How I Got My Agent, Part I: A Timeline & Query Stats

So. Earlier this week, I threw an agent announcement party with y'all. Today I'm sharing the story of how I got my agent. Mind you, I didn't spend a ton of time querying, and I'll explain why below. But first, let's begin with some stats:

From first draft to query-ready draft: 3 years

First query sent: April 2015

Total queries sent: 12

Full requests: 4

Full rejections: 4

Full rejections w/feedback: 2

Stopped querying to revise: July 2015

Out of the two agents who sent me super helpful feedback, Linda was one of them. I (shyly) asked if she'd be interested in reading the revised manuscript once it was ready. To my surprise and excitement, she said yes.

The only problem? I didn't revise at all. I got sucked into a vortex of self-doubt and panic. I felt like my manuscript's premise wasn't innovative or original enough. Yes, the writing was good, but not great. There was too much backstory. I had characters with motivations left to clarify. There was just nothing that screamed SNATCH ME UP too loudly.

So I put off revisions and went on with my life. I did brainstorm from time to time, but never sat down to actually work on those new ideas.

October 2015: Linda emails me out of the blue to ask how revisions are coming along.

COMMENCE FREAKOUT. 

So. On my next post, I'll write about what happened after that super awesome email. It will contain lots of exclamation points and Caps Lock. Because obviously.

Have a lovely day!!

On Inspiration And The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

So. The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter at Universal Studios.

 

I had never gone to the WWOHP until last week.

 

Hogsmeade. Diagon Alley. I went to both of them.

 

AND I HAD A BLAST. OBVIOUSLY. BECAUSE YES.

 

I was also quite inspired by everything. Confession: I've been putting off WIP revisions for about a month now, but once I returned from my trip, I felt reenergized to work again. I've written a little, but I plan on writing more as the days roll on. My drive and focus? Back where they belong.

 

I owe a lot to the WWOHP. Not only did I fangirl squeal most of the time, I also felt this weight lifted off my shoulders. There I was, skipping along streets and barging into shops and eating food that existed in one woman's head for so long, and they were right where I could touch them. Right where I could enjoy them. I stopped thinking about stories as things I needed to perfect. Revisions are fun for me, but with this WIP, I've been struggling. The joy was sucked out of the writing experience. For the rest of my trip, though, my WIP and other stories became fangirl squeals. They were my source of joy, even if most of them aren't even worthy enough of full commitment. Even if they give me the hardest time of all hard times.

 

It's about time I enjoyed my imagination again.

 

So. WWOHP. Thank you for giving me back what was missing. Oh, and I'm definitely returning someday. Because this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*swoons*

Writing Blog Hop! Or, In Which I Talk About My WIP(s)

So. My friend Kell Andrews tagged me for this writing blog hop that's been going around. Thank you, Kell!!

Now. Here's a little about her:

We first met as members of the Operation Awesome critique group. Later on, we became CPs and co-bloggers! Kell writes nonfiction for adults and fiction for children. A little bit of "magic" helps with both. DEADWOOD, her middle-grade contemporary fantasy comes out from Spencer Hill Middle Grade in June 2014! (YOU SHOULD READ IT!).

Growing up, she spent a lot of time reading, writing, drawing, and looking for treasure in the woods and on the beach. She still does. Kell holds a humanities degree from Johns Hopkins University and a master of liberal arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. A lifelong Philadelphian, she lives with her husband and two daughters in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, right next to a park a lot like the one in Deadwood. Kell is represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

You can find Kell  at kellandrews.com, on Twitter, Tumblr, and the Operation Awesome blog.

Okay. Let's answer some questions!!

*cracks knuckles*

1.  What am I working on?

Two things. I'm currently trying to write a synopsis for my WIP, which is a YA high fantasy I've previously written about. To sum it up, the story follows a seventeen-year-old girl who rebels against a magic-wielding tyrant bent on conquering her homeland. You know. Happy-go-lucky stuff. :) Synopses are not my friends, let me tell you. BUT I do love my manuscript and my main character and everything else, so I'm keeping the faith. I think.

The other thing I'm "working on" (as in, brainstorming a lot) is my next WIP, which is yet another fantasy, but set in contemporary times. It involves a girl and a boy and the magic keeping them apart. That's all I can share for now. :) I've been having WAY too much fun brainstorming this one. It must be a keeper. *crosses fingers*

2.  How does my work differ from others of this genre?

My main character is a POC, which doesn't usually take center stage in YA high fantasy. The manuscript features a large cast of mostly female characters with different hopes and dreams and they get along. Sometimes. :) Also, my manuscript deals with identity through gender, race, politics, religion, blood ties, and romantic love in ways that I *hope* are complex and layered. Of course other novels do this in better ways, but I think my little story has something to add in those departments.

