tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81332031619120101882024-03-13T12:12:12.356-04:00YA FusionA blend of Young Adult authors.Katie McGarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03484414661125386052noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-59357325557840425522014-09-09T10:47:00.001-04:002014-09-09T10:47:16.190-04:00Rest in Peace, YA Fusion<b><u>Obituary:</u></b><br />
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September 8, 2014<br />
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<b>YA Fusion</b><br />
2011-2014<br />
<br />
It is with a heavy heart that we say good-bye to YA Fusion. <a href="http://www.katielmcgarry.com/" target="_blank">Katie McGarry</a> brought together this enthusiastic group of bloggers who wrote and cheered each other on for over three years in the blogosphere and beyond. They leave behind a legacy of wit and wisdom, and pass the torch to a new crop of writers entering the publishing world.<br />
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YA Fusion will rest in peace, but the blog team will continue on their own paths in the company of friends and fellow readers, writers, and bloggers. They'd love to hear from you.<br />
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Hop over to <a href="http://coletteballard.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Collette Ballard's blog</a> to read the Publishers Marketplace announcement for her second book, TEMPORARY HIGH. This book is Kat's story, and there's a sneak peek chapter in the back of RUNNING ON EMPTY.<br />
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<a href="http://tracybilen.com/books/" target="_blank">Tracy Bilen's</a> new YA thriller, WATCH YOUR BACK, will be released on April 27, 2015, and is available for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Watch-Your-Back-Tracy-Bilen/dp/1939392578/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410033790&sr=8-2&keywords=tracy+bilen" target="_blank">pre-order</a>.<br />
<span style="background-color: #e2e2e2; color: #330000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span>
Kristin Lenz doesn't have her own personal blog, but she's the editor of the newly created blog for the Michigan chapter of SCBWI. It's open to anyone interested in reading and writing for children and teens. Stop by and say hi: <a href="http://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/">http://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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Please visit the <a href="http://yafusion.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html" target="_blank">ABOUT US</a> page to see where the rest of the blog team is hanging out. They're looking forward to staying connected.<br />
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So long, farewell!<br />
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Kristin Lenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04257484196449105801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-59973680351970254892014-08-24T22:04:00.000-04:002014-08-24T22:04:04.279-04:00Hilary Weisman Graham: YA author, TV writer
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today I’m talking with
Hilary Weisman Graham, YA author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reunited</i>
and the newest member of the writing team for the TV series <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bones</i>. Hilary will start by telling us
what it’s like to write for TV, and we’ll end the interview with more
information about her book. To learn even more about Hilary, be sure to check
out her <a href="http://hilarygraham.com/index.html">website</a>, follow her on <a href="http://twitter.com/HilaryGraham">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HilaryWeismanGraham">Facebook</a>, and add Reunited to your “to
read” pile on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12988064-reunited?ac=1">Goodreads</a>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How many writers work on
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bones</i>? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nine. I am the new girl.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How long does it take to
write an episode?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Typically, it takes
about a week or two to break the plot (which is done in the writers' room), a
week to write the outline (done solo), and two weeks to write the script.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do the writers work an
eight hour day and is it a year-round job?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">More or less, depending
on the day. We break in May when the show goes on summer hiatus.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is your work day
like? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At any given point a couple
of writers will be off on script or outline and one writer will be on set
shooting the episode they wrote. The rest of the writers will be split into
groups in two smaller writers' rooms , the tone of which varies, depending on
the story we're breaking and how well it's going at the moment. As a new member
of the staff, I've discovered group procrastination involves a lot more raucous
laughter and spontaneous dance parties than my former procrastination technique
(surfing the internet) back when I was writing alone at home. But I eat about
the same amount of snacks. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What’s the most
surprising part of this job?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How many ways they've
killed people on BONES! I was pitching murder ideas the other day, and after
every pitch, one of the more seasoned writers would say, "We did that,
back in Season __," literally, like Every Single Time. At one point I
threw out something <i>really</i> wacky thinking I'd finally hit upon something
unique, then I saw that look in his eye...<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Take us through the
steps of story development?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Well, BONES is a
procedural, so each week we have a murder to solve. But every story starts by
creating a cool world to put our characters in for that episode--like the world
of competitive chess, sperm donors, or food science. From there, we figure out
who our victim is, how they died, and who the suspects might be.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How did you land this
job? Is this the typical path to this type of job?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1. Wrote a good spec
script. 2. Agent sent script to BONES head writers. 3. They liked it. 4. I met
them and apparently came across as a normal person. 5. Voilà, job offer. So, it
was a relatively easy gig to land, which came after countless near-misses,
brutal rejections, and many, many years of very hard work.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once you knew you had
this job, how did you prepare for it? (Had you already seen most of the
episodes or did you have to binge watch them?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Though I do watch BONES,
I wasn't caught up on all ten seasons when I got the job offer, so thank god
for Netflix. Basically, I binge-watched my way through about 80+ episodes in
the month between the job offer & my start date.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What other experience in
TV/movie writing have you had (if any)? Did you study screenwriting formally?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I graduated from Boston
University with a degree in Broadcasting & Film and spent the first part of
my career as an indie filmmaker/documentary TV producer. But seven years ago, I
decided to focus my career on my writing, and I'm happy to report that I've
been working pretty steadily ever since, between selling various screenplays
and TV projects getting my book deal for REUNITED.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Are you continuing to
write YA novels?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have a really fun
middle grade novel that is a work-in-progress that I hope to get back to as soon
I find the time.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What was your favorite
scene to write in Reunited?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The scene in the van
with Alice and Quentin. But if you want to know the juicy details, you'll have
to read the book...</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tracy Bilenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02715572631921540812noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-19197457451104485592014-08-09T23:55:00.000-04:002014-08-09T23:56:02.428-04:00A Writing Vacation<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Helvetica;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s been a long year. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Job changes for my husband. A new school for my girls. A best friend moving away. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Lots of upheaval. Lots of emotions. Lots of stress. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I shelved the book I spent months writing. I felt like I just couldn’t get to the emotional core </span>of a middle grade novel right now<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">. I tried to bump it up to YA, but then it was too mundane. Months of work let go. I beat myself up for my lack of productivity. In the time it took me to write one novel, a dear writing friend of mine has written three. I feel compelled to keep up.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">So when we headed to our my husband’s family’s lakeside cottage for a month, I came with high hopes. In the past, I’d spent every morning writing. It was one of my most productive, creative times.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I told myself I would write every morning until <span class="" tabindex="0"><span class="">noon</span></span>. I’d wake up early, do some yoga and stay focused. I would start the new sci-fi, paranormal I’d been brainstorming.</span></div>
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<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">But life had other plans for me. Each of my daughters got sick - nothing serious, but definitely distracting. The weather was cold and rainy, so instead of playing outdoors, the girls were frequently inside. There were lots of relatives visiting. People coming and going, laughing and playing.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">And then there was me - I was just plain exhausted. I couldn’t wake up early - all I wanted to do was sleep. When the sun did shine, and I sat in my room listening to everyone outside, on the beach, I didn’t feel inspired at all. I was grumpy and frustrated. I found myself snapping at everyone. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“I can’t concentrate with all that laughing.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">"Could you sing a little quieter?"</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">And the words weren’t coming.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Finally, a week ago, I faced the fact that I wasn’t going to write this summer. That what I really needed - more than anything - was a true vacation. To be with my kids and nieces and nephew, to enjoy the sounds of the waves, to have day-long adventures, and to listen to the book on tape I downloaded last summer, but never found the time to listen to.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I started knitting a scarf. Each of my daughters had asked me to make them one months ago, and I promised I would, but I never did. That broken promise had been weighing on me.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Ironically, after a week of not writing, I am beginning to feel inspired again. My brain is spinning in all the best ways: imagining the first encounter between my main character and her love interest and the way mysticism will weave it’s way into the story. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The truth is, even writers need vacations. Time to clear our heads and just let ideas percolate. The pressure we feel to write and produce can be worst when we are the ones imposing the expectations on ourselves.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I know now that writing is not what I need to do on this last week of vacation. What I need is to not write, to play with my kids, to walk with my dog - and to let my imagination run wild.<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Oh, and of course, I need to finish that scarf. </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Shari Beckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559162143275375243noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-12045963549671132752014-08-03T00:50:00.001-04:002014-08-03T00:50:57.694-04:00WHAT IS NORMAL, ANYWAY?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 200%;">I
recently read a book that made me pause. </span><span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 200%;">In a nutshell: The main character is a
size 2 and extremely pretty, with emphasis on her </span><i style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 200%;">small</i><span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 200%;"> size. The best friend
is </span><i style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 200%;">chubby</i><span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 200%;"> and not attractive. The MC draws all eyes, while the best friend
struggles to get guys to even consider her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What.
The hell?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 200%;">I’m
not talking plot or story twists or character arcs here. I’m simply looking at
the way the characters are presented. First of all, a size 2 is small. Like,
tiny. And hey, if you’re a size 2 and HEALTHY, rock on. But if you’re body is
meant to be a size 12 and you’re struggling to get into a size 2—which doesn’t
seem like it’s EVER going to happen (because lets face it, it really might not
be achievable)—and you’re </span><span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 34px;">UNHEALTHY...</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 200%;">that’s not really okay. Books like these are
targeted at teens. Teenagers who would love to be noticed. But what, I’m
wondering, is the cost of being noticed? Not eating as much as they should?
Throwing up their food? Trying to be something they’re not?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Fact: A size 2 doesn’t make you pretty.
Neither does a size 12. No particular size makes you pretty at all, actually. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Healthy makes you pretty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Being happy makes you pretty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Having self esteem makes you pretty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Accepting who you are and embracing YOU
makes you pretty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Truth is, body shaming is body shaming no matter the size.
So being a healthy size 2 and being a healthy size 12 are the same things,
actually. Just like being an unhealthy size 2 and an unhealty12. No
difference. (Please note, these are <i>example </i>sizes. Obviously people come in all sizes).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">There’s this weight chart, you’ve probably seen it. It
says that if your this age and this height you should weigh this much. They
give three weight options for small, medium, and large frames. Weight has so
many factors. So when I pick up a book and read that the MC is so tiny and
gorgeous, but the <i>chubby</i> friend is not attractive, I think one thing:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What kind of message is being delivered here? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Hey, get tiny! It’s the greatest!” Never mind that it’s
not physically possible for some people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Where are the normal characters that are loved for who
they are and what they represent and the things they overcome? Where are those
characters? Where are the BEAUTIFUL characters, regardless of size? Hmm? Where?
