Things That Feed My Soul: FIRST DRAFT Podcast With Sarah Enni

So. Podcasts. 

I don't usually listen to them, which is something I'm slowly changing about myself. A friend of mine started one recently (a super geeky, pop culture heavy one), and it was the push I needed to start diving into the podcast waters for real. 

A few months ago, I'd heard about one that seemed perfect for me:

Folks, Sarah Enni is brilliant. If you haven't read her posts on YA Highway, you're missing out. That's how I learned of her awesomeness. Then I read that she was starting FIRST DRAFT, a podcast featuring authors of both YA and MG books. My mind pretty much exploded, but since I wasn't too committed to podcasts back then, I didn't check them out immediately. 

Present Me is all sorts of upset with Past Me. Sarah's interviews are both enlightening and inspiring. She sits down with the most remarkable artists anyone could ever encounter, then proceeds to let them school her audience in the art of resilience. Last week, I was so, so sick. It was the cold from Hades, I tell you. But once I pressed Play on an episode of FIRST DRAFT, boom. Instant remedy. I felt like stopping everything and writing until the wee hours of the morning. I felt like strapping on my boots and climbing as many mountains as I could. I felt like dancing and belting out party songs with my ridiculously terrible singing voice.

I felt like not giving up on my dreams.

Go ahead. If you haven't done it already, press Play. Now. Right now. 

Happy listening!

BRB Crying. Or, How ALLEGIANT By Veronica Roth Destroyed Me In The Best Way.

Some of you may know that this book has been the source of CONTROVERSY and FEELS. Not only is it the ending of a (hugely successful) trilogy, it's the ending's ending that got tongues wagging.

I managed to avoid spoilers before sitting down to read ALLEGIANT. 

I'm so thrilled I did. 

I was genuinely surprised by the ending.

I cried while reading it.

I cried after I finished the book.

And I feel a strong need to thank Veronica Roth for destroying me. 

I think this ending is going to haunt me forever, not just as a reader, but as a writer. Especially as a writer. Stories that resonate and linger and cling to my bones often have authors who do the unthinkable. In ALLEGIANT, a character tells another the following two words: "Be brave." It's a story for the story's sake, not its fans' sake. I wouldn't have it any other way. Veronica Roth's bravery, as well as that of the countless authors I admire, has taught me that I should never conform with whatever I can conjure. No. It's not enough to write. 

It's enough to write bravely.

Even if it destroys you. Even if it destroys those who trust you to pick them up and give them the happy ending they envisioned. Fiction isn't one thing. It doesn't provide the same answer over and over. Sometimes, it doesn't provide answers at all. I'm at peace with that. I think I always have been.

I'm going to try and write as bravely as I can. I hope you do the same.

An Open Letter To Princess Merida

Dear Princess Merida,

You are not a boy.

I know, I know. You figured that out already. Especially now in your teen years, right? Puberty, nature's ultimate enlightenment tool...

But I'm not here to discuss your body. Sure, it's solid evidence that, in fact, you are not a boy, but it's not the driving point of this letter. No, the driving point comes from a different place. A place where you are deemed a wannabe. A place where you are not allowed to know how to defend yourself and cry at the same time. A place where someone like you is scrutinized over and over and over. 

Why? Because according to some people in this world, you have to be one thing. The minute you step away from that one thing, you are either WEIRD or AWESOME. You can be weird because you're not interested in falling in love. You can be weird because you'd rather climb mountains than practice your curtsy. Or you can be awesome for the very same reasons. Depends on who you ask, really. 

And if you ask me, all I have to say is this: you are a girl.

Which means you are a human being (an animated one, but who's discriminating?).

Which also means that, similar to boys, you are complex. No one thing should define you. Like boys, you have every right to want and not want whatever you like. Like boys, you can love something today and hate it tomorrow, or vice versa. But unlike boys, you get judged by those very similarities. Sucks, doesn't it? Maybe we should get together sometime and shoot some arrows in the name of equality?? I'd totes shoot for that. 

So go ahead, my dearest Merida, be a complex girl. Wave your multilayered flag high. And above all, always stay brave. 

Sincerely,

An Unbearably Complex, Multilayered, Not So Brave Female Person Who Wishes She Could Climb Mountains And Ride Horses And Shoot Arrows Without Fracturing Her Skull In The Process.

P. S. I WANT YOUR HAIR.

Blog Chain: In Which I FEEL THINGS

For this blog chain round, Kate wants us to tackle the following topic:

Post pictures, songs, movie clips, poems, or novel excerpts that make you feel. Feel what, you ask? Feel anything. Happy. Sad. Angry. Nostalgic. Hopeful. Hopeless. Jealous. Joyful.

