Query Critique #6- Elle Style (The Four Step Plan)

Last week I guest posted at Janice's Hardy's blog, The Other Side of the Story, on Writing Queries/Pitches in Four Easy Steps. I offered to give gentle critiques for anyone who wanted me to look at theirs and got quite a few brave submissions, so I'll do two a week until I get through them. If anyone else would like me to have a look at their query/pitch, just post it in the comments.

A recap on the four steps:
1) who it's about
2) the circumstance
3) the conflict
4) the hook


Here are the first two:

Kay

Nan Macomb—a spunky thirty-five-year-old Nashville hair stylist who it’s about—works her cut-and-color magic in a tiny home salon while gabby clients keep her up-to-date on the latest hair-raising gossip. Bombarded by one too many anecdotes about music exec Randy Soleman’s cheating heart (and other body parts), she barges into his Music Row office and finds her former lover bludgeoned to death with his own Grammy Award. The circumstance.

Strong evidence implicates Nan, so she recruits her two best friends—a depressed, stay-at-home mom and a country music singer wannabe—to help keep her butt out of jail. The trio combs the Music City, following clues and miscues to uncover theft, infidelity, and deceit in both Randy’s personal and professional worlds. In the process, they encounter more types of addiction than shades of blonde. This is the conflict paragraph, but it feels a little vague. One or two examples of a clue or miscue would be stronger than just a list.

When the apparent suicide of Randy’s brother stymies the police, Nan, a long-time puzzle enthusiast, discovers an encrypted message buried in the words of his suicide note. The message could ensure her freedom . . . if she can get it to the police before the killer gets to her. The hook.

My diagnosis: I think this is very close. It has a great opening that tells me who it’s about (an interesting character), and her everyday world. The middle section on conflict could use tweaking but it’s close. The hook paragraph is really good, with a solid detail “encrypted message buried in the words of his suicide note”, the kind of thing the conflict paragraph needs.

angelaquarles
 

After reading this over I’m going to suggest some re-arranging of information.

Isabelle Rochon, a modern American working at the British Museum, has met the man of her dreams.  Who it’s about. There's only one problem: he lives in a different century.  Talk about a long-distance relationship!

A modern American working at the British Museum, Isabelle just wants to know what it was like to live 'back then.'  But not really. When a silver card case strands her in 1834, she must navigate the pitfalls of a stiffly polite London, find out how to get back, keep her origins a secret, and, oh, resist her growing attraction to Lord Montagu, the Vicious Viscount so hot he curls her toes. The circumstance.

To Lord Montagu nothing makes more sense than to keep his distance from the strange Colonial. However, when his scheme for revenge reaches a stalemate, he needs herIsabelle to masquerade as his fiancée. A bargain is struck. What he did not bargain on is being drawn to her mentally intellectually as well as physically. Now, nothing makes more sense than to make their engagement official. Except for the problem of to his fiancée. This is your conflict paragraph. Is this your main conflict? Is part of the story told from Lord Montagu’s pov? It sounds like it from the way this is written. If it is, give us a bit more in the first sentence, tell us a little about him, what makes the Colonial strange and why Montagu feels like he needs to stay away from him. If not, then this needs to be re-written from Isabelle’s view point.

What is Isabelle’s conflict? You want to state this clearly in an additional paragraph. Right now it feels like Lord Montagu’s conflict. (If he’s not a pov character, then re-write this to be Isabelle’s conflict paragraph with her opinions about Lord Montagu and his scheme stated)

Isabelle must find the case, or she'll be stuck in 1834 where they haven't heard of toilet paper or women's lib. The fact that she's falling in love with Lord Montagu isn't helping either. Staying would be the ultimate follow-the boyfriend move and she can't go through that again. This is okay, but needs the hook sentence. Is she facing an ultimatum? Is her life in danger? Does she have to choose between Montagu and flush toilets?

TO OUR FUTURE is a 95,000 word novel featuring such historical figures as Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage. Fans of LOST IN AUSTEN will love the modern woman’s fish out of water foibles, while experiencing a more scientific and mechanical London. It is similar in tone to THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION, and Katie Macalister’s contemporary romances. It is a standalone novel with the potential to be a prequel in a series of steampunk romances. Nice wrap up paragraph.

