Musings from the Slush Pile

I’m sure you all remember my rave review of a YA I recently read. The title was Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins. It was so much fun! I had waited for-ever to get my hands on it and when I did I devoured it. THEN I learned the sequel was due out and I flipped. Well, guess what? The utterly fabulous CJ Redwine has an interview with amazing awesomesauce Rachel on her blog today – which is delish I will add- AND she’s giving away a copy of the sequel to Hex Hall — DemonGlass!!!

I want it!

I want it!

I want it!

You definitely want it too, so stop over at the blog, leave a comment, tweet it out and be entered for an incredible new YA!

Go for it! & Good luck!

Writerly advice from the writing addicted: Don’t forget to freak-their-freak. Readers WANT to shake the book violently, scream at the what-the-heck-just-happened moment and then dive back in before the moment escapes them. If you read as much as I do, and I assume if you’re reading this blog, you are a voracious reader, then you know what I’m saying.

It doesn’t matter what genre you write. It doesn’t matter how old you are. We want a larger than life Holy-Frickin-Cow moment as often as possible. My kids beg for more every night because childrens books have the cliffhanger chapter ending on lock. They KNOW it. A good romance writer leaves you thinking? Is that IT? They’re walking away? or OMG her ex is back? Or KISS ALREADY!

If you’re writing suspense, you should be all over this.

Have you made each chapter in your WIP a separate chunk of material? It should have a point. There should be a beginning, a middle and an end. Unlike the book itself, the chapter ending should stop on a tense note or turning point so the reader needs to turn that page. The beginning of the next chapter should work out that previous conflict and build to the next one. Keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

In addition to the cliff hanger chapter endings, don’t forget to add over the top, believable but unlikely to happen in an everyday situation events. I hate when I read something and roll my eyes thinking “That’s so fake. This was contrived. Never happen. Don’t believe it.” BUT I LOVE to read something that flows right over the edge where I know it could happen and the event triggers something: embarrassment, passion, fear, excitement, then I squeal and keep reading.

I beta for many people these days. One thing I notice in the newer writer is their story telling. Its easy to fall into a narrative. Readers don’t like narrative. We want to jump in and assume the personality of the MC. I want to feel like I can see, hear, smell, taste, experience what they’re doing. Writing isn’t telling a bedtime story. It’s a whole different art form.

Make the events count, keep them swirling. Some large events take center stage, while others wait then return. Keep that MC treading water without catching too much of a break. Just like real life, we juggle all the crazy. Kee your MC busy. If its not her house exploding, it’s being late for work. Vary the stress and keep it coming! I hate when my house explodes and my boss jumps my case because it made me an hour late for work. I can’t afford to lose my job now, I have to rebuild my house! Where am I going to stay now? I’m homeless….enter ex-boyfriend who wants to reconnect but I just blew him off the night before. Now, I gotta crawl back begging for a couch to sleep on  BUT boss catches me and yells at me to get to work, then ex’s new woman walks up and glares. He didn’t mention her when he was trying to hook up with me five minutes ago. Back to no place to stay, plus he’s all satisfied I tried to make up and she’s my new enemy. Crap. My boss is still staring. I’m gonna get written up. Text from insurance company, explosion was intentional so an investigation will lead to longer cleanup time. Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!

Okay, so that was off the top of my head. All could and maybe have happened to you, except the explosion, but it wasn’t a unicorn, so you believed me. You get behind the boss and boy drama and the poor woman is going in circles now. Voila! I just freaked-her-freak.

I’d love to hear some of your fantastic ideas for keeping those MCs on the edge!

One new story in my mailbox this week. This is both sad and refreshing. While there are countless titles I’m drooling to get my hands on, I needed time to finish a WIP for conference in June and also work on setting up my new author site and Facebook author page. You can never start too soon with self-promotion LOL. So, while I did miss having a new book every other day, I’m making great progress in other literary related deeds. Lucky for me the one book I did get was PHENOMENAL.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

In the beginning, there’s a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she’s part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn’t easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there’s another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara’s less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she’d have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

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In My Mailbox is a meme from the Story Siren designed to help book lovers unite, meet, greet and follow one another in our quests to find the next most awe inspiring, tear jerking, mesmerizing or just entertaining new tome.

Mailbox Monday is a meme hosted this month at I’m Booking It. This is one more incredible way to get to know one another, build your following and find great new sites to add to your dashboard.

What was in your mailbox this week?

Bloggers! Be sure to follow me if you like what you see. I always follow back!!  & I love making new bookish friends!

I spent the first year of writing trying to learn the ropes. That in itself is quite a feat. There’s endless things to set up and then juggle. Research takes as much time in the beginning as writing. Luckily there’s an enormous writing community online just waiting to embrace you. Seriously. Ask. If you can’t figure it out, just ask. Join Twitter and find a crit partner. Read blogs. You know the routine.

Here’s something I didn’t know when I started.

You don’t have to be signed by the biggest agent in the biz to have a career. Also, you don’t have to contract with the biggest publishing house to be an author.

I’m not saying to discount those options. What I’m saying is to follow all that advice you read about thinking long term and seeking a perfect match for you and your work. You need to really think of your writing as a career, as in long term, what do you want from this hobby turned obsession? Do you know?

I was so determined to have my debut novel in hardback and an interview on Oprah, I missed a lot of opportunities. But I never really wanted to be an overnight sensation or a one hit wonder. I wanted to do this forever. Do you?  I want to encourage you guys to look for opportunities to be published with small or even micro publishers. Get in on an anthology. Check out Chicken Soup for the Soul. It only takes a couple months to write a novella. You can do this while pursuing big houses for your larger works too.

Gathering publishing credits to reputable sources is a brilliant career move. Heck, freelance. Write articles for national magazines, or papers. You love to write, right? So, throw a few irons in the fire, let your precious sit a while and do some side ventures. It will give you experience, open your mind and career to the bigger industry picture, and boost your confidence. Even if its all rejected, you’ve learned, grown and gained for doing it.

Think big. Look beyond the box. Establish yourself by putting it out there. A writer needs to give themselves a break, shake out the wrists and breath sometimes. Don’t count out the small presses, or the new agencies. Make connections. Think about what your dream career will be like in a decade and lay a plan to get there. I really think the majority of great writers burn out before ever getting published. They shot for the stars, didn’t make it with their one and only completed novel and put it in a drawer. Now, they say things like “I wrote a novel once.”

Don’t be that guy.

Do it. Write it. If no one wanted that one, write another one. This is YOUR dream, No one else will make it happen for you.

There’s a verse in the Bible I love. It’s like my life verse playing somewhere in my subconscious all the time. “Run the race set before you. All the runners in the race run. Run as if to obtain.” I’m paraphrasing of course, but do you see? We’re all running this race. There’s a clear goal. Run for it as if you’re going to win it.

Don’t settle for the over-hyped pre-set method everyone blogs about everyday.

Customize your plan.

Make your own race and get there.