Aiming High for Amazing Awesomeness

It's another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. If you don't know him already, you should definitely know the awesomeness behind this great group, Alex J Cavanaugh. And make sure you hop over to the IWSG website too. It's a great group that helps writers know their not alone.





(This is also my A post for the April A to Z Challenge.)

Many A words came to my mind at once when I got ready to post this...


Aim High
Amazing
Awesome
Aware
Awful

Just to name a few.

But this is the first post and an IWSG post so really, Aim High specifically wouldn't work. Awful could work if I'm going to discuss how my writerly things are going (only because they're not going at all). Amazing could work because I'm feeling like all things are possible right now if I just let myself get it done. Aware works because I'm much more aware these days about things and how so much can be taken away in minutes. And awesome always works because I tend to think a lot of things that happen and also how people are is awesome.

So, here it is...This month and the months to follow I will be Aiming High for Amazing Awesomeness when it comes to writing. As of now I've felt a bit awful when I think of my writing (or lack of). So I'm setting a goal to do better. I'm going to Aim for better. Aim to be amazing at getting it done. And aim to feel myself with lots of awesomeness and not so lots of awfulness.

Thanks for coming by. Leave a comment and I'll do my very best to visit everyone today. I appreciate you being here and I'll see you next time.

Have an Amazingly Awesome day. :)

Mention Monday Is (Not) Going Thru Hell ;)

I vaguely remember the moment I 'met' this person. If memory serves me right (which, we all know it does not do most of the time...) it was on Twitter. I'm fairly certain I said something about where I live and she replied something about how she'd just moved from here. The back and forth on Twitter was extremely short lived, maybe five messages tops, but I've thought of her as a friend ever since. (Maybe I'm a weirdo creepy stalker-like person who has made up this sorta-friendship that's not real at all...) Oh well, I can handle that. :P

Anyway, now she's self-pubbed and out and about all over social networks so much that I felt I needed to put her awesomeness out in the open for anyone who doesn't know her...

So, today's Mention Monday is all about author/editor, T.J. Loveless. When she's not working as an editor, or plotting out new ideas for her characters that are probably lovingly (or not so lovingly ;P ) abused quite frequently, she's (from what I see) a wonderful, loving mother and wife (to a pretty awesome daughter and hubby as well, from what I've seen on FB). TJ works her butt off and whether it's true or not, she appears to keep her shit together very well.

One I decided to make her my mention today, I realized just how much I admire her. TJ finds time to help other writers, work on current editing jobs, check out blogs, write blogs, write books, publish, guest blog, promote her books as well as fellow authors, check and reply to people on Facebook and Twitter, all while being a wonderful friend to many online people she does or doesn't really know...But what makes her truly awesome is, she does all of that while being a mother and wife, two very demanding jobs alone.

She does all of the above and does it with a smile (most of the time). She's exceptional and very deserving of a mention.

If you don't know her, you should. Here are some links to get to know her:

Twitter
Facebook
Blog
Website
Books: Going Thru Hell and Lucky Number Six
Google +
Goodreads

There's a good chance I'm missing other ways to find this awesome woman, but these'll do I'm sure. So, go check her out if you haven't ever and if you know her, keep checking her out and supporting her because she's awesomely awesome.

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend and are having a wonderful start to the week. :)

Yay!

I got my bracelets today, yes that's plural. The awesomely fantastically wonderful Ali Cross sent me two bracelets! So now if one breaks, I'll have a back up. Thanks, Ali! :D

Honestly, I have nothing else to say, just excited about the bracelets lol.

It's Wednesday, and hot outside, plus I'm behind on critiques. Planning on catching up today, and maybe even finding some time to write. I have some cleaning to do though and getting caught up on crits are more important to me, so we'll see what happens. On the bright side, I'm anxious to get back into writerly stuff more. I think the nicer weather is picking me up.

I hope you all have/are having a wonderful Wednesday. :)

A Wonderful Woman

And one of my best friends...

Caterina Torres, author of Zombie Whisperer, and fan of the undead :P Her book is great, book two is great (not published yet), and she's got an awesome book she's querying and one in the works. She writes like a madwoman and is awesome at it. Oh, and she writes a short story segment on her blog (usually about once a month give or take).

Cat is also my critique partner and I'd be lost without her. She picks me up when I'm down, talks sense into me when I need it, and is there for me for everything in between. She sweet and caring, giving, smart, and full of tons of awesomeness.

Like my Monday mention (JeanO), Cat is into social media. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and her website. And if you're on AQC, you can find her there too. I did a TAG! with her too.

For anyone who hasn't read Zombie Whisperer, or hasn't heard about it-go check it out. It's not your typical gory braaaaiiiiiins kind of zombie book, it's a unique take and very cool.

Hope everyone has a fantastic day. :)

It's Time to Get Back to Mention Mondays

Since I still haven't quite gotten my crap together to be ready to post better, I've decided to use a few days to mention some people that I haven't talked about in a while. I feel bad not posting my Mention Mondays and there are so many people I think everyone should know. (I also figured what better time than after Friday's awesome post. :D ) I'll be spending this week and next mentioning a few awesome peeps. (Mon/Wed/Fri)

So today it's all about the fantastically awesome woman who is in the social media scenes big time-Jean Oram. She is a writer, handing out writerly advice and helping hands/eyes/etc to all writers, all while working on her own writerly things. But that's not all she does, she also runs a website dedicated to kids play, all while posting fun ideas to get kids active, independent, and for people to just get involved with making sure the kids in their life are happy and having fun.

Wait, that's not it...Jean is also SUPER Mod over at Agent Query Connect. Yep, she finds time between all the other amazingly awesome things she does, to be even more amazingly awesome. She volunteers as super mod. Helping other writers and helping to keep the site in order.

One last thing, she does all of this amazing stuff while taking care of two kids, one being a toddler...

Yes, that's right, this woman is AMAZINGLY AWESOME. (In case you didn't get that yet :P ) She's one of the best people I've met since diving into the writerly world and I'm so happy to know her. I've learned a lot from her, things that help my writing, things that help keep my kids entertained, and even that there are people out there who can be so fantastic and still so giving and thoughtful.

So, there it is. Jean Oram is awesome, go check her out.

Jean's blog
She also posts on From the Write Angle blog
Jean's writer Facebook page
Jean's twitter
It's All Kids Play
It's All Kids Play Facebook page
Kids Play on twitter
And if you'd like to know a little bit more about Jean, here is her TAG.

If you don't know Jean,you should. And if you do know her, well, you must already know about her awesomeness and therefore sorry for writing an entire post about something not so new to you. :D

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. (See you Wednesday for the mention of another awesome person) :)

Thursday TAG! - R.C. Lewis

Eeep! This tag is-of course :p - EXCITING!!! R.C. Lewis is a math teacher, an awesome woman, always helpful, moderator over at AQC, AGENTED!, oh yeah and she's got a TWO book (six figure) deal! Yeah, did I mention she's AWESOME!?! :D

You can find R.C. on her blog, Twitter, and AQC. And make sure to keep an eye out for STITCHING SNOW(coming Summer 2014). The query is awesome and I can't wait to read the novel itself.

(EDIT: I forgot to add that RC also posts over at From The Write Angle Blog. It's an awesome blog for writers, go check it out. :)  )

1. When did you start writing?
I began writing my first novel in August 2009.

2. What made you want to write?
I was discussing some YA novels with my sister. We talked about how some had so much potential but fell short because of this or that. I thought, "It's easy to complain, but could I do any better?" Then once I got started, I discovered how much I love it.

3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published? (As opposed to writing just to write)
That first novel started out as an experiment to see what happened if I tried. I felt like what I ended up with was pretty good, so I started looking into what it takes to get published.