3.  Why do I write what I do?

I write two kinds of books: books of my heart and books of my dreams. The former are stories that resonate with me because they're about a personal truth. The latter are stories that resonate with me because they're about someone else's personal truth that I wish to see on bookshelves. They're stories I'm dying to read, but haven't been written yet. So I write them. I have no power over when and where and how these stories come to me, though. They just do.

4.  How does my writing process work?

Depends on the book. Sometimes I can sit down and write and write and write. This is super rare, though. Most of the time? I sit down to write, listen to music, then write a page or less. I get up, away from the computer for about an hour or two, then come back to write some more. Rinse and repeat throughout the day.  

That's it from me, folks! A huge thank you to Kell for tagging me! :) Now. Let me keep this chain going by tagging two more writers:

Natasha Heck is one of the Iron Keys, which is my critique group! I'm tagging her because she writes beautiful stories that make me want to punch myself for not being as talented/evocative/lyrical/imaginative as she is. *sigh* Natasha is  a native North Dakotan. She attended Minnesota State University Moorhead and graduated with a degree in English emphasis Creative Writing. She has touched Stonehenge, climbed the Glastonbury Tor, walked the Philosopher's Path, and kissed her true love on the Eiffel Tower. She's a fangirl, Jedi Knight, and Gryffindor whose love of unicorns led her to live in the land of geekdom and sunshine (San Diego, California) with her programmer husband Joey and their two kitties, Topher and Sophie.

Natasha is a member of two writing fabulous groups, Stone Circle and The Iron Keys. She writes a bi-weekly column for YA Interrobang. She attends various science fiction and fantasy conventions and served as a con chair for Fargo's Core Con for three years. She is currently working on her dream of writing when she's not wrangling cats.

You can find Natasha on her website, The Heroine's Domain, and on Twitter! 

Kaye M. is another member of the Iron Keys!! I bet you're sensing a pattern here. :) Anyway, I'm tagging Kaye because I also hate myself for not being as talented/evocative/lyrical/imaginative as she is. AND she loves dragons. Kaye is a self-professed twenty-something Muslim girl who reads a lot of books, drinks a lot of tea, and wears a lot of (figurative) hats.

Currently, those hats include student aiming for a future MLS, YA and MG book blogger, staff writer for online YA magazine YA Interrobang, and fantabulous intern for Pooja Menon of Kimberly Cameron and Associates.

She's also the Once and Future Queen of the Iron Keys, which gives her life-long tiara rights.

When she's not reading, Kaye writes about dark worlds, high stakes and tough, wounded girls who carve out their own happily ever afters. 

You can find Kaye at her blog and on Twitter!


Stay tuned for what Natasha and Kaye have to say next Monday, June 2nd!

Happy weekend! :D

Blog Chain: The Non-Fiction Round

Blog chain time! For this round, Sandra asks the following:

We all know it's important to read fiction if you want to write fiction, but what about reading non-fiction? How much non-fiction do you read? What kinds of non-fiction books do you read, and why? Has reading non-fiction influenced your fiction writing style?

Confession: the only non-fiction books I read are either for thesis research or for WIP research. On the thesis front, there's a lot of Emily Bronte going on, since I'm focusing on her poetry. I've read biographies and critical analysis books. On the WIP front, I'm delving into the Dark Ages. Customs, clothing, food, combat techniques. You name it. I'm doing my best to absorb as much as I can. I'm also studying the Gothic language in order to put some Germanic words into the story. You know. Easy stuff like that :)

The non-fiction books on medieval times have influenced my fiction writing style. I'm paying attention to details that are helping me build a stronger, more believable world. This includes word choice as well. Sometimes I feel tempted to write things like "For reals" or "Shut your pie hole" and I stop myself. PEOPLE DIDN'T SAY THIS IN MEDIEVAL TIMES, YO. So yeah. It's a constant learning experience and struggle, but I'm confident it'll pay off in the end. 

*crosses fingers*

Thanks to Sandra for this topic! Check out Cole's take on the topic, and don't forget to see what Margie has to say!

