Love List

I LOVE today's Road Trip Wednesday question because it's all about... LOVE!

Inspired by Stephanie Perkins' post on Natalie Whipple's blog, what is your novel's "Love List"?

Isn't Stephanie Perkins the best! Of course she is, she wrote Anna and Lola. (And where is Isla, where is she???) Since I'm in the middle of a major revision on Sway, I thought I'd do my love list about that. So here it is:

beach

second chances

music notes

ocean blue eyes

long flowy gown

Serenade

Bellagio fountain show

ivory piano keys

memories

dancing

best friend

stage

smooth baritone

pool

jalapeno peppers

At This Moment

orchestra

 

And because I'm watching Glee right now and this guy would make the BEST Gage (not the love interest, I might add), he's the last item on my love list:

 



 

What would your novel's love list be? Check out the post above to see what a love list is all about.

The Name Of The Star

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B. of Should Be Reading. Today, I'm getting my teaser from The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson.

Here's the blurb from Goodreads:

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

I am LOVING this book so far. Here's my teaser:

She got up alongside the figure, a smallish person dressed entirely in motorcycle leathers, wearing a helmet. She reached up to the neck to feel for a pulse.

Where the neck was supposed to be, there was a space. (page 3)

What are you reading this week?

Step Away From The Manuscript

This makes me want to crack open all my Calvin and Hobbes books

Step away from the manuscript.

We've all heard that advice, right? When you've finished, put it aside, work on something else, read, hone your craft, heck just live your life, and then come back to the manuscript later. Why? Because you'll have fresh eyes.

Here's something else I've learned that happens when you step away from the manuscript.

I wrote Sway last fall, and then put it aside like a good little author for max a month maybe. Then I did a revision on it before I sent it off to my first reader. When she sent it back, I did another round of revisions and then sent it off to four new readers around January. I wasn't in a rush with Sway and told them so. I've now gotten back all four rounds of notes, and realize I've got some major changes to make, so right now, I'm just reading through the MS and jotting down notes without making through-the-MS changes yet.

So here's what I've learned (I'm getting to it, I swear): When I finish a first draft, there's this high that comes. Like, "I'm awesome, I finished another MS, look at me go, oh yeah, oh yeah." I also get this feeling of, "this MS is AWESOME!" When I revised Sway after only a month, I was still on that high. Still amazed with my own awesomeness. Still feeling like the MS was near-perfect.

I know, I know, don't laugh, but it's true. I get blinded by the fact that I've finished another MS, and I mistakenly think that the manuscript itself is genius.

Six months later I'm painfully aware that IT'S NOT.

That feeling of awesomeness is a great thing, and I wouldn't take it away- it doesn't last long. But it's important for me to step away from the manuscript long enough so not only do I have fresh eyes, but I no longer have blind manuscript-infatuation. Long enough that just finishing isn't enough anymore, but making it the BEST it can be is what matters.

Highlights from WriteOnCon

Did you go to WriteOnCon? Did you??? If not, WHY?

Seriously, this is one of the best writer's conferences ever. Especially for someone like me who would have to travel long distances to get to a real conference. And pay tons 'o the cash. You can participate in this conference in your jammies, eating boxes of cheetos, with crisco greasy hair, and NO ONE will judge you. Except maybe yourself. (I might have only done two out of those three things.)

If you missed it, you can still go here to catch up. Read the articles and chats, watch the vlogs, go critique something in the forums.

Some of the highlights according to Melanie:

They did this whole Revision Toolbox thing, with authors giving different tips on how to revise. I won't implement all of them, but I learned a few ways that I think will work well for me and will help with my revisions (something I NEED right now). I especially loved Katherine Longshore's colorful note cards, and Talia Vance's Revision Checklist.

There were multiple chats with agents and editors who all said what they're looking for right now. (MG, MG, MG. Too bad I don't write MG!) And what they're sick of seeing. (Sorry Paranormal people.) It's such a great way to find out what's hot, and what's not, and to maybe find an agent who wants what you've got. (Did that just rhyme?)

