Punctuation: The Exclamation Point!

It's one of those rules I feel like I've always known: Don't use exclamation points in writing. I've always heard this... and I've pretty much always ignored it. With the obvious exception of technical, non-fiction, and research writing, I have not ever heard a valid argument for completely disregarding this useful punctuation mark. There is, of course, a line between useful and overused, but I am a definite fan of the exclamation point in fiction writing, emails, and of course, blogs.

Not too long ago, I discovered an article by Stuart Jeffries from The Guardian on this neglected (and sometimes maligned) punctuation mark. Jeffries looks at the perception and use of the exclamation point both in writing and the real world (did you know there's a town in Quebec called Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!? I didn't before I read his article) and how this has changed, especially over the last century. For example, he quotes F. Scott Fitzgerald (author of books like The Great Gatsby and This Side of Paradise) who said, "Cut out all those exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own jokes." True? Jeffries and I vote no. This would only be true if you use the exclamation point after a joke. Half of the times I use an exclamation point, what I'm saying isn't intended to be funny at all. Does this punctuation mark automatically convey humor? Apparently Mr. Fitzgerald thought so. But he wasn't the only one with a dim view of the subject.

"You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose," declared Elmore Leonard (author of 3:10 to Yuma and Hombre). Really? Since many books never reach the 100,000 word mark, that means you should find maybe 1 exclamation point in most books. Seems a little stingy to me. And a little silly. I agree that overuse can dull the effect of the punctuation, but by using this logic, characters in danger would only exclaim once. Someone shocked by the appearance of a bear may not be able to scream because those characters in danger earlier already used up the exclamation point quota. How much sense does that make?

Jeffries uses these and other opinions to help round out his article which is an amazingly thorough look at the subject, especially concerning the advent of the digital world and how exclamation points help convey emotions that just don't come through in emails. He quotes David Shipley and Will Schwalbe, authors of Send: The Essential guide to Email for Office and Home. In the article, Jeffries says:

They write, for instance, "'I'll see you at the conference' is a simple statement of fact. 'I'll see you at the conference!' lets your fellow conferee know that you're excited and pleased about the event ... 'Thanks!!!!'", they contend, "is way friendlier than 'Thanks'."

 And he has a point. I know there have been times where I've misconstrued the tone of an email because of punctuation (or lack thereof). The same can be said of books. Tone is something the reader supplies in their heads and if you don't provide the right clues, your characters may not be interpreted the way you intended and a character who was supposed to be cheeky and amusing could become snarky and aggressive. Jeffries also points out that technology has always played a part in the structure, style, and usage of punctuation. He says,

It is important to realise that advances in technology (if that's what they are) affect how we write. And how we write includes how often we deploy the beloved gasper. Before the 1970s, few manual typewriters were equipped with an exclamation mark key. Instead, if you wanted to express your unbridled joy at - ooh, I don't know - the budding loveliness of an early spring morning and gild the lily of your purple prose with an upbeat startler, you would have to type a full stop, then back space, push the shift key and type an apostrophe. Which is enough to take the joie de vivre out of anyone's literary style. In the springs following the advent of the manual typewriter's exclamation marks, typed paeans to seasonal budding loveliness teemed with exclamation marks. Or at least I hypothesise that they did. I wasn't paying attention at the time.

 The ultimate verdict? Don't throw it around, but don't ignore it, either. The exclamation point can be useful! I swear!

Writing: Exhaustion

I have, in essence, run a creative marathon in the past few weeks and now I feel exhausted.

 As soon as I finished the draft, I started setting up for the edit process, but then I got hit with a wave of exhaustion that reminded me why I usually take a week or two off before switching from drafting to editing. Something to keep in mind for writers: time off in between processes is a good thing. At least, time off from that book. Doesn't mean you can't start working on something else.

Tonight, though, I'll be following that baby's example and crashing disgustingly early.

Writing: My Milestones

This past weekend was phenomenal both for the family time I enjoyed and the writing milestones I hit.

First, on Saturday I broke 100,000 words! Yaaaaay!

This meant that, no matter what, I'd reached my personal writing goal for the year of writing 100,000 words. However, I hadn't quite reached The End. No, that's not right. I'd technically reached the end of the book, but there were still pieces missing, bits I had to go back and fill in because I hadn't been sure how the timeline would work or what to put there. Not many, but enough for me to hesitate calling it finished.

Well, I'm not hesitating any more.

It's here! I've hit The End!

Let the editing begin. :D

Holidays: In Celebration Of My Favorite Day Of The Year

As I knew would happen, I couldn't choose just one winner. I had so many entries, and here are the ones I liked best for one reason or the other. These are posted in no particular order, comments I added after each are in blue, and my own Thanksgiving Thanks are at the bottom.

