Just wanted to let everyone know of a contest that A Guide to Literary Agents is holding for middle grade/YA unpublished authors.   This is the first contest I am entering as a writer, which is another check mark on my resolutions list!  Yipee!  Good luck!!

 

You can see their blog here.

This post is being typed hesitantly, but I think it's time.  I've been gearing up to send my very soul out to complete strangers; AKA--sending my work out to agents.  And so I guess it is about time to become more comfortable with putting more info out there about my novel. Here is as much as I am ready to reveal as of right now.  But first I must explain something for those that know me.

The male love interest is named Ian.  WAIT.  Hold on.  Yes, that is the name of my husband and NO I did not, I repeat--DID NOT--name him after my other half. In fact, I adamantly refused to ever name my characters after real people in my life--especially my husband.  I didn't like the thought of it and I pretty much was convinced he wouldn't either.  So here's the deal...I started writing this story and was a good 10,000+ words into it and still did not have a name for my guy.  I put in blank lines for where his name went.  I went through baby name sites.  I looked in books.  Nothing.  And then one day I had an epiphany...his name would be Ian.  I fought with it too--and I lost.  So I replaced the blank lines with the name and it was perfect, but I still didn't think my husband would approve.  So I kept thinking.  I even tried to outsmart myself and changed all the "Ians" to "Ethans" but I guess I'm smarter than I thought because it was like I had taken a sandwich and replaced the really nice piece of swiss cheese on it with a big fat moldy chunk of Velvetta.  It was gross.  I couldn't do it.  So I changed it back.  I was so nervous about telling my husband (I'm really revealing how ridiculous I am here) but surprisingly, he was very flattered.  (Shocking if you know my Ian.)

**And just for the record...the Ian in my story is not written after my husband at all--he doesn't even look like him in my head.  But, I will say that my husband is my muse for any love story I write.  Without him there would be no Alexa and Ian to begin with. :) **

So here is a teaser for my young adult novel, Eyes of Emerald due out this summer (Haha--just kidding! 'Dream no small dreams' right, Mr. Hugo?  =D)

Alexa Parker doesn't feel.  How do you when any stirring of emotion--happiness, sorrow, excitement, love--sets you into a manic rage?  This is what life is like for Lex, a sixteen year old girl who's moved from foster home to abusive foster home since she was mysteriously abandoned on the steps of a hospital as an infant.  She has been ostracized as Jackson High's freak-show for not only her rages, but her random bouts of illness, her spontaneous clairvoyant flashes, and most of all her unusually striking emerald green eyes that are unlike any other.  Except one.

Ian Cain is the newest hottie body at Jackson, but there is something much more intriguing about him to Alexa than his mocha colored hair and swimmer build: she can feel around him, which sparks an intense and unbreakable bond between them both.  But despite the rush of experiencing raw emotion for the first time, Alexa knows there is something different about her that is not of this world, and she perceives Ian knows exactly what that something is; something that could literally change--or destroy--her world forever.

Eyes of Emerald takes a fantastical look at embracing who you really are despite your past and running with it.  It explores resilience, acceptance, forgiveness and love through the eyes of a changeling, something we all feel like every now and again.  You have never seen the The Fey until you have seen them through eyes of emerald.

Okay, so there you have it.  That is a snippet from the FIRST draft of my query.  It needs some work, I know, but it will give you an idea of the story.  

And, for your listening pleasure, I have included the songs which have aided me in the molding of both Alexa and Ian's characters.  I must tell you that truly every single song on both of these playlists have been used since day one and many of them I can tell you exactly what scene in the story they go with.  Music is such a driving force in helping tell my stories, so I did not just choose these songs randomly.  And I warn you--there are quite a few. So much so I have to have two separate playlists for both characters.  AND-the songs are put chronologically in order for when they occur in the novel.  Anyway, here ya go!

ETA:  Just came across this song (yeah, where have I been...) and it truly is Alexa's themse song.  Couldn't find it in the database for my playlist, so here's the youtube version.  I heart this song on so many levels....



Alexa's playlist:
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And Ian's playlist:
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So I have designated 2010 as the year I will begin my pursuit of publication and in the meticulous style of Maggie Stiefvater, I have made a personal list of resolutions devoted to this endeavor. You can see her blog about making good resolutions here.  I was always really wishy washy on the concept of resolutions, but reading her thoughts made me realize that if you really want something, defining goals--and making them within your control--is a must.  