They need to be there. Because that’s real life. That’s what teens relate to. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’m not saying to glorify obesity. I’m saying to show believable
characters that are like you and like me. I’m putting it out there that it is
NOT COOL to pair a small MC with a “chubby” friend and deal the “chubby” friend
the unattractive card. Again, size=pretty is not true, and it’s not a good message. I’d
like to think that it matters what readers perceive, how they relate to the
book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Think about it. What makes pretty? What
message, in the end, is really being delivered? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dr. Suess said it best. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“A person’s a person, no matter how
small.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c344f; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Or big. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02885901055952929099noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-66480328829384524022014-07-27T13:40:00.000-04:002014-07-27T13:40:49.872-04:00LEAVING THE AMISHIf you’ve read any of my <i>Temptation</i> novels or even my newest Amish murder mystery, <i>Lamb to the Slaughter</i>, you’re already aware of how passionate I am about the Amish lifestyle. Having lived in an Amish community for six years I gained a lot of experiential knowledge that inspired me to write my books, but I also made many close friends. Some of those friends were teenagers and for me, it was personally startling to watch them go through the process of rebelling against being Amish, to joining the Church and courting their sweetheart, to marriage and their own babies, and all in just the span of few years.<br />
<br />
But not all the young people in the community experienced the same fate. A few of the teens actually left their Amish roots to experience life in the outside world. Not only did they face the horror of being shunned from their families and their community, but they also had to catch up on their education, learn to drive a car and manage the almost unimaginable amount of freedom that they suddenly had. Unlike how the TV reality shows (I won’t mention their names here) depict the wild behaviors of the Amish youth when they break away from their culture, the young people I personally know, were for the most part sensible with their departure. They didn’t leave their families, friends and Church to party, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and get pregnant. On the contrary, they left because the Amish lifestyle just didn’t suit them.<br />
<br />
Of course it’s still a huge decision for a teenager to make and one with many unforeseen consequences and that’s why I asked my friend, Ella Mae Peachy, to answer some questions for my readers. Ella Mae left the Amish when she was sixteen. She’s nineteen now and living in her own apartment and works full time at a local factory. Instead of frumpy polyester dresses and a horse and buggy, she now wears jeans and t-shirts and drives a sporty white mustang.<br />
<br />
The changes in her life over the past three years have been monumental, but I’m very proud to say that she’s handled the challenges with strength and determination. I admire her independence and fortitude greatly and am very excited that she happily agreed to do this interview for the blog. She came to the farm today for a horseback ride, something she hadn’t been able to do very much since leaving the Amish world so our following conversation took place while we enjoyed a leisurely ride in the beautiful Kentucky countryside.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Karen:</b> Why did you leave the Amish?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> There were a lot of reasons at the time, but mostly I just wanted to do more with my life. Amish kids finish school at fourteen and I wanted to be more educated. I also couldn’t imagine myself getting married young and immediately having babies. It just wasn’t for me.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen:</b> What arrangements did you make in order to leave your family?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> I had friends in Indiana who agreed to take me in. I later moved in with an English family who helped me a lot.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen:</b> How did your parents react to you suddenly moving out?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> At first, not so well. They actually came to Indiana and had me put into a type of
probation home for troubled teens. I stayed there for three months. When I got out I was even more determined to not return to the Amish.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen:</b> How is your relationship with your parents now?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> It’s better. Since I didn’t join the Church officially before I left, I wasn’t shunned as hard as my brother, who also left to be English, but after he’d become a member of the Church.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen:</b> Joining the Church is a serious matter. Why do you think some young people do it when they still aren’t completely sure that they will remain Amish?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> I think that wanting to have a boyfriend or a girlfriend makes a difference in their decision. But once they have officially joined the Church, it’s much worse if they leave.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen: </b>Are you allowed to eat meals with your family and attend community events?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> It depends. My parents are more relaxed about it than others, so I do sometimes eat dinner with my family, but it’s more of a cafeteria style meal and we don’t all sit down together. I wasn’t allowed to be a server at my brother’s wedding, because I had left, but my sister got married in another community and I was able to be a part of her ceremony there.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen:</b> Can you tell me one thing that you really love about being English?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> Besides all the freedom I have to make my own decisions, I absolutely love driving. It’s so much fun! Right after I got my license I drove my sister and her husband down to Florida. It was a really neat experience.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen:</b> On the flip side, what do you miss about being Amish?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> That’s a hard one. I guess the only thing that I really miss at this point is not being able to spend more time with my family.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen:</b> What was one of the more difficult aspects of becoming English?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> I got my GED last year and that was hard. I didn’t have the same training in math that I probably should have had, but I caught on and passed the test.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen:</b> Do you think that you’ll ever go back to being Amish?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> No, I can’t see that happening. I don’t think I could live without my car now. Besides I’ve gotten used to being independent and I like it.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen: </b>What are your plans for the future?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> I’m taking classing this fall at the Maysville Community College. I want to be an RN.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen: </b> Your best friend also left the same Amish community that you did and she’s now happily married to an Englisher. Has it made it easier for you to have a relationship with someone who went through a similar situation and that you can relate to?<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> Oh yes, we help each other out so much. I don’t know what I’d do without her.<br />
<br />
<b>Karen: </b>Thank you so much for answering my questions! I’m very proud of the young woman you’ve grown into and wish you all the best in your new world.<br />
<br />
<b>Ella Mae:</b> Thank you for the horse-ride. It was fun and I enjoyed answering your questions.<br />
<br />Karen Ann Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08755789429511541771noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-25347367084405771822014-07-20T18:54:00.000-04:002014-07-20T18:54:07.161-04:00The Zone
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We’ve all been there before, lost in that total sweet spot
where the words all but fall onto the page and, without our knowing it, we’ve begun
to effect the various facial expressions of our characters. Meanwhile, the
other coffee shop patrons surrounding us are either assuming we must have multiple
personalities, or that we’re chatting online with several people at once, some
of whom may or may not owe us money.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Athletes, dancers, artists and actors experience their own
version of this state—an almost trancelike form of consciousness known as “The
Zone.” A place in which you’re not thinking about what you’re doing, what you’ve
done, or what you’re going to do next. You’re just doing. Not only that, but the
fantastic results being produced seem to be in charge of their own creation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The thing about The Zone is that you often don’t know you’ve
been there until the moment you reemerge or “wake up” and reconnect with
reality. In other words, that moment when you look up and, not only have two
hours flown by, but the word count in the lower left-hand corner of your
computer screen has climbed to a number you’re sure can’t be accurate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yeah. The Zone is a great place to be. But how do we get
there?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve given this some thought and I’ve come up with a few ways
to achieve that lovely and highly productive altered state of being when your
writing writes itself. You'll be pleased to know it doesn't involve magic potions, moonlit rituals or the consumption of large quantities of tequila. </span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Establish a routine. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know. Boring, right? If The Zone itself is so ephemeral,
often as fleeting as it is absorbing, why would something as constricting as
developing a routine help to induce it? I’ve heard it takes twenty-one days to
establish a habit, good or bad. For me, writing has become a habit. I write
every day, usually at the same time and for the same amount of time. While I
always have a loose idea of what I’d like to archive in word count, I’m only
strict about the hours themselves. The thought is that, if I condition my mind
and body to the act of sitting down regularly and performing the same task, then
slipping into The Zone becomes a matter of time rather than chance. In essence,
if I write every day, then reaching The Zone is bound to happen sooner or later. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all the time mind you, and certainly not during every
writing session, or even every week (or sometimes every month,) but, all in
all, my chances do improve with the conditioning a schedule provides. Also,
writing on a schedule helps to keep me connected to the story. The more days
that pass that I am unable (or unwilling) to write, the harder I find it is for
me to reconnect with my story and characters. And, consequently, that makes falling
into The Zone harder to do, too. Also, think about dancers and athletes and
artists. They aren’t always in The Zone, but they know that if they want to archive
that space of ease where the subconscious takes over and things flow, they have
to practice and continue to condition. Writing on a schedule is like lifting
weights or doing pushups. It gets easier the more you do it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t expect to always be in The Zone.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Writing is hard. Some days are harder than others. And some
days feel downright impossible. But, even when I’m in The Zone and thing are
flowing more readily, I’m still working. There’s still elbow grease involved, I’m
just less aware of the heavy-lifting aspect of what I’m doing. Until I'm done and then I look back in awe and wonder if I'd somehow been possessed because the writing is usually that good (or that bad ;D ) And even if I was in the Zone on Sunday, when I sit down to work on Monday, I
find it’s a different story. Suddenly, I hate everything I’ve written and
everything I will ever write. Furthermore, I’ve convinced myself I’m a sham, a
charlatan who has bamboozled my readers and fooled myself, too. But, at the same
time, there is a part of me that recognizes I’m being melodramatic. That I’m
funneling my creative energy into berating myself. And I write anyway—even though
I feel like I’m in the desert and The Zone is a million miles away—as mythical
and unobtainable as Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket. I muscle through, though.
Because I remind myself that I’ve been in The Zone before and that means I’ll
most likely find my way there again.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> If</i>
I keep going. The work <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will</i> get
easier, I reassure myself. But the only way out is through. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MUST</b>
turn off the censor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This one’s a big one, but probably<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> the</i> most important, too. And I know we
hear it all the time. I also know this is easier said than done. But in order
to archive The Zone, (or to write anything at all, for that matter,) you have <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>got</u></b> to be willing to allow
yourself to write badly first. And, the truth is, you will most likely not write badly at all! You just
have to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">willing </i>to write schlock. For
work to feel like play, you have to ignore the serpent voice whispering in your
ear, telling you how horrible every word you put down really is and how
wretched a writer you are, how you’ll never attract an agent or get published and
that you’re such a nobody that, when it comes time to bury your ass, they’ll be
forced to chisel “What’s-his-face” on your tombstone. Buck up. Put on your <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frozen</i> soundtrack, sing along once to “Let
it Go” and then get back to the work of playing. Stop worrying about the
quality when you’re just drafting anyway. If it helps, put on a pair of those funny glasses with the big nose and moustache. There will be time for seriousness and critiquing later. And, if it
helps, you can tell that old hissy snake just that. In the meantime, get
something down. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong>NO</strong></i>, don’t get cerebral
and insist you have to online the entire novel<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> again</i>. Outlining doesn’t count. Taking notes doesn't count.
Researching doesn’t count. Those are all good things and great tools if they are part of your individual process, but they cannot replace
the actual act of WRITING, and they will not give you the same results that you
can only get through the act of drafting. And by the way, once you do have
something down, you’ll find it’s easier to get a little more and then, pretty
soon, you won’t be able to hear the censor’s voice at all. Not over the amazing
things your characters are telling you now that you’re knee deep in their story
and, oh my God, has it really been <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">three </i>hours
since you sat down to just “tinker?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Encouragement <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For me, this one is as vital as number 3
and, if my current work-in-progress is a budding plant, then encouragement is
the sunshine and rain it needs to blossom. Also, when it comes to encouragement, I
find that a little goes a long way. I trust my friends and critique group to be
honest with me, and to let me know when something I’m doing isn’t working or when
a scene or a line or even a word could be better. But I also trust and look to
them to let me know what<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> is</i> working.
I trust them to tell me the absolute truth, and when that honesty includes a
compliment about my perseverance, my work ethic, the humor in my current
project or a character they’re in love with, this provides me with the high-efficiency
fuel I need to enter The Zone. The work becomes easier, because I know I have a
support group eager to see what I’ll do and come up with next. I’m incredibly
grateful for this invigorating enthusiasm. And I’m also eager to return the
favor and to encourage others, because I know how much encouragement means to
me—and how powerful of a motivator it can be.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I’m encouraging you to seek The Zone and
maybe leave a comment to tell us what helps YOU get in The Zone? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Kelly Creaghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15390623646921616829noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-20099649249843305132014-07-13T11:25:00.001-04:002014-07-13T11:29:35.770-04:00On Submission: Hanging in “The In Between”<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“You’ve reached a milestone,” my agent said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“You’re going to give the nation chills with this book,” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I’ll send it out to editors on Monday,” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I was elated. High. Freaking out. Happy as anything. I’d made it to
the “on submission” stage. Finally. After twelve years of writing for kids and
young adults. Placing in contests. Going to conferences. Publishing in
magazines and online journals. Networking. More writing. More writing. More
writing. I’d done it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then the high wore off. And the waiting started. And I’m waiting. And
waiting. And biting my nails to nothing. And distracting myself with more
writing and with running and working out and with “Now what can I work on?” and
with long walks with my husband where I ask repeatedly, “What if I don’t get
picked up?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What if?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sara Zarr has called this place The In Between. Where you know you are good
enough but others have to realize it. Where you know you just need one editor
to say they love what you do. The In Between is a scary place. It’s a place of
confidence chiseling and soul searching. It’s a place where I have to ask myself
over and over, “Why do I do this whole writing thing?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everyone is motivated by something. I write because the voices of
strange characters in odd places speak and I don’t have a choice but to get up
at 3 a.m. and transpose -- like a vehicle for words, an intermediary between the
enigmatic well of imagination and the world. So I can’t say I’d stop because a
contract didn’t land in my lap. I can’t. Writers write. To watch their own
manipulation of words create meanings and emotions and elicit responses.
