Inside Elana: Writing

Okay, so I've decided to dedicate a few posts in the near future to, well, me. But not really me. But I'm going to let you inside my writing cave so you can see how I write, revise, edit, blog, whatever.

Now, every person's process is different. What works for me will most likely not work for you (I mean, seriously. What I do should only be attempted by professional stunt men). But I think maybe you'll see something I do that you might want to try, or that you do too. Or maybe not. I guess we'll see! (Or maybe you'll just realize that I'm not that special--flawed even--and that if I can write and publish a book, then you can too!)

Up today: Writing.

And by writing, I mean the first draft. The first time you put words on the page. What you need to know about me before we start:
1. I type about 90 - 110 words per minute. (Don't be a hater.)
2. I never turn off my internal editor. (Ever.)

So with those disclaimers out of the way, I'll let you in on how fresh words go down at my house.

Sometimes I have a scene in my head. If so, this is how the writing goes:
1. I open the WiP. I begin typing the scene at the end of the WiP document. Order matters not.

2. I put little brackety things (yes, technical term) before the misplaced scene like: [GUNN AND RAINE FLYING, THURSDAY NIGHT] and at the end like: [END OF CHAPTER? MAYBE ANOTHER SCENE, CHECK CH. LENGTH]. These brackety things get highlighted in yellow. (I will admit that I generally only write out of order for the first 80 - 100 pages. After that, everything is sewn together and I can write linearly to the end. Sometimes. Right now? Not so much.)

3. I write myself some notes for what might come next or before. These are long and rambling and full of ??? and capital letters. Notes get highlighted also, usually in blue.

4. I read over the new words I've just written, allowing the Internal Editor to have her way with them.

5. I save the WiP and go watch TV. If I have a scene in my head, I can crank out about 2000 words in an hour.

Seriously. That's how I do it.

If I don't have a scene in my head, writing goes something like this:
1. I open the WiP. I go back about 15 pages and read. I edit as mercilessly as possible as I go. Sometimes I add words to clarify. I delete. I evaluate word choice. I add/remove details. I let the Internal Editor do whatever she wants.

2. I read the notes I left for myself last time.

3. I pick up the story from where I left off, carefully stitching together the scenes I wrote out of order with neat sutures into the story where they belong. I write myself notes for next time.

4. I read over the new words I've just written, allowing the Internal Editor to have her way with them.

5. I save the WiP and go watch TV.

Ta-da! I embrace my eclectic, out-of-order, messy, note-filled writing style with gusto. Entire drafts have been composed in less than 3 weeks.

How do you write?

Pay It Forward with Partials!

Okay, today is the day you've been waiting your entire life for. Don't think so? Trust me, it is.

Because today, I, along with 4 fantastically amazing writers are doing a Pay It Forward with Partials event! In order to get your partial upgraded to a full, you need to have those first chapters sharp and strong. And we want to help you do that. So today, you could win one of 5 25-page critiques!

Meet the critiquers:

Lisa & Laura Roecker: Ever since Lisa and Laura were born, they've wanted to be conjoined twins, you know, like that Matt Damon movie. So they decided to do it virtually. Thus, LiLa was born, and the sisters actually got surgically joined at the hip in 2009. For realz. What? You think they're two different people? I beg to differ. And with a killer debut called THE LIAR SOCIETY, I think we all know who's right. (Me.)

Shannon Messenger: After her morning hang gliding routine (she launches from the double-Os on the Hollywood sign), Shannon spends her time memorizing all things Harry Potter, deep sea fishing, and inventing new hashtags for Twitter. #truefact But she's looking for a SUB for that so she can be freed up to zip through her next novel. All interested in the position can inquire at her blog.

Sarah Wylie: Born to Brownies (the creature, not the delicious snack cake), Sarah grew up in the wild. Because of this, she has a special place in her heart for Mowgli, living in tree houses, and only using three squares of toilet paper each day. She secretly wishes she could star in "Days of our Lives" (I mean, who doesn't?), the long-running soap opera on NBC. Instead, she wrote an amazing YA novel, ALL THESE LIVES, due out in the Spring of 2012.