4. What genre(s) do you write?
Always YA, mostly sci-fi, and I have some veering toward fantasy, plus one contemporary.

5. Why that(those) genre(s)?
Sci-fi and fantasy have long been my favorites to read (and watch when it comes to movies). So mostly because I'm a geek. I veered to YA because I've been surrounded by teenagers for a while with my day job, and I like the psychology that comes with that period of our lives.

6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)
Nope.

7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?
It varies. I'll often jot a note or two before I start, then add to those notes as I go and things start fleshing out. Other times, I'll have a more solid idea of the whole plot from the beginning, so those "jotted notes" are more of an outline.

8. Is there something you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-computer, pen, paper, etc)
Nope.

9. Do you write out your story on paper and then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?
Straight to computer.

10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those you wrote and then thought-what the hell?)
I've written seven novel-length manuscripts so far, one novelette, and four short stories.

11. Is there, or has there been, anyone in your life (real or online) who thought you being a writer is/was just another hobby? Or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer?
No, never.

12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones? If not, why don't you?
I'm on Twitter (@RC_Lewis) and I blog (crossingthehelix.blogspot.com), plus I'm a moderator at AgentQuery Connect.

13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (I know there is some cringe-worthy advice still worth following, so only advice you don't follow.)
Really, any advice that's presented as absolute makes me cringe. The various forms of "to be" aren't inherently evil. Neither are adjectives and adverbs. If you go a day without writing, that doesn't make you not a real writer. Everything should be considered individually, with moderation and balance.


14. What made you choose Snow White to revamp for STITCHING SNOW?
It wasn't exactly a decision to revamp something. There's a line in a Florence + the Machine song about "Snow White stitching up your circuit-board." That conjured an image, and the story started to form from there.

15. Why did you decide to set it in the future and in space?
I lean toward sci-fi anyway, and that line of lyrics already got me in the mindset of Snow White juxtaposed with technology, so it made sense.

16. How does it feel to get a (not prearranged) call from an agent? Followed by four others wanting you too.
The cold call was startling, but fine—largely because the agent was very personable and disarming from the beginning. As for five agents offering, it's extremely flattering on the one hand ... but it was also gut-wrenching. They were all stand-out, awesome agents, and I had to figure out which of five amazing choices was the right choice for me.

17. How did you react when you got that call? (Were you cool about it-"Oh hey, Ms Agent, what's up?" or OMG!)
I guess I was pretty cool about it, at least outwardly. My outward reactions tend to be kind of muted—not exactly the jumping-up-and-down type. Inwardly, though, I had mile-a-minute thoughts, especially because I was sitting in my classroom during prep time and had to violently shift my brain from math-teacher mode to writer mode.

18. Is there any specific reason you prefer to write YA?
There are a lot of reasons. I like the transitional aspects of teenage-hood. It's a fascinating (and in turns fun, dismal, exciting, and maddening) time of life. Probably a lot of the same reasons I like teaching teenagers so much. And I like writing books that I wish I could've read as a teen. Hopefully my books will reach some teens so they don't have to wish.


19. What do you do when you aren't writing?
I teach math! Up until recently, I taught high school kids at a school for the deaf. Now I'm back to hearing kids and will be teaching eighth and ninth graders this fall.

20. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know?
I covered the main thing in #13. :) But also, there are a lot of options to consider these days. Don't rush. Take your time to figure things out and do it right.

Thursday TAG! - Charlee Vale

I know I keep saying this lately about all of my TAG!s, but...This is one I'm SUPER excited about. :D

Charlee Vale is a YA(at the moment) writer, who is absolutely fantastic, helpful, and a great woman and friend. I met her on, well I'm sure y'all could guess :P, AQC. You can find her on her website/blog, Twitter, or AQC if you're there.


1. When did you start writing?
I started writing in my teens, with a close friend of mine. It was one of those things where one of us looked at the other and said ‘Let’s write a story!’ We worked on that story for almost three years. Later it became the basis for my first novel.

2. What made you want to write?
When I started writing, I was in that awkward stage of life where you feel like you belong in a different skin. The story I wrote with my friend was purely fantasy, and the characters were our alter egos. For a long time I wrote because I could write my own adventures and escape the boredom/drama of high school. I put it away for a little while, but after I started writing in college, it morphed from just a stress reliever into something I truly loved. The characters were no longer me, but I still craved to tell their stories. It’s something hard to explain, but I’ve loved it ever since.

3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published? (As opposed to writing just to write)
It was a kind of natural evolution. I don’t ever remember a moment when I decided, ‘I want to be a published author.’ It came from a lot of people boosting me along. My friends in college, professors, my mentor, they all told me I was a good writer and should go for it. When you have a great support system, it’s only a short step from thinking something is crazy to following your dream!

4. What genre(s) do you write?
Currently I write Young Adult fiction, though I am not opposed to writing in other age levels or genres in the future.

5. Why that(those) genre(s)?
There’s a beautiful immediacy to YA that I really enjoy. I also feel that there is more freedom to be unique within the genre (or rather competition, if you think about it). So many people from so many walks of life read Young Adult literature now that it’s a great time to be a part of the YA Lit movement. Plus, being a young adult myself, I can relate!

6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)
No, not really. As many people have said before me, there is no one way to write a book. And each book itself is a different process that kind of dictates itself, according to what that book needs.

7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?
I am so NOT an outliner. Typically for me I have a core of an idea, and the story spirals from there. I’m patchwork writer, so I write all the scenes out of order, and then put them together when I’m finished. Though like I said, every book is different. For my latest WIP I actually did write a three page synopsis before I started writing, because the details were flooding into my head so quickly that I was afraid I would lose them all.

8. Is there something you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-computer, pen, paper, etc)
TEA. Having hot tea, (especially Awake by Tazo) majorly helps boost my productivity. Also I found that if I’m going to work I must be sitting upright at a desk or a table of some sort.

9. Do you write out your story on paper and then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?
It’s funny, I used to write exclusively on paper. My first novel was written in black and white composition notebooks. I still have them all. But although I enjoy writing by hand, it takes double the time because you then have to transfer it. So in the interest of time I now type it straight in. I’ve gotten used to it. (Go Scrivener!)

10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those you wrote and then thought-what the hell?)
I’m in the process of writing my third novel. I’ve written maybe twenty short stories and probably fifty poems. I’ve also written a few stage plays, and am in the process of writing one for my graduate thesis.

11. Is there, or has there been, anyone in your life (real or online) who thought you being a writer is/was just another hobby? Or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer?
Oh, yes. I think there will always be those people. I still hear stories NYT Bestselling authors who are told kindly that they should ‘keep looking for a real job.’ But you have to know in your heart that it’s your passion, and if you cling to it hard enough, the rest of the world will catch on.

12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones? If not, why don't you?
Indeed. Twitter is my main hangout (@charleevale), and my blog/website (www.charleevale.com). I also have a Facebook fan page, tumblr, and actual Facebook, though I don’t use them nearly as often and are more on the personal side. So your best bet to get in touch with me is on twitter or my site.

13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (I know there is some cringe-worthy advice still worth following, so only advice you don't follow.)
Honestly, I think the worst kind of advice is the kind that is forced on you. Since the writing process is so subjective, it’s your job to be discerning about which advice to take. However, if someone is telling you that something is THE ONLY WAY to do something, it’s probably wrong, or just right for that one person.


14. Since you work for Entangled Publishing, is it easier for you to work on getting published? Or are you going the regular route and querying agents/publishers?
Because I work at Entangled, and have quite a few friends in the industry, I will admit that I am more connected than the average writer. However, I am going the traditional find-an-agent, research my brains out, query, and panic, route.

15. Between a Master's program and reading submissions for Entangled, where do you find time to write?
My sleep suffers. I wish I were kidding. I've been really lucky this Summer. I've had a BUNCH of writing time, which allowed me to finish the first draft of my latest novel. That puts me in a better place for the school year, since revising is easier than drafting in terms of creative brain power. (for me at least)

But to truly answer the question, I believe that if you love something, you will make time for it. I have to fit writing in on lunch breaks, I write in my car on the way to work/school, I always keep a pen and notebook on me. ALWAYS.