My diagnosis: A common problem when writing pitches and queries is to discern what part of a 95k manuscript to include. It’s easy to say too much, or to miss the real point.  My suggestion is to work at pinpointing the conflict paragraph (s, if there are two pov characters), tweak the beginning and nail a sharp hook sentence.

I'll do two more next Tuesday--stay tuned!

Funny reasons why you shouldn't drink and drive (b/c we all know the serious ones, right?)

Don't drink and drive because this could happen:




or this:

TANGLED TIDES RELEASE CELEBRATION and Free Song Friday

Before we get to Karen Amanda Hooper's launch, I want to present the next free song in our Free Song Friday giveaway-one free song every Friday until Christmas (my gift to you:)

You Still Move Me by Norm Strauss.
"This one has been a favorite at concerts for years now. I love the Celtic feel of it and the the big chorus tag. It feels good to sing it. I wrote this one for my wife about 6 years ago." 



Okay, on to Karen Amanda Hooper and TANGLED TIDES...

 Yara Jones doesn’t believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one.

When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.

Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans.

In TANGLED TIDES there is a battle going on between the merfolk and the selkies. However, sirens also fly about and gorgons slither their way into the story as well. All the creatures are pretty badass in their own way, but on the 25^th we’re gonna have an Underwater Web War.

Karen is hosting a Twitter contest where she’ll be giving away a signed copy of her book along with some other fun sea creature giveaways. Enter your choice,Merfolk, Selkies, Sirens, or Gorgons, and why, followed by the #TangledTides hashtag.


To find out more about these mythical sea creatures, including fabulous sketches, click on the link which will take you to Karen's blog.

Congratulations Karen, on the launch of your fabulous book!

New Author Blog Hop

The winner of the ebook of Clockwise is : !! Jacque!! Congrats!

I've joined the new author blog hop. If you're a regular here, then you've seen all this before. This is your opportunity to check out other new authors. Check the list at the bottom of this post. If you're new here, well, Hello!

Just leave a comment for a chance to win an e-book of Clockwise.

Elle Strauss - Author

Promo pic:

Clockwise cover:

Bio:

I write time travel and merfolk chic-lit, light SF and historical YA fiction. I have one husband, four kids and two cats. I'm fond of Lindt's sea salt dark chocolate and hiking in good weather. CLOCKWISE is my first YA release. You can find me on Facebook,twitter @elle_strauss,and my blog at www.ellestraussbooks.blogspot.com
Come say hi!

Product Description :

A teenage time traveler accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward.
(12+)

Boy watching with her best friend would be enough excitement for fifteen year old Casey Donovan. She doesn't even mind life at the bottom of the Cambridge High social ladder, if only she didn’t have this other much bigger problem. Unscheduled trips to the nineteenth century!

When Casey gets talked into going to the Fall Dance, the unthinkable happens--she accidentally takes Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time.

Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just ‘brotherly’ protectiveness?

When they return to the present things go back to the way they were before: Casey at the bottom of the social totem pole and Nate perched on the very the top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her little brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again.

Which of course, she does.

Blurbs:

“I loved Casey, such an awesomely awkward main character. Clockwise is full of warmth and wit...” Denise Jaden, author of Losing Faith.

“...sharp and witty...A fantastic read for anyone, adolescent or adult.” Talli Roland, author of Watching Willow Watts.

"I love, love, LOVE all your characters! Casey's humorous charm and her particular way she sees things and the way you describe them are just way too funny, and I love how she's like a mixture between an 'average teenage girl' where she drools over the hot guys and hangs out with her best friend, to this 'spit-fire' from the eighteen hundreds." Limitless- teen wattpad reader

"I just read Clockwise cover to cover in the space of an afternoon. Couldn't stop! It was fantastic! I almost NEVER read anything with romance, but you sucked me right in! I absolutely loved the little twist at the end..." BookwormForever - teen wattpad reader

Links:
www.ellestraussbooks.blogspot.com
Twitter: @elle_strauss
Facebook : Elle Strauss - Author


For sale:

Amazon 
Paperback 9.99
e-book holiday prices at .99
Barnes & Noble

TEMPEST WINNER!

Thanks to everyone who celebrated CLOCKWISE by playing #onehourbackintime. It was so interesting to see what kinds of "trips" people would make.


And the winner is of TEMPEST by Julie Cross is:

                     !! LAURA PAULING!!

While most people entered once or twice, Laura entered a whopping seven times! (And obviously, it worked :)

I'll contact you, Laura, for your address. Happy reading and thanks for showing so much support!

