Critique Groups

So I figured out how to insert Yahoo! emoticons into blogger. Gah. It took me a couple of hours, but it's sweet!



And yes, now you all know how big of a geek I am.

<---And this is for the troops all over the world working to keep the disaster that happened seven years ago from happening again. To my email buddy, Sergeant Joshua Hammerling, currently stationed in the Philippines, thank you.


That aside, I've been thinking a lot about critique groups lately. Are they worth it? What if the advice isn't that good? Does my work really need to be critiqued?

I've been in a "live" critique group for five months now. We meet every other Thursday and critique the next segment in our novels. It's fun. I have a good time. And when two or three of them say the same thing, I know I have some work to do. I appreciate their insight, their fresh eyes. And we've become friends over the five months.

I've also been a member of online critique groups. My first one brought me down, and my heart would pound every time I posted. I just knew it was going to be ridiculed and torn to shreds. I ended up leaving, but it taught me one thing--how to have a thick skin. And that's essential in the publishing world. So I thank them for that.

I'm still in an online critique group. The people are fabulous, a couple of them actually write in my genre and their advice is invaluable. The best part: they're honest without being snarky about it. So I've come to the conclusion that critique groups are good--if you can find one that is filled with like-minded people. To me, that's people who care about good writing, helping others without expecting anything in return, and improving their own craft as well as yours.

My live crit group is fantastic. I love them all. My online crit group have become my support through good writing, not-so-good writing, personal drama, and most of all they make being in a critique group worthwhile.

Crit on!

Reading: STORM FRONT by Jim Butcher (The man can write!)

On The Blog Chain - How Real Are Your Characters?

It's time for the blog chain again. It's my turn in the rotation. I'm pretty late in the round and you can follow the chain from the beginning by going to Leah's blog. The Astute Abi posted just before me, and the Creative Cole is next. All of the amazing blog chain gang links can be found in my sidebar.

The topic for this chain is: How real do your characters become? Are your characters real people to you? How much do you really know about them?

I had an interesting conversation with my sister-in-law early in the writing process of my first novel. I was telling her about the main character, and I suppose I was a little over-excited about him. She interrupted me and said, "You act like this person is real."

I didn't know what to say. I was shocked she didn't realize he was real. At least to me. And I'm hoping that he will become real to others as they read the book, too. I think that's the ultimate goal as an author—to create characters readers can't stop thinking about. And to do that, you have to evoke an inner emotion. So I start with the inside of my characters, and work my way out.

As I think about the story I want to write, a character develops in order to grow and change during the tale. I know how they would react to other characters, situations, and dilemmas. I know their past and future, even if they don't. I know what they want, even if I don't always give it to them. I understand why their story is being told, their deepest desires, and their heartache when they can't have what they desire most. I may not know if they enjoy snow skiing, but I know why they need to tell their story, and what drives them to do the things they do.

So much of what I know about my characters doesn't even make it into the story, but has formed them into the character they are. If there's something I need to know about a character at a particular place and time, I think about what I already know about that character, and make sure whatever I invent for them is consistent with who they are.

When I write, I watch the story like a movie, the characters telling me what they feel, want, and need. Just as in movies—or real life—my characters don't always know everything about each other. But I do. I feed the reader, and the other characters, little bits of information they need at the moment to move the story along.

To sum it up, I know my characters from the inside out. In the beginning it doesn't matter what they look like, their favorite food, or if they wear glasses. I start with characters that need something, want something so badly they're willing to die for it, or just have a deep desire to love fiercely. I believe those inner feelings and desires are what make characters real. To me, and to everyone who loves to read.

Don't forget! Cole is next! Check out her thoughts on characters.

Movies From Books

Status of my Life: In Between. Really. That's a city in my WiP.


I love Harry Potter. I really do. I was super excited for the movie to come out right around Thanksgiving. And now it's been moved. *sigh* I guess I can wait until next summer to see the next installment. But, man I was disappointed.

My only consolation is that Twilight was moved up in it's release date. Although my birthday is on December 11, and it would have been wicked cool to see the movie the next day as my present. *double sigh* But seeing it just before Thanksgiving will be good, too.

