Interestingly enough, sharks scales are grooved to allow for water to flow more quickly along them and to break up the turbulence of water moving over the surface. This is one of the reasons that organisms, including bacteria, find it difficult to gain purchase on the skin.

You've probably already thought of some of the potential applications. Redesigning boat surfaces. Swimsuits with decreased drag. But my favorite? Engineering surfaces for hospital devices that are antimicrobial resistant.

Before I started my Master's program I spent two years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital working for the department of Epidemiology and Infection Control. One of the studies I worked closely on looked at the incidence and causes of ventilator associated pneumonia. As with other hospital acquired infections, bacteria can be introduced to the body through invasive devices such as catheters or ventilators. Through these devices they can be introduced to typically sterile body sites (blood, bladder, etc) and can cause serious infections. It can be difficult to prevent these infections and very difficult to treat them. The CDC estimates that 1 in 20 hospitalized patients will contract a hospital acquired infection during their stay.

I could go on and on (and I'll stop before the temptation becomes too great!), but you can see how incredible it could be to have new medical devices that are microbial resistant without encouraging resistance in the bacteria themselves. I'm personally very excited to see where some of this technology goes.

Well, that's all for today! I hope you have fun surfing the website and learned something interesting. Until tomorrow!

Patience is a virtue for a reason

2011-07-20T01:22:00.001-04:00

It's funny how every day stuff somehow ends up relating back to writing. Last night I was running with a friend of mine and around the 1 1/2 mile mark we started to get really tired and decided to take a short walking break. Now I have all sorts of excuses for why we wimped out early. We had been playing volleyball for the 3 hours prior to that. The day before I had worn myself out chopping up the tree that fell in my backyard. The air was hot and extremely muggy, making it hard to breathe. All legitimate reasons to take a quick breather.

However, none of those excuses mattered. I was frustrated with myself for not being able to do more. Push harder. Run further. I thought of the runners I've seen who dash along and barely seem to break a sweat. Why can't I be like them?

As unreasonable as it is, I compare myself to hard core runners and get upset when I don't measure up. To give you a little background, I only started 'running' a month ago after having taken a 15 year hiatus from anything faster than a brisk walk. After a month it is probably a miracle that I can run as far as I can without falling over from exhaustion.

Now, here comes the connection. How often do we do this with our writing? Do we compare our rough first draft of our first (or even second or third) novel to the finished, polished and edited product of a long time pro? Do we feel inadequate because our progress hasn't been as rapid as another writer's? Do we get upset when we haven't succeeded as much as we had hoped?

I know I do all of these things. But today I'm making a commitment to compete with myself instead of other people. I may not be a marathon runner, but I can run further now than I could last month. I may not be a renowned published author, but I've made progress on my WIP and I can see a difference in the quality of my writing since I began this process.

What really matters is that we are individually becoming better writers and that we make progress (however slowly or quickly that may be) toward our ultimate goal. It may take years but I have confidence that I can become a published and successful writer. In the meantime, I'm going to try and be patient with myself and celebrate my milestones instead of worrying that they aren't big enough.

What are your thoughts? Do you have any unreasonable expectations of yourself as a writer and how do you overcome them?

Update on the Friday hilarity

2011-07-15T18:20:00.000-04:00

So, today was one of those days. The kind you hope ends sooner rather than later. I was honestly considering going to bed at 8pm so I would be unconscious for a good part of the day.

Anyway, I made it to 5pm and was treating myself to a burger and fries at Five Guys. I sat down, finally ready to relax and de-stress for a moment. The book I'm reading is on the table. And what do I do? I clumsily knock over my drink and spill 60 oz of root beer into my lap.

Can you guess what I did? After an initial moment of shock I broke into hysterical laughter. Roll on the floor laughter. Can't breath and snorting through your nose laughter. I'm pretty sure I scared the customers and staff. The guy next to me seemed convinced that he was witnessing a mental breakdown. Once I got the laughter under control I informed the staff that I had made a mess of their floor and packed up my things to head home.

On the way out I was approached by a teenager fundraising for his school. He comes up, spiel ready, hoping I can donate a couple of dollars. This is where I interrupt him and let him know that now is not the best time. To which he stops, takes one look at the massive wet stain on the front of my pants, nods and walks off. Yeah, that guy is going to have a story to tell when he gets home.

I finally make it to my car. By the way, have you ever tried to walk in flip flops that are filled with sugary puddles of soda? It's nearly impossible. It takes long enough to get home that I'm no longer squelching in my shoes and am now only sticking to them. They actually make noises when I pry them off my feet. Thank heavens for a hot shower!

Anyway, just thought I would share. Now I'm off to enjoy those fries...

Friday means... cute pictures!!

2011-07-15T11:52:00.001-04:00

I love scrolling through Google Reader because so many other writers (like me) use Friday as a day to blow off steam and goof off a little bit. Especially on the blog.

So........ for today I'm linking to some cute animal baby pictures (cheetah cubs at the National Zoo). Because who doesn't like seeing cute baby animals? And since you are in the privacy of your own home (hopefully) you can oooohhh and awww and make funny noises all you want (I did!). In fact, I just might have to drop down to see these guys soon.

National Zoo Cheetah Cubs

Who Needs Cryogenics?

2011-07-14T17:20:00.001-04:00

First things first... the epic writers chat of epicness is coming up tonight!! In approximately four hours. The other lovely participants include our moderators, Annie Cechini and Debbie Burns, and several of our regular contributors, Kayla Olson, Lydia Sharp, Natalie Whipple, Liza Kane and Michelle Davidson Argyle. If you would like to join us (and let's face it - who wouldn't want to hear from these totally awesome ladies?!), you can head over to Annie's site here. Hope to see you all there!

Now, for today's business... It's Thursday and you know what that means - cool science day!

Today we will talk about the preservation of bodies. *Insert eerie music here* We've all read the sci-fi books that talk about cryogenics - the freezing of bodies for preservation. You know, to survive for the next 500 years and wake up to lead mankind. Or to allow for deep space travel on the way to colonize new worlds. It's nifty, it's sexy and it involves ice. Who wouldn't like it?

Well, interestingly enough, there are other ways to preserve tissue for long periods of time and strange as they may sound, they are used frequently by different species on our planet (particularly those of the bug variety =) My favorite is anhydrobiosis. Aka, survival through dessication.

You are probably already familiar with the concept, employed by everything from seeds to invertebrates. The strategy is to stabilize molecules in the body while removing water, thus allowing the dried out specimen to survive extremes in temperature, oxygen content, etc. What's really interesting is how this is accomplished.

In many organisms it seems that the body produces non-reducing sugars (usually trehalose) which replace water and act as stabilizers for the cellular components. However, in some cases this doesn't seem to be the mechanism used, prompting at least one group of scientists to hypothesize that some species utilize a non-crystalline matrix they term 'glass' to stabilize and maintain cellular structure.

Pretty interesting stuff right? In terms of long term storage, I see a lot of potential in drying people out, shooting them off into space and rehydrating them once they get to their final destination. In fact, when (or if) I write a space travel novel I just might include this element. In the meantime, here is my favorite example of an invertebrate that undergoes anhydrobiosis, Tardigrades (link takes you to Wikipedia).

p.s. If you wanted to read the original article I looked up, the link to the PDF is here. Enjoy!

What Do I Believe?

2011-07-13T10:37:00.000-04:00

First, apologies to all my fantastic followers for having been MIA on the blog. Life has been a bit 'lifey' around here, to quote a good friend =)

Second, I should mention that I had a fantastic weekend. On Saturday I went with two of my favorite people (who are, coincidentally, also two of the best writers I know) to attend a lecture by Robin Sullivan on marketing. It would be an understatement to say that I learned a lot. If you aren't already following her blog, I give you permission to head over there now and come back to this post later. You won't be sorry!

Of all the things that were discussed on Saturday, one particular thing has been on my mind for the last several days. Robin mentioned a video she had seen that asked us to think about what we believe and why we do what we do.The video is posted below and I'm not just going to suggest, I'm going to demand that you watch it. You'll thank me later. Ready, okay go ahead...

Pretty amazing isn't it? This got me thinking. Somewhere in the recesses of my brain I know my Why, How and What when it comes to writing. But could I define them on paper? Or on virtual paper? I'm going to try and do just that. Bear with me, I'm a writer so some of it is a bit nebulous =)

So, here is why I do what I do...

I believe that the world is a magical and amazing place. I believe that we are capable of experiencing incredible things. I believe that there is value in having these experiences and in sharing them with other people.

I believe that the written word is a powerful medium in which we can explore a vast range of emotion and that there is no better way to communicate the depth and breadth of the human experience than through writing.

Lastly, I believe that science plays an integral role in the way we live our lives and that it can be not only functional, but also exciting, mysterious and unpredictable.

How do I translate that belief into my everyday life?

I write stories. Stories where the incredible and unusual intersect with the everyday. Stories that hopefully make you believe that crazy things can happen in your life. Sometimes my stories are dark and macabre, sometimes they are strange and quirky, and sometimes they are uplifting and life affirming.

Science almost always plays a large role in my stories, but often in an unusual or fantastical way. I love to take concepts we all are familiar with and bend them to see if anything interesting and strange comes to light.

What is the end result?

Books! I have several short stories so far and am working on two novels. Hopefully they will be books that people will love, will want to buy, will want to recommend to every one of their friends. Most importantly, hopefully they will be books that inspire the imagination.

So how about you? Why do you do what you do? Why are you a writer? How do you accomplish your vision? And what is your end result?

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments or, if this post inspires you, link to your own post on the subject. I can't wait to see what everyone has to say!

Title Poetry and Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T10:14:00.000-04:00

To all my readers in the US (which Google Analytics says is approximately 75% of you), Happy 4th of July! I hope you each get an opportunity today to celebrate the wonderful country we live in and the opportunities and freedoms we enjoy.

For all my other readers, Happy Monday! I usually post a writing sample on Mondays and today's is interesting. I was wondering the other day if I could make a poem from my blog titles. It's surprisingly difficult, especially since I was trying to avoid using any additional words. Regardless, I have poem for you, constructed entirely out of the titles of my blog posts. Enjoy...

Title Poem

What is art?
The art of living joyfully
taking it on faith
falling in love

I wonder, where does insight come from?
poetry, time, pondering
it's the little things that count
things that make me laugh.

What is Art?

2011-07-01T12:42:00.000-04:00

Sometimes we forget that as writers we are also artists, and art can be many things to many different people. It may be entertaining, moving, bizarre, intriguing, informative... You get the idea. The important thing is to know exactly what you want to communicate and then to do it as flawlessly as possible.

So... with that in mind today I'm going to share a piece of art that is stunning. This is a clip from So You Think You Can Dance. It's a guest appearance by Eric Luna and Georgia Ambarian, both ballroom champions. Notice how flawless and precise every single move is. There is a not a single second that isn't perfectly executed. Hopefully this inspires each one of you today to turn your work of art into a masterpiece. Enjoy!!

Duotrope

2011-06-29T12:19:00.000-04:00

Okay, I've definitely been a slacker. This whole school, looking for a job, trying to have a social life is killing me =) Or at least killing my blogging!

For today's resource I wanted to post the website that everyone recommended to me last week - Duotrope. How did I not know of this site earlier?!?!

In case there are other ignorant souls out there like me (go us!), Duotrope is a site that lists thousands of publications where you could submit your fiction or poetry. Having looked it over I have a couple of suggestions when searching.

1) Know your genre. And your subgenre if possible. Your searches will yield dozens of results (potentially a lot more) so it's important to find ways to narrow it down.

2) Use the legend. Duotrope has a great legend to the right of the page that lets you visually identify key characteristics about each publication.

3) Know what you want. Do you want recognition in a big time anthology or are you okay with something smaller (newer publications are marked as fledgling). Do you want to be paid or not? What kind of audience are you hoping to reach?

4) Do your homework. Duotrope lists details for each publication but if you see a couple that strike your fancy, research them thoroughly to make sure they are a good fit for you.

That's it for today. A big hello to all my new followers - I can't wait to get to know you guys better and will be checking out your sites soon!

ISO Places to Submit

2011-06-22T09:22:00.000-04:00

Hi blogiverse! Usually on Wednesdays I post resources that could be helpful to the aspiring author. However, today I'm in need of some advice! I'm finishing up a short horror story (creepy!) and am trying to find different anthologies, etc that I could submit to. Any suggestions? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated =)

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make... Cheesecake??

2011-06-20T09:09:00.000-04:00

This last weekend was a bit of a roller coaster weekend for me. I had some great moments, a lot of mediocre moments and some really bad moments as well. After one of the latter I went home and realized that I had two choices in front of me. Choice 1: sit and commiserate with myself about all of the things in my life that are difficult OR... Choice 2: make cheesecake. Want to guess which one I chose?

Yep - cheesecake! It turns out that it is very difficult to be unhappy when you are eating strawberry cheesecake. So for today's post I am sharing my insight of the weekend. If life hands you a disappointment, trial or struggle you can still find a way to be happy. Figure out what can get you through that rough patch and choose to enjoy your life. We only have a short time on this earth and our lives are much too brief to spend them being unhappy (or not eating cheesecake for that matter =).

