Okay, so I always attend some professional development before school starts. Last week, I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Craig Manning. He was a professional tennis player in Australia, and he's now a performance psychologist and works with Olympic athletes.
He said that when artists and athletes allow doubt into their minds, that's when they can't perform. It rang true to me at the moment, and I still believe it's true. If I sit down to write and find that everything I've done feels like garbage, that's because I'm doubting myself. My ability to craft a story with an arc, my desire to create three-dimensional characters, even things on the line level.
So how does one get over this doubt?
Craig said something that made sense to me. He said that when he was coaching girl's tennis at BYU, and the match wasn't going well, he'd go out on the court and instead of focusing on all the things the player had done wrong (which they were already obsessing over!), he told them to tell him three things they were doing well.
Three things.
And if they muttered about it, he'd say, "Name three things, or I'm forfeiting the match." (And he has a cool Australian accent, so imagine this threat in that.)
So that's something I've started doing in my writing. If I feel like nothing's going right, and every word on the page should be deleted, I stop. I focus on three things I do well, and use those things to drive the doubt away.
Because I don't want to forfeit the match.
Do you experience doubt? How do you overcome it?
Find Me Online
Friday, August 31, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Waiting On Wednesday
It seems like no matter how many awesome books I read, there are more and more and MORE to look forward to! Here are some that have caught my eye.
CREWEL by Gennifer Albin. I admit, I have this ARC and I just need to find a moment to devour it.
What a tangled world she weaves...
For generations, Spinsters have been called by Arras’s Manipulation Services to work the looms and determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die. Gifted with the rare ability to weave time with matter, Adelice is exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But once you become a Spinster, there is no turning back. Now caught in a web of lies and intrigue, Adelice must decide who to trust: her kind mentor, Enora; the handsome and mysterious valet Jost; or the charismatic Guild ambassador Cormac Patton. They each have secrets, but Adelice is about to unravel the deadliest one of all, a sinister truth that could destroy reality as she knows it.
Releases October 16!
ASHEN WINTER by Mike Mullin. Again, this ARC is sitting on my table, mocking me. Why does teaching elementary school take so much time??
It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.
Comes out October 16!
TEN by Gretchen McNeil. I am terrified of horror, and I can't wait to read this!
In this horror novel loosely inspired by Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," 10 teens head to a house party at a remote island mansion off the Washington coast . . . only for them to be picked off one by one by a killer.
Comes out September 18.
BAD HAIR DAY by Carrie Harris. I loved BAD TASTE IN BOYS, and I really admire someone who can combine humor with werewolves. So yeah. Can't wait!
Kate Grable is geeked out to shadow the county medical examiner as part of her school's premed program. But after he's arrested for murder, she's left with the bodies. And when Kate's brother, Jonah, stumbles upon a dead gamer girl, Kate realizes that the zombie epidemic she cured last fall was only the beginning of the weirdness taking over her town. Someone—or something—is murdering kids. Something really hairy. And strong. Possibly with claws.
Could it be werewolves, like Jonah and his dorktastic friends think? Kate's supposed to be a butt-kicking, zombie-killing genius . . . but if she can't figure out what's behind the freakish attacks, the victims—or what's left of them—are going to keep piling up.
Comes out November 13.
HYSTERIA by Megan Miranda. I loved FRACTURE, and though this isn't the sequel, I can't wait to read it.
Mallory's life is falling apart. Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear . . .
When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips. Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?
And we have to wait all the way to February 5, 2013 to read it!
What are you waiting for?
What a tangled world she weaves...
For generations, Spinsters have been called by Arras’s Manipulation Services to work the looms and determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die. Gifted with the rare ability to weave time with matter, Adelice is exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But once you become a Spinster, there is no turning back. Now caught in a web of lies and intrigue, Adelice must decide who to trust: her kind mentor, Enora; the handsome and mysterious valet Jost; or the charismatic Guild ambassador Cormac Patton. They each have secrets, but Adelice is about to unravel the deadliest one of all, a sinister truth that could destroy reality as she knows it.
Releases October 16!
It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.
Comes out October 16!