P.J. Hoover: Native of "the land down under," P.J. enjoys all things vegemite, surfing, and pink (of course). She cornered the market on telekinesis, and regularly reads people's minds to find out what they're having for dinner. You might check out THE EMERALD TABLET, THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD, and THE NECROPOLIS if you don't believe me.

Elana Johnson: Lover of octopus, mushrooms, and dieting, Elana lives in the isles of the Caribbean, where she sleeps in late, enjoys the undulation of crystalline water, and writes young adult novels perfectly the first time. Her greatest POSSESSION is the fancy home office where she crafts her masterpieces.

In order to win a 25-page critique from me, you have to leave a comment on this post AND be a follower. To win from one of the other lovelies, visit their blogs (linked above) and follow their instructions. All winners will be announced on Monday, November 15--the same day as our next WriteOnCon event!

And seriously, don't you think LiLa is one person? Wouldn't you like to be able to read minds? Have you ever been hang gliding? Lived in the wild? Eaten octopus?

Across the Universe with Beth Revis

Okay, squee!! Did you hear that scream in New Jersey? I think so. Today, I'm going Across the Universe with Beth Revis. Make sure to check out her site for my grand adventure (or not, because mine is quite lame), and join us onboard the Godspeed as we zip Across the Universe (said in a really low, booming voice).

Across the Universe is a sci fi coming out from Penguin/Razorbill on January 11, 2011. Author Beth Revis describes it as "a murder mystery set in space," but it also has romance, adventure, and dystopian elements. In the book, a girl boards an interstellar spaceship in a journey across the universe to find a new planet.

To celebrate the book's upcoming release, Beth's gathered together writers and readers from across the blogosphere to share their stories of adventures they've had across the world. Check out her site the first two weeks of November to read about adventures from the Wild West to Indonesia, from Europe to Africa.

And as you're going across the world with all these adventures, be sure to pick up the clues. On Beth's webpage is a secret link--LOOK for it, and you'll SEE it. But it's password protected! To find the password, you'll need to go on the adventures with us, pick up the letters, and re-arrange them into the secret phrase.

What do you get for playing? On the password protected page there's tons of secret information about the book--hidden Easter Eggs, the surprising origins of one of the characters, and the unexpected inspiration behind the space ship. But, more than that--there's also a chance for prizes! Only accessible from the password protected page is a form to enter a drawing--the winner will get a signed and doodled ARC of Across the Universe, pin-buttons featuring the book, star-related swag--and a secret something else!

All you have to do is follow us across the blogosphere, pick up the letters, and unscramble the password! Your clue for today is...

H

So you tell me: Are you super excited to cross the universe with Beth's book? Let me just tell you that I've read some of it, and I'm salivating for more! Salivating! Definitely add this one to your list (if it isn't already), and come play with us!

THE MOCKINGBIRDS by Daisy Whitney

Okay, I have the best thing planned for today! The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney is a book you must all add to your TBR piles and read like, yesterday.

About the book:

The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less: THE MOCKINGBIRDS is the story of an underground student-run justice system at a prestigious boarding school and the date rape case they try. (Ooh, right on. Nicely played, Whitney, nicely played.)

The official blurb: Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.

In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it. (Ahh! I must read this now! Good thing I have a copy in my hands! Woot! Get yours here.)

Follow all The Mockingbird action on the Facebook page.

About Daisy:

Have you always wanted to be a writer? When I was younger I wanted to be a Broadway star, a ski jumper and an environmental scientist.

What made you decide to go that “extra step” and seek publication? Ah, that’s where the whole pursuit of dreams comes in. I have to say, NOT seeking an agent and NOT seeking publication was never an option. If I was writing a book (or several as I have three unpubbed novels) I was writing until I got it right and landed a book deal.