One Hour Back in Time - TEMPEST giveaway

CLOCKWISE is now available in paperback! Yay!

Woke up to this fantastic 5 Star review of Clockwise, too. Awesome way to start the day!

To celebrate I'm giving away a copy of TEMPEST (another YA time travel novel) by Julie Cross to one fortunate winner. 

To enter all you have to do is tweet or fb the answer to this question: If you could go back in time for one hour, when and where would you go and what would you do? Just add the hashtag #onehourbackintime, so I can track your entries.

For instance: I would go to New York in 1924 to the El Fey Club, and dance the Charleston #onehourbackintime

I chose that time and experience because I think it would be cool to see NewYork with all those old (though new), black 1920' Fords, Time Square in its infancy, and dressing like a flapper and dancing the Charleston would just be so much fun!

You don't have to explain your choice,  but if you'd like to, feel free to leave your reasons in the comments. 

Friday Four or Five - Introducing Free Song Friday

1. First of all I want to say thanks to everyone who offered words of encouragement on my Hitting the Wall post. I felt lurved and supported. I admit to feeling a little sheepish now, but I also know it's not an uncommon experience. I had artists in other disciplines tell me the same thing happened to them after a big art show or CD release.

One (thanks Amo!) even pointed out that great men of the bible weren't immune.

"Elijah, after he just routed the Baal's priests, he laid down under a bush and said "Okay, God, just let me die!" Whereupon God sent him an angel with food & drink (they didn't have any DVDs in those days, or they would have included one in the care package)."

2. Monday is my "official" launch of  the paperback of CLOCKWISE. There will be a hastag contest where I'll give away a copy of TEMPEST by Julie Cross (staying with the time travel theme). All you have to do is tweet or facebook when and where you would go or what you would do if you could go back in time for one hour. For instance: I would go to New York in 1924 to the El Fey Club, and dance the Charleston #onehourbackintime

More on Monday, but you have the whole weekend to think about your answer, When and Where would you go and What would you do?

3. It snowed this week. I don't like winter. Still I offered to shovel the driveway if hubby would cook dinner.

4. I kept number 3 short because I really want to get to this one. You know how in Starbucks you can get the song of the week free download cards? (At least you can in Canada). Well, I happen to know a singer/songwriter and he's going to let me give away one song a week until Christmas! That's six free songs!

I wanted to find a way to show my appreciation for all my blog friends and to give you a special gift for the holidays. 

The first song is called Together by Norm Strauss (see, I have pull.)

About Together:

We are now starting to understand this thing called 'global community' a little bit now but the true ramifications of it are still emerging. Right now we have the Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, problems with the Euro Zone economy and nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima. These, along with countless other events are affecting us all. It used to be a long way between continents but now we are standing right next to each other it seems. An unpaid debt in Greece can eventually affect what happens to a guy looking for a job in Iowa. A large wave hitting the Japanese coast can cause a spike in radiation levels in Canada. We are all in this together.

Just click on the link and download it. 

Enjoy!

Everything's Amazing & Nobody's Happy

Do you remember these simpler times? Watch for a good laugh :)

SOLSTICE by P.J. Hoover!

 I'm over at www.missiontoread.com, where I'm being interviewed and reviewed. Check out what Pabkins thinks about Clockwise and what I think about spam (the meat kind). :)

Today I'm promoting my friend and fellow author P.J. Hoover and her new book SOLSTICE. I've just started reading Solstice and I can tell you I'm hooked! Chapter one is amazing and the rest of the book just sounds incredible. If you want to know what I'm talking about, read on!

A little background on PJ:

P. J. Hoover first fell in love with Greek mythology in sixth grade thanks to the book Mythology by Edith Hamilton. After a fifteen year bout as an electrical engineer designing computer chips for a living, P. J. decided to take her own stab at mythology and started writing books for kids and teens. P. J. is a member of THE TEXAS SWEETHEARTS & SCOUNDRELS. When not writing, P. J. spends time with her husband and two kids and enjoys practicing Kung Fu, solving Rubik's cubes, and watching Star Trek. Her first novel for teens, Solstice, takes place in a Global Warming future and explores the parallel world of mythology beside our own. Her middle grade fantasy novels, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, and The Necropolis, chronicle the adventures of a boy who discovers he’s part of two feuding worlds hidden beneath the sea.