In this horror novel loosely inspired by Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," 10 teens head to a house party at a remote island mansion off the Washington coast . . . only for them to be picked off one by one by a killer.
Comes out September 18.
Kate Grable is geeked out to shadow the county medical examiner as part of her school's premed program. But after he's arrested for murder, she's left with the bodies. And when Kate's brother, Jonah, stumbles upon a dead gamer girl, Kate realizes that the zombie epidemic she cured last fall was only the beginning of the weirdness taking over her town. Someone—or something—is murdering kids. Something really hairy. And strong. Possibly with claws.
Could it be werewolves, like Jonah and his dorktastic friends think? Kate's supposed to be a butt-kicking, zombie-killing genius . . . but if she can't figure out what's behind the freakish attacks, the victims—or what's left of them—are going to keep piling up.
Comes out November 13.
Mallory's life is falling apart. Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear . . .
When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips. Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?
And we have to wait all the way to February 5, 2013 to read it!
What are you waiting for?
Monday, August 27, 2012
Announcements!
Okay, so I've renamed and re-released my short story, what was once called INSIDER INFORMATION.
It's now called RESIST, and here's the new cover, with the new blurb.
About RESIST: Zenn Bower has spent his life falling in love with Violet Schoenfeld. After he turned twelve, he learned his father was part of an underground revolution called the Resistance, a group of free-thinking citizens fighting against the mind controlling governement. He joined, putting his considerable talents to use: lying, flying, and voice control.
It's now called RESIST, and here's the new cover, with the new blurb.
He wishes life inside the Resistance could be easy. He yearns to tell Vi what he's doing in the middle of the night. He wants cocky leader of the Resistance Jag Barque to back off.
Zenn runs a mission with Blaze, Jag's older brother, to Freedom. It's a simple get in, get out procedure. But things go wrong when Blaze breaks protocol and Zenn uses his voice to detain him. Zenn's met by Thane Meyers at the drop location, and he has an interesting proposal for Zenn.
Ultimately Zenn has to choose: Violet or the Resistance.
This 20-page short story takes place before events in the full-length novel, POSSESSION, and provides insider information into the Resistance, as well as Vi and Zenn's stormy relationship.
RESIST is just as FREE as ever, and you can download it here or here, as well as read it online here.
Also, you may have noticed me tweeting about Entangled authors a lot lately. That's because I've joined them as a junior publicist!
I've loved organizing events and blog tours for myself, and it seemed a natural fit for me to continue in that vein with other authors. I'm certainly learning a lot, and this new venture into the marketing side of publishing flexes a different muscle than writing--and I like it!
I'm back to teaching now, and that means back to blogging! I've enjoyed my break, but now I'm back!
Fill me in on EVERYTHING I missed!
RESIST is just as FREE as ever, and you can download it here or here, as well as read it online here.
Also, you may have noticed me tweeting about Entangled authors a lot lately. That's because I've joined them as a junior publicist!
I'm back to teaching now, and that means back to blogging! I've enjoyed my break, but now I'm back!
Fill me in on EVERYTHING I missed!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Thoughts About How We Talk About Books
Okay, so I'm getting back into the land of the living. Sort of. Not really, since I'm back at work now. But hey, I just traded WriteOnCon for keyboarding instruction, except for the WOC attendees are so appreciative! (Thank you to all who came and participated!)
Anyway, today I wanted to talk about recommending books. First, several months ago, my friend Beth Revis did a post on the subjectivity of books. If you haven't read that, you should.
Second, I want to add to her post a little bit. She says that for all the things we might love, there's a lot of people who don't like them at all. She's right. (I might be the puppy-hater mentioned in her post...) It goes for books too.
But I want to extend it to the way we talk about books with others, either online or in person. Whenever someone asks me if I liked a book I didn't particularly love, I tell them they should try it. Because, really, not everyone is going to dislike what I dislike. Just not everyone likes what I like.
I think it's fine to rate books, and discuss them, and leave reviews (good or bad). In fact, as an author, I highly recommend doing just that!
But I think it's dangerous to tell people not to buy a book because you, personally, don't think it's good. I think there's a better way to talk about books, either online or in person, perhaps by saying what you didn't like, specifically, about the book. Then the reader considering a particular title can decide for themselves if those things turn them off too.
