Writing World: Routine Writing

I've never been a routine writer. In the past I've always been fortunate enough that moments of inspiration were all I needed to make progress on a novel. I would wait for the "Aha!" idea to come, and when it did, I would write...no matter where I was or what I was doing. 

Source

Since baby-mania has taken over my brain (which apparently happens when you're 8 months pregnant) those moments which would have been spent building scenes and listening to characters banter in my head are now filled with all things baby. Sadly, it seems sort of out of my control. I can't fight the nesting, the obsessive planning, the reading and researching every minor detail about anything baby related. Just like I have some instinctual urge to eat cereal for every meal (...bone building juice for baby I guess) the mind works the same way.

Being the perfectionist that I am, it doesn't help me in my need to get everything tied up and ready for baby when I've got a third book to write. It's always in the back of my mind..."you need to write, author!" my mind scolds me in mockery. "I know. I know!" I tell it. So for the first time since...well, ever...I'm going to attempt this routine writing thing. Every morning from 7:30 to 9:30 I'm going to WRITE! I'll let you know how it works out.

Does this work for anyone else? What's your writing routine? Do you have one?

The Buzz: The Hobbit Movie Trailer

Hi all! I hope you had a fantabulous Thanksgiving break :) Mine was an awesome kind of torture...do you realize how hard it is to resist eating pie for every meal when you're pregnant? Torture I tell you! Not to mention the turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes...*Homer Simpson Drool*

I'm sure you've all seen this trailer (as I'm assuming nearly all of America had their butts on couches watching football over the weekend)...Still I had to post it. YAY! I'm really excited about The Hobbit Movie. Mostly because it's been so long since I've read the book that I'm not going to notice or be super mad about all the changes they're undoubtedly going to make to the story. I mean...they're making three movies out of one book, so I'm assuming there will be some deviation from the original. We'll see I guess...

Writing World: Molly The Magnificent's Editing Advice

Any published author knows that finishing your initial draft is only the first step of many in completing a novel. Get ready to read through/edit your book at least 5 times (maybe more, maybe less depending on how you work). Uprising (Children of the Gods #2) has been completed for a while now, but edits and read-throughs have continued. Recently I completed what is known as line-edits. The line editing process is a line by line analysis of the sentence structure and word choice. It's very tedious, but necessary. Molly, my editor at ZOVA Books, always gives me the best advice, and I wanted to share it with you along with one other thing I learned in the process.

 Molly's Notes:

The most common adjustments I made were (a) to eliminate some (but not all) of the repeated prepositional phrases and descriptions, (b) to adjust some (but not all) of the passive voice to active, and (c) to bring the action closer to the characters. 

For example: 

(a) Inside I was empty, lost, afraid. ---> Inside I was empty, lost, and afraid. (p.300) (This may not seem like a big change, but if you look at that page, there are three instances where the same sentence structure is used. "...she was in there, protected, safe." and "...someone being in here with me, naked, so vulnerable." This is an example of a poetic structure that's more effective the more sparingly it's used.) 

And... 

I scanned the hillside to our left, to our right. ---> I scanned the hillside to our left and right. (This was an easy one to fix, though most of these repeated prepositional phrases were a bit harder, as the information was necessary but the structure was repetitive. If you find more that you can adjust, feel free. I tweaked several, but not all.) 

(b) I pleaded as I began to succumb to anger. ---> I pleaded on the verge of anger. (p.10) 

(c) Men and women towered over him as he forced himself through the mob. Voices jeered and the angry protested. ---> Men and women towered over him as he forced himself through the mob of angry protests and jeering voices. (p.59) 

And... 

My words came out surprised. ---> I said with surprise. 

(In other words, rather than giving the action to some part of Elyse, the action is hers. Elyse's mind, brain, hands, heart, and voice do a lot of things. Used occasionally, this can be poetic. Used frequently, and it disembodies Elyse, making her actions seem disjointed and disconnected from her own will. In times of distress, this might be revealing of character. But on a continual basis, it's hard to sympathize with a character who doesn't own her own actions, thoughts, and feelings.)

Genius, right? I also learned that one of my go-to words is "eyes" ...jeeez. I did a search for that word and came back with a staggering number. I went through each instance to see if there was any way to eliminate the use of the word. It turns out, sometimes those overused words can simply be deleted. My advice would be to figure out which words you use too often. Then see if you can delete them from your sentences. Here are some examples:

I couldn’t see her eyes through the dark, but I could feel her looking at me. ---> I couldn't see her through the dark, but I could feel her looking at me.

He turned to look at me, his eyes full of regret. ---> He turned to look at me, full of regret.