So a few of these resolutions/goals for me are:
1. Finish my query for Eyes of Emerald (title of my novel)
2.  Write full synopsis for EOE
3.  Send out queries to at least ten different agents (and do all the research that entails...wow)

Now, I am a full time working parent, so any break from my 8-5 is like heaven.  It makes me want to blare Glee's version of Jump and dance around in my pajamas (and don't think I haven't.)  It gives me devoted time with my boys and also the freedom to, um, blog.  =)

No, really, I must say I'm on a roll with the resolutions.  It's only day three of 2010 and I have the first rough draft of my query DONE and have completed the following research on agents:



((Happy dance))  Let me tell you, researching agents is no joke.  After ah-ha-lot of scoping out agent webpages and reading through specific agents bios, I compiled fourteen that piqued my interest and wrote down all the info. about them and what they require for submissions.  Yeah yeah, I could've made a spreadsheet or something for all of this info, but look at all the pretty straight rows!!!

So now I just have to make my query perfect and then send it out while I sit for four to six weeks for a response bouncing my knee and chewing my nails.  I'm trying to stay positive, but I am very realistic.  I know I'll get rejections.  Maybe one, maybe five, maybe fourteen, but that's okay.  I have a strong backbone...that's what being a military wife will do to ya.  =)  But how awesome would it be to get something OTHER than that!  Even a request for a full manuscript would be worth an extra glass of wine or a chocolate brownie!  Mmmm, brownies.....

Well, before I end this I want to give a shout out to my awesome above awesome sister Arian and my brother-in-law Reg for giving me the ultimate Christmas present ever (besides the diamond earings and necklace my husband got me...thank you babe!).  No, it wasn't an iphone. No, it wasn't a Corvette ZR1 with black leather interior.  I already got diamonds from the husband.  

It was a picture.  

Let me explain.

My parents and my sister and brother-in-law are the only four people in the world who have read or are reading my entire novel.  They have been a HUGE support and done nothing but cheer me on, which has meant the world to me.  Anyway, my mom and sister have graciously read and 'listened to' my playlist for certain scenes, pictures that have inspired me, etc., etc.  Well, I came across one picture in particular while searching images on google one day and I saved it immediately because it WAS my main character.  Exactly.  The vision I have of her (Alexa) in my head was in a little icon on my computer screen and I became so giddy about it I emailed it immediately to both mom and sis.  Here was the picture (if you know who made this, please tell me!):



They were shocked as well at how closely it resembled what they had pictured Alexa looking like.  Well, as my main Christmas present, my sister and bro-in-law got it enlarged and framed it for me!  So now it has a very special place on my dresser so I can see it every morning:  



It motivates me to keep going and tell the story I have to tell.  Probably doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but it was to me.  Their thoughtfulness meant so much and I am so blessed to have such supportive people in my life who care enough to do something like this. 

So I have three months left until I move.  That's three months to complete goal #1 and 2.  

OH...it's on.


ETA:  Found out that my brother-in-law actually DID track down the creator of this photo and got this printed from that person!!  Reg is Superman.

Merry Christmas from Tokyo!


Yup, that's me and my two boys at Tokyo Disney! We just got back from our trip to one of the most fantastic cities in the entirety of this world. We saw everything from crazy Harajuku girls,

to the madness of Shibuya station,

to the quiet of Meiji Jinju Shrine,

and it was awesome. That is a word much too casually used nowdays, but I just can't think of any other way to describe it other than TOTALLY AWESOME. If you haven't gone, make it a point to get there someday. You won't regret it.


So, since this is my last post before 2010 arrives, I decided I'd do some reflecting on 2009. It has been a very important year in the world of Ariel for two main reasons: 1, my husband returned home from the first long deployment...that alone is enough to set the tone for the year as nothing less than joyful; and reason 2, I began to write. 2009 will be etched forever in my brain as the year that I began writing, and not only that, but the year I actually completed my first novel and started a second...all very exciting for me personally. So, I hereby declare December 28th as Remembrance Day for when Ariel Eishen plopped the laptop on her lap and began typing out fiction. To celebrate, I will sleep in then have chocolate chip scones with a caramel macchiato and watch reruns of I Love Lucy and The Cosby Show in my pajamas. Feel free to join in the festivities.

In other reflections, I've also done a lot of reading this year. My love of reading had kind of gotten lost there for awhile just because I didn't make time. Then, in the summer of '08 it was rekindled with...drumroll....Twilight....and that snowballed into a frenzy of reading beginning in January of this year. So here are the books I managed to read this year:

The Host, by Stephanie Meyer (I read this right after reading The Twilight Saga twice...it was a nice transition back into 'The World of Books Other Than Twilight') Great story, although it took me about 100 pages to finally get to the non-stop-page-turning point. But loved the idea, loved the characters, and loved how it ended.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (This is probably my favorite book that I read this year...can't recommend it enough!)

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins (The sequel to The Hunger Games-thankfully, I didn't have to wait long to read it!)  Loved it loved it loved it!  Gale or Peeta?  GALE OR PEETA?!?!

Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater (I really liked this one as well, although I felt the ending was a bit rushed...but I love all things Maggie...she's um....awesome. :)

Lament, by Maggie Stiefvater (Maggie's take on faeries...which was great to read since that is kind of what my book is about as well...I really enjoyed reading this and was flipping pages and reading during my breaks up until the very end.)

Ballad, by Maggie Stiefvater (the kind-of sequel to Lament. (I liked how she explored different characters in this book. It's told from two perspectives and I think she really did a great job conveying them both.)

The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd (I LOVED this book...loved loved it. I really soaked up the way Kidd described things...it was raw and made me feel part of the novel. The movie paled in comparison to her beautiful writing, although it was well done and stayed pretty true to the book.)

The Mermaid Chair, by Sue Monk Kidd (I picked this up while reading the above and just didn't like it as much. I didn't like the plot at all and had to force myself to finish it. I think part of it was I just couldn't relate to the main character in any way. I couldn't get myself to sympathize with her or understand her...just wasn't as good as Bees, IMO)

As You Wish, by Jackson Pearce (I met Jackson at a symposium on writing this summer and bought this book to have her sign and read it in a couple of days. I love Jackson and keeping up with her blog-she has SO much advice for aspiring writers and she has some really great videos on her youtube site as well. Can't wait for her new book coming this summer, Sisters Red.)

A Certain Slant of Light, by Laura Whitcomb (I JUST finished this. Like today finished this...and I liked it. I got annoyed with it in the middle because it started to pull the stereotypical religious roles thing and I HATE that since I am a Christian and don't like to be 'cookie-cuttered', but it redeemed itself by the end and was fully enthralled until the last page.)

So, there you have it...the books I read in 2009. There were SO many more I wanted to read, but with working full-time, being a mommy, a wife, and writing, that is the best I could do.

To all of you who wind up reading this--either by mistake or that you actually made a point to, which would be shockingly awesome--I hope you have a warm, family-smothered Christmas, and that your 2010 starts out fresh and squeaky clean. What will the year of 2010 be for you? Who knows...maybe it will be the year Ariel gets an agent. That would be......awesome.

Question for you: How often do you write? Or, for those non-writers, how often do you work on the one thing you love to do--be it reading, painting, or whatever it is that you do?

So, I've been writing every single day for the past 10 months--with the exception of going on vacay this summer--and I've loved every moment of it, for the most part anyway (there are those few times where I want to rip my hair out). But a lot has been going on lately making a bunch of crap seem to flow out of my fingers and onto the computer screen, so I decided to take a break from my WIP for a few days. No big deal right? But you have no idea how hard it was for me to press that little red button in the top left of the window for my novel (I have a Mac...allow me to rephrase for all you PCers: "the X in the top right corner of the window for my novel"). I didn't know if I could actually get myself to click it since writing is something I've molded into my schedule for so long, but I DID, and you know what? It was exactly what I needed. I literally wanted to do this:



I gave myself a break. And when I'm really focused on something, that is really, really hard for me to do. But I gave in and allowed myself to escape the characters and the plot lines and the action scenes and even the music, and just chilled out...kinda like a normal person. It was great. So, act like Nike and . (I know, I am so not funny.....no need to bring this to my attention...I just really like inserting pictures in my blogs.)

I think I needed it so bad because I'm actually working on the first draft of my second WIP and it is the first time I am really figuring out my style of outlining. I first began writing in January and it wasn't going to be for anyone but myself and the word "publish" hadn't even entered my brain yet, so I was just kind of toying around. So over time that of course changed and I spent close to a bagillion months revising my story as I got better and more serious about it. So this second project is the first one that I've done with the knowledge of the final destination...so it's a learning experience in itself.

But, the few days away gave me energy that I had somehow lost with being so busy. Now, just because I stopped typing doesn't mean my brain shut off. I still thought about the characters and the plot lines and the action scenes and the music, but in a much more freeing sense. I have the tendency to put a lot of pressure on myself, so it was nice to stop and just let things flow--and they certainly did...no more crap flowing from these fingers.

So now I'm not laying on the laptop anymore, but back to typing away and letting the story unfold. My first WIP is being read by some close friends and family of mine at the moment so it's given me time to focus on the development of the second book. And may I just say, that it is awesome. :)

So how often do you find yourself writing and how much do you usually get done in one sitting? Do you allot yourself a specific amount of time per day, or are you not so technical and just try and fit it in where you can, not keeping track of how much you've done? Cheers!

So I'm reposting this video made by Jackson Pearce (where's my dollar, Jackson?!..jk) that discusses using cuss words, particularly the f-bomb, in YA novels.  


Now, I totally agree with her.  I don't use the f-bomb in my novel, but I do use some other 'special' words. I attempted to write the scenes without them, but it just wasn't working for me.  In my particular story the characters don't casually use these words in casual conversation.  Rather, they are used during a violent interaction.  For the type of situation they are in,  and the type of characters they are, it wouldn't sound genuine if the words weren't used.

