Jordan Dane's Blog

Celebrating the release of my first non-fiction book - ONE AUTHOR'S AHA MOMENTS - Writing Revelations with a Focus on the Young Adult Market - I am holding a contest to giveaway FIVE FREE EBOOKS.

Good luck to the entrants!

ABOUT THE BOOK
One Author’s Aha Moments by Jordan Dane is a 92-page book geared toward aspiring authors and has an emphasis on the Young Adult genre. These writing tips may also be helpful to experienced authors and those who write other genres. Jordan’s advice comes from her personal experiences on writing fiction for adult and teen markets and what has worked for her. Jordan hopes her book will kindle a fire in you to write—a passion worth pursuing.

Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes& Noble (Nook)

Bio:
Jordan Dane's gritty plots weave a tapestry of vivid settings, intrigue, and dark humor. Publishers Weekly named her debut thriller, No One Heard Her Scream, as a Best Book of 2008. This national bestseller and critically acclaimed author also writes Young Adult novels for Harlequin Teen. Jordan and her husband share their Texas residence with several lucky rescue animals.

Praise for Jordan Dane’s Young Adult Novels

"Adult thriller writer Jordan Dane pens a macabre and thoroughly eerie plot for In the Arms of Stone Angels. Dane's well-developed characters provide an authentic young adult exploration of guilt, loyalty, and belonging."
—Publishers Weekly

"Dane's On a Dark Wing is a great new young adult tale about death, love and starting over. It's an exciting mix that will remind readers of Bree Despain's The Lost Saint and Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers. Paranormal fans will love this. A compelling page turner."
—RT Magazine

ABOUT THE CONTEST
The contest will run from Wednesday, May 23rd to Saturday, June 30th. Deadline times, rules, and ways to enter are on the Rafflecopter form below. Winners will be selected using random.org. There are many ways to enter on this form.

This is a contest giveaway for EBOOKS ONLY. NO PRINT BOOKS will be awarded or shipped.

Entrants must have the ability to download the digital format onto an e-reader, their computer, or smart phone via AMAZON or B&N NOOK.

The apps for digital downloads are free at these online retailer sites if an entrant does not have an e-reader device. It is the entrant's responsibility to have the digital capability to download the prize if they win, otherwise they will be ineligible and the prize will be awarded to another entrant.

International entrants must have the ability to transact on the AMAZON or NOOK site wherever the digital e-book prize is being sold. The author will not be held responsible for any limitations of the AMAZON or NOOK global online system.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

When I first sold in 2006 to HarperCollins in auction with my debut book and two others coming out in 2008, I've been excited about realizing my passion to write. Over the years I've shared my thoughts on blog posts, workshops (online and in person), magazine/newsletter articles, speaking engagements, local writers' groups, and through people who have contacted me directly through my website. This has been my way of "paying it forward" for all the kindnesses that other authors and the publishing industry has shown me. I feel truly blessed to be living my dream and found another way to enable other authors to hopefully do the same.

I've put together a collection of my writing epiphanies, my "Aha!" moments of things that have worked for me when writing for the adult thriller and YA markets. These thoughts come from my blog posts, handouts, magazine/newsletter articles, and various other sources over the years. My hope is that aspiring authors, with the dream to write, can find nuggets in this book that will help them take a step further in achieving their goal to get published.

Here is the cover reveal. The book should be out later in May 2012. Details to come soon!

by Jordan Dane

“Because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggoneit, people like me.” Stuart Smalley, Saturday Night Live (Al Franken)
I’ll be on a panel at the Romance Writers of America annual conference in Anaheim in July – “The Care and Feeding of the Writer’s Soul.” Ever since I committed to doing it, I’ve been pondering my contribution and examining my own practices when it comes to nurturing my writer’s spirit.

But I wanted to open the topic up for discussion here to get your input. If you could create a box of affirmations for the writer, what would be your personal contribution?

On my computer I have been collecting sayings that have meant something to me over the years. These have come from author speaking engagements, emails, or things I’ve found online that inspired me enough to post it where I could see them every day. Affirmations can be reminders of author craft you want to repeat or they can be a way to keep a positive attitude or make progress in your career.

