Revising and Reading and Tours... oh yes!

Undertow revisions are drawing to a close, and I have to confess, the second book in a series is always the scariest.

What are readers expecting? Will they be let down if I don't give them that? But I don't have psychic powers!!!

In the meantime--apart from that freakout I'm doing my best to ignore so my revision process doesn't completely shut down--I'm having tons of fun with this tour and would like to Thank everyone who's participated and also the lovely KP Simmons of Inkslinger PR (link) for making it possible.

The Complete Tour Listing is here (link) if you missed any days or want to know what's coming.

I've got to get back in the revisions cave, but please be aware, every time I come out, I'm looking to see what readers are saying about Dragonfly. Thanks so much for your positive feedback!

Here's where I am today

• Bianca gives Dragonfly four thumbs up over at Brittany and Bianca Blab Books (link)
• The Book Cafe (link) has an exclusive excerpt for your reading pleasure

What's this?

If you're in the San Francisco area, a quick reminder that I'll be at the SFINE author event (link) on Saturday. I hope you'll drop by and say hello!

Back to the revision cave for me. I hope you're all having a lovely summer week, friends ((hugs))~

Orson Welles Says Wait

I'm about to share some advice I haven't completely internalized myself. There's two-parts, so here's #1: Publishing is the slowest business on Earth. (I've got that.)

#2: It's OK for me to slow down, too.

Gah! That's the part I can't internalize.

We live in a super fast-paced society, right? Everything is instant gratification, and no one should be made to wait for anything. It's bad business, and it's bad for business. That's how we're trained since childhood.

I have the added disadvantage of coming to this game from a primarily print-news background. It's actually good and bad.

Source

It's great because I have loads of discipline about meeting deadlines and getting stuff done. Staying on point, crafting strong ledes.

It's bad because news is one of the fastest businesses on the planet.

Even worse, I worked about 18 months in television news, which moves at the speed of light.

OK, maybe more like sound, but I'm just saying. In television, if it happened today, and you didn't get it on by 10 p.m., it's Old News.

I know, exaggerate much? Actually, No. I don't.

So then I got it in my head to try and write a book. And lo and behold, I did it! Oh my god!

About half-way through, when I realized it might actually happen, I shot off a ten thousand-word equery to Dan Lazar at Writers House all about how I was a published journalist, I was writing this book, and he was going to love it once it was done. Oh, why him? Meh, I picked his name off the list because I'd heard Writers House was good, and he took equeries. The end.

Ten points to Gryffindor if you can name everything I did wrong in that paragraph.

As time passed, I got feedback from some agents that my very first book needed revision. Pretty significantly. Perhaps if I hadn't equeried 500 agents at once, I could've addressed that.

But no worries! I wrote a few more books and ultimately I did get an agent. Now I'm looking at revisions for the book we're about to send out.

And you know the advice I've been given? Take your time. Get it right.

For me, that is the hardest lesson. Slow down. Let it sit a few days and then go back to it with fresh eyes. Pick it up again, polish it some more, make it better.

Good books, like good wine, take time. Take it from our boy Orson. Once it's out there, it's out there. No taking it back.

Why not make it as good as it can be before releasing it?

Personally, I want it to happen now, now, NOW! But I bet we can all name books that would've benefited from a few more weeks (or months) in the barrel.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! <3

Francis Ford Coppola Does It

OK, I did it again. I got another Fresh Air podcast inspiration.

But this time I was listening to Francis Ford Coppola talking about his film career and being a writer. I mean, sure. It's screenwriting. But he had the greatest advice.

I was kind of already doing it (bet some of you were, too), so in truth, it was the greatest affirmation.

He said, "When you're writing, just keep writing."

OK, that's not exactly what he said.

The gist of what he said was that young writers don't trust themselves. They go back and read those first five pages right after they've written them, and lots of times, they tear them up.

Along with some potentially good ideas or inspiration.