Quick! You’ve been chosen to go on Survivor. What luxury item do you take? I don’t even watch the show! But I would for sure want some good shampoo and body lotion. I don’t want dry skin!

And the most important of all: bacon or chocolate? Chocolate all the way. (I can tell I need to revamp this question. Humph.)

Click here to check out Daisy's website.

Other features in the Bookanista blogosphere:
Lisa and Laura Roecker dish about The Love Goddess' Cooking School
Christine Fonseca is nostalgic over books she loved growing up
Shannon Messenger is excited about the Ninth Ward
Megan Miranda adores The Adoration of Jenna Fox
Myra McEntire raves about NetGalley
Kirsten Hubbard considers the good, the bad and the ugly impact of reviews
Bethany Wiggins can't get enough of Black Hole Sun
Jamie Harrington is thrilled about The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball

Admissions

Okay, so it's 10:16 PM on Tuesday. I never (like NEVER) write my blog posts the night before they go live. I'm much too neurotic for that. I have to read over them a billion times. I have to shift them from this day to that day, rewrite them, postpone the ones I'm worried about.

No, seriously. Writing this blog is like a full-time job with approximately 1618 bosses. That's how I think of you, my readers. I stew about what you might like to read. What you might want to weigh in on. What you might want to know about me, my book, my next door neighbor (kidding. Kind of). What will get you to dish about your next door neighbor.

The pressure is heavy, enormous. Sometimes I feel like I won't be able to deliver. That I won't be funny / informative / personal / helpful / impersonal / friendly / witty / knowledgeable / [insert adverb here] enough. (Is adverb even the right part of speech? Are they called parts of speech? Crap. No time to Google this vital piece of information.)

I want to give each and every one of you the exact post you need at the exact moment you need it. I want to get to every blog out there. I want to leave meaningful comments on said blogs.

The fact is: I can't. I will fail at this.

And that bothers me in a way I can't describe.

I'm humbled every day when I wake up and see comments. You make me laugh and cry and everything in between. I appreciate every comment and the many who read and don't comment. I'm glad you think my blog is worth your limited time.

So thank you. And know that I am trying.

What's pressuring you right now? Did I use an adverb up there? How in the world do people write blog posts the night before and not have time to edit them into submission??

The Morning Report

Yeah, okay, so I watch a lot of Disney movies. There are worse things, people. Anyway, so today you're launching into my inner gray matter. I cannot be held responsible for whatever comes spewing out.

1. Meeting, listening to, and talking with Scott Westerfeld was awesome. In fact, there are not words to describe the awesomeness. But Heather has photos--and a contest. So go check that out, because she is awesome in ways I am not. (And yes, you'll see me in the pics. I really need new jeans.)

2. I like Miley Cyrus. Don't judge me.

3. I seriously considered posting a recipe today. No lie. That begs the question: What kind of lame blogger am I? And watch out for tomorrow, because I currently have nothing planned.

4. I hope you're excited for next July's blog posts, because I've already got a couple planned. Let's just say they involve the city of Cleveland. (You can never plan too far ahead.)

5. I'm regretting a decision I made a couple weeks ago and wishing there was a way out of it that wouldn't result in hurt feelings. Le sigh.

6. I'm going shopping this weekend. This is huge for me, because "Elana" and "shopping" never go together in the same sentence, unless we're listing Things That Cause Rashes. (And yes, outlining would be on that list too.)

7. I seriously want to kill every character in my WiP. They are not playing nice, and they've forgotten who breathes life into their pathetic existences. You hear that, Gunner?? *evil eye*

8. I've started two items in this post with "I seriously." My editor would tell me to fix the echo. I'm leaving it just because I can.

9. For the love, only eating 1200 calories a day makes me cranky. But I have to somehow squeeze myself into an airplane seat in April, and I'm determined to do it. But dude, if you even smell like bacon, you might die.

