Where I've been lately...

I wish my news was exciting.

It's a day job.

I'm back to the daily grind.

I'm determined to make this work/writing thing balance.

As soon as I get settled.

Outside of work, I spent the past couple of weeks:

1) Learning and networking in a dialogue writing workshop with my editor/friends, Carin Siegfried and Betsy Thorpe of Two Editors and a Comma (Pics are on their page.)

 2) Browsing at the Tweet Up for the Charlotte Friends of the Library book sale (Look what I found! In German! I didn't buy them, but I did bring home two bags full of other good books.)

3) Distributing twenty copies of THE LIGHTNING THIEF for World Book Night

And

4) Watching my son play in two, weekend-long basketball tournaments.
(I might need a chiropractor soon. Those bleachers are unforgiving!)

Regular programming should resume shortly ...

I'm lining up some posts for the rest of the month.
I'm planning to finish edits for at least eight chapters of BA this month.

Hold me to it!

Dreams & Ice Cream

Maupin House

Last week a member of my SCBWI critique group sent out an email, wondering how to deal with the stress of submissions. I wrote her a (probably-too-long, from-the-heart) response.

Another member chimed in after me.

The head of our group, Carol Baldwin, asked for permission to share our group support experience, word for word, with the world.

Chasing Your Dream--With a Little Help from Your Writing Buddies and Ice Cream 

 

Please stop by and drop us a comment over on Carol's site. 

 

About Carol:

 

Dauntless leader of the Charlotte SCBWI critique group, at-large member of the Women's National Book Association Charlotte board, writing teacher, and great friend to all aspiring authors...

 

 

 

Since I was a child I have loved reading and have maintained a journal off and on for more than 30 years. My book, Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8 (Maupin House, 2007) reflects these twin passions of reading and writing. "If you want to write, read!"

In Search of Comic Relief

My manuscript, MIST OF KAVALA seems to be harboring a  village idiot.
But don't we all need a little levity?

The comic relief can tell truths where another character would pay dearly, and when he says something particularly profound, the foreshadow sends shivers through us. We swallow the bitterness and ask for more because every statement is mixed with babble and fun.

Alas! The more we love the idiot, the more he becomes a valuable tool for the writer to pull out from under us. Comic relief, aka, expendable.

I'm going to make a case here, with popular Turkish television.

You know how I've been watching my soap, Kuzey Guney?
(spoiler alert)

Enter: Ali Guntan

Ali is all fun and jokes, and more dear to Kuzey than a brother.
In the season two finale, Ali takes a bullet, and it's pretty much Kuzey's fault.
I swear I used up a whole box of tissues from all the crying.

Says me: A curse on both your houses!

Well, that would be Mercutio's line, really.
And doesn't everybody want to play Mercutio?

Obviously, Ali was not the equivalent of Mercutio, but he played the same role.

Without Ali, the writers had to come up with another comic relief - Yunus, a particulary talkative taxi driver. His character doesn't carry the same weight, but he's still useful to the audience for a laugh, and to connect some important dots.

There are some good writers over there at Ay Yapim, I tell you.

Another, less useful example of comic relief is part of my other favorite show, Muhteşem Yüzyıl. In the murderous harem of Hürrem Sultan, eunuchs Gul Aga, Sumbul Aga, and Kiraz Aga provide respite from the drama - a sort of palate cleanser, if you will. The source of clever phrases and comic actions, these guys aren't killed off, but they're frequently sent away.

Now I doubt my village idiot will be as masterful as Mercutio, but my gosh, my characters are tiring me out! Anti-heros, village idiots...  At this rate, it feels like I'll never finish this story.

And so I end with this quote from English poet John Dryden:

"Shakespeare show'd the best of his skill in his Mercutio, and he said himself, that he was forced to kill him in the third Act, to prevent being killed by him."

Off The Page & Unplugged

Josh Adams, Lisa Williams Kline and Betsey Thorpe at
the Women's National Book Association

Some days I'm social media savvy, because every writer should network online. Many days I'm in my writer's cave, at the keyboard, because I live on the printed page. But my best days are spent in the company of my bibliophile friends - in real life.

So last Tuesday, I attended the Women's National Book Association joint meeting with Charlotte Writers’ Club, From Book Idea to the Bookshelf: The Process and Business of Publishing. 

The event drew a crowd of over 150 writers. Disclaimer. - Though I'm the WNBA Charlotte membership chair, the crowd was there to hear from the distinguished panel:

Kelly Bowen, Publicist at Algonquin Books
Josh Adams, Agent at Adams Literary
Betsy Thorpe, Editor at Betsy Thorpe Literary Services
Sally Brewster, Bookseller at Park Road Books
Amanda Phillips , MarComm Manager at Baker & Taylor, book wholesaler
Lisa Williams Kline, author with releases from Zondervan, Delacorte, and Cricket

So. Lots of great advice. Lots.