The 5 biggest pet peeves of book bloggers. Oh my word, do I do three of them??? (I do one for sure and am dangerously close to two others.)

Molly O'Neill did a beautiful post on the importance of craft. I can't even describe it, you have to go read it.

Meredith Barnes did a vlog on social media. One thing I found VERY interesting was that she said we should blog, but NOT about writing. Huh? Isn't that what we all do? Anyway, it got me to thinking, and I decided to dedicate one post a week to something that I love besides writing.

There was so much great stuff, these are the only things I remember off the top of my (very-full) head. What did you love about WriteOnCon this year?

Sports Books? Really?

Today's Road Trip Wednesday question is...

In honor of the end of the Olympics, share your favorite sports book!

Does Hunger Games count? No, it doesn't? What about Harry Potter and the whole Quidditch bits? No? Okay, hmmm... I've searched my shelves and I don't see one book about any sport. NOT. ONE.

Looking back on the books I've read, there is only one in the past year and a half that had a sports theme. ONE. Clearly, I'm not into sports books, which is kinda weird because I'm a sucker for movies about sports- even the ones with the cheesy endings where the underdog pulls ahead and wins the championship game. Especially those ones! I cry ugly tears every time.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally. The female protag is the quarterback of the (very male) football team. I LOVED this book! I breezed through it because it was such a great read. Jordan was totally identifiable as a female football player, how she's just one of the guys and yet she starts crushing on the guy who's threatening to take over her position. What I loved most about it though, was that Miranda didn't take the book in the obvious route. She throws a twist in there that you sort of see coming while reading, but you don't know it's there just based on the book blurb. I loved the ending and I'm definitely looking forward to her next book.

So, since I'm not exactly a wealth of info on sports books, anyone have any recs?

WriteOnCon

WriteOnCon is back!!!!!!!!!

Just posting to say that I'll be MIA for the next few days because, well for one I'm out of town, and for two, any sec I can get on the computer, I'm gonna be WriteOnCon-ning it up!!!

Seriously, it's the best online writers conference EV-AH, so if you've never "attended," then you should head over here to check it out.

Maybe I'll "see" you there. Okay, enough with the quotations.

Thoughts On Reduxes

I have a brother-in-law who hates the fact that old movies keep being remade. Never mind the fact that we all went to the new Total Recall last weekend. He thinks people should come up with their own brand new ideas instead of redoing old ones.

The thing is... nothing is a new idea, not really. I can't remember which author said, there are no new stories, just new ways of spinning old stories (obviously not a direct quote). No matter what, the thing you're writing or reading has already been done. Say you're writing a spy story. Maybe you have a rogue agent. Or a double agent. Maybe one of your characters appears good but turns out bad or the other way around. Your spy probably has some amazing gadgets. The setting is most likely amazing locations around the world.

Think these spies are the same?

Sound familiar? I've described every spy movie or book I've ever read. But they are all different. I wouldn't compare The Gallagher Girls with Mission Impossible. I wouldn't compare Spooks with Get Smart. Even though their bare bones are the SAME, the stories are different, the characters are different, the feel is different.

Of course, then there's the people who actually redo old stories. Like me. Why do we do this? When I first had the idea to do a Persuasion redux I balked. Not just because I was worried if I could pull it off (too close to the story? too way out there away from the original?). I remember thinking to myself that I should write something my own. Like, can't I come up with my own ideas?

I think we redo old favorites because they are just that- favorites. They are stories we LOVE. Stories that evoke major emotions within us. Stories we feel close to, like an old friend. For me, I was fascinated by putting Persuasion into the modern world. How would it change? How would it stay the same? Would the story really be much different nowadays than in Jane Austen's time?
Maybe I just feel the need to defend myself. Especially since my WIP is also a redux, although I'm going much further afield from the original. But I don't see the problem in remaking movies or reduxing books. (Provided the author has already passed on. Don't get me started on publishing fanfic.) When I hear of a redux of a book I loved, guess what? I'm first in line to buy it. Because I know that I will feel a connection to it at the very least, and at most, I will LOVE it like I LOVED the original.