(Historical Note: FFC's old, children. Back in the day, writers used to write stuff on paper. Which they cold tear. His point is sort of the equivalent of deleting it all today.)

Back to Frank! He said to write, write, write. (Just keep swimming.) Then put it away for a day or so (Stephen King says a month, doesn't he?), and then go back and read it.

Give yourself a chance to forget it, and then read it with fresh eyes.

It's something I tell my editing clients all the time. Take a break. Let it rest a few days to a week. You'll be amazed how different it'll look.

He also admitted that he copied all his favorite screenwriters and directors.

He confessed that his movie The Conversation was based on some movie he loved and wanted to copy.

And then he said the most important point: But that's impossible!

Which I interpreted this way: It's okay to emulate, to strive to write something like that book you love so much.

(The one that made you almost give up on writing because you'd never in a million years be able to ever write anything that good. Ever.)

I'm not talking about plagerism, as I've said before. I'm talking about being inspired. Being challenged. Being ticked off (or depressed) by other writers.

And then getting in there and trying to beat them, depending on your personality.

I'm a bit competitive, so after I get over the wallowing and the "Oh, I'll never write as good as Jessica Bell!" I get up, dust myself off, and then get ready to kick her tushie. (*wink*)

Yes?

OK, so here's the link to that podcast (link). And now hit it! I want to see some drills. Jumping jacks. Drop and give me 20K (words, that is)!

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! I'm planning to get some of my own revisions done this week. More soon~ <3

Somebody Need an Editor?

So this is it! I'm doing it: starting my own (affordable) editing service for writers ready to query or wanting to self-publish.

Here's the deal. Most of you know I worked as a full-time editor before settling down in my 30s to have babies (i.e., 10+ years). I continued doing freelance work for other folks once the girls were old enough to be independent, and at the start of this year, I was doing a pretty healthy amount of business.

Source

I had a local network of folks for whom I wrote, edited, did pretty much all sorts of contract communication services, from web updates to press releases to whatever. And then we moved.

It's great to be back in the Midwest--this is not complaining! We have a great group of friends here, and I don't mind the better hair weather. But starting from scratch with the freelance gigs is slow going. And then I got this idea...

It started with my blog post about critters and betas (link). I've worked with several of our bloggy friends on polishing their manuscripts, getting them ready to query, giving feedback on areas that needed revision or development... I've helped brainstorm difficult spots and given my opinion of first chapters.

That's when I realized, I have a Paypal account, why not cut out the middle man and just offer my service from this blog?

And there you go. I'm hanging out a shingle. Editor for hire.

I've put a little widget in the right-hand column there, and since it's impossible for me to read without a pen in my hand, I'll do macro-copy editing (meaning, I'll point out the big stuff), and I'll read with an eye toward content development and (the highly objective) marketability.

Edit: (6/4) I'm going to set my flat rate at $.007 per word, add $.0035 for heavy copy editing.

I decided that makes more sense than a per-chapter fee, since chapters can be all different number of pages. And I'm still offering a break for new and unpublished authors. In other words, I'm willing to negotiate.

If times are tough, we'll see what we can both live with. Maybe I'll just help you get started, maybe we'll work out a total amount you can afford. I'm trying to supplement an income here, not get rich.

And to my personal critters and betas, you're off the hook. That's called payback.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes. If we've worked together before, leave a comment or please do recommend me to anyone you know seeking an editor.

Of course, I'm still available for smaller writing and editing jobs at my regular, hourly rate.

If you're interested, send me an email (link). We'll see if blogging wins again!

Have a great week, guys! Til Thursday~ <3

Pay the Beta Forward

Happy Labor Day, fellow Americans! Hope everyone's enjoying the holiday. Today I'm thinking about my bloggie friends.

Back when I finished my last MS, the one that got me my first offer of representation, I discovered the greatest thing as a result of this blog right here: Beta Readers.

beta

There's a difference between beta readers (betas) and critique partners (critters), but I can't remember what it is. I think it has something to do with the amount of material you send them.