Kelly Bowen shared a publicity story about Algonquin release WEST OF HERE by Jonathan Evison.



at IndieBound

Since the story is set on the Pacific coast, WEST OF HERE got an interesting introduction to the book buyers' world. A nifty printed map, historic-style photo postcards, and a galley were shipped off in one of those wooden boxes that fishermen use for smoked salmon. You know the kind - wood with a cover that slides out. The clever part of the launch was the salmon company label on the top.

However...

Some recipients put the box straight in the fridge. Word got out a few days later and the galleys were rescued from cold storage.

Reminder: Writers should NOT come up with cute ideas like that to catch an agent's attention.

Josh Adams recommends that writers:

1) Write like crazy.
2) Read like crazy.
3) Put stuff out there and query.
4) Put themselves out there and network- preferably in real life.

He also mentioned that the odds of finding an agent are not in our favor.

For example, the statistics at Adams Literary are something like this:
1/1,000 if you cold query
1/100 if you meet Josh, Tracey, or Quinlan at an event
1/20 if you are referred through an industry contact

Don't like your odds? Do something to change them. Attend conferences, workshops, etc.
Just don't stalk. Or send creepy gifts.

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAKING Release

My critique partner is at it again with her new YA contemporary release. Check it out!

A companion to The Truth About Faking (link) (not a sequel; the books can be read out of order), The Truth About Letting Go (link) takes readers back to Shadow Falls, or more specifically Shadow Creek, with Ashley Lockett as she learns about friendship, love, and letting go.

Get me

The Truth About Letting Go (link) by Leigh Talbert Moore

Ashley wants to smash everything in her once-perfect life. Charlotte wants to walk in Ashley's seemingly charmed shoes. Colt wants to turn Smalltown USA on its ear--with Ashley at his side. Jordan wants to follow his heart--but Ashley is the one sacrifice he never expected to make. Up until now, Ashley Lockett has followed the rules. She's always done the right thing, played it safe, gone to church. And then her ideal life is shattered when her dad dies suddenly. Now she's miserable and furious, and she decides to do everything opposite of how she lived before. She rejects safety, rules, faith, and then she meets Jordan. Jordan has big dreams, he's had a crush on Ashley for years, he's a great kisser... but he's also safe. Enter Colt. He is not safe, and he's more than willing to help Ashley follow her plans.

Get it today on Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes * Kobo Add it on Goodreads.

Excerpt:

I feel Colt laugh, and he looks down into my face. That’s when he seems to realize what I’ve been acutely aware of for the last several minutes—our bodies are pressed together. “It’s awesome, yeah?” he says. “Adrenaline rush.” “Yeah,” I breathe. “I guess.” I’m not sure if he’s going to kiss me until he does. His mouth covers mine, and energy mixes with the alcohol flooding my body. Our tongues slide together, and I grip his shirt so I don’t collapse.  Every single bit of this is wrong, and there’s no way I’m stopping it. It’s back, that good feeling. The sadness has been pushed out again, and in its place is this rush, this rush of adrenaline like Colt said.  He pulls back and smiles at me. “We’re going to start dating. Now. You’re my partner in crime.”

About the Author:

Moore

Leigh Talbert Moore is a wife and mom by day, a writer by day, a reader by day, a former journalist and editor, a chocoholic, a caffeine addict, a lover of YA and new adult romance (really any great love story), a beach bum, and occasionally she sleeps. -The Truth About Faking is her debut young adult romance (on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo) -Rouge is her first New Adult romantic suspense novel (on Amazon). Leigh loves hearing from readers; stop by and say hello! Blog * Facebook * Amazon Author page * Goodreads * Twitter * Tumblr

The Opportunity Cost of a Rusty Nail

 That rusty nail may look useless, but it's a helpful reminder of opportunity cost - also known to many writers as the Stephen King method of rejection management.

Every once in a while, I check on my virtual stack of rejections. It makes me want to hurl. But there's reason to conquer the fear. My stories need readers or they're dead on the page.

Then I take the next step and submit my work.
It's hard. So hard, I think I'll go through the process in second person. This way anyone can feel the sting, and I'll create some distance for the sake of (less painful) objectivity.

1. Research. Fall for an uber agent (who shall remain anonymous) because her bio looks sooo perfect online. Her blog? Genius. And she reps stories like yours.

2. Imagine a couple of top shelf editors who might fight over your story. (Martha Mihalik? Mallory Kass?) The phrases good deal and sold at auction haunt you.

3. Dream in deckle-edged pages, create a luscious cover. (Who are we kidding? You did that when you came up with the title.) Even go so far as to think up who might star in the screenplay. (Blame the blogger friends for THAT idea.)

4. Cry. Everything comes crashing down with a trite rejection letter. Heck. Even helpful rejections are painful to read. The rejection on a full? Bad. The rejection on a revision? Prefer not to go there.

5. Begin to understand Stephen King and his attic collection of rejections. (Too bad you can't tack yours up with a rusty nail. Email is slippery that way.)