I think it's more beneficial to encourage readers to read books and add their opinion to the discussion.
What do you think?
Anyway, today I wanted to talk about recommending books. First, several months ago, my friend Beth Revis did a post on the subjectivity of books. If you haven't read that, you should.
Second, I want to add to her post a little bit. She says that for all the things we might love, there's a lot of people who don't like them at all. She's right. (I might be the puppy-hater mentioned in her post...) It goes for books too.
But I want to extend it to the way we talk about books with others, either online or in person. Whenever someone asks me if I liked a book I didn't particularly love, I tell them they should try it. Because, really, not everyone is going to dislike what I dislike. Just not everyone likes what I like.
I think it's fine to rate books, and discuss them, and leave reviews (good or bad). In fact, as an author, I highly recommend doing just that!
But I think it's dangerous to tell people not to buy a book because you, personally, don't think it's good. I think there's a better way to talk about books, either online or in person, perhaps by saying what you didn't like, specifically, about the book. Then the reader considering a particular title can decide for themselves if those things turn them off too.
I think it's more beneficial to encourage readers to read books and add their opinion to the discussion.
What do you think?
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Inspirational Message of a Lifetime
Okay, so I've been busy with WriteOnCon for the past several days (weeks, months, whatever -- what day is it today?). If there's only one thing you read from WOC, let it be this, this amazing article on "the invisible, essential thing" by editor Molly O'Neill.
There are so many parts of Molly's article that resonated with me, mostly because I have experienced what she's talking about first hand.
I could quote the whole thing, but I won't. Just go read it. Comment over there. Allow yourself to be inspired.
And if you're a writer and not on the WriteOnCon forums, you're really missing out! Go forth and join!
There are so many parts of Molly's article that resonated with me, mostly because I have experienced what she's talking about first hand.
I could quote the whole thing, but I won't. Just go read it. Comment over there. Allow yourself to be inspired.
And if you're a writer and not on the WriteOnCon forums, you're really missing out! Go forth and join!
Monday, August 13, 2012
WriteOnCon is Tomorrow!
WriteOnCon officially starts tomorrow! The full schedule is here. The submission schedule for the forum is here.
And we've got you all here in this amazing Welcome Back video. A huge thank you to all the agents, editors, authors, and participants who sent in pictures!
Ahhh! It's here! It's really here! Hope you'll join me at WriteOnCon this year!
And we've got you all here in this amazing Welcome Back video. A huge thank you to all the agents, editors, authors, and participants who sent in pictures!
Ahhh! It's here! It's really here! Hope you'll join me at WriteOnCon this year!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Late Bloomer Online Guest Post
Take it away, Elana!
----------
Okay, so one of the most frequently asked questions I've received is this: Will ABANDON end? You know, like, will I know where everyone is, and what they're doing, and that they're safe?
These questions are usually accompanied by great fear, and people clutching their chests. Ha!
And the answer is fairly simple: Yes. I know Possession and Surrender didn't "end" the way people perhaps wanted them to. We don't know where some people are, and we're worried about others.
But I think ABANDON ends. Like, ENDS. You will know where everyone is, and you will be able to decide if you think they'll be safe and happy. It is a war, though, so I don't want you to think everyone is going to come out unscathed. I mean, it's a war.
There are some new characters to love, and one of those is Saffediene. She's Zenn's first recruit, and they get paired up on the prime traveling team. We get to see how they're fighting against the Association as they fly to various cities and implement their war tactics. One of my favorite cities (which I've discussed in a couple of previous posts on this scavenger hunt) is Cedar Hills.
I think what happens in Cedar Hills is a crucial turning point for both Saffediene and Zenn, and a moment when they both realize that hey, this really is a fight to the death -- and neither is sure how it will really end.
Today's scavenger hunt can begin here! Somewhere on this map of the Association is the winning city. I've mentioned here in this post, and you can find references to it in all of today's posts. (See complete blog tour here.)
When you know today's scavenger hunt city, enter it in this form for a chance to win one of six Possession series paperback packages and a $50 Amazon gift card!