Here are a few sayings on my computer that mostly deal with author craft:

“Stick with the action.” Romance author Dana Taylor
When I muddled an intro action scene with back story, Dana wrote these words in an email after she critiqued the scene.

“Be there.” James Patterson
Patterson was a speaker at am RWA conference in 2004. He filled a ballroom, standing room only. By these two words he meant to put your reader into the scene using all their senses. He also said that he puts as much care into the first sentence of each chapter as he does the first line in any book. (I wonder if all the James Patterson(s) do this?)

“Trust the talent.” Robert Crais
I heard Crais present this on a video he sent via email in one of his newsletters. He talked at length about how he writes in constant fear, but that he trusts the talent that has brought him his success. It reminded me that all people have doubts. That’s human nature, but when you have a natural storyteller inside you, you should trust it.

“Get in, make your point, then get the hell out.” Robert Gregory Browne
Rob spelled this out when he explained ELLE on a blog post. Enter Late, Leave Early. The method is best explained by the TV show “Law & Order” where the scenes are sharp, concise, and don’t over-explain to slow pacing. The barest essentials of the scenes are captured to move the story along and a viewer’s mind fills in the gaps in action. The same works for books.

Here are a few that would be my contribution to keep a positive mental attitude:

“The next pair of eyeballs to see this proposal will be the ones to say, Yes!” “I strive to be better with every book. My best story is always my next one.”

“I touch new readers with every story.”

“My books are unique because they are filtered through me and my personal experiences. I’m not in competition with anyone, except me, to be the best author I can be.”

Here are a few silly ones:

“I never get my page numbers wrong. I must be good at math.”

“When I kill people on paper, they stay dead. Booya!”

As for practices to keep me positive, I have a shredding ritual for any rejection to expel the negativity from my house. Try it. It’s liberating. When I complete any project, I also treat myself with something that isn’t food—time off, vacation, fun evening with friends or family, attend a book signing, buy a new outfit. I used to think that each positive step in my quest to become a published author was only a small part of a longer future—that celebrating too much is a distraction that can swell your head. But now I celebrate everything. Life’s too short not to cherish even the smallest of pleasures.

Please share your thoughts. What would you write and contribute to an author’s affirmation box? What practices do you have to keep your mind positive and your writer’s soul nourished?

I love the Texas Library Association annual conference & YART, the Young Adult Round Table. The annual conference and TEEN DAY are amazing events that makes me proud to be a Texan. Getting connected with librarians and authors and teen readers is a real plus.

This year for the first time they had a Librarian Tea. We didn't know exactly how the thing would work, only that it was compared to SPEED DATING. A huge room packed with 8-10 librarians at each table and authors got paired up to rotate through a section of tables to meet everyone, pitch our books and chat. If you were a Texas author, you got a special straw cowboy hat to wear - fake moustache optional.

My publisher - Harlequin Teen - did a great job at donating FREE BOOKS for me to sign at severals events focused on the Librarian Tea, the Young Adult Round Table signing and another signing in the exhibit hall of the George R Brown Convention Center.




Rachel Vincent (the amazing Soul Screamer series) joined me as a fellow Harlequin Teen author. It was great to see her again since we were once Okie authors before either of us were published. The gorgeous Rachel is on the right. Pictured with us is Lindsey Cummins in the middle. She'll be an exciting new debut YA author in 2013 to watch out for with HarperCollins Green Willow.



 Be sure to check out TLA for upcoming conferences. You won't be sorry you did. It's a real celebration of books.

High concept story lines are based on an intriguing premise or hook. A hook is the same thing as a logline, best described as a 1-2 line TV guide listing. A short pitch line takes a complex book plot and summarizes it down to an enticing teaser. Generally this teaser is the first step to conveying your novel idea to an editor or agent, whether in a query letter, proposal, or during a pitch session at a conference.

Elements of your hook line should include:
Main Characters
Conflict
Unique Qualities
Setting/Time Period
Main Action
Emotional Element

Important questions to ask in order to define your hook:


Characters – Who is the main character? What does he or she want? What is their goal?


Conflict – What is the obstacle in the way? Who will play the part of the villain? Does the main character have a flaw that adds to the drama of why he can’t get what he/she wants?