So that doesn't mean I advocate teens or anyone else for that matter saying cuss words.  I guarantee that a teen who reads my story is not going to want to go out and say *shit* because they saw it in my book.  Sorry.

Anyway, just wanted to repost because I thought it was great.  Later!

 Okay, so I teach 2nd grade...that would be seven-eight year olds for those that can't get their mind to go back that far....and I'm convinced teaching is a superpower (feel free to initiate a debate).  I have a love-hate relationship with my job because of just how extraordinarily rewarding it is, but also because of how much pressure I put on myself to make it so rewarding.  Every day is different and every day I get little sparks of inspiration that remind me just how precious--and humorous--life is.  Let me tell you, if you want an honest opinion about something, ask a kid.

Well, every now and again one of my little balls of energy says something that makes me laugh so much I have to write it down just to glance back at when I am having a crappy day.  So on Thursday I had one of those moments, about writing of all things.  I LOVE to teach writing (imagine that) and with 2nd graders it's so fun because they have no idea these days just how big and unexplored their imaginations are; everything is given to and created for them and they just can't seem to prick it open easily as they used to, and I love to help them figure out how.  

So anyway, we'd been working on the concept of revision, which is quite difficult for little ones to grasp.  We had done a lot of practice over including details, taking out things that weren't necessary, and either narrowing or expanding the main ideas of the stories they were writing.
So one of my little girls comes up to me very excited because she had a new idea for a story.  She's a very serious student, but so 100% girly in every way.  She bounces up to me smiling, stringy hair ratty on her shoulders and a big clipboard in hand ready for business.  Her girlfriend, wide blue-eyes sparkling with all forms of giddy, bounces up and down next to her waiting to reveal the premise of the genius story her friend has conjured up.  Stringy haired girl speaks first through a smile so big I can't help but smile myself. "Mrs. Eishen!  I am going to write a new story!  It's going to be about a little girl who meets a little boy.  Then they grow up and go to high school and get married!!!!!!!!"  (And yes, all of those exclamation points are necessary.)

This is when I raise my eyebrows and nod with a smile as I'm thinking in my head, "Oh...lord"

Well, the day goes by and she finds me later, same blue-eyed cutie pie attached to her hip, and the two of them are laughing their heads off at something.  It's the kind of laughing that you do after you've done something stupid....so dumb you can't help but laugh at yourself.  Well, she--stringy haired girl (more tangled now that recess was over)--lands a palm on her forehead and tells me, "Mrs. Eishen, you know the story I was wanting to write?  Well, I've changed it so that the girl and boy don't meet when they're little anymore, and they don't get married in high school."  Another raise of my eyebrows.  The two girls laugh again.  "I mean, c'mon, how silly would it be to have the boy get down on one knee and propose in the high school!?"  More giddy, I-should've-known-better laughing.

Ah, the wisdom of eight year olds....

Now, I remember my first crush being a boy in kindergarten named Joshua-something.  Every day I waited for him to kiss me and then finally once in circle time he did.  And I said, "Ew."  
He never spoke to me again. =)

I had crazy crushes on boys.  I still have my diary from third grade with an entire page full of the names of boys I liked---which happened to be all of the boys in my class.  
So I know it's normal for little girls to be crazy about boys in a weird way.  I remember what that was like.  In one sense we wanted to throw dirt in their face when they made fun of our hair, but in another we wanted them to hold our hand when we walked home from school.
 
So why is that?  It's debatable.

See, when I had crushes on boys, all the way up to high school, I felt like having one like me back would validate me in some way.  I felt that having no boyfriend kinda equaled being somewhat of a loser.  Ugh, I loathe my high school self.

I guess I wish girls felt stronger in general, more confident maybe.  And I'm wondering if that is just an innate feeling females have, or if it is learned behavior through an array of influences.  Or maybe both.  I mean, I was reading Seventeen Magazine when I was twelve years old and learning things like, "What Guys Really Want" and how to "Hook a Hottie"  (Articles I just swiped from Seventeen.com, btw).  I was being trained early to conform to what some magazine editors or television producers felt was what all guys were looking for.  What happened to learning to be yourself FIRST and letting guys find that attractive?  Last time I checked, guys didn't mind a little confidence.

So how does this fit into writing you ask (or not)?  A lot, actually.  I guess I'm just a bit over the damsel in distress thing.  Oh, i loved it when I actually FELT like that....like I was this weakling that could only be saved by the strong arms of a man.  But then I realized having a great guy in my life is something I want because I love it.  I love having a good man who treats me well, respects me, and just all around adores me.  There's nothing wrong with that.  But there is something wrong with thinking that you aren't strong just because you have breasts. 