Whether I elicit those responses from my husband, my friends, the several
hundred that subscribe to an online journal, or a nation, I’m still up at 3
a.m. because some sixteen-year-old, female character with a West Virginian
twang is whispering to me that she is about to embark on a journey of a lifetime
because she doesn’t want to disappoint her father. Never mind that I’ve never
been to West Virginia. Never mind that her voice may never reach a nation. I’m
still up, still writing. No choice. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Hold on,” I tell myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Keep writing down what you hear,” I say. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Give <em>yourself</em> chills with the words you create.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Heather Smith Melochehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00596283275006060364noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-77861059268609832902014-07-06T19:46:00.001-04:002014-07-06T19:46:35.343-04:00In any beginning...In any beginning, I have one word, and the word is: WhatTheHeck!<br />
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With this being a holiday weekend, and having three days off, I decided to start some projects, one landscaping, one painting, and one new manuscript. I don't know about you, but whenever I come up with a new project, I spend copious amounts of time planning, strategizing, and possibly procrastinating until that golden moment, that lightning strike, that time-is-now moment hits.<br />
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It's hard to pin point what triggers that ready-set-go moment, easier to
look back and see all the excuses that kept me from moving forward. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI3IA3Og0g1aHmZyXIzgVCmLS1VLU5nYzS5UjWbzPtRNlnA6VTISwV7VmW5Q_fhFO6onnvmf4KpYEwRz0onKdOTbgr-JVRg2kNhPWE-MVA2ozBc4J_dTsrleBNOcQbnrCRGWC45ttDB5p/s1600/landscaping+beginning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI3IA3Og0g1aHmZyXIzgVCmLS1VLU5nYzS5UjWbzPtRNlnA6VTISwV7VmW5Q_fhFO6onnvmf4KpYEwRz0onKdOTbgr-JVRg2kNhPWE-MVA2ozBc4J_dTsrleBNOcQbnrCRGWC45ttDB5p/s1600/landscaping+beginning.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
I'm not one hundred percent sure what I want. It's too hot. <br />
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I'm not one hundred percent sure of the color I want and I don't want to deal with the mess. <br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfamV9dzkP7H3yKxMcgp4TgwPCs-Y-td1_Y9ZudwwOM9mF7Kl5pzA4epx6X-hRJ5ETVaKBwsfWS-b4W5aHwcI_aLWIstqGOD5DBxv2GgyTnh20dhK8hRv-uESW-oR1MZHA9nY46H1n5A4/s1600/writing+beginning.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfamV9dzkP7H3yKxMcgp4TgwPCs-Y-td1_Y9ZudwwOM9mF7Kl5pzA4epx6X-hRJ5ETVaKBwsfWS-b4W5aHwcI_aLWIstqGOD5DBxv2GgyTnh20dhK8hRv-uESW-oR1MZHA9nY46H1n5A4/s1600/writing+beginning.jpg" height="190" width="200" /></a><br />
I'm not one hundred percent sure how this is going to go and I don't have a nice long stretch of time to sit and write.<br />
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I would chalk it up to being lazy, but every scrap of laundry is
done, every dish is washed, the house is spotless, and the dog
has been walked into a coma. When I really look back, it seems more like I'm running away--away from what I
want the most. What makes me feel most vulnerable. What has the
potential to be the biggest disaster. <br />
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But also has the potential to be the biggest success. To be the most satisfying. To make me stronger.<br />
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So this weekend, I dug one shoveful at a time...<br />
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Removed curtain rods, light fixtures and outlets...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKQsKpPtvqOj7APYcEYiUtLS_7KL5CdXziPdBU9I40qdc8KDNxX2AhOIrV1efulOENWuTuyINHihiXNXuntLVMWGUIF6yee3NdEulZCOA2SIWawcHc7H2w3bYKDjEz11dlz8nSyvtOc0K/s1600/writing+complete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKQsKpPtvqOj7APYcEYiUtLS_7KL5CdXziPdBU9I40qdc8KDNxX2AhOIrV1efulOENWuTuyINHihiXNXuntLVMWGUIF6yee3NdEulZCOA2SIWawcHc7H2w3bYKDjEz11dlz8nSyvtOc0K/s1600/writing+complete.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
And wrote in long and short spurts, even when the words flowed as smoothly as cold peanut butter.<br />
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This weekend, I took the first steps to cease being my own worst enemy and becoming my best friend. My dreams are my responsibility. I'm the only one who can make them come true.<br />
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I hope that as you look at your goals, your priorities, your dreams, you'll take the same step. As Nora Roberts once told me: "If you don't try, the answer is always no."Lisa Tapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02787266653773740495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-29479016913841655202014-06-16T00:56:00.001-04:002014-06-17T01:03:27.133-04:00Summer Reading! (Binge Reading, Binge Writing, and Cover News!)As a high school teacher, there's nothing I enjoy more about the summer than binge reading. So in honor of summer, today I have a little suggested reading to make your summer sparkle! But before we dive into those great books, a few announcements... First, I'm super excited to announce that the <strong>cover reveal</strong> for my upcoming release, <strong>WATCH YOUR BACK</strong>, will be next Monday, June 23 (think thrills and chills!). <strong>BLOGGERS</strong>, we'd love to have you help out by sharing the cover - just e-mail <a href="mailto:editor@tulipromance.com">editor@tulipromance.com</a>. I hope you'll check out my <a href="http://tracybilen.com/blog/" target="_blank">website</a> Monday for the cover reveal, but meanwhile you can already add <strong>WATCH YOUR BACK </strong>on<strong> </strong>Goodreads <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22446497-watch-your-back?from_search=true" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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Of course, a close second to summer binge reading is summer binge writing! If that's your passion as well, check out these writing process blog hop stops: <a href="http://yafusion.blogspot.com/2014/06/blog-hop-my-writing-process.html" target="_blank">Kristin Lenz</a>, <a href="http://www.katievanark.com/blog" target="_blank">Katie Van Ark</a>, <a href="http://vickylorencen.com/posts/" target="_blank">Vicky Lorencen</a>, <a href="http://nineteenteen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Marissa Doyle</a>, <a href="http://pattigail1.wordpress.com/2014/06/17/tag-your-it-my-writing-process-blog-hop-its-my-turn/" target="_blank">Patti Richards</a>, <a href="http://blog.shutta.com/2014/06/tagged-another-writing-process-blog-tour-stop/" target="_blank">Shutta Crum</a>, <a href="http://www.kurthampe.com/1/post/2014/06/blog-hop-my-writing-process.html" target="_blank">Kurt Hampe</a>, and <a href="http://tracybilen.com/tag-youre-it-my-writing-process/" target="_blank">me</a>.<br />
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And now for your binge reading! Here are a few titles that I enjoyed to get you started...and please use the comments section to add your some of your own suggestions. Happy reading!<br />
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<strong>A REALLY AWESOME MESS</strong> by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Really-Awesome-Mess-Trish-Cook-ebook/dp/B00B6OV8ZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402679617&sr=8-1&keywords=a+really+awesome+mess" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Really-Awesome-Mess-Trish-Cook-ebook/dp/B00B6OV8ZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402679617&sr=8-1&keywords=a+really+awesome+mess" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1376497534l/17288907.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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Two teenagers. Two very bumpy roads taken that lead to Heartland Academy.<br />
Justin was just having fun, but when his dad walked in on him with a girl in a very compromising position, Justin's summer took a quick turn for the worse. His parents' divorce put Justin on rocky mental ground, and after a handful of Tylenol lands him in the hospital, he has really hit rock bottom.<br />
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Emmy never felt like part of her family. She was adopted from China. Her parents and sister tower over her and look like they came out of a Ralph Lauren catalog-- and Emmy definitely doesn't. After a scandalous photo of Emmy leads to vicious rumors around school, she threatens the boy who started it all on Facebook.<br />
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Justin and Emmy arrive at Heartland Academy, a reform school that will force them to deal with their issues, damaged souls with little patience for authority. But along the way they will find a ragtag group of teens who are just as broken, stubborn, and full of sarcasm as themselves. In the end, they might even call each other friends.<br />
(Synopsis from Goodreads)<br />
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<strong>OPEN ROAD SUMMER</strong> by Emery Lord<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Open-Road-Summer-Emery-Lord-ebook/dp/B00J2VDX84/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1402679689&sr=1-1&keywords=open+road+summer" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Open-Road-Summer-Emery-Lord-ebook/dp/B00J2VDX84/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1402679689&sr=1-1&keywords=open+road+summer" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoUv4QRE0ipQ4iA1FYnP-JYHkvqQyc9Cze2hluUolPu7NK5qexsam9h6Joe-HCSIem8pMlJgjQxxkB-gIwVmRNg_4-g4T6ZvA9rA8sKqSQB4OG1s21pKxvXCizOsngd8edsYCql8TD_g/s1600/openroadsummer_hires_cover+no+quote.jpg.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<span id="freeText13729319014817053491">After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.</span><br />
(Synopsis from Goodreads)<br />
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<strong>ROYALLY LOST</strong> by Angie Stanton<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Royally-Lost-Angie-Stanton-ebook/dp/B00FJ378RG/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1402679715&sr=1-1&keywords=royally+lost" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Royally-Lost-Angie-Stanton-ebook/dp/B00FJ378RG/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1402679715&sr=1-1&keywords=royally+lost" border="0" src="http://www.xpressoreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/18530135.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span id="freeText17319764788089000767">Dragged on a family trip to Europe’s ancient cities, Becca wants nothing more than to go home. Trapped with her emotionally distant father, over-eager stepmother, and a brother who only wants to hook up with European hotties, Becca is miserable. That is until she meets Nikolai, a guy as mysterious as he is handsome. And she unknowingly finds herself with a runaway prince.<br /><br />Nikolai has everything a guy could ask for-he's crown prince, heir to the throne, and girls adore him. But the one thing he doesn't have...is freedom. Staging a coup, he flees his kingdom and goes undercover on his own European tour.<br /><br />When Nikolai and Becca meet, it’s their differences that draw them together. Sparks fly as they share a whirlwind of adventures, all the while dodging his royal guard. But Becca's family vacation ends in a matter of days. Will Nikolai and Becca be forced to say goodbye forever, will his destiny catch up to him, or will they change history forever?</span><br />
(Synopsis from Goodreads)<br />
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<strong>ANYTHING TO HAVE YOU</strong> by Paige Harbison<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Anything-Have-You-Harlequin-Teen-ebook/dp/B00EFPNYZO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1402679768&sr=1-1&keywords=anything+to+have+you" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Anything-Have-You-Harlequin-Teen-ebook/dp/B00EFPNYZO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1402679768&sr=1-1&keywords=anything+to+have+you" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375978587l/18168638.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
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<span id="freeText6028943127702795311">Nothing should come between best friends, not even boys. ESPECIALLY not boys.<br /><br />Natalie and Brooke have had each other's backs forever. Natalie is the quiet one, college bound and happy to stay home and watch old movies. Brooke is the movie—the life of every party, the girl everyone wants to be.<br /><br />Then it happens—one crazy night that Natalie can't remember and Brooke's boyfriend, Aiden, can't forget. Suddenly there's a question mark in Natalie and Brooke's friendship that tests everything they thought they knew about each other and has both girls discovering what true friendship really means.</span></div>
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(Synopsis from Goodreads)</div>
Tracy Bilenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02715572631921540812noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-18835826310174972502014-06-08T12:47:00.001-04:002014-06-08T12:47:15.611-04:00Blog Hop: My Writing Process<br />
This Blog Hop is a blog tour showcasing authors and their writing process. I was tagged by Kurt Hampe, one of our witty, hard-working YA Fusion blog team members whose posts always crack me up. You can read his post and back-track through the blog tour here: <a href="http://www.kurthampe.com/1/post/2014/06/blog-hop-my-writing-process.html">http://www.kurthampe.com/1/post/2014/06/blog-hop-my-writing-process.html</a><br />
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I'm tagging Vicky Lorencen and Katie Van Ark who've inspired me for years through SCBWI-MI. You can learn more about them at the end of my post.<br />
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And now it's my turn...<br />
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<b>1. What am I working on now?</b><br />
So many different projects. My agent recently submitted my new YA novel, and we received fairly consistent feedback from a few editors, which means I need to revise before we resubmit. I also have another YA novel to revise and a half-completed New Adult novel to finish. In between novels, I write short pieces, such as an essay about working in Detroit that was recently accepted by an online literary journal. I also write for Gleaners Food Bank in Detroit which has been a really nice way to blend my social work career with writing. My other writing role is co-editing the SCBWI-MI newsletter. I'm always on the lookout for interesting kidlit articles and artwork.<br />
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<b>2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?</b><br />
This is a tough question - there's a stunning amount of talent and variety in YA fiction. Working as a social worker has been eye-opening, and I've been inspired by so many resilient children and families. I try to bring this experience and emotion into my stories. <br />
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<b>3. Why do I write what I do?</b><br />
I want my novels to be fast-paced and engrossing, but also tackle big questions. To make readers feel and think deeply. I write to better understand our world, and I hope to expand a reader's worldview as well.<br />
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<b>4. How does my writing process work?</b><br />
I keep notebooks beside my bed, in my office, and in the car. I jot down character traits, plot ideas, themes, questions, snippets of dialogue. It all stews in my subconscious and begins to take the shape of a story. I might write a very rough outline, but usually I just need to dive right into the story and figure it out as I go. <br />
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If I'm stuck I'll share chapters with critique partners, but I prefer waiting until I have a complete first draft. My agent provides valuable feedback too. Then, it's revise, revise, revise. Last year, I took an online writing course with author Tim Wynne Jones where I could submit up to 300 pages. His feedback was so helpful, and the deadlines kept me moving forward.<br />
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<b>So, enough about me. Check out writers extraordinaire <span style="color: blue;">Katie Van Ark on Saturday, June 14th</span>, and <span style="color: blue;">Vicky Lorencen on Monday, June 16th</span>, to learn more about their writing process. Here are their bios and blog links:</b><br />
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<b>Katie Van Ark</b> skates and writes from Michigan. Her debut novel, THE BOY NEXT DOOR, is a figure skating romance coming February 3, 2015 from Macmillan Swoon Reads. Read more here: <b><a href="http://www.katievanark.com/blog">http://www.katievanark.com/blog</a></b><br />
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<b>Vicky Lorencen</b> makes sentences and shops for shoes in Michigan. She recently completed her second middle grade novel SHORT CHANGED and is actively shopping for a literary agent who will be just the right fit. Visit her blog, Frog on a Dime at <a href="http://vickylorencen.com/posts/"><b>http://vickylorencen.com/posts/</b></a><br />
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<b>Have a great week!</b><br />
<b>Kristin Lenz</b><br />
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<br />Kristin Lenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04257484196449105801noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-19954541118639173702014-06-01T08:15:00.000-04:002014-06-01T08:18:10.832-04:00Beautifully Flawed<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you know anyone who is perfect?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every hair in perfect place? Their
personality always forever shining? They know every right answer? Know the
perfect thing to say even during those tough times?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a feeling some of you might be rolling your eyes and
answering “Yes” because you are thinking of the person who acts like they are
perfect, but, in the end, you know that person is not.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
None of us are perfect. We are each beautifully flawed in
our own ways. I want you to remember that phrase—beautifully flawed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my pet peeves when reading is the perfect character.