10. I survived Halloween, mostly because it rained and rained and rained. I have never been happier for bad weather.

11. I need a futuristic, dystopian name for a girl. I can't think of a single. freaking. thing. Help?

12. On the advice of those smarter than me, I have created a Facebook fanpage for Possession. But I have no idea what I'm doing. Creating pages on FB is like performing heart surgery in the dark, without scalpels or gauze. I wish I were kidding. If you want me to love you forever (which I already do, so this is useless), please like my pathetic page.

And that'll do, donkeys. (Dude, did you know that's spelled with a Y? I spelled it donkies the first time, and just sat there and stared, trying to figure out why blogger underlined it. Wow.)

What's been swirling around in your gray matter that you just have to spew out?

Helpful Post of Helpful Helpfulness

Okay, so this week I promised you some helpful things. You know, so this blog isn't all about me. I thought about what I would say or do, and the only thing I could come up with my lame brain was this huge linkfest to all these amazing things on the Internet.

And then I remembered that that's not really my thing, and who really clicks on all those links anyway? I might click on one or two, but yeah. I'm not a huge clicker-outer. So I nixed that. And came up with...

Nothing.

How ghetto, right? Uh, yeah.

But I'm just going to say a couple of things. I read a lot of blogs. I email with a lot of people. I see/hear/read/feel that maybe we all just need a pick-me-up. So today, this post is for anyone who feels discouraged about this whole publishing thing. Or anyone struggling to find their way in writing. Or anyone who lacks the self-confidence to keep querying, write another sentence, start another book.

If you feel like you're swimming against the current, I say keep swimming. Don't give up. Take a deep breath, turn your face into the wind, and forge onward.

And that's all I've got.

What have you got to add? Favorite inspirational quotes? What do you do when you feel like throwing in the towel? What helps you to keep going?

My Upcoming Weekend

Dude, this weekend is going to rock! I'll give you a hint. I'm meeting an author. He wrote this, a contemporary novel that introduced me to what "unique voice" means:

And this, which inspired me to write a dystopian novel:

And this, which is just awesome:

And most recently this:

That's right! Scott Westerfeld is coming to Provo--he might already be here!--and I'm going to the Provo Teen Festival to gush go totally fangirl meet him.

*insert silent scream here*

Which author would you love to meet? How have they inspired your work?

All About Me

Okay, so I realize this week has turned into the Elana-show here on the blog. I'm so sorry! I typically try not to do this, but...yeah, I don't know what happened. I promise to bring you more helpful posts of helpful helpfulness next week. Cross my heart and hope to die...

But I have to mention the query chat I'm doing tonight. It's being run by the awesome peeps at Operation Awesome and will last from 9 - 10 PM EDT. I'm giving away free ebooks and query critiques, so come on over! Or don't...then maybe my stomach will stay down where it's supposed to instead of throbbing in my throat. Yes, I'm nervous.

You can get a little sneak peek at what might be said during the chat on Marieke's blog. I did a little "How To" post for her today. Go follow her, read, comment--I'll do a query critique for one lucky commenter on her post.

Since querying is in the air, and you're going to be polishing your NaNo novel and then querying it, I'm offering my ebook for 25% through the end of the year. Just use the promotion code 25percentoff and get the ebook for only $7.46 (or something like that).

And holy brown cows people! Guess what I got in the mail yesterday?? Guess... guess... That's right! My ARC's! My book baby is like a real baby now! I feel like Geppetto (it's a real book!). The back cover copy is now available on my POSSESSION page, and here're some pictures!

(My shiny, shiny baby. #MyPOSSESSION)

So yeah. Sorry. No more Elana-show. Well, at least after tomorrow, because that post is already planned. #notmyfault

So have you got anything to share?

Why I Strongly Dislike Halloween

Yeah, yeah, I know some of you are shocked at the title of this post. Aghast. Shaking your head, disbelieving.

But it's true. I loathe Halloween with most fibers of my being. The reasons for this are many and varied.