Shakespeare and Punk Rock

2011-06-17T10:44:00.001-04:00

So, the good news is that I'm currently (as in, moments ago) working on a short horror story that is suuuuper creepy. I'm glad it's the middle of the day 'cause I'm freaking myself out!

The bad news is that it has left me very little time to write a blog post. Which means that today's entry will be copied from something I posted on Facebook. If you haven't already checked out the Hot Word blog on dictionary.com I suggest doing it now - there are some fun and interesting posts on there. Check out today's post by clicking the following link:

What does Shakespeare have to do with punk rock?

p.s. Knowing the real meaning of the phrase I realize that it is a terribly mean thing to say and would probably never actually call anyone this. But isn't it almost too tempting to use the insult 'taffety punk' on someone?

Taking it on Faith

2011-06-14T08:51:00.000-04:00

Faith is a word we usually associate with a religious discussion, and it has as many different meanings as people who use the word. Some people use it to mean trusting in a higher power. Some think it is synonymous with blind obedience. But can faith play into our writing as well? I say it can, and this is how:

Hoping for a specific outcome. Faith involves an element of working toward a specific goal, hoping for a certain outcome without being completely sure that the desired outcome will actually happen. We all know this feeling right? We work on a manuscript for months (or years), polish and edit for countless hours, nervously send it off to critique partners, write queries, research agents and anxiously work toward publication. All without being sure that our manuscript will ever wind up on the shelves of a bookstore or in the hands of a reader. We hope that all of our hard work will actually pay off in the end. Basically, we take it on faith.

Having confidence. Another element of faith is having trust and confidence in something (or someone). In this case we might have confidence in our ability as a writer. Or in my case, the ability of my friends and critique partners to point out all the flaws in my writing =) We trust that an agent somewhere will like our work and will become our advocate to the publishing industry. We trust that our publishers will treat us well and help sell our book. Perhaps most importantly, we trust that readers will love our story and spend their money buying our book. Being a writer means we have to trust and have confidence in a lot of different people.

Never quitting. Maybe one of the most interesting elements of faith is that it keeps us going even when the evidence seems to suggest we should throw in the towel. It might be that we edit a manuscript that somehow never seems to be quite complete. Or work on a story that keeps developing problem after problem. And yet somehow we keep working. Maybe we feel like giving up after the umpteenth agent has sent a form rejection. But in the end we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and try again. A big part of being a writer is to keep trying even when it gets difficult.

Those are my thoughts. How about you? In what other ways does being a writer require faith?

Guest Interview: Jeannie Campbell @ The Character Therapist

2011-06-13T11:23:00.001-04:00

Today we have quite a treat in the form of an interview with author and therapist, Jeannie Campbell. For those of you not already familiar with how amazing she is, Jeannie just launched her new website, The Character Therapist, and is currently on a blog tour to promote the new website. We are so happy she could stop here to say hi and tell us a little more.So Jeannie, a few questions for you...

What is character therapy?

Sounds simplistic, but it is therapy for fictional characters. I work with authors and help them dig deep into their character’s personality and psyche, in hopes of understanding where they came from and more importantly, where they are heading, better.

(If you haven't already checked out the website *seriously, why haven't you already?!*, Jeannie is a licensed Marraige and Family Therapist so she knows her stuff!)

How can character therapy help my story?

Besides what I already mentioned, character therapy can help you do a couple of things:

1) Write more realistically and plot more feasibly. Take advantage of my experience and insight into personality and behavior and use it to your advantage.
2) Save time. Save yourself all the Googling and researching and just ask an expert.
3) Avoid clichéd depictions of mental disorders. Don’t risk someone rolling his or her eyes at some infeasible plot point built around a misunderstanding or stereotype of someone who is mentally ill.

(Jeannie has already had two of my characters on the couch and they are so much more developed for having gone through therapy!)

How did you get started doing character therapy?

When I started doing this over two years ago, it was my attempt to find a unique niche in the blogging world. I felt like there were tons of author-hopefuls with tons of blogs about their journey to publication…and I didn’t want to be another face in the crowd. So I figured that what I had to offer that was different was my perspective as a licensed clinician, and character therapy was born. I wasn’t sure people would take me up on my offer, but so far, I haven’t had a single week go by without authors writing in (minus a brief email glitch when I thought no one was writing in…turned out I was backlogged even as I advertised an empty queue!)

(I was one of the people in that queue =)

What is your favorite thing about doing character therapy?

I love that it’s a blending of my two favorite things in the world: psychology and writing. I also love that it’s building a platform for myself even as I get to help others. It’s just as satisfying to me to have an author write in to tell me how much my assessment helped him as it is to have a real client thank me for helping her to change her life.

What services will be available on charactertherapist.com?

I have a character intake form that authors can fill out and submit, either to get their character a free mini-assessment or to pay for the full assessment that’s much longer and more detailed. I also have four Writer’s Guides available for purchase, as well as telephone or Skype consultation by the half-hour or hour and a therapeutic editing service where I read over manuscripts for feasibility, consistency, or simply to have another set of professional eyes on a manuscript that has a mental health component.

How can I spread the word?

Well, first and foremost, by hosting me today on your blog. I’m incredibly grateful at the support I’ve received for my website launch. You can go to my website and sign up to receive my newsletter (and get a free Writer’s Guide to Character Motivation when you do so!), be a follower on my blog at http://charactertherapist.blogspot.com, or share about my service using one of the social media links on my site.

All done here, now it's time to head over to Jeannie's website and check out all of the great services she offers. And of course, spread the word!

Friday Funny Stuff

2011-06-03T10:49:00.000-04:00

Yikes - June is going to be a busy month! I'm going to cheat today and borrow something from a friend. Thanks Andrew for introducing me to Target lady...

Free Writing Guides

2011-06-01T11:42:00.000-04:00

Today is going to be busy, so I'm going to post a quick link from Writers Digest. Check out the following five FREE e-books on writing.

Writer's Digest Five Free e-books

Hope you enjoy. Also, don't forget to check out the new Character Therapist website! See you all tomorrow!

Short Story Submission

2011-05-31T00:08:00.000-04:00

I'm soooooo nervous! I'm submitting my short story, Leaving Jericho, to the Small Tales project today. I've actually never submitted anything before and had it published** Here's to crossing my fingers that I get accepted.

For those who haven't heard me talk about the story (which is probably most of you), it is about forbidden love and what happens when we hold onto something that doesn't belong to us. I wanted to start it with a poem and last night I was drafting different poems looking for the perfect one. Because it's part of the story I can't post the final product here, but if I get accepted you will all see it in August.

To get myself in the mood for poetry I was watching Bright Star, which chronicles John Keats' romance with Fanny Brawne. Since I can't post my own poem yet, I'm going to post my favorite Keats poem instead (the one for which the movie is named). Hope you enjoy and wish me luck!

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art -
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing at the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors -
No - yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever - or else swoon to death.

** I have a vague recollection of a poem published in some local collection when I was in middle school. So maybe I've had something published??

Where Does Insight Come From?

2011-05-26T13:48:00.000-04:00

As writers, our careers depend on our ability to generate new ideas. We may be looking for that shiny new idea that will become the next WIP or just a solution to a tricky problem in our current manuscript. The way we approach problems can vary as well. Sometimes the solution comes in a flash of insight and sometimes it comes after we methodically work through the problem until the solution presents itself.

Since today is science day, you know this is leading somewhere right? It turns out that your brain acts differently when you are experiencing a sudden flash of insight compared to when you are methodically working toward a solution. Researchers from Drexel University, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Northwestern University worked together to test how the brain prepares for and acts during problem solving.

Using EEG and fMRI studies the researchers found that participants who reported sudden insights while solving problems showed spikes in brain activity during the preparatory phase in the medial frontal and temporal parts of the brain. Participants who reported non-insight solutions showed increased brain activity during the preparatory phase in the occipital areas of the brain.

The coolest part - this research actually has the potential to help people train themselves to 'prepare' their brains for certain types of problem solving. Pretty interesting stuff right? If you would like to read the original article (or at least the abstract =) click here.

Commenting Should Be Easy

2011-05-25T13:21:00.000-04:00

** Small aside: if you are having troubles with the blogger dashboard try clearing your browser's cookies - worked for me! Now for today's post/mini-rant...

I was chilling in Google reader the other day, reviewing a great blog from a writer I've been following for a while. She had a good post, interesting points and a funny story.

Hmmm... I thought, I'll just run over and comment. I get to the page and push the comment button. Nothing happens. I push a couple more times and finally something pops up. That's probably just my computer being ridiculous.

The only problem - the comment button takes me to a different page so I can't see the original post.

Ugh, I hate it when that happens. Sometimes I like to actually comment about the post itself and I have a non-existent short term memory. So I go back to my Google reader tab. It takes me a minute but I eventually find the part I wanted to comment on. Ahah - brilliant insight about to be left in the comments section.

Then my heart sinks. This is one of those blogs that ask for information when you comment. Your name, email, website, date of birth, place of last vacation, name of your first born child, secret celebrity crush. Fine - it only takes a few seconds to fill out right?

Then it asks for a posting ID. But I don't have a posting ID? What the heck is a posting ID? I look further. I can use my twitter or FB ID's as well. Except I don't want to do that. I just want to post a comment.

Finally I figure out the way to not have a posting ID is to choose to be anonymous. Which seems a little silly since I just handed over a large part of my personal information to this comment form. Oh well. I push 'publish.' Nothing happens. I push it again. Nothing happens. I look down the page. There is some sort of error message about not having a posting ID.

AGH! Maybe you can guess what happens at this point? After 10 minutes trying to post a comment that was only supposed to take a few seconds I give up. My brilliant insights will have to wait for another day. By now all I want to comment about is how ridiculous the comment form is.

The moral of the story? Make commenting easy. Please.

Character Perceptions

2011-05-24T12:11:00.000-04:00

First, a HUGE thanks to everyone for your support. This last week has been crazy but I'm happy to say that my thesis presentation went really well and I'm back on a normal sleep schedule =) Hopefully I'll be completely finished in another month!

Now, for today's post. I had an interesting experience last week in which I found out that the reality of a certain aspect of my life was completely different than the perceptions of some of my friends and acquaintances. It got me thinking - how many times do other people think something about us that turns out not to be accurate. Being a writer of course, I also started thinking about how this can relate to my characters. So, a few thoughts...

How will readers perceive your characters? Sometimes it's easy to see our characters a certain way. We've spent so much time with them that they start to feel like real people. We imagine that everyone else will see them as we do. But your readers are going to be meeting them for the first time. Are they going to understand the nuances and subtleties that make your character who they are? This is where your beta readers and critique partners can come in very handy. They are your first test subjects. During their first read through make sure to ask their thoughts on your characters. See if their interpretation matches yours, and, if it doesn't, consider what you can add to make your character's motivations and personality traits a little clearer.

How will your characters perceive each other? Misunderstandings are a way of life and the way in which the characters in our stories interact can help elucidate their own personalities. Let your characters misunderstand each other and use those opportunities to explore who they are.

How do you perceive your characters? It's very true that sometimes our characters are themselves despite us. You may have a certain vision or preconceived notion about your character that doesn't fit who that character really is and who they need to be for the story. If you don't let your characters be themselves the readers will be able to tell and the story suffers for it. Make sure that your perceptions of your characters match who they really need to be and be flexible in changing your characters as needed.

What are your thoughts? How can different perceptions affect your stories?

Blog Hiatus

2011-05-16T15:11:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you all remember this feeling, but I'm working like crazy this week to prepare for a final presentation and finish my Master's thesis so I've decided to take a short break from the blog. Only until next Monday - then I'll be back, hopefully a little more well rested and a little less stressed. See you guys in a week!

World's Worst Metaphors

2011-05-13T12:59:00.000-04:00

If you are like me, at this moment you might be trying to find the posts that Blogger obligingly deleted yesterday and re-posting them.

Yeah, it was a little annoying to have zero access to Blogger all day yesterday. For those of you who commented on yesterday's (now deleted) post, thanks! For those who wanted to comment and weren't able, sorry!

Okay, rant aside - I promised something funny for today and I thought it might be nice to celebrate the world's worst metaphors. This was inspired by a great post over at the Kill Zone (see here) and by the accidental creation last night of a terrible metaphor from yours truly. So, I'll share mine if you will share yours!! Leave your candidate for the worlds worst metaphor in the comments. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

My offering:

The organism multiplied exponentially like algae in poo-infested waters.

Sharing Bacteria

2011-05-13T12:48:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've done a science post! As a biologist I sometimes wonder some strange things. The other night I was watching a couple I know who are dating and the thought occurred to me 'I wonder how long it would take for their bacterial profiles to match.' **

** A bacterial profile describes the combination of bacteria that colonize your body, particularly your GI tract.

Ummm... yeah. I'm definitely a little odd sometimes. But it is kind of a cool concept, albeit a little disgusting as well. My thought process went something like this.