What have you learned in the process of editing your manuscript?

The Buzz: The Host Movie Clip

Woohoo! It's looking good. Here's the first sneak peek of The Host movie :) I can't wait!



The Official Trailer!! SO GOOD!

Get More: Jake Abel, Saoirse Ronan, William Hurt, Diane Kruger, Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Live.Laugh.Love...Building a Baby.

Well, 63 days until I have a baby...I know, right?! Whoa. I'm trying to take these moments in. They're the last days I'll be able to focus on me and my writing without a baby in the mix. Part of me is a little scared. I have no doubt I'll be able to continue my writing, but it's hard to plan for what it will be like. I probably...no DEFINITELY...won't be able to write whenever I want during the day and go to bed at 9pm anymore (I know, 9pm is lame. I'm aware. What can I say? I'm part grandma). I'm guessing my writing world will consist of late nights, early mornings, and nap-time cram sessions. The good news...I work REALLY well under pressure. No joke. Actually, since I left my day job to focus on my writing, I've been less productive than I was before. Go figure...9 hour work days, and I was cranking out the pages. All day at home, and I got nothing... Call me crazy, but I think the added pressure might do me good. Sometimes I need to be in that busy mode to get my mind working. Anyway, it should be an amazing and crazy adventure. I'm looking forward to the challenge :)

I've gone off on a tangent a bit. I actually wanted to post my Halloween costume pictures. My husband and I went as "construction workers" who were building a baby. It was a lot of fun! Here they are...

The Buzz: Breaking Dawn 2 Countdown!

Ooops...completely forgot to post yesterday. The election, baby building, and writing all have me very distracted.

Well, only 9 days left, and it will all be over. Whether you're happy to see the Twilight craze come to an end, or sad, this is it! First Harry Potter, now Twilight...personally, I'm bummed to say goodbye to the series. I guess it's more sentimental than anything. As many new YA writers can attest, Stephenie Meyer opened the door of opportunity for the YA genre. Thanks to her, YA is what it is today.

Yeah, the movies don't do the books justice. Yeah, they're kind of terrible, but hey...once a Twilight fan, always a Twilight fan. I'm going to see the movie for sure.

How about you? Are you going to see Breaking Dawn 2?

Writing World: Uprising Book Blurb!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! I can't wait to see all the little cuties in their costumes tonight :) ...and since it is kind of an orangey holiday, I figured I'd stick with the theme and give you a taste of what lies behind the orange cover of Uprising (Children of the Gods #2). Here's the book blurb for the back cover! YAY!

The Descendants have waited long enough for freedom. 

Elyse has done everything she can to protect her friends from The Council's reach. As long as they believe she's dead, she has time to rest and train for war. And war is inevitable. 

When Kara arrives with the news that Anna and Chloe have been captured, Elyse is faced with the realization that no one is safe until The Council is stopped and Christoph is destroyed. She doesn't need a prophecy to tell her to lead an army. Christoph has done the one thing that ensures she'll fight to the death. He's threatened the people she loves. 

It will take more than the words of an oracle to help them fight against the most powerful Descendant alive. To break The Council's oppression and rise up against a plot so many years in the making, Elyse will need to get dangerously close to her enemy. So close, in fact, she may not survive.

The Buzz: Divergent Movie Update

Finally we're seeing progress on the Divergent movie front! Last week Veronica Roth announced that the official director of the film will be Neil Burger. Pretty cool :) I loved Limitless, so I have high hopes.

Neil Burger

She also announced that Shailene Woodley is in final negotiations to play Tris. I didn't know who Shailene was before, but I looked her up. She was in The Descendants (the George Clooney version...for those of you who need clarification on that one *wink*). I watched a few clips of her, and she looks very much like I imagined Tris. The funny thing is, I always imagined Tris with dark hair. To me, she's a great fit. For those of you who imagined Tris how she was actually written (a blond) well, you might have a harder time picturing it.

Movie Tris

The countdown begins...how many days until March 21, 2013? Hmmm...still A LOT! Looking forward to more news about the movie though. Not to mention the third book, Detergent ;)

What YA books or movies are you looking forward to?

PS - Has anyone seen The Perks of Being a Wallflower? It's not playing in any of the theaters near me :( Super bummed! 

Is it good??

Writing World: My Super Awesome Rockstar Agent

I know I usually post about my writing world on Wednesdays, but yesterday was a busy one. Still, I have some big news I couldn't wait to announce. I have a super awesome rockstar agent!! WooOhooO!