May you have a happy, fulfilling, delicious, fun and family-filled Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for my son Nicholas, born 12 years ago right after Thanksgiving, two months premature and still the most beautiful 3.5 pounds of human being I've ever seen. His knees and elbows were baggy, like a Shar Pei, and he had a light coating of blond hair, but he also had the most remarkable stormy blue-grey eyes and such a confused look on his face, as if to say "Mom, what the heck?" My water had broken, but the doctors insisted on putting me in the "ante-natal unit" where they wanted me to somehow keep that child from being born for another month, but Nick was having none of that, and when I went to the bathroom, something slid out of me that felt like an umbillical cord, but when the nurse came in, she gasped and said "That's a FOOT!" and started running me down the hall to the OR, where literally 15 minutes later, they cut me open and pulled Nick out, rump first! The doctors said he was "Amazing" because he had no physical health problems, other than his lungs being a little small at first. Still, he grew fast, and now he's 5 foot 3 and weighs 135 pounds, and he is a happy, healthy, smart boy who loves to read, just like his mom.

What an amazing story!

I am more than thankful for the man I call my Dad. He chose to be my father, my friend and my rock. Amidst my biological parents divorce and the turbulence of my teenage years my Dad stepped up. I will be eternally grateful for all the support and guidance he has given me and the unconditionally love he has provided to me. I am thankful he is here to listen to me, here for me to hug and here to continue to tell me that I am special, worthy and good. He is what a parent should be and he is one by choice and not because he has to be. Thank you Dad for being you and loving me. I love you!!

I have a soft spot for amazing dads.

I'm thankful for all the wonderful blogs offering me chances to win this awesome book :)

Flattery gets you everywhere! ;)

This Thanksgiving I, along with my family, will assemble CARE packages for our troops who are overseas and away from the people that they love this holiday season. This is how we counteract the obsessive ""me"" attitude that tries to rear its ugly head as Christmas approaches. I find that we are all less greedy after we are reminded that our troops are wishing for things like warm socks and toilet paper.
And with the notes are all written, the custom's forms all filled out and the boxes sealed and ready to go I will make myself a cup of hot chocolate and giggle about the fact that I have once again purchased underwear for men I don't know.

I literally laughed out loud reading this one! Thank you for your work helping the troops and thank you for making me laugh.

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful that my kids, who have been sick for two years with a chronic medical condition (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome - POTS) are getting their lives back & are back in school. I'm thankful to everyone in my community and all my friends who have helped out so much during these last couple of years and to Children's Hospital, Boston, for their fabulous rehab program!

Congratulations! News this good is definitely worth sharing!

I am thankful for my mother. Since the beginning, she has instilled in me a love of reading. Some of my first memories come from the walks we would take daily to the public library. I also want to thank her for finding the time during her busy day to read aloud to my sister and I before bed each night. With my mother, I learned to explore the universe with Madeline L'Engle, the world beyond the wardrobe with C.S. Lewis, and many many more.

My mother is one of my favorite people in the world

This Thanksgiving I give gratitude for the lessons. I have learned how to be a better friend - both to myself and to others. I have learned that NO is a complete sentence. I have learned that I can say YES to myself, too. My YES to myself includes curling up with a great book, a few cats, and a hot cup of tea.... And saying NO when the phone rings. Happy National Novel Month - and Thanks.

My favorite part of this one: I have learned that NO is a complete sentence. Sometimes I think I still need to work on that.

I am thankful for my son, who brightens each and every day
I am thankful for my job, which provides me with my pay
I am thankful for my friends, who support me in all that I do
I am thankful that I am a reader, because reading gets me through
I am thankful for today, because tomorrow is not promised
I would be thankful if I won this contest... because Jacqueline Carey is a writing GODDESS

If this gets posted I would like to note that Jacqueline is so very talented and out of the thousands of books I have ever read, the Kushiel Saga is my all time favorite, and the only series I have ever read twice!

She wrote this in verse! Just for that this gets posted. :D

What I am most thankful for is the change to have Tuesday through Sunday off from school so that I may get some homework finished. :) I would love to be able to visit my *lovely, awesome* family in Florida, but will not be able to until the Christmas time. I do not miss the father figure getting frustrated at the women folk because they did not eat the meat substance, but miss the family dinners. I will thoroughly enjoy the visiting that will commence when I get to come down in December.

I’m sure your family will be very happy to see you!

This Thanksgiving I'm thankful for authors. For giving us hundreds (thousands, millions) of new worlds and people to explore and get to know. For giving us an escape when our real life gets too stressful. For making us think, believe, and hope. For teaching us lessons about ourselves and about life. For challenging us. For believing in us. And most of all, for awesome sex scenes ^_^ 

ME TOO! 

My life has never gone according to plan. When I pictured myself at this age ten years ago, the life I had in mind was very different from the one I'm living now. What I have learned in the past three years, though, is how to be grateful for everything I have, whether it's what I thought I wanted or not. I am grateful for my mother who has never let me down, even though I've sometimes failed her. I am grateful for my middle sister who has always been one of my best friends and who I miss dearly because she lives too far away. I am grateful that moving home earlier this year has allowed me to become closer to my youngest sister who is no longer an alien sent to torment her elder siblings, but an actual human being! I am grateful for my job--which I lucked in to--for putting me on the first step in an actual career path. I am grateful for friends who take the time out of their insanely busy schedules to read my rough drafts, ask a million questions, and spend hours they could be sleeping looking up words in dead languages because they think it might help me. I am also grateful for friends who drop everything at a moments notice to spend an evening with me.I am grateful for successful surgeries, book fairs, Microsoft Word, air-conditioning, good movies, awesome jewelry, authors who give advice, Broadway shows, new desks, NYC, and the color blue. I am also grateful for NaNoWriMo, inspiration, baby name books, amazing music, cork boards, digital cameras, and Flickr. Most of all, I am grateful for the chance to do what I love and the hope that I'll be able to keep doing it for a very long time.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I'll be back on Monday. Enjoy the weekend and make sure you spend it with someone you love.