16. What is it about a tragic ending that pulls you in?
I wouldn't say I love a completely tragic ending, but more a bittersweet ending. For some reason, happy endings that are wrapped up in a perfect bow have always rung a little false to me. In my experience, there is rarely a happy ending without sacrifice, or loss.

For whatever reason, I'm addicted to that elusive feeling of catharsis that comes with an imperfect ending. You all have been WARNED. I like bittersweet endings, what does that tell you?

17. What do you like about being a non-linear pantser?
It's a very free method of working. I can work on whatever part of the story I feel like, at any time. Some people marvel at how I can put together coherent story if I write out of order AND pantsing, but somehow it works for me.

If I'm stuck, I don't have to work on that scene until I'm banging my head bloody on the keyboard. I just skip somewhere else, write a scene that I've been thinking about, or maybe a Candy Bar Scene. That usually helps me work through plot problems.

18. What scene was your favorite to write for your latest wip? (First, last, middle, etc) And at what point (word count) did you write it?
Oh my goodness, you had to ask this. There were so many scenes that I enjoyed writing. I mean, I have a costume party, battle zones, and future New York. BUT I really think my favorite scene to write was the very last one. I figured out what I wanted the last lines of the book to be, and they struck me so deeply that I knew that I had to write that scene right away.

And I wrote it about 3/4 of the way through the draft. My draft is about 60K, so I guess I wrote it at about 45K? But yeah, writing that scene will stay with me for a long time.


19. What do you do when you aren't writing?
I’m currently getting my Master’s Degree in Theatre Performance and Playwriting, and I’m an Editorial Intern at Entangled Publishing.

20. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know?
Yes, absolutely. FEAR IS A LIAR. There are so many fears that plague us as writers. Will I be good enough? Will people like my stories? Will I ever get an agent? Will I ever be published? Will I be thought of as silly for writing? Am I crazy? And so many more. But we have to remember that these fears are nothing but barriers holding us back from our dreams. There is no excuse for sabotaging yourself. If you don’t believe, no one will, so discard the fear and grab that dream.

Brighton Luke - Act II

Okay, here is Act II of Brighton Luke's interview. (If you happened to miss Act I-click here.)


14. When did you start writing screenplays?
What made you want to write them? Probably high school I think. I wrote the script for a short a few friends and I filmed as our final project for AP English. I love movies, even more than books, to me there is no better entertainment than a well made film. So I’ve always been interested in filmmaking and I’ve always had so many stories swimming around in my head it made sense to write them down, and to me some stories either just fit a novel or a film better so I just go with whichever one, and for some I write two versions like in What the Water Gave Us I wrote that first as a screenplay and then I also thought it would make a good novel so I rewrote it as one. Movies have such a big impact on me when I watch them, so I’ve always wanted to have that same impact on people. I’m currently (we start shooting August 15th) directing and producing my first feature length film, American Dreamsicle, so even though it’s completely stressing me out I’m finally really discovering how much it’s something I want to do. Every obstacle that has come up I’ve really buckled down, found a solution and felt reaffirmed in my conviction that this is what I want to be doing, what I should be doing which is exciting. I’ve often longed for that, the conviction of feeling like I’m certain that I’m doing the right thing, and wanting something badly enough to have the dedication to reach excellence (haha I sound like I’ve been watching way too much Olympics, not that there is such a thing as too much Olympics).

15. Screenplays vs. Novels: how alike/unalike are they?
Screenplays are much more strictly structured, both in format and plot wise, which I think some people could probably use a little more of in their novels, I think learning how to properly structure a screenplay has helped me with writing tighter novels. You have so much less room in a screenplay everything has to have a purpose that moves the plot forward and it all has to be visual, if you can’t see or hear it on screen you can’t include it (well you could but it’d be pointless). One advantage I like about novels though is that added freedom, and you have way more room. I was able to add back in some of my favorite parts of the story that there just wasn’t room for in the screenplay version of What the Water Gave Us when I rewrote it as a novel, and a novel has to be the whole house, it is the final product, where as with a screenplay it’s just the blueprints, so it’s not done until the film is done. So finishing a manuscript is much more satisfying than finishing a screenplay.

16. Why did you pick a virus to write about for WHAT THE WATER GAVE US?
It fit the plot. That’s not a very exciting answer but that’s what happened. If anyone wants to know what we’re taking about you can read the query for What the Water Gave Us here.  My original spark that inspired this novel was witnessing an event where someone did something many considered unforgivable, and then watching the fallout and reactions I got to thinking about the nature of guilt, and how it changes people. I also really wanted to address the ideas of being so blindingly focused on achieving a righteous sort of goal which for Anton is eradicating this virus that you will do things otherwise considered to be bad, but in the pursuit of something good. There are some things that we as a society like to think are only done by monstrous people, but if you look at history and real life, that’s not at all the case, and I think it’s really interesting and dramatic to explore the lives of characters walking those lines. I wanted someone with almost absolute power who is consciously aware of not wanting to be corrupted by it, and how probably the most pure thing about him, his love for his wife and family, that ultimately corrupts him for reasons that would give away a major spoiler, but that was generally what I wanted to write about. So as far as the virus goes, I needed both a reason these people had so much power, and I also needed to set up a moral conflict for Anton, and I just thought it was cool to have a family whose power came from immunity to a virus. Kind of taking the metaphor of the power being in your blood for royalty literally, because it really is an unimpeachable power it gives them, I think much more so than just oh we’re the monarchy it’s tradition and we have military might. It puts them in the position of being non-virtuous saviors, forced saviors. Plus epidemics have always fascinated me. One of my favorite books when I was in high school was The Hot Zone, about the marburg virus, which inspired some of the symptoms of the virus in my story.

17. What's your favorite screenplay you've ever written and why is it your favorite?
Probably What the Water Gave Us, because I like the characters so much, they are like my friends, but I also really like the musical I wrote based on the music by The Killers, and a new project I’ve been working on when I have the time, Young Blood, I rarely write comedy, but people are always encouraging me to, so this one is a dark comedy/ satire. It’s about a woman who is a very successful blogger whose blog is about hot college athletes. Some of the guys prominently featured on her site start turning up murdered right as she’s on the verge of hitting the big time (she’s gotten the opportunity to write a cover story for a major magazine about a rising college star) so even though the police easily figure out it’s not her, public opinion really drags her though the mud, so she works on clearing her name and gets pulled in deeper to the underlying drama behind the murders. Most of the stuff I get most excited about are because of the characters, I like to think about the most interesting people I could imagine and then write their stories.

18. What happened to the Pineapple Wafers?
They still exist, in our hearts and on random grocery shelves. (Seriously if your store has them or the coconut kind, try em, they’re amazing. Go goya!) For those who have no idea what we are talking about the Pineapple Wafers are a band I was in, though I use the word band loosely. We were really an Outhouse Racing team (it’s a huge 4th of July tradition in Bristol, VT, where you race outhouse shaped things on wheels down Main Street as hundreds of people cheer on and bet on the races to raise money for charity) pretending to be a band that sang comedy songs about snack foods, and then when we did well and won our heat and made it to the finals the newspaper and tv started interviewing us and the woman from the Seven Days paper in Vermont wanted us to send her some of our music. (No one realized it was all a joke) so instead of informing them it was a joke we went with it and went and wrote some songs about food and candy, filmed a music video, and sent it off, they used the song in the video about the race, and then also wrote a thing about us predicting that our music video would become a viral internet hit. We then filmed a few more videos. Good times had by all.
Here are some links that tell the story better.