So I probably use the terms wrong, but I credit my betas (or critters) with being a big part of where I am today.

They gave me encouragement when I needed it, pointed out character problems and plot holes (still sounds dirty), suggested direction for characters who were stalled, gave me ideas when agents requested revisions that I didn't know what to do with, read my MS again (above and beyond)...

And now it's payback time.

critter

Please understand, I can't wait to return the favor. It's unexpected that all the payback has hit at once, but anywhoo! Not the point.

I was thinking about giving (and getting) critiques and feedback. I learned the hard way in my work that electronic communication can quickly break down.

As a result, I tend to be very careful in my phrasing and always couch criticisms in a healthy padding of praise. I would encourage my readers to do the same. If you're a beta (or critter) remember there's another person on the other end who has invested emotional time and energy into whatever it is you're reading.

I like to give at least three compliments for every one criticism. If I can. Please, my betas/critters, don't start counting. My point is, while I am thorough, I realize the importance of sugar with the medicine.

Why am I telling you this? Well, a bloggy friend of ours shared that she cried after getting a query critique, and that made me angry. We're here to help and support each other. We'll get kicked in the stomachs enough from reviewers, agents, editors. We don't need it from each other.

So I've got five, shiny MSs on my Kindle, and I can't wait to get reading! And I take this opportunity to thank my awesome betas. They're encouraging and supportive. And I wouldn't be here without you.

I know Clarissa and Summer offer beta/critter hook-ups on their blogs. If you know a great place to find betas and/or critters, please share in the comments! And do remember the Golden Rule when helping each other.

Have a super holiday, reader- and writer-friends! Til Thursday~ <3

In my head, zombie

My youngest daughter is hilariously extreme. I'll give you an example.

I'll be brushing her hair and hit a snag. She'll cry out, "Ow!" Then pout, "You love to hurt me." Or she'll make a statement of fact, like, "It's hotter here than in south Alabama," and I'll say, "Well, not really. It just seems that way today." Her response? "You just think I'm stupid."

The first time she did this, I was alarmed. Was my child suffering from a horrible low-self-esteem issue? I didn't see any additional evidence of that. She had friends, did well in school...

The second and third times, it was funny, and I'd hug her and tell her to stop being ridiculous. After a while, it became incredibly frustrating because it was like she simply shut down and didn't want to learn or work with me.

She's just a little kid, so my goal is to help her grow out of it. But then I catch myself doing the same thing!

OK, I'm not going around declaring everyone thinks I'm stupid, but I'll catch myself, when met with criticism of a piece of writing or a particular scene thinking, "This is just stupid, I should just trash the whole thing. I'm the worst writer ever."

It's Laura--and she's in my head! Like that "Zombie" song by The Cranberries. (Wasn't that the worst thing? Talk about a message getting stuck in your head, and what did it even mean?)

Anyway, am I the only person who does this?

I can say (with help) I've learned to push back on those mental messages that I stink and I should stop wasting time every day and start pounding the pavement and get a Real Job and etc., etc., but occasionally they'll still pop up.

When my daughters are playing together, my oldest will sometimes yell downstairs to me, "Mom! Tell Laura to stop being ridiculous!"

That makes me laugh because my oldest is a true mini-me. I have to watch what I say, because it will be repeated back to me. In the same tone of voice even.

So I'm telling myself (and any of my reader- or writer-friends out there who might be in the same boat as me): Stop being ridiculous. Just because you get a bit of criticism or a helpful suggestion, take it. Don't close up shop or believe you stink.

And if you're hearing the same message over and over, look at what it's saying. Maybe its an area that needs a little focused attention.