1) You're whole body is a bacterial reef (you actually have more bacterial cells in your body than human cells). When you spend significant amounts of time around someone, you share bacteria. This can be through touch, sharing objects and even breathing in close proximity. Obviously this becomes even more true if you are sharing personal items, kissing, having prolonged physical contact or having sex. *see a paper on the transmission of harmful oral bacteria between spouses here*

2) This sharing of bacteria will change the bacterial profile of each person as they become colonized with new bacteria and their body adjusts.

3) Bacteria, particularly in the gut, are being linked to various behavioral and physical conditions including developmental disorders (article here), anxiety (article here), obesity (article here), and even potentially mood disorders (article here). For a good review on the gut-brain interaction read this.

So, the conclusion? We all know couples start to resemble each other the longer they are together. Maybe one of the contributors could be shared bacteria? Just a thought.

Well, hopefully I gave you all something interesting to think about and didn't gross anyone out too bad. If I did, I'll make it up to you by posting something extra funny tomorrow!

What Do I Write?

2011-05-11T10:24:00.000-04:00

It came to my attention recently that *gasp* not everyone knows the kind of stuff I write. In a classic case of Sierra-essness, it never occurred to me that the genre I like to write in wouldn't be immediately obvious to everyone the instant they looked at me. At times I can be a bit ridiculous like that. So, for anyone who doesn't know, I like dark stuff. The scary, twisted, depressing, gruesome and angsty stuff. Which, now that I think about it, is a little odd since I'm a really happy-go-lucky kind of person. Someday I'll figure out the weird inner workings of my head but probably not today. What genres do I write in?

Thriller/Suspense
Horror
Paranormal
Science Fiction
The occasional random women's fic, YA or historical that insists on being written but doesn't fit with the rest of my stories

How about you? What genres do you write in?

P.S. In an effort to make today's post not entirely about me and also remotely useful, check out the following links for thriller/suspense writers:

* Clarissa Draper (esp the Mystery Writer's Guide to Forensic Science)
* Character Therapist (esp Treatment Tuesdays)
* Kill Zone
* Mystery Writing is Murder
* Mystery Thriller TV
* Mysterious Matters

And don't forget these as well...

Manuscript Editing ( I promise it's relevant!)
Mystery Writers of America

How to be supportive of new writers

2011-05-10T13:01:00.000-04:00

Alright, you've been writing for a while now and you are starting to get a handle on the craziness that is being a writer. You've moved through naivete, embarrassment, discouragement and are now on the road to a healthy optimism coupled with hard work. And then you meet another writer, someone that reminds you of yourself not that long ago. What can you do to help?

Don't overwhelm them. The first thing you might want to do is throw every nugget of wisdom you've gained over the last few years in their direction. Remember to slow down and share one thing at a time. Learning about the writing industry can be a little intimidating and you don't want to scare off a new writer by overloading them with information.

Let them learn the hard way. Some lessons have to be learned through experience. You might be able to quote On Writing verbatim, but it would probably be best if they actually read it themselves.

Give constructive feedback gently. New writers can be an insecure bunch, worried about letting others read their precious little darling they've been working on so hard. When you see things that need fixing give feedback that is helpful and kind.

Show encouragement. We all need a cheerleader or two, and you can be that for the new writer in your life. Let them know you believe in them and have confidence in their writing.

Belated Mother's Day

2011-05-09T11:58:00.000-04:00

To my mother on the day after Mother's Day, because it wouldn't be me if I wasn't running a little late =) I cannot imagine a greater gift than having you as a mother.

What is a Mother?

This is the oldest mysticism known to man,
the bond between a mother and her child.
Her influence touches all
for it is from her womb
that springs the spark of life
that animates every breath
and motions every thought.

It is her body that has fed me,
her mind that teaches me,
her soul that nurtures me,
and her heart that loves me.
To her arms I turn for solace
when comfort and joy are fled.

How can I not love her in return?
To love myself is to love my mother
to love every flaw and every perfection
She is in and through everything I am
My mother, and my dearest friend.

Why Being Unpublished is Like Being Single

2011-05-06T02:01:00.000-04:00

A little about me... I'm young(ish), single and an unpublished writer (and no, this isn't a dating ad =). Most of my friends are in the same boat (at least with the being single part), so the subject of our perpetual singleness comes up on a fairly frequent basis. Recently it occurred to me that being unpublished was remarkably like being single. So, I thought for today it might be fun to compare the similarities and talk about some pitfalls to avoid. Here goes...

Trying to find Mr. Perfect. Most of my friends have a long laundry list of qualities that define their Mr. Perfect. He should be tall, athletic, attractive and well spoken with a good education and a decent job. And it wouldn't hurt if he was interested in the arts, sang like Josh Groban, wrote romantic poetry and agreed that the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice was the best movie ever made. The problem? Lists like those are unrealistic and can potentially keep you from taking a chance on someone new. You can see the correlation right? Some of us have in mind who our perfect agent might be. But deciding beforehand exactly what we need can actually be detrimental. Lists aren't always bad, but if you are going to make a list of perfect qualities for a potential agent, make sure they are things that actually matter. I'll share my short list with you (for Agent Perfect or Mr. Perfect)

Can you communicate well with that person?
Do you bring out the best in each other?
Do you have the same values and goals?

Being prepared. Relationships can be wonderful things, but if you aren't ready for them they can also be traumatic. Jumping into a relationship before you are ready is always a bad idea. It's important that you know who you are and what you want first. See the connection? As authors we are all tempted to query and try to land an agent the minute we type the last word of our MS. But sometimes we just aren't ready. Make sure you've developed as a writer who can be confident and professional before you dive in.

A relationship doesn't fix everything. You know the phrase 'everywhere you go, there you are'? I have no idea where the phrase came from but I love the concept. Being in a relationship won't fix your problems or take away your insecurities. And being agented won't make the writing easier or guarantee publication. If there are things in your writing career you need to change, start on them now! Don't wait around for your dream agent to make everything magically better. Happiness in your life (or career) starts with you.

Sometimes you have to be creative. Aka, there is more than one way to meet a guy. Just because all of your friends met their respective dream boats one way doesn't mean you have to as well. Same thing goes for writing. Just because all of your friends have been traditionally published doesn't make it the best choice for you. Be open to the idea of trying new things and pursuing different options - it might turn out to be the best choice you ever make.

What other similarities can you think of? Do you agree or disagree with the points above? I'd love to hear your thoughts. And for all you single folk and all of the unagented/unpublished writers out there - keep working hard and forging ahead. Good things are bound to be coming your way soon =)

Pictures and Vacation Summary

2011-05-05T09:39:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Thanks to everyone for your comments and for wishing me well on my vacation. We had a wonderful time and were able to see so much stuff. New York was a lot of fun, if very crowded and full of cops. Apparently visiting the day after Bin Laden dies means that the entire city will be on a high terror alert. We also went to Philadelphia and toured around a little there. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will save you a long read and post some pictures instead.

On the train from NJ to NYC

Times Square in all its glory

Ice cream at the Franklin Fountain in Philly

On Vaca

2011-05-02T01:08:00.000-04:00

I never thought the day would come, but I am actually taking a vacation. To New York. The fact that I've lived on the East Coast for four years without visiting The Big Apple is just a testament to exactly how pathetic I am when it comes to visiting new places. So, for the next two days the blog will be silent. Wish me luck!!

How Bad Can You Write Revisited

2011-04-29T10:17:00.000-04:00

On Monday fellow members of Crusaders group 16B (best group ever) collaborated with yours truly to create one of the worst pieces of fiction ever to grace this blog. It was an epic moment. We hope it was instructive and a little entertaining to see writing gone horribly, horribly wrong.

Using your suggestions (and our own thoughts of course!), here are some basic pitfalls to avoid:

* Avoid cliches - they are called cliches because they have become overused and hackneyed
* It's considered bad form to start with a dream
* Keep POV, tense and tone consistent throughout the story
* Make sure you have correct spelling and grammar
* Try reading your story out loud to make sure their aren't parts that sound odd (or accidentally rhyme =)
* Make sure to use dialogue tags as needed so the reader knows who is talking
* Avoid florid prose and useless description
* Avoid info dumps - they take the reader out of the scene and as readers we become bored quickly
* Make sure that your word choice and sentence structure match the tone of the piece

Now, with your suggestions in mind we have revamped this little piece of fiction and are now posting the new and improved version for your reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy the spiffy new version!

Sandra awoke to the harsh ring of her telephone.

‘Hello?' she muttered groggilly.

‘Sandra, is that you?’

‘Dad?’

A barely familiar voice gurgled on the other end.

‘Sandra, I need you to...’

‘Dad, is everything okay? What’s going on?’

Sandra waited, confused and worried. She hadn’t spoken to her father in years. Something must be wrong for him to be calling.

‘Sandra...I’m... please come.’

Pushing down the panic rising like bile to her throat, Sandra swiftly grabbed the keys on her nightstand.

‘I’m coming Dad. I’ll be right there.’

**

As Sandra sprinted up the sidewalk to the white colonial she noticed with alarm that the door hung slightly ajar. Her martial arts training kicked in and Sandra crept stealthily forward, carefully pushing back the door and wincing as it creaked slightly.

Stepping inside Sandra crouched while her eyes adjusted. A movement in the pitch-black made her jump back.

“Sandra?” a weak voice called from the dark.

“Dad?” She smothered the memories rising in her mind and felt for a light switch. “Shouldn’t you be in Baltimore?”

She hit the lights and looked around. It took a moment for it all to register--her father was on the floor. A puddle of red seeped around him.

“Dad, what happened?” She couldn’t seem to cross the few feet between them fast enough.

“I’m calling 911. Just stay still.”

“You missed him, Sandra. He took everything.” Her father coughed and sputtered.

Sandra lifted his shoulders slightly to help him breathe. “Hang on, Dad. Just hang on.”

How Bad Can YOU Write?

2011-04-25T08:00:00.004-04:00

Do you ever hear all of this great advice about writing but want to see an actual example? Do you hear phrases like 'show don't tell' or 'give the character a voice' and wonder what they mean? Well, today is your day to help us edit. The lovely Jordan McCullum and Clarissa Draper have assisted me in writing the world's worst story.

No, seriously! It is scary how bad this story actually is. We've tried to make every rookie mistake in the book. Your job? To find them, point them out in the comments, and tell us how to make it all better. We'll look at your advice, fix the story and re-post on Friday. So please, edit away...

It was a dark and stormy night. The spiders were advancing up the drive, ready to attack. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. One eight-legged creature began to crawl up her leg and shake its pincher's at her face. No, she said in a silent scream. The spider continued to advance, closer and closer to her face. Just as the spider was about to bite into her neck, an alarm sounded. Sandra awoke with a start and lay in bed and listened to her alarm clock ring.

Her phone rang.

‘Hello?’

‘Hi, it’s me. How are you?’

‘Oh, I’m fine. What did you do today?’

‘I don’t want to talk about that right now, I want you to come over, it’s important, Sandra. I fear for my life and I have some important stuff to tell you.’

‘Okay, I will be there soon.’

As Sandra walked drearily up the sidewalk to the white picket fence colonial with blue shutters and budding daffodils in front, she noticed with surprise that the door hung slightly ajar. Immediately alarmed, Sandra crept forward, her legs stalking forward gracefully like a leopard moving stealthily toward it’s prey.

Whoever broke into the house wouldn’t know this, but Sandra had been teaching martial arts for years. Her father had insisted that no daughter of his would go out into this scary world unprepared to defend herself. Over the years her training had paid off, keeping her safe when her job as a police officer put her in harms way. Yes, Sandra was confident. She was more than a match for any drug crazed young punk who thought he could make a quick buck by nabbing her HD television and pawning it at the local dive down the street.

Sandra barels through the door with a flying high kick with her foot. A movement in the pitch-black dark startles her and she falls down. I jump to my feat and call out. Nobody answers, so I jump on the moving lump.

“Ouch! Sandra, it’s me your father!” “My father?” I slid to the floor. “What are you doing here from Baltimore?”

I couldn’t remember the last time I saw him except when he was trying to get me to test for my third dan for my blackbelt but I didnt want to because I was only fourteen and I hated how much martial arts was taking over my life. Even though now I’m pretty glad I did it because it did help a lot, but I didn’t know that then and dad didnt even try to listen to me. “Sandra, you’ll thank me one day,” he kept saying, but the instructor didn’t agree even after I’d broken his nose, though I didn’t mean to he just got in the way. I told him to be more careful even then I didn’t know my own strength so dad was lucky i didn’t hurt him worse even though he had fifty pounds on me.

“Dad, what happened to you? Is everything okay? Why are you on the floor in a lump?” Sandra said with worry ringing through her voice with clarion clearness.

“You missed him Sandra. He took everything, including....”

With a dramatic gasp her father took his final breath, his head falling backward and his tongue lolling out grotesquelly. Only then did Sandra see the pool of blood, the red life fluid seeping from his body onto the expensive italian tile.

Blog Awards

2011-04-23T01:02:00.000-04:00

* Announcement * I accidentally briefly posted Monday's post (stupid blogger!) called 'How Bad Can YOU Write?'. If you saw that show up in Google Reader, please ignore it until Monday when the post will actually be on the blog. Sorry!

