Tip of the Day: Contact Kristina through our blog or her adorable website to schedule a FREE Skype visit with her if you use one of her novels for your school or library book club!
I did it! By the time you read this, I will have written at least 15-minutes-a-day for every day in August. Woo hoo! I owe the idea to the amazing writer Laurie Halse Anderson who made me see that it was pretty pathetic of me, someone who claims to be a writer, to not be able to hash out a mere 15 minutes per day.
No, those weren't Laurie's words, but her encouragement certainly made me look at how I spent my time a different way.
It also made me think about how when I am published, I'll have deadlines and I'll need to budget my time differently. I may even need to -- *gasp* -- write when I don't feel like writing! Sometimes people aren't "in the mood" to do their jobs, and if you are writing for money, it is your job.
Who knew? :)
I am heading for Europe next month (yay!), so I DO have a good excuse not to write every day -- BUT I am going to bring my journal and pen and scribble notes on the trains and any other time the urge sets in. I don't want to lose my momentum!
Oh -- and I did finish the draft of my WIP this month!
I encourage anyone who is a writer to write 15-minutes-per day, every day, for a month. You can do it! And you'll be so glad you did!
Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Your old voice
Tip of the Day: check out this post at Literary Rambles. Not only are they a fan of "tips" as well, but this post has an interesting discussion of rewriting scenes from different character's perspectives to nail down the voice. Sounds like a good idea!
If you read agent and editor blogs at all, one of the most popular things they talk about looking for in a novel is the "voice" of the author.
We've talked about it a few times here. About what makes voice specifically. No one can seem to define it, but everyone has an idea of what it is. Basically it's how the author tells the story uniquely...using a combination of lots of tools from description, dialogue, character development, and everything in between.
I'm assuming some really smart person out there gave it the term "voice" very carefully. Because not only does it relate to how the author tells the story, but also just like your actual voice, when you age it seems to mature.
As I'm editing some old projects, I've found my voice has changed a bit. It's a bit more serious, a bit darker, and a lot deeper. And never one to enjoy a high-pitched voice, I guess that's a good thing!
But it is interesting to reread old material to see how your voice has matured. It still sounds like you...but yet it doesn't.
--Emily, Miss Finding Her Voice All Over Again
Picture found here at http://www.smcubedconsulting.com/2011/02/finding-your-voice/
If you read agent and editor blogs at all, one of the most popular things they talk about looking for in a novel is the "voice" of the author.
We've talked about it a few times here. About what makes voice specifically. No one can seem to define it, but everyone has an idea of what it is. Basically it's how the author tells the story uniquely...using a combination of lots of tools from description, dialogue, character development, and everything in between.
I'm assuming some really smart person out there gave it the term "voice" very carefully. Because not only does it relate to how the author tells the story, but also just like your actual voice, when you age it seems to mature.
As I'm editing some old projects, I've found my voice has changed a bit. It's a bit more serious, a bit darker, and a lot deeper. And never one to enjoy a high-pitched voice, I guess that's a good thing!
But it is interesting to reread old material to see how your voice has matured. It still sounds like you...but yet it doesn't.
--Emily, Miss Finding Her Voice All Over Again
Picture found here at http://www.smcubedconsulting.com/2011/02/finding-your-voice/
Monday, August 29, 2011
Butt in Chair, Butt out of Chair, Repeat
Tip of the Day: I was very inspired by this piece, On Compactness, from the 2011 Write On Con by Weronika Janczuk. Wonderful reading!
I have this weird channel on my TV that broadcasts Pilates and yoga sessions. I'm a sucker for these things. (It's on TV! I have to do it now! Me and the DVR never clicked.)
Anyway, Pilates lady was saying that sitting in a chair all day tightens up the glute muscles. So if you sit for long periods of time, stretch out with leg lifts. This makes the gluteous muscles less tight and makes you feel better.
Since I type a lot, I learned during a bout with carpal tunnel to stretch out my wrists. Put your arms out, point your fingertips to the sky, and gently push your fingers back to open up the wrist muscles.
When should you see a doctor about carpal tunnel pain? When you feel it shooting to your elbow, stop messing around and go to the doctor. I didn't need surgery because I didn't put off correcting the problem with physical therapy.
I think yoga and Pilates work wonders for my posture. Despite sitting in a chair typing for most of the day, I probably have less back pain than most people I know. Yoga and coffee in the morning may sound like a strange combination, but it's my favorite way to wake up. I still need to lose weight, but fortunately autumn is the perfect season for bike riding.
What do you do to counteract the sedentary writers' lifestyle?
-- Kate, Miss Perfecting the Pages
Friday, August 26, 2011
Fun Friday: Writing YA Fiction For Dummies?
If you're a YA fiction writer you'll get a giggle out of this site: Writing YA Fiction for Dummies. While the age range breakdown and word counts seem useful, some of the advice seems almost insulting. But that's just me. What do you guys think? Would you find something like this useful?
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Come on Fall!
Tip of the Day: Get the pumpkin scented candles out.