Every character in the book loves them. They are beautiful and intelligent and
make every right decision and say every perfect thing and they are nothing less
than God. This is also very unrealistic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are human, which means, we all make mistakes and have
quirks that make us individuals.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
When I write, I give every single character I write, even
the secondary characters, a fatal flaw. That one thing about them that hurts
not only themselves, but also has the potential to hurt the people surrounding
them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, I can write a book where I give the character a problem
and then the entire book follows their journey as they try to solve the
problem, but what I believe makes a character worth reading is when we see them
hurt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not only do we give the character a problem—for instance
with Noah in Pushing the Limits, he wants custody of his brothers. I also gave
him a fatal flaw—his inability to trust. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we watch Noah try to solve his problem, we are also
rooting for him to work past his fatal flaw. As readers, most of us have not
had to fight for custody of our siblings, but odds are most of us have found
trusting someone else to be difficult.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fatal flaws in characters make them believable and they make
them relatable. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One day my daughter came home upset with a bad test grade.
She’s a great student, but was struggling with a new concept at school. I sat
her down, wiped her tears away, and explained that all I ask of her is to try
her best. I’m not interested in having a perfect child. Perfect people, in my
opinion, are boring.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If everyone was perfect, we would be nothing more than
cookie cutters of each other. That doesn’t sound interesting to me. We have all
been made as individuals. We are wired differently from each other. We have
strengths so we can help others and we have flaws so that we learn how to ask
others for help. We are each beautifully flawed so why not write your
characters with a few flaws of their own? </div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Katie McGarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03484414661125386052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-11495449341576088962014-05-26T09:27:00.001-04:002014-05-26T09:27:25.919-04:00Something To Look Forward ToHi YA Fusion friends,<br />
<br />
First a pause to acknowledge that today is Memorial Day. Thank a veteran--but not just today.<br />
<br />
As many of you know, I am a Co-ARA for SCBWI Midsouth (along with fantastic YA author Courtney Stevens--<a href="http://yafusion.blogspot.com/2014/02/more-than-issue-books-mini-rant-and.html" target="_blank">whose debut was discussed here by Bethany Griffin </a>). My ARA duties largely revolve around setting up and maintaining the new Midsouth website, though I am also on the committee for the 2014 Midsouth Fall Conference. Those duties overlap in the form of the conference registration. After a looooooooooong and frustrating month of trying to early-adopt the new SCBWI registration system, I am pleased to report that the Midsouth conference brochure is live now, and registration opens on June 1st (albeit using an older system). Massive credit for the conference and brochure go to others, I am just a conduit here. Well... I'm gonna take credit for some of conference work, but really, it's almost all being done by the other folks you'll find listed in the brochure.<br />
<br />
Anyway.<br />
<br />
The faculty, as you will see, includes some fine YA authors, including our own Fusionista, Katie McGarry. The keynote speaker is none other than Gennifer Choldenko. And, Midsouth RA and YA author, Kristin Tubb, will teach an intro to publishing class. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But wait, there's more. I've attended the conference for years, and I can promise you that many fine YA authors will be in the building, either helping to put on the conference or attending. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not looking to attend a conference? Don't forget the book store where faculty sell and sign their books--a great chance for a little one-on-one with a great author.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Here's a link to the website, where you will find a link to the brochure. Happy browsing. Hope to see you in the fall.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://midsouth.scbwi.org/events/2014-midsouth-fall-conference/" target="_blank">2014 Midsouth Fall Conference</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Kurt Hampehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657898257154324404noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-64997527867978726792014-05-17T22:49:00.000-04:002014-05-17T22:49:41.228-04:00Character Interview for TAKE ME ON<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGVTY4rIN70vSmjIBlRMkt0wEWTEQ7lF1tHiY7PsWva5wqfupwMBHRgoNaxJXdTAmTIbKNgTR3HS6rIx4ecLxh8z04Es4T7Y_EV9ARBuftEqiPBYrgzCXtOFeE1rSRx_cn_cUL4P0OEHi/s1600/TAKE+ME+ON+cover+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGVTY4rIN70vSmjIBlRMkt0wEWTEQ7lF1tHiY7PsWva5wqfupwMBHRgoNaxJXdTAmTIbKNgTR3HS6rIx4ecLxh8z04Es4T7Y_EV9ARBuftEqiPBYrgzCXtOFeE1rSRx_cn_cUL4P0OEHi/s1600/TAKE+ME+ON+cover+photo.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Acclaimed author Katie McGarry
returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to
learn what winning really means. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one
tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed
martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All
attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet
he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping
her--fighting for her--is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault
his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change
Haley's future.<br />
<br />
Haley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But
as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best
intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth
fighting for. <br />
<br /><i>
**Bonus Content** The novella, Crossing the Line, will be included in the back
of Take Me On (both print and e-book editions).</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I am so excited to have the main characters of TAKE ME ON here for an interview today!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
<b>West:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>When did you start training to be an
MMA fighter? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">I
started training after I accepted a fight in Haley’s honor. When I first met
Haley, she got into a scrape, I tried to help out, and she ended up helping me.
I pay my debts and Haley is definitely a girl worth fighting for.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>What do you like about it? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">MMA is like the ultimate chess game. It’s not always the
stronger fighter that wins, but often the smartest. You have to know when to go
on the offensive and when to choose defense. It’s an amazing sport.</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
<b> 3. What was your first impression of Haley? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Haley
is a walking talking inferno and I have no problem being burned by her flames.
That was my first impression of her and it’s still what I think of her. Good
thing I don’t mind playing with fire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
<b>Haley:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>When did you start training to be an
MMA fighter? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">I leave the MMA fighting to West, my brother, and cousin.
I’m actually a kick boxer. My father was a kick boxer and he trained at my
grandfather’s gym. It’s where he and Mom met. The kick boxer fell for the
trainer’s daughter. It’s all love storyish! </span><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Anyway, I grew up in the gym with my dad and grandfather.