6. Come to the concept of utility. Remember the pain? Ask an author if it ever ends. Learn: when you get numb to the pain, you've stopped growing. (see also - a thousand other cliches about pain.)

7. Dig deeper. With every rejection, challenge yourself to do better. Find a good workshop, interview a character, tweak some pages. Maybe even start a whole new story.

8. Return to step number one.

The process is so painful, I often stop doing it altogether and hide myself away in revisions instead. Yet each time I go through the motions of submission, my writing becomes a little bit stronger.

I'm finally at the stage where an author (who critiqued a recent first chapter) admired my sentences.  I'm ecstatic because- after the plot looks good, and the characters are coming together -the sentences are what makes my writing mine. It's my voice. (Someone likes my VOICE!)

I just have to get up enough confidence to submit the stuff. And find an agent who likes my voice too. It might take me two more years, or ten, but this year I'm getting out of my own way. Here I go.

Ouch!
Stubbed my toe. ;)

The 2013 Plan:
BURNT AMBER: Five submissions out at a time, until I run out of agents/publishers.
MIST OF KAVALA: Two chapter revisions per week. Completion date: May

Don't know this method? Read Stephen King's memoir, On Writing,  for some great perspective on a writer's life, and more on how to manage rejections with a nail in the attic.

Broken

Grafting

Trust
Dream
Promise

I've found these three important manuscript components, once broken, can never be fully restored. But I'm a gardener, and I always try to fix broken. I know three ways, in fact.

1) Grafting

If a plant takes a long time to grow from seed, graft a branch onto more established, ordinary rootstock. Lots of fruit growers use this method, and every Japanese maple I own is a graft.

Applied to writing, a graft might be a chapter which didn't work in one place, repositioned in another. I find this a messy solution. There's usually a big ole knot where the graft is, and it can't be smoothed out. Plus, if my chapter can move, it must not be a strong part of the story arc. Best to cut it and move on, I say. A graft CAN work for a smaller section like a particular bit of exposition.

2) Pruning

If a plant is withering or blighted, cut the whole thing back to the root. Severe, but sometimes necessary. New growth is always stronger, and the established root means it will fill out quicker. Note: Works best on perennials and some shrubs.

In my writing, I only have the heart to apply this method to an early draft of a manuscript. I'll go back to the query, adjust, and then draft again.

3) Cuttings

Horticulturists use this method to make more of something they value, without diluting the genes through pollination. A tag reading "asexual reproduction prohibited" probably means the plant you're buying was grown from a cutting. Things like boxwood and hydrangeas do well with this method. I also use this method when voles get at the roots of something I love.

An example of cuttings used in writing: companion novels. Take a character from one story, plant her on a blank page, and spin a whole new story. I haven't had the chance to try this yet, but I've got an idea floating around for a secondary character, involving Hittite castles and terror birds. It works in my head anyway.

The literary equivalent of a vole?

Doubt

My 2012 Book List

My total reads for 2012
image credit

Looking back on 2012, I can say one thing: Thank goodness for Goodreads!

I'd never be able to keep track of what I read otherwise. I'd have to dig, dig, dig for some other interesting Monday post when all my friends are posting long lists of accomplished reading.

If your list is shorter than mine, maybe you should try Goodreads. I find a lot of great suggestions on there.

I'm definitely over the fifteen books average of most readers. (Pew Research Center statistics) I sneak in about a book a week.

This is because, as Stephen King recommends, I read whenever I can. Sipping a few sentences at the orthodontist, or inhaling an entire book on a long afternoon, reading in every spare moment is partly possible for me because of my assortment of electronic devices. (Just the other day I downloaded seven books, but I won't get to those until next year.) Hardcover books are still my overwhelming favorite, especially the ones with a shimmery cover. Paperbacks? Not so much. I only have a few of those on this list (not counting ARCs).

Classics
A Pair of Blue Eyes Thomas Hardy, ebook
Dune Frank Herbert, paperback
Brave New World Aldous Huxley, paperback
Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers, paperback
The Witch of Blackbird Pond Elizabeth George Speare, ebook

Adult
I Married You for Happiness Lilly Tuck, ebook
It Happened on the Way to War Rye Barcott, hardcover
The Year of the Gadfly Jennifer Miller, hardcover
Butterfly's Child Angela Davis-Gardner, paperback
Water for Elephants Sara Gruen, paperback

YA
Black Hole Sun David Macinnis Gill, hardcover
Silver Talia Vance, paperback
Skinny Donna Cooner, hardcover
The Patron Saint of Butterflies Cecelia Galante, ebook
Fracture Megan Miranda, hardcover
Enclave Ann Aguirre, ebook
Under the Never Sky Veronica Rossi, hardcover
So Close toYou Rachel Carter, hardcover
Feed MT Anderson, ebook
Gilt Katharine Longshore, hardcover
Insignia SJ Kincaid, hardcover
Code Name Verity Elizabeth Wein, hardcover
The Girl with Borrowed Wings Rinsai Rossetti, ebook
Throne of Glass Sarah J Maas, hardcover
Bitterblue Kristen Cashore, hardcover
Revolver Marcus Sedgewick, hardcover
Finnikin of the Rock Melina Marchetta, hardcover
For Darkness Shows the Stars Diana Petefreund, ebook
The Raven Boys Maggie Stievfater, hardcover
Shadow and Bone Leigh Bardugo, hardcover
Seraphina Rachel Hartman, hardcover
The Knife of Never Letting Go Patrick Ness, ebook
The Drowned Cities Paolo Bacigalupi, hardcover
The Gathering Storm Robin Bridges, hardcover
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Ransom Riggs, ebook
The Scorpio Races Maggie Stiefvater, ebook