I have read in several different places that YA novelist John Green said of his latest novel, The Fault In Our Stars that he wants to make his readers "Feel All The Things." I would love that someone could go through this blog chain and through what we all choose to post have that same Feel All The Things feeling.

So. Things that make me feel.

Le things:

Photo taken after earthquake hit Japan in 2011 (source)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Older students are allowed to roam until the bell, but ninth-graders are herded into the auditorium. We fall into clans: Jocks, Country Clubbers, Idiot Savants, Cheerleaders, Human Waste, Eurotrash, Future Fascists of America, Big Hair Chix, the Marthas, Suffering Artists, Thespians, Goths, Shredders. I am clanless. I wasted the last weeks of August watching bad cartoons. I didn't go to the mall, the lake, or the pool, or answer the phone. I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude. And I don't have anyone to sit with.

I am Outcast.

--Excerpt from Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outtake from Supernatural episode, "Yellow Fever" (bonus points: JENSEN ACKLES)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dogs + Babies = Awesome (source)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What is there but a dream? You can't trade in your dream for another dream. [...] And I have a special, special note to the kids in Central Falls, Rhode Island, and Segway Institute of Learning in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to dream big, and dream fierce."

--Viola Davis's winning speech at 2012 SAG Awards for her role in The Help. 

There you have it! Some of the things that make me feel. *feels a lot* Make sure to stop by Abby's blog to see her entry, and stay tuned for Sandra's post tomorrow!!

And remember: tomorrow is Operation Awesome's Mystery Agent contest!!! :)

Marketing Lessons With Ryan Gosling

So. Marketing. Not exactly my favorite thing to discuss, and I certainly haven't discussed it a lot on ye old blog. 

Folks, there are exceptions.

Ryan Gosling is sure as heck one of them.

Le evidence:

Le marketing lesson of the day: If you want your book to stand out, regardless of genre, do the unexpected.

And don't apologize for it :)

Now tell me: what do you think of the Feminist Ryan Gosling Flashcards??? And do you think they can help you write a better book? 

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!! 

WIP Fire. Or... How To Get Your Groove Back

So. A while ago, I wrote a post on how to get back to your WIP after being away for, like, forever. Today, I'm sort of discussing the same thing, but not exactly.

*scratches head*

I'm currently working on the second draft of my WIP. I say second draft, but really, it's a HUGE rewrite. The task is much more daunting than I had expected, folks. 

But I love it.

Well, I love it when the words flow easily for me. Those other times? Not so much.

So here's an extra tip on how to get your groove back after a while of not writing a particular project:

4) Give yourself permission to brainstorm

I often stare at the screen for waaaay too much time, not knowing what the heck to write. But if I don't write something, I feel guilty and lazy. Here's the deal: if this happens to you, DON'T FEEL GUILTY AND LAZY. Brainstorming is work. You're thinking about improving your WIP. How to inject sense into the thing. These days, I spend more time brainstorming than I do writing. And when I do sit down to write, the pages fly by because I know where my story is going (keep in mind, this is a second draft. First drafts can be trickier). It takes me less than an hour to meet my word count goal of the day. All because I didn't force it out, and took my time to ponder first. 

Folks, embrace the pondering. It is awesome.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go ponder how to tackle my homework... *sobs*

Reminder: Don't miss Operation Awesome's next Mystery Agent contest! Be sure to check it out this Friday, Aprils 1st. And NO, it's not an April Fools joke :)

What Writers Can Learn From Mark Wahlberg

There are boys. There are men. And then there's Mark Wahlberg.

No, I'm not saying that because of his charm. Or bad boy appeal. *blushes* I'm saying it because OMG, I want to be like him when I grow up. 

Why?

Well, there's this movie he's in...

... and it's a-m-a-z-i-n-g. 

Not only is it amazing, the story behind its creation blew my mind. You see, when Mark Wahlberg read the script, he fell in love with it. So much so that he jumped in to both star in and produce the film. 

That was in 2005.

After a bunch of issues with distribution and the script itself, the movie came out in 2010. 

Ever since awards season started, Mark's been saying the same thing to reporters: "This movie almost didn't get made, but I'm so happy it did."

Mark struggled to get The Fighter to audiences. He struggled to make the studio believe this story was worth sharing. He struggled to keep his faith after years of training without knowing if he'd ever use what he learned or not.

Bottom line? He struggled.

And he made it. 

Hard work pays off, folks. If an ex-rapper with swoonworthy abs can make his dreams come true, so can you. 

Now tell me: what makes you keep pushing on in your writing?

Post-NaNo Editing Checklist, Mystery Agent Contest And A Video!

Today I'm over @ Operation Awesome giving out revision tips for all you NaNoers out there. You can check it out here.