What are your thoughts on reduxes?

The Soundtrack of My Summer

Be Your Everything

It's Road Trip Wednesday Time again, hosted by the awesome YA Highway. This week's topic:

What music has been your summer soundtrack?

Music! One of my favorite things, ev-ah. Seriously, couldn't live without it. I'm gonna have to restrain myself from sharing too many songs.

This summer, it's been all about my fave band who are finally putting out a new album. That's right, Boys Like Girls. Said new album doesn't come out till the fall, but they released three songs on an EP that I've been gulping up like crazy. My fave is the one up top (can't wait for the release of the actual music video for this song but the lyric video is pretty awesome too), and the other two are here below performed live and acoustic.

Life of the Party



The First Time

Another new singer I just discovered this summer is Ed Sheeran. He has got some amazing music, very honest lyrics, and his voice sounds like butter in my ears. His song, The A-Team is on the radio right now, but a song of his that I've been replaying over and over is called Kiss Me. If you need inspiration for a kissing scene in your writing, or heck just some background music- this is THE song.

What songs have you loved this summer?

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Right now I'm reading Incarnate by Jodi Meadows. Here's my teaser:

Shivers crawled up my spine when he said my name. And what a name. When I'd gotten the nerve to ask Li why they chose that, she said it was part of an old word that meant "alone" or "empty." It was also part of Ciana's name, symbolizing what I'd taken from her. It meant I was a nosoul. (page 26)

What are you reading right now?

Why Twitter Can Be Awesome

I'm a newbie Tweeter. I joined up in May and I still feel like I'm new to the whole Twitter party. And I definitely think Twitter can be a major time waster, like anything else online.

HOWEVER.

Here's why I think Twitter can actually be pretty awesome for writers:

1. You meet and interact with a whole new set of writers. I've met a ton of great writers through blogging, but there are even more in the Twitterverse. Some just want to spam you with mentions of their book every two seconds, but others are in the same boat you are: querying, writing, on sub, revising, whatever. It's always nice to hear of other people who are going through the exact same things you are.

2. You can interact with authors. This is one of the coolest things ever. I've had tweets back from Myra McEntire (author of Hourglass and Timepiece), Simone Elkeles (author of the Perfect Chemistry trilogy), Miranda Kenneally (author of Catching Jordan), and Julie Kagawa (author of The Immortal Rules and The Iron Fey books). And those are just the ones I can remember right now. Yes, it's usually just a, "thanks for reading," or "I'm glad you enjoyed the book," but STILL. It's AWESOME. It's like being tweeted back by somebody famous. I get all fangirly and have to restrain  myself from tweeting back, I LOVE YOU, YOU ARE AWESOME, I LOVE YOU!!!

3. You can interact with agents. Oh yes, the Gods of the Twitterverse (to us writers, anyway). The ones you want to tweet but you don't want to seem stalkerish, or suck-uppy, or idiotic. It gives you an inside view on what they like and don't like, and what they're like as a person. Sometimes they tweet about how busy they are, or that they've gone through their slush pile, or that they're loving an MS, so if you've queried them... well, let's be honest, it kinda just makes you all twitchy, but it still helps to know if they're busy or at a conference and so probably haven't gotten around to your query or MS yet.

4. Regularly on twitter are different chats, like kidlitchat, yalitchat, chicklitchat. Agents also hold "ask agent" sessions where you can get an answer straight from an agents mouth (or, er, keyboard). You also hear about contests, pitch sessions, cover reveals, book release dates, etc. And agents and editors often post tips on writing and querying.

5. *lowers voice to whisper*   There are rumors, Twitter legends if you will, of agents actually requesting manuscripts from writers based on something they've seen on Twitter. Not just from Twitter pitches either. This hasn't happened to me, but I've heard that it's true...

I write this post because I, myself balked at joining Twitter. I really only did it because of The Writers Voice competition. But since then, I've learned the value of being a writer on Twitter. If you haven't joined, think about it.

Best Book of July

Today's Road Trip Wednesday question asks:

What was the best book you read in July?