Book Description:
Where Mythology and Dystopia meet...

Piper’s world is dying. Global warming kills every living thing on Earth, and each day brings hotter temperatures and heat bubbles which threaten to destroy humanity. Amid this Global Heating Crisis, Piper lives with her mother who suffocates her more than the chaotic climate. When her mother is called away to meet the father Piper has been running from her entire life, Piper seizes an opportunity for freedom.

But when Piper discovers a world of mythology she never knew existed, she realizes her world is not the only one in crisis. While Gods battle for control of the Underworld, Piper's life spirals into turmoil, and she struggles to find answers to secrets kept from her since birth. And though she’s drawn to her classmate Shayne, he may be more than he claims. Piper has to choose whom she can trust and how she can save the people she loves even if it means the end of everything she’s ever known.


Buying links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords



Link to book trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkWezTGdTkg


Blurbs:
"Solstice is the best mythological-based book that I’ve read all year!" -- Imaginary Reads

"Filled with mystery, romance, and betrayal, P.J. Hoover’s SOLSTICE provides a seductive mythological twist on the global warming crisis." -- Joy Preble, author of Dreaming Anastasia and Haunted

"I loved every single moment I've spent as the plot unravels right before my eyes, piece by piece, one secret at a time. SOLSTICE is a page turner, a story that you just can't put down, can't stop reading until you reach the end." -- Amaterasu Reads

"P.J. Hoover’s SOLSTICE is what happens when MATCHED meets THE LIGHTNING THIEF—the memorable characters, intense romance, and clever twists on mythology absolutely blew me away." -- Jessica Lee Anderson, author of Border Crossing



My website:
http://www.pjhoover.com


My blog:
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com



If you haven't checked out SOLSTICE, what are you waiting for? :)

Hitting the Wall

I hit it on Thursday.

reasonable facsimile--just add pajamas

Since I decided to self-publish, I've pretty much gone non-stop, morning, noon and night, seven days a week. It's very exciting at the beginning. Lots to learn, and a real sense of accomplishment when you figure out things on your own.

But that's the clincher, you're on your own. All be big decisions are up to you. And that's actually part of what's great about independent publishing, you get to call the shots.

And you get to second guess them too. Is this the right cover, the right book tour plan, am I spending too much money on this, is there more I should be doing?

You keep going, making up your mind and changing your mind until finally you have a formatted book, and a cover, and you uploaded it to smashwords, kindle and create space. Suddenly, it's live on Amazon! You're a real author! (and you are).

You pull off an amazing launch, rally all your on-line friends, a huge book tour success. Nothing is more fun than watching your sales ranking grow (lower in number and higher on the chart).

It's awesome, what a high. You did it.

Then comes the part that not many indie pubbers talk about. What I call Post Launch Depression. (Maybe I'm the only one. You can tell me.)

Because the numbers don't stick. It's hard to sustain the launch week sales. Nothing makes you reach for a paper bag to breathe into faster than watching your sales fall.

Panic sets in. I must market better, wiser, smarter. So and so author seems to be doing so well. How did she do it? Look at all those dumb marketing mistakes I made. I'll never recover.

Maybe I'm getting all hormonal here (ahem), but you don't hear too many self-publishing stories where a great start just stalls. From what you read out there, it's only a matter of time before you're raking in major dough.

My financial bar isn't even that high. I want to make a part-time living (even though I know I'll work full time to get it). And I know writing can't just be about the money, but if you want to make writing a career, which I know many of us do, then it has to be a little about the money. Now I'm wondering if I'll break even.

I guess my point for writing this post is that writers who decide to go it alone need to be realistic. It's hard work. No one is promoting your book for you and there are a lot of other books out there.

You might wonder if I'm quitting by how I'm going on here. I'm not.

I fell pretty hard, drank two glasses of wine and watched a movie with Robert Pattison sporting natural color eyes and skin, and a decent hair cut.

I've rallied again, but I've re-aligned my expectations. I've altered my publishing strategies. I like what I've read recently (sorry I don't remember where, if you do, add the credit in the comments) that you shouldn't even bother with marketing until you have three titles out.

I only have one title out. And it's only been out for a month and a half. Perhaps I should cut myself some slack.

So, I made another corporate decision (being CEO has it's quirks). I have a lot of readers asking for a sequel to Clockwise. I'm writing that now. And I have an idea for a third.