Wow. Some unexpected inspiration for the weekend--have a great one! Til Monday~ <3

The Revision Cave - What I've Learned

I'm peeking my head out, I'm almost done, and I thought I'd share what I've learned... what I'm sure most of you already know about revisions. Revisions are painful,

but in the midst of it all, I'm having a very Zen-enlightenment experience of learning about myself. (That's a joke, because I already knew these things about myself, I'm really experiencing the joy of attempting to grow through them.)

#1-I don't like redoing things.

It's the reason I took classical piano lessons for eight years and never excelled. I hate to practice. Something in me resists going back and reliving, revising, learning to make something better.

And that's a huge mistake. Practice, revision, and review are so important. Already I can tell certain scenes are stronger from just a third (or fourth) look.

#2-I get in a funky mood when I write funky scenes.

On Friday I added a love scene (going from YA to adult here) and enhanced a ... (no spoilers) Bad Scene. And by the end of the day, I needed some dancing medicine. (Just ask Matt, Sheri, and Kelly who I happened to find on FB later that evening.) I am not proud.

But at the same time, that's probably a good thing, right? And if we can all resist becoming Earnest Hemingway over it, investing real emotions into emotional scenes only makes them more authentic, yes?

Source

So those are my weak excuses for why I'm M.I.A. again. No moves, no motherhood drama. Just me in the revision cave, hopefully getting better all the time. Miss you.

Got any humorous (or not) self-discoveries to share from the cave? Otherwise, I hope most of you are having a blast at Write On Con--another great writer's resource.

Have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends. Til Monday. Namaste~ <3

What's it all about?

When I graduated high school, my mom said I was going to write a book. She actually used to say that a lot, and true confession: It drove me nuts. It really did.

I had no desire to sit in a chair for hours and hours, day after day, trying to keep up with some story idea. I just couldn't conceive how that could ever possibly be enjoyable or fulfilling.

And I didn't even know about agents or rejection letters or reviews or sales figures back then.

I remembered this because I read another interview with Kathryn Stockett about her five-year, 60-rejection-letter journey to publication with The Help. (link).

More true confessions, I avoided reading that book for years--mostly because I was just getting started on the journey to publication, and I didn't want to see any similarities to myself in it. (Which would mean that was at least a fraction of the pain I was going to have to endure before... something happened.)

I finally caved when my book club decided we'd read it in January, and of course I loved it--like everyone else in America. I even reviewed it for The Burrow (link).

But now when I read Stockett's story, I react in a different way. Now I know what I'm up against, and now I'm wondering why I had more sense at 17 than I do now, more than 20 years later.

Trying to become a published author (at least the traditional way) is self-abusive madness! So why am I doing this?

Hmm... I've asked myself this before, and I'm not sure if there's one reason. Last time I pondered the question, I decided it was because I'd gotten to a point as a professional communicator where it was the only thing I hadn't done.

That sounds really good, right? I'm not sure it's true.

I sat down and wrote my very first book in the fall of 2009. I'd just returned from a trip to Scottsdale, Az., with JRM, who was there for a work convention.

While he was in classes and hanging out with his lawyer-buds, I was alone, in one of his partner's rental cars (an '09 Camaro, no less), cruising around, visiting ghost towns, running up to Sedona...

Taliesin West

I visited the Frank Lloyd Wright house Taliesin West (link), and on the tour, they told us how Wright was a teacher and a designer, how he did what he had to do to survive the Depression in his 50s and 60s, and how it wasn't until then, in his 60s, that he started getting the commissions he's most known for today.

He started work on Falling Water (link) when he was 67 years old. He finished the Guggenheim art museum in New York City when he was 92, after working on it for 16 years.

After I got home from that trip, I sat down and wrote the first of four complete novels and four half-novels that bring us to today, with me in revisions on #4.

What happened?

Well, I visited this weird little souvenir shop on the road to Sedona, and while I was there, in the Indian artifacts room, suddenly all the lights went out and a bizarre hailstorm started.