Stale Starburst Love music video

Outhouse racing

If you feel like you must hear some of our other songs (be forewarned that our motto was No Talent? No Problem!) https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pineapple-Wafers/124607940916403?ref=ts&sk=app_178091127385
We might film a few more videos someday. So yeah, my personality is kind of all over the map, the Pineapple Wafers is a good representation of my goofy side. It balances out the much more serious side I tend to show with what I write in my novels. I can be a little high strung sometimes and take things and myself too seriously so it’s good to let loose and be silly sometimes.

Thursday TAG! - Brighton Luke - Act I

(If you missed my Tuesday post, please go check it out. I asked a question that no one answered fully...Do you know?)

Brighton Luke is so full of awesome, that he needs an Act I and Act II. Today will be questions 1-12 and tomorrow will be 13-20. Brighton is an awesome guy who knows how to make light of any situation-he'll bring a smile to your face when needed. He can perk up a group of people with his wit and he's such a great person.

Mr. Luke is not only a writer of novels, but screenplays as well. You can find him on his website, blog, Twitter, and if you'd like to see some of his humor-check out this YouTube page here.



1. When did you start writing?
I don’t remember.

2. What made you want to write?
I’ve always told myself stories, I’d often spend my “me time” decompressing from the rest of the world by having an ongoing story, or a few of them depending on my mood I’d dive into various ones. It was like having a TV show I’d watch every night before going to bed. Sometimes people would want me to do something or go somewhere while I was having my story time, and I’d be like: “go away, I’m busy, I’m thinking” and that’s what I’d be doing. I still do that actually. There are some stories that I keep for myself as my own entertainment, but I started having ones that I wanted to tell other people. I started off telling friends or my parents or coaches the stories while they were stuck with me on the chairlift skiing, and my dad was always encouraging me to write them down. Eventually I did. Though it’s still fun to have a captive audience on the chairlift.

3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published? (As opposed to writing just to write)
Growing up I knew successful, published writers, who’d been on Oprah’s book club and had bestsellers and their books made into movies. They were friends of my parents, so I think I grew up with the assumption that if you were a writer, that’s what you eventually did, was get your stuff published and be successful, but I also pictured it as something adults did. I had a hard time picturing myself as an adult ever, haha, so now that I’ve just graduated college, I’ve hit the oh I’m kind of adultish now, I should work on this whole getting published part. I wish I had made an effort to do so earlier though. Because it’s such a long process, but also because back in 2005 I wrote a YA dystopian novel, and if I’d gotten in published back then I’d of been ahead of that trend haha. So that would have been cool.

4. What genre(s) do you write?
Literary fiction with a dystopian/ political bent, though some of it is a bit science fiction. I also wrote a novella under a pen name that was a satire and a huge departure from how I usually write, I think I have it posted on my website. (Which kind of defeats the purpose of a pen name, haha, but it’s more that, that’s the character I was writing it as, my more devious alter ego). Everyone tells me I should write comedy because apparently I make them laugh. So that’s a goal, to write a comedy at some point. I also have a much wider genre spread of what I write for screenplays than I do for novels. Everything from a terrorism thriller to a musical. It’s a big goal of mine to direct that someday, it’s called Jenny Was A Friend of Mine. It’s based on the music of The Killers, kind of like how Mama Mia was based on the music of Abba.
I find some stories just feel like they are a better fit for a book and some feel more like they’d make a great movie.

5. Why that(those) genre(s)?
I love politics. Well maybe not love, but it fascinates me, thats what I studied in college. I also get entertained by how riled up everyone gets about it, I can be quite vulcan like when it comes to politics, I think the only productive way (for me at least) is to approach it with logic and not emotions. That enables me to see all sides of it, and really helps in writing, though in order for other people to be as open minded I also don’t have my novels take place on earth. Kind of like how westerns, or science fiction, (or really any fiction) were used to address larger social and political issues using a far removed setting. I want to write things that will entertain people, but I also want to make them think and feel. And I think there are certain things that are best explored via fiction, because fiction has more power to open peoples minds to seeing things a different way, and getting past their preconceived notions. But I also enjoy just blowing stuff up and that kind of action, so it’s all a balance.

6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)
Haha, uh… no. Yes. Some weirder than others. I have Aspergers and have kind of rituals or routines for everything. Some are probably fairly common. I prefer to write in the dark. I also have a file called CHARACTERS on my computer, which I originally intended to put photos of people who reminded me of all my characters, (which I think a fair number of people do) but this failed, the start of the file is that, but mostly it’s somehow turned into a file full of photos of Jennifer Connelly and Hugh Dancy haha, and now I for some reason have to have that file open on the screen while I write even though it’s not filled with images of various characters, even if I’m writing about people who could by no stretch be represented by either of those two, I still have to have the file open.) I also get into the mood for writing by watching certain video montages I’ve made. I guess they are sort of equivalent to those fan made trailers you see on youtube, only I make them for my own WIPs (and they don’t get posted online so I don’t complete embarrass myself haha. But they really do get me in the zone and psyched up to write). That and I love editing videos.

7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?
Outline, extensively. Once I think of an idea and mull it over in my brain for awhile, I sit down and just write all of my ideas for it. And then I close the file, and open a new one and do the same thing, just write another outline straight through, and I do that a few times. And my outlines are long, about 40 pages. I keep doing that until I have the plot and characterization making sense. I then do a beat sheet for it. And finally I’m ready to start writing the actual story. At which point I don’t write in order at all. Since it’s already so heavily planned out I just write whichever scene I’m feeling at the moment.

8. Is there something you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-computer, pen, paper, etc)
Pretty much the stuff I mentioned in question 6. The proper music, proper pictures, proper lighting (I have yelled at people who have come in and turned on lights while I’m in the zone writing “you don’t need the lights just walk slow!”) the videos.

9. Do you write out your story on paper and then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?
Drop open markers on a sheet of paper and shake it around, thats what my handwriting looks like. I write on the computer.

10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those you wrote and then thought-what the hell?)
A lot.

11. Is there, or has there been, anyone in your life (real or online) who thought you being a writer is/was just another hobby? Or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer? No, not that I can remember. I am often told I am wasting time, but never said in relation to my writing. Generally when I am found watching the same movie for the third time in a weekend. (In my defense it was only playing that one weekend!)

12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones? If not, why don't you?
I tweet (@brightonAwesome), I facebook, I use tumblr probably more than is healthy, and I am quite active on certain IMDb boards (I’m super into movies). I like social media because it’s more about connecting with people based on certain similar interests, where as my “real life’ friends are awesome and we have fun together, but they might not necessarily be passionate about all the same things I am. If I want to talk about writing for hours on end I can go to AQC, if I want to find people are as excited about the shooting locations of Darren Aronofsky’s new film I can go over to IMDb or twitter and what have you, it’s like that for any interest. Plus there are tweet-a-long’s on Twitter where you watch a movie or tv show at the same time as a bunch of other fans and all chat about it on twitter, those are tons of fun.

(Don't forget to come back tomorrow for Act II :D  )

Mention Monday - Awesome Peeps

So, there are some people who deserve a shout out just because. These people comment on my blog all the time-regardless if I can make it to theirs or not, tweet about my blog and retweet my tweets, and they #FollowFriday me quite often. They are awesome peeps who deserve to be mentioned, they deserve recognition.

First up, because I suppose it's possible that someone does not know this awesome guy, Alex J Cavanaugh. Blogger, author of CassaStar and CassaFire, and all around great person.

Next up is an awesome woman who is making a name for herself not only in the parenting world, but the writer world also. Jean Oram is the wonderful woman behind the awesome Kid's Play site, she's got a story coming out in an anthology soon, and she's super mod over at AQC. Jean can be found in so many places so, click here for the links.

E.M. LaBonte is a writer, blogger, and such an awesome chick. She mentions people all the time, does shout outs constantly, and she's just so sweet and too kind.

Jacqueline Gardner is the author of a few awesome books (links: here, here, and here) and she's just released her latest along with a GIVEAWAY-Woot! Go check her out and look her books up, I'm a big fan and I definitely recommend them.