Some of my earliest memories are of me and my brother and cousin swinging each
other on the punching bags. Fighting has always been a part of my life.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b style="line-height: 200%;">What do you like about it? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Kick boxing is empowering—no question about it. I can’t
explain the zone I go into when I’m training. This feeling that I can do
anything, that I can push myself beyond what I might believe I can do and
succeed. It’s an amazing feeling.</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
<b> 3. What was your first impression of West? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">My
first impression of West is that he was cocky…and hot. He’s still cocky and
he’s undeniably hot, but he’s my type of stubborn and hot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
<b> West, in one word or phrase…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>How would you describe your family? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Complicated</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>How would you describe Haley? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Strong</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>Junk food or health nut? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Junk food</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>Baggy jeans or skinny jeans? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Baggy</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>Combat boots or tennis shoes? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Tennis shoes</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="6" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>Boxers or briefs? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Boxers</span><b style="line-height: 200%;"> </b></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;">
<b>Haley, in one word or phrase…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>How would you describe your family? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">A mess</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>How would you describe West? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Loyal</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>Junk food or health nut? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">A mix between the two</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>Jeans or skirt? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Jeans</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>Flats or Chucks? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">Chucks</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="6" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b>Bikini or one-piece? </b><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;">One piece</span><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 200%;"> </span></li>
</ol>
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<i>Katie was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands
and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of
music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of
Kentucky basketball fan. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE
LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, and BREAKING THE RULES and the
e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Colette Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11883069918152729422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-46779289358067073342014-05-11T14:18:00.000-04:002014-05-11T20:44:38.116-04:00The Journeys You Make"Out of all the things that happen, on all the journeys that you make, in only a few will you ever see a meaning. You take them, if you can or you must, and let the rest go. The ones you keep, they're yours."--Dianne Highbridge<br />
Those turning point moments? Beyond the normal measuring points, a baby being born, a parent dying. Always profound, but expected. But that one moment, when it could have gone one way, but you made a different choice, so it went another. <br />
My husband and I grew up, five years apart, going to the same summer place. He used to see me, walking with my father, and say to himself, much to his own surprise, "I might marry that girl." <br />
He asked me to play tennis once, and I said no. He was gorgeous, and I'm terrible at tennis, and I was trying to forestall his inevitable disappointment. <br />
"Are you crazy?" the friend I was walking with hissed at me, as I walked away.<br />
I wasn't crazy. What I was was scared. But every time I've ever gotten anywhere, it's been by ignoring that. <br />
I went to my tenth high school reunion, and that was where I saw it. The people who were happy were the ones who dared. Who just left their fears in the dust, crashed on through the barricades. <br />
I made up my mind then and there to do everything differently than my first instinct told me. <br />
When he asked again, I said yes. When a publishing company offered me a job without pay, though we needed the money, I said yes again. <br />
I wrote a book, my first, and my husband told me to mention that to an agent. I was scared, sure she wouldn't care, and quite sure that wouldn't go anywhere. He dared me.<br />
I did it anyway.<br />
I wrote another book, and then another and now I know that comfort zones pretty much only exist to push past them. Huntley Fitzpatrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824181105552713615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-66405493094494818002014-05-05T08:45:00.000-04:002014-05-05T08:50:28.570-04:00Swoon Reads, part 2, submission tipsYesterday, I shared Katie Van Ark's success story through <b><a href="http://www.swoonreads.com/" target="_blank">Swoon Reads</a></b>. <br />
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If you're considering submitting your manuscript to Swoon Reads, Katie shares her tips below. <br />
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● The Swoon Reads team is looking for young adult and new adult romance. Research them to see if they're the right fit, just like you would with any publisher, and check out their FAQ. <br />
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● There's a lot of manuscripts on the site. Make sure yours is as ready as possible and that you've carefully edited your pitch and short description – these are your best way of attracting readers already on the site. Also, take time to think about cover design and check out the covers of popular works on the site. Not fair, maybe, but we all know the one about judging a book by its cover...<br />
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● If you post your manuscript and delete it or replace it, you lose your ratings. So as soon as you post, I recommend clicking through your work on the e-reader to make sure it's properly uploaded. That way you can repost it if needed before you've gotten any ratings. Mine had a few formatting issues that I wished I'd changed while I still could.<br />
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● Enlist a couple writer friends who are familiar with your work to write comments, both to ease the “what did I just do” factor and help attract more readers to your manuscript.<br />
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● Remember that unlike the slush pile, you can remove your work and repost. Gotten a few comments that you really should change such and such as well as less than five heart ratings? Revise and resubmit – this is ALWAYS an open invitation at Swoon, you don't need an editorial letter first.<br />
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● Give a little thought to your publicity plans. Been dragging your feet on an author web site? Not sure about the best use of Twitter/Facebook/Tumblr/Pinterest? Now's a good time for those thoughts.<br />
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● Remember that the highest ranked manuscript isn't necessarily the winner. Swoon is looking for writers, not homecoming queens.<br />
<br />
<i>Katie Van Ark's YA novel, <b>The Boy Next Door</b> (formerly titled Pairing
Up), will be a February 2015 release from Macmillan's Swoon Reads
imprint. Visit her online at
<b><a href="http://www.katievanark.com/">www.katievanark.com</a></b> and follow her on Twitter @kvanark.</i> <br />
<br />
For more writing tips, the Swoon Reads blog has a Tips Tuesday feature: <b><a href="http://www.swoonreads.com/blog/tips-tuesday-writing-advice-from-swoon-readers" target="_blank">http://www.swoonreads.com/blog/tips-tuesday-writing-advice-from-swoon-readers</a>. </b><br />
<br />
<b>And tonight at 9 pm EST, Katie and other Swoon Reads first listers will be doing a #SwoonReads twitter chat. </b><br />
<br />
If you've submitted your story to Swoon Reads, let us know in the comments so we can check it out! <br />
<br />
Best of luck!<br />
Kristin Lenz<br />
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<br />Kristin Lenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04257484196449105801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-6103814585603245412014-05-04T12:00:00.003-04:002014-05-06T17:04:33.131-04:00Swoon Reads Success StoryI met Katie Van Ark a few years ago during a peer critique session at an <b><a href="http://michigan.scbwi.org/" target="_blank">SCBWI-MI</a></b> conference. We kept in touch and swapped manuscripts via email, providing feedback and encouragement. When Katie told me she had posted her YA manuscript to <b><a href="http://www.swoonreads.com/" target="_blank">Swoon Reads</a></b>, I was so impressed with her courage, and I crossed my fingers for her success. And success she found! Read on as Katie shares her Swoon Reads publication journey. Maybe it'll be the right path for you, too.<br />
<br />
(This article was first written for the SCBWI-MI spring newsletter and is partially reprinted here with Katie's permission.)<br />
<br />
Here's Katie:<br />
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So you think you can write? Are you ready to appear on The Voice? The writing voice, that is? If you write YA or NA romance, you might be ready for Swoon Reads.<br />
<br />
Headed by Jean Feiwel, who admits she took the idea from her own Voice obsessions, Swoon Reads is a new crowd-sourced path to publishing that you may have read about in previous issues of the Bulletin. The premise is simple: put manuscripts online and let readers rate and comment on them to bring them to the publisher's attention. What is emerging, though, is so much more. Swoon Reads is becoming an online writing community that provides not only feedback through comments but writing advice and book clubs through its blog.<br />
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In addition to leaving heart ratings of one to five stars, readers on the site can also rate manuscripts as having heat, laughs, tears, or thrills. So here's a little bit about my experience on Swoon and how it fulfilled each of those categories.<br />
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<b>Heat:</b> I had a lot of doubts in the beginning. My initial relationship with Swoon was more of the “he loves me, he loves me not” variety. At first, it felt like any other submission. I'd done my homework. I knew what they were looking for and I had a polished manuscript. Easy, right? But then I could see my MS laying in the slush pile and not getting any attention – ouch! Several of my SCBWI critique friends who'd helped me with the manuscript left comments and ratings. Some other Swoon members liked my description and took a look. I got more daring and asked a couple book-loving relatives to read it as well as a couple skating friends. They liked it enough to pass on the recommendation to their friends, and my novel took off. Note to self: Breathe and remember it takes time for people to actually read.<br />
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<b>Laughs:</b> The road to publication can be frustrating and lonely, but traveling with the Swoon Reads community has been wonderful. I've enjoyed meeting other writers. Commenting on each other's manuscripts led to back and forth e-mail discussions and tweets, shared laughs over common writing issues, and the discovery of new blogs and new friends. As a bonus, the Swoon experience forced me to confront my avoidance issues with social media. I've since overcome my #fear of @Twitter and I ended up developing a basic author web page with a blog about my experiences in the writing for children and young adults program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. In March, my blog was even selected to be featured on SCBWI's home page blog roll.<br />
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<b>Tears:</b> Robert McKee in Story suggests considering how a character's dream could turn into his or her worst nightmare. My greatest fear about using Swoon Reads by far was unscrupulous behavior of others online. This fear was realized. Another user on the site created false accounts to boost her own ratings – and trash mine. When my ratings suddenly began to drop while hers skyrocketed, I reported the suspicious behavior. Swoon investigated and found the fraud was legitimate and she was banned from the site. Swoon also promised to remove the fraudulent ratings. The Swoon team is committed to making this a positive experience for authors and malicious behavior is not tolerated.<br />
<br />
<b>Thrills:</b> My manuscript was chosen as one of three first round winners, so I was privileged to receive one of the biggest thrills of all – a phone call from Jean Feiwel, who is my editor for The Boy Next Door. Hello, happily ever after! In the end, a swoon-worthy experience? Definitely.<br />
<br />
<i>Katie Van Ark's YA novel, <b>The Boy Next Door</b> (formerly titled Pairing Up), will be a February 2015 release from Macmillan's Swoon Reads imprint. She is eternally grateful to all the SCBWI-MI members who helped make her story swoon-worthy! Visit her online at <b><a href="http://www.katievanark.com/">www.katievanark.com</a></b> and follow her on Twitter @kvanark.</i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Think you're ready to Swoon? Stop by tomorrow to read Katie's tips for submitting your manuscript:<a href="http://yafusion.blogspot.com/2014/05/swoon-reads-part-2-submission-tips.html" target="_blank"> http://yafusion.blogspot.com/2014/05/swoon-reads-part-2-submission-tips.html</a> </span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Also up tomorrow: Katie and other Swoon Reads first listers will be doing a #SwoonReads twitter chat at 9 pm EST, Monday, May 5th.</span></b><br />
<br />
In the meantime, check it out for yourself at<b> <a href="http://www.swoonreads.com/">http://www.swoonreads.com/</a></b>.<br />
<br />
Here's to taking risks!<br />
Kristin Lenz<br />
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<br />Kristin Lenzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04257484196449105801noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-52961396269867716002014-04-27T00:16:00.001-04:002014-04-27T00:16:42.910-04:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>INTERVIEW: LAURA
JOHNSTON<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Laura Johnston is the author of REWIND TO YOU, a young adult
contemporary romance due out September 15, 2014!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Welcome, Laura! We’re stoked to have you on the blog!<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">I’m
equally excited to be here. Thank you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Let’s talk about your
firstborn YA series, REWIND TO YOU. How did the very beginning seed of an idea
come about?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">The idea
for REWIND TO YOU came to me while I was sitting on a beach in Georgia with my
hubby, KC. Picture a sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hello,</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gorgeous</i>—and you
might understand why I suddenly wished I could pause time. You know, save the
moment so I could “rewind” to it someday and never forget it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Well,
that got me thinking. What if we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could </i>rewind
to pivotal moments and relive them? At first, it seemed like an awesome idea.
The longer I thought about it, however, the more potential conflicts I saw.
Some moments would definitely be hard to revisit, especially if we’re powerless
to change the outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">If I
could rewind to anything, I’d rewind to KC (I’m a romantic at heart, which is
good—right?—because I write romance). But I’d also rewind to my dad who passed
away when I was a teenager. I took that basic premise and plugged in a
completely different set of characters (well, okay, Austin does have dreamy blue
eyes just like KC). From there, REWIND TO YOU took me on a journey of love,
pain and hope with Sienna and Austin in the beautiful city of Savannah,
Georgia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">If you
care to see pictures of our trips to Savannah, GA, visit this page: </span><a href="http://www.laurajohnstonauthor.com/#!rewind-to-you/c1yre">http://www.laurajohnstonauthor.com/#!rewind-to-you/c1yre</a><span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;"> on my website.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;">Gorgeous
pictures! I’ve been, and I have to agree with you…it is breathtaking! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Can you describe
REWIND TO YOU for readers?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">After her
father’s tragic death, seventeen-year-old Sienna begins having trauma-induced
flashbacks to a pivotal moment she is powerless to change. One last trip before
college to the beautiful Tybee Island is supposed to help her forget. But how
can she? When Sienna meets the irresistible college wide receiver Austin Dobbs,
she learns that while love can mend the heart, it can also slip through your
fingers forever. And any moment in time can only truly be lived once.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Walk us through a
regular writing day for you. Copious amounts of caffeine? Music? What’s your
process?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">With two
kids (and a third on the way!), I’ve learned to take the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">regular </i>out of the equation. Haha! If
passion for writing the story is there, somehow it gets written. REWIND TO YOU was
written from start to finish on borrowed minutes: while my toddler napped,
during the late hours of the night whenever my husband had a business trip,
while my baby slept in my lap, etc… The only thing regular about my routine is
that I almost always write with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">music</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What was it like to
get the first phone call that your book had sold to Kensington? Where were you
when it happened?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Can you
believe I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">missed </i>that call? When I
got the voicemail with Alicia Condon’s voice offering publication, I was
freaking out. I was pulling out of my garage (I know, tsk, tsk on me for
driving and being on my cell), and I was like, “Okay, kids, forget the grocery
store, it’s movie time while Mommy makes a very important phone call.” It was
incredibly exciting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;">I can
imagine!! <span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What book are you
currently reading?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">I just
finished THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West with my YA book club. So good!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;">Thanks
for the recommendation!!</span><span style="color: #c0504d;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What’s the oddest, or
neatest, thing on your bookshelf?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">I’m so
glad you asked; this one is pretty quirky and awesome! THE RULES—Time-tested
Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right. Okay, so I’m the youngest in my
family with four older sisters. One of my sisters found this book in her
apartment complex at college, left by the previous renters. This book makes
some great points but it also takes a bit of an extreme approach to the dos and
don’ts of dating. Our little group of teenage sisters had some good times
laughing at and talking about THE RULES, and I smile every time I see that
book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Any advice for
aspiring authors?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">I can’t
believe I get to answer this question now! I say that to make a point:
basically, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you can do it</i>. Read, read,
read, and write, write, write. When you are creating something—anything—there
will often be self-doubt and there will always be critics. Keep on finding ways
to make writing fun regardless. No one can set a limit on your potential. Only
you can do that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;">No
limits. Love that.</span><span style="color: #c0504d;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Thanks for those answers, Laura!! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Care to play a little game?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">I’m in!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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IN 3 WORDS (or less)<o:p></o:p></div>
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*Describe yourself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Young at
heart (even though the rest of me is definitely not getting any younger—eek!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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*Describe REWIND TO YOU.<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Holding
on, letting go (sorry, that’s four)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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*What would you tell your teenage self?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Party
hard. j/k<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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THIS OR THAT:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Music or silence? <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Music!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Eyes or mouth? <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Mmm, hard one! Eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tattoos or clean canvas? <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Clean canvas (but Austin has a
tat!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mountains or beach? <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Tough. BEACH.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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City or Country? <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Country, all the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coffee or Soda? <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Soda. Truth be told though, I’m a boring water type of girl!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Laura’s Social
Media Links:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Website - http://www.laurajohnstonauthor.com/<o:p></o:p></div>
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Blog - http://laurajohnstonauthor.blogspot.com/<o:p></o:p></div>
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Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/lauralojohnston">https://twitter.com/lauralojohnston</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Johnston/500855249971029">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Johnston/500855249971029</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">REWIND TO YOU links:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amazon<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rewind-You-Laura-Johnston-ebook/dp/B00J7W1FS8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398054703&sr=8-1&keywords=rewind+to+you">http://www.amazon.com/Rewind-You-Laura-Johnston-ebook/dp/B00J7W1FS8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398054703&sr=8-1&keywords=rewind+to+you</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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B&N<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rewind-to-you-laura-johnston/1119002492?ean=9781601833501">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rewind-to-you-laura-johnston/1119002492?ean=9781601833501</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Also, there is no sequel, as of now, for REWIND TO YOU. My
next work in progress—new characters, new setting, new story—called ARREST MY
HEART, is set to publish February 2015.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THANKS so much for
chatting, Laura. And huge congrats on your new book!!!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks, Amber, for having me on YA Fusion!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: magenta;">(Enter below for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card and a SIGNED copy of REWIND TO YOU!!)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: magenta;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dc475a9/" id="rc-dc475a9" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02885901055952929099noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-33199336500621882532014-04-20T11:39:00.000-04:002014-04-20T15:12:29.914-04:00Why Self-Publish?Why Self-Publish?