I've read some great books this month. Wait, do I start every best book of the month with that same phrase? (I bet I do.) Anyway, I really have read some great books:

There was a werewolf book (Nightshade), a contemp (Catching Jordan), a contemp/timeslip (Timepiece), a paranormal with witches/demons/werewolves/faeries (Hex Hall and Demonglass), and a vampire/zombie/post-apoc book (The Immortal Rules).

I don't think I can pick. Nightshade was incredibly sexy. I loved the story in Catching Jordan about a girl quarterback falling for the boy who threatens to take over her position. I also loved how it didn't go the way you thought it would at first. The Immortal Rules captured me from the start and I couldn't put it down, even though post-apoc and zombies aren't my cup of tea. In Timepiece I loved Kaleb's voice, the southern setting, and all things time travel. The book was exciting and funny and romantic all in one- everything I look for in a book.

And then there's Hex Hall and Demonglass. Okay, I'll say it. They're my faves for the month. Why? The VOICE. I feel there are some similarities between the MC's voice and my own MC Jessica. So naturally I feel an attachment. There were little bits on every page that made me laugh. The books are filled with mystery, there are twists at the end of both, and the characters really stick. I loved these books and I can't wait to get my hands on the third.

What was the best book you read this month?

Teaser Tuesday

I was absent yesterday because I had a sudden driving errand to do. Not in a Ryan Gosling, crazy, dangerous way. I met my mom halfway to her house (an hour and half drive one way) to drop off my oldest daughter who she's going to keep for the next couple weeks.

Wow, that was a boring story. Maybe I should've gone for the Ryan Gosling way.

Anyway, I'm back today for Teaser Tuesday hosted by Miz B. This week's teaser is from DemonGlass by Rachel Hawkins, a book I am LOVING. If you haven't read Hex Hall, you've got to get on that now. The voice, oh my heck, the VOICE. So. Good. Anyway, here's the teaser:

"You hoped I'd commit mirrorcide?"

He laughed, but it sounded a little breathless. "No, I'd hoped to see just how powerful you really are." His eyes were bright, and there was something that might have been pride in them. "You exceeded my expectations."

"Well, yay," I said. "So glad my skill at blowing crap up impresses you, Dad." (page 153)

What are you reading right now?

Gah! Querying

I've been spending all morning trying to come up with something to blog about today. To tell you the truth- I got nothing. My mind has been totally taken up with querying.

It's been a long time since I've actually queried. Last fall to be exact. It was last August that I got my first two full requests. One I heard back on almost immediately- a very nice pass. A month later, I won a pitch contest and sent out a partial. That partial also got a pass but with some very helpful crits on some things that could be tightened in the MS. With that one full still out there, my plan was to wait until I heard back from that agent. I hoped that if it was a no, she'd have some comments also, then I'd go back to the MS and revise.

December hit and I still hadn't heard so I nudged. She had never received the full! Aaahhhh!!!! That's how I felt anyhow. (So if you're ever wondering if you should nudge, here's proof why it's a good idea.) So I sent it off again. In the meantime, I'd written a new MS and was busy with that so the waiting wasn't so bad. Then came February and a contest. I entered- another full request. March- another contest, another full request. Then of course May and The Writer's Voice. Two partial requests. When the Xmas in July contest hit, I decided if I made it in, it was time to revise. So I did- finally.

I've since heard back from some of those subs, not all. But I've made the decision to get back into those query trenches. I'm not gonna lie, I'm starting to despair a little over this story that I love so much. But I need a few more rejections (I can't believe I'm saying that!) before I decide it's just not gonna make it out into the world and I shelve it for good. Really, I haven't actually queried it with my sparkly query all that much. So even though it's been awhile, I'm giving it a chance. After that, I've got another MS waiting in the wings.

So, querying. This post isn't advice. It doesn't tell you how to survive. It doesn't tell you what to do or what not to do. It's probably not useful to anyone but me- a chance to unload the stress that is crowding up my brain. If you've been in the query trenches, you'll know what I'm talking about.