Now, onto today's business. First, a big thanks to the fantabulous Liza Kane for passing along the Stylish Blogger award and the Irresistably Sweet Blog Award. Speaking of, what is in that picture because it's making me hungry?!

Anyway, I digress. There are rules if you want to accept the awards, and here they are:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award (done)
2. Share seven things about yourself (see list below)
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers (also see list below)
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award (will get done eventually)

So, seven things about myself huh? Well... here are some of the more interesting ones at least.

1. One of my favorite smells is chlorine. It always makes me sad to shower after swimming because I want to smell like the pool all day long.
2. I love graveyards. No seriously, I REALLY love graveyards. Charlie St. Cloud became one of my favorite movies when I saw the romantic graveyard scene. I even want to be proposed to in a graveyard (thinking way ahead here). For some reason I find them wistful and comforting.
3. If I had no moral compunctions about genetically modified animals I would want to own a miniaturized giraffe. I'm not sure if that is even possible, but I want one.
4. I'm fine with public speaking but am terrified of appearing on television. Being eaten by sharks ranks lower on my top ten fears than a TV appearance.
5. I really love sweet and sour food combinations. My most recent craze is pickles and chocolate. I know, weird.
6. I have a soft spot for striped or polka dotted clothing or any clothing with embroidered flowers on it. This can be a dangerous compulsion when I'm shopping. As you might imagine, I have multiple examples of each in my closet.
7. I went through a brief phase in middle school where I wanted to become a gangster. It consisted primarily of me listening to rap songs and wearing baggy jeans. I mostly got over it.

So, enough about me! Here are fifteen wonderful bloggers I've discovered recently that you should definitely follow!

1. Elizabeth Spann Craig

2. Joanna Penn

3. L Diane Wolfe

9. Michelle Davidson Argyle

10. Chantele Sedgwick

11. Robin Weeks

12. Becky Wallace

13. David Powers King

14. Jolene Perry

15. Julie Musil

With that, I hope you all are having a lovely weekend and enjoying some much needed time off. Until Monday!

Final Crusader Challenge

2011-04-22T08:00:00.004-04:00

I can't believe this is it! Where has the time gone? Anyhow, here is my entry for the final Crusader Challenge. I'm not sure what happens before or after this, just that this is the scene that came to mind when I read the instructions for the challenge (included below).

Show Not Tell Crusader Challenge: In 300 words or less, write a passage (it can be an excerpt from your WIP, flash fiction, a poem, or any other writing) that shows (rather than tells) the following:

you're scared and hungry
it's dusk
you think someone is following you
and just for fun, see if you can involve all five senses AND include these random words: shimmer, saccadic, substance, and salt.

Here goes...

As the light fades the desert heat fades with it. Huddled tightly against a rock I pray that the bushes in front of me will provide enough protection. Protection from the cold. Protection from the animals. Protection from him.

Prickly goosebumps line my arms and my teeth chatter as I pull my legs tighter to my chest. Shimmers of light flash in the distance and I hear the echo of a deep, resonating voice calling out my name.

I will not answer, because I am never going back.

Thirsty, I lick my lips and taste the bitter saltiness of dried tears and the sugary residue from the granola bars I ate hours ago. I ignore the gaping emptiness in the pit of my stomach, the tight clenching pain, and focus on my plan. Tomorrow I will leave my jacket, bloodstained and torn, where the search party can find it. I'll pick up the backpack I've hidden and work my way toward the river. Toward freedom.

Near my feet a small lizard darts under the rock with a saccadic precision. As the darkness encroaches an eerie howling pierces the air and is echoed across the hills. I block out visions of yellow eyes and snapping teeth. Instead I focus on breathing deeply and remaining perfectly still. The air smells of creosote, rubber and the vague hint of some plastic substance burning.

One breath in, one breath out.

All I have to do is survive tonight, but morning is still several thousand breaths away.

Book Review - Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2011-04-21T10:57:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the first book review ever on the blog! I know I'm certainly not the first (or the last) to review Delirium. I've had it on my list to read for a while and was finally able to pick it up the other day. Turns out I read it over the course of two days (as surefire sign I like a book!). So, here goes...

Blurb from the cover (and back): Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.

They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I've always believed them. Until now. Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

Sounds super intriguing right? Well, it was! I loved the concept for the book. It certainly wasn't revolutionary but it was handled in an original way and managed to feel familiar while still surprising me occasionally. Lena is an orphan. Her father died years ago and her mother committed suicide. Her entire life she has lived with the shame of being associated with a sympathizer, someone who was infected by amor deliria nervosa. Lena is both ashamed of her past and secretly protective of her memories - memories that include a mother who loved her and sacrificed her life rather than give up the ability to love. As Lena prepares for the evaluations leading up to her procedure, a procedure designed to cure her from the ability to ever be infected by love, she struggles to figure out who she is, what she believes, and whether she wants to be free from love or to embrace it.

There were so many things to love about this book. First, the characters had much more depth and felt more realistic than is characteristic for some of the current YA novels. The writing, although occasionally tending toward over-descriptiveness, was captivating and engaging. Lauren Oliver managed to weave in an amazing amount of back story and world building without ever significantly slowing down the story. My overall assessment - 4 1/2 stars. Definitely a book worth reading and one I would recommend to my friends. In fact, I'm heading to the bookstore soon to try and find her first book, Before I Fall.

How to be happy when everyone else is succeeding...

2011-04-20T16:43:00.000-04:00

For no particular reason this week has been a bit of a bust and I've been MIA on twitter and the blog. Rather than try to salvage my regular posting schedule, I'm going to blog today about being happy for other people and do a book review tomorrow. Hopefully by next week I will be back on track!

I know we've all had those times in our life where it felt like the whole world was succeeding except us. Your lab partner passes the test you helped her study for with a 95% while you get a 68%. Your best friend lands a great job after graduation while you are making ends meet by waitressing at the local diner. And chances are, as writers we will have that same experience more than once.We've all been there. The local writer's group I belong to discussed this at a recent meeting**. What would it be like to watch writing friends and crit partners land the perfect agent and unbelievable book deal while we continue to slog away in the shadows? As decent people, we want to be happy for our friends and fight back the green-eyed monster. But how can we make it happen?

After talking this over with the smartest woman I know (that's you Mom!), here are my suggestions...

Keep things in perspective. When you are feeling inadequate it is easy to forget about your past successes. Sometimes we fall prey to the trap of comparing our worst to everyone else's best. Recognize that a lack of success right now doesn't mean that your work doesn't have merit. It might not feel like it in the moment, but hard times are temporary and no one (who keeps trying) will fail forever. Your chance will come; in the meantime enjoy the stage you are in and use the time you have to grow as a writer. Sooner than you think you'll be nostalgic for the days of sitting down to write without the the constant demands of deadlines, editors and a reading public running frantically through your head.
Remember that success comes with challenges as well. It's easy to wish for success and envy the person who seems to have it all, but success always comes with a price. For every promotion we get we have added responsibility. For every wonderful new relationship we enter into there is the possibility for a broken heart. Enjoy the freedom of being unreservedly happy for a friend who has succeeded and be thankful that (for now) you don't have to deal with the added stress and worry that success would bring.
Let their success motivate you. Some of our most important life lessons are learned during the difficult times.Realize that you can learn something from this experience. It might motivate you to try a new project, pursue a different publishing path, revisit your old stories or delve deeper into learning the craft of writing. Every success story I know is usually preceded by times of difficulty and doubt.
Adjust your expectations. Your success doesn't have to look like someone else's. It might not mean writing a complete book in record time, or landing a six figure publishing deal, or having a world famous author rave about your book.You are a different person, which means that your success will look different as well and that is a very good thing!
Choose to see the good. Instead of focusing on how disappointed you are, look for the positive aspects of the situation. Maybe an introduction or endorsement from your newly successful friend will be just what you need to get over the final hurdle and land a great deal as well. Or that friend might be an invaluable resource to help you navigate the tricky waters of publishing once you hit your big break. What seems like a setback might just turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Personal experiences? Feel free to share in the comments.

** You should check out the blogs for two of my writing group members, Debbie and Annie. If anyone deserves outstanding success it is them!! **

Funny Stuff

2011-04-15T13:32:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Thanks to Rachel for sharing this video with me. The YouTube embedding has been disabled so you will have to follow the link. It's an SNL skit featuring Helen Mirren (so of course you should watch it!)

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

The Life of a Scientist

2011-04-14T11:48:00.000-04:00

For anyone who has a scientist in their life (or in their fiction), here are a few things you should know about scientists (or at least, this particular scientist)...

* Things need to make sense. All things. The same analytical process used to develop theories and test hypotheses will often be applied to personal life. If you need us to stop analyzing you and your decisions, just tell us. Otherwise we might try to find a solution and 'fix' your problems. =)

* Sometimes we love our jobs a little too much. You may need to remind us to take breaks, come home in time for dinner and not to obsess about work throughout the day. It's a hazard of the job.

* We think what we do is amazing! And occasionally our enthusiasm can make us get a little carried away. If you see us boring the pants off of someone or making people ill with our gross stories, please stop us. Everyone will thank you later.

There you are - just a few tips to help you understand the scientist in your life (real or imaginary). Remember that if you have any science (particularly microbiology) questions for your WIP to check out the submissions page! Until tomorrow then...

Followup on LDS Writers Blogfest

2011-04-13T11:49:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Today is going to be a crazy day, so I'm going to encourage anyone who didn't check out the LDS Writers Blogfest yesterday to click on the links below and see what everyone has to say. We would all love to hear your thoughts!

Annette Lyon: “Desire”
Annie Cechini: “The Spirit of Revelation”
Ben Spendlove: “The Atonement Covers All Pain”
Chantele Sedgwick: “LDS Women Are Incredible!”
Charity Bradford: “LDS Women Are Incredible!”
Jackee Alston: “The Eternal Blessings of Marriage”
Jenilyn Tolley: “What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?”
Jennifer McFadden: “Establishing a Christ-Centered Home”
Jessie Oliveros: “Establishing a Christ-Centered Home”
Jolene Perry: “It’s Conference Once Again”
Jordan McCollum: “What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?”
Kasey Tross: “Guided by the Holy Spirit”
Kayeleen Hamblin: “Become as a Little Child”
Kelly Bryson: “The Atonement Covers All Pain”
Krista Van Dolzer: “Opportunities to Do Good”
Melanie Stanford: “What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?”
Michelle Merrill: “The Eternal Blessings of Marriage”
Myrna Foster: “Opportunities to Do Good”
Nisa Swineford: “Desire”
Sallee Mathews: “The Eternal Blessings of Marriage”
Sierra Gardner: “The Atonement Covers All Pain”
Tamara Hart Heiner: “Waiting on the Road to Damascus”
The Writing Lair: “Waiting on the Road to Damascus”

LDS Writer Blogfest: The Atonement Covers All Pain

2011-04-12T09:55:00.001-04:00

As you may have gathered from yesterdays post, I am participating in the LDS Writer Blogfest. If you aren't familiar with what the LDS (Mormon) people believe, please check out the official church website. And of course, you are always welcome to ask me any question you might have (really, anything!). You can ask either in the comments or through email (sgardn at gmail dot com).

So for this years blogfest all of the participants are discussing their favorite talk given at our recent semi-annual world wide conference. One of my favorites was titled 'The Atonement Covers All Pain,' given by Kent F Richards. What I really loved about this talk was the way Elder Richards, a surgeon, discussed the process and purpose of pain.

Some of the purposes of pain discussed in the talk are listed below:

As a gauge of the healing process
To teach us patience, faith, fortitude, and humility
To minister to our mortal education
To make us aware of God's love

There are other reasons for pain, but I found even this short list very interesting. If there has ever been a universal question asked by mankind it is why is life so painful? Sometimes we tend to view pain and sorrow as things that should be avoided at all costs. Sometimes we even wonder why God would allow the world to be filled with so many horrible things. I've pondered many of these things myself.

As I was thinking about this talk, I thought over my life and the experiences I cherish most. Surprisingly, many of them were painful. With your indulgence I will share a personal story that illustrates this point.

I grew up as the oldest sister of six younger brothers, so when my little sister was born 13 years ago I was ecstatic! I envisioned years of dress up, shopping for clothes, braiding her hair and giving her boy advice. You can imagine our family's shock and pain when my little sister, only then a week old, was diagnosed with a life threatening aggressive tumor. She was rushed to the hospital and underwent a series of surgeries where her life hung in the balance. After a monumental struggle and weeks of distress it seemed that she would recover. However, a few months later the tumor had returned. The next two years my sister underwent multiple surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy. My mother was with her constantly in the hospital, which left me as a young teenager in charge of taking care of our large family. My father lost his job and my grandfather was diagnosed with brain cancer. Our family had no money and tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills. I can honestly say that those years were some of the most painful and harrowing of my life.