There are a couple of other movies-made-from-books I'm looking forward to. The Tale of Despereaux comes out on December 19, and Inkheart starring Brendan Fraser comes out on January 9. So I guess I have something to keep me entertained while I pine for Harry. :D

Reading: A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY by Libba Bray. Still. It's great, but the reading time's been on the low end for a while.

Buying Books

There's nothing better than buying books. Nothing.

My husband and I went to the BYU bookstore today and bought four new books! I love getting new books. We bought the second book in the Cronus Chronicles by Anne Ursu, The Siren Song. I'm going to start that one first. A lover of anything Nancy Farmer writes, I bought The House of the Scorpion. My husband's already claimed that one. The next two will be brand new for both of us. Quantum Prophecy: The Awakening by Michael Carroll and The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney. They are both the first in a series and I'll see if I like them enough to buy the next in the series.

There were so many more books I wanted. Like Libba Bray's Rebel Angels, the sequel to A Great and Terrible Beauty. But I decided I better finish the first one before I buy the second one. I wanted Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer, but they didn't have it. Nor did they have Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. Oh, and The Final Warning by James Patterson. They had that one, but it was hardback, and expensive, and I already had four I was dying to have...so I didn't get that one either.

Reading: THE SIREN SONG by Anne Ursu

Which Character Are You?

Status of my Life: Trying to even out my real life with my virtual life. It's a challenge. Busy working on my novel, Placeholders. Still waiting on submissions and queries. Life is fun when it's busy!


One of my friends, Kristal Shaff, had this quiz on her blog about which Austen heroine I might be. So I took it. And I'm:

Take the Quiz here!

Like I know what that means. But it was kind of fun! This is what the results said: "You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see."

I guess. All right, it's totally dead on. Gosh! (Imagine the Napoleon Dynamite version of that word. :))

Reading: TREASURED LIES by Michelle McLean

Excited about ELITE

Status of my Life: I love my day off. After the house is cleaned, and my daughter is in bed, I get to write! It's a beautiful thing.


I've been getting a lot of feedback on my novel, ELITE. I must admit that I haven't changed a single thing--yet. I've been so busy editing and querying on SHADOWS that I haven't had time. But today, I'm going to devote a couple of hours to combing through the critiques and editing ELITE. Then I'm going to read a dear friend's manuscript and then I'm going to write some more of PLACEHOLDERS. I think I can do all that and still get dinner on the table.

What time is it? Only noon. No problem! Did I mention I loved my day off? Yes? Well, okay. Oh, and I'm getting my muse on by listening to David Archuleta's new song "Crush." Total YA romance song...thanks DA!

Reading: Just went to the library and got STORM FRONT by Jim Butcher, so I'm going to start that today or tomorrow.

Placeholders:

27996 / 60000 words. 41% done!

Word Count Widget

Okay, so I'm going to try to post a cool word count cartoon. You can get one here.

I started a new project, well, okay, I molded it from a story I started a couple of months ago. But that story sputtered to an end, and I introduced a new character into it and now it's really taken off. It's called Placeholders, and I've been writing like crazy this week as the story is really speaking to me. Like really, really.



I can't believe I did it! And it only took me 30 minutes of searching on the Internet to find a word count widget that wasn't related to NaNo. Hallelujah! And you can change the little potato-guy to do different things. It's pretty funny. I'll post every once in a while and have him do different things. I'm sure you'll all be riveted to your seats...haha!


Here's another one:

24669 / 60000 words. 41% done!

But I like the cartoon better. You can get the NaNo one here. I like pink, and you can make it any color you want. That's cool.

Reading: MAXIMUM RIDE: SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS by James Patterson.

Sick and Tired

Status of my Life: I made it through the first week of school. And my voices are back, so I've been writing like crazy when I get home from teaching. I've done between 2 and 3 thousand words every afternoon this week. I love hearing voices!


I've had a great week, but I'm so sick. And tired. It's hard getting up to an alarm, getting everyone ready and out of the house by 8, and then working--all when you're not used to doing it. Once I get back into the groove, everything will be like buttah.