It’s a question that I asked myself a couple of months ago and surprisingly, I came up with a few very good reasons to self-publish my newest book. I’ll admit, it’s kind of difficult to tell my story, but my wish is that by sharing my own experience with other authors, I might be able to give some hope to anyone else who finds themselves in a similar predicament.<br />
<br />
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the author of the popular YA Temptation series. It’s a three book series dealing with a forbidden romance between an Amish boy and a non-Amish (or English) girl and the ongoing struggles they endure as they attempt to be together. I was inspired to write the story of the star crossed lovers after moving into the middle of an Amish community in northern Kentucky about six years ago. Because of my personal experiential knowledge, observations, interactions, and discussions with the both the teenagers and adults in my neighborhood, I was able to infuse into the books an extremely realistic feeling. I spent about two years gathering information before I even tackled writing the story.<br />
<br />
Temptation, the first book in the series, was released in June of 2012. It was followed by Belonging in April, 2013. Forever, the third and final book of the series came out on January 28th of this year. Within days of Forever’s release, I was bombarded by fans begging me for more Amish books. They of course were hoping for a fourth book in the Temptation series, but they also encouraged me to write other stories about the Amish lifestyle, especially about my personal passion, the lives of Amish teenagers. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any good news to share with them about future books. Even though the Temptation books had received glowing praise, and had a growing fan base, the series as a whole had not performed monetarily at the level that a large publishing house, like Harlequin, wanted. Until the books reached a higher profit margin, I was out of luck. And so were all the fans of my unique Amish teen stories.<br />
<br />
I’m not a very patient person, but since Forever had only been on the bookshelves for a few weeks, I was willing to wait and see what happened with the series and put a fourth book about the much loved Meadowview characters out of my mind for the time being. But I did have another finished product that I was itching to bring to my fans.
Lamb to the Slaughter is an Amish murder mystery that I began writing over a year ago after my agent asked me if I could create such a thing on demand. I became intrigued with the idea, especially since I had personally witnessed some strange and almost creepy goings-on in the Amish community where I lived. I really wanted to delve deeper into the darker side of being Amish and some of the harsh realities that the young people were faced with.<br />
<br />
The story took on a life of its own and turned out better than I’d ever hoped for.
Thoughts of self-publishing began pestering me when I realized that it might be the only way that I’d be able to bring Lamb to my established fans in the foreseeable future. But I was still extremely worried about the idea. What if by doing it myself, I’d somehow tarnish my image with Harlequin or even other publishing houses? There is such a negative stigma associated with self-publishing and I knew that it could very well be a death sentence for my writing career. But my optimistic nature pushed away the dark, worried thoughts and I began wondering if maybe it was just the thing I needed to keep my career afloat.
Ultimately, being the survivor of domestic abuse and a single mother of five children with a farm full of horses and other animals to care for is what decided it for me. I didn’t have the luxury to wait around for a miracle. I had a great product and a lot of momentum from the release of Forever to work with. I was still scared out of my mind, but once I decided to do it, I committed myself one hundred percent.<br />
<br />
The first thing I did was share Lamb with a handful of trusted, opinionated and critical thinking friends for test reads. I was thrilled when everyone came back in love with the story. It was also a very necessary part of building my own confidence about self-publishing the book.
The next hurdle was creating a cover for Lamb. I hired Jenny Zemanek of Seedlings Design Studio to work with me in putting together a great look for the book. I wanted a vibrant cover that was simplistic, yet a bit eerie. And it had to tie in somehow to the Amish theme without being over-the-top. Luckily, I picked the right person. Together, Jenny and I got the cover just the way I wanted. This was one of the best parts about self-publishing. I had complete creative control over my work, something that I certainly didn’t have with the Temptation series. In the end, I got a beautiful cover for my Amish mystery for a much more reasonable price than I’d ever expected.<br />
<br />
The other expense I incurred doing it on my own was to hire an editor to help me polish the book. I chose another friend who had literary and editing experience to do the job. Once again, by working with a fledgling entrepreneur, the fees were lower and the enthusiasm was higher.
When the cover and book were completely ready, I picked a release date and began promoting the book on Facebook and Goodreads. I also enlisted Kismet Blog Tours to put together a slew of reviewers to be part of a tour. By the way, Lamb’s blog tour starts tomorrow and runs from April 21st until May 30th if you want to check it out yourself. The giveaway that I’m hosting in conjunction with the tour includes a hundred dollar Amazon gift card, an autographed three book Temptation set and an authentic hand sewn Amish country lap quilt!<br />
<br />
The first really neat thing I discovered about self-publishing is that as an author, you do all the same type of advertising and incur the same kind of expense that you would if your book was traditionally published. In today’s market, much of the promotion of our books falls directly into our own laps anyway. I didn’t find this part to be a bigger deal than what I’d already done for Temptation, Belonging and Forever.
I chose to sell only electronically after studying the digital and printed sales of the Temptation series. EBooks made up a large percentage of my previous sales and I figured that it was probably the best way for me to enter the world of self-publishing. The upload process to Amazon Kindle and Nook Press was extremely easy, although, Nook took almost a week longer to finalize than Kindle. I did have an issue with the release date too, which was my own fault. I had picked an official release day of Tuesday, March 18th and advertised that Lamb would be available then, but actually uploaded it to Kindle and Nook several days early just in case of any glitches. To my amazement, a well-known book blogger from Australia somehow found out that it was already up on Amazon, even though I had told no one except close family, and posted it on their FB page. I wasn’t upset, but I was forced to make an announcement a day early that the book was indeed available.<br />
<br />
It’s been less than a month since Lamb to the Slaughter’s electronic release and I’m thrilled with the excellent reviews that it has received and its sales thus far. It has exceeded my expectations greatly and I love the convenience of being able to log into both Kindle Direct and Nook Press at any time to see my exact sales and royalties.
Overall, I’m delighted with the experience of self-publishing and will definitely consider doing it again in the future. Of course if a publishing house were to come along and show interest in Lamb, I’d be even happier, but only time will tell if that happens. For now I’m content with the fact that I was able to bring my fans another Amish story that they love and that they’re once again begging me for another.<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by today! If anyone out there has any self-publishing stories of their own to share, I’d love to hear them. And I hope you’ll check out Lamb to the Slaughter, along with my brand new website at: <a href="http://www.karenannhopkins.com/">http://www.karenannhopkins.com/</a><br />
<br />
Karen Ann Hopkins<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6V84AKEa9m0oai97AU6n76znHmD86uGnfLPxTSVsI0N3r2iqBWfazVrAWyXetEXKacmFetmGWRQa2mqIJcRcIVqUPKXXh6e98FF4A8FtQUoJqq0qwbSceFg7STf2vQTNS4kBTHV_1UiU/s1600/Lamb+to+the+Slaughter+Final+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6V84AKEa9m0oai97AU6n76znHmD86uGnfLPxTSVsI0N3r2iqBWfazVrAWyXetEXKacmFetmGWRQa2mqIJcRcIVqUPKXXh6e98FF4A8FtQUoJqq0qwbSceFg7STf2vQTNS4kBTHV_1UiU/s1600/Lamb+to+the+Slaughter+Final+Cover.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a></div>
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<br />Karen Ann Hopkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08755789429511541771noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-36497356691098661072014-04-13T20:43:00.000-04:002014-04-13T20:43:41.912-04:00Everything I Know about Dialogue I Learned in Drama School
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, not everything. I learned quite a bit about dialogue from,
you know, reading, writing and eavesdropping, but there are several dialogue pointers
that I did pick up from time spent memorizing scripts, running lines and
rehearsing scenes. And a few of those tips have translated nicely into writing
fiction. So here they are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Subtext<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Subtext is the dialogue beneath the dialogue. In other
words, subtext is what the character really means, regardless of what he or she
says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s an example. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Say Samantha, your protagonist, has just gone on a hot date
with Alex. Samantha’s best friend, Simon, is all ears to hear about how things
went and Samantha obliges, gushing about the greatness that is Alex. “That’s
awesome,” Simon says. But then later the reader finds out that Simon has
actually been in love with Samantha the entire time. So even though Simon says,
“that’s awesome,” the reader comes to the understanding that he didn’t really
mean it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inside, Simon was probably
feeling pretty rotten about the whole thing but putting on a brave “I’m a good friend”
face. What he might have been thinking instead was probably more along the
lines of, “I wish you thought<em> I</em> was awesome” or “I’ve missed my chance with
you, haven’t I?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A good exercise with subtext is to look at the dialogue you’ve
written for a scene and, above the dialogue, write what your character would
say if he or she had just been lassoed by Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth. In
acting classes, we used to do this as an exercise with our scripts and this is
great way to get to know your character’s true feelings and innermost thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another good exercise is to re-watch a movie you’ve seen
before and try to decipher the subtext. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any scene between Han Solo and Princess Leia
would lend itself well to this exercise. Like in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Empire Strikes Back</i>
when Han is getting lowered into the freezing chamber. “I love you,” Leia says.
“I know,” Han replies. Which is hilarious and heartrending all at once and so
true to Han’s character. But yeah. Come on. We all know what he’s really
saying there. Probably something along the lines of, “I love you too, Princess,
but even though my ass is about to go into carbonite and none of us are really
sure if I’ll survive, I’m still a scoundrel and I have an image to protect and I
hate goodbyes anyway so see you on the flipside, toots.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Actions<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, subtext can be hard for your reader to grasp initially,
unless the narrative has reached a point where your readers know the character or
the situation well enough to see through the dialogue to the underlying subtext.