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I was alone, in the dark with shrunken heads, masks, weird weapons, pottery... I walked to the nearest door and looked outside at the huge hailstones falling and thought how glad I was to be driving a rental that day.

The temperature nose-dived 50 degrees in less than 10 minutes. And I returned home possessed by the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Just kidding.

OK, the part about the freak hailstorm and the temperature drop while I was in the creepy souvenir shop is true, but it's just one of those crazy, "it happened to me" stories I like to tell.

That story of Frank Lloyd Wright did effect me, though. When he died, he was at his table sketching, they said at Taliesin. Happy.

And I think that's it. I think when you hit on something you love to do, you just can't help doing it. It's nice if people like it and you get recognition while you're alive. But I'm not sure if it's ever possible to stop doing it.

I don't know. Why do you guys keep pursuing the dream?

Til Monday, have a great week-end, reader- and writer-friends. I'm over here revising~ <3

And as the game changes...

So on Thursday I wrote about how interesting it is to be in the middle of a publishing revolution.

And while I'm still personally committed to the traditional route, I'm impressed that so many thoughtful, calm writer-friends are taking the self-publishing leap.

I'll be reading and reviewing their books and doing interviews with a few of them in upcoming weeks. So check back!

Entertainment Weekly recently jumped on the bandwagon and reviewed Amanda Hocking's books (link), and while they gave her Trylle trilogy a B-, they also pointed out a big problem in indie publishing: Quality Control.

In our ensuing discussion of self-publishing last Thursday, we all noted the same problem: it's hard as a consumer to know who took the time to work with a professional editor and who was just (understandably) frustrated and eager to get their book "out there."

I've been burned more than once on a self-published book, so I'm cautious about buying any more.

And it's not just the reader in me cringing, it's the former English teacher/editor as well. I just want to break out my red pen and start making notes everywhere.

So I was thinking, as this revolution plays out, how will the ancillary businesses that develop around it look?

There's already a growing field of professional editors for hire--if anybody's hiring them. (Or can afford them.) Some of these editors even have backgrounds in traditional publishing.

Will there also develop a system of "Self-pub Reviews and Recommendations"? Will they take into account things like plot holes and underwriting? Rushed pacing and undeveloped characters? Poor word-choice and/or misused words?

In a recent post on the Pimp My Novel blog, Eric predicted a resurgence of independent book stores as a result of the collapse of Borders, and possibly other big-box stores. (link)

One thing I loved about indie bookstores was the Employee Recommendations section. You remember, the shelves that had employees' names on them and the books they thought you'd like? There was usually an employee whose taste matched mine, and whose rec's I always devoured.

I wonder if we'll see something like that appear in the world of self-pubbed ebooks.

There will definitely be a need for this. Something to help us navigate the sea... What do you guys think? Any suggestions for the entrepreneurs out there who might be reading?

In the meantime, I'm back in the revisions chair. And I'm looking for a little freelance work, so let me know if you come across anything.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! Til Thursday~ <3

Revision Wisdom

I don't think Jesus was thinking about revisions when he called out the Pharisees for being so quick to notice others' flaws while being so blind to their own. But he was God, so it's possible he knew how his words would be twisted.

In a previous life, I was an editor for ten years, and I loved my job. Line editing was second-nature to me. I didn't even notice correcting grammatical errors as I read manuscripts, and like a good detective, sought out where they fell short or where passages overlapped or repeated. I could even suggest ways to fix them.

Why is it so hard for me to do this with my own writing?

I'm deep in the Heart of Revisions (which is like Darkness, possibly even west Texas), I'm also juggling near full-time employment, so my blog-rounds have been poor. But I see the light way (way) ahead, and I know it won't be long (maybe) before I'm finished and I can get back to normal human existence.

I can bathe, clean my house, rediscover friends and family, bleeps.

A critter gave me one of the best pieces of revision wisdom recently--maybe it was the way she said it, I don't know. I'm going to share my paraphrase of it with you now. She said, "Don't take for granted that your reader will intuitively understand this."