So what about you? Any of you querying out there? How's it going?

Reincarnate Me

This week's Road Trip Wednesday asks:

If you could be reincarnated as any fictional character, which would it be?

 

Do I have to pick just one? Because you know I'm not gonna. I've got a whole list!

1. Hermione Granger

I'm guessing a lot of people might pick Hermione. I mean, come on. She's smart, she's brave, she's strong, she's a freaking good witch. Harry wouldn't have made it so far without her. Besides, she gets to punch Draco Malfoy in the face. Heck, I want to be reincarnated into this world so bad, I'd be Dobby if I had to. (Okay, not Dobby since he dies.)

2. Elizabeth Bennett

Also an obvious choice, but when you're an Austen-lover like me, how could I not choose her? Lizzie Bennett is witty and fun, she's got great comebacks and fine eyes. She may not be the richest or the prettiest, but she gets Darcy in the end.

3. Bella Swan

Don't groan at me. Who wouldn't want a rich, hot, sparkly boyfriend who is crazy in love with them, even if part of that crazy is, well, vampirism. And a best friend with abs like Jacob's? So, yeah, I wouldn't exactly be excited about the drinking blood thing, but other than that... sign me up!

4. Anna from Anna and the French Kiss

First of all, does this girl have a last name? Anyway, I remember when I started reading Anna, I had the thought of, why is this girl complaining? She's doing her senior year in PARIS. I mean, sheesh. That right there is enough to want to be reincarnated into her. Add in a hot British guy (St. Clair) and I'm in.

What fictional character would you want to be reincarnated into?

Teaser Tuesday

Today's teaser is from The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (author of the Iron Fey trilogy). I just started this book last and night so far, so so good. It's like a vampire twist on a zombie/post-apoc novel. Or like what life would be like if the Cullen's went crazy and took over the world. Haha. Anyway, here's my teaser:

LOVE this cover!

Beyond the Wall, the night belonged to the rabids. No sane person went over the Wall, and those who tried were either gunned down or blown to bits in the kill zone.

Which was why I planned to go beneath. (page 29)

And completely unrelated, a blog post of mine from last year has been nominated for The Most Fascinating Blog of 2012 in the Creative Writing category. No way, right?! You can vote for me but I couldn't get the voting badge's URL to paste for some reason. Oh well anyway.

Wanted: A Boy Who Doesn't Read

Confession. I have a reader pet-peeve. Here it is:

The male love interest who reads.

Before anyone goes all nerd-tastic on me, let me explain.

I've read a lot of YA books where the guy the female MC is crushing on is a reader. He doesn't watch TV, he doesn't play video games, he's not even out playing basketball or skateboarding or something. No, he can be found lounging on his bed, reading.

And we're not talking comic books or even the latest John Grisham. Usually, these brainy yet brawny, sensitive yet cocky boys are reading classics or poetry or some obscure author I've never heard of.

Here's my theory: Us female authors think a boy like that is S-E-X-Y. I'm not gonna lie, it's a huge turn-on when a guy reads (teenage boys, take note).

Here's why it's a pet peeve: It's not realistic. I can't think of one guy I knew in high school who read for pleasure. Even now, thinking of my adult friends and family, I don't come up with many. My husband only started reading because I put Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on the back of the toilet. (No joke.)

Of course, there are guys in real life who read. And maybe someone out there will say, "hey, all my guy friends read for fun." Okay then, I believe you.

But I can also argue back with the very vague, yet very true, "we all know girls read way more than boys do."

Really, this isn't a big deal. I don't stop reading a book when the male hottie is caught reading Camus. At most, I roll my eyes while thinking, not again. It's a pet peeve because it doesn't seem all that realistic to me and I've seen it in A LOT of books.

Then again, did you know there's a tumblr just for pics of hot guys reading books? Oh yes, there really is.

Distraction

I'm not gonna lie, the world is freaking me out a little today. All the hate and the awfulness and the killing of other people... it's majorly bumming me out. Why can't we all just get along??? Why can't we just Love One Another?

I don't know about you, but I need a distraction.