YA ARCs
City of a Thousand Dolls Miriam Forster
Taken Erin Bowman
Crewel Gennifer Albin
Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You Joyce Carol Oates
Masque of the Red Death Bethany Griffin
After the Snow Sophie D Crockett
Crown of Embers Rae Carson

My favorite YA this year?
The two books which left me thinking: "I wish I could write like that!"

Code Name Verity. I'll give you one tip: Make sure you keep a (full) tissue box handy. Otherwise, I refuse to give you any spoilers here. You must read it yourself. MUST.

I also really liked The Raven Boys, but I don't think it's for everyone. Beaucoup character development and plenty of pages, TRB is the first in a four book series. I think Maggie Stiefvater is having a good time writing these boys. And I'm so jealous.

MG
Summer of the Wolves Lisa Kline, hardcover
Saraswati's Way Monika Schroeder, hardcover
The Journal of Curious Letters James Dashner, ebook

MG ARCs
The Encyclopedia of Me Karen Rivers

Beta Reads (complete manuscripts)
Mina Takes the Sky Katharine Owens
The Truth About Letting Go Leigh T Moore
Fire Carrier Martina Boone
21 Days Leigh T Moore

Nonfiction
How to Write Fantasy and Science Fiction Orson Scott Card, paperback
Plot Ansen Dibell, ebook
The Elements of Fiction Writing Beginnings, Middles, and Ends Nancy Kress, ebook
Dialogue: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Effective Dialogue Gloria Kempton, ebook
Characters and Viewpoint Orson Scott Card, paperback
Second Sight Cheryl B. Klein, paperback

Some year, with some luck and a lot more hard work, maybe my books will be on somebody's list.

Here's hoping for a great 2013!

What Lies Within

An M or an upside down W?

Once upon a time, I fell in love with my villain...

I wrote pages and pages from his perspective, and my whole story landed on it's head. Or not.

Had he become the protagonist? Per an uber agent's suggestion, he became a she. (Just to mix it up a little more!)

She wasn't the protagonist, and yet something about the way I wrote her made her likeable, even with her flaws. She was the hero of her own story (like every good villain). I wanted my readers to understand how she ticks- to see what lies within her hard shell.

I realized then that she was no longer a simple villain.

Something I uncovered when interviewing the bad girl: the authority figure is only a representation of the popular will to deny a particular truth. She was only acting within the accepted framework of her society.

Was she a sympathetic villain? Was she the anti-hero because she searched for something too?

Her quest was tied to my protagonist, but for her, the end justified the means. And in the end, she too came away with something (which leans her toward anti-hero, I think). What that is, you'll just have to wait and see.

Here's an excellent clip on the anti-hero from TED ed.

 

NaNoWriMo for Kids

NaNoWriMo YWP

If you think writing a 50,000 word novel in a month is hard, try NaNoWriMo as a 6th grader. For homework!

Granted, the goal for the kids is only 50 pages, but I have plot nightmares just thinking about it. (Even if it does make me secretly wish I could go back to middle school.)

Imagine a library full of kids chattering, bouncing ideas, patching plot holes with dragons. Their fingers fly as they click away on their netbooks, focusing on the assigned foreshadow or flashback.

Five hundred kids. Writing.

I had the chance to witness this because (via WNBA Charlotte) I helped Monika Schroeder arrange an author visit as part of the NaNoWriMo event at Marvin Ridge Middle School. (All made possible by a grant from North Carolina School Library Media Association, and Brita Mann, our awesome Media Coordinator. Union County Weekly ran a half page article with more details.)

Over the course of the six week program, other authors are Skyping in too, giving the kids plenty of inspiration. John Claude Bemis was there last week, which was when I visited.

John gave a presentation and ate lunch with some of the kids. (How cool is that?)
He took fan questions about his books, and questions every aspiring writer/author asks, like:

What happens if I'm coming to an end, and I still don't have enough words?
Answer: Be mean to your character. Create more problems.

AND

Did people think you wouldn't be successful as a writer?
Answer (paraphrased): It was more me telling myself I couldn't do it.

Ouch! That hit close to home.

In between sessions, I spoke with John about good reads, and good writing workshops. He was very encouraging. (Former teachers can be like that.)