I've loved reading the blog chain as it's progressed, so if you haven't been following along on how all my writerly buddies get their mojo on, you should.

I'm glad to say that I found another character to badger. I've been so focused on Jon for so long (and then the voices stopped) that I was worried he was the only one worth writing about. I've had little snippets of a character come to me, and I've written those down in a notebook. But now I've really got someone talking and boy, once he started, he won't shut up! I just wish I could sit down and write the whole thing out uber-fast. I have a general idea of what's going to happen, but it's all coming together too easily, so I'm trying to find something to torture my "voice" with.

And I think I found it yesterday. It's actually another person. Inside another person. Yup, it's a possession story, not really ghosts, but more like spirits and reincarnation. I love stuff like that. Creepy, but not too creepy. Possible, but really not. A little romance, a little ghostly twist, a nasty Re-Entry examiner, what could be better?

Maybe landing an agent and getting published. Yeah, that would definitely be better!

Reading: THE DOOR TO TIME (ULYSSES MOORE) by Pierdomenico Baccalario

Back to Real Life

Status of my Life: I finished another edit of SHADOWS. And I finally wrote something new yesterday. Going back to work threw me all out of wack, and I didn't have anyone talking because I had so many other things clouding my mind. But yesterday (my day off) I finally heard them again and I was able to write 1800 words in a new novel I started a while ago and am now changing up a little bit. After about a week, that's relief.


So yeah. School's starting again. It's usually only bad until October. By then I have the little darlings all trained up and things run smoothly. But the next six weeks...yikes.

And that means that I'm going to have to be more scheduled with my time. I've set a bedtime of 11 PM and I'm going to try to focus on writing from 9-11 every night. I'm sure I'll get sucked into the black abyss of my writing forums, but I'm really going to try not to get too...sucky. We'll see how that goes.

My son is back in school, and scouts, and piano and that means time running him around to his thousands of activities. Time to get the notebook back in the purse so while I'm waiting for him, I can write.

Real life isn't sooo bad, it's just getting back into it.

Reading: THE DARK IS RISING by Susan Cooper

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

Okay, so it's my turn to start in the blog chain. Archetype on QT had a good idea about blog topics: questions we want to ask other authors. Since I'm always interested in finding out how people come up with their ideas, I thought I'd start with that question.

You can find the other posts in this chain at Trying to Do the Write Thing. And we have some new bloggers in the chain, so check out the sidebar and follow the links!

Question: Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

My Answer (Warning - I tend to ramble and be long-winded. Maybe that's why all my "short" stories turn into novels. Or why my word count balloons out of control...You've been warned.): I don't have dreams like some people. I wish I did. No, I stay up too late and get up too early. By the time my head hits the pillow, I'm out. Like, really out. I'm sure I dream (at least my husband says everyone does - Heather?), but I don't remember any of them. And the ones I used to remember, weren't interesting.

For me, the real place I get my ideas is from the characters in my weird and warped mind. My book, SHADOWS, came about because I wanted to write something urban fantasy, and I thought it would be cool to have a realm that existed alongside "the living." So Jon was "born" as a Shadow, existing between life and death, seeing and hearing the living, but unable to touch them. From there, it was a lot of work. I wrote what's now chapter 29 first. Yeah, starting at the beginning just doesn't work for me. Then I had to think and think and think of how to get him to chapter 29.

There was no dream. I needed more characters, more voices urging me in my head to tell their story alongside Jon's.

So I started paying attention to names I'd hear on TV, the radio, or in conversation. If there was one that struck a chord with me, I'd jot it down. I have pages of names, most of them illegible, but there you go. Sometimes that was enough to spark an idea for a character that could help me get to chapter 29. My favorite show for weird names is American Gladiators--and I have a book that uses odd, somewhat futuristic names, so I sat glued to the TV with pen in hand.

I teach school, so I took the physical characteristics of students and used them in my characters in my books. I asked boys what they like to do when they're not at school. I paid attention to what games they liked to play in the computer lab. (Cars, dinosaurs, and shooting, in case you care.)