Nothing says distraction better than Stefan and Damon Salvatore.

Watch this and have a great weekend.

Gotta Get Some Hot Pics, Babyyyy

Here's this week's Road Trip Wednesday question hosted by YA Highway:

When you need creative inspiration, where do you go?

 

This is so funny because this past weekend I've been giving Daze another edit. You'd think I wouldn't need inspiration at this point, right?

Wrong.

Much of last night was spent staring at this (don't laugh):

Gee, my job is tough. Haha.

I didn't actually base my character of Lord Alric on Alex Pettyfer. It was probably a year or more after I'd finished my first draft that I discovered him and realized he'd be the perfect Alric. Perfect face, perfect hair, perfect eyes. Perfect entire look. And I think he'd play the part perfectly. Oh, and he's a Brit. Hey, Alex, in a few years, expect my call.

Just kidding, I won't call you. Maybe.

Now I've got that song in my head.

Anyway... why was I staring at this picture all night you ask?

Really, you have to ask?

Okay, my major crush on Alex aside, there were a couple different scenes I was trying to fix. I have a tendency to make my characters reactions be in their face, so I was trying to change that, and trying to imagine what my character would do if she was the one staring at the guy. Let me tell you, it worked.

Oh, and because I said PICS-plural, I also stared at these two as well, each for different scenes:



But wait. I haven't even answered YA Highway's question. Where do I go for inspiration? Well, duh. I go to my computer and I look up pictures. Very pretty pictures.

Oh yeah, the other place I go? My iTunes playlist. Music is major inspiration for me. Like this song which I played over and over again last night:

No, my MS doesn't take place during the Regency period, but this song sounds just right for a certain scene.

Honestly, I could keep going. Share tons of pics and songs that have inspired me, but I think you get the idea.

So where do you go to find inspiration?

Teaser Tuesday

Well, I'm kinda sad I haven't had the time to read this book lately. I read the first couple chapters on Friday, I think? I haven't picked it up since and trust me, it's not because I don't want to. I've been busy with my crazy revisions- I have only one more day (and more than 100 pages) to finish them.

Here's my teaser anyway, from Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be spending my free time reading:

I raised my hands and thought up the nastiest spell I possible could- one involving pus and bad breath and severe genital dysfunctions.

And nothing happened. (page 20)

If You've Heard It Once... You Probably Need To Hear It Again

If you're a writer, and you've done your research, been around the blogosphere, and studied your craft, you've probably heard these bits of advice at least a bazillion times.

Well, I'm here to say shout testify that these things work. Yes they do! Can I get an AMEN?! Anyway, here they are:

#1: Revise revise revise!

When I finished my first draft of Daze, I had this split second thought of, okay I'm done, it's perfect. And then I sort of laughed to myself and thought, c'mon Mel, it needs to be revised once.



*cue maniacal laughter*

I've revised Daze so many times since then I've lost count. I'm sure there's a point when you can revise too much, but I haven't reached that point. Every time I go back to it I find things that can be fixed or altered- sometimes just words or sentences. I usually find things to cut. I'm going through it right now and trying to insert more voice. No matter what, you can always make your work better.

#2: Put your MS aside

This goes along with #1. I haven't looked at Daze for almost a year. I've had a few requests that I'm still waiting on and I haven't wanted to mess with it while it's out in agent-land. Coming back to it has been like greeting an old friend. It's very familiar, and yet fresh at the same time. I'm reading it again with a whole new perspective. I'm seeing things I didn't before. Set it aside for awhile- longer than a month- and then go back and see what new things you find.

#3: Practice makes... well, if not perfect, then better

You've revised, you've put your MS aside, now start something new. I know, I know, we hear that ALL the time. But it's true- practice makes perfect. Okay, our writing will never be perfect. But it will get a WHOLE lot better. Trust me. And then, after you've written a new MS and you go back to revise the old, you'll see the mistakes you used to make that hopefully you don't make anymore.

You've heard this all a million times. I know I have. But this past weekend of revising Daze yet again has just reminded me how important these pieces of writing advice are, how TRUE they are.