Anyhoo. The moral of the story:

The whole experience kicked me out of the "Woe, is me." tailspin so fast, I sat down to my writing again the very next day. Also, I have a feeling my list of acknowledgements will be very long, someday. In the meantime: BICHOK, people!

And Happy Thanksgiving!

The Metaphor of Minestrone

Minestrone

Recently, I spent a week in manuscript therapy at Your Best Book, surrounded by the brilliance of:

• Lorin Oberweger and Brenda Windberg from Free Expressions Literary.
• Emma Dryden from Drydenbks.
• Josh Adams and Tracey Adams from Adams Literary.
• Authors/YA Muses: Veronica Rossi, Talia Vance, Donna Cooper, and Brett Ballou.
• Nancy Conescu from Dial Books.
• And fifteen amazing, aspiring authors.

I got to spend all day with these people! From breakfast at 8:00 am, to the craft chat that wrapped up at 9:00 pm, there was no stopping the flow of amazing.

Some days I got overwhelmed by the information. Some days I couldn't contain my euphoria.

First, daily classes on craft and the publishing business blew my mind. Deep POV? Deep Scene? I'm still looking back on my notes and finding gems. My favorite takeaway was from Brenda Windberg on world building: React to details, don't just note them.

Then there was a visit to the book doctor.

Lorin and Brenda evaluated my first pages and synopsis for plot holes, or flaws in point of view -like an x-ray. I needed this is on a couple of fronts, but I was glad to learn some good things are already in my bag of tricks.

I wasn't prepared for the book therapist.

Lorin and Brenda took my outline and analyzed the meaning, looking for the emotional path to a better manuscript - like a brain scan. Scary things live in my head, I tell you.

When combined with daily intense critique sessions, the Book Doctor and Book Therapist visits resulted in an epiphany brought on by:

Josh Adams, who saw my antagonist pages and helped me see my story in an enticing new way.

AND

Nancy Conescu, who told me I needed to write realistic fiction.

The two ideas didn't sound at all related, but they were the seasoned experts. I needed to stop and listen.

Apparently, I was trying to cram three stories into my current ms.
(Wonder if that was why I felt the need for three POV characters?)

At the end of the week, I came home exhausted, grumpy with a capital G, and convinced I needed to throw out the entire manuscript.

And then I made the worst minestrone of my entire life. (Chopping veggies was therapeutic, you know?)

"Is this what's going on in your head?" My husband asked as he ladled the concoction into a bowl.

Sigh. How right he was. Garbanzos, and lentils, and green beans, and kidney beans, and stars, and diced tomato, and... I spilled the red pepper flakes which made it almost inedible. There wasn't near enough broth to go with all the stuff swimming in that soup.

Metaphor? Definitely.

So here's the recovery plan: Sleep. Then separate the stories.

Instead of tossing everything, I'm outlining the third story, stripping the current manuscript of idea threads from the other two, and keeping a "cuts" file for everything. The first story will have to simmer while I keep an eye on it.

PS. This reaction to an intense workshop is not uncommon. A week into November, I've found my direction again, hopeful for a finished, brilliant revision by January.

Did I mention that I'd recommend this experience to any writer I meet? Epiphany seems such a small word for all the enlightenment.

ROUGE Cover Reveal!

ROUGE via Leigh T. Moore

Just look at that gorgeous cover!

My critique partner, Leigh T. Moore, is doing it again. Her YA contemp, THE TRUTH ABOUT FAKING (TTAF), is a success. Now she's getting a little bit gritty with an edgy release, ROUGE:

Trapped in the underground theater world of 1890s New Orleans, Hale Ferrer has only one goal: escape. But not without Teeny, the orphan-girl she rescued from the streets and has since raised as her own.

Freddie Lovel, Hale's wealthy Parisian suitor, seems to be the easy solution. If only his touch could arouse her interest like Beau's, the penniless stagehand who captures her heart.

Denying her fears, Hale is poised to choose love until an evil lurking in their cabaret-home launches a chain of events that could cost Hale everything.

What can I say about ROUGE? (I'm partial, you know.)

As with TTAF, Leigh's instinct for story is spot on. She demonstrates flexibility with the cross-genre release of this Historical Theater Romance: Not too heavy on the historical, lots of luscious theater, and steamy romance equals a perfect balance.

The dark secrets in ROUGE are for a more mature audience than TTAF, but don't let that hold you back! Available November 13th. Check Leigh's website for details.

Playing Favorites

Elizabeth George Speare

I'm in the Your Best Book writing workshop this week, where Tracey Adams of Adams Literary is discussing character. One of the prep questions for the workshop: Who is your favorite children's book character? Be prepared to share why.

The options seemed endless, so I broke it down in categories:

Picture Books-

HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON? Maybe. Yes. I like him, but is he my favorite? I think I like the crayon.

Stellaluna? I like her, but I didn't read her story when I was little. She's cute, but not my favorite.

Conclusion: I'm not really a picture book writer.