But there may be some instances where you want to be less subtle than others.
In those instances, actions can sometimes help highlight subtext. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For example, say your protagonist, Jennifer, is planning to
go to a concert. Her older brother, Jason, is super protective, which is
something your audience may or may not know at this point in the story. Jenifer
babbles on and on about how much fun she’s going to have at this concert, and
how their mother and father won’t ever know she’s gone because she’s sneaking
out. She tells Jason what a great older brother he is for keeping her secret.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jason’s response could read something like this: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Yeah,” Jason said, folding his arms. “Sounds like fun.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are a few clues here to show us how Jason really feels
about his sister attending this concert, the biggest being the folding of his
arms. This line suggests without my having to mention voice tone or facial
expression that Jason is not, in fact, too jazzed with his sister’s plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This tactic can be great way to ratchet up sexual tension between
two characters as well, especially when body language contradicts what the
characters are saying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Again, going back to Han and Leia and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Empire Strikes Back</i>—remember the infamous scene where Leia is
wrestling with equipment on the Millennium Falcon and Han comes up behind her?
He wraps his arms around her, grabs her wrists and she flings him off, angry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She berates Han for calling her “Your Worship”
but can’t handle it when he calls her “Leia” either. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we know she kind of digs the guy because,
about four seconds later, Han is wrapping her hand with his hands, massaging
her fingers, and talking about being a scoundrel. She tells him to “stop that”
but her voice is soft and she doesn’t pull away and she doesn’t try to fight him off again. From
there the dialogue gets quite fun and the steaminess of the scene rises. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leia is telling Han how much she is so not
into him then <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bam</i> they’re totally
snogging and it’s a magic magic moment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>Inflection and Emphasis<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In drama school, I once did an exercise where the instructor
asked us to take the same three word sentence and read it three times. Each
time, we were to place emphasis on a different word. And each time, the line
meant something completely different. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I </i>love you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love </i>you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i>.<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Though italics should be used with care and certainly not
overused, it’s worthwhile to mention that inflection and emphasis can be a
useful tool in dialogue scenes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hope these few pointers help you to dive deeper into your dialogue
construction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Have fun and b</span>reak a leg!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kelly Creaghhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15390623646921616829noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-67311727511188801962014-04-06T10:59:00.001-04:002014-04-30T15:17:12.375-04:00YA FUSION's First Exquisite Corpse<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDWUuWJ6h0kaYJX8fZSWe8s5GhN-i64d50xhsERPNz3nI53FGdj8MHcSFvYRwq3UYAfVd3Vfgpf2VCa_n_SHOphh1mVpgwk9KRhV1k1ycWg9tXlPne9opA3oROlvxMzU3hSc4T0Mibs4/s1600/national-poetry-month.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDWUuWJ6h0kaYJX8fZSWe8s5GhN-i64d50xhsERPNz3nI53FGdj8MHcSFvYRwq3UYAfVd3Vfgpf2VCa_n_SHOphh1mVpgwk9KRhV1k1ycWg9tXlPne9opA3oROlvxMzU3hSc4T0Mibs4/s1600/national-poetry-month.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">April is one of my favorite months and not just because my first
child was born on April 1 or because we all finally crack out of whatever ice
coma we’ve been in for so long. April is NATIONAL POETRY MONTH! Which rocks in so many ways. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This month, my latest
piece of short fiction in verse comes out on the online journal Young Adult Review Network, </span><a href="http://www.yareview.net/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">www.yareview.net</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, and my writer's critique group and I are playing along on
YARN’s site with their “</span><a href="http://yareview.net/2014/03/random-word-contest/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">Random Word Contest</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">”
judged by Morris and Printz Award-winning author John Corey Whaley. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To kick off poetry month on the YA FUSION site, we’re
starting an <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Exquisite Corpse</b> game, a
game that originates from the Parisian Surrealist movement where artists or writers
passed time in cafes by piecing together</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> their own bits of inspiration. Authors
played by writing a single line on a piece of paper, folding it, and passing it
to the next writer. The only rules were that the lines must include the same
grammatical structure and writers were not allowed to read the lines written
before theirs. The results were often surprising, interesting, and beautiful.
YA FUSIONites are all of those things! So let’s create our own <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Exquisite Corpse</b>. Here are the rules:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrbzT3lJFRU8DfBvW2zpvyl1owAq647uurKpyYt7dJGK_uqDXXKKTpMtbBEaFUUz0dwcdKdNPCxD7mNN3ZiwzfRm0ZLMaANpLDDiWNrpLgmqzH02FmZjXXaos2tWN_6Xy7QRakWWFg-4/s1600/Surrealist+Exquisite+Corpse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrbzT3lJFRU8DfBvW2zpvyl1owAq647uurKpyYt7dJGK_uqDXXKKTpMtbBEaFUUz0dwcdKdNPCxD7mNN3ZiwzfRm0ZLMaANpLDDiWNrpLgmqzH02FmZjXXaos2tWN_6Xy7QRakWWFg-4/s1600/Surrealist+Exquisite+Corpse.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exquisite Corpse drawing done by <br />
Surrealist artists<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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</div>
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</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1. Write <u>one line</u> about an outstanding positive or negative </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">moment/feeling/event/person during yours or someone else’s </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">teen years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2. Follow this grammatical structure: Adjective, Noun, Verb, Adjective, Noun</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3. Adding “function words” like articles or prepositions is okay as long as the basic structure is intact. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">4. While people post, <strong>don’t read the others until after you add your own.</strong> Let it stand alone and be completely original. That will make the poem more interesting!</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span> </div>
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<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">5. A</span>t the end the month, I’ll string all the lines together to create a single poem by our bloggers and readers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is an<strong> Exquisite Corpse</strong> example written by
poets.org’s staff:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><em>Slung trousers melt in a
roseate box.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<em>
</em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><em>A broken calendar
oscillates like sunny tin.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<em>
</em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><em>The craven linden growls
swimmingly. Blowfish.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<em>
</em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><em>A glittering roof slaps at
crazy ephemera.<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, we can do so much more in our YA way! I can't wait to see what it turns into! Leave a contact email in your post. If it turns out well, I'll send you a YA FUSION bookmark with the poem on it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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So <span style="font-family: Calibri;">to begin, here is my YA-related <strong>Exquisite Corpse</strong> line: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Our cigarette smoke rings lasso shimmering stars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now no more reading until you post yours below! Have fun!!</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> <span style="font-size: large;"> *************UPDATE*********************</span></div>
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</div>
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With National Poetry Month fading with the last hours of April, here is the final YA Fusion Exquisite Corpse poem. Thank you to all who participated!! <br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><strong>A skinny girl rides the wind.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><strong>Angry boy imagining happy man.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><strong>Empty houses tempt young hearts.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><strong> </strong></o:p></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><strong>The gurgling stream snakes through the
gentle forest.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><strong>Pink cherry blossoms open warm touches.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><strong>Our cigarette smoke rings lasso shimmering
stars.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><strong> </strong></o:p></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
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<span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><strong>Your tar-black eyes sink my optimistic
spirit.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #202020; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Embarrassed girl passing out in front of
cute boy.</span><o:p></o:p></strong></div>
<strong>
</strong></div>
<ul>
</ul>
Heather Smith Melochehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00596283275006060364noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-57682752161762364102014-03-30T19:06:00.000-04:002014-03-30T19:06:16.699-04:00Searching for the Elusive 'The End'Have you ever reached the point where it feels like you've been working on a book<i> forever</i> and The End is no where in sight?<br />
<br />
That's where I found myself yesterday morning. I'd hoped to have this manuscript finished--at least the first draft--two weeks ago. I planned to let it sit a week, then review/revise before sending it to my editor, April 7th. I have been writing like a madwoman, literally, until yesterday.<br />
<br />
When I first started writing, I was a total pantser. I imagine most beginners are. As a newbie, I didn't know anything about plot points, or story arcs, or character growth. I just had a story I wanted to tell. But since that time, oh so many years ago, I've attended classes, read tons of craft books and learned the art of writing.<br />
<br />
Thus I became a plotter. Sort of. I map out my characters, their GMC, the plot points and any tidbits or quirks that feel relevant to the story. This change improved my efficiency, a big help since I work full time at The Job That Pays My Bills.<br />
<br />
But this book refused to be plotted. For two, hair-pulling weeks I tried to fit what I knew of this story and these characters into my standard outline with no success. Looking back, I can see I was trying to hammer my round story into a square hole.<br />
<br />
I finally gave up and started writing, and writing, and writing, until I wanted to lift my face to the heavens and cry "Will I ever reach The End?"<br />
<br />
Which brings me to yesterday morning. I sat, hair still mussed from sleep, eyes gritty, computer in my lap. Page wise and word count told me I had to be close to The End. All my books tend to come in around 350 pages, 65,000 words. I was sitting at 265 pages, 57,000 words. I couldn't write another word without a clear sense of where I'd find The End.<br />
<br />
So I reviewed what I'd written and found it wasn't Total Cr*#. I'm not the World's Worst Writer. I could finally see the full scope of the story and realized I only had five more chapters (two and a half now) to the glorious The End.<br />
<br />
And I've learned yet another lesson. Nothing is set in stone. Pantser or plotter you think you may be, but some stories demand their own path.<br />
<br />
Lisa<br />
<br />Lisa Tapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02787266653773740495noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-2791284868713827192014-03-23T10:38:00.002-04:002014-03-23T10:38:57.221-04:00For The Love (and Hate) of Words...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like all authors,
words are kind of my life. Big ones, little ones, tongue twisters and giggle
inducers.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> But, like everything else in life,
there are good and there are bad. Not all words are created equal. At least,
not in my world. There are the ones I love and there are ones I hate. I thought I'd share a few of each.</span>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Love</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.
<b>Cheesecake</b>. I can’t eat cheesecake. Eggs are toxic to me, and
since cheesecake is stuffed full of em, that pretty much lands it on a list of
epic ways to kill myself. But I love the word. It might be the fact that
the first part starts with cheese (because, who here does NOT like cheese!?!),
or it might just be the random weirdness that is me. Even money that its a
little of both.<span style="background: white;"><br />
<br />
</span>2. <b>Turtle</b>. Nope. Not my favorite animal—they
don’t even make it into the top twenty (Sorry, turtles. Much love, just
not <i>THAT</i> much love...). But it’s such a fun word. I know you agree. Just
say it with me a few times. Turtle-turtle-turtle-turtle. Admit it. You said it,
too. (I won't tell)<span style="background: white;"><br />
<br />
</span>3. <b>Awesome</b>. This word is so amazing, that
even when you hate it, you find yourself saying it. Over and over and over
and over... *cringes*<span style="background: white;"><br />
<br />
</span>4. <b>Psychosomatic</b>. I love the sound of
it, the meaning—everything. This is a word that needs more love. Find an
excuse. I challenge you to work it into a sentence today.<span style="background: white;"><br />
<br />
</span>5. <b>Cadaver</b>. I’ll admit that this one’s on the
creepy side. But definition aside, it kinda rolls off the tongue. Am I
right? Say it. Ca-da-ver.<span style="background: white;"><br />
<br />
</span><b>Hate</b><span style="background: white;"><br />
<br />
</span>1. <b>Auntie.</b> I don’t know why, but every time I
hear it, I want to rip my ears off.<span style="background: white;"><br />
<br />
</span>2. <b>Panties.</b> Why? Again, I don’t know. It
irritates me to the point that I want to punch a sheep. Okay, not really. I
love sheep. They're adorable. They waddle around, all fluffy and stuff.