And yet, looking back I am grateful for that time in my life. So much of my confidence in myself and my trust in God came from that period. I learned through that experience, in a very personal way, the reality of my Savior Jesus Christ. I learned the truth that when we turn to God our hearts can be comforted and we can be strengthened through our times of trial. I learned with unshakable certainty that God loves me and is mindful of my sorrows. That knowledge has become priceless to me. It is often through those times of difficulty that we grow most. Elder Richards spoke of that when he said,

Our great personal challenge in mortality is to become “a saint through the atonement of Christ.” The pain you and I experience may be where this process is most measured. In extremity, we can become as children in our hearts, humble ourselves, and “pray and work and wait” patiently for the healing of our bodies and our souls. As Job, after being refined through our trials, we “shall come forth as gold.”

I can personally testify to the truth of that statement. I am grateful for a God who loves us infinitely but in His wisdom also allows us to experience pain so that we can grow and learn. I encourage you to read Elder Richards talk (link is above), and also to check out the other participants in the LDS Writer Blogfest (links below). Also, please feel free to comment and share your experiences or thoughts.

Annette Lyon: “Desire”
Annie Cechini: “The Spirit of Revelation”
Ben Spendlove: “The Atonement Covers All Pain”
Chantele Sedgwick: “LDS Women Are Incredible!”
Charity Bradford: “LDS Women Are Incredible!”
Jackee Alston: “The Eternal Blessings of Marriage”
Jenilyn Tolley: “What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?”
Jennifer McFadden: “Establishing a Christ-Centered Home”
Jessie Oliveros: “Establishing a Christ-Centered Home”
Jolene Perry: “It’s Conference Once Again”
Jordan McCollum: “What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?”
Kasey Tross: “Guided by the Holy Spirit”
Kayeleen Hamblin: “Become as a Little Child”
Kelly Bryson: “The Atonement Covers All Pain”
Krista Van Dolzer: “Opportunities to Do Good”
Melanie Stanford: “What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?”
Michelle Merrill: “The Eternal Blessings of Marriage”
Myrna Foster: “Opportunities to Do Good”
Nisa Swineford: “Desire”
Sallee Mathews: “The Eternal Blessings of Marriage”
Sierra Gardner: “The Atonement Covers All Pain”
The Writing Lair: “Waiting on the Road to Damascus”

Today I will be writing...a lot

2011-04-11T13:52:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

So I wanted to do a great post for today but it turns out, I have a busy day ahead of me! I need to work at the lab for approximately 6 hours, then drive home and head directly to a church activity. And I have a standing get together on Monday nights with a few of my friends. Somewhere in there I also need to do critiques for my three online critique buddies, get my submission ready for this month's writing group and work on my own writing.

That's not all either... Since my blog is all about writing, I don't often bring up details about my personal life. So in case you weren't aware, I am a member of the LDS church (Mormon). And since we just had a big semi-annual church wide conference, tomorrow I will be joining with some other wonderful LDS writers in the LDS Writers Blogfest. I'll be discussing my favorite talk from the conference, both on this blog and as part of a group post over at The Writing Lair. So I need to find time tonight to put together those posts as well.

Anyway, this is a really long way of saying I didn't have time to get together a real post for today =) But, if anyone wants to read the talk I will be discussing tomorrow, follow this link. I would love to hear your thoughts and comments tomorrow on the talk, how it relates to us, and how it can relate to our writing. See you all tomorrow!

Morning Memos

2011-04-08T12:31:00.001-04:00

Wow! A big hello to my new followers! Welcome to the blog - I look forward to getting to know you better (and if I haven't already checked out your blog/s I promise to do so this weekend). For today's post I will be writing letters in Kiersten White fashion. It just felt right for today.

Dear Speedo goggles,

This is the second time you have broken on me and ruined a perfectly good swim. Were you not adequately product tested? During your formative days in the Thailand factory were you not given the love and attention you deserve? My heart goes out to you but I need a pair of goggles who can commit to a long term, serious relationship. So, until you are sure that you can contribute equally to this relationship, I will be spending my time with the cute Aqua Spheres. I hope you understand.

Lovingly yours,
Sierra

Dear person in front of me who can't drive,

First, do you know where you are going? If not, could you please pull over and consult a map? It would save the people tailgating you an episode of road rage. Second, you are merging onto a freeway. This requires driving faster than 20 mph. If driving incompetency is a recurring problem for you, there are several programs designed to address this very issue. I will happily put you in contact with my 15 yr old brother for more information.

Sincerely annoyed,
Sierra

Dear masses of curly hair,

I know that our history has been rocky. And I sincerely apologize that, in a fit of frustration, I tried to straighten you the other day. It was a low blow. You have looked so good for me the past two nights and your efforts at reconciliation are very much appreciated. Now that we are on better terms, would it be asking too much for you to occasionally look good when other people are around as well? It would mean a lot. In return I promise to use fewer ponytails and the fancy mousse.

With style and poise,
Sierra

Dear Target,

Why dost thou tempt me so? Thy wily product placement and evil price cuts have weakened my resolve. It is with deep shame that I admit to having purchased more than the two items I originally intended. And yet, I cannot bring myself to hate thee, for it is through thy reduced prices that I have purchased these wonderful new movies at such a low cost. Art thou so unmindful of my limited budget that thou wouldst cause me to spend more than I had planned? From hence forth I will avoid thee, until such a time that my pocketbook shall be able to match thee with better result.

Thy servant no longer,
Sierra

Sensuality vs. Sexuality: In stories and in life

2011-04-06T00:02:00.000-04:00

This is topic I've been thinking about a lot in relation to a MS that I've shelved but will be returning to shortly. I've also seen a lot on the blogosphere about what level of sexuality is appropriate to include in fiction. So I thought it might be interesting to put up a post about sensuality.

Okay, here goes. In my opinion sensuality and sexuality have unfortunately become largely synonymous in our society and in western culture. They have also both been historically identified as being lower and less refined. In many ways the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme in our modern culture, with sexuality taking a prominent place in the collective cultural consciousness, almost to the point of obsession. The concept of a romantic relationship that doesn't immediately involve sex, and intimacy that doesn't end in an orgasm seems foreign to us. For this reason, I think it is important to acknowledge the difference between sensuality and sexuality, both in our human experience and as it relates to fiction.

The word sensuality derives from the Latin word "sensualis," meaning endowed with feeling or sensitive (Source: Online Etymology Dictionary). Although this word later took on a negative connotation, to be sensual literally means 'having the capacity to feel.' Our physical bodies are structured in such a way that we have the capacity to feel a wide variety of sensations, everything from extreme pain to intense pleasure. The act of sexual intercourse, while an extremely important part of the human experience, only covers a small portion of the entire range of pleasurable sensations the human body is capable of experiencing. Nor would it be appropriate or accurate to see the full range of sensual physical experiences as superfluous or a mere prelude to the sexual act. A quick look at our own lives should reveal the truth of that statement. As an example, one of my favorite sensual experiences is the feeling of a cold, brisk wind as I walk. For me this is a physical experience that I intensely enjoy, but is in no way connected to the act of sexual intercourse. It is incredibly sensual but not at all sexual.

I personally believe that our culture's focus on sexuality as the ultimate source of physical pleasure blocks us from experiencing the full richness that our bodies have to offer. We forget that our bodies can, and should, experience pleasure outside of the bedroom. For instance, one of my favorite movies, Bright Star, is a movie which I would describe as intensely sensual, but in which there is no sex. One might argue that the sensuality in the movie underscores the sexual tension between the two lovers who remain (in the movie at least) virginal and unmarried. While this may be partially true, I also think that a closer look reveals two persons who separately are very connected to their physical capacity to feel. Their individual sensuality lends a depth to their relationship that is missing from the one character in the film who indulges himself sexually.

To recap, sensuality is about feeling a wide range of physical sensations while sexuality is about experiencing a specific set of physical sensations. Sometimes we focus too much on sexuality and not enough on sensuality. I believe that including sensual physical descriptions not only lends a greater depth to our characters, but also provides the reader with a broader, more dynamic and much more realistic emotional experience.

So the real question for today is, what are your thoughts? Do you agree? Disagree? To what extent do you feel it is important to reflect sensuality vs sexuality in fiction?

p.s. Please play nice in the comments - otherwise I will delete them =)

Why I want to be just like Alfred Molina

2011-04-05T00:09:00.000-04:00

Alfred Molina is not the most attractive actor (that distinction goes, without a doubt, to James Purefoy). And although he is an incredibly good actor, Alfred Molina does not earn the distinction of the most talented actor (in my opinion, a toss up between Ian McKellan or Judi Dench). But you know what Alfred Molina does excel at? Being in a TON of movies.

Seriously, this man is a rock star. He's been working on 5-6 movies due to come out this year. Did I mention he did those movies while starring in a hit TV show? And it's not a fluke. The guy has literally been working his socks off since he started acting. You can't blame Hollywood for wanting him either. I've never seen him in a role he didn't excel at. But the real reason I want to be like Alfred Molina? He manages to be consistently successful, busy and productive without ever staying in the spotlight for long.

Think about it. Have you ever seen Alfred Molina on the cover of The Enquirer? He's that guy who is never on the front page but will be successful long after the starlets of the moment have come and gone. And that's why Alfred Molina is my hero. If I could pick anyone else's career to imitate, it would be his. I would hope to be a successful writer who was never in the limelight but had a long career of solid books behind me. What about you? Who would you like to be like?

FLASH

2011-04-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

The flash fiction contest Rachel posted for the 2nd Crusade Challenge got me thinking about a scenario, which got me thinking about a main character, which got me thinking about a story. Since it's going to be a short story, I figured I could put pieces of it on the blog each Monday. So, here goes. Today's entry is similar to what I submitted for the contest, although expanded a little (since I don't have a word limit this time!). Hope you enjoy.

The goldfish bowl teetered precariously on its side, the glass lip only barely keeping it from plummeting off the table and crashing on the floor. A few final drops of water crept steadily from the bowl down the table leg. Thin wisps of my hair stretched toward a goldfish flopping frantically beside me, it's mouth gaping as it suffocated on the air filling its lungs. Just as I was suffocating with the blood pooling into mine.

Crimson rivulets mixed with the scattered pools of water and seeped sluggishly along the wood grains toward a looming black boot. I closed my eyes but couldn't block out the sickening crunch and pop that extinguished the minute life beside me.

If only he would make it that quick for me.

Slim chance of that.

With each breath I tried to pull into my collapsing lungs an excruciating pressure ripped through my chest. Darkness crept into my peripheral vision and I guessed that I had under a minute before my blood loss caused unconsciousness. It might be long enough.

I forced myself to lift my knees and push myself backward toward the cell phone lying a few feet away. Searing pain ripped through my body, taking away what little breath I had left. I forced down the swelling urge to give up, to just let oblivion come.

Above me a leering face watched my desperate movements with obvious pleasure.

"You're a feisty little one today aren't you my love?"

"Not..." My words gurgled in my throat.

"What is that? I can't quite hear you." Joshua's patronizing tone grated my ears. Even when I was at deaths door he irritated me.

"Not... your love."

My remark had the intended effect. Joshua's expression changed from cruel satisfaction to murderous rage in an instant.

Kneeling swiftly, Joshua brushed the hair away from my face and leaned inward, his breath hot against my cheek.

"I'm going to enjoy every second of watching you suffer. I told you once I would watch you die. You know I'm a man who keeps his word."

His words sent chills down my arms and my panicked, shallow breathing accelerated. He chuckled as he stood. I hated to let him see me afraid, but I could use it to distract him. As I pushed again with my knees I reached my left arm outward toward the cell phone, now only a few inches beyond my grasp. As Joshua's eyes followed my grasping fingers I slipped my right hand quickly into my jacket pocket.

"Trying to call the cavalry? Hoping someone is going to ride in to the rescue?"

Smirking, he swiftly kicked the phone across the room.

Fool.

Joshua always thought he was the only one who could think a step ahead. I had sent a text requesting backup the moment I saw the door was ajar. Now I only needed one more thing.

I let a small sob escape my throat and waited for the inevitable.

"Now, now, none of that. Can't have you making calls."

With a slow pressure Joshua pressed the heel of his thick boot down on my extended fingers. An involuntary cry of pain burst out of my throat as I heard the tiny bones snap. Curling toward him I desperately used my free hand to push against his leg. After a second the pressure on my mangled hand receded. As he lifted his foot upward I carefully slid the small tracking device concealed in my right hand into his shoe.

It was done. This time we would catch him and lock him away for good. That thought comforted me as the small piercing points of pain in my left hand added to the throbbing pain in my chest. Involuntary spasms shuddered through my body. With relief I welcomed in the numbing darkness of unconsciousness. As I drifted the last thing that met my eyes was Joshua's smirking sadistic smile.

If I'm lucky, they will make it in time.

Okay, all suggestions and comments are welcome. Please feel free to edit away!

A shoutout to the thoughtful Kat Juniper

2011-04-03T12:16:00.000-04:00

First of all, Kat Juniper is such a great name. If ever there was a name that was perfectly designed for a writer...

Anyway, moving on =) Kat is one of the members of the 16B Crusader group and we are so glad she chose to join because she's a pretty great gal. Kat lives in the Pacific Northwest US (it's incredibly beautiful up there!) and writes cozy mysteries. She blogs over at Title to be Determined Later. Definitely take a moment to go check out her blog - she has really thoughtful posts (hence, today's blog title).