Middle Grade-

Lots of maybes in this category: Laura Ingalls, Mary Lennox, Lucy Pevensie, Nancy Drew, Anne Shirley...  Meg Murray? I reread A WRINKLE IN TIME because I remembered loving it years ago. But, it's not Meg. (Hey! Even Nathan Bransford has issues with this story these days.)

Conclusion: I like middle grade, but I don't love it.

Young Adult:

Karana from ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS - I really like this book, but Karana isn't the reason.

Kit Tyler? Kit Tyler.

Woah! Flashback!


I was in sixth grade the day I first read THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND. 

We had round tables in class, which I appreciated because the teacher couldn't just look down the rows and reprimand me for reading. Somehow I got a seat tucked way into the corner. The pockmarked plexiglass window behind me threw a dappled shadow over the table. The perfect place to hide a paperback? The inside of my science book, SERENDIPITY.

The story sucked me in, and then.... tears! I didn't care about the room full of kids around me, or the teacher who finally figured out the science wasn't making me sniffle. I even got myself a pen pal in the Barbados afterwards.


Remembering Kit's story, certain scenes are vivid still for me. Just in case she's not my favorite, and to research the WHY:

I reread WOBP over the weekend. I didn't cry, but it was a wake up call for me - as if I saw my younger self through a mirror portal, and I was comfortable with her.

Kit and I are sisters of the soul, and here's the why: Kit was one independent girl striving for a way to find her place in two worlds. Not an apple, or an orange, she was a pomegranate, like me. Did I know that way back in 6th grade? It was the year I went from Catholic school to public, so maybe I had an idea.

Now I look at BURNT AMBER and I see Kit Tyler walking through those pages, nodding her head. She knows me. Even in MIST OF KAVALA, I see her mark.

Conclusion:

Kit Tyler is my favorite.

Now, is it because I'm a YA writer at heart? Who is your favorite? Is it a classic? Is it something more recent?


AND lastly, I have to point out that Sarah Fine launched her book last week:

SANCTUM by Sarah Fine

 

 

A week ago, seventeen-year-old Lela Santos's best friend, Nadia, killed herself. Today, thanks to a farewell ritual gone awry, Lela is standing in paradise, looking upon a vast gated city in the distance – hell. No one willingly walks through the Suicide Gates, into a place smothered in darkness and infested with depraved creatures. But Lela isn't just anyone – she's determined to save her best friend's soul, even if it means sacrificing her eternal afterlife.

As Lela struggles to find Nadia, she's captured by the Guards, enormous, not-quite-human creatures that patrol the dark city's endless streets. Their all-too-human leader, Malachi, is unlike them in every way except one: his deadly efficiency. When he meets Lela, Malachi forms his own plan: get her out of the city, even if it means she must leave Nadia behind. Malachi knows something Lela doesn't – the dark city isn't the worst place Lela could end up, and he will stop at nothing to keep her from that fate.

Turkish Publishing Industry

Frankfurt Book Fair, 2008

What to blog? It's Friday afternoon (as I'm writing this) and I have NO IDEA!

Duh! Read the news.
Syria. Syria. Syria.
Pfft.
Not getting into that quagmire.

Oh, look! A pretty picture of BOOKS.

Ah! An article about the Frankfurt Book Fair, specifically, an article about the Turkish companies attending:

A total of 21 Turkish publishing houses will attend the book fair, including eight publishing houses geared toward children’s and youth literature. Seven copyright agencies from Turkey will also be present at the fair. Source:Hurriyet Daily News

Wow. 21 publishing houses. Maybe I should see what this is about. Curious minds want to know!

Clickity, click.

Fifty eight companies representing Turkey? 58. Huh!
Click.

Click. Click.
Hmm. This stupid site won't give me more than a list of names.
Open new tab.
Google. typey, typey.
Whirr. Click.

Akcali Copyright

Page opens up to a George RR Martin cover. OK. This house must represent front list translations.

Scroll. Click.

YA & Children's page:
Suzanne Collins, Rick Riordan, Christopher Paolini and Roald Dahl.

Does this mean they like fantasy/sci-fi, or is that what's on the front list right now? Hmm.

Click back to the Frankfurt Book Fair page. Skip down the list.

Can you see me doing this? Or maybe I've spent too much time with picture book authors lately? Shall I put in an art note here? ;) 

Next company:

AnatoliaLit. Agency representing Turkish authors internationally, also offering translation services for people looking to get into the Turkish market. American agent's name on the list, Bryn Mawr grad.

Eyebrows go up. Literary agent in Istanbul. That's a job to strive for in my next life.

Next company:

APRIL Best sellers of a different sort : Jodi Picoult, Mary Higgins Clark, Dr. Phil. I think they're interested in how I feel about things. ;)

Ayrinti Serious, serious stuff here. Analytical, Historical, Theological. No kids stuff=Not for me.

Publishers, printers, literary agencies...These are just the As. There's a whole list (with lots of countries) on the Frankfurt Book Fair site, if you're interested. And I'm sure any agent dealing with foreign rights already knows all of this. I just thought you might like my picture-bookish Friday adventure in making this blog relevant to my writerly world, with a Turkish angle, of course.