Be sure to stay tuned this Wednesday for another Mystery Agent Contest over @ OA!! So pretty please polish those one-line pitches, folks!! Mystery Agent is looking for YA and adult (all genres except for Christian fiction, erotica and picture books). Best of luck!

Also, I really really really wanted to share this. The fabulous Myra McEntire had this on her blog yesterday. It made me laugh. A lot.

I hope you do, too :D

Le video:

Hope ya'll had a great Thanksgiving!!

I Am Thankful For...

1) Jensen Ackles

2) Cookies. Ice cream. Cake. Cheesecake. The works.

3) Shows like Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Supernatural,  The Vampire Diaries, Smallville, and Veronica Mars. Oh, and Fringe and Bones and... Well, a lot of shows...

4) Books like Looking for Alaska by John Green, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen.

5) A brain that comes up with books that will n-e-v-e-r be as great as the aforementioned, but are fun to write nonetheless.

6) People like Katrina and Lindsay, who read said not-as-great books and somehow keep being nice to me.

7) People like you. For reading my randomness. Me hearts you.

Disclaimer: This list has not been compiled in order of importance. Just felt like talking about Jensen Ackles first. Because... you know... he's Jensen Ackles. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Yep. Shiny New Idea = Latest WIP

It's official. Yesterday I sat down, put on the earphones, and did the unthinkable.

Well, it's not so much 'unthinkable' as it is 'unavoidable'.

You see, I am a wuss. Big time. I am afraid of blank Word documents. But I am only afraid of them when I'm expected to write something on them. Like, actual words. That make sense. 

So yesterday I sat down, put on the earphones...

and started a new manuscript.

*le sigh*

I have been outlining this latest baby for about two months (did I mention I'm afraid of blank Word documents??). The outline STILL isn't finished, but I don't care. It was just my excuse to not start writing this sucker. But I have to stop being scared. It's time to write. 

So far, I have 1k. Only 64k more to go :D

What about you? How far along are you with those NaNo WIPs? 

Oh, and quick reminder, today's my day over @ Operation Awesome! I'm talking about why you should keep going when the going sucks. Fun times.

Writer Excuses: Why I'm In Favor Of The 'But I Was Just' Syndrome

Reminder: Join me over @ Operation Awesome's Query Chat with Elana Johnson this Thursday @ 9pm!! 

Now for today's post.

If you write, you know excuses are awesome. Especially when you're on a deadline. 

Some people like to crack the whip on writers who procrastinate. 'Don't leave it for later,' the whip bearer says. 'Just keep writing.'

To that, I say screw it. Excuses can work for the best, you know. 

But the key in using an excuse is to find the right one. 

Take me, for example. I tend to look at myself in the mirror and say, 'you're going to write today.' Out of the corner of my eye, this face flashes on the TV screen:

Or this one:

Or this one:

And I immediately say, 'OMGhessofreakinghot!!!!!!'

Then I say, 'excuse! I have an excuse!'

Then I check my word count, kick myself and say, 'nope. Not a good enough excuse, Amparo. You should be ashamed of yourself. Now wipe that drool off and get to work!'

Unfortunately, good excuses don't have anything to do with hot men. *whimpers* They do, however, have something to do with how you feel. About yourself as a writer in X genre. About the direction your manuscript is taking. About your character's voice. 

To me, anything writing related is a good excuse to stand aside. 

If you keep pushing through the frustration, it will most likely reflect on your manuscript. Remember when Stephenie Meyer got pissed because someone leaked chapters of MIDNIGHT SUN on the Internet, and said if she were to keep writing the story, all the Cullens would've been murdered by James?

Yeah. That's what I mean.

So instead of turning a homicidal vampire on your characters, take a break to think things through. Your story will thank you for it in the end.

Quick quiz, everyone: which excuse is better?

'But I was just checking if Ian's/Channing's/Alexander's abs were still there!'

or

'But I was just brainstorming ways to stop that homicidal vampire from killing the Cullens!'

Think carefully. You will be graded for this! :D

Why Not Writing Every Day Is Okay

Let's face it. Sometimes life gets in the way of your writing goals. I sure as heck know. For my current work in progress, I've been aiming for 2k a day. I have a deadline in mind, mainly because I'm starting my Master's in the fall and want to only work on editing during my classes. So far, I haven't even reached 30k. Pathetic, huh?

Or is it?

Most writers beat themselves up if they skip a writing day. I can understand their determination to get things done, but I also encourage them to have something that's essential to the writing experience.

A life.

Go shopping. Hang out with friends. Jog for five miles. Travel the world. That's what summer's all about--being free to experience something new and exciting. Sure, writing is exciting for most, but so is that life you keep neglecting.