So, you'll find in the stories I write that the protagonist is very strong or becomes so by the end.  I want to let girls know that no matter their circumstances, they are strong enough, and special enough, to pull through.  If a guy is there to help them on that journey, great, but the journey is theirs.  Women are self-sacrificing, loyal to the bone, able to be strong for everyone else when they aren't themselves, able to grow babies (I mean, c'mon...), can have a nature so loving and sweet and yet turn around and be as vicious and protective as lions over those they love.  We have so many beautiful facets that I wish more young girls could see.  

I just got in one of those writing frenzies where you just have to sit and write as fast as your little fingers will carry you.  Sometimes the clouds open up and seem to send the words down in rays of glory and sometimes something sparks them into life.  This was the little spark that fueled my fire:

Ugh, it's so beautiful and became an immediate soundtrack to one very pivotal scene in my WIP.  I played it over and over and will play it many more times in the future because it speaks to me that much.  I love music like this.  It hits a chord that nothing else can seem to hit.  I could go on, but I think you get the idea of just how much I love it. :)

I've been playing my playlist for my WIP on my ipod nonstop.  There are so many songs that seem to be made for my book.  I just love it.  I could post it, but no one would really know what it meant since only 2 people in the entire universe have read my story, so I'll hold on to it for now, but soon!  I'm telling you....faeries are the new vamps.  Watch out.

So now I feel like rambling.

I got four books in the mail today.  FOUR.  And this is when I am in the middle of reading THREE.  Why can't I stop?  Someone, please, smack me in the face.  

So here is what I am currently reading......all at the same time.....


Okay, so THIS bad boy is like 3 inches thick and around 1145 pages of everything you'd ever want to know about writing and getting published.  And it's the Deluxe Edition, which was probably highly unnecessary for me to get, but that's me; an easy target to effective word advertising.  A friend of a friend who is a published author recommended it to me and so I'm going to crack that spine tonight and start studying up.  I should get at least one credit hour somewhere for reading this.  Seriously.



My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
Great book so far. I've only scratched the surface, but I love Picoult's style and the story is so interesting.  I haven't seen the movie and don't plan to until I finish the book.



Lament
Shout out to Maggie Stiefvater!  I read Shiver and really liked it, so I figured I'd check out Lament, which is a faerie story, so I am a bit partial. There are so many different takes on the Fey and I can't wait to experience Maggie's.  I'm sure it won't take me long to finish this one....and I ordered Ballad as well (the sequel) and it's sitting right here next to me waiting. :)



Graceling
Shout out to Kristin Cashore!  I read the synopsis of this book awhile ago because it held many of the same themes as the novel I was writing including a badass female protagonist, and Katsa sure as heck is one.  Girls rule.



The Hunter's Moon, by O.R. Melling
I ordered THIS one awhile ago too and am just getting started.  I have issues.

And in addition to all of those I have 3 works in progress....oh yeah, and a husband, a son, and a class full of 18 cutie patooties to teach how to read, write, add, subtract, and share.  (Did I tell you I got sneezed on today?  Good times.)

And can I just say that deployments suck in essence, but I'm truly blessed to have been given LOADS of stuff to take up my lonely nights.  I really cannot complain.

Well, it's 9:03 p.m. and I've got my coffee cup in my hand.  Time to get crackin!  Peace!

So, if you are reading this and are a writer (and by writer I mean you write) then you know what I mean when I say that we are crazy (and by crazy I'm referring to the definition mentally deranged--okay, not mentally deranged...complex maybe. Yes, I like that word better).  We spend way too much time in our own heads and second guessing ourselves.  One minute we are feeling on top of the world, the next like one of those plastic bags used for dog poop.  

It's kinda like this:


a roller coaster of emotion that you never seem to get off of and I've found that one of the biggest things that helps it not seem so daunting at times is knowing you are on it with a bunch of other complex people. 

When I was at TwiCon this summer I sat in on a symposium about getting published.  It was the first time I had been in a room with a bunch of aspiring writers and it felt comfortable.  I could relate to everything they were saying from their inspirations to their frustrations, and I just wanted to go up and bear hug all of them because they made me feel very normal; like this avenue I was beginning to go down wasn't so scary anymore or that far out of reach for me.  And, well,  I just like to hug people.

I've found, just in the very short time that I've been writing, that this process doesn't get any easier with time; it's just the opposite, really.  So to keep my head up when that little devil of doubt pops up on my shoulder, I refer to a bunch of quotes that I've been compiling by writers about being a writer.  It helps me remember that I'm not the only complex person on this roller coaster to authorhood and that everything I'm feeling has been felt before.  I've decided to share some of the ones that are most inspiring or helpful to me so feel free to use them if you wish.  All of them are brilliant.