Giveaway: Congratulations!

Congratulations to Tamar who has just won a signed copy of Saints Astray by Jacqueline Carey! Check your email, Tamar and email me before midnight eastern time on Friday November 23rd to claim your prize!

Giveaway: Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway for Jacqueline Carey's Saints Astray! I have the entries and will be drawing the winner tonight. Tomorrow morning, the winner(s) of my Thanksgiving essay contest will also be posted.

In the meantime, here's a random comic for your amusement!

This is why the Narnia would never have been written if C.S. Lewis had been a computer geek. ;)

MBFI: Sunday, November 20, 2011

I just really like the ceiling of the courtyard in building 1 of the MDC campus. The geometry of it is very pretty.

Another day, another two hours in the car, but still totally worth it. I'd already walked most of the fair on Saturday, so I planned ahead and plotted a route from conference to conference. There was another impressive array of authors on the docket and my day ran the gamut from memoirs and literary fiction to children's books young adult.

Helen Mitsios (seated) and her friend Cyn who stood in for Helen's mother

I started out in building 3 where I waited for a reading by Helen Mitsios, co-author of Waltzing with the Enemy, a memoir by herself and her mother, a holocaust survivor. Her mother, unfortunately, was not there as she had passed away earlier this year. For anyone interested in World War II or the Holocaust, this book is a powerful look not only at what it took to survive those horrifying years, but the effect that fear had on the next generation of Jews like Helen. Helen's mother raised her as a Greek Orthodox and although she never personally abandoned her faith, it became a secret she held onto until the last years of her life.

Hillary Jordan, Jaimy Gordon, and Tea Obreht

Because of the cancellation of another YA event, I ended up in a reading and question session by three award-winning literary authors: Hillary Jordan, Jaimy Gordon, and Tea Obreht. Each read a selection from their books and while each possessed a intriguing descriptive quality, I found myself most drawn to Hillary Jordan's When She Woke, an almost sci-fi book that is a modernization of the Scarlet Letter. In When She Woke, criminals are no longer jailed, they are chromed, their skin dyed according to the nature of their crimes. The main character wakes up in the beginning of the story and her skin has been dyed red, the same red as freshly shed blood, as punishment for undergoing an illegal abortion. When she refuses to name the father of the child or any of the people who helped her obtain the abortion, she is sentenced to be a "Red" for sixteen years. I've always disliked the scarlet letter, but Jordan's retelling of the story sounds fascinating.

It's Jon Scieszka!! :D The picture is bad, but the light above his head ruined it...

I had a block of time and nothing scheduled, so when I heard someone recommend sitting in on Jon Scieszka's talk because he was absolutely hilarious, I thought, "Sure. Why not?" Only after I'd already sat down did I realize that this is the genius behind The Stinky Cheese Man (which, apparently is called The Little Man of Cheese in France) and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs (which, in Denmark, is called The Sugar is Empty... ?)!! I adored those books in elementary school! They are also on the shortlist of books that I loved at a young age and can actually still go back to, read, and enjoy. After his talk I went up to him and said, "This is probably going to be both good and bad to hear, but I loved your books in elementary school." He laughs and says, "I love hearing that!" But then he blinks and realizes how old I am and says, "Ahh. Yep, I see the bad." Jon has a fantastic sense of humor and had the whole audience (who ranged in age from his target reading group of 1st-4th graders all the way up through middle-aged parents) in fits of laughter. I was very happy that I wandered into his room and wished that I still had my old copies of his books so I could have gotten them signed.

Jennifer Knight, Jessica Martinez, and Danielle Joseph

My requisite YA event of the afternoon was a panel of two debut authors (Jennifer Knight and Jessica Martinez) and Danielle Joseph who is touring to promote her third book, Pure Red. They all did readings as well as answering questions, and I definitely want to read Jessica's book Virtuosity. It's the story of a violin phenom who is approaching the biggest, most important  competition of her career. She's addicted to anti-anxiety medication which is the only way she can perform, but taking away the anxiety has also taken away any pleasure she has being on stage or pulling music from her violin (which is worth over a million dollars). As the competition looms closer, she begins falling for the boy who is wrong for her in almost every way, but is also her most dangerous competitor. The prologue absolutely pulled me in and I think I shall be downloading this to read while I'm taking a break between edits of Sing, Sweet. To top off the draw, Jessica is a violist herself and performed a small selection from her character's competition concerto. I missed the first few seconds of it, but most of the impromptu performance is recorded for posterity and you can watch it at the bottom of the post. :)

This costume is so incredible!

That event (and a fast growing headache) brought my day to a close, but I am so happy I was able to attend. I met some great authors (and gathered further proof for my theory that authors are some of the best people on the planet) and heard from those who have succeeded the best advice they could offer. Check the internet for local bookfairs and do yourself a favor if you're an author or a reader: GO!