Continue the scavenger hunt at Manga Maniac Cafe, where Julie has an exclusive excerpt from Zenn--and another clue for today's city!
As if that weren't enough, there will be a daily winner of Possession series swag! Enter in the Rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you get lost, you can always go to Elana's blog to find your place. Happy hunting!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Book Junkie Scavenger Hunt Post
Take it away, Elana!
----------
Okay, so yesterday we spotlighted Zenn Bower, one of the narrators of ABANDON. He's had a long journey from Possession--and even before that in RESIST.
But today, we're talking about Jag Barque. We first meet him in prison, and he spends a large part of Possession with Vi, first leading her through his hometown of the Badlands. He's less-than-forthcoming with the information, but as the saga progresses, readers learn in the short story REGRET, through Jag's previous girlfriend, that he's the leader of the Resistance.
Until he meets Vi, of course. Then everything changes, and Jag finds himself working with a new urgency to bring freedom to his countrymen.
Writing from Jag's point of view felt effortless to me. He's emotional, so it's okay for him to cry. He's hot-tempered, so it's okay for him to freak out and fly off. He's smart, and he's quick, and his voice has been in my head for a long, long time.
Who better to narrate the third and final book in a battle for freedom, but the person who's been fighting on the front lines?
That person is Jag Barque. Sometimes I find him utterly calculating, and other times he's a complete mess. But he knows what he wants, and he's willing to give everything he has to win.
I hope readers will follow him and Zenn in ABANDON as they work together--though in very different ways--to achieve their ultimate goal.
Today's scavenger hunt can begin here! Somewhere on this map of the Association is the winning city. I've mentioned here in this post, and you can find references to it in all of today's posts. (See complete blog tour here.)
When you know today's scavenger hunt city, enter it in this form for a chance to win one of six Possession series paperback packages and a $50 Amazon gift card!
Continue the scavenger hunt at Stacy Clafin's blog, where she has an exclusive excerpt from Indy, Jag's former girlfriend--and another clue for today's city!
As if that weren't enough, there will be a daily winner of Possession series swag! Enter in the Rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you get lost, you can always go to Elana's blog to find your place. Happy hunting!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Yes, There Will Be a Book 3!
We interrupt this blogging break to say: THERE WILL BE ANOTHER POSSESSION NOVEL.
That's right.
Here's the deal from Publisher's Marketplace: Elana Johnson's ABANDON, the third book in the dystopian series that also includes POSSESSION and SURRENDER, again to Anica Rissi at Simon Pulse, for publication in Summer 2013, by Michelle Andelman at Regal Literary.
I cannot tell you the relief and joy associated with this news.
A couple of things about ABANDON:
1. Same story world as both POSSESSION and SURRENDER.
2. Narrated by two new characters. Okay, not new. Two characters you've seen in both POSSESSION and SURRENDER. So who could that be? Who's in both the first and second books? Hmm...
3. This is book three, people. It's a war. With kissing.
4. It will be published next summer, in a simultaneous hardcover and paperback release.
5. I love Book 3. Hopefully you will too! I can't wait to see what will be on the cover. Like, literally, I can't even imagine what it might look like. *bounces with excitement*
So let's celebrate!!
That's right.
Here's the deal from Publisher's Marketplace: Elana Johnson's ABANDON, the third book in the dystopian series that also includes POSSESSION and SURRENDER, again to Anica Rissi at Simon Pulse, for publication in Summer 2013, by Michelle Andelman at Regal Literary.
I cannot tell you the relief and joy associated with this news.
A couple of things about ABANDON:
1. Same story world as both POSSESSION and SURRENDER.
2. Narrated by two new characters. Okay, not new. Two characters you've seen in both POSSESSION and SURRENDER. So who could that be? Who's in both the first and second books? Hmm...
3. This is book three, people. It's a war. With kissing.
4. It will be published next summer, in a simultaneous hardcover and paperback release.
5. I love Book 3. Hopefully you will too! I can't wait to see what will be on the cover. Like, literally, I can't even imagine what it might look like. *bounces with excitement*
So let's celebrate!!
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