She was talking about a scene in which my main character chooses not to do something because of her background and location. Her background is she's a preacher's kid, so she's grown up saturated in religion and seeking God's purpose in everything, and her location is Smalltown, U.S.A., which has its own unique forms of social control.

Now to a secular reader not raised in church, living in Big City, U.S.A., why my MC makes the choice she makes could easily be baffling--and clearly is based on the revision letter I received.

My job is to make it clear.

That sounds really easy, doesn't it? (insert laugh track)

Your turn! What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever gotten? Besides "just keep writing" (or my version, "just keep swimming"?)

Have a great weekend, reader-friends. Even though I'm missing, as Willie and Elvis said, you're always on my mind.

Til Monday~ <3

Those pesky weaknesses

In my mid-20s, I worked at the TV station in Baton Rouge (WAFB, the CBS affiliate). I started as an intern, working for credit toward my master's, but within two months I was "promoted" to production assistant.

I put that in quotes because I went from not getting paid to doing the same job for minimum wage--a paid intern with a title.

I learned a lot about television news there--things that never would've occurred to me as a passive viewer. One of my duties was to roll tape. (A position I'm sure is obsolete now.)

Here's how it worked: during the news program, the anchors talked about different stories, and after a brief intro, the director said in the headset, "Roll Tape B." Or A, depending on which deck the huge VHS-sized tape was in. That was my cue to press the red button, which started the news story.

It was a simple job that only required following directions and being able to press the correct button on time. Occasionally a tape would mess up, or there'd be some snafu, and I had to think on my feet. (Or panic.) But in the end, it wasn't really that big of a deal.

And production work was fun. There was always chatter in the headsets, and I was constantly giggling. It was also super-fast-paced, so it fit well with my undiagnosed adult-ADD brain.

I was there less than two years, but I got very good at writing copy for the anchors to read over B-roll. (That's when you're watching footage and the anchor's telling you about what happened.) I was never good at being an actual reporter--I've blogged about how painful the tags to my news reports were.

So what does this have to do with writing?

As writers, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes they're the same thing. For me, my work experience has taught me to write very fast and get to the point quickly. That doesn't translate so well to novel writing.

I'll get a great idea for a storyline or a scene, and I'll charge right in there and get it down before it's gone. But the problem is while writing that scene, my undiagnosed adult-ADD brain often gets another idea for another great scene, and I'm quickly off to write that one down.

My first beta reader always complains.

JRM: This was a really cool scene, but you rushed off to the next thing.
LTM: I did?
JRM: Yes, I want to know more about what happened here.
LTM: Wait, tell me again how I wrote something really cool...

Is there a way to fix this weakness?

I don't know. I do know I'm usually able to beef things up in revisions, but gah! That's such a painful process, and I'm always convinced it would be so much easier to cut text than have to come up with new content.

Any of you guys struggle with this? Anybody got a trick or tip for me?

Alternatively, do you have a writing weakness you managed to conquer? I'd love to hear some success stories. Or solidarity! What's a writing weakness you're working on and want a tip to fix?

Til Thursday~ <3

And now we wait

So I sent the revision back yesterday. Ten thousand words longer and much fuller, and now the wait begins.

I'm truly beat, but I have to give shout outs to JRM, Carolyn, Tami, and Jen who jumped in to speed-read and give me feedback. You guys are amazing, and in the middle of NaNo even. I have no awards to give you, but perhaps an acknowledgements section--?

It's been crazy trying to keep up with the day jobs while revising, but I wanted to share with you the feature I wrote on local writer Murray Dunlap (link). His anthology What Doesn't Kill You actually just came out. You can purchase a copy here (link).

Give it up for my oldest daughter, who is representing her class in the school-wide spelling bee tomorrow. Yay, for my baby! I'm a very proud Mamma. This is clearly her dad's influence because the only thing I do worse than spell is remember names.