And now, please enjoy Jessica Martinez's beautiful performance of a Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto:

MBFI: Saturday, November 19, 2011

I started to write this as one long post, but then I looked at the pictures I wanted to share and what I had to say about the whole event and realized this was way too much for one post. So there shall be two, one for each day of major goings on at the Miami Book Fair International (MBFI).

Saturday turned out to be beautiful weather-wise which was a blessing considering that it rained buckets on Friday most of the day. The wind was pretty strong, but that was nice when you're spending half the day walking from stall to stall in the South Florida sun.

I arrived around eleven and wandered the booths that lined the streets for the next hour. It was an interesting mix of new and used bookstores, independent presses, self-published authors, and writers services and organizations. Some I'd never heard of, others I recognized, but either way it was a fascinating look at the local writing landscape and I picked up some great books I never would have discovered otherwise as part of my research for Sing, Sweet Nightingale. It's going to take me a while to read them all, but I think they'll have some great information!

Colleen Houck, Debbie Viguie, Nancy Holder, and Sarah Dessen

At noon I headed toward building 1 where they held a fabulous panel of YA authors (picture from the discussion at right). The panel included paranormal/fantasy authors Colleen Houck, Debbie Viguie, and Nancy Holder as well as contemporary author Sarah Dessen. They were all fabulously kind and I wish I owned physical copies of Nancy and Debbie's books (they co-write a bunch of different series) so they could have signed them! Alas, the only book I had was an ARC (advance release copy) of Lock & Key by Sarah Dessen. Now it's a signed ARC! :D

Clockwise from top: Colleen Houck, Me, Sarah Dessen, Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguie

These incredibly talented and incredibly kind authors not only gave a great presentation, they answered a lot of questions including my request for advice on building a platform relevant to the YA industry. Nancy and Debbie were especially helpful and I chatted with them for at least thirty minutes before I felt guilty for taking up so much of their time. If you ever get the chance to meet any of these authors, GO! They're awesome.

Tasha Alexander, Ellen Hopkins, and Sunny Chen

After leaving building 1, I crossed campus to building 3 where another panel was being held. This one consisted of romance authors Tasha Alexander, Ellen Hopkins (also the bestselling author of YA books in verse like Crank), and Sunny Chen (who, if I remember correctly, is usually just listed as Sunny on her books). They spoke about their writing process--which is very different for each of these authors as each one writes in a very distinct style from the others on the panel--and about the perseverance is takes to make it in the publishing industry.

Errol Lewis, Pete Hamill, Mike Barnicle, and John Avlon

In one particular room, The Chapman Room for those of you who care, they held large, ticketed events. The tickets were free, but these were events they expected to draw a large crowd. For example, this is where they held the Christopher Paolini event last week. When I booked my tickets, I saw an event called Deadline Artists. I didn't recognize any of the names, but the title intrigued me, so I registered for a ticket and attended the event. Turns out Deadline Artists is a collection of newspaper columns dating back to the early 1900s, the best of the best in literary journalism. Errol Lewis and John Avalon put the collection together while Pete Hamill and Mike Barnicle were contributors. Honestly, I almost didn't stay once I realize what the presentation was about (I don't read the newspaper and don't follow politics, so I thought ugh. An hour listening to them talk about politics?). I am so glad I stayed. The conversation itself was fascinating, but it was worth the whole trip just to hear Pete Hamill read one of the columns included in the collection. Hamill was IN THE ROOM when Robert F. Kennedy was shot. He wrote a column about the event as he witnessed it and the beauty, horror, and power in his words is indescribable. Reading them would have been impactful, but for the first time I really understood the value of a reading because when he read his own words, you were there. Absolutely astounding. I recommend the collection to anyone with an interest in journalism or narrative non-fiction.

In addition to all the book-related events over the weekend, the Fair this year also highlighted the culture and art of China. Throughout the day various performers and musicians showed off their skills, but one of the most randomly amazing things I've ever seen is this juggling ballerina pictured at left. I mean, I've done pointe and I've tried juggling. On their own, their already hard-to-master skills. Put them together successfully and I have to bow down before your obvious physical prowess and eye-hand coordination. So cool!!

So ended my first day of the fair, but Sunday was just as exciting! Check back tomorrow for a recap and photos of Sunday!

Authors: Miami Book Fair

Such a wonderful day! I'll do a full recap later, but I attended the Miami International Book Fair today and I am so glad I did! I got to meet Sarah Dessen, Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie (andI actually got to speak to both Nancy and Debbie for a while and they are amazing!), Collen Houck, Ellen Hopkins, Sunny Chen, Tasha Alexander, and a panel of newspaper columnists who were incredibly fascinating to listen to (Mike Barnicle, Errol Louis, Pete Hamill, and John Avalon). I hope tomorrow will be just as fantastic! Totally worth the two hours in the car to get there and back! :D

NaNoWriMo: Back On The Horse

After my consuming worries yesterday morning, I'm happy to report that I'm back on the horse!