1. My parents never bought me nice costumes as a kid. They scarred me! Scarred, I say! (I usually ended up being some lame smurf or something I could do with my own (pathetic) wardrobe. Totally ghetto.)

2. If I want candy, I'll just go to Wal-mart and buy some. Okay, probably not Wal-mart because that's definitely not my favorite place on the planet, but I have the means to get my own chocolate fix.

3. I've spent my life trying to blend into the crowd. I absolutely do not understand a holiday where the sole point is to dress like an idiot and have people stare at you. Not my brand of fun.

4. I teach elementary school. I don't think this needs any explainage, because seriously. 800 children all hopped up on Halloween excitement and cowboy hats and batman masks? Yet again, not something I'd categorize as "fun."

5. It's too stinkin' cold to leave the house after 5 PM on October 31st in Utah. Brrrr.

So there. I totally respect your right to like/love/worship Halloween. But I so don't.

What about you? Halloween fan? What other holidays do you enjoy/not enjoy?

Behind the Butterfly

Okay, so I've had several people ask me if there are butterflies in my book.

Short answer: no.

Long answer: no. The image on the cover of my book is metaphoric. Iconic. You know, this beautiful thing that's been taken and frozen in ice. Unable to progress, yet unable to die too. It's lovely, haunting.

And that's it.

So quick question: Is this okay with you? Would you feel cheated if you opened the book and didn't even see the word butterfly? (I just did a search of my word doc. "Butterfly" is not present, not even once.) Or are metaphoric covers acceptable--even desirable?

You Knew It Was Coming...

Yeah, all right, this is my NaNo post. Go ahead, run away screaming. I know I'm going to.

Anyway, I have decided to play in the word vomit this November. Sort of. See, I'm a rule-breaker. I sort of always have been, and this NaNo thing is no different. But I have a serious need to churn out 50,000+ words. Like, last month.

So.

Hello, NaNo, nice to meetcha!

Now for the rule-bending. I've already started my project. I know, I know, you're supposed to start fresh. Well, I'm not going to do that. I'm merely subscribing to the principle of getting the blasted words onto the page. Quickly. Thus, I am going to NaNo.

If the whole rule-bending bothers you, don't buddy me. Cuz I'm so going to kill this. Dead. Deadly dead. If you don't mind a little bit of bending, and want to kill me, er, see if I can actually get 50K in 30 days, buddy me! (My username is emjohns.)

What about you? Have you participated in NaNo before? How'd you do? Do you subscribe to the word vomit philosophy? If not, how do you get your story down in quick fashion?

Why I Am Human

So there's been some talk on the blogosphere about my clones, how I somehow buy hours on the black market, you know, stuff like that.

Lies! All lies!

I am human. I only have 24 hours in the day. And I sleep for 8 of those every day. I work part-time outside my home, and sometimes I make dinner. Sometimes I don't. I do have time during the day where I'm home alone while my two kids are at school.

I think the only thing I have going for me is my extreme typing skills. I can type fast. Maybe that allows me to answer emails quicker or leave blog comments quicker. I don't know. But I do know that I'm just like you.

Human.

Maybe I have a system for getting to blogs quickly. Maybe I have more "free time" than you do. Maybe I don't write as much as you do. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

But if you cut me, I still bleed red.

I am not super-charming in person. I'm socially awkward and I laugh too loud. I never know what to say or what not to say. I monopolize the conversation sometimes. Sometimes I don't say what I should. Sometimes my feelings are hurt. Sometimes I hurt others.

Just as I'm sure you have. See, you and I, we're not all that different.

I cry. (Unprettily.) I laugh. (Too loud.) I work. (Hard.) I email. (Too much.) I long for things I don't have. (More than I should.) I look at new cars on the Internet and dream of buying them. (Dodge Charger.) I read. (I *heart* books.) I listen to Pandora. (Glee Cast and Kesha FTW!)

Just like you.

I am human.

So...any questions? I swear I only type with two hands. Have you ever felt like someone has unrealistic expectations of you? How do you live under that weight?