My favorite resource on her blog has to be her tab for outline strategies (something I'm desperately in need of!). And if none of this has convinced you to check out her blog (seriously, why are you still here?), she also has a wickedly understated sense of humor. Love it! Kat has found time to work on her WIP despite being incredibly busy and somehow manages to fit in a weekly crit group as well (wow-pretty impressive). She has set a deadline to be finished with her WIP that is coming up soon, so we look forward to hearing more from Kat on that score in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy her awesome blog and show your support

Introducing the fabulous Sarah Tate

2011-04-02T01:13:00.000-04:00

Today I have the privilege of introducing a remarkable woman. Welcome to the blog Sarah! Sarah has an amazing number of resources on her blog and website, particularly on psychological disorders. This is pretty great stuff so I definitely recommend stopping by and taking a look. Sarah is currently working and living in Switzerland (jealous!) and has managed to find time to write despite being a single mother of three (wow!). I knew she was amazing though when I found out her favorite book was Jane Eyre. I mean, what else do you need to know?!

Sarah has published her first book, "Web of Lies - My Life with a Narcissist," an auto-biographical novel which describes "the ups and downs of life with a person who suffers from (amongst other things) Narcissistic Personality Disorder." You can buy the book here on Amazon and the book trailer is below.

In addition, Sarah is also currently working on her second book, "Renaissance - A Journal of Discovery" which should be released in April (check her blog for updates!) and a psychological thriller, "In the Shadow of an Angel." The book trailer for "Renaissance - A Journal of Discovery" is below.

Now that you are thoroughly convinced that Sarah is pretty amazing, make sure to follow her on twitter and checkout her facebook page!

A big cheer for Clarissa Draper

2011-04-01T00:18:00.000-04:00

Today I have the honor of featuring Clarissa Draper on the blog. Clarissa is many things, not the least of which is a phenomenal mystery writer. You can check out her amazing blog here (I'm soooo envious of that background image!). It is providential that she was placed in the 16B Crusader group because her series of posts on collecting forensic evidence are incredibly helpful (thanks Clarissa!). She also offers WIP critiques and book reviews (hmmm... might take advantage of that). In addition, Clarissa enjoys cryptography and cryptanalysis, which is pretty darn impressive right?! One more thing you should know about Clarissa - she loves her son AND coffee (in that order).

Clarissa is a published author (!!!) and you can find her book, Around the World & 80 Conversations here on Amazon under the pen name of Ann Elle Altman. The blurb for the book is below.

Jayne wants to start life all over again. Having suffered a horrific tragedy that destroyed her family and her life, she decides to move to London where she can live and write in anonymity. Once there, she meets a handsome Londoner named Peter and moves in with him even though he has a girlfriend. Though desperately seeking closure from past trials, she grapples with added emotional tribulations. From Canada to England and around the world again, listen in as Jayne carries on eighty conversations with friends, doctors, and strangers on her path to personal acceptance and contentment. Jayne and the people in her life will make you laugh, cry, and shout in frustration. But most of all, they will leave you reflecting on the vagaries of life.

In case you aren't already convinced, here is one of my favorite reviews from Amazon...

This is an extremely engaging read, and given that the author has managed to harness the subtle nuance and `voice' of each character, with this all dialogue novel, speaks to her writing talent. Kudos to a writer unafraid to step out of the box and explore a format that isn't often used, and has done so with intricate expertise. Jayne's trials and tribulations are at once tragic and amusing, thoughtful and inspiring. I'm forever grateful I happened across this charming story, written in such a unique way.

So hop on Amazon and check out Around the World & 80 Conversations. And don't forget to follow Clarissa on twitter here.

And Now, a Round of Applause for Jordan McCollum...

2011-03-31T10:28:00.000-04:00

I'm pleased to welcome Jordan McCollum to the blog today. Jordan is both an incredibly talented writer and also a fantabulous blogger. Not only does she consistently post wonderful resources, but she even provides free writing guides on her blog. Pretty great right? You can check out her blog here and those free pdf writing guides? The link to those is right here.

Jordan writes romantic suspense/mystery, and is currently working on four separate stories (impressive right?). Saints and Spies won 1st place in the 2010 LDStorymakers Conference First Chapter Contest in the Mystery/Suspense category and Jordan is currently seeking publication for this story. The blurb for the book is below and you can read an excerpt here. I know I'm already curious to know what happens between Molly and Zach!

Saints and Spies
When she finds her priest murdered, Molly Malone, secretary of their Catholic parish, doesn’t plan to fall in love with his replacement. Young, handsome and—dare she even think it?—flirtatious, Father Tim O’Leary is nothing she expected. But Father Tim is also nothing like he seems: he’s Special Agent Zach Saint, an LDS undercover FBI agent there to root out the mob that’s using the parish as a cover.
And Molly isn’t helping: every time Zach gets close to the mob, Molly manages to get in the way. Falling for her is the last thing he needs. Now Zach must find the murderer and catch the mobsters before his feelings for Molly blow his cover—and add another murder or two to the mobsters’ docket.

Sounds pretty intriguing right? A few extra things about Jordan. She graduated with a Bachelor's in American Studies and Linguistics with minors in Spanish and English. Since then she has worked in internet marketing (so she knows her stuff). She also enjoys reading, blogging, knitting and watching murder mystery and spy shows (hear, hear). Best of all, she has three kids, plays three instruments and knows three languages. Like I said, pretty amazing right? Make sure to stop by Jordan's blog and follow her on twitter here.

Saying Hello to VR Barkowski

2011-03-30T09:03:00.005-04:00

** Before I jump right in, make sure to stop by The Writing Lair and read the post on finding your crit pals. Oh - and make sure to follow as well =) **

Today we meet VR Barkowski, a talented writer of thriller and suspense novels. She is repped by Christine Witthohn of Book Cents Literary Agency, LLC (envious!!). She also loves travelling, books, spas and museums (agreed!). In addition to all of that she is the proud owner of a Coton de Tulear named Dart and two kitties, Grace and Lucyfur that were adopted through a non profit animal rescue group (awwww....). To find out more about her writing or to see pictures of the kitties, check out her blog here.

VR grew up in California, the youngest of five children (I LOVE big families). In her words, being "smaller and quieter than the rest, she found she was better at putting her thoughts on paper than making herself heard." All I can say is, we sure are glad she turned to writing because she's pretty amazing at it.

VR is currently working on her second novel. You can read an excerpt from her first novel, Blood and Thorns, here. Also make sure to check out her short story, The Penny, which was published in the Fall 2010 edition of Mysterical-E. Make sure to send your encouragement VR's way and don't forget to follow her on twitter.

Meet the exceptional Paul James Lincoln

2011-03-29T00:07:00.001-04:00

In keeping with this weeks series of posts, today we meet PJ Lincoln. A thought provoking blogger and new author (more to follow!!), PJ ponders on writing and life over at PJ Writes.

PJ is a life long resident of Detroit and a baseball fanatic. He is a former reporter (nice!) and the proud dad of three little kids. PJ's new e-book, Born Again, can be purchased at Amazon. The blurb for Born Again is below...

For more than a decade, Beth Tanner has been living a lie. She’s the perfect wife. She’s the perfect mother. At least that’s what she led everyone to believe. Now, out on an innocent date night with husband Jackson, her secret is exposed and threatens to destroy her quaint suburban life. Based on a real-life event, Born Again examines marriage and commitment in a fast-paced short story.

Sounds pretty interesting right?! I'm putting it on the list to get (as soon as I get a Kindle =) For all of you tech savvy people who already have an e-reader, stop by and show your support for PJ. You can also follow him on twitter here!

A Big Welcome to Susan Landis-Steward

2011-03-28T08:24:00.000-04:00

This week I would like to devote my posts to the awesome co-members of the Crusaders, group 16B (best group ever!!) Today we will be meeting Susan, who blogs over at Wiggle Room.

Some things you should know about Susan. She is a writer (of course!) and one of the co-founders of the Puddletown Publishing Group. You can check out their website here. Susan also has a book coming out soon (!!!), Blind Leading the Blind. You can read a synopsis here, check out the facebook page here, and order it on Amazon here. Plenty of links there to keep you busy =)

A self described neurotic character, Susan has been writing and editing for over two decades. She has studied computer science, architecture, education, spiritual traditions and ethics, and publishing (wow right?!). She also owns her own business providing editing, indexing and writing services.

Some other things that make Susan awesome? She likes to write about aliens, lives in the northwest US and listed Madeleine L'Engle as one of her favorite authors (told you she was cool!). I'm super envious because she actually studied with Madeleine L'Engle, who is one of my personal heroes (trying to subdue the green eyed monster now...)

Basically, Susan is pretty amazing. You can follow her on twitter here and also follow the Puddletown Publishing Group on twitter here. Now, time to go check out Susan's blog and show your support for her new book!

It's the Little Things That Count

2011-03-25T14:18:00.001-04:00

One of my new favorite shows is Megamind. I went to see it over Christmas with my family and walked away sore from laughing. Probably my favorite thing about it - the subtlety. The big jokes were funny, sure. But the best part? Probably when Megamind shouted at everyone to stop looking at him and they all turned away simultaneously. Or maybe the 'No You Can't' posters he plasters all over the city (see picture below, thanks to geektyrant =)

Sometimes, it is the little things that make all the difference. What about in your stories? What are the little things you've written (or read) that further the story?

Predicting the Future

2011-03-24T16:02:00.000-04:00

Today I wanted to focus on science fiction. One of the most interesting aspects of science fiction is it's 'predictive' quality. Science fiction authors are often well versed in science and so it shouldn't surprise us that they frequently 'evolve' existing science to come up with reasonable futuristic science. But the question also arises, does the futuristic science portrayed in science fiction also shape our expectations of the future? Does science develop independently of science fiction or does the vision of these authors shape the scientific exploration of tomorrow?

For instance...

* Isaac Asimov wrote about robots in a series of short stories and novellas (Robot Series) in the seventies. Although robots might seem a natural extension following the development of computers, the popularization of robots in fiction has undoubtedly contributed to their literal development within the last decade or so.

* Jules Verne wrote about underwater exploration in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea long before submarines were practical. Again, one could ask if modern submarines resemble his vision simply because certain designs would naturally come to mind when contemplating the necessities of underwater travel or if the design of modern submarines was in part influenced by his descriptions.

* HG Wells wrote about time travel in The Time Machine long before Einstein elucidated the interactions between space and time and quantum mechanics showed us how strangely time and space could act. Would we have been so obsessed with time travel (and still be experimenting with the possibility of it) without the imagination of Mr. Wells?

What are your thoughts? Do you think that these authors were just good at predicting the future or did they help shape the future as well?

And on the topic of the future, I'm going to recommend reading one of my favorite books, The Napoleon of Notting Hill by GK Chesterton. You might be able to imagine a future in which much has changed. But what about a future in which nothing has changed?

Lazy Day #2

2011-03-23T14:01:00.000-04:00

In keeping with my theme of being a lazy blogger this week, I am going to send all you folks on the blog over to Query Tracker to read this great post on how to write a novel synopsis. It's much better than anything I was going to post today anyhow =)

In Short: Writing a Novel Synopsis that Rocks by H.L. Dyer

Advice from the Experts

2011-03-22T08:02:00.000-04:00

Usually Tuesday is the day that I post useful tips for writers. But I'm all tuckered out today (and it's still early morning!) so I'm going to let much smarter people do my work for me. My favorite posts from yesterday for writers everywhere...

Jody Hedlund - My Writing Success: The ONE Thing That Helped Me Most

Nathan Bransford - How to Find Balance

Rachelle Gardner - The Right Agent For You (technically this is actually from today)

Elizabeth Mueller - Servers and Writers are Related

Raquel Byrnes - How Authors Can Use Analytics

Guest post by Cassandra Cass - How to build an Amazon author page and other information (also technically from today)

Natalie Whipple - Polishing vs. Fixing

Elana Johnson - Adverbs Don't Bother Me

Anne R. Allen - 7 Do's and 7 Dont's for New Bloggers

Enjoy!!

Second Crusader Challenge

2011-03-21T09:28:00.000-04:00

Rachel has posted the second crusader challenge, a flash fiction piece not to exceed 100 words that begins with "The goldfish bowl teetered..." If possible we are supposed to write in our own genre. So hopefully you find the next 100 words thrilling (and maybe a little disturbing as well) =)

The goldfish bowl teetered precariously on its side, the contents already splashed on the floor and the last final drops creeping steadily down the table leg. Next to me a goldfish flopped frantically, gasping and suffocating on the air filling its lungs. Just as I was suffocating with the blood pooling into mine.

Crimson rivulets mixed with the pools of water and seeped sluggishly toward a looming black boot. I closed my eyes but couldn't block out the sickening crunch and pop that extinguished the minute life beside me.

If only he would make it that quick for me.

There it is folks, 99 words exactly! Whew - that was harder than I expected.

Funny Movie Songs

2011-03-18T11:50:00.000-04:00

A few moments of hilarity to get you through Friday!