Setting/Time Period – What is unique about your setting or time period? Does it contribute to the conflict for the character?


Main Action – What is the most compelling action in the story?

Emotional Element – What is the most gripping emotional element to your story?

Even if your story has been told before, you can add a fresh take or twist on it. An effective hook can make it seem new. High concept hooks can also be based on “what if” questions like:

· “What if man could clone dinosaurs?” (Jurassic Park)
· “What if there was a place that stayed dark and vampires never had to interrupt their feeding to sleep?” (30 Days of Night)
· “What if a defense attorney couldn’t lie?” (Liar, Liar)
Sometimes a high concept idea can be only in the title. So even if a movie or a book doesn’t get top reviews, people still buy it because they “have to” experience it.
· Snakes on a Plane
· Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
I’d like to share the hook on two books that I enjoyed reading. These represent daring authors who didn’t take the easy road in determining their plots. Imagine the craft it would take to write these two novels. Better yet, read them and enjoy.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – The story of a 14-year old girl living during the time of the Holocaust, narrated by Death. The hook is the author’s narrator choice. The time period is very compelling and the fact that the girl steals books to teach herself to read during a time when books are being destroyed is a gripping period piece, but to have Death be the narrator puts this book over the top. The New York Times is quoted as saying this book is “life changing.” All I can say is that it changed me.

Thirteen Reason Why by Jay Asher – This is the story of a girl who commits suicide but sends 13 audio tapes to the people who contributed to her making that fatal decision. The audio tapes are an effective hook, but the writer chose to tell the story through one boy who got a recording. He was the one person who had a secret crush on this girl, but did nothing about it. The story is told one night as he listens to the intimacy of her voice in his ear as he follows the map to all the locations she sends him to. Recorded flashbacks mix with the present, but the reader never loses track of what is taking place.

Here is the hook for my latest series with Harlequin Teen – The Hunted series. In this series, kids who can’t speak out, without drawing attention to who and what they are, make the perfect victims on the streets of LA. A covert faction of a church hunts them under the guise of doing God’s work—to stop the abominations from “becoming.” The tag line on the cover will be: They are our future, if they survive.

A fanatical church secretly hunts “Indigo” teens feared to be the next evolution of mankind. These gifted teens are our future…if they survive.

For those of you writing a project now, please share your hook. Take up to 3 lines. Even if you don't have a current project, make something up that you'd like to write and have fun using the questions above. You never know what might pop up.

I’ve never been a plotter. I’m too impatient. Once I get the general idea of a story with a compelling conflict and a notion of my cast of players, I can’t wait to “discover” the story as I write. It plays out in my head like a movie, but I’m constantly exploring new ways to get organized so my daily word count goals can be achieved without roadblocks.



Today on TKZ, I submit my latest thoughts on the 3-Act Structure and the Storyboard method of plotting. These are purely my thoughts on combining these concepts as they might apply to my writing, but maybe you’ll see elements you like in this for you.


I used to think of the 3-Act Structure as beginning, middle, and end, but I’ve read it more accurately reflected as Establish, Build, & Resolve by Michael Hauge in his book “Writing Screenplays that Sell.” Thinking of these acts in this manner denotes movement. So imagine these three segments as buckets, but before I can toss wads of paper (or scenes) into these buckets, I must have a place to start. Set aside your buckets for now and grab a paper and pen—or Sticky Notes, colors optional.


Presuming I have a general notion of my book, I would create a list of 20-25 things I know about the action in my book in terms of what I call “big ticket” plot movements. No backstory. What will go on my list will be scenes that I envision as key elements to my story. They won’t be put into any order. I merely list them as they occur to me. I would brainstorm without censoring my thoughts. I heard an author talk about creating notes on 3-M sticky notes, rather than a random list, but you get the idea. I don’t expect to know every scene in my book at this stage. The storyboard I create will be an evolving beast that I will change as I write, edit, and final my book so I can see my plot at a glance.


Now let’s talk about the 3-Act Structure in terms of a BIG “W.”