Caterina Torres is a blogger (and she's finally enabled comments on her blog-woot!), author of Zombie Whisperer-a book that puts a bit of a spin on your average zombies and all without the major gore, and she's an overall genuinely sweet and awesome lady.

I want to wrap this up so, I'm going to make a list of a few more awesome peeps, there's just so many...

Kendra (she also gave me an award that I need to post about.)
Utsav - Blog
Brighton - Same as Utsav's and he's also got the kickstarter project happening until August 8.
SC
CharleeVale
DL Hammons

(And one more thing I wanted to mention: There is an open submissions going on for an anthology. Check out the details at The Elephant's Bookshelf. Writers, check it out-deadline is Aug 17.)

Okay, I know that's a lot of links, but these people are so worth the mentions. Please check 'em out if you haven't already.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that you have a wonderful week. :)
Happy Monday Everyone! :D

Thursday TAG! - Utsav Mukherjee

(For all of my awesome followers who continue to stop by even though I've been slacking on getting to your blogs to comment: THANK YOU!! I've been trying to get caught up on my writing, revising, and critiquing so I can get back to commenting. It's hectic over here, but I'm getting there-slowly.)

Now on to the TAG! Today is Utsav Mukherjee. He's an awesome guy and writer who I met at...Why yes, of course, AQC! :D You can find him at his blog, Pineapple Lightning (he's lightning, btw) and he's also on Twitter.


1. When did you start writing?
At the age of 11. I started with a rip-off on Secret Seven/Famous Five and then transcended to a fan fiction of the Order of the Phoenix. It had several good plot points, which were quite similar to the actual book (Sirius dying, Fred and George's shop etc.) I had the threads of my current novel when I was 14 and although most of the story has changed since, a few words from that time still remain in my first chapter.

2. What made you want to write?
The joy of reading about a world you can immerse yourself in. I wanted to experience my own world and also, through it spread the joy to others.

3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published? (As opposed to writing just to write)
I always had that thought in mind. I love writing but more than that, I love having my works read. For that, publishing is essential. I didn't know anything about the publishing process though and I probably still don't.

4. What genre(s) do you write?
Fantasy and Sci-fi. I don't think I am good for writing anything else, yet.

5. Why that(those) genre(s)?
You write what you read. And my favourite genre is High Fantasy, although I have ideas for a thriller.

6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)
Get a laptop and type! No, not really. Although, I am a slave to my writing moods. I can't get too much done unless I am in one of them.

7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?
A mix of both, I think. Having a vague outline is important, so that you know where you are heading. But then again, ideas keep popping in while you are writing, so I tend to go with the flow.

8. Is there something you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-computer, pen, paper, etc)
Internet. I come up with so many questions while writing, that it is imperative for me to keep researching on topics.

9. Do you write out your story on paper and then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?
I used to write on paper when I started off. But college life turned me into one of those desk guys sitting in front of a computer. So now, it's directly on the computer.

10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those you wrote and then thought-what the hell?)
Two books and about ten short stories. None of them have seen the light of day. I may come back to them some day.

11. Is there, or has there been, anyone in your life (real or online) who thought you being a writer is/was just another hobby? Or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer?
Well, surprisingly no. Everybody always thought I had a way with words. But for me, sometimes writing takes a backseat because of the ten-thousand other equally awesome passions I have. Right now, writing tops the charts.

12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones? If not, why don't you?
I am not much of a social person. Other than Facebook, I have only recently joined twitter.

13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (I know there is some cringe-worthy advice still worth following, so only advice you don't follow.)
I will keep that on hold because I don't have enough experience to comment. One thing I am comfortable with is long sentences, whether reading or writing, but run-ons seem to be a strict no-no.


14. Why do you write YA?
I don't have an age group in mind when I start writing. I selected the genre first, which was Fantasy/Sci-Fi and I guess it became a YA because I was 14 when I had the preliminary idea for Jimmy, so my writing and my story reflects that. I know, it is a norm to know your target audience because it helps the marketing of the book but we as authors want everyone in all age groups to connect to the story. Harry Potter is read by adults and LoTR is read by teens.

15. Are there many writers in India? (Just curious how common it is for people there to pursue writing)(And I mean this question in no offense at all, btw.)
I am not entirely sure, as to how popular writing for getting published is in India yet. But there are several leading novelists from India like Arundhati Roy (God of Small Things), Aravind Adiga (White Tiger), Chetan Bhagat (Five Point Someone) and a new favourite- Amish (Naga Trilogy).


16. Attorney by day/writer by night...Do the two ever mix/interfere with one another?
Sadly, more than mixing, being a lawyer hampers my writing time. Being on the call 24 hours a day makes it tough to continue writing on a regular basis, especially since I am not a legal drama writer like John Grisham. The one thing that has been a positive impact is my drafting skills have improved.

17. What would you do/think if you stumbled upon an invisible ladder?
Do what my MC did. Climb it and pretend to be Superman. Also I could make money getting other people to get pictures clicked like that.

18. Are there similarities between you and your MC in Averagely Extraordinary?
There are similarities and differences. I was decently well-placed academically and sports-wise and some of my friends, who were at that time not so inclined to study, used to get lectures from their parents. I wanted to put my fantasy of going on an extra-ordinary adventure being in the shoes of an average kid. And my story follows the dictum- Sometimes being average at everything is better than being good in one and bad at others. The desire to be special is strong in all of us. Jimmy wants to be special as well. The story is about how he responds when he understands being extraordinary is not always about being the best.


19. What do you do when you aren't writing?
Usually working, playing table tennis, cooking, academic pursuits and the minimum dose of socialising.

20. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know?
Try and write so that you can see the events in your mind like a movie. To me, that is the core of writing.

Thursday TAG! - Stephanie Adele

Stephanie Adele is another awesome person I met on AQC. She blogs, Tweets, Pins and is on Goodreads. Check her out because, well, she's full of awesome. :D


1. When did you start writing?
I can't even remember how long it has been. I think I started writing as soon as I found out that writing down thoughts and stories was an actually thing, and not just something weird that I did. I was published when I was 7, so I would probably put that as the moment when I realized that this writing thing was pretty cool.

2. What made you want to write?
I absolutely suck at expressing myself in person, and writing really gave me the opportunity to unleash what was in my brain without the immediate reactions from another person. Writing helped me cope through a lot of things during high school and other tough times.

3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published? (As opposed to writing just to write)
I always credit my high school Drama teacher with giving me the push I needed to believe in myself and realize that I could potentially publish my work one day. I was writing the script for the yearly Christmas play in my freshman year and after she read it she turned, looked at me, and said, "If you don't become a published writer, it will be such a waste." After that, there was no looking back.

4. What genre(s) do you write?
I've struggled with this internally for a long time. Do you write what you love or write what you're good at? I chose write what I love, which is suspense/thriller, with a hint of what I'm good at (romance).

5. Why that(those) genre(s)?
I have always loved suspense novels and the journey that they take you on. Not only do you get the POV of the main character, but also everyone else involved when a crime takes place. The victims, the police, the doctors, and most interestingly to me, the suspect.

6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)
I don't really have a set in stone process for writing. I must have a title before I start, I am completely anal about that. I also like to get feedback during the writing process to make sure I'm on the right track (instant gratification nomnomnom).

7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?
Never used an outline. Never will. I come from writing screenplays, where you have to feel every word that is coming out of you. I tend to write my novels the same way. I am in that moment with my characters, feeling what they feel at that exact second. I feel like if I outlined things, I wouldn't get that experience.

8. Is there something you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-computer, pen, paper, etc)
MUSIC. I cannot write without music. My iTunes is basically filled with nothing but playlists for my different books.

9. Do you write out your story on paper and then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?
I'm a bit of both. Usually computer, but if I am somewhere where I need to kill time and all I have is a pen and paper, it will do.