In fact, I think I may be stronger for taking a day off. So, in that vein, last night I caught up on missed episodes of Once Upon a Time (such an awesome show!! :D) instead of chaining myself to my computer until it was time for me to collapse into bed. I've been buried in this novel so deep I forgot that I need breathing space every so often, time for my creative batteries to recharge. I'll have more of that this weekend as I will be attending the Miami International Book Fair--even if it decides to rain, which it will if the sky right now is any indication. Either each night or at the end of the weekend, I'll post updates of interesting things I see or books I find that I've never heard of before but want to read. I'm excited! It's off to work now so I can leave early and go spend my time in a much more amusing fashion! :D

Books: Introducing Transcendent

It's here! And it's absolutely stunning! No official release date yet, but as soon as I know, I'll pass the information along. I'm so excited for all my friends! Good luck guys! Your gorgeous cover is definitely a great start to what I know will be a fabulous launch!

<3

Writing: Hitting The Wall

Since October 31st, I've been moving forward in this draft at bullet-train speed. Some days my word count jumped by almost 10,000. That is unheard of for me! Most days my I averaged closer to 3,500, but even that is way above my normal productivity range.

And then yesterday I wrote about 650...

And, now, I'm worried I might end up like one of those guys who dresses in velcro and throws himself at a sticky wall...


Have I hit the wall? Have I pushed myself too hard the last few weeks? Do I need time to recharge? Or was yesterday just a day where a hundred other things were going on?

Even having hit this point before, I can't yet tell if I've reached it again.

Then again, I did fall asleep before 9:00 PM last night. So maybe I was just exhausted.

What do you guys do when you stall on a story? And tricks? I'm hoping a LONG sleep will help me get back into the flow.

Readers: Question Everything

I've always know the value of a reader who asks questions, but for a few years I've been without one. A good reader will find all those plot holes you didn't know were there. A good reader will question all your leaps of logic and force you to back them up. A good reader will wonder why and how and what and who and when. And then once you answer those questions, they'll come up with new ones.

A friend of mine just read the short story versions of Sing and afterward emailed me a long list of questions, notes, and what she calls loves. Answering her questions not only helped her understand the story better, it helped me understand the story better. Someone from the outside who doesn't have all the answers will think of questions that never even occurred to you. They'll dig into the dark corners you forgot to dust and find that key you've been looking for. They'll bring up ideas that solve problems you haven't run into yet. And they can be a wonderful way to get an honest reaction to new plots, characters, and themes.

A good reader is a curious reader, and a curious reader is more precious than diamonds.

Writing: The Process

Writing is work. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying or selling something.

That being said, how do you get from concept to finished first draft? I'm not talking about polished, ready to publish, amazingly perfect writing, just a first draft that includes a beginning, middle, and end as well as all the important elements of a good novel. Even Aristotle said so. :)

This is a question almost every author gets. I heard it asked during the event with Christopher Paolini and it's been on my mind recently, hence the post. Thus far, for every book I've started or finished, my process has been different. Some ideas come to be with the larger story arc already in place and all I have to do is fill in the details. Others appear only as an image or scene and I have to go back through that scene with a million questions to try to see where these characters have come from and where they're going. Sometimes I outline, sometimes I don't. Maybe one day I'll have a system that I employ for every book, but I find that doubtful. It kind of feels as likely as saying I'm going to follow the same routine every day for the rest of my life. Of course I'm not. No one is. Every day is different just like every book is different.

Sing, Sweet Nightingale, for example, started life as a short story. It then became two short stories. Now, it's becoming a novel. Later, it might become a series. For this particular story, I never had an outline. I have notes now and I'm doing a lot of research into different things I will be using in the novel, but my short story versions are serving as my outline. I've found this to be SO INCREDIBLY USEFUL. And it's probably going to be as close to a "process" as I get if I manage to repeat this life-cycle with the sequel. Even if I don't repeat this system, it's not the important part.

The important part is sitting down and writing, refusing to let procrastination and over-planning keeping you from the business of telling the story you need to tell. As long as you do that, does HOW you get there really matter?

What about you? Does anyone have a tried and tested system that gets them through that first draft with their sanity still intact?

Movies: The Hunger Games

I do not often get excited about books being made into movies. Most of the time, they cut out too much and everything just feels... lacking. However....

OMG THE HUNGER GAMES!!!!

The trailer came out this morning and I just watched it for the first time. I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED FOR THIS MOVIE! It looks astounding. The cast seems perfect. From everything I've read, they know the kind of audience they're working with and have tried to stay true to the book as much as possible. If this trailer is any indication, they are on the right track! I'll be there for the midnight release. Will you?

Authors: Christopher Paolini

It is slightly upsetting that so many really incredible author tours skip out on South Florida. Christopher Paolini is not one of those authors. He kicked off the Miami International Book Fair with a talk/Q+A session/book signing yesterday afternoon and he is, in a word, awesome.

He spoke about writing Eragon (including the incredible boredom that led to him first digging a hole eight feet in diameter, eight feet deep, covered by an old satellite dish and connected to a Viking-style mead hall by tunnel) and also how different (and bad) the first draft of Eragon was--most notably, the fact that Eragon wasn't named Eragon, but Kevin. Weird. He also spoke about getting slaughtered in a Jedi video game (the name escapes me but I remember he stressed it was number 2) by an online gamer named Eragon. He did brief readings from each of the books in the series (very brief. I think he read the first two sentences of Eragon), answered a lot of really well-thought out questions (unless the question involved Angela), mentioned the possibility of other books set in Eragon's world (but cautioned that they would not show up for a long time), and then started signing a LOT of books. His hand had to be cramping like crazy by the end of the night! And he'd just flown in this morning, so he must have already been exhausted.