Once I have three titles in the same series out, I'll pull out the marketing guns. This of course will take some time.

Maybe I should stop looking at the numbers. #crazymaking

So, you tell me? I'm I truly unique in this experience? Has anyone else had a "hit the wall" moment? How did it turn out for you?

Remembrance Day and Dark Carma Books Launch

In Canada, our equivalent of Veteran's Day is marked every November 11.  We wear red plastic poppies on our lapels and remember the war dead.

My friend Jane Eamon wrote a song about the American Civil war (even though she's Canadian, this is what her muse brought her.)  My current #nanowake wip takes place during the civil war too, so I thought it very timely and fitting to post her song here. Enjoy.





And...the girls of Dark Carma are launching their books today!!

What is Dark C.A.R.M.A? Three YA authors determined to keep you up at night reading fantastical fiction about darkness—in the world and the soul. They're throwing a Twitter party at 11:00 AM MST on 11/11/11, where they'll be tweeting under the hashtag DARKCARMA. They've got prizes to give away and would love to have you join them so they can spoil you with some writerly love.
BECOME, by Ali Cross
Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared. When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

• Add BECOME to your Goodreads list
• Buy BECOME on Amazon
  
• Buy BECOME at Barnes and Noble
• Buy BECOME on Smashwords

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

*          *          *

BOUND, by C.K. Bryant
When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia, has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive.
BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love.

• Add BOUND to your Goodreads list
• Buy BOUND on Amazon
• Buy BOUND at Barnes and Noble (coming soon)
• Buy BOUND on Smashwords
  

CHRISTINE BRYANT has always been a writer. Even before she could compose a single word with pen, she scribbled her version of cursive along the open page just to see what it looked like. As a teen, she swiped her dad's old Royal typewriter so her muse could breathe life into what her vivid imagination had created.
She's spent the last twenty-five years married to the man of her dreams and raising their two sons. After helping run the family restaurant for most of their marriage, Christine finally broken away to pursue her dream of being an author.
When she's not with her family or tickling the computer keys, she loves camping, reading, scrapbooking, listening to all kinds of music, and making new friends.
Christine currently living in the middle of sage brush and lava rock with a spectacular view of the Snake River Canyon in South Central Idaho.

*          *          *

EXILED, by RaShelle Workman
Stubborn, sixteen-year-old Princess Venus of Kelari wants one thing, to become immortal, that is, until someone exiles her to Earth, kills her irrihunter and takes her family.
Now she wants revenge.
First she’s got to get home. But before she can return to Kelari, the Gods have commanded her to help an arrogant boy named Michael find his soul mate.
Only she doesn't know the first thing about love.
Rather quickly, her inexperience with human emotion is obscured by other matters—alien-controlled psychotic teens that are out to kill her, and a government group that is set on capturing and dissecting her.
Worst of all, Venus will suffer a painful death-by-poisoning, thanks to Earth’s atmosphere, if she remains on the planet longer than one week.
Still, Venus is a Princess and she's got a plan. Surely, with her help, Michael will fall in love with a human.
But time is running out and Michael is falling for the wrong girl—her.

• Add EXILED to your Goodreads list
• Buy EXILED on Amazon
• Buy EXILED at Barnes and Noble
• Buy EXILED on Smashwords

RASHELLE WORKMAN lives in Utah with her husband, three children and three dogs. When she gets a quiet moment alone, she enjoys reading about faraway places. And, in case you were wondering, yes, she does believe there is other life out in the Universe.

The Casey and Nate of Clockwise Fame Video! and Nano News

Karen Amanda Hooper put me on to Xtranormal movie making so I had to make one for Casey and Nate, just for fun!




Too funny, eh? (sneaky insert of stereotypical Canadianism)

 I'm being interviewed over at Fairytale nerd today. Find out about my most interesting writing quirk and what scares me the most.

 So how is everyone's Nano writing going? If you've been following my blog you'll know that I'm doing #nanowake, a version of nanowrimo, but not nanowrimo.

And it's been hard. I'm forcing myself to make my 1k a day goal (down from a lofty 2k). I'm just not in the zone this year. 

Here's my process: write a sentence, check email, write a sentence, check twitter, write a sentence, check Amazon.

I tell you, it's agonizing. But, I do have 10k new words to show for it, and I'm determined to keep going.