10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those you wrote and then thought-what the hell?)
Probably about 10 finished ones. Another million unfinished.

11. Is there, or has there been, anyone in your life (real or online) who thought you being a writer is/was just another hobby? Or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer?
I have had a supportive group of family and friends when it comes to this subject. They've never...encouraged me, so to speak, but they haven't discouraged me either. Most of the people close in my life know that I do have a talent with words, and I also have an uncle who is a published author, so I've never had to face that line of criticism so far.

12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones? If not, why don't you?
I'm addicted to Twitter. Every since I got a smartphone, you haven't been able to keep me off it. I also have Facebook and Pinterest. I just started a blog that I have been enjoying so far. I was hesitant to start one, because I know that it is a massive commitment, but I also know that it can have a great payoff. One of the best things about the internet is being able to connect with other people who have the same interests as you, without leaving the comfort of your own home. Which is excellent for a introverted writer like myself.

13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (I know there is some cringe-worthy advice still worth following, so only advice you don't follow.)
Hmm...I can't say I really follow any advice. Part of being a writer is experimentation and learning the ropes on your own. I believe that one piece of advice that would really help one writer, would make another cringe. It is a hard industry to break into, and I think you need to just navigate the waters on your own.


14. Do you have playlists for just your book in general? Or do you have several per book? (Like, one for fight scenes. One for love scenes. Etc)
Specific playlists are definitely a must. I do have some general songs that kind of find their way into a few of my lists, but for the most part I like having individual playlists for each book. I think that each book you write has its own voice and feel to it, and I believe that the music you listen to during the creation of it can really add to the experience. And once I use a song for a certain book it kind of belongs to that book in a way.

15. Who are some of your top thriller/suspense authors? What about books?
My thriller trifecta, as I like to call it, are Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, and James Patterson. I know that these are all pretty mainstream authors and I realize that and don't really care, lol. They are popular for a reason and that is because they write damn good books! Reichs is my absolute favorite because I love they way she melds hardcore science with believable characters and situations. She is a master at describing and creating atmosphere and characters that feel like they are people you really know in your life. I'll list my favorite book from each author as not to turn this into a dissertation, lol. For Reichs it is Cross Bones, Cornwell it's Book of the Dead, and for Patterson it's 2nd Chance.

16. Published at 7? What's that like? What'd you publish?
I don't quite remember what is was like, to be honest haha. It feels like it was a lifetime ago and at that age I was more interested in practicing my Spice Girls routine in my backyard than being excited over being published.

The way it happened was that we had to write and illustrate a story for my class at school and get it all bound and wallpaper covered like a real novel. I wrote about me and my friends becoming trapped in my television and interacting with the different characters we came across as the channels were surfed and we tried to escape. My teacher loved it so much that she entered it in the yearly Toronto Star writing competition and it just happened to win.

17. How many books/short stories/articles/etc have you published? Just one, or several? Only when you were seven, or other ages as well?
That was it! Sadly. I have never submitted anything else to be published since. I keep telling myself that I will get into the habit of entering a few contests but I never seem to get around to it. I have written a few plays thought that have been put into production, and that was pretty cool.

18. What type of music to you have on your playlist?
Here is my current playlist for Beneath the City of Lights:
1. Leave Me Here - Hem
2. Seven Devils - Florence + The Machine
3. The Weight of Us - Sanders Boehlke
4. The Writer - Ellie Goulding
5. So Soon - Marianas Trench
6. The Light - Sarah Bareilles

I tend to go for songs that I feel encompass the ride of emotions that my MC's go through throughout their journey in the book. All the songs have a similar thread to them and help me get into the minds of my MCs


19. What do you do when you aren't writing?
I watch A LOT of television. I love TV. Netflix is my absolute favorite invention in the entire universe, along with computers and internet. I also like going to the movies, walking my dog, and the Saturday night bar ritual with my friends.

20. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know?
Writing is 95% talent, 5% education. If you are passionate about putting your thoughts on a page, then sit your ass down and do it!

Weigh-In Wednesday - Hangers

So, it's time for some hangers. What? You don't need any? Gah, I always need hangers. Between two girls (one 5 and the other 4), I go through so many. It's ridiculous. I've never needed so many hangers until I had kids. I didn't even know one could need that many. ;)


No, seriously, today is the day to post our hangers. If you missed my hookers, you can find them here. Check out the lovely ladies of Falling For Fiction (they're all full of tons of awesomeness) and make sure to check the blogs on the linky list-some awesome peeps on there. :)

And here are my hangers from the same WIP (Unbind Me) and the same chapters as the hookers:

Chapter 1: Somewhere I never wanted to see again - my cave. (I realize that this is not very hangy out of context, but ah well. :p  )

Chapter 2: He’s going to be able to tell I was with Declan and I’m so screwed.

Chapter 3: He’s probably just assuming his role as my mate. Ugh, that’s going to take a lot of getting used to.

Chapter 4: Amariana O’Byrne, as your King I order you to become a wolf.


Chapter 5: “I’ve come to take you from here so you can see what a mistake you’ve made. And so I can teach you what it means to make that kind of mistake.”

Chapter 6: Of course, when my power doesn’t get an outlet, even Father isn’t strong enough to stop me.

Chapter 7: “You will come home sometime, remember that,” Father bellows from behind me, his voice full of promises I’d rather he not keep.

Okay, so there are my hangers. Hopefully I hung at least one person. :p

Happy Hanging. :D

Week Wrap Up - WINNERS!!!!

My week has been fairly dull really. My kids are CRAZY and I'm busy trying to get them in line or writing or revising or critiquing. Nothing exciting. Except this post....

I hosted a giveaway of Ali Cross' books: BECOME and DESOLATE!

And today it's time to announce those winners...



BUT WAIT!

So many awesome people entered my giveaway. So many of you AWESOMELY WONDERFUL people that I couldn't just choose two winners...

For real?!?

Yep, I couldn't pick just two. Couldn't do it. What can I say? Y'all are full of awesome. :D  So, I picked six people...


Say WHAT?!?!

Oh yeah, you read it right...SIX people won these awesomely amazingly fantastically fabulous books.

So, who you say? Here's the list:

Stephanie Adele
EB Black
Kendra Conine
Caterina Torres
Floetic Flo
SC_Author

WOOT!! Congrats WINNERS!!!

Keep an eye out for your email from Ali. It should be soon. :D

Thank you Ali for all of your awesomeness! And thanks to all who entered. Keep an eye out for another giveaway-I love them and I'll come up with one soon. :D

Happy Saturday Everyone! :)

Thursday TAG! - SC

Okay, so this TAG! is a teeny bit unique because it's with my awesome friend, SC. Why is it unique? Because I don't know any more of his name. SC is what he goes by. He prefers to remain anonymous, so I respect his preference. (Even if I find it odd at times. :p ) I met SC on the wonderful, AQC, and we became friends and CPs. (Like all those abbreviations there? :D ). He's a nice guy who is pretty positive and upbeat. SC only recently began blogging and tweeting-I've mentioned that a time or two. ;)  His blog is interesting and he tweets various things, check him out. :) Also, today is his birthday...Happy Birthday, SC! :D



1. When did you start writing? 
OOhhh, um..... a long time :) I've written poetry as a kid (like really young) and I wrote travel journals when I went to other countries. The first 'book' I wrote was really a short story--a fanfic for a writing competition in... 4th grade, I think. It was based off of the animated character Kirby. Hehe. I wrote a much bigger story (still a short story) in 5th grade about magic, and I wrote a short Allen Poe-esq story in 7th grade.

2. What made you want to write? 
JK ROWLING ALL THE WAY! Well, maybe not. I wrote tons (poetry and short stories) before I read JKR, but I think it was due to her that I wrote my current manuscript, VIS DECOR: ALPHI. The book is, well, based off of my own life experiences, and I wanted to find an escape. I found an idea, and I thought, "Why don't I try writing?" because I loved Harry Potter so much.