Seriously though, there’s a good possibility I have a deep seeded
prejudice against words that end in IE…<span style="background: white;"><br />
<br />
</span>3. <b>Awesome.</b> Yes. It was also on the love
list. But there’s something about it… I die a little each time it comes
out of my mouth - which is sadly often.<span style="background: white;"><br />
<br />
</span>4. <b>Yawn</b>. Everyone hates this word. It’s okay
to come clean. I mean, come on…what other word in the English language makes
you <b><i><u>*yawn*</u></i></b> do something by simply speaking or writing
it? Evil. Pure evil.<span style="background: white;"><br />
<br />
</span>5. <b>Pimpin.</b> I have a friend that used to say
this. It was like styrofoam getting rubbed in my ear. You exactly know
what I’m talking about. That grating, spine chilling sound that makes your
hair stand on end and your muscles twitch.</span></div>
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<br />
</span>You’re up. Tell me your favorite (and not so favorite) word!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<![endif]-->Jus Accardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13666183648679542805noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-84928206718048185692014-03-16T16:10:00.001-04:002014-03-16T16:10:25.016-04:00Having a Bit of a Moan<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It
happened again. I picked up a new book
by one of my favorite authors, and found mistakes. This one was especially bad, with everything
from plot holes to typos to massive continuity problems—even a repeated scene. Admittedly this wasn’t YA, but I’ve run
across more than my share of mistakes in recent YA books, too. Used to be, finding a mistake in a book was a
big deal, and at most it was a typo. Not
anymore. And that reminds me of a story. Ready?
On the count of three, everybody do that wavy, moany thing they used to
do on TV to signal a flashback. One,
two, three. Woooooo-wooo-wooo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My
author friends are tired of hearing me say this, but loooooooooooong ago, I was
tight with some good-sized book publishers.
I helped develop, write, and edit a wide range of third-party computer manuals,
journals, and online articles. At the
start of my involvement, these were major productions, both large in size and heavy
with content. I’m proud to say that I
was a small part of some of the best books in the industry. Unfortunately, that quality didn’t last. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Print publishing was just starting the musical
chairs of consolidation in those days, and that was especially true where a computer-literate
customer base was more than ready for change.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Parent publishers, who were busy being bought and sold to one another,
flailed.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Product lines ballooned and
then popped before they could generate anything but expenses. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Inevitably, books got shorter, content got
lighter, and editing fell by the wayside.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">In-house management felt enormous pressure to move releases forward while
pushing expenses backward.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Books went
out before they were ready.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I read the reviews;
trust me when I say people noticed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Okay,
the flashback is over. I’m not sure what
sound effect I should use for an analogy, but looking at this book also reminds
me of parallel story. It goes like this:
I’m a bit of a construction junkie and like to read Builder Magazine, which is
a trade magazine for the residential construction industry. After the housing bubble burst, I noticed a
common thread in many of the articles. The
industry, which had been focused on speed during the boom years, discovered
that quality was far more important to their bottom line. To survive in a brutal market, builders couldn’t
keep cranking out badly-build houses—there were plenty of those already. What builders needed were happy customers. Enter quality. And it turns out that when builders focused
on quality, they lowered their long-term expenses, while increasing their referrals
and repeat customers. Ching!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
maybe I’m reaching here, but I think there’s a lesson. Maybe publishers, even my beloved YA
publishers who are feeling so much pressure from above, should put more focus
on quality. I know our teen audience grows
up fast, but give them credit for wanting books without mistakes. After all, their word of mouth is our biggest
asset.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kurt Hampehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657898257154324404noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-31011143848548662312014-03-09T23:18:00.003-04:002014-03-09T23:25:03.617-04:00ARC GIVEAWAY of HUNTLEY FITZPATRICK's WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TRUEHuntley Fitzpatrick's new book, WHAT I THOUGH WAS TRUE, will hit your local bookstore in April. Meanwhile, we have an interview with Huntley and an ARC GIVEAWAY of WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TRUE!! HOW COOL IS THAT? Read on for all the details!<br />
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<strong>HERE'S THE SCOOP ON THE BOOK</strong>: Gwen Castle's Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her Nantucket-esque island this summer. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">AND NOW FOR THE INTERVIEW:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Please tell us a little about your everyday life.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1394066861181_6553"><span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1394066861181_6552"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Like most writers I know, I lead a double life. I have this wild and crazy family, with a lot of characters and personalities in it—and then I write about other families with lots of characters and personalities. My children tend to get up at the crack of dawn, despite years of bribery to talk them out of this habit. So by the time the youngest ones climb onto the school bus, I feel as though I’ve already lived half the day. I race home with the dog (literally run) and to my computer, with a brief pause for coffee. Then I do my best to stay right there until the first school bus pulls back up in front of the house. Except for when I need to block out a scene, or talk one out aloud. When I get stuck, I drive to the beach and walk, pausing to scribble down ideas. Switching gears from whatever is happening in the story to the real world is always hard. I need to come up with some ritual for this—ruby slippers or the like. When everyone is home it’s wall to wall dinner and homework and listening and talking until about nine p.m. when the house gets still once again. I try to get in another hour or so of work then, unless I’d rather just take a bubble bath, hang out with my husband or read. </span></span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1394066861181_6557"><span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1394066861181_6556"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><em>What I Thought Was True</em> is the follow up to the very popular <em>My Life Next Door</em>. Please tell us a bit about how the two books are connected.</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">They aren’t actually very connected. WITWT does take place in the same area, and there are a few very small sightings of characters from MLND, but the cast of characters is different but, I hope, compelling in their own way. My third book to be published, The Boy Most Likely To IS going to be a companion book to My Life Next Door, although with a different hero and heroine. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Besides your main character, who is your favorite character in this book and why? </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">The hero, definitely. Much of the book is about who you are as opposed to who people think you are. Cass looks like the classic cool calm and collected, blond beautiful rich boy. Like someone who had everything fall into his lap. But he’s nothing like that at all. And from the start, he sees the heroine for who she is and cares about THAT girl, not her ‘reputation’ or even what she believes about her self. He knows her. I found that really romantic.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Do you have a favorite scene in this book? </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Oh yes. There’s a scene where Gwen and Cass, the heroine and hero, find themselves caught in a sudden thunderstorm and take refuge in a boathouse on the beach. It’s pouring, there are no lights, they are both soaking wet…and there’s an awful lot of unspoken words and unfinished business between them, a lot of conflicting emotion. Hardest scene in the book to write…and now my favorite. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Did you always know how this book would end, or did it change as you wrote it? </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">I knew the big brushstrokes of the ending, but the central drama of the story changed, so I rewrote the final scenes about fifteen times. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Can you tell us a little about your path to publication?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> It really does feel as though I followed the yellow brick road. I’d wanted to be a writer since I was five, but wound up becoming (and loving being) an editor for years. When we started having kids, I left my job and we moved from NYC to coastal Massachusetts. Then, a few years ago, I suddenly woke up and HAD to write a book. So I did—carrying the manuscript everywhere, writing on the beach and at playgrounds and school parking lots. I found an agent willing to look at what I turned out, and wrote two manuscripts that didn’t work. Then My Life Next Door, which was totally different than those two but somehow clicked with the agent, then with my publisher, Penguin-Dial for Young Readers. I am honestly still pinching myself that that happened…let alone that I’ve been able to keep writing since then. I don’t think I’ll get over the shock of having a lifelong dream come true, ever. </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1394066861181_6561"><span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1394066861181_6560"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">What’s next for you? </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">I’m working on the third book, THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO, right now (currently pre-dawn at a hotel in Boston where the kids and I went for vacation). This book means a lot to me—a departure in a lot of ways (dual point of view, returning to a previous world) and I worry a lot about “getting it right”…but luckily, that’s what the main characters struggle with, too. So we’re all in this together. I have a fourth book to do after that, which currently exists mostly in my imagination and in notes </span>in four of those black and white composition notebooks you use in school. Every once in a while, I take a break from Tim and scribble down notes about Wilder (the hero of book four). </b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1394066861181_6574"><span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1394066861181_6573"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Do you have any marketing advice for other writers? </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Marketing is like math for me…I know it’s incredibly important, but my brain struggles to process how to DO it. The only advice I have is to be grateful to anyone who offers to talk about your book, to blog about it or review it. Readers and bloggers and fellow writers are what it’s all about in the end. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">YOU KNOW YOU'RE DYING TO GET YOUR HANDS ON A COPY OF THIS ARC! TO ENTER OUR GIVEAWAY, PLEASE USE THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW! (if you have problems with the Rafflecopter please tell us in the comments or send me a message through my <a href="http://tracybilen.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact page</a> ).AND GOOD LUCK!</span></b><br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/735f370/" id="rc-735f370" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Tracy Bilenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02715572631921540812noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133203161912010188.post-17721177466815908582014-03-02T09:00:00.000-05:002014-03-03T10:11:21.962-05:00#Overwhelmed #Bysocialmedia<div class="MsoNormal">
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After I sold my novel, I had a great conversation with my editor. We talked about future edits for the story. We talked about a possible sequel. And we talked about the importance of social media. #dontforgettotweet</div>
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My editor told me I “need to have an online presence.” She said I “need a Facebook page, a website, and a twitter account.” So I went ahead and set them all up, promising myself that I would maintain and update these three different platforms regularly. But this task hasn’t been easy. #suckattwitter</div>
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To be candid, I’m a bit baffled about how to integrate ongoing social media updates into my life. I understand that these updates, in particular stream of consciousness tweeting, is what keeps authors present in the their readers’ minds, so that when we DO have a big announcement, our readers will receive it. I get it. What I can’t quite figure out is what to blog / update / tweet about and when! Most days I’m grateful if I get in a few hours of writing and actually remember to brush my teeth. #notenoughtime</div>
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I follow many authors who tweet all day. Their tweets are frequently pithy and entertaining. If I tweeted all day, my feed would look something like this: </div>
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Got dressed</div>
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Dropped kids off at school</div>
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Went to dog park</div>
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Wrote</div>
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Ate lunch</div>
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Walked dog</div>
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Wrote</div>
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Picked up kids from school</div>
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Drove kids to activities</div>
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Walked dog</div>
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Made dinner</div>
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Helped kids with homework</div>
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Put kids to bed</div>
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Walked dog</div>
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Tried to write</div>
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Went to sleep instead</div>
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Do most readers really want to read tweets about an author’s sick dog? Do they care if a successful author’s kid has a fever? #Boring. Right? I mean, seriously, who wants to read THAT in my twitter feed? If I actually tweeted my daily existence, I’d lose followers not gain them. When my dog or kid is sick … I’m usually #strugglingtosurvive the day … not tweeting about it.</div>
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And there’s something else that people don’t really talk much about. Sometimes Twitter makes me feel blue. Cliques form on Twitter – groups of authors band together and form alliances. They participate in “private” discussions that I’m not invited to join, but I can read verbatim. They share their success and promote the success of others. I know I should be happy for every single author whose book wins an award or reaches some huge publishing milestone, but as a struggling, poor, author who’s put in years and years and still needs a day job, I admit that sometimes being reminded of other people’s success is hard. Something about being that kind of voyeur frequently just makes me #feelinadequate.</div>
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I won’t even get into how baffled I am about how these online contests and giveaways work. I’m sure if I had the time, I could do more research and figure it out, but clearly, all these other authors have figured out something I haven’t. #timemanagement perhaps.</div>
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Still, regardless of my own virtual insecurities, having an online presence is critical in marketing books to YA readers. #igetit I guess what I really want to know is: How do authors find the time to write AND maintain such a strong online presence? How do they find the time to post clever Facebook updates and write regular, consistent blogs about the writing process?</div>
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I don’t want this blog entry to sound like a mad rant about social media, and I hope it doesn’t. Really, I’m venting about the disconnect between current social media expectations and the reality of my own life. Is it possible to find the balance? Is it possible to master social media and write my next book? #whatdoyouthink</div>
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Share your comments here or with me @sharirbecker. Then you can follow my bi-weekly tweets about #mydog, #mykids, and oh yeah! #mybooks.</div>
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Shari Beckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559162143275375243noreply@blogger.com7