How about you? Are you in the zone? Or squeezing water from a stone?

Evolution of a Cover Vlog

Last week D.L Hammons suggested that I do another vlog talking about the evolution of my cover for my YA novel, Clockwise. I thought that was an interesting idea, especially since so many have asked me about the cover, so here it is!




(sorry about the background buzz. not sure why that's there.)

What do you think? Any questions for me?

Here are the websites of the people mentioned in the vlog.

Kimberly McMechan Photography

Nico Boesten  (new website to come)

Norm Strauss (btw, free music to be found there under Songs tab)

CLOCKWISE Is In Print! (and launch details)

CLOCKWISE is in print--yahoo! My launch date to spring paper-back copies into the world is November 21st. To celebrate I'm giving away a copy on Goodreads (might already be up, go check, be an early bird :), and holding a contest on Wattpad (Lurve my Wattpad fans *waves*)

And yes, I am stroking it. That's not weird, is it?

grainy image makes object appear younger

Plus I'm giving away a copy of TEMPEST by Julie Cross. Yes, another Time Travel book. (I actually just won this book--love winning books--and I'm so happy to spread the time travel love. Just know, it will have been read by me. And probably Sara McClung.)

I'm not alone in my November launching news. Many of my authorly friends are also launching this month and some of them might (will) just be showing up here on my blog to say hi.

So stay tuned!!

Friday Four or Five -Podcasts Are Cool

 1) I wrote the first chapter of my short story for my nanowrimo alternative, nanowake. It took me a whole two days, like pulling teeth even though it's with characters I already know really well. It's been way too long since I tapped into my creative juices like that and for a while there I thought I'd forgotten how to write. I'm still not in the zone by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm hoping it gets easier from here.

2) Hubby leaves again for another tour. Shorter this time, only one week, and he stays in the country. He has to dress up and perform in front of people, while I get to stay in my PJ's and perform in front of my laptop. (I think I've got the better deal, but hey, to each their own).

3) I've joined with a group of talented YA authors called The Indelibles. We hang out on-line a lot brainstorming all kinds of crazy ideas and just have fun getting to know each other. There is a new bar of book titles on the right column featuring our books. Have a look!

4)Last month I had my first (and only) media experience. I wasn't quite up to doing a video interview so we opted for a podcast instead. It was fun, and I don't sound that nervous at all. It ran today on our local internet news site.

I've got a busy weekend/week ahead with nanowake and pub stuff. How about you? What are you busy with?

have a great weekend!

Riding the NaNo Wake

I'm not officially doing NaNo this year, but I am going to write. A lot. More than in the previous two months, which as far as new writing goes, has been dismal.

So even though I'm not doing NaNo I'm going to ride the NaNo wave. All those people in the NaNo boat? I'm riding on their momentum, their energy...because I can!

this is not me

I was going to jump back into a half finished draft of the companion book for Clockwise, but now I'm all stoked to write a short story based on a few of the characters from Clockwise. (My fans want to know what happened next to the characters they fell in love with. I love saying my fans--getting notes from readers make my day--anywho, off topic here).

Actually, short stories scare me. I don't know why, but I find them more frightening than writing full length novels. Maybe because I'm afraid I won't have enough words to develop something gripping. But, I'm going to give it a go. And with the renewed opportunity to sell short stories as e-books, it just makes sense to me to add more variety to my e-shelf.

So who's with me? Are you doing NaNo, or are you riding the wave?

Launch Party for OPEN MINDS! There are prizes!

I'm so excited to be part of Susan Kaye Quinn's book release party! Today is the launch of her book OPEN MINDS.

As part of the celebrations Susan is guest posting here today.


A Study in Voice, or Silencing Your Inner Critic
by Susan Kaye Quinn
picture credit
Voice is an elusive thing, something difficult to describe because it is unique to each writer. Finding your Voice as a writer is something that takes time, exploration, and a whole lot of words. I've heard several definitions of Voice, from the confidence that a writer exudes when they write (via Bryan Russell) to an eight point definition put forth by Nathan Bransford. I think Voice is an expression of your inner writer self, the one that's a true reflection of who you are, and therefore is as much an exploration of yourself as it is of the stories or characters that you write.

In some ways, it's like Luke going into the cave to face his darkest fears. What's in that dark hole in the ground? What secrets will I find buried deep within me, if I explore my writerly Voice? What if I don't want to go into the hole, because I'm comfortable writing the way I am, thank you very much?