PS. In 2008, Turkey was the focus of interest at the Frankfurt Book Fair, and the photo above was part of the pavilion designed for the event. The theme was Faszinierend farbig (Fascinatingly colourful).

The Writer's Roller Coaster

Coney Island Cyclone

I'm fresh off the roller coaster that was the SCBWI Carolinas conference. I have a few things to say.

1) Go to a conference near you and make some good friends.

2) Participate, even when it hurts.

3) Listen to what the experts are really saying.

4) Don't drink the coffee.


So, here's the correlating WHY:

1) A writer needs friends in this process. Online friends are good. Real live, huggable, hand-holding ones are better. I can't imagine how I did without the support before. And each time I attend a conference, the bonds get stronger.

• After you get a critique - good or bad - you need to share. Immediately.
• When you have one great AND one not so great review, then you need help to focus on the good again. Immediately.
• Friends are great for reminding (gently, and much later) that you should not forget the bad either, because that is how you get better. You know what I mean?

2) Participation is hard. It's easier to just sit and absorb. If you want to get the most out of the conference, even at the risk of melting away in your seat under the laser beam eyes of the expert, do it.

•  After you recover from the meltdown, you end up asking yourself the hard questions.
•  Hard questions make your writing more focused - as in, the very next day epiphany focused. (This was a plot workshop. My plot was fine, but leaning toward average at the end. Now it will be awesome.)
• Friends are very helpful with the meltdown situation. (ref: point 1, above)

3) If you are lucky enough to have your work reviewed (in front of hundreds of people), your ears will ring. Between thudding heart beats, you will try to listen very carefully, but you will only hear half of what the experts say.

It's good to have friends listening to the criticism at the same time. You can always review the feedback with them later. (ref: point 1, above)

A couple of my friends got picked. One of them focused on the negative comments. Weeding out the harsh to find the seed of goodness is hard. I haven't spoken much to the other yet, but she's stronger than me, so I'm not worried.

Then mine was read.

Gasp! The last few pieces scored editor comments like: "Annoying." or  "Irritating." or "Too many like this." My sample was from the second round of revisions from my NaNoWriMo project. There was no way to magically remove my submission.

"There's nothing wrong with the writing," says one editor. "Want something more special to start."
I'm thinking: That's a Meh! response, but I'll take it after the comments the last few people got. It is, after all, only an early attempt at the beginning for this manuscript.

"I'm intrigued. Want more details on the setting," says the second.
I'm thinking: Another Meh!, but I'll take it. This guy is HARD to impress. Besides, I cut so much to keep inside the 200 word limit, and you all know my setting details can be too detailed sometimes.

"Swearing is a cheat. Find another way to show emotions," says the third. "Also, damn sounds out of context with the world."
I'm thinking: 1) No swearing is a good rule to remember. 2) Maybe I should make a list of world specific words for each character - one more problem a sci-fi/fantasy writer needs to deal with!

4) The coffee is mediocre at best. Also, when your heart feels like it might burst out of your chest, caffeine is probably a bad idea.

And finally, as SCBWI President, Stephen Mooser reminded: A writer's career is like a roller coaster. You can't keep your eyes closed the whole time. You have to put your hands up and scream if you want to enjoy the ride.

Author Leigh T Moore ~ CP Extraordinaire

LeighTMoore

Lots of bloggers know Leigh T Moore , but I'm sure many don't. She's a great asset to the writer's blogging community. Her comments sparkle like spots of supportive sunshine, AND she's an excellent professional editor. (Shoot her an email, leightmoore (at) gmail (dot) com.) 

I consider myself very lucky because Leigh was my first ever CP, and she's the best kind - the kind who cheers you along when you get an R from that dream agent who requested your manuscript. Yep. She's got my back.

So Leigh is great. And I want to *throw confetti* around to celebrate her latest endeavors, her new YA contemporary:

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAKING

Jason just wants a date with Harley.
Harley just wants a date with Trent.
Trent's still getting over Stephanie.

When Harley and Jason decide to fake date, they uncover a school of deceptions. Trent's got a secret, but so does Jason. And the more time Harley spends secretly kissing her fake boyfriend, the further she gets from her dreams with Trent.

Worst of all, Harley's mom is getting cozy with her hot massage therapy student, and even Harley's Reverend Dad can't fake not being bothered by it. But when the masks finally come off, can everyone handle the real truth?

Also, later this fall, Leigh has an adult novel coming out through publisher Pocket Star:

ROUGE

Trapped in the underground theater world of 1890s New Orleans, Hale Ferrer has only one goal: escape. But not without Teeny, the orphan-girl she rescued from the streets and has since raised as her own.

Freddie Lovel, Hale's wealthy Parisian suitor, seems to be the easy solution. If only his touch could arouse her interest like Beau's, the penniless stagehand who captures her heart.

Denying her fears, Hale is poised to choose love until an evil lurking in their cabaret-home launches a chain of events that could cost Hale everything.