I may seem overly excited by this event, but authors are my rock stars. In fact, they're better than rock stars because they're usually nicer, easier to talk to, intelligent (no, I'm not saying rock stars are dumb), funny (I'm not saying they're dull either), and some of the best people in the world. Christopher Paolini is no exception. I purposefully attempted to be the last person in line (I say attempted because a couple came in late, took the spot, and then used the fact that they were on their honeymoon to keep it... How could I insist after that?). When I got to speak to him I asked him about his actual publishing experience and what advice he would offer authors who are still trying to figure out which side of the fence to jump onto. He tried valiantly to answer a question that I think has no solution, but essentially his advice came down to this: Write the best book you can, know who your audience is, and promote it as best you can because all truly exceptional books will find a home.

Christopher is very nice (he signed up to four books PER PERSON and spent a few seconds talking to everyone), incredibly down to earth, and a Trekkie! So many bonus cool points for that revelation. :)  It was also really great meeting someone who is right around my age and successfully doing what I would like to be doing with my life. Very inspiring! There are still a few stops left on his tour, so I highly recommend attending if you're anywhere nearby. Well worth driving a few hours for!

NaNoWriMo: I'm Halfway There!

Having never attempted NaNo before, I've never realized how consuming it is. Especially when you set yourself a goal that is double the normal NaNo goal. HOWEVER...

I AM OFFICIALLY PAST THE HALFWAY MARK! 

And, to make this victory even sweeter, I hit this very crucial landmark before the official halfway point of the competition. This is such an important occasion for me that it is now time for a happy dance!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone! And don't forget to enter my giveaway contest!!

Random: If They Say So...

It has been decided. If my everyone in my office was the cast in the Munsters, I'd be the blonde girl. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a compliment or not. O.o?

Regardless of the doubtful compliment of the statement, I laughed for a solid five minutes when they told me this. I think they think I'm normal! :D

Giveaway: Jacqueline Carey's Saints Astray

This is probably my favorite month of the year, and for more than one reason. Not only is it the beginning of the best time of year to be in South Florida, but it contains my hands-down favorite holiday and celebrates my favorite way to pass the time (NaNoWriMo, anyone?). In honor of all of this, I am hosting a two-prong contest, part of which is courtesy of New York Times bestselling fantasy author Jacqueline Carey.

In case you haven't heard of Jacqueline Carey, here is a little bit about her from her website:

Jacqueline Carey is the bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Kushiel's Legacy series of historical fantasy novels and The Sundering epic fantasy duology.

An avid reader, Jacqueline began writing fiction as a hobby in high school. After receiving B.A. degrees in psychology and English literature from Lake Forest College, she took part in a work exchange program and spent six months working in a bookstore in London. While living abroad, the desire to write professionally emerged as a driving passion. Upon returning she embarked in earnest on a writing career, which came to fruition a decade later. During this time she worked at the art center of an area college, gaining a strong background in the visual arts. Jacqueline enjoys doing research on a wide variety of arcane topics, and an affinity for travel has taken her from Finland to Egypt to date.

She currently lives in west Michigan, where she is a member of the oldest Mardi Gras krewe in the state. Although often asked by inquiring fans, she does not, in fact, have any tattoos. 

On a personal note, Jacqueline Carey is not only one of my favorite authors, but a personal writing hero. I want to be like her when I grow up.

So, what am I giving away and how do you get it? Because of how awesome this month is, there are two parts to this contest. First, thanks to Jacqueline's genius, I am raffling one SIGNED copy of her newest book, Saints Astray, the sequel to her fabulous Santa Olivia.

Fellow orphans, amateur vigilantes, and members of the Santitos, Loup Garron-the fugitive daughter of a genetically engineered "wolf man"-and Pilar Ecchevarria grew up in the military zone of Outpost 12, formerly known as Santa Olivia. But now they're free, and they want to help the rest of the Santitos escape. During a series of escapades, they discover that Miguel, Loup's former sparring partner and reprobate surrogate brother, has escaped from Outpost 12 and is testifying on behalf of its forgotten citizens-at least until he disappears from protective custody. Honor drives Loup to rescue Miguel, even though entering the U.S could mean losing her liberty. Pilar vows to help her.

It will take a daring and absurd caper to extricate Miguel from the mess he's created but Loup is prepared to risk everything... and this time she has help.

Ahh! So exciting! I can't wait to read it. :D

Part two of the contest involves an ode to Thanksgiving. Within the contest entry form below is a space for you to enter a brief paragraph telling me what you're thankful for--even if it's just book giveaways hosted on blogs. The best, funniest, most moving, poetic, wonderful paragraph(s) will be posted on my site on Thanksgiving morning.

For this reason, the contest will end at midnight (eastern standard time) on November 22nd. Spread the word and earn extra entries in the random drawing! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments section and even if you don't win, I highly recommend ALL of Jacqueline Carey's books, especially the Kushiel Saga (currently contained in three completed trilogies, but WARNING--these books may not be appropriate for children under 13. Parental guidance is suggested).

So, fill out the form below to enter! And please know that I promise I will not keep any of your information on file longer than it takes to notify the winners and close down the Google doc.