 

 

My most important piece of advice to all you would-be writers: when you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip.
Elmore Leonard

 

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'. Otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.
C. S. Lewis

One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you're maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones.
Stephen King

 

For anyone who is: just keep writing. Keep reading. If you are meant to be a writer, a storyteller, it’ll work itself out. You just keep feeding it your energy, and giving it that crucial chance to work itself out. By reading and writing.
Robin McKinley

 

Resist the temptation to try to use dazzling style to conceal weakness of substance.
Stanley Schmidt

 

If you don't know it, don't write it.
Darrell Schweitzer

 

Forget all the rules. Forget about being published. Write for yourself and celebrate writing.
Melinda Haynes

 

Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer.
Barbara Kingsolver

 

Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else.
Gloria Steinem

 

I can’t help but to write, I have a inner need for it. If I’m not in the middle of some literary project, I’m utterly lost, unhappy and distressed. As soon as I get started, I calm down.
Kaari Utrio

 

A word is a bud attempting to become a twig. How can one not dream while writing? It is the pen which dreams. The blank page gives the right to dream.
Gaston Bachelard

 

Fiction writers, present company included, don't understand very much about what they do - not why it works when it's good, not why it doesn't when it's bad.
Stephen King

 

Invent your own mythology or be slave to another man’s.
William Blake

 

When I examine myself and my methods of thought I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing knowledge.
Albert Einstein

 

An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.
Oscar Wilde

 

We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.
Woodrow Wilson

Be yourself.  Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish. 
John Jakes

I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works.
Oscar Wilde 

Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant.  The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him out to the public.
Winston Churchill


Writing is one of the few professions in which you can psychoanalyze yourself, get rid of hostilities and frustrations in public, and get paid for it.
Octavia Butler 

 

Keep writing. Keep doing it and doing it. Even in the moments when it's so hurtful to think about writing. 

Heather Armstrong

 

What is The Subconscious to every other man, in its creative aspect becomes, for writers, The Muse.
Ray Bradbury

"The good writer seems to be writing about himself, but has his eye always on that thread of the Universe which runs through himself and all things."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Poets need not go to Niagara to write about the force of falling water.
Robert Frost

 

The faster I write the better my output. If I'm going slow I'm in trouble. It means I'm pushing the words instead of being pulled by them.
Raymond Chandler

 

The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.
Samuel Johnson

 

Writers may be disreputable, incorrigible, early to decay or late to bloom but they dare to go it alone.
John Updike
 

You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist.
Isaac Asimov

 

Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.
E.L. Doctorow

 

You become a writer because you need to become a writer - nothing else.
Grace Paley

 

Writers don't write from experience, although many are hesitant to admit that they don't...If you wrote from experience, you'd get maybe one book, maybe three poems. Writers write from empathy.
Nikki Giovanni

 
AND MY FAVORITE....(drumroll please...)

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
Dr. Suess

 

So, I must write a post about this book I was introduced to recently.  I'm not sure what planet I've been on because I just now heard about it and evidentially it has been quite the craze, so if you've heard of it then great, if you've read it already then go on to check your email or something. :)

The book is called Three Cups of Tea:  One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time, by Greg Mortenson.


Basically the book is about Mortenson's life and his "calling" to educate less fortunate students-particularly girls- in Pakistan.  But, the most interesting thing is how he came about that "calling."  He never set out to devote his life to Pakistani children or their education.  He just wanted to climb K2, the second largest mountain in the world.  After saving another climber's life and only 1,000 feet left to climb, he turned around....then got lost.  He wound up in the small Pakistani town called Kophe, where he was nursed back to good health.  It was there that Mortenson saw over 70 children trying to write their math facts in the dirt with sticks-with only 4 of the children being girls.  So he set out on a mission to build a school for them, and now there are over 101 in Pakistan because of him.  

I was first told about this book by Tiffany, my friend and fellow teacher.  And today the teachers on Okinawa had "Educator's Day" where all of us gathered in different sessions for professional development, and the one that I chose just happened to be about this book and raising money throughout our schools to help.  So my school, along with all of the American schools in Okinawa, are pitching in to hopefully raise money for a school to be built in Pakistan.  It costs $12,000 for just one school to be built and I am sure we can do that.  

So I wanted to put up a post about this amazing book and initiative that this man has begun.  You never know what turn your life may take; what your purpose here on this dusty sphere will be.  All we can do is look for those opportunities, search for things we can do to help those less fortunate than ourselves, and then do it.  Calling or not, we can all help with something.  And how important it is to instill in the minds of the young empathy and the act of service.  Our children today have so much handed to them and truly have no idea what the world is like outside of their little bubble, and it is in our hands to show them.  Most of us are blessed, and yet most kids don't know why.  Opportunities like this are perfect for teaching that very thing.