I don't know about you but I'm totally ready for the fall. I'm ready for the kids to be in school and be adjusted to it. I'm ready for my old normal workout routine. I'm ready to get back to my writing routine. I'm ready to start writing something new and try to branch out in new directions. I'm ready to go on a writing retreat with some fab friends. And I'm ready to launch Just Your Average Princess and not be stressing out about if I'm doing enough promo or not. Last week I was holding onto summer for dear life and this week I'm very much let's move on to the next thing!
Anyone starting any exciting writing projects this fall?
Kristina, Miss Author in Action
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Mock Printz (or Top Shelf Books)
Tip of the Day: If your local public library has to raise its fines/fees, please don't be rude to the library staff about it -- we agree with you that it stinks! Instead, take out your frustrations in a letter to the state budget cutters -- and library staff will thank you for your support.
One of my awesome teen volunteers this summer wants to do a Mock Printz Club with some of her friends. She asked me what some of my top reads of 2011 were. I went to my handy LJ book log and easily picked out these as "Printz worthy" out of the 116 books I've read this year (not that all would qualify for the award):
BLOOD RED ROAD by Moira Young
When Saba's twin brother Lugh is stolen by bandits, she resolves to get him back and travels through the sandstorm ridden wastelands to find him. This dystopian future novel doesn't spend any time explaining what happened to the world to cause the new landscape; it delved into the characters and plot, the heart and meat of the story, and felt like it was missing nothing. Saba is a fabulous narrator who fans of Katniss (HUNGER GAMES) will enjoy. The voice takes a little getting used to at the beginning of the novel, but is strong and real and carries the book through. Great adventure YA. (M. K. McElderry, 2011)
*This book stood out to me because in a glut of dystopian, BRR didn't dwell on the "catastrophic event" that made the world what it was; it just went forward with strong characters, visuals, and story.
RIVAL by Sara Bennett Wealer
Brooke and Kathryn became friends as juniors, but jealousy and misunderstandings tore them apart and one year later, they will be competing for a prestigious singing prize that may move them from rivals to enemies. This book is so well done for many reasons. First, because of the great alternating first-person pov that shows how neither girl is stereotypically bad, wrong, or evil, but that misunderstandings happen; second, because of the accurate portrayal of girls who are so similar in desires, thoughts, actions, and skills that those same things that make them bffs are the things that make them in competition with each other; and third, because of the relatable description of the confusing feelings/jealousies related to both points above. I loved this contemporary, realistic, relatable YA. (HarperCollins, 2011)
*This book stood out because of its on-point, realistic portrayal of teen girls who have lots in common without any added drama for drama's sake.
OKAY FOR NOW by Gary Schmidt
Doug moves to "stupid" Marysville with his sad but beautiful mom, angry dad, and pain in the butt brother, but when he discovers John Audubon's bird pictures, a love for drawing, and a pretty girl, even his injured oldest brother's return from Vietnam might make everything okay for now. I loved loved loved this book even more than GS's TROUBLE and WEDNESDAY WARS which I also loved. The combination of Audubon's birds with what was going on in Doug's life, the relationships between Doug and his family members and neighbors, and the way Doug wanted to be better than his abusive father made me love his character and fear for him when things went wrong. Reading this just pulled at pieces of me. Amazing upper MG to YA. (HMH, 2011)
*This book stood out because of its heart, its truth, its worrisomeness that will resonate with many, its hope, the way it still gives me chills to think about the main character.
IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma
When she was 14-years-old, Chloe tried to swim across the resevoir that buried an old town when her older sister boasted she could do it, but instead she discovered a dead girl; two years later, Chloe's sister claims she has fixed everything and they can be together forever, but Chloe knows she's hiding something. I should've been revising my own novel but I couldn't put down this book or skip over any words. This atmospheric tale of magical realism was captivating, sweet, and sad, but most of all addicting. Great YA. (Dutton, 2011)
*This stood out because of its atmosphere and hinted mystery and lovely magical realism, all of which made me *need* to keep reading.
What books do you think are Printz worthy so far this year? What makes a book really stand out to you among all the YA novels to choose from?
Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing
One of my awesome teen volunteers this summer wants to do a Mock Printz Club with some of her friends. She asked me what some of my top reads of 2011 were. I went to my handy LJ book log and easily picked out these as "Printz worthy" out of the 116 books I've read this year (not that all would qualify for the award):
BLOOD RED ROAD by Moira Young
When Saba's twin brother Lugh is stolen by bandits, she resolves to get him back and travels through the sandstorm ridden wastelands to find him. This dystopian future novel doesn't spend any time explaining what happened to the world to cause the new landscape; it delved into the characters and plot, the heart and meat of the story, and felt like it was missing nothing. Saba is a fabulous narrator who fans of Katniss (HUNGER GAMES) will enjoy. The voice takes a little getting used to at the beginning of the novel, but is strong and real and carries the book through. Great adventure YA. (M. K. McElderry, 2011)
*This book stood out to me because in a glut of dystopian, BRR didn't dwell on the "catastrophic event" that made the world what it was; it just went forward with strong characters, visuals, and story.
RIVAL by Sara Bennett Wealer
Brooke and Kathryn became friends as juniors, but jealousy and misunderstandings tore them apart and one year later, they will be competing for a prestigious singing prize that may move them from rivals to enemies. This book is so well done for many reasons. First, because of the great alternating first-person pov that shows how neither girl is stereotypically bad, wrong, or evil, but that misunderstandings happen; second, because of the accurate portrayal of girls who are so similar in desires, thoughts, actions, and skills that those same things that make them bffs are the things that make them in competition with each other; and third, because of the relatable description of the confusing feelings/jealousies related to both points above. I loved this contemporary, realistic, relatable YA. (HarperCollins, 2011)
*This book stood out because of its on-point, realistic portrayal of teen girls who have lots in common without any added drama for drama's sake.
OKAY FOR NOW by Gary Schmidt
Doug moves to "stupid" Marysville with his sad but beautiful mom, angry dad, and pain in the butt brother, but when he discovers John Audubon's bird pictures, a love for drawing, and a pretty girl, even his injured oldest brother's return from Vietnam might make everything okay for now. I loved loved loved this book even more than GS's TROUBLE and WEDNESDAY WARS which I also loved. The combination of Audubon's birds with what was going on in Doug's life, the relationships between Doug and his family members and neighbors, and the way Doug wanted to be better than his abusive father made me love his character and fear for him when things went wrong. Reading this just pulled at pieces of me. Amazing upper MG to YA. (HMH, 2011)
*This book stood out because of its heart, its truth, its worrisomeness that will resonate with many, its hope, the way it still gives me chills to think about the main character.
IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma
When she was 14-years-old, Chloe tried to swim across the resevoir that buried an old town when her older sister boasted she could do it, but instead she discovered a dead girl; two years later, Chloe's sister claims she has fixed everything and they can be together forever, but Chloe knows she's hiding something. I should've been revising my own novel but I couldn't put down this book or skip over any words. This atmospheric tale of magical realism was captivating, sweet, and sad, but most of all addicting. Great YA. (Dutton, 2011)
*This stood out because of its atmosphere and hinted mystery and lovely magical realism, all of which made me *need* to keep reading.
What books do you think are Printz worthy so far this year? What makes a book really stand out to you among all the YA novels to choose from?
Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Revision--oh my!
Tip of the Day: mojitos can be your friend. Especially on revision days.
REVISION--the dreaded eight letter word.
Sometimes we welcome the thought of it; other times we want to poke our eyes out in the hopes we won't have to look at our book anymore.
Recently I've decided to revise some old books with the attempt to bring new life to them. And what I've found out is that when everyone tells you to let a novel "rest" they are 100 percent
correct.
I thought I was doing this before: waiting two, three, or even four months before going back to a project. But there's nothing like waiting three, four, or even five years to give you perspective. Because if you are anything like me, you can hardly remember what you wore on Monday, let alone significant details from that many years ago. And reading your novel with completely fresh eyes gives you much needed objectivity.
After all this time, what am I finding:
So that's what I've been doing lately is trying to kick it up a notch. But first I'm still rereading everything and trying to figure out how to get across what I really meant. Which is the fun part. Everything up ahead will soon become the "wanting to poke my eyes out" part. Oh the joys of being a writer :)
--Emily, Miss Trying to Figure out How to Revise Again
* make sure to check out all the other comics at inkygirl.com. Too funny!
REVISION--the dreaded eight letter word.
Sometimes we welcome the thought of it; other times we want to poke our eyes out in the hopes we won't have to look at our book anymore.
Recently I've decided to revise some old books with the attempt to bring new life to them. And what I've found out is that when everyone tells you to let a novel "rest" they are 100 percent
correct.
I thought I was doing this before: waiting two, three, or even four months before going back to a project. But there's nothing like waiting three, four, or even five years to give you perspective. Because if you are anything like me, you can hardly remember what you wore on Monday, let alone significant details from that many years ago. And reading your novel with completely fresh eyes gives you much needed objectivity.
After all this time, what am I finding:
- I really like boys that fight for no reason. Hhmmm...not sure what that says about me.
- I was quite fond of heavy dialogue and no description.
- My character's had some growth, but it was not really as much as they could have. And with four years more life experience and more growth as a writer, it's much easier to spot that out now. Kind of like when you are 18, you think you are completely grown up and know everything about the world, and then when you turn 28 you realize what an idiot you were. Yeah...like that.
- That I'm decent at writing, but just need to kick it up a notch.
So that's what I've been doing lately is trying to kick it up a notch. But first I'm still rereading everything and trying to figure out how to get across what I really meant. Which is the fun part. Everything up ahead will soon become the "wanting to poke my eyes out" part. Oh the joys of being a writer :)
--Emily, Miss Trying to Figure out How to Revise Again
* make sure to check out all the other comics at inkygirl.com. Too funny!
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