CONTEST CLOSED! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED! WINNERS WILL BE POSTED IN A NEW POST TOMORROW MORNING!

Writing: Does It Ever Get To You?

Have you ever gotten so deep into your writing that it starts to get to you? I feel like my characters are starting to stalk me while I sleep.

This morning, for example, I jerk awake at 6:30 am (a full hour earlier than I need to be awake) convinced someone is knocking on my window. No one was there, of course.

Still, even though I don't remember my dreams in detail (I never do), I feel as though I've spent the last few nights living in the world I've created. It's hard to explain why without giving things away, but let's just say it's starting to creep me out just a little. At the same time, It's really awesome. :D

Books: Miami International Book Fair

Bought my tickets this morning for the Miami International Book Fair! I am very excited about this! Can't wait to go! I'm already signed up to attend a couple of events including An Evening With Christopher Paolini. :D

As surprising as it is, I've never been to a big book fair like this, so the appeal for me is even greater because everything will be new! I've heard you can score tons of SWAG and some ARCs from different publishers trying to promote their new books, so I plan on attending with a messenger bag to carry everything. Tickets are cheap, so if you're in the area, attend! It should be a blast!

News: Sing, Sweet Nightingale

So, it's officially official. But it's also a long story, so I'm going to go back to the beginning.

After I wrote Sing, Sweet Nightingale, I wanted to get to know my second main character better. This sparked an idea to write some of the scenes in Sing from his perspective. Like most of my projects, this turned into something a lot longer than I'd anticipated--longer than Sing, even--but I liked it a lot and it allowed me to get a much better understanding of his character and his background.

When the editing was about to start for Sing, I sent the editor this second story (which I'd titled The Damsel in Distress) just as a source of extra information about the world I'd created. "There is a lot of extra background information in here," I told her. "If you feel any of it should be included in Sing to help round out the story or explain some of the idiosyncrises of the universe, please let me know." So she read it and then sent me an email that essentially said this: I think you should turn these two stories into a novel.

A small part of me was kind of sad to hear that because I'd been SO proud of myself for finally writing something SHORT! However, this didn't last long. The novel extension is an idea that had actually already passed through my head. Since I'd been trying to publish it in short story form at the time, I didn't give the fleeting idea much thought. With this push however, I started to seriously consider the possibility of heading back to the drawing board:

I started messing around with ideas and, not surprisingly, ended up with more than I'd bargained for. In fact, I have a solid new beginning for the extended version of Sing (I like the title, so I'm keeping it for the novel). For those of you who have read the past few posts, this is the NaNo project I've been pumping through so forcefully. It's kind of taken on a life of it's own and therefore taken over my life. I love it when this happens!

The plus side of all this is that I'm working on something that I really think could be great. The downside is I'm back where I started from on the whole publication process. Have to get the draft done and edited and then resubmit to a few places. Well, no one ever claimed becoming a writer was an easy road to walk. Here's to hoping that inspiration + perseverance (+ a little good luck) = publication

Musings: Pomegranates Are Messy

I vote that pomegranates offically be named the messiest fruit to eat. I tried recently because it's been years and I forgot what a chore it is. This is what the pomegranate looked like before:

And after:

Eating this fruit requires a knife, the use of your nails, and about half a roll of paper towels. And I STILL ended up with incredibly sticky fingers and a tupperware full of scraps.

The question that popped into my head while eating this (and thus prompting this post) is how in the world did pomegranate seeds cause Persephone's downfall?! I really hope that she was offered just the seeds because if she took the time to peel and eat this thing and still blamed it on Hades, then she's a liar. The process of peeling open one of these deceptively pretty fruits involves too much work and time. If she had to do it herself, she had plenty of chances to realize, "Hey, maybe I shouldn't eat this if I ever want to go back to my mom."



(Okay, confession: The before and after photos are NOT the same pomegranate as the whole questioning process didn't start until I was halfway done with the stupid but delicious thing and therefor it didn't occur to me to take a picture until it was far too late. Still, it looks close enough ;) )



... And, yes, these are the kind of weird random thoughts that run through my head.

Time and Space: My New Setup

I've been spending more and more time at my desk working on one project or another. Because of this, I decided it was past time to upgrade from the desk I've had since I was about twelve. It worked well enough then, but it was not built with a computer in mind and just... Yeah. It was way past due. So I went shopping and now have a whole new setup! This includes a new desk chair (OMG YAY! I can't even explain how uncomfortable my last one was.) I had to rearrange a lot because the many drawers of my old desk are definitely lacking in my new one, but otherwise I'm very happy with the result:

Update: Daylight Savings Sucks

Years ago the government apparently tried to help farmers by giving them more daylight (is it only me that thinks someone in Congress just wanted to pretend they were magical?). Now, twice a year, all of our clocks, watches, cell phones, computers, other assorted handheld devices all end up arguing over what time it is. When I woke up this morning I found myself stuck somewhere in a two hour gap. None of the four devices in my room that tell me the time agreed with any of the others. My cell tells me it's 8:01 right now, my clock tells me it's 10:00, my computer says 9:01 and my iPad says 8:45. WTH? And what use is daylight savings these days? NONE! Not even to those farmers for whom the whole thing started. A few years ago the government changed the dates of daylight savings, but couldn't they have saved us all the hassle and done away with it entirely? Can't Florida at least do away with it? Come on, Florida! Be smart for once!