How can you not love a song sung by men about wearing tights?

Is Adam Sandler ever not funny?

And ending with a classic - Danny Kaye.

Why are plants green?

2011-03-17T19:03:00.000-04:00

It's Saint Patrick's Day! Since today is my science day I thought it might be fun to give a very simple explanation for why plants are actually green.

If you've never thought about it before, imagine how different things would be if the majority of our plants were red, or orange, or purple. The world would look very differently. So why exactly are most plants green?

First, a little physics. Visible light spans a range of wavelengths from approximately 380-780 nanometers, and color is determined by the light's wavelength. Wikipedia provided the great graphic below.

The color of an object is determined by the wavelengths of light reflected, scattered or absorbed by the surface. It can get a little more complicated but this explanation will serve our purposes.

Now, a little biology. Plants utilize the sun's light to create energy through a process called photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, small pigments called chlorophyll are packed into plant cell organelles called chloroplasts. Chlorophyll absorbs certain wavelengths of light and the energy from the absorption of that light is transferred through a chain of reactions that ultimately ends in the production of high energy compounds (ATP) used in metabolism.

Now that we have a very basic understanding of the process, here is the answer to today's question...

Plants are green because the pigment chlorophyll absorbs light best in the violet-blue and red spectrum. Light in the yellow and green spectrum is reflected since it is poorly absorbed by chlorophyll.

That's it folks - pretty basic right? Thanks to Texas A&M University Horticulture page for the image below. The link to the source is included. Hope you guys have a great Saint Patrick's Day and are able to better appreciate all the wonderful greenery around you =)

Source: Texas A&M University

Know Thy Genre

2011-03-15T16:10:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder what genre you are really writing in? I'm still a little unsure myself. I figure the best way to learn is to teach right? Right. So here goes.

Below is everything you should need to help you figure out your genre. Note that these are only a guideline. Each story is different, so no formula will ever be perfect. But at least it's a start, right?

First the big picture. Is your story a fictional story or is it non-fictional? This seems like it's too basic, but let's start there. If your story is a reasonably un-embellished retelling of a real event, person, place, scenario, etc. then your book is non-fiction. If you made up the characters, place, etc then it is fiction.

Okay, one down. Now, let's separate everything a little further. Who is your protagonist? A child? A pre-teen? A teenager? An adult? An old adult? A woman? A man? Don't make any hasty decisions yet, but if your protagonist is a child then this is likely children's fiction. A preteen usually fits in middle grade fiction. A teenager fits in young adult. Obviously an adult fits in adult fiction.

It's important to point out that this won't be true for every single book, but it is a good general guideline. This sub-category is also highly dependent on voice. Think about the voice in your story - what age group will it appeal to most? Have you made your decision yet? Hopefully by now you know what target audience your book is for. Let's narrow the field a little more.

What is the theme of your book? Quick, write down the top 5 themes that come to your mind. Now use these to help determine which genre fits best.**

Adventure: Adventure stories center around the action. Although many other elements may be present, the primary driving force behind the story is the action. Think of the 'guy flicks' you know. Common elements can include life threatening/death defying stunts, quests or journeys, conflicts and survival.

Christian: The primary themes are centered around Christian faith, worship and expression.

Dystopian: Usually set in a futuristic world that is characterized by a society that is in some way repressed or controlled, often by a dictatorial or totalitarian form of government.

Fantasy: A story in which the world, characters, events and storyline are highly imaginative and (in most cases) do not closely resemble literal reality. Sometimes this can be difficult to distinguish from science fiction. Although not perfect, I distinguish the two using this method. Science fiction is about a world that could exist. Fantasy is about a world that wouldn't exist. Typical elements include mythical creatures, magic, supernatural powers, etc.

Graphic Novel: The story is told through the use of sequential art which may (or may not) be accompanied by descriptive text.

Historical fiction: A story that is set in a past time period and recreates characters and events of that time period. These can include fictional and historical characters. If the storyline is fictional, then this is a historical fiction. If the storyline is centered around real events, then you probably have a non-fiction story on your hands. Typical elements include a past time period in which one main portion of the story reflects the real past. This could be either an event, a character(s) or both.

Horror: Although many stories could contain elements of horror, your story should fit squarely into this category if the story primarily features elements that are scary, bizarre, graphic or disturbing in nature. Horror often deals with death and dark or sinister themes.

Literary Fiction: This one can be much more difficult to pin down. Typically this type of fiction is focused on literary merit and focuses less on plot while focusing more on developing thematic material and characterizations.

Mystery: A closely related cousin of thriller. The character development and plotline in mystery tends to be less about the suspense and action (although these can certainly be there!) than unraveling the mystery driving the plot and learning the truth.

Realistic Fiction: A story, typically set in contemporary time period that involves events which could easily happen in daily life. Note that a lot of books meet this criteria so you should add some descriptors to this (ie. Realistic thriller, realistic women's fiction, etc).

Romance: In romances, the primary focus of the story is centered on love or relationships.

Science Fiction: A story in which science (modern or futuristic) plays a major role in the story and shapes the world the characters live in and the overall storyline.

Thriller: The primary characteristic of a thriller is the element of suspense that carries throughout the story.

Western: Typically are set centered around the American west.

Women's fiction: Focused primarily on issues affecting women and the female experience (see Lydia Sharp's post on women's fiction here)

**For more information on genres check out the BISG website.

Dream Scene

2011-03-14T17:15:00.001-04:00

One of about five important flashbacks in the current WIP. Hope y'all like it!

The tent smells like onions and dirt. Even though it is cold outside, the stifling tepid air inside is hot and muggy. I feel dizzy and briefly consider that this may be done on purpose to add to the effect. I’m still angry that Marlie and Jessica insisted on stopping by the gypsy’s tent to have their fortunes told. The ragged cardboard sign leaning haphazardly against the tent didn’t look promising, but nothing could dissuade them. Of course I was pushed in first. It seems like a thousand miles away but I think I can faintly hear their whispers and giggles outside the door flap.

Underneath me the flimsy plastic chair starts to give slightly and leans to the right, adding to a sense of vertigo that is growing stronger and stronger by the second.

On the small table that separates us, the gypsy woman is clutching my hand with her bird-like claws. I doubt she is an actual gypsy; she is massively fat with a garishly painted face and copious beaded necklaces that look like they came from the dollar store.

“So, you don’t believe my dear…” she croons as she strokes my hand. Or it would be crooning if the voice weren’t so low and man-like. “No – your mind is like a puzzle. All of the parts have to fit together and make sense.”

She draws the ends of words out so that it sounds like she is hissing. Nothing she has said is remarkable. Why am I wasting my time with this crackpot?

“But something haunts you my dear. The ghost of a loved one perhaps?”

I start to pull my hand away and she grips even tighter, her yellow fingernails digging into my skin.

“If you want to see them my dear you must believe. They must be seen with something other than the eyes.”

I rip my hand away and turn to leave. Small red marks dot my palm and a bead of blood pools where her thumbnail scratched. My stomach is trembling, my chest feels heavy and the tent is starting to tilt to the left. I’m sure that if I don’t get out I will faint and suffocate in here. Before I take my first step I hear my name hissed behind me.

“Genevieve.”

I never told her my name. I turn and as I turn the tent fills with smoke, smoke that is bleeding from the gypsy’s face as it slowly disintegrates.

“Genevieve.”

A wordless scream sticks in my throat as I stumble backward, falling through the tent door and into the darkness.

Quirky Songs

2011-03-11T11:44:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I'm not one of those writers who uses music as a background while writing. In fact, I usually find it distracting. But every once in a while I use a song to get in the mood. And when I want to be in a quirky, silly mood I listen to the weird songs from my childhood. I grew up with a bunch of brothers so we listened to some pretty random stuff. Here are a few samples for your enjoyment...

Thanks to Marty Berk for the great rendition!

Ummm... did anyone say theme song??

The reason this is funny is that I will admit (*blushing*) to having a brief fascination with being a tough gangster girl in middle school. What can I say - I was a kid. And for those who know me you know exactly how ridiculous this is!

Oh - the memories.

Distilling Complexity

2011-03-10T08:31:00.000-05:00

Scientists love complexity, but perhaps not for the reasons you might assume. We love it because it presents a challenge. We love to find out if it is possible to take a seemingly irreducibly complex situation and describe it simply using a scientific model.

For instance, imagine a ball falling from a tall cliff. There are thousands of factors involved. Who dropped the ball? In letting go of the ball was a slight spin introduced? How does the friction caused by the air effect the velocity of the ball? Will the inconsistencies in the ball's structure cause it to wobble as it falls? I could go on and on, but you get the idea. And yet, the velocity, time to terminal velocity and trajectory of the ball can all be closely approximated using several simple mathematical constructs. Models. Simple expressions that reduce a complex situation to a series of calculable equations. Voilà - a difficult situation has just been made much easier. That is what we like to do.

So, how does this relate to writing? I'm going to posit that writers do much the same thing as scientists. We take an incredibly complex scenario and try to distill it to it's most basic form to make a story. We take an immeasurably complex human being and shape them into a character with a limited number of motivations. We trim dialogue, include only a few side characters and give only part of the whole story. In this process we somehow hope to create something with meaning. By concentrating on only the most important elements we hope to present something that helps the reader see life with a little more clarity.

In reality, scientists and writers aren't all that different. We are each of us trying to wade through the noise to find that hidden nugget of truth. Now my question for you is, how do you decide what is extraneous and what is vital to the story?

What makes a good thriller?

2011-03-08T12:54:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

Today I have a few guests on my blog! I would like to welcome some of the lovely members of the 16B Crusader's group (writers of thrillers, mysteries and suspense). With their input I'm going to address what exactly makes a good thriller. First, let's hear from them.

Clarissa Draper: Terrorists with nuclear bombs. Hidden messages leading to secret treasure. Running away from an assassin. Intercepting a cargo truck of cocaine. Lies. Lovers. Envelopes and briefcases filled with money.... and of course, Russians! (check out her amazing blog here)

Ohhh... that just gave me a few ideas =) Each one of these scenarios are an interesting setup for a lot of tension and potential danger in the story. Sarah, your thoughts?

Like any good book, a thriller needs sharply drawn characters who the reader can relate to and either like,or dislike, right from the start of the book. The protagonist should be a likable character, with frailties and all the normal human emotions to gain the reader’s sympathy from the start. The tension needs to build from chapter to chapter, to draw the reader in and keep them turning the pages until deep into the night. The chapters shouldn’t be too long, so as to hold the reader’s attention, but not too short and snappy either. Each chapter should try to end of some sort of a cliffhanger. This is a sure fire way to keep the reader wanting more, and to build the suspense. The ending is incredibly important, the whole plotline should reach one big crescendo which leaves the reader reeling in shock, and gasping in horror. I believe the ending is the most important part, with all loose ends tied up and all sub plotlines brought to a satisfactory conclusion. If you can write a thriller like this, you’ll have your readers hooked. (check out Sarah's fantastic blog here).

I like this. Great characters, tension, cliffhangers... all building towards the suspenseful ending. Great points Sarah! Let's get some input from PJ.

What makes a good thriller? I've got to have a likable protagonist, to start. I'm a huge fan of Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series - primarily because of Myron. He's a nice guy that kicks ass, well he usually needs the help of sidekick Win, but they get the job done.

Secondly, the story really has to move. I don't need a bar room fight every other scene, but I don't want too much description and large doses of information dumps. Most of that should come in the dialouge, IMO (think Elmore "Dutch" Leonard).

Lastly, I want a semi-believable ending. I think a lot of thriller writers fall into the trap of making the ending something only Superman could accomplish. (check out PJ's crazy cool blog here).

Sounds like there is a theme here. Great characters, action and a plot that moves along. And an ending that we the readers will be satisfied with.

Well folks, there you have it. Couldn't have said it better myself. Make sure to drop by Clarissa, Sarah and PJ's blogs - they have a lot more brilliant things to say.

Gadgets and Gizmos

2011-03-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

We all know the quote 'You are what you eat.' In today's technologically driven society we might sometimes feel it is more appropriate to say 'You are the technology you use.' Think about the technology in your house. Almost every home in America has a TV, a computer and several cell phones. Add to that the iPads, gaming systems, e-readers, music players, etc and we are literally surrounded by technology. Technology that becomes more advanced, user friendly and integrated each day.

The creation of tools and manipulation of the outside environment is a hallmark of human civilization. From our earliest days we have been using technology of some kind to improve our lives. So how does one go about including technology in their writing?

1) Use it as it pertains to the story. Gratuitous use of technology will not only 'date' your story, but is also distracting to the reader. Consider how the character's interactions with technology can further the story or give insights into their personality before you include anything.

2) Use appropriate technology. If you are writing a historical piece, research the technology that existed at the time. If you are writing a contemporary piece - congratulations. You are probably already aware of the technology you want to use in your story. If you are writing a futuristic piece you can use your imagination or simply consider current technology and 'evolve' it a bit.

3) Remember it's an integral part of our lives. Humans interact with technology almost without thinking. Interestingly enough, we also tend to anthropomorphize technology (I know I'm not the only one who's given my car a moniker).