I hope you'll take a minute to check either the book out or the website: http://www.threecupsoftea.com/

One of my favorite quotations of all time is by the famous philosopher, Epictetus:  "Only the educated are free."  Very true.


   

Eight months and two hundred thirty-eight, 1.5 spaced pages later, my first novel is completely written.  

Hold up.

I'm letting that sink in.

The feeling is so weird.  SO WEIRD.  I've written a book.  Whether it gets published or not, I've written an entire story, beginning to end, front to back, and poured my very soul into it.  Weird, but so cool.

For awhile I just thought it would be this continuous project that would never get done, that I'd never be happy with it or ready for it to end.  But, low and behold, it is!  

Now, just because I'm done writing it doesn't mean it's complete.  I still have a lot of revising and editing to do to where I'm happy with it enough to send it off.  I'm just glad to have the ends tied up and the actual story written.  And I, personally, love it. ;)

So where do I go from here?  Ugh, the fun part. 

I move back to the states from Japan in April, so I won't be looking for an agent until then.  I don't really see the point being all the way over here. So, between now and April I am going to be touching it up, running it by family (and maybe a few of you lucky folk) for some input.  I'll do my research on agents and try to find out as much as I can about the entire publishing beast.  And I know it is one.

I'm prepared, though.  I know how hard it is to get published and I expect to get tons of rejects...heck, I'll probably frame them.  Just committing to the process is a huge step for me.  I've got to think of it that way-in steps.  BABY ones. :)

So what is my story about?  Well, this is the YA (young adult-I threw that in there just for you Cinders!) Fantasy novel, so keep your mind open if you're not into that genre, k?  :)  My story is about a changeling, but with my own twisted take on it.  If you have never heard about the legend of a changeling, google it.  Pretty interesting...to me, anyway.

I've always been intrigued by legends, mythology, etc..  I love the legends of the Sirens and the Phoenix, of King Arthur and that of the Faerie...it all inspires me.  So how did I think of a changeling?  In 2004 I did my student teaching in a 4th grade classroom.  The teacher I was with had a book in her personal library called The Moorchild, by Eloise McGaw.
 
It's a children's chapter book, but I read it and loved it.  I had never heard of a changeling before and I liked the idea.  So five years later I decide I'm going to write and the word changeling pops into my head and I'm hooked.  I brainstorm pages of chicken scratch in my journal and the story takes flight.  

The thing I love about legend and myth, is that they are somewhat malleable.  You can put your spin on them and make them your own.  Well, I certainly did that in my story.  I was just getting off my Twilight obsession when I began to write and I loved the thought of intermingling real life with fantasy and doing it in modern time  (Thanks Stephenie Meyer for that inspiration).  And who doesn't love a good love story?  And what woman doesn't like a badass female protagonist?  That's my story, in a nutshell. :)

I loved the idea of doing YA only because I loved that time in my own life.  Being young and experiencing love for the first time....trying to figure out who you are as a human being and all the emotions that go along with it....love it.

Well, that's about it for now.  I'll end with words from Woodrow Wilson that I find inspiring. I'm sure he wasn't referring to writing, but they make me smile all the same.  Until next time!

We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.
Woodrow Wilson 

 

So for some reason the idea for my second story came to me a few days ago like a lightning bolt.  And with it came the title.  Just like that.  BAM.  Done.  Title?...check.
That was really weird for me because the novel I've been working on for the past 7 months...now two hundred and thirty some-odd pages....still has no title.  I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what it should be.  I figured it'd come to me at some point, that it would just be a light bulb that goes off like it was staring me in the face the entire time and I never saw it until that moment.  But I have yet to find that light bulb.  Everything I come up with is too hokey or too long.  I know I want it one word or two at the most and I know it needs to relate, but just not sure how. 

I have begun to wonder how a lot of authors come up with the titles to their books.  Some are just obvious, like The Hunger Games for example.  (Btw-amazing read if you haven't checked it out)  The Hunger Games is the subject and entire plot of the first book, so it makes sense. But take the most beloved Twilight.  Twilighters still have no idea why Stephenie Meyer made that the title of the first book.  There's only one reference to twilight in the book and it isn't very big at all or seems to have any kind of real influence on anything.  Maybe she was just ahead and knew there would be four books and had them all planned out.  New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn all make sense with their titles, so I can understand if that was the plan to begin with.  

I wonder if other authors have a hard time trying to find the perfect title.  Hopefully mine will come to me before I actually finish it.  :)

So, I'm in the middle of finishing up the first novel I've written, which does not mean it's anywhere close to being finished, but it's getting there.  But I'm also starting to write my second one at the same time. Crazy?  Maybe!  I think this first novel has really helped me learn to be a writer.  I can tell my style has improved just over the last seven months.  My first novel is more of a YA fantasy novel, but this second one I'm writing is realistic fiction and much more personal for me.  The one I've been working on for so long-my first one-is personal as well on many different levels and explores themes that were very important and influenced by what was happening in my life last year.  I feel like I've grown in a very short time as a writer and I'm excited to keep exploring that.  