3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published? (As opposed to writing just to write) 
My English teacher took me to the side and told me that I should try and get my Edgar Allen Poe short story published. (And me, being a 7th grader, slapped it onto a short story website and called it published.) Years passed, and I wrote my current manuscript. I kind of decided, from the beginning, that I would love to see it in print and published. Now I'm taking a bit of a break from it and beginning to write something else :)


4. What genre(s) do you write?
YA Fantasy :) Actually, it might be high fantasy, because it is set on an underwater, separate world... but I just use YA fantasy. The novel I just started writing is an adult... contemporary? If that's even a genre....

5. Why that(those) genre(s)?
JK Rowling, heheh.  I kind of was like, "I'd love magic in my book." So therein came the fantasy, but the idea for the underwater world was unrelated to anything Harry Potter or JKR. YA age group because the themes and emotions in those books were based off of the events in my teen years. (Score one for teen angst.) The adult genre because I felt REALLY strongly about something that is an issue with only adults. Literally. Health insurance.

6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process)
Here comes my secret. Sigh. Don't tell anyone (and keep in mind, I AM A GUY) but I listen to...... sigh...... Adele before I write crazy emotional scenes. AH! I said it. But I honestly don't think any other singer has as much emotion in her voice or lyrics, and no other singer has moved me as much as she has. (She brings music back to where it came from and where it should go back to: power of voice.)

I listen to the Script and Greenday because the song's emotions should match the scene's emotion. (Adele can't work for everything.) I listen BEFORE I write. During the actual writing, I kind of forget about the music. It just stops playing from the Youtube tab I have up.

7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing?
OUTLINE, all the way!! Well, let me take that back. I use sort of an 'organic' outline, where I sit down, and I go, "this happens, so what would happen next? Oh, how about next?" and then (apart from the few, critical, scenes) it is done naturally from the beginning. It's kind of like writing your story with all the surprises, but with a lot less words.

Of course, my original outline (for the MS I completed) was 22 chapters or something, and now that I wrote it, it has ballooned to 36 or something. Don't be too attached to your outline.

8. Is there something you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-computer, pen, paper, etc)
I usually write in bed, and I try getting music before I draft (see question 6). During revisions/editing, I don't have music.

9. Do you write out your story on paper and then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer?
Every single scene that I felt emotionally strong about I wrote on paper because... well, I don't know, I feel it's more smooth that way. But mostly, I do it straight on the computer. Queries I've learned to write it from scratch for a new draft; it's a lot fresher and better that way.

10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those you wrote and then thought-what the hell?)

Hehehe, um, well, this is my first full-length book, and I wrote three short stories (two of which I thought were books but I now realize are short stories). I'm beginning to write something new. Tons of poetry--two of which have been published.

11. Is there, or has there been, anyone in your life (real or online) who thought you being a writer is/was just another hobby? Or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer?
My family (my core family) is supportive, I guess, but I kind of hide the fact that I'm a writer from everyone else. I don't feel comfortable in divulging that fact. I don't want to get questions like, "Oh, when is it going to be published?" or "So what's your real job?" because I feel like I'd stab myself in the eye. And I like my eyes.

12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones? If not, why don't you?
I'm trying desperately to get into the media, and I just recently created a blog and a twitter. SCwrite.blogspot.com and @SC_Author. I've begun blogging and Tweeting, and let me tell you, I love it :)

13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (I know there is some cringe-worthy advice still worth following, so only advice you don't follow.)
That there is one way to do stuff. But, honestly, the (good) advisers on the Internet know this fact, so I haven't really heard and horrible advice that is repeated over an over.

However, I did hear of this one writer (very successful) who said that a writer should draft once (no revisions), send it off to a beta, revise once, and send it to agents. NO!! (Well, for me, anyway.) I revised mine upwards of seven times, and it has gotten much better after that. Never fear the revisions :) The writer who said this has published tons of books, and I haven't. I think he might only be talking to the James Patterson type.


14. Where did you come up with the underwater world concept of your book?
I did a painting where a golfer was golfing in outer space (don't ask me where that idea came from). That is (long, long story short) where I got the idea to set my world on a different planet :) Also (this might have been a dream, I'm not sure) I had an idea where there was a Beast, or monster that whirled around in space. I thought, "Hey, what if that monster was the core of the planet?" The Beast is the source of magic. Since I needed magic, I needed to go the nearest I could to the Beast--to the planet's core. I needed to go deep, and that meant in the ocean.

15. Why the name Alphi?
Her species are the Alphas, the supreme species. (For some reason) I just assumed my main character was a girl even though I am a guy, so it just kind of clicked to me that, to make a feminine Alpha, I should use Alphi. I fell in love with the name, and I used it :)

16. What got you interested in physics?
Oohh....  I think I just liked outer space and the planets as a kid, and once I learned more, I grew to enjoy the cosmos. I wanted to find out more about them because they were just so darn awesome. Just Google space. Just do it. And then you'll see why I love it so much :)

17. Why don't you listen to music while you revise/edit?
I REALLY need real, pure emotions when I write the scene originally, and the music helps. But fixing stuff up and doing damage control doesn't really need music. It was just more natural to do it without music and I just sat down and edited. Hehehe, I actually didn't realize that I do this until I read this question :)

18. Where have you traveled? Any specific reason?
I've traveled a loottt. Most of the 50 states (including Hawaii), and also Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, Australia, New Zealand, India, Switzerland, France, and, my FAVORITE place in the world, Italy, and most specifically, Rome. I love to travel because you get to see so many different cultures, people, and landscapes that you can't find in the USA. Here, every state looks the same with McDonald's down every block. It's just the atmosphere of being in different countries, the ancient places and air. Imagining the ancient Romans walking where you walked. It's hard to describe.

I LOVE ROME. I will live there for a few months. I will. I just know I am. I love it, the landscape, the air, and the buildings (I'm iffy on the people, because many were quite rude. That's okay, though. They're Romans. They're allowed to be rude).


19. What do you do when you aren't writing?
I love to oil paint (love love love). From portraits, to Rome, it's just fun. I love learning about (don't kill me) physics too. Actually, my day job is probably going to revolve around physics, once college is done. Sigh. I'm a weird writer.

20. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know?
GET A CRIT PARTNER! Mine are life savers; I've shaved off 45K words because of them. Also:

PASSION. I can preach this over and over, but you need passion in your work. Quite honestly (and some might say differently but I'm willing to debate it out), if you have the passion, your manuscript should NEVER be trunked.

Hear me out.

That passion means that you will throw out your entire manuscript and outline, from scratch, all over again, if your manuscript is really stinking up the place.  And, above all, you will not ever get defensive about your book. You will not make excuses.

But there comes a point (balance, people) where you have to ask yourself if you are just trudging along. That's what happened to my MS, and even though I still LOVE it, it's time to move on. For now. I'm taking a few months to let it sit, write something new, and come back to it. If something is giving you too much pain, take a break and write something new. Keep it on the back burner.

An Awesome Announcement (or two) :D

(Before I kick-off this special Friday post, I want to say to please check out my TAG! from yesterday with Kendra C. She's a really awesome writer and friend.)

Now on to the reason for today's post...

The wonderful

Special

Fantastic

SUPER AWESOME

Ali Cross has just released book two in the Desolation Series...DESOLATE!!!

I'm so beyond excited that this book is out. I've read book one - BECOME - and reviewed it on my blog, but I'm not linking to my review because there were a couple (minor) *sort of* spoilers and I'm not spoiling this book because it's a must read.

BUT the really exciting part of this post?

I've got TWO GIVEAWAY PACKAGES!!!!

TWO people will WIN an eBook of both BECOME and DESOLATE!

YAY!!!