For me, once a character was born, they wouldn't shut up in my head. Even though I tried to torture them into silence, they still shouted for their story to be written. It gives whole new meaning to "I hear voices."

Because I really do.

So for me, my ideas are born along with the characters that "live" in that book. Without them, I wouldn't be a writer.

Where do you get your ideas? Let me know! And check out the other posts in the blog chain!

Querying is Hard

Status of my Life: I started querying agents on July 15. So almost a month in, and I'm on edge every time I check the email or mailbox. So not good for the heart. But I've finished something I was working hard on and started on a new project. Brainstorming is usually fun, and this time is no different.


Querying agents is hard work--almost a full-time job. Since my "real job" is starting again soon (I teach elementary school), I decided to move up my estimated query date of September 15. I started a couple of months early.

I use an excellent tracking system at querytracker.net to find agents, see their stats for requests, other's experiences, and add them to my list. It keeps track of when I sent the query, by what method, notes I have on the agent, when they responded, when I submitted requested material, everything! If you haven't signed up, you so should--it's free! I started with five agents. Researched. Carefully crafted my emails and letters. Affixed postage or hit send. All the while I needed a popscicle I was sweating so bad. Then I got a little braver and sent out some more. Over the past month or so, I've sent 30. And my heart flutters a little more every time. I might need a defibrilator soon.

I've received several rejections, a couple of exciting requests, and even bought a new printer. It's a long road, filled with palpitations, but I'm going to persevere.

I can haz agent? Maybe someday. Maybe someday.

Reading: THE EMISSARY by Kristal Shaff

Blog Chain - Genres

To genre or not to genre. That is the question for this week. The first post in this chain can be found here. And I believe the next one will be here soon. Maybe. Looks like Leah's moving, so we might have to switch up the order a bit. Check this one too.


Anyway, on to genres. I'm not really sure what to say. I read--and therefore write--to escape my real life. Thus, I don't want to read--or write--anything that could actually happen in real life. To me, that's boring. That's what I do everyday, what I see on the news, what has happened to people I know or someone I see on Oprah.


So my genres of choice are speculative fiction in almost any capacity. Urban fantasy is my absolute favorite. It's not real, but really close. It COULD happen (I swear I've seen a golden snitch around my place...), but it really couldn't. I love that. It provides an escape from my life that doesn't take me too far.

I also adore science fiction. I think the first novel I read in this genre was Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. I loved that novel and the whole series. It also helps that I've met the man, and he's a genius. Even if he does wear socks with sandals. hehe. I'm not a huge fan of "hard" sci fi, although that's what EG is. I'm not into going too far away, and outer space seems pretty far to me. I'm a lover of dystopian SF like Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. In the future, but not too far. Sort of like our society, but not quite. It could happen, but really couldn't. Yes, that's what I like.


I recently found the subgenres of steampunk and cyberpunk. I just like typing and saying those words. Anything with "punk" really. I wrote a short story for a contest that was cyberpunk. You should check them out if you like speculative fiction. I can't think of any titles right now in these genres.


One last word. Those of you who know me at all, know I only read for pleasure (if that wasn't obvious already from this post, well then...). I'm a completely shallow person. I don't like non-fiction (sorry Archetype!) of any kind and only read it if forced. I don't read adult novels. Too serious. I stick to middle grade and young adult speculative fiction. Love it. Need it. Read it. Write it.

Reading: EIGHTH GRADE SUCKS by Heather Brewer

Shadows Book Trailer

Status of my Life: Oscillating back and forth on point of view - again! Argh! What is wrong with me?


So I've been watching a lot of really cool book trailers lately. Of course, that inspired me to make my own. I made it in iMovie, and I'm not really sure if I can figure out how to post it, but I'm going to try. Um, yeah. Here goes nuthin'.





I think it might have worked. I guess we'll see!

Reading: A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY by Libba Bray

11 Minutes Until Writing Time

Status of my Life: I've spent the last week out of town, borrowing bandwidth from neighbors, and then in a lodge in Park City on a family reunion. It's a good thing everyone goes to bed early around here. I still get my late-night writing (ahem, Internet-surfing) time. I'm down to ten minutes until it's time to write. Yikes!