ACT I – Establish - The start of Act I (or the top left of my “W”) is the Triggering Event. It’s the inciting incident that will start my story, the point at which my main character’s life changes forever. As I travel down the left side of my “W,” I head for the 1st Turning Point that usually sets up the problem or the first low point or perhaps a moment of hope. This is a reversal point that changes the direction of my plot as I head out of Act 1. I’ve “Established” my world up to this point and the general conflicts and players in the first 25% of my book, in theory.


ACT II – Build - As my plot heads toward the upward middle of my “W,” that is another key reversal. If I have a book with hope in my first turning point, this shift might dash those hopes to some degree. If I have a dark moment in that first turning point, things get worse, but the plot takes another key turn one way or the other as the action “Builds.” Act II ends with the next turning point (the 2nd low point of my “W”). This is the black moment where all seems lost. This part of the “W” represents the middle part of the turning point structure or 50% of my story, the “building” middle.


ACT III – Resolve – Now I would be in Act III, the last upward line of the “W” after the black moment. I’m headed toward resolution. In this section, my hero or heroine might discover something about the villain in the story that is his or her weakness. He or she implements a plan to take advantage of this Achilles Heel, but I might consider throwing in another epiphany or twist before the end. This could be a twist or complication—an “Oh my, God” moment the reader might not see coming before the world is restored or the ending happens. This last part of the structure is the final 25%.


I’ve oversimplified these blended theories for the sake of this post. The lines of the “W” don’t have to be linear, for example. I could have little ups and downs along the way that will take me through my book, but I wanted you to have a general idea of how this could work.




Now get ready with your buckets. Each of these acts is a bucket, for the purposes of this explanation. So the list I created at the beginning—the 20-25 brainstormed scenes—each has a place in an Act Bucket. I would add to these 25 things as I get more familiar with my book, but if I were to Storyboard this out, I would create 20 squares that represent chapters in my books. (You might write differently, so make this work for you with your average number of chapters in a single-title book.) I would write my 25 items down with each one going on a 3-M Sticky Note and place them on my storyboard where I think they will go in Act I (25%), II (50%), or III (25%). Since each of these scene ideas is moveable, I can change the order and chapter they might appear to get the pace and building intensity up. Once I see things on my storyboard in a visual manner, I will no doubt want to add more Sticky Note scenes to fill out the detail and transitions in my story as the plot develops.


I generally have 4-5 scenes in a chapter. So as my story plot movement gets established and building toward a resolution, I perhaps can add colored notes to signify POV switches or character story arcs or relationship arcs to deepen my story understanding. I thought this process might fit my “pantser” approach to structure with a simple method that I can see visually as I write and evolve the story. Writing software seemed too complicated to learn with my writing schedule, but I’d love to hear of a simple brainstorming plot method or storyboard concept if you have one.


What works for you?

I've never been a plotter. I'm too impatient. Once I get the general idea of a story with a compelling conflict and a notion of my cast of players, I can't wait to "discover" the story as I write. It plays out in my head like a movie, but I'm constantly exploring new ways to get organized so my daily word count goals can be achieved without roadblocks.



Today on TKZ, I submit my latest thoughts on the 3-Act Structure and the Storyboard method of plotting. These are purely my thoughts on combining these concepts as they might apply to my writing, but maybe you'll see elements you like in this for you.


I used to think of the 3-Act Structure as beginning, middle, and end, but I've read it more accurately reflected as Establish, Build, & Resolve by Michael Hauge in his book "Writing Screenplays that Sell." Thinking of these acts in this manner denotes movement. So imagine these three segments as buckets, but before I can toss wads of paper (or scenes) into these buckets, I must have a place to start. Set aside your buckets for now and grab a paper and pen—or Sticky Notes, colors optional.


Presuming I have a general notion of my book, I would create a list of 20-25 things I know about the action in my book in terms of what I call "big ticket" plot movements. No backstory. What will go on my list will be scenes that I envision as key elements to my story. They won't be put into any order. I merely list them as they occur to me. I would brainstorm without censoring my thoughts. I heard an author talk about creating notes on 3-M sticky notes, rather than a random list, but you get the idea. I don't expect to know every scene in my book at this stage. The storyboard I create will be an evolving beast that I will change as I write, edit, and final my book so I can see my plot at a glance.