Let me give you a little something about each book:

BECOME
(Book one of the Desolation series)

(Isn't that cover AWESOME!)

It’s never too late to choose.

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared. 

When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

DESOLATE

(Book two of the Desolation series)

(Isn't that cover AWESOME too!)

Where darkness lives, all will become desolate.

It’s been two months since sixteen-year-old Desolation Black chose Earth over Hell and her friend Miri over her eternal love, Michael.  

Desi goes through the motions of life: school, training, remaining vigilant against the forces of darkness, but her dreams are full of the choices she wishes she could change. When she’s injured by a strange demon, old temptations arise, and the lines between good and evil blur. Desi discovers those choices aren’t so final after all.

And this time, the power of love—for a friend, for a lover—may not be enough to save her from the darkness that lurks within.

Ali Cross is the sensei of the Ninjas Write Dojo where she holds a black belt in awesome. She lives in Utah with her kickin' husband, two sparring sons, one ninja cat, two sumo dogs and four zen turtles.

So, there are the blurbs and the awesome covers. And here is the entry form via Rafflecopter. Enter and spread the word.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you Ali and thank you everyone for stopping by. :)

Good luck and happy entering. :D

Thursday TAG! - Kendra Conine

This TAG! today features a very good friend of mine which I met through my favorite site. (Agent Query Connect if you're new here and don't know. :D  ). Kendra is fairly new to blogging and could use a few more followers, so check her out (she's such a sweetie). She's in the revision stage on an MS about elemental magic and the concept is awesome. You can find her on her blog, Twitter, and Facebook.


1. When did you start writing? 
I started writing when I was 9 years old, in third grade.

2. What made you want to write? 
I'd just finished the book Kittens in the Kitchen as part of the Animal Ark series. You would not believe how much of a sucker I was for cats. I wondered, "Why can't I make a story of my own?" Thus my journey began.

3. When did you decide you wanted to write to be published? (As opposed to writing just to write) 
I wrote short stories after my little 'revelation' in third grade and garnered quite a bit of attention. I'd say it was around the time I started reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini in late sixth grade that I wondered, "Why don't I do the same [as him]?" I was pretty sure by then that writing was my calling, so I definitely needed to make something of it.

4. What genre(s) do you write? 
I mainly focus on the realm of urban fantasy and regular fantasy, but I've been exploring dystopian and post-apocalyptic settings.

5. Why that(those) genre(s)? 
They're my favorites! It's also being the issue of being a comfort zone I'm reluctant to leave. Anything I read I usually think, "I might write something like that one day." The only genres I've continuously gone back to are fantasy and urban fantasy.

6. Do you have any particular ritual when you write? (A specific way things are done during the process) 
I've been trying to create a new ritual for myself. Currently it works like this: Open Microsoft Word and iTunes, find a song to listen to and open the document, and sit there. Sometimes before I begin I'll recite a prayer I found somewhere. One of the greatest pieces of advice I've gotten (only recently, unfortunately) is to warm up. Writing isn't just to write. It's like art, sports, anything. You have to stretch before you really begin. So I've really been trying to get in the habit of warming up with something else before I begin.

7. Do you use an outline, or do you just start writing? 
I do have outlines. I just think it's so much easier to keep my ideas and thoughts organized with an outline rather than try to keep everything straight in my head—I butchered one of my stories when I tried to go without one.

8. Is there something you MUST have when you're writing? (Aside from the typical writer tools-computer, pen, paper, etc) 
Music. Music is my saving grace, my best friend, my writing partner. Every piece of my book has a musical piece to accompany it in my mind, and therefore I have to have it!

9. Do you write out your story on paper and then transfer to a computer, or straight to the computer? 
I used to write it out before I typed it up, but then a 44,000 word story went to 144,000. So, not really. I do write my outlines out on paper (color-coding for the win!) but I type the entire story up.

10. How many books/short stories have you written? (Published or not, even those you wrote and then thought-what the hell?) 
Unfortunately the amount of books/short stories I've begun and lost/quit is very high, much higher than my completed list. I've completed nine books/short stories, and two and a half of them had "what the hell?" results, haha!

11. Is there, or has there been, anyone in your life (real or online) who thought you being a writer is/was just another hobby? Or that you are/were wasting your time as a writer? 
Some people still do, I believe. Several of my teachers don't understand why I write when they think I have such a great future in politics (But I don't even watch the news!) or science. But the amount of people who have faith in what I do is much greater than those who don't.

12. Do you do Social Media sites? If so, which ones? If not, why don't you? 
I use YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. I used to have MySpace, but it was just a complicated place. I've not really checked out Google+ or Tumblr, anything along those lines. I don't like having too many social media sites, because I tend to forget about them.

13. Any advice for writers that makes you cringe every time you hear it? (I know there is some cringe-worthy advice still worth following, so only advice you don't follow.) 
"Write what you know." I used to follow this advice to a T, but then I realized if I did that, every single story I wrote was going to be stuck in little towns of only 800 people. You can't just write what you know, or you're never going to learn anything! In some instances, you can stick to this advice. For example, if you want to put a story in South Africa or Afghanistan, but you know nothing about the cultures there or the events that have taken place there, that's not the best idea. It isn't that it's bad advice, but it's advice that can mislead you.


14. What's a Flame Dancer? 
A Flame Dancer is something part of a unique 'Mastery Stage' in my book. A 'Dancer' is the first, most inexperienced stage that only signifies vague control over the element. Over time, it would progress to 'Flame Warrior' and, if lucky, the final and most experienced: 'Flame Master'. Since there are other elements with the same stages, it gets diverse—Darkness Warrior, Wind Dancer, Water Master... etc.

15. Would you want to be a Flame Dancer if you could? 
Yeah! I've always been a bit of a pyro-lover (not in a BAD way)—I love to watch fire, to watch it grow and shift and shape itself, how it reduces to the soft glow of coals. To be able to touch them and communicate with them? Sign me up!

16. What is your favorite song for each type of scene you're writing? (IE-action, love, arguing, fighting, etc.) 
This is going to be my favorite question out of the whole interview.
Action/Fighting - For a normal battle it would be Blinded by Light from the Final Fantasy XIII Soundtrack. For a 'boss', it would be Dismiss from Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.
Love - Fabula Nova Crystallis from Final Fantasy XIII.
Arguing - Those For the Purge from Final Fantasy XIII.
"Doom" moment - Key of Darkness from Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.
Travelling - Currently, Run~Full Speed Ahead from Final Fantasy XIII-2.

17. What inspires your writing? 
My music more than anything else. Usually I already have the ideas in my head, but music helps me give them shape and set the mood in the writing itself.

18. What's your favorite part about writing? What's your least favorite part? 
My favorite part is the experience of writing something for the first time. You're writing, and you've just gotten to a piece you've had planned forever. It's finally here! Your heart pounds, your mind is going 90 miles a minute, and your hands are sometimes shaking from the intensity of the anticipation. I don't know if it's only me that gets that feeling, but I do. Now, my LEAST favorite part is running into a wall. Your writing is going great, then BAM. Something's wrong, and you don't know what. You sit and try and figure it out for AGES, but nothing comes. Then you have to force yourself away from your work and figure it out from there, and sometimes you end up having to butcher the work and put it back together. I don't feel like my characters appreciate this very much.


19. What do you do when you aren't writing? 
I read books, walk around town, or play Final Fantasy. I'm a bit of a recluse most of the time, so it's rare that I go to hang out with friends—but it does happen. Sometimes. (;

20. Any words of wisdom for anyone who is thinking of becoming a writer, or just something you think all writers should know? 
Follow your dreams and write what you want, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you want to write the goriest books, do it. If you want to write the trashiest, do it. Writing is all you and it's no one's place to say otherwise. As for advice, don't be afraid to experiment. Dapple into everything to find what fits for you. Also, don't use adverbs and passive tense! They're a death trap!