And the new Harry Potter film opens Friday! Exciting times. Mix in Tangled and the holidays, and that should take the edge off my wait.

In conclusion, a little inspiration from that book I'm studying with friends. Remember last Monday, the Mother Teresa quote?

Anyway, it was talking about your strengths and flow. It talked about how in the Bible, the first person who was mentioned as having the "Spirit of God" was a guy named Bezalel. Seriously. Who the heck is Bezalel? I didn't even know, but apparently he was one of those biblical architects who helped build the first tabernacle.

The point was this quote:

"We do not work mainly for money, recognition, promotion, applause, or fame. We work for flow. We live for flow. We hunger for the experience of flow, and when it is present, something happens in our spirit as we connect with a reality beyond ourselves and partner with God." --John Ortberg, The Me I Want to Be

It reminded me of a quote Angie shared with me a few months back:

"Creation is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Start small. Don't let fear of failure discourage you. Don't let the voice of critics paralyze you--whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside. the more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the grater your capacity to create." --Dieter F. Uchtdorf

'til Thursday~ <3

Tips & Tricks - The Soundtrack

First, Happy Veterans Day! A big Thank You to all the brave men and women who've helped keep me, my family, and this country I love safe and free! I appreciate you~

* * *

Now for today's post:

I had the hardest time getting started on WIP3 (working title is Cheveux Roux).

Anyway, I worked so hard to create writing blocks of time for it and then during those times, I played and chatted with bleeps. I researched New Orleans in the Gilded Age, read about the aftermath of the Civil War, read about French surnames and histories, downloaded photographs of clothes worn at the time...

Check this gorgeous dress I found from the period.

[Note: Image removed due to copyright concerns.]

That's black velvet on white satin--very art nouveau.

Anyway, I'm happy to say all that procrastinating was not wasted time. There was actually one thing I did that seriously helped me. Nikki posted about it Tuesday over at the Oasis.

I made a soundtrack.

The truth is, I'm a musical mush-pot. Want me to remember something? Set it to music. Seriously, it's freakish the way I remember songs. So it really wasn't a hard thing for me. It was kind of fun.

Originally, I'd wanted to write a story set in a circus. Why? I don't know. But as I got to writing, I decided a cabaret in New Orleans would be more interesting. And possibly easier because of the whole "close to home" thing.

So I mined all the musicals and sort of showy, dramatic songs I could think of and assembled tunes that to me represented certain characters. Wanna hear it? (link).

I'd never done that before and I have to give it up. It worked! 

I did not listen to it while writing. I actually didn't listen to it very much at all in the beginning. But toward the end, I put it on the iPod and one character in particular came rushing back to my mind--I went straight home and wrote an entire scene with him in it.

So cool beans and kudos to whoever came up with that idea. I remember Jennie wrote about her soundtrack over the summer, and I think Jessie did too. Have any of you guys done this? Did it Help? Want to share one or two of your songs?

And just as a very non-scientific poll, what do you guys think about a French title for WIP3? Is that a BAD idea?

Here's the logline for the book (historical YA fiction). I'd love to hear your comments/critiques:

Seventeen-year-old Hale plans to escape her life as a cabaret performer in 1890s New Orleans by marrying a wealthy, genteel suitor she doesn't really love, until a handsome stage-hand arrives and steals her heart. But when a sexual predator threatens the orphan Hale rescued and raised, she is convinced their only hope is by sticking to her original plan, even if it costs her the one she loves.

All the best with your current projects! Have a super weekend~ <3

That Silly Muse

Why does inspiration strike the way it does?

I was in the shower Saturday, trying to get ready as fast as possible because I was due to work the Princess Both at our school's annual Fall Festival, and voila! I had this amazing idea for how to work a requested revision into BNN...

And then when I made that change, naturally, I would have to return to an earlier scene (which page was that on?) to work in how the change would be foreshadowed.