Let me back up a bit...for those who don't know the story of how I got published, things went a little differently for me. I got a lucky break at a writers conference and happened to meet my publisher, ZOVA Books (who are SO great btw), in person while I was un-agented. They liked my pitch and ended up signing me a few weeks later. Having attained the contract on my own, I decided I didn't really need an agent.

As I've gotten further along in my Children of the Gods series, I've started thinking about the future. With a baby on the way, I really need all the help I can get. I had the pleasure of meeting Marisa A. Corvisiero in person at the Southern California Writers Conference. It's a rarity to meet an agent from New York that you really click with when you live in California. I imagine most authors query, get "the call," and sign without ever meeting their agent.

After meeting Marisa, I knew immediately I wanted to work with her. Not only is she easy to talk to and friendly, but she's got the charm...you know, that super rockstarness you can't fake. Oh, and did I mention she's a lawyer and a mother to twin boys?! She's basically superwoman (I don't think she ever sleeps).

Thanks Marisa (and the rest of the Corvisiero Literary Agency) for taking on my projects and having faith in my writing!

Marisa A. Corvisiero is the founder of the Corvisiero Literary Agency and our Senior Literary Agent. During the few years prior to starting her own agency, Marisa worked with the L. Perkins Agency, where she learned invaluable lessons and made a name for herself in the industry. She is also a Literary Consultant at Literary Powerhouse Consulting and Attorney. Marisa has over ten years of legal experience in New York City.

http://www.corvisieroagency.com/
  

The Buzz: THAT BOOK

I'm so happy that YA books are getting better and better these days. Ever since Twilight (yes, I dare utter the word...hush you Twi-haters) I've been on the hunt for THAT BOOK...you know, the one that grabs you, that takes over your mind, the one you CAN'T put down. For a while after Twilight, THAT BOOK was hard to find. In fact, I spent so long looking for it that I eventually decided to write the dang thing myself (that's how my Children of the Gods series came about).

Then of course I found The Hunger Games *Woohoo* It satisfied my crazy YA book obsession for a while, but when it was over, I continued on my search for the next big thing. Thankfully, YA has exploded, and there are so many amazing stories out there. I'm just eating them all up. Now, I have to admit, I'm a VERY picky reader. Not any YA will do. In between THAT BOOKS I'll often try a few that don't grab me. I'll put them down and move on.

Most recently my THAT BOOKS have been Divergent and Blood Red Road, but it's been a while...FINALLY I have a new THAT BOOK... Shatter Me *imagine beams of light shining down on its awesomeness* What a heavenly discovery :)

Of course I haven't finished it yet. If you know me, you already know I'm going to take my time with this one. I'm going to milk it for every ounce of goodness there is. The thing about these AMAZING books that I can't put down, is that they inspire me to write. So, when I run out of awesome, I feel all writers-blockish. Until I find the next THAT BOOK, it's important for me to ration the words. They're like little bits of inspiration each day to keep me going.

Also, Shatter Me has two covers (both equally awesome) here they are...now go read it.

What's your THAT BOOK these days...and just for the heck of it, which cover do you like better? I like the eye one. It's kind of amazing.

The Buzz: YA Books to Movies

And the countdown begins...

 

Breaking Dawn

11.16.2012

Beautiful Creatures

2.13.2013

The Host

3.29.2013

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

August, 2013

Catching Fire

11.22.2013

Divergent

 2014

Blood Red Road

Unknown

 (Rights purchased by Ridley Scott)

Live.Laugh.Love...NESTING!!

It hit me...the urge to organize all my little sticks into a perfect baby-tastic nest. Suddenly everything in my house is in its exact right place, and I'm itching to buy ALL the baby gear I need for this adventure. I keep telling myself...chill out. You have 3 months. Yeah...doesn't work. Wherever that baby nesting urge comes from. It's strong. I'm kind of creeped out by it a bit to be honest. I feel a little baby crazy. Recently, my brain convinced me that I HAD to put the cradle together or my baby-tastic nest might just fall to pieces. Don't worry. I listened...the nest is intact (wheeew).

Anyone else turning into preg-zilla lately? No? Just me then...hmmm. 

Okay, so what are you obsessing over these days?

 

3 BOOK GIVEAWAY!

I realize I've been a bit of a social media slacker lately. SO, I thought I'd make up for it with a 3 book GIVEAWAY! Up for grabs are two ARCs and my book. Now, I did read Anything But Ordinary, which was great. However, I'm kind of mean to my books, so it's not in perfect condition. The others will be nice and pretty and clean. I promise :)

Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Buzz: Catching Fire

Okay all you Catching Fire Hunger Games crazies...

This will be short and sweet.