When I set out to write my paranormal/SF novel Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy), I had barely more than an image and a paragraph to start with. It was the ultimate pantser approach. I started the month of November with an idea for a novel and a blank word processor document, determined to "win" at National Novel Writing Month by writing 50,000 words by the end of the month.

And I did. But what happened along the way was much more than the start of a novel. It was a 50,000 word discovery of Voice, both my character's and my own.

Prior to that, I had written a few novels chapter-by-chapter. I would craft the first draft of a chapter and then edit, edit, edit until it was presentable. Beautiful. Perfect! (Ha.) Then I would spend another week writing the next chapter. And so on.

This is a great way to practice your craft, but a terribly slow way to write a novel. You will get there eventually, but all those carefully polished chapters will end up being thrown in the trash bin during revisions. Trust me on this.

I set out to write Open Minds differently. This time I would rush headlong through a story that no plot, no outline, nothing. I would write 50,000 words without stopping to correct so much as a typo.

Why?

Because I had this girl's voice in my head, and I wanted to capture it on paper before I lost it. Kira - a girl who couldn't read minds in a telepathic world - had a voice even from that first paragraph. It was filled with sarcasm, as a defensive weapon in a world that was hostile to her, but tempered with a genuine love for her family and (few) friends. Her voice was part of her character and it spoke to me.

But in order to hear Kira's voice and get it down on paper, I had to silence my Inner Critic, that nasty wench that insisted I get all those chapters polished and beautiful before daring to move on to the next one. My Inner Critic didn't go quietly. In fact, simply locking her in the basement was insufficient. I won't go into the details (and there was no body, so you can't prove anything), but let's just say she didn't bother me for that entire month of November, while I cranked out 50,000 words of Kira's story.

Along the way to finding Kira's voice, I also gained much insight into my own. In the rapid flow of words, I could see eddies where my voice was concentrated, building a beautiful swirl of words and phrases that painted the picture that was trapped in my head. (Some of those words even survived into the final draft.) Other turbulent passages were just a mess of language trying to say something, but badly. I knew I could go back and fix those later, but the euphoria of bringing the story and characters to life on the page had brought out not only Kira’s voice, but my own.

If you’ve never tried fast drafting, I recommend you give it a shot. I highly recommend having an outline first (trust me, this works much better, and is how I’ve written every novel since Open Minds), but if you don’t have an outline, don’t let that stop you. The benefits of finding your character’s voice (and your own) outweigh the dirty deeds that must be done to silence your Inner Critic.
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When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) by Susan Kaye Quinn is available for $2.99 in e-book (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords) and $9.99 in print (Amazon, Createspace).

The Story of Open Minds (linked posts)

Ch 1: Where Ideas Come From: A Mind Reading World

Ch 2: A Study in Voice, or Silencing Your Inner Critic

Ch 3: I'm finished! Oh wait. Maybe not.

Ch 4: Write First, Then Outline - Wait, That's Backwards?

Ch 5: Why My Critique Partners Are Smarter Than Me

Ch 6: Facing Revisions When It Feels Like Being on the Rack

Ch 7: How to Know When to Query

Ch 8: A Writer’s Journey - Deciding to Self-Publish Open Minds (Part One)

Ch 9: Owning the Writerly Path - Deciding to Self-Publish Open Minds (Part Two)

Epilogue: Finding Time to Write the Sequel
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PRIZES!
Susan Kaye Quinn is giving away an Open Books/Open Minds t-shirt, mug, and some fun wristbands to celebrate the Virtual Launch Party of Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy)! (Check out the prizes here.)

Three ways to enter (you can have multiple entries):
1) Leave a comment here or at the Virtual Launch Party post
2) Tweet (with tag #keepingOPENMINDS)
Example: When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. #keepingOPENMINDS @susankayequinn #SF #YA avail NOW http://bit.ly/psX1Hh
Example: Celebrate the launch of OPEN MINDS by @susankayequinn #keepingOPENMINDS #SciFi #paranormal #YA avail NOW http://bit.ly/SKQOpenMinds
3) Facebook (tag @AuthorSusanKayeQuinn)
Example: Celebrate the launch of paranormal/SF novel OPEN MINDS by @AuthorSusanKayeQuinn for a chance to win Open Books/Open Minds prizes!
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