Okay, so I had fun with the blog chain. It was exciting to read what other people had to say about their writing methods. I was totally justified by downloading that last iTunes song because of Leah's post. Thank you! Distractions do work.

I'm glad I've still been getting my writing time. Yesterday I wrote 1300 words between 11 and midnight. And then I got up and made breakfast for 30 people and went on a hike that had sweat dripping down my back well after I returned. So not fun. Hiking and Elana don't usually go in the same sentence, just so you know. Neither do Heights and Elana, but there I was, riding the chair lift to the bottom of the mountain. *sigh*

I've been reading a manuscript for a guy in my crit group. (Here's lookin' at you, Jeff!) It's wonderful! Sometimes I wonder if my stories will ever be as good as some that I read. Published ones as well as unpublished ones. I'm hoping they will be, and that someone will think they are too. I guess I'll never know unless I keep trying.

Dang, only six minutes left. I still have a couple blogs to check, a link to find for this post, and I need a drink. So...later!

Reading: MAXIMUM RIDE: SCHOOL'S OUT--FOREVER by James Patterson

I'm a Chainer...A Blog Chainer

Since I love to blog, but sometimes I run out of things to talk about (I know, I know, most of you are not simply fascinated by my life! Shocking!), I signed up (at QT, no less) to be part of a blog chain. Check out the other bloggers in the chain. I put their links on my sidebar.

So I guess it's my turn. You can visit the first post in this chain here, and the second post here. The next post can be found here (well, whenever GG posts it, that is). The topic is Writing Methods. Here's my attempt to offer my own methods--but be warned, they are methods of madness. :)

First a brief bio of how I became a writer. I'm sure you'll all read this several times, memorizing every word. Ha, ha!

I've been an avid reader for much of my life. I never gave writing a second thought. It was just something I had to do to pass my English classes. I hated English. I mean, really, really hated it. I took the AP test as a junior in high school just so I wouldn't have to take English anymore. Seriously.

I started writing over Thanksgiving last year, 2007. I thought, "Hmm, maybe I should try this whole writing thing." A month later I had my first novel typed out. It stunk. Really, really bad. But I believed in myself, and decided that my newfound friends--the ones talking to me in my head--deserved to be heard (read) by others. So I joined an online critique group, and the rest is history.

Not that I've published my novel yet. But I'm on my way. Every journey begins with a single step. So now that I've gotten the boring backstory out of the way, here's my writing methods.

I write almost exclusively on the computer. Almost always from 9 or 10 PM until 1 or 2 AM. I have a goal to write 1000 words every single day of the week. Sometimes I write more--a lot more if the voices are talking. I rarely write less. If I don't feel like writing, or the characters aren't telling me the next part of the story, I free write. Every word counts.

Since I have kids, I have to drive them places, wait for them at lessons, etc. I started taking a 6-inch by 9-inch notebook in my purse. I'll write scenes out by hand while I wait. That's my "good" notebook. My "notes" notebook has notes, thoughts, lines of dialog, whatever I think of as I'm driving. Most of it is written sideways in illegible writing, little snippets of thought that I don't want to forget. I hardly ever read it again, but if I don't jot it down, it flies out of my brain and I can't get it back.

The writing is backward because that's how PhotoBooth works. Not that you could read it anyway. This is the beginning of one of my novels. You never know when inspiration is going to strike!



I don't outline. Like ever. I may write a few lines about something I think might come up in the novel later on at the end of the working draft. When I finally get to that part, I delete that paragraph. I have only started a novel at the beginning once, and it was a sequel, so I'm not sure if that counts. The novel I'm currently shredding in crit group, the first scene I wrote is now chapter 30.

Just to recap my Mindless Musings:
1. My goal is to write 1000 words every day.
2. I do most of my writing at night after my life has calmed down.
3. I carry notebooks with me everywhere I go in case inspiration strikes.
4. I don't outline, but I do make rough notes.
5. I believe in myself.

:) There's my post for the chain! Man, I thought I wouldn't have much to say, but I sure can ramble! Tag, Leah, you're it!

Reading: MAXIMUM RIDE, THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT by James Patterson