Oh, yes, and then there's this later scene that won't make sense now if I don't make this note...

And oh my goodness! This change is so cool, it could actually become something of a "lesson" the MC learns by novel's end! Must make note to think about whether or not that will work...

Thirty minutes later I'm almost late for the princesses!

Not only that, we almost missed the entire festival. JRM is annoyed--will you ever get away from that laptop? Babies are cranky--Mommy! It's time to go!!!

sigh.

I'm thinking of my NaNo bleeps today (link). I'm not participating because for me it's ReviseMo, but I would so be there otherwise. The idea of writing every day with goals and partners sounds so motivating.

And that silly muse. Am I the only one who gets inspiration at the darndest time? (Am I the only one who feels guilty for having her head in a cloud the entire time I'm working on a MS or a revision?)

Good luck, Nanners! Til Thursday~

Revision Reaction

Reaction isn't the right word for what's buzzing in my brain right now, but I wanted an alliterative title... I need Jessica's help.

What's the R word for "revision performance anxiety"? Or "complete and total revision panic attack"?

For those of you completely lost, ten days ago I got a "revise and resubmit" request from my personal top-pick agency. Like the only agency I ever wanted to query from Day 1 last year when I decided to pursue this novelist thing seriously.

But you don't just query one agency. That's crazy, right?

Still, every writer who's ever played a role in my life as a reader (or a writer) is handled by these guys, and working with them would be like... I don't know. Like the seal of approval as a novelist. Or something.

So it happened. They're giving me a shot. And ten days later, I still haven't started revising.

Oh, yes. I've made lots of notes. I've discussed it ad nauseum with crit partners and local betas and JRM. I've told them my ideas for approaching the requested changes and everyone's given helpful suggestions and been so super-supportive. ((big hugs))

And yet I sit here staring at the compuer screen. My throat's tight and it's possible my stomach has completely closed up. I can't seem to open the document...

What's the problem, right? I've worked as an editor for more than a decade. It's really not that big of a deal. Hello? Mountain? Molehill? Just do it already.

Well, I'll tell ya (as I told another crit partner who's vying for sainthood)... I'm not really sure where to begin. I mean, I've never revised a book before.

All my revisions have been on short, feature-length news stories. And that's just a matter of beefing up the lede and other things I won't bore you with here. The gist: it's pretty straightforward (and quick) work.

In this case I've been given some guidance but nothing terribly, terribly specific. And I feel very, very overwhelmed. Like throw-the-whole-thing-out-and-just-start-all-over overwhelmed.

... and well... There's this other thing...

I've been afraid to say it out loud in case somebody hears me. Come close and I'll whisper it... shh...

What if I do all this work, make all these changes, think I've got it perfect and then they come back and say, "Right. Well, nice try, thanks--Pass."

...

(gulp)

Then what?

All that time, the energy, the neglect of family/friends/house/appearance/fitness... And in the end, They passed.

In my mind, the idea of that happening is, well, it's me under the desk for a month. At the very least.

...

Okay, now that I've reread all that, I look at it and think, "Who is this person? God, what a ninny! Just shut the whining and do it already."

You never know unless you try, right? And so what? What if they do say "no thanks" after all that and pass? Nothing ventured, man. It's not about the agency, it's about my ability to tell a compelling story that people want to read. These guys don't represent King or Grisham or Rowling and they all seemed to manage just fine.

sigh.

And as my finger hovers over the "delete" key, I pause...

I know part of our blogging writers' community here is sharing this kind of stuff. So I hesitate to wipe out this pathetic mess of a post in favor of giving you something cheery and upbeat that will make you giggle.

Anybody else out there felt this way? Or feeling this way? Or got some advice for the ninny taking up space in my head?

Til Thursday... I'm opening the document now, dangit.

And if you need a giggle, here. I give you... well, I was going to give you some pining for the fjords. Instead I give you the Queen Victoria Handicap. Love~ <3