Route 27

Route 27

This is my route back to a regular writing schedule, because the 27th is the first day of school for the boys. (Cheesy, I know, but I liked the graphic.)

That means:

Freedom!!! I love my kids, but it's really time for them to go get an education.

It also means I will have hours and hours to revise, rework, and reinvent the worlds I'm spinning on both my manuscripts. Who knows what all this unfettered quiet time will lead to?

Here's what I'll be working on in MoK:

Deeper secondary characters - They are the "salt in the stew" - according to my crit group member, Brad Davidson.

World building expansions of summarized scenes- My first beta reader suggested a longer chase scene for chapter three, among other things.

A tighter, more comprehensive ending, so the ms can truly stand alone- WriteOnCon agents suggested they are tired of trilogies. I was only planning one "companion" book anyhow.

A more interesting hook for the beginning- Always the LAST thing to get done, isn't it?

For BA:

Reworking Haydon- Back to what I really want him to be - a cute/slightly nerdy biotech geek.

Toning down the fantasy- I got a revise and resubmit request in April, the dreaded "slow no". She  passed because the fantasy wasn't slow enough. Yet, I had a full request on the previous version and that agent passed because it was too slow. I need to find the middle ground.

Scheduled completion for all of this?

Your guess is as good as mine!

WriteOnCon

www.WriteOnCon.com

I'm over in the forums at WriteOnCon today.

The schedule this year is chock full of YA information. Ninja Agents are lurking in the forums already. If you haven't ever participated, try sitting in for a session or two. You might find something you like. ;)

I've posted both of my queries in the forums, for better or for worse:

http://writeoncon.com/forum/showthread.php?8864-YA-Fantasy-BURNT-AMBER

http://writeoncon.com/forum/showthread.php?8425-YA-Sci-Fi-MIST-OF-KAVALA

If anyone is participating, I'd appreciate suggestions and/or pageviews so I can keep getting more feedback from others. I'd be happy to reciprocate.

Thanks!

Fermata

Fermata

I used this F word in a yahoo writing group and it caused an uproar. Apparently, I've stumbled upon something interesting and I should share.

Editor Cheryl Klein uses the term: Fermata.

It's a musical symbol she borrows to explain how to end a chapter, scene, short story, novel, or any piece of writing that doesn't use the cliffhanger. (I'm sure I don't need to explain that one.)

So what is it?

In terms of music, it means to hold the note.

Lot's of cute things floating around the internet with the phrase: I'm a fermata. Hold me. plastered all over them. Coffee mugs, onesies, t-shirts. Very clever.

There's a band named Fermata, a book titled FERMATA; it's a popular concept.

Fermata is nicknamed the bird's eye, but the history of the symbol goes back through the middle ages all the way to the Assyrian's design for a crown - as in a crowning moment.

If we take this symbol back to the realm of writing, it means we're ending with an idea that embodies the purpose of the piece, in way that resonates with the reader. They hold the note, if you will, because it carries with them after they finish the chapter. It makes them keep reading to find out what other truths your character will discover. And I'll bet lots of fermatas are e-reader highlights.

I also noticed that when a writer takes me 95% of the way there, ends without a good cliffhanger, and skips the fermata, I toss the proverbial yellow Volkswagen at them. I stop reading.

Granted, crafting the fermata is a tough job. I'm guilty of the 95% crime myself.
(See confession below.)

After learning about the fermata, I went back to my manuscript and looked at each scene. There was always logical progression, but nothing to tie the ideas together at the end. I was missing the opportunity for some serious interiority.

I'm revising.

Any thoughts you'd like to add about the fermata? I'm thinking somebody called this concept "The Good Tell", but I'm not sure where I read it.

The Cryptic and Creepy Title of Mystery

The Raven Boys

I noticed a lot of the good books I've read lately have really, really long titles- with acronym aliases.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns - GoFT
Daughter of Smoke and Bone - DoSB
The Masque of the Red Death (<3, )  -MoRD
For Darkness Shows the Stars - FDSS
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - UMD
The Knife of Never Letting Go - KoNLG

I could go on. All the cool kids are doing it.

Maybe my titles need some embellishment? Let's see.

Burnt Amber could be The Amber of Burntness ess ess

No?

Mist of Kavala could be- I guess I'm sort of guilty with this title, unless I want to add a Grey maybe- but there are too many Greys on the market these days. *ahem*

At the very least, I've noticed there's a "The" in just as interesting titles, as in The (insert mysterious nouns here).

Example of a great title with The:

The Raven Boys  TRB?

...which is on my TBR for this fall, or as soon as I can get my hands on a legal copy. Just look at that gorgeous cover! And the amazing trailer!



“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

So, now that you're all excited by Maggie Steifvater's awesome. Yeah.

Anyway, I'm not married to my titles. I refer to my books by their main character, as if they are real people that I care about. Which is a little bit scary.


PS. I'm scaling back to one post per week for the summer.