And see how I have like, 2 more followers to 1600? Don't you think we should have some sort of party at 1600? What should we do? December is my birthday month, and I don't have a pay it forward event lined up... Hmm... brain churnage...

TORMENT by Lauren Kate

So I got my hands on the second book in the FALLEN trilogy. I enjoyed the first one quite a bit, and was hoping for more of the same in TORMENT.

And I got it. I've heard that some people don't like Luce, but I actually really do. Were there some parts that I was going "No! Don't do that!"? Yes. But I think that's a good thing. We don't want our characters to always do exactly what they should. Or what we want them to. Or what we expect them to.

(Long parenthetical: the MC is a young adult. Often what they do makes no sense to adults. I always try to remember back to my high school days (horror!). Remember how stupid we were? How we didn't do things that made sense either? How every little thing could've triggered the apocalypse? Yeah. It's a YA book. I'd be upset if the teenager acted like an adult. Parenthetical out.)

That's what makes them interesting. So I like Luce, even in all her messiness.

But let's face it, the reason this book is as hot as it is is because of Daniel. The fallen angel. The breathtaking wings. The unfailing love. Yeah, we all need a little Daniel in our lives.

If I had to sum this book up in on sentence, I would say that it's got the fantasticness of an angelic plotline (like HUSH, HUSH) combined with a recyclical romance (ala THE ETERNAL ONES) that keeps you turning pages. Yes, I made up some of those words. Sometimes you just need to make up your own vocab.

And the cover. Dude. Even my husband liked it, and that's saying something huge given his extreme distaste for covers with people on them. (Dodged a bullet there with my own cover. Thankfully.)

Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week!
Lisa and Laura Roecker Cover THE CONFESSIONS OF THE SULLIVAN SISTERS
Christine Fonseca Moons Over MATCHED
Shannon Messenger Fangirls THE FAMILIARS
Shelli Johannes-Wells Marvels over Middle Grade
Kirsten Hubbard Woos Us with WITHER
Myra McEntire Beholds the British Special Edition of the TWILIGHT SAGA
Beth Revis Adores ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS
Carolina Valdez Miller Is Moved By MARBURY LENS
Megan Miranda Swoons Over STOLEN

What's on your reading shelf? Do the MC's act their age? How do you feel about that?

Oh! I'm drawing another winner for Denise Jaden's LOSING FAITH! Click here to enter--if you've already commented on that post (THAT POST) you're already entered. And you want this book. It is fabulous.

Research According to J-Dash

That's right. I've made up a gangsta name for James Dashner. That's how you know you're in the Inner Sanctum. I make a gangsta name for you. Anyway, I went to listen to J-Dash talk about his new book, THE SCORCH TRIALS, last week. Someone asked him if he had to do any research for the book.

It wasn't even me, and I sort of shuddered like this arctic wind had just blown through the bookstore. No joke. And get this: He said he looked at a map! And maybe had to look up some brain diseases for like, "10 minutes."

Now, I'm sure he did more than that. But I so related to this kind of research. The difference is that I don't even look at maps. Or find out about brain diseases. So yeah. (And for the record, later on he said he'd drawn a map of the maze for THE MAZE RUNNER. Which is, sadly, more than I've done for my book. Or will ever do. I typically don't read books with maps at the beginning. Seriously. If you need a map...okay, never mind. That's a whole other blog post. And this is the longest parenthetical ever.)

But it was great to hear someone else talk about research in the way that I would. Because, let's face it, most of you out there are some sort of genetic mutation that actually likes researching. Go ahead, admit it. I don't let things like that color my judgement. Very often. *wink*

Oh, and go get THE SCORCH TRIALS. You won't be sorry. By the way, we're discussing THE MAZE RUNNER every day this week on The League blog--go check us out! I'm up on Friday.

How about you? Do you look at maps whilst researching? Do you like research? What would your gangsta name be if you could pick your own? And what would you choose for mine?