Anyway... That's my rant for the day. Enjoy your extra hour (or two...?). I shall be locked into the new desk and desk chair I bought yesterday (YAY!) and writing from dawn to dusk tonight (have to make up for the entire afternoon I spent putting together my new desk and desk chair...). Good luck, if you're doing the same.

TV: So Long, Andy Rooney

Andy Rooney, satirist, journalist, and newsman died last night at the age of 92. He had been a member of the 60 Minutes team for over thirty years and his segments at the end of the show were always the highlight of the episodes for me. My father and I watched 60 Minutes every Sunday when I was a child and I distinctly remember feeling disappointed every time Andy Rooney wasn't on a particular week. At that age, his humor often went over my head as his dry wit occupied an intellectual level few children reach (not even avaricious readers like me). I don't think there was anything Rooney wouldn't comment on and the subjects I remember covered everything from art to used cars. He was a great personality on TV and the whole news segment will feel his loss. His last appearance, his official retirement from 60 Minutes was only a month ago.

So long, Andy Rooney. I for one will miss you.

For those of you who have never seen him, watch the clips below and if you like it, go YouTube hunting. There are a lot more where these came from.

Writing: I'm On a Roll!

Seriously! I'm very pleased with myself. I've managed to keep up some of the momentum yesterday even though I spent most of the day at work and therefore away from my novel. I'm going to be working again all day today, unfortunately (that's usually what happens when you have a 9-5 job), although I hope to meet up with some other NaNo-ers tonight and see what tips we can share. I think that, if nothing else, NaNo is a good networking tool for writers in a certain area to find each other and create a support system. I kind of like that.

Look to see the updated word count before I do go sleep tonight. :)

Writing: Staying Motivated

Sometimes, it's not writers block and it's not lack of time, it's fatigue that stops people from writing. Nathan Bransford is an agent turned kidlit author who recently posted a great article on staying motivated. Possibly posted now to coincide with the beginning of NaNo, possibly not. Either way, it's worth a read.

Writing: My NaNoWriMo Novel

Remember that NaNoWriMo novel I mentioned yesterday? I think my participation is becoming more compulsory because I officially have 10,094 words. Right now, looking at that total (the sum of only two days of work), I'm having a hard time believing it. 

At the same time, I shouldn't be quite so shocked. I know by now how my writing happens: in strange, unpredictable bursts fueled by a random idea or inspired moment. If that jolt of inspiration stays with me, I can shoot through a novel like a bullet train. If I only envision a particular scene, the going gets a lot tougher. This process is why part of me dreads working under contract and deadline. The writing I don't do while inspired, the stuff I plug onto the keyboard just to get a word count, usually sucks.

Luckily, in this particular case, I have practically the entire book figure out already. Not just figured out, but planned, investigated, questioned, fleshed out, and outlined (in a sense). Although I do need to grow the story, change certain details and certain reasonings that won't work in this new format, the bulk of the story is there, ready for me to write. What does this mean for you? That I'll probably be posting about my progress a lot this month and won't post about any of the books I planned to read and review until December. Maybe even January. I'm considering posting a word count meter on the sidebar, but I have to find one first.

All in all, this much progress so fast is extremely exciting and a little nerve wrecking. Can I keep this pace up through the whole book? I really hope so. I guess we'll see, though, won't we?


Edited to add: Found a really great, simple meter! Progress is now being monitored on the sidebar.

Writing: NaNoWriMo

I just realized that I may inadvertently be participating in National Novel Writing Month...

How does something like participation in a huge, nationally recognized, and somewhat frantic race to the novel-length finish line happen inadvertently? When the beginning of the program just happens to coincide with the presentation of a dilemma that involves finishing a novel in a rather short amount of time.

I've never signed up for NaNoWriMo before (and I don't think I'm going to actually sign up now either), but the timing of this whole thing seemed extraordinarily coincidental. Fortuitous, maybe? I'm hoping so.

I know this is all rather vague, but as nothing is final yet one way or the other I don't want to mention something that might not happen. Still, it was such an odd coincidence I couldn't help sharing.

Plot: Figuring Out The Middle Bits

I am just over 56,000 words through my novel My Own Prince Charming, but unlike the last time I hit this mark in a project, I'm not fighting my way word by word to the end. I have the end. And I like it. I have the first 8 chapters. I like those, too. It's that whole middle section that's giving me trouble this time.

The story I'm building is complex and a little creepy and needs a lot of hints, subplots, and foreshadowing. Right now I'm not able to decide what scenes and dialogue are best to get my characters from where they are to where they end up. It's a struggle writers have to face in every book they're ever going to write and it's going to be harder for some stories (and some authors) than others. How do you overcome it? Well, you just have to .... Honestly, I have no clue. Random scenes have popped into my head periodically through the last few months and I've written them as they've hit, but I haven't made a significant dent in the progress in quite a while. The worst bit is not really being sure how much more I need. Am I three or four chapters from being done or do I need eight or nine chapters worth of story to really flesh everything out? Hopefully I'll find some way to figure this all out. If/when I do, I'll come back and let you know.

Do you have any ideas?