Now let's talk about the 3-Act Structure in terms of a BIG "W."


ACT I – Establish - The start of Act I (or the top left of my "W") is the Triggering Event. It's the inciting incident that will start my story, the point at which my main character's life changes forever. As I travel down the left side of my "W," I head for the 1st Turning Point that usually sets up the problem or the first low point or perhaps a moment of hope. This is a reversal point that changes the direction of my plot as I head out of Act 1. I've "Established" my world up to this point and the general conflicts and players in the first 25% of my book, in theory.


ACT II – Build - As my plot heads toward the upward middle of my "W," that is another key reversal. If I have a book with hope in my first turning point, this shift might dash those hopes to some degree. If I have a dark moment in that first turning point, things get worse, but the plot takes another key turn one way or the other as the action "Builds." Act II ends with the next turning point (the 2nd low point of my "W"). This is the black moment where all seems lost. This part of the "W" represents the middle part of the turning point structure or 50% of my story, the "building" middle.


ACT III – Resolve – Now I would be in Act III, the last upward line of the "W" after the black moment. I'm headed toward resolution. In this section, my hero or heroine might discover something about the villain in the story that is his or her weakness. He or she implements a plan to take advantage of this Achilles Heel, but I might consider throwing in another epiphany or twist before the end. This could be a twist or complication—an "Oh my, God" moment the reader might not see coming before the world is restored or the ending happens. This last part of the structure is the final 25%.


I've oversimplified these blended theories for the sake of this post. The lines of the "W" don't have to be linear, for example. I could have little ups and downs along the way that will take me through my book, but I wanted you to have a general idea of how this could work.




Now get ready with your buckets. Each of these acts is a bucket, for the purposes of this explanation. So the list I created at the beginning—the 20-25 brainstormed scenes—each has a place in an Act Bucket. I would add to these 25 things as I get more familiar with my book, but if I were to Storyboard this out, I would create 20 squares that represent chapters in my books. (You might write differently, so make this work for you with your average number of chapters in a single-title book.) I would write my 25 items down with each one going on a 3-M Sticky Note and place them on my storyboard where I think they will go in Act I (25%), II (50%), or III (25%). Since each of these scene ideas is moveable, I can change the order and chapter they might appear to get the pace and building intensity up. Once I see things on my storyboard in a visual manner, I will no doubt want to add more Sticky Note scenes to fill out the detail and transitions in my story as the plot develops.


I generally have 4-5 scenes in a chapter. So as my story plot movement gets established and building toward a resolution, I perhaps can add colored notes to signify POV switches or character story arcs or relationship arcs to deepen my story understanding. I thought this process might fit my "pantser" approach to structure with a simple method that I can see visually as I write and evolve the story. Writing software seemed too complicated to learn with my writing schedule, but I'd love to hear of a simple brainstorming plot method or storyboard concept if you have one.


What works for you?

Another AWESOME blog site that hosts some of the best virtual book tours is TEEN BOOK SCENE. They are hosting a tour for ON A DARK WING March 5 - 16th. For deets on features, giveaways and general awesomeness, click on this LINK.

Our first rescue dog Feliz passed from this life in 2008 after sixteen years of sharing her love. As we knew it would, her death broke our hearts.



Grief manifests itself in many ways. For a long time, we heard the click of her nails on tile, still saw her shadow at the door, and we lingered at the garage, waiting for her to show and claim a biscuit. All of those moments were products of our wishful thinking and old habits are hard to deny, but it's amazing how well she trained us. If Stephen King's story in Pet Sematary were true, we'd gladly welcome her back to this life, even if she were the spawn of Satan.


That's how much we loved her.


Her full name was Feliz Navidog. Yes, she was a Christmas present, but not for us. We had given her to my parents with the caveat that if they truly didn't want a puppy, they could return her to us. (What were we thinking giving a puppy to my elderly parents? HA!) Within two weeks, back she came. In hindsight, she was the best present we ever got. We nearly called her Boomerang, but in Spanish, the word Feliz translates to 'happy' and that suited her just fine. She always had a smile on her face.