As an interesting diversion, check out CNET's 'cutting edge' technology stories. Writing with your brain - pretty cool. Taking hours to type a letter - well, it better be a pretty important letter!

Blog Award and Shoutout

2011-03-02T11:19:00.000-05:00

Life has been so crazy (online and off) that I haven't had the chance until today to acknowledge a friend who recently was kind enough to pass along the following award my way.

Before I pass along the torch, let me tell you a little about Debbie. Debbie is a member of the local writing group I participate in and is one of the most talented writers I know. Since I am someone who often tends to be too analytical and methodical, I am always amazed by how emotional and gripping Debbie's writing can be. Her blog can be found here, and I genuinely encourage you to follow her. I would also be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to Annie over at the Ink Phantom, one of my other awesome writing buddies and a master of dialogue. Seriously - two of the coolest people I know.

Now, to share the love. I'm passing along the Write Hard award to three people who I recently met, and by whose writing and blogging I've been very impressed.

1. Clarissa Draper - one of the coolest blogs ever. I'm considering making a folder in Google reader called coolest blogs ever after discovering her blog =)

2. Jordan McCollum - a really great blog and thought provoking posts. Not to mention totally great writing advice.

3. Charlotte Sannazzaro - always has interesting insights and comments - it's always fun to read her thoughts on writing and hear about her writing journey.

If you aren't already following them - head over now!

Not every story has to be un-putdownable

2011-03-01T14:31:00.000-05:00

I'm going to preface this post by saying that I recognize I may be venturing into unknown territory here with a somewhat controversial viewpoint. But here goes. I personally think *drumroll please* ...

... that not every story has to be 'un-put-downable.'

Okay, before you automatically disagree lets talk about this. Now, I know that the goal of every author is to have a book that is so engaging, so tightly written, so packed with brilliant writing, fascinating characters and rock solid plot that the average person surrenders helplessly to the urge to read. We all hope that we write the kind of book that people ignore their three week old laundry for and stay up late into the night reading because they can't put the book down. My question for you is, should that really be our goal?

I've been thinking recently about the books I read and I realized something interesting. Those books that I read in one sitting - the ones that I skipped dinner for because it would mean I'd have to pause reading for even a few minutes. I don't own them. In fact, I borrowed them and then returned them a few days later. And I don't really plan on reading them again. Like most overly exciting things, I enjoyed the experience but don't feel the need to repeat it again soon. And thank heavens for that, because if I did I would never get anything done!

So what books do I own? What books do I read over and over and over again? What books do I recommend to my friends as the ones that they absolutely must have? For me the books that fall into this category are the ones that might be a tad slower, but really are thought provoking. I recently started re-reading Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy for the umpteenth time. This book is so familiar that opening the first page gives me the same feeling I get when I change into my favorite pajamas. Sure, the story sometimes drags. Sure, the prose isn't always brilliant. But I've read it so many times that the characters are my old friends. Somehow this book manages to elicit a loyalty from me that other books just don't have.

In saying this I recognize that my opinion certainly isn't universal. Obviously, books that are addictive to read do quite well. I just think that maybe as authors we could give ourselves a break and realize that our writing doesn't have to be exactly like that.

So, what do you think? What are your favorite books and what makes them so appealing? Is it okay to have books that someone can walk away from for a day or two without suffering withdrawal?

Pondering

2011-02-27T23:16:00.000-05:00

I had originally scheduled to have a guest WIP today but completely forgot to get one ready so I'm going to share my own work instead. This is a prose poem (doesn't that feel great to say?!), the result of something I was thinking about last night and put to paper. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!

Pondering

The deep desire of my soul is to live a life of greatness.
And yet, what form does greatness take?
Is it in the life lived well, filled with integrity and purpose?
Is it the culmination of a thousand moments of joy?
Is greatness to be found in a transformative work of art,
or in a single life changed for the better?
Is the seed of greatness sown in a child strong and free,
or found in a love that seeks not its own?
If I have the courage to find it,
what form will my greatness take?

Things That Make Me Laugh

2011-02-25T08:57:00.000-05:00

I have a whole series of movies that I refuse to watch except with my six brothers (yep - six brothers) sometime after midnight. One of them is, almost obviously, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I've included my favorite clips below, in order of preference.

1) French Taunting

2) Repressed Peasant

3) Brave Sir Robin

4) Bring Out Your Dead

5) The Black Knight

6) She's a Witch!

7) Coconuts and Swallows

8) Knights Who Say Ni

And lastly, this isn't from The Holy Grail but it is hilarious.

Argument Clinic

Science News

2011-02-24T09:41:00.001-05:00

For my fellow crusaders and other interested parties (aka Mom), the lie from yesterday's post was that I had eaten a pet rabbit. Not that I'm opposed or anything, but it didn't actually happen =) Now on to today's post...

For my science post of the day I am going to direct you to Science News, a pretty interesting website with a lot of the most current science related news articles right at your fingertips. The one I was reading today that interested me the most was 'Brain Cells Start Sending Signals Early.' I almost went into neuroscience and find the brain fascinating. The article briefly describes research showing that the cerebral cortex of fetuses at the 20 week mark show neuron firing bursts similar to those of sleeping adults, suggesting that this kind of brain behavior is intrinsic to the brain even without outside stimulation. Pretty cool stuff huh? For that particular article click here, or go to the main site and browse through all the other interesting information they have. Happy hunting!

Guest Post - Liza Kane's Untypical Advice on Writing

2011-02-23T11:36:00.000-05:00

A big welcome to the fabulous Liza Kane, a fellow crusader, blogging friend and now guest on the blog. If you need evidence of how cool she is, note that she quoted Richard Feynman (famous physicist). Liza - take it away...

"I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something."
Richard Feynman

When I first thought that I could be an author, my first instinct was to emulate the habits of other authors, thinking that I can find the secret to success through their experiences. So, I read as many memoirs as I could, and checked out an author's blog if one was available (there weren't as many then as there are now). After reading a few memoirs and grasping a common theme there (Discipline! Write! Do it!), I moved on to more books about writing, filled with dos, don'ts and how-tos.

Throughout this time, I established a schedule. I woke up early. I wrote my morning pages. I read a lot. I journaled my reflections. In essence, I went through the motions of what these authors did. I wrote so much that at one point, I even deluded myself into thinking that I was a writer. After all, I filled many notebooks, and dried up many pens, how could I not be? But, at the end of the day, nothing I wrote got me closer to my goal of a finished novel, and, deep down, I began to believe that I would never write one.

Then, in 2005, Steve Jobs gave a commencement speech to the graduating class of Stanford University. His speech was extremely inspiring, but two parts stood out to me. They were:

Don't lose faith...Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking, and don't settle.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

At that point, I sat at my computer and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" No. No on that day, and no for the days previous. This answer was the all the insight I needed to to take the first step on my writing path.

Why am I telling you this?

"You can't solve a problem at the same level of thinking that created it." Albert Einstein.

I can say that you should read a lot and write a lot. That is the best advice an aspiring author can follow. But, even though I agree with Stephen King (whose On Writing is the writer's manual), all the advice in the world will not help you, as they did not help me, until you get to the point where you can accept that advice and decide to act. I had to stop looking for a magic bullet to writing ("if I can only find enough inspiration..."). I had to stop waiting around for permission, credentials, or approval to write a novel. I just needed to write it. I needed a shift in mindset to get me away from just acquiring more knowledge and actually do something about all the knowledge.

(For example, some of the actionable things I did included re-evaluating my writing goals (they were too broad) and my measure of success (my standard was too low). I now have specific deadlines for my various writing projects and I am no longer content to "just write" but am ensuring that I'm completing stories.)

Insights are powerful mostly because they are the spark that energizes your life decisions. They are the a-ha moments that enable you to change your thinking or mindset, which in turn, influences your behavior. They empower you to take the first step toward a goal.

The insight from Steve Jobs's speech started me on the path that I'm on now. I have finally finished a novel, and am currently working on another one. With each story, I learn more about the craft and I know that I am one step closer to my goal.

So Tell Me: What insight(s) got you on your writing path? What keeps you on it?

Check out Liza's fabulous blog here.

Housekeeping and First Crusader Challenge

2011-02-23T11:15:00.001-05:00

I have a guest post for today but have a few housekeeping items to mention before I turn the blog over to the lovely Liza Kane.

First, I'm participating in the Writers' Platform Building Crusade and am all caught up! I am following everyone that has the option to be followed, my Google Reader is pleasantly overrun (it's stopped counting how many unread posts I have) and I am following everyone on twitter. P.S. If you are interested you can follow my twitter list @sgardn84/crusaders-5. It's taken me long enough but I made it to the end (hurrah!!).

Second, the First Crusader Challenge. In a stroke of genius Rachel gave the following instructions for the challenge.

"In 300 words or less, tell us: one secret, one lie, one interesting quirk, one annoying habit, one of your best character traits, and,one of your favourite things in the whole world. The post can be in any format, including poetry (for those poets among us), but must include the random words, “bloviate,” “fuliguline,” “rabbit,” and “blade” (tee hee). Finish your post with something along the lines of, “I may have revealed something about me that isn’t strictly true, can you guess what it is?” (this last bit isn’t included in the word count). And don’t forget to tell us the answer in your next post"

Pretty cool right?! My answer is below, in poetry (making up for my lack of a personal WIP post on Monday).

All About Me

If I were to write a poem all about me
it would be rather fulsome and creatively silly.
    I would bloviate concerning my literature brain,
      and confess that I find romance rather lame.
        I would say that I have a fuliguline friend
          whose quacking and crowing amuse me no end.
            My wit waxes sharp like a well filed blade
              if only my brain weren't so often mislaid.
                Sentimentality I seek to always circumvent
                I once ate a rabbit that had been a pet.
              I ruminate over the strangest of things
            like chocolate pickles and why penguins have wings.
          My friends know at times I can be quite loquacious
        though my interrupting never makes them ungracious.
Things gloomy, depressing and dark make me smile
   and overcast days make my life seem worthwhile.
Only one more thing to say ere I go
that I hope you have laughed and at the things you now know.

p.s. You know one of these is supposed to be a lie - can you figure out which one it is?

Things That Make Me Laugh

2011-02-18T09:49:00.000-05:00

For the rest of the month I'll be posting on Friday about things that make me laugh. Mostly they are funny. Commercials, songs, parody's, funniest home videos. But sometimes the very seriousness of something makes it ridiculous. For instance, every time I see the Kay Jeweler's commercial embedded below I laugh until my face turns purple. And it isn't just my personal dislike for jewelry in general. This may be one of the most inane and ridiculous things I've ever seen (sorry to all you overly romantic types out there =). Hope you enjoy it (??) as much as I do.

Fringe Science

2011-02-17T13:29:00.000-05:00

Today is science day and I thought it might be useful to talk about fringe science. A few good points to make before I continue. First, a true scientist will acknowledge that the possibility always exists for a theory, no matter how far fetched, to be true. However, good science is always backed by good evidence. Concrete, reproducible evidence. Second, sometimes fringe science will be easily distinguished by the sheer audacity of it's claims. But it can be much more subtle. You will see hints of it in the hasty or overly enthusiastic conclusions of scientists who gloss over potential contradictions in their research and make sweeping claims concerning their results. You might see it in the scientist who consistently fails to include alternate theories or evidence in their calculations if it weakens their results. You might even see it pop up in circumstances where scientists want to impress others and fudge the facts a little bit. We all hope it doesn't happen often but let's face it - as people we are prone to errors, mistakes, lapses in judgment and general contrariness.

So, what is fringe science and when is it acceptable (if ever) to use it? Fringe science can be science which has yet to be proven, science which is driven by an agenda, science which differs vastly from the mainstream scientific consensus and science which lacks plausibility and evidential support. Now not all of these are bad. A theory may not yet be proven, but may actually be correct. Relativity was established as a mathematical theory long before we possessed the technology to test it's veracity. The worst kind of fringe science is that driven by an agenda and which specifically lacks evidence and scientific rigor, or which directly contradicts evidence.

When should you consider using fringe science in your fiction? Personally, I rarely opt to use fringe science myself. But that isn't to say that it can't, or shouldn't, have a place in fiction. If you do plan on using fringe science, here's a guide to using it wisely and well.

1) Is it going to be used as a legitimate science element in the story? If yes, do your research to make sure that you are as close to the mark as possible. Make sure to read the contradicting opinions (you might even make that part of the story!). The science may be barely tenable, but it can provide a perfect opportunity to open the reader's mind to new and exciting possibilities.

2) Let us see why it is an important element in the story. Do you have a character that genuinely believes a theory to be true or are they pursuing it for a less noble and more nefarious reason? It is difficult for scientists to pursue research that contradicts the mainstream, so if your character is a scientist let us know why it matters so much to them.

3) Remember to keep your intellectual distance. Fringe science can be alluring when it appeals to our emotions or sense or wonder rather than our logic. If you are going to use it in your fiction, be determined to be skeptical about accepting any interesting theory as fact.

Those are my suggestions for the day. Check back tomorrow for some general silliness and things to make you laugh.