Blog Chain: Balancing Stuff With Other Stuff

Happy Valentine's Day!!! *tosses sprinkles* 

Now. It's blog chain time! This round features a question from Lisa. She wants to know the following:

The balancing act. How do you balance your writing time with everything else in your life--including kids, job, book promotion.

This is a pretty simple post for me. I don't have kids. I don't have a job (although I'm going on the prowl for one soon). Right now, I don't have to worry about book promotion because I don't have a book coming out in the near future (but I am querying one later this year).

What I do have is a thesis to write. And a family. A friends. Lots of friends who, for some reason, like seeing me and hanging out with me. So I've come up with a bit of a system: during weekdays, I work on my thesis (proposal, at this stage) in the mornings, then spend the afternoon working on my WIP. I make it a point to revise one page, though. This usually tempts me to work on at least a second page because I'm just too amped and feel like one page isn't enough. On weekends, no thesis whatsoever. I work on my WIP and hang out with my family, or I work on my WIP and catch up with friends, or I don't work on my WIP and watch a lot of TV/read awesome books.

It's been a blast so far. Let's hope I can keep this balancing act for a little while longer. *crosses fingers*

Thanks to Lisa for the topic! Make sure to check out Cole's post, then stay tuned tomorrow for Margie's post!

  

Blog Chain: My WIP

First blog chain round of 2013!!! *dances* This time around, Katrina asks the following:

Write about your next writing project. What is the genre? Is is one you've written before or is it a new venture? Do you have it all figured out or is it just a germ of an idea? What did you learn from your latest writing project that will make this one even better?

I've talked about my WIP already, but that's more of an origin story post. This one will be a bit more technical. My WIP is a YA epic fantasy. I have changed its title, and now it's called WE ARE THE DARKNESS. Like I said in that previous post, this is a project I steered clear from for three years. I got the idea in 2009, but sat down to write it in 2012. I'm currently working on Draft 2, so I guess it's an old venture. My hope is to have it finished and ready to query later this year. 

*crosses fingers and toes*

Right now, I have an outline that I'm adhering to, but not at all. I have the beats figured out. Those won't change much. What might change are the dots connecting each beat to one another. Even though I have a thorough outline of what's meant to happen, I often ignore it. I just write an outline in order to feel prepared and less freaked out during revisions. Which is RIDICULOUS since I love revisions more than the drafting process. But there you go.

My last WIP was a YA contemporary with a male POV. I absolutely love it, even in its horrendous, embarrassing first draft state. The voice is what gets me every time. I do plan on editing it in the future, but I don't know when. As for what it taught me, that genre is notoriously tough to pull off. How do you make the ordinary extraordinary? What's so compelling about this character and his problem? Does he sound like a real guy? I had so many doubts about myself while writing that book, you guys. SO many doubts. 

But I also had a blast.

And if I could tackle the contemp genre from a dude's perspective, I could tackle anything.

Tacking it successfully is another story, though. We won't get into that. *weeps* 

My previous WIP taught me that taking risks is the only way to go about things. I've come to the point as both person and writer where I crave new things. Especially the kind of new things that FRIGHTEN me. This epic fantasy? Totally crippled me for three years. I kept writing other stuff in order to avoid facing it. I wrote things I'm proud of, but not OMG obsessed with.

Now? Yeah. I'm totes obsessed. 

Thank you to Katrina for the awesome topic! Make sure to check out Cole's take on it, then stay tuned for Margie's tomorrow!

I Blame One Direction--My December So Far In Pictures

So. December's here. YAAAAAAY. I know it's only been a few days into this month, BUT I am so. Freaking. Stoked. And to demonstrate why, I've chosen to show y'all in a picture essay of sorts.

I am currently working on this:

Draft 2 of le WIP. Which is EXCITING and AWESOME and NOT SO MUCH all at the same time.

I bought my first ever Blu-Ray film:

I still prefer regular DVDs, though. BUT THE SPECIAL FEATURES. I couldn't resist. 

I've been planning for my January trip here:

This will be my first time going to Vegas (!!!!!!!). And my mom's going with me (O_O). 

I've also been listening to a lot of this:

and this:

I... I don't know what to tell you. It just... happened. One day, I was minding my own business and BAM. One of their songs came on the radio and I was like, "OMG CRAPPY SONG IS CRAPPY." Then I heard it again and was like, "OMG CRAPPY SONG IS SORT OF OKAY." Then I was like, "OMG CRAPPY SONG IS PERFECT FOR DANCING AND DOING BOY BAND GESTURES TO RANDOM STRANGERS ON THE STREET." 

I have been singing One Direction for weeks now. I have also been choreographing a few of their songs in my head. One day, folks, I will be in a boy band and I will be the Harry Styles of said boy band. Just. You. Wait.

I don't care if I've traumatized you My apologies if I've traumatized any of you. This is a hard reality to swallow, I know. But it is my truth, and only now as I speak can I be free at last. 

One Direction makes me do ALL the boy band dance moves, and it has made all the difference in my writing. Maybe. I think. Sort of.

Happy Friday!!

The Next Big Thing. Or Not.

So. There's this blog hop going on. It is called The Next Big Thing. I feel silly even typing that, seeing as I have no reason to believe I could participate in such a blog hop. BUT I'm a sucker for a blog hop. So there's that. 

*sighs in defeat*

My buddy Michelle tagged me for this, so feel free to blame her. :) The rules of this particular hop are simple: 1) answer the following questions about your current WIP; 2) tag 5 people after you're done. *cracks knuckles* Let's get to it, then.

What is the working title of your book?

I tend to stress over my titles, but for this WIP, it came pretty easily. I'm calling it We Are The Uprising. But most of the time, I use WATU for short :)


Where did the idea come from for the book?


Warning: long story ahead.

Two ladies inspired this WIP: Eowyn from Lord of the Rings, and Queen Gorgo of ancient Sparta. You see, I have this Christmas tradition. I watch the LOTR trilogy a few days before my birthday. In 2008, as I was swooning over Aragorn and feeling super bad for Eowyn because he didn't love her back, I thought, "Oh, Eowyn. You are SUCH a badass and you need to star in your own book/movie, woman!" And every time I watched 300, I had the exact same reaction to Queen Gorgo. These ladies were powerful in different ways, and I reeeeeeally wanted to read something with a female character that embodied those kinds of fire.

I just didn't know how to weave the two together.

Fast forward to September 2009. I started querying my first novel, and of course, I got my first rejections. So I decided to start brainstorming my next novel. Eowyn and Gorgo sprang to mind immediately. Problem? I still had no idea what kind of story I wanted to tell. I only knew who I wanted to put in it.

Fast forward to January 2012. I finally know what my story's about. So I get over my fear of serious suckage and start writing it.


What genre does your book fall under?


YA high fantasy.


Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

My main character is pretty much Jessica Parker Kennedy's twin, only with much wavier hair:

Her love interest is a teen, slimmer, and facial hairless Tom Hardy. You can't see it in this pic, but Tom's sporting the same short ponytail as the love interest in le WIP:

 *stares*

As for the rest of the characters, I have vague ideas of actors they look like. But that post is WAY too long. Trust me.


What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?


After her city's soldiers are defeated, Melania Torvajal--a seventeen-year-old maid who trades her broom for a sword--leads their wives and daughters into battle against the invading army.

It was either that or GURL THESE EVIL DUDES ARE COMING FOR YOU SO DO SOMETHING OKAY THANKS BYE. I liked this one much better, actually.


Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?


I'm going to query this sucker next year. Hopefully, it'll nab me an awesomesauce agent. *crosses fingers*


How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? May we see an intro?


It took me five months to actually write the first draft, but since I took breaks in between, the whole process lasted seven months.

Here's the opening line so far: Papa won't let me touch the blood.


What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?


Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel and Kristin Cashore's Graceling. There's also a book coming out in January by Alex Lidell, and it's titled The Cadet of Tildor. It sounds like a possible match for my WIP as well. I'll be sure to check it out!


Who or what inspired you to write this story?


Please refer to Question #2 :)


What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?


It has gender stereotypes turned on their heads, religious people who aren't fanatics, beasts who emerge out of boulders, a magical tooth made of ice, Rammstein-inspired fight sequences, and a broken elf who hides behind his smirk.

Among other things. Naturally.


So there you have it. My WIP. I'm going to start revisions in November, so PRETTY PLEASE pray for my sanity. It is much appreciated.


Now for the tag! With the power invested in me by the state of the Next Blog Hop, I pronounce the following peeps as tagged: everyone! :) No, seriously. If you haven't done this yet, go for it. Although I think EVERYONE has done it already. So yeah.


Thanks for reading about my WIP! And have an awesome weekend!

The Book Of My Dreams: On Finishing The First Draft I Didn't Think I Could Write

The amazeballs Beth Revis once wrote about the Book Of Her Heart. This is the kind of book that speaks to your true self the loudest. It's the one who embodies you the person as well as you the writer. As Beth says:

All books are works of art and take some of ourselves to write, but a "book of your heart" is one that is ripped from your very soul. It's the important one, your baby, the one that you wrote with blood, sweat, and tears; the one that means more to you than any other.

I have a Book Of My Heart. I finished the first draft about a year ago, and I even started revising it, but I stopped. Why? The story's a bit long, but to sum it up: I quit running away from the Book Of My Dreams. 

In 2009, long before the seed for the Book Of My Heart came around, another seed planted itself in my brain. The problem? I didn't think I was good enough to write a novel based on that seed. But it was through and through the Book Of My Dreams--what I was DYING for someone else to write so I could gobble it up in one sitting. This seed had GIRL POWER and BAD PEOPLE and GOOD PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF HEART and MAGIC and PRETTY DUDES WHO AREN'T DOUCHEBAGS. 

So I figured someone else would write it eventually.

Three years later, no one had written the Book Of My Dreams. Of course, a ton of books had similar elements, but exactly the Book Of My Dreams? Nope. I was proud of myself for slicing my soul in half and tackling the Book Of My Heart, though. Really proud. Even better, I felt free enough to think I could write anything. Amazeballs Beth is right: 

If you're a writer who is unpublished, then I hope and pray you will eventually write the book of your heart. It's a wonderful thing, and the closest I've come to touching magic. But I also want you to know something very, very important: the book of your heart is not the apex of your writing. It is not necessarily the best thing you've written, and it's not necessarily your only shot at getting published.

Yesterday, I finished the first draft of the Book Of My Dreams. As I wrote the last scene, I teared up. No, it wasn't a particularly sad scene, but it meant so, so much to me. The whole novel means a lot. Not just because of its content, but also because of its existence. It's a real draft. Horrible and cliched and illogical, but it's real.

I have no idea if the Book Of My Dreams will get published. I do know I'm going to revise it a billion times and query it. I also know it's the best book I've ever written. Is it the most personal? No. Is it the most me? No. But it's close enough, and it's everything I never thought I could do.

I think you owe it to yourself to try it, too.

Now tell me: are you working on the Book Of Your Dreams, or the Book Of Your Heart? If neither, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?????

On Death, Difficult Things, And Writing

Confession: I did not want to write this post. But since I am talking about difficult things, and this post proved to be among those things, I chose to write it anyway.

Last Tuesday night, I had a nightmare. Usually, I have trouble remembering what I dream about, but on this occasion, the nightmare was so intense that it stuck with me. I was on campus, heading for one of the department buildings, when a man dressed in black shot me. For some reason, the bullet didn't hurt me at all, and I managed to run away from the shooter. But he, along with a group of armed people clad in black, followed me to my classroom. They held the entire class hostage as they gossiped about their lives. Then they walked out, harming no one, and I woke up. 

Last Friday, as you may know, a man went to an Aurora, Colorado screening of The Dark Knight Rises and opened fire on the audience. Twelve people were killed. Many more were injured.

That same Friday, I had scheduled to write a funeral scene in my WIP. 

I did not want to write it. I felt too useless, too sad, to do anything but follow the updates on the Aurora shooting. There was nothing I could do to change these victims' fate, but I felt like just by knowing how they were doing, I was cheering them on to get better. To survive. 

I convinced myself writing the funeral scene would break me. Even looking at the laptop made me cry. Why did I have to force myself to face more sadness when I was already facing enough of it? Why was my nightmare so vivid and memorable? Why did it happen that week, of all weeks?

Those are some of the difficult things I can't answer. All I can do is accept the fact that they're there, existing just as I am, and push through. Later that Friday night, I sat down, turned on my laptop, and wrote that funeral scene. I cried some more. Nearly quit halfway through the scene. But I didn't. 

I pushed through.

Especially because I didn't want to.

Most difficult things in life are unwanted. Death is certainly not something I want, neither for myself nor for anyone else. But for some reason, I had to embrace it last week. I had to grapple with questions without answers, and even though I don't fully understand their purpose, I found my way out of them. 

Whether it's in your writing or in your life, keep going. Difficult things look much, much better when they're behind you.

Awesome Writing Tip From Betty White

So. Betty White.

What more is there to say?

Well, if you watched the Emmy Awards Pre-show last night, like I totally did, you have something extra to add about Betty White. You see, during an interview, she was asked how she's managed to make this point in her career the highest, most memorable one.

And she said, "I just don't go away."

By not going away, or giving up, or bemoaning her failures, Betty's guaranteed an unforeseen success for herself. It's all about the attitude, folks. Of course you're going to have sucky writing days. I've have quite a few this past week. And guess what? There are much more to come.

But the next time I want to go away or give up or bemoan my failures, I'll whip out this pic:

And that's all I need to keep pushing on :)

Now tell me: what do you do when you're down in the writing dumps? 

Fess Up Friday: Bravery In Writing

Most days, I am a wimp. There's no benefit to denying that.

Whether it's in writing or real life, I get scared a lot. That doesn't mean I don't take chances, but I spend A LOT of time thinking about whether I should take them or not.

Then there are those other days.

Writing isn't an escape for me. It's part of my reality. But sitting down to write can sometimes scare the crapballs out of me. For example, right now, my WIP feels complicated. Like it's too much for me to handle because of the genre. Two things keep me going: 1) my love of the premise; 2) knowing that when I finish the manuscript, I'll be a much better writer than before. 

So yeah. It pays to be awesome.

*puts on Ninja outfit*

*flips the bird at laptop*

*writes*

Now fess up: is something scaring the crapballs out of you? How do you push through that fear?

Confessions From An Edit-As-I-Go Convert

So. First drafts.

I used to never edit as I go. I wrote the whole thing as sucktastic as possible, then fixed it during edits.

Not anymore.

Well, I'll still do edits after Draft #1, BUT maybe they won't be as substantial. Maybe, just maybe, my WIP's level of sucktasticness will be considerably less. 

Why?

Because I've converted to the Edit-As-I-Go approach.

 Image found here.

This new story I'm working on? It's torturing me... in a good way. I can't stop thinking about it. Whenever I reach my writing goal of the day, I want to keep going. That has only happened once (with a WIP that's currently simmering as a second-ish draft). Since I really, really, really love this freakin' story, I want to treat as nicely as possible. That means I'm taking things s-l-o-w-l-y. 

And I'm whipping out my Internal Editor.

I already blogged about the IE's benefits, but I've never actually relied on it during first drafts. This time, though, I came up with a system: 1) write 2-3 chapters a week (did I mention I'm going s-l-o-w?); 2) edit those 2-3 chapters on weekends; 3) rinse, repeat. It'll probably take me a billion years to finish Draft #1, but I think it'll be worth it. My plan is to spend Christmas holidays revising like a madwoman, so I have a few months left to work on Draft #1. *sigh*

This WIP might not go anywhere publishing wise, but OMG, it's so fun to write. You know how long it's been since I've had fun writing?

Too long. 

I'm glad I'm back in the game :)

Now tell me: do you let your Internal Editor out during first drafts? If so, any tips you'd like to share with this newbie?

Blog Chain: A Dark And Stormy Night... Sort Of

Yep. I'm at it again this week, folks. Another blog chain post!

This time, the super fab Christine asks us to join her in a writing prompt:

Since we are all writers, I thought it was about time for us to stretch our creative muscles and do a little writing. So, take the following topic and go crazy! Show us what you've got. Your story can be as long or as short as you choice.

The topic: A dark and stormy night.

For this post, I've chosen an excerpt from my YA paranormal romance (which is now shelved, but I still heart it! I've been thinking about changing the genre and premise, but keeping the characters. *ponders*). It's a brief (barely edited) scene, and it ends in a cliffhanger-ish moment, so I apologize in advance!

Le excerpt:  

The gravestones glimmered as raindrops polished the marble. My hands throbbed from climbing over the cemetery gates, which were locked due to the late midnight hour.

Midnight…

One day ended while another begun.

Shuddering, I walked deeper into the graveyard, a shower of rain engulfing me in the cruelest degree of cold. If I didn’t hurry, chances were I’d have to swim through a swamp.

I found the spot where Vincent summoned Morgana, convincing myself to look away from the headstones and up at the sky. All I could see were small white dots on a black velvet mantel--it seemed like every star in the universe had come to witness this.

Guessed they were all subscribed to Gossip Girl: The Galaxy Edition.

Focus, I told myself, just focus.

Closing my eyes, I beckoned my body to relax underneath the downpour.

Which didn’t work. I shivered from the cold and the wave of nerves crashing over me.

Focus.

I pushed back Vincent’s face. I erased the memories of my family, of the sun-kissed island I used to call home, of the friends I’d made and lost.

Balthazar’s instructions rang loud and clear: just Call to her wherever Vincent summons her. And then, you wait.

“Morgana,” I said as loudly as my voice would allow, “vindicatum meus animus!"

Silence.

“Morgana!” I yelled, eyes pressed shut. “I'll do it, okay? Come down here and take it already!”

The sky rumbled, a symphony of doom above me.

My nostrils detected a strong scent overpowering that of the damp earth.

Smoke.

Ashes.

Fire…

Opening my eyes, I searched for the pale horse among the clouds.

The flaming pet galloped to the ground, magically untouched by the rain falling around it.

Morgana rode on top of him, onyx hair whipping in the wind.

Showtime…

That's it! Hope it's not too sucktastic. :)

Go check out Abby's post from yesterday, and make sure to head over to Sandra's blog for her post tomorrow! 

Now tell me: any dark and stormy nights in your WIP? 

WIP Playlists And Why They Rule

So. I love music. Some genres more than others, but overall, I'm an equal opportunity music listener. My poor iPod is filled with songs by artists who would NEVER duet in real life. 

*cough Marilyn Manson and Taylor Swift cough* 

Before I start drafting, I love to put together a playlist for the project. Sometimes I create two playlists--one for the main character, and another for the MC's relationship with the love interest. 

Why, yes, I do have way too much time on my hands...

Seriously, though, I think writers should be open to music when drafting. To me, a playlist is useful for three reasons:

1) Songs that help with character development/voice

These are the easiest ones to pick for me. They're usually songs that deal with what my MC faces in the story, or is about to face. Either way, they give me an idea of how my MC would react or feel in certain situations, and I write accordingly. Out of all the songs I pick, these get the most plays.

2) Songs that help with plot

This is where I usually feel like I'm cheating. Songs are stories, after all. There's an outcome the singer is either happy or sad about, right? Well, whenever I get stuck with my plot, I sit back and listen. The lyrics make me come up with brand new scenes, goals, obstacles, and resolutions. They don't have to be exactly what the lyrics refer to, but a good chunk stems from them.

3) Songs that help with mood

Battle sequences = Metal. A huge breakup = Ballads. Party scenes = Dance/Pop/Hip Hop. I think atmosphere for the writer translates into atmosphere for the story. Of course, there are writers who can whip out these scenes without music, and they come up with sheer brilliance. Me? Not so much. *hangs head in shame*

So. There you have it. Playlists save fake people's lives.

Tell me: do you create playlists for your WIPs? Any specific kind of music you keep gravitating toward?

10 Killer Queries That Worked

Confession: I love query letters. Reading them. Writing them. Whatever. I can't get enough of them.

Yes, I am weird. But you knew that already, didn't you?

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few of the most awesomesauce queries I've ever read. This is mostly because I wanted to compile them all in one place, but also because I feel like they help writers struggling over their queries. Seeing how others boil down their stories into 3-4 paragraphs is both encouraging and educational :)

In no particular order, here are some of the best queries in the universe:

1) Lisa and Laura Roecker's query for THE LIAR SOCIETY

2) Karsten Knight's query for WILDEFIRE

3) Kirsten Hubbard's query for LIKE MANDARIN

4) Elana Johnson's query for POSSESSION 
(then titled Control Issues)

5) Kody Keplinger's query for THE DUFF

6) Susan Dennard's query for SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY 
(then titled The Spirit Hunters )

7) Gennifer Albin's query for CREWEL 
(I actually stole the idea for this post from her Friday Five about queries. Yes, I am evil...)


8) Miriam Forster's query for THE HOUSE OF A THOUSAND DOLLS


9) Heather Brewer's query for EIGHTH GRADE BITES


10) Lisa McMann's query for WAKE

If you haven't read any of them, or just a few, I suggest taking a closer look at every single one. They're that awesome, I promise you.

For those of you in the querying trenches, best of luck! *hugs*

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go write a query letter... 

*cracks knuckles*

How about you? Any queries you love that aren't on this list? Any queries you'd love to see, like one from your favorite book? Share them with me in the comments!

How Small Goals And Alexander Skarsgard Help Me Write

Confession: Sometimes I have trouble writing. 

I sit down and stare at the computer screen for an eternity, unable to come up with anything remotely good. Through time, I've discovered my biggest problem--I sit down with the wrong attitude.

Writer Me From The Past was all about cranking out a billion words a day. If I didn't, I sucked. A failure at life. Writer Me From Right Now is a bit more carefree, though. 

And it's all because of two things:

1) Small goals

I promise myself to write a paragraph. When I finish that paragraph, I go, "Hmm. I kinda want to do one more." Then I do one more. And I go, "Hmm. Maybe just one more." Then I do one more. 

Rinse. Repeat.

Why does this trick work for me? 

I get excited about the story. After a little taste of what I can do, I want to see if I can push myself a bit more. But I do the pushing in small bursts, not sprints. Sprints tire me out and make me give up. Most of the time, Writer Me From The Past wrote a lot of Bad Scenes while sprinting. I wrote for the sake of saying I'd reached X amount of words. 

Now? I go slow. Then I keep going till I stop and look back.

At a whole bunch of words.

Not So Bad ones.

2) Alexander Skarsgard (from TRUE BLOOD)

I convince myself that if I write that paragraph, or that scene, ASkars will knock on my door. He'll take me to dinner. To the beach. Or wherever else he sees fit. 

If that's not inspiration enough, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.

*clears throat*

So. There you have it, folks. Small goals and Alexander Skarsgard help me write. A lot.

I hope they can help you, too :)

Now tell me: any tips you've found useful for writing a lot of Not So Bad Words?

Reminder: Don't miss Operation Awesome's July Mystery Agent Contest!!! Hop on over to the blog tomorrow for your chance at a full request!! 

Why Rewriting Is Like A Cover Song

So. Rewriting. My current task. 

Confession: I LOVE rewriting. Like, LOVE. 

Drafting... not so much. But rewriting gives me this unspeakable sense of purpose. I know where I'm going. I know what I have to do. I know Draft #1 is stoopid, and I have new ways of making it better. 

A couple weeks back, while I was still on hiatus, I braced myself for the Epic Rewrites of Epic Proportions I had to face soon. I was happy, but scared. 

Then I thought about cover songs.

You know, the new versions of older songs that are sort of different, but not at all? Some people hate them, but I tend to like them. To me, a cover song is kind of like an homage to that original version. It's saying, "You're so awesome and I want to be just like you."

But it's also saying, "I found another way to make you sound awesome."

Some artists record covers using the same instruments/vocal range as the original. Others do a 180 on the original and keep only the lyrics intact. Either way, they're slaving over the new version, trying to do the original justice. In their hearts, I'm sure artists doing covers know the original is much better than their versions, but that doesn't stop them from trying. 

With rewrites, you're doing Draft #1 justice, but you're making it awesome in a different way. A clearer, more streamlined way. 

There is nothing wrong with pushing yourself, folks. Do it till there's nowhere left to push you. 

To wrap this post up, I'd like to share the original and cover song versions that inspired it:

Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance"

and...

30 Seconds To Mars's "Bad Romance" cover.

Now tell me: what do you think of cover songs? Any cover songs you love better than the original? 

Blog Hiatus Is Officially OVER... And I Brought Gifts

*waves*

Hello, blogging buddies!!!!! I missed you!!!!!

Did you miss ME???

*blinks*

Oh, wait... don't answer that...

So. Blog Hiatus is kaput. I have returned.

AND I brought two lovely gifts for all of you!!!

Gift #1: Best Writing Advice EVER

So. During my blog hiatus, I went to see Kung Fu Panda 2. It was too much awesome for words. BUT I can speak about something that's very important for Po, the movie's main character. Before he can defeat his antagonist (a very fluffy and evil and annoying peacock), he must achieve one teeny weeny thing--inner peace. 

Why am I implying Po's inner peace is related in any way, shape or form to writing? Well, imagine you're Po. Now imagine your WIP is that fluffy and evil and annoying peacock. You can't tackle the WIP when you're frustrated, or when you don't value yourself as a writer, right? How about when you think this whole writing thing is a waste of your time? Or when life gets in the way so often, you can't get yourself to stop and organize the chaos around you? 

Being happy with yourself as both a person and writer is what will motivate you to go further. And sometimes, that happiness will be the result of taking a step back and just reevaluating things. It's okay to stand aside and not push through the blues, or pretend they're not happening. Accept your truth, and inner peace will just come running after you. 

Gift #2: Pics of Fake Boyfriends (SUPERNATURAL Edition)

You knew this was coming, didn't you??? DIDN'T YOU???

Well, here they are:

And my personal favorite...

You're welcome.

Now tell me: WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ALL THIS TIME??? Any books or movies I should check out???