I wish I could be like many and feel comfortable posting pieces of my writing on here for critique, but I just can't seem to allow myself to.  Not that I'm nervous about any kind of criticism, I'd actually welcome it and like to know what people think.  But more that I just don't feel comfortable letting just anyone in on the plots, characters, and ideas for my stories.  For those that are, that is great--I wish I had as much confidence as you!  But you just won't be seeing much of that on this blog, sorry.  Instead, I'm imploring my sister to be my main critique partner.  (She doesn't know that yet... =D)  She's great at editing...could easily be a professional one if she wanted to be, and I know she's not afraid to give me constructive advice.  But as of now my mother is the only one that has read the sketchy, incomplete draft of my first novel.  I'm not even letting my husband read it.  But fantasy is that last thing he is interested in anyway.

I guess another reason I've been so secretive from even family is that my first novel being YA fantasy is even a surprise to me.  I never, in a million bagillion years thought I'd write a book and that it would be of the fantasy genre.  Life's funny, huh?  I'll get into that in another blog, though.  There's enough on that topic to save for tomorrow. :)

 Newsflash:  The world doesn't stop turning to wait for you to achieve your goals.

 

Profound truth?  No, but a very hard one to accept sometimes.  We've all heard the saying, you need to make your own destiny.  Well forget the destiny fancy shmansy talk and it basically boils down to get off your butt and do something. People wait for the right time to have kids, the right time to go to college, etc....but there is never a right, or should I say perfect time, for any of that.  Revelation number one.

 

The second revelation is that on the other side of that is the fact that there isn't enough of it to begin with!  Seriously, where did all of it go when we were kids?  I remember waiting an eternity for cartoons to come on in the mornings, or coming in from outside for dinner and feeling like I had played 4-square for twenty-four hours straight. 

HA...those days are definitely over! So that is the hardest part about pursuing authorhood, for me anyway. 

 

Personally, I'm at the point that I don't feel completely happy if I haven't had time to write every day.  It is now something I crave and if I don't get some down time to do it I can actually see my mood change.  So, think of it as the equivalent to caffeine in the morning or a good run after your boss pissed you off.  Yup, writing is that outlet for me.  So how the heck am I supposed to do that exactly?  Hmmm…still trying to figure that out.  I'm a full time working mom, and not only that, I'm a full time working mom AND military spouse.  If you know anything about being a military spouse, you know that having extra time lying around for yourself is not usually not an option. 

 

I started writing right at the end of my husband's six-month deployment.  So when my son went to bed, and the toys had been picked up and the noise dissolved to quiet, I settled down and wrote my brains out until I could no longer keep my lids raised.  When my husband got home, however, I wanted to spend that quiet, kid-free time with him, naturally.  So my writing has slowed considerably over the past six months.  Now, I'm trying to write amid the sound of Bear in the Big Blue House and my two year old singing at the top of his lungs.  Cute, yes, but doesn't lend itself well to productive writing time.  And my job...I'm a teacher.  And if you know anything about that, then you know it's not a 9-5.  There's grading, then planning, then more grading, then more planning and SO ON.......forever. 

 

For the creative soul finding time to do what you love is very difficult if you have a life.  ;)  You can't balance everything in your life because everything doesn't hold the same amount of weight, so trying to fit in a little time to yourself usually goes on the wayside. 

 

So why the heck am I blogging if all this time is lost?  Ha...I don't know.  :)  No, truly I just wanted to document things like this...my thoughts on this journey because it is so new.  See, I didn't always know I wanted to be an author.  It wasn't listed with astronaut, broadway baby, and teacher as one of the things I wanted to be when I 'grew up.'  I wrote for myself all my life just to get certain feelings out, but it was only for me and used more as therapy than anything else.  I wrote some stories when I was a kid, but who didn't?  So, now that this is on my list of aspirations (which no longer includes astronaut, btw), I'm struggling to make time for it and put it as any kind of priority.  In my head I'm hoping that having this blog is one step closer to doing that, but I guess until the story is actually completely finished will I be somewhat satisfied. 

 

Oh, and is it weird that the Bear in the Big Blue House episode that was playing during the writing of this blog was about how Bear is frustrated because he can’t get any time to relax? 

I understand completely, bear.

So, I have finally succumbed to the world of blogging.  I never thought I would, for I really couldn't see a reason since I had facebook, myspace, etc., etc., etc.  But now I do and I'm here to stay!  At least for a year until I need to renew my paid account. :)  I planned on this post being long and thought out, but now that I've spent forever designing the page, I'm tired.  So, this is it for now.  Night night!