My advice? Write when you can. If that includes every day, so be it. But try to do it in reasonable amounts, i. e. two hours a day. That way, you'll be accomplishing a writing goal and have plenty of "life" time. Trust me, I've beaten myself up for not writing my 2k a day, only to realize the time I spent away from the computer wasn't wasted at all.

Why? 'Cause I was having fun. And as long as it's fun, it's not wasted time.

How about you? Do you berate yourself for not writing every day? Or do you have a more mellow approach for your writing goals?

Go All Out, Or Don't Go At All

I talked about The Big Idea earlier this week. Now I wanna talk about what it takes to tackle The Big Idea.

Balls.

How do writers get them? Why are they so easy to find for some and super tough for others?

*shrugs* Don't ask me.

But I recently read a book in which a character says this: "Go all out, or don't go at all."

Writers. Athletes. Scientists. Everyone has goals, small or big, that they're dying to achieve. 2k a day. A Super Bowl championship ring. The cure for cancer. Doesn't matter what it is, only that it drives us forward.

In a way, I don't think people have balls until they want something. Sure, some leap before they look, but most gather courage after identifying what it is that fulfills them. And I invite you to do the same.

Go all out. Your future will thank you for it. *fist pump*

Now back to that WIP...

Conversation With My Cardboard Villain

For the past few weeks, I've been reeeeeeeeaaaaaally sick. *sigh...*

I've also been talking to the cute-but-deadly villain of my current WIP (Lexie's story). My baddie has agreed to let me post the transcript of our most important conversation, which I hope will help other writers see the many flaws-

(Cardboard Villain interrupts to glare at me. A LOT.).

I mean... Not flaws, exactly... Just... You know...

(Yep. Still glaring. A LOT MORE.)

Okay, so here we go:



Me: "Hello, baddie! How are you today?"

Villain: *yawns* "Bored."

Me: *scratches head* "Bored? Why on earth would you be bored? Isn't plotting world domination supposed to be, like, super fun?"

Villain: *shrugs* "To most villains, I guess. But personally, I'm getting kind of sick of chasing after power all the time."

Me: *stares blankly*

Villain: *rolls eyes* "Listen, I know you're probably brain dead from having to rewrite your erased first draft, but don't you think that you could give me more depth? Don't you think that I should have some sort of purpose in this story? You know, something that explains why I'm a badass?"

Me: *stares blankly while drool slips from corners of mouth*

Villain: "Amparo? You still there?"

Me: ...

Villain: "I knew it. You're brain dead."

Me: "I'm not brain dead! I'm just... just... just..."

Villain: "Predictable?" *grins while winking* "Uninspired?"

Me: ...

Villain: "Why don't you take some time to think about it? My depth, I mean. Who am I, why I'm evil, why getting what I want matters so much... The good stuff. The stuff that sets me apart from all the other villains out there, who are just power hungry because there's no other way to be a villain. Because writers make them that way instead of giving them a story readers will believe. What do you say, Amparo? Wanna make me more than just a cardboard villain or not?"

Me: *nods while removing saliva from jaw* "Yes, baddie. I do."

Villain: Excellent. Now go get me something sharp and shiny to kill that lame ass character I loathe."


END OF TRANSCRIPT.



How about you? What does your villain want from the story? Does he/she think they're awesome? Or do they want a little more meat to those bones?

The Spark (And How I Find It)

So. Rewriting. Fun, right?

...

Anyway, I feel like ranting a bit about my current issue. Not surprisingly, it involves my WIP (oh, how you torture me...). I have the scenes clearly outlined in my head. I know exactly how I want to write the darned thing.

Problem?

The scene doesn't want to come out. It's on strike or something. Or it just likes watching me scream (like my dog...).

A blank Word document stares back at me; a pulsing cursor waits to be manipulated by my fingers. But. Nothing. Happens.

I know who's to blame, of course. The Spark. My Spark. It's gone. And it's not coming back.

Well, it is. You see, The Spark does this to me every time I get to the third act of my novel. It runs away every time things get messy. It stops the flow of words from exiting my head.

Until I do what makes The Spark warm up to me again--read another book.

Not just any book, though. It has to be a book in the same genre as the one I'm writing, otherwise The Spark refuses to come out of hiding. Reading something similar in terms of target audience inspires me, gets me fired up to write, and puts a smile on my face. Especially if the writing is great. The plot has to rock my world, too. And just like that, The Spark returns. No more screaming for me.

I'm pretty sure many writers find their Spark by reading, but this doesn't work for everyone. So tell me, what works for you? Does your Spark run and hide like mine, or is it there until the very end?

If it does, I envy you. Writing can suck out loud with inspiration, and it sucks ten times more without it. Whatever you do, my fellow writer buddie, never let it slip away.