When she was a pup, she had a dark muzzle, one ear up and one down, a curled tail and an unfaltering bounce to her step. People often asked us what breed she was. In truth, she was a German Shepherd Chow mix, but we lovingly called her a "Somma Dog"—because she was somma dis, somma dat. But one man's mutt is another man's idea of perfection.


Feliz had many admirable skills, despite her questionable lineage.


She was a practitioner of puppy telepathy, transmitting her thoughts to us with a meaningful stare. She also spoke the language of human beings with unfailing accuracy, developing an extensive vocabulary. Balancing a biscuit on the end of her nose then tossing it into her mouth had become her signature move. And in later years, she mastered sign language when her hearing was failing. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?


Every morning of her life—without fail—she awoke for the sole purpose of pleasing us. We saw it in her face and felt it on her warm wet tongue. She never tired of the routine or the mundane, even after her joints got stiff and her eyesight grew dim—because in her mind, she was always that puppy with a bounce in her step.


It took us a long time to get over her death, but after I blogged about my grief, many people responded that it wasn't about trying to replace her, it was about giving another deserving rescue dog a good home. That's when we made up our minds to move on and open our home to more rescue animals. We now have four rescue animals, two dogs and two cats.


They are (we are) Feliz's legacy. One life matters.


Dogs remind us that love should be unconditional. In their world, friendships begin with a well-placed and unerring sniff—completely devoid of an ulterior motive or personal agenda. If you pass the sniff test, you're in. No cover charge and no membership fee. And with a mere wag of a tail, a dog can make you smile and lift your spirits. We can all learn from them—because their love comes from a higher place.

Share your favorite pet story with me today. Funny or sad, we love them all.

By Jordan Dane


I'm teaching an online writing class from Feb 20 – Mar 2, hosted by YARWA, the online chapter for Young Adult Romance Writers of America. We've chatted about how to get over the hump and finish a book once you've stalled out for various reasons. Some people might call this writer's block, but for me, I refuse to acknowledge anything like that exists. It's too easy to blame an affliction we seemingly have no control over. I prefer to think my brain is secretly trying to tell me something that I'm not hearing, even though we are close neighbors.



When I can't hear my brain SCREAMING at me to stop writing, apparently my body can hear that pesky 3-pounds of mush. My fingers boycott me and quit hitting the keyboard or I find many excuses to distract myself—even doing laundry, for cryin' out loud. Now that's desperate.







I've learned to listen to my body when this happens. It's my interpreter when it comes to "brain speak." One way to get me back on track is first understand and accept that my brain is trying to tell me something about the plot, character revelation/motivation, or certain scenes aren't working and could be better. Usually this part only lasts hours or a day or two, or a good night's sleep. I've found answers for my dilemma in commercials, the NOVA channel, and even have found the complete ending of a book from watching an old skateboard flick, starring Christian Slater, called "Gleaming the Cube."


But when I can't find the answer alone, I've found a tried and true method for me is cornering ANYONE to listen to me 'splain it. Usually this poor person is my husband, John. We can chat over breakfast, spending quality time talking about how to kill people and get away with it, or he listens to my ramblings as we drive. (Your gas mileage may vary.) One thing amazes me about this process. It doesn't seem to matter who I corner or how I 'splain it, I invariably come up with the answer on my own as I talk it out. It seems the brain needs the mouth to communicate back to my brain. What a weird Détente!


If you haven't tried this, do it. It will blow your mind. Literally! I've concluded that since I spend most of my day in my own head—without speaking—that when I finally DO speak, my brain is listening and finally sends messages that result in solutions. Things I wouldn't have explored purely thinking about them. Apparently explaining things to someone outside my "brain trust"—whether they ultimately contribute to the process or not is irrelevant—forces me to work things out in a way I can't do on my own. The act of being more thorough in my explanation seems to be a critical element to my process.


But given the old adage about a tree in the forest, does it take someone else listening to get results to my dilemma? Or is this the first stages of schizophrenia and my way of justifying it? I haven't ranted to me, myself, and I on this yet. That day might come on its own—along with a nice helping of meds.


Please share:
1.) How do YOU jumpstart your writing process?
2.) What have been your strangest diversions when you should have been writing?


Below is a video on how the publishing industry works from author to store: