Jessica Brody's Blog, page 17

April 15, 2014

Unremembered Fan Cast – WINNERS!

Hoorah! We’ve reached the end of the March Madness Unremembered Fan Cast!

You chose the actors, then you voted on each round until we reached the end! So….here are your winners for the roles of SERAPHINA, CODY and ZEN! And I have to say, I LOVE them! Well, done, you guys! Thanks for playing!

Make sure you keep updated on all the official Unremembered Movie news by following the film on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Instagram!

*Remember, these are fan cast picks for the roles of Seraphina, Zen, and Cody (chosen by readers). These are NOT actual castings for the film.

Click here to read more about the Unremembered Film Deal!

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Published on April 15, 2014 18:35

April 7, 2014

CAST YOUR VOTE! Unremembered Fan Cast Finals!

We’ve reached the end of the UNREMEMBERED Fan Cast-off game! All of YOUR dream casts for the roles of Seraphina, Zen, and Cody have been pitted against each other and YOU voted until we reached this final round!

So now it’s time to cast your final vote and decide who is the ULTIMATE fan cast!

Remember, the producers of the film and I had nothing to do with these picks. These actors were ALL chosen and voted on by readers!

So without further ado, here are your finalists! Cast your vote in the comments!

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Published on April 07, 2014 10:40

April 4, 2014

UNREMEMBERED Book 3 Title Reveal!

As I finish up my revisions on the third and final book in the UNREMEMBERED trilogy, I’m so excited to finally be able to announce the title!

This book has had MANY titles, the most popular, of course being UNTITLED. But it is UNtitled no more!

The title for the third book in the trilogy is…

Tada! UNCHANGED will be out in February 2015 and yes, ALL the secrets will be revealed, ALL the mysteries will be solved, ALL the cliffhangers will be…unhung?

I can’t wait to share this story with you all!

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Published on April 04, 2014 10:06

April 3, 2014

YA Scavenger Hunt: Spring 2014 Edition

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! (THE RED TEAM!!) But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the RED TEAM–but there’s also a blue team for a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!

If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt Author List.

Scavenger Hunt Puzzle

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the red team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by April 6th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Welcome, Cat Patrick!

Today, I am hosting Cat Patrick on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

Raised in a house that was struck by lightning–twice–Cat Patrick is the author of young adult books Forgotten, Revived, and The Originals, and the co-author of Just Like Fate.

As a child, Cat could be found making up stories like her first book, Dolly the Purple Spotted Dolphin; growing corn in the backyard; or performing with a traveling sign language troupe. Now, she lives outside of Seattle with her family and spends her spare time playing dress-up, planning to create a roller derby team, or obsessing about zombies.

Find her online at www.catpatrick.com and https://twitter.com/seecatwrite.

About The Originals

“Patrick is making a niche for herself with high-concept romantic thrillers about girls whose realities are far from the norm, and her third novel may be her best yet…[it] will keep readers riveted.”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Three Girls. One Life.

Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up believing they were identical triplets. Then they learned the truth — and no one else can know.

Now, to the outside world, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one seventeen-year-old daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, pursuing extracurriculars, and even dating.

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, the one person who can help her realize she’s not a carbon copy of the others — she’s an individual with unique dreams and desires. Digging deeper into her background and her mother’s role in her life, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

Pre-order on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Exclusive Content

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

My third novel, THE ORIGINALS, which will be out in paperback in DAYS (!!), was originally called THE BEST GIRLS because the main characters’ last name is Best. In the book that exists now, three clones live as one person to hide the fact that they’re clones—they’re forced to live that way by their secretive and overbearing mother. In early drafts, though, the mother was a father named Neil. Also in the beginning, the main love interest was Levi, a name I love. But along the way, I realized that my readers would start to think I had an obsession with the letter L: Lizze and Levi was too close to Luke and London from my first novel, FORGOTTEN. So, I changed Levi to a good Irish name, Sean.

THE ORIGINALS was a book that I wrote in my head before it made it to the page: It didn’t change that much from draft to draft. But some scenes did get cut in order to tighten the book. Here’s one such scene, which mentions main characters Lizzie, Betsey, and Ella, aka the clones; as well as Levi (Sean); Dave, who is Ella’s love interest, and stays Dave; Nina, a housekeeper slash nanny who was cut altogether; and Daddy Neil who turned into Mom.

Dumptruck is the dog, and he was named by one of my then three-year-olds. It’s a funny story that I’ll tell you sometime when I’m not already taking up all of the space on Jessica’s blog. (Sorry, Jess!)

Anyway, here’s a deleted scene from THE ORIGINALS:

In the beginning of February, Betsey joins the environmental club at school, which meets mostly at night because everyone in it has other stuff going on. She also gets a new job at a coffee shop near the University, a perfect venue for stolen moments with Levi during our frequent nighttime switches.

Because Bet doesn’t get much interaction with kids from school, and because Ella can hardly stand to be near Dave without breaking down, Betsey and Ella do daytime switches, too. In fact, more than a month flies by in a heartbeat simply because it’s nearly impossible to keep track of which Elizabeth is where. Levi starts asking me to confirm my identity when we’re together and even Nina mistakenly calls us by the wrong name once in a while. It’s a good distraction from Neil, but as it turns out, we should have been paying attention.

One Sunday in early March, Nina’s off and it’s too sunny to be inside so I disguise myself as Ella and go to Levi’s for brunch. When I arrive, I see that his mom’s car is gone; the idea that we’ll be alone in the house gives me a little flit in my abdomen.

Levi opens the door wearing a smile like sunshine, an apron, and his hideous foam shoes. He waves me inside; I hurry through the door and close it tight so Dumptruck doesn’t make a break for it. As I’m taking off my hoodie, the little dog lovingly jumps up on my calves for a quick hello. I look around Levi’s house and inhale whatever’s cooking; the windows are open and the sheer curtains are blowing gently in the early spring breeze. I’m overwhelmed by how happy and comfortable I feel in this moment.

“Hi,” Levi says, wrapping his arms around me from behind and kissing my neck. I get goose bumps on every inch of my arms. “Are you hungry?”

“Mm-hmm. But when’s your mom coming back?”

“Not until later. Why? Did you think she was eating with us?”

“No,” I say, turning around to face him. “I was hoping we’d be alone.”

Totally certain about what I’m doing, I grab Levi’s hand and lead him to his bedroom. He doesn’t say anything; he only breaks away briefly to turn off the oven so the house doesn’t burn down. For two hours, I forget everything in the world but him. I forget about how Bethie hasn’t responded. About how Betsey, Ella and I have no idea the identity of the man claiming to be our father. For two hours, my life is my own. It’s perfect.

And then it all comes crashing down.

*****

Thanks for stopping by my blog, Cat! Don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me (Jessica), and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 11. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the red team and you’ll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Continue the Hunt

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author on Claudia Gray’s blog.

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Published on April 03, 2014 12:00

Unremembered Film Deal!!!!

For the past NINE months I’ve had to keep this big news a secret and now I’m elated that I can finally shout it from the rooftops!!!

UNREMEMBERED IS HEADED TO THE BIG SCREEN!

The wonderful producers of the Vampire Academy movie as well as the producer of Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, and Slumdog Millionaire are taking my little baby book and adapting it as a film! And I couldn’t be more thrilled! I’m so excited for all the amazing things they have planned for it!

Here is the exclusive on the deal from the Hollywood Reporter!

They’ll be lots of steps between now and the release of the movie so be sure to follow the official Unremembered Movie social media sites to stay updated on the latest news from the producers.

Like the Unremembered Movie on Facebook
Follow the Unremembered Movie on Twitter
Follow the Unremembered Movie on Instagram
Follow the Unremembered Movie on Tumblr

Thank you SO much to all the readers who got behind this book and made a splash in the book world. Now let’s make a splash in Hollywood! What do you say???

XO

Jessica

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Published on April 03, 2014 10:15

March 18, 2014

Guest Star: Eileen Cook!

Year of Mistaken Discoveries by Eileen Cook is now available!

About the book:

Friendship is a bond stronger than secrets in this novel from the author of The Almost Truth and Unraveling Isobel.

As first graders, Avery and Nora bonded over a special trait they shared—they were both adopted.

Years later, Avery is smart, popular, and on the cheerleading squad, while Nora spends her time on the fringes of school society, wearing black, reading esoteric poetry, and listening to obscure music. They never interact…until the night Nora approaches Avery at a party, saying it’s urgent. She tells Avery that she thought she found her birth mom—but it turned out to be a cruel lie. Avery feels for Nora, but returns to her friends at the party.

Then Avery learns that Nora overdosed on pills. Left to cope with Nora’s loss and questioning her own actions, Avery decides to honor her friend by launching a search for her own birth mother. Aided by Brody, a friend of Nora’s who is also looking for a way to respect Nora’s legacy, Avery embarks on an emotional quest. But what she’s really seeking might go far deeper than just genetics…

You can buy the book here:

What Others Are Saying:

“Cook combines friendship drama, boy troubles, romance, family conflict, and college application stress with a protagonist trying to understand who she really is in the wake of tragedy.” Publisher’s Weekly

“Cook delves into some interesting questions about what is really important in life as well as the challenges associated with self-discovery and determining how far you’ll go to get what you want.” Booklist

“An insightful, entertaining exploration of the impact of a suicide” Kirkus

“Eileen Cook returns with Year of Mistaken Discoveries, a romantic tragi-comedy from the perspective of the most popular–often most hated–girl in high school: the cheerleader… Year of Mistaken Discoveries is provoking, fast-paced entertainment, and Cook successfully tackles some tough issues with a very light touch.” Readerly- The National Reading Campaign.

“Given the choice between contemporary and paranormal YA, I will almost always pick contemporary and Eileen Cook is the perfect example of why.” Nerdy Book Club- Kelly’s Top 15 Books for 2014

“This book is amazing! Everyone should buy at least five copies.” Eileen’s mom.

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Published on March 18, 2014 21:58

March Madness Unremembered Fan Cast-off!

It’s March Madness everyone! And you know what that means? (Well, at least I hope you do, cause I don’t really know much about it.)

All I know is that March Madness means BRACKETS and brackets are FUN! So I thought I’d do my own March Madness competition!

But instead of pitting basketball teams against each other, I’m pitting fan casts! That’s right! I was OVERWHELMED by all the fans that submitted dream casts for Unremembered last month and so I thought we’d do a friendly competition to pick the fan favorite actor/actress for the roles of Seraphina, Zen, and Cody!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

So, how do you play?

It’s easy! Simply follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, or Facebook. (Or just follow the hashtag #UnrememberedFanCast on any of those) and every day I’ll be posting rounds. You vote on which actor/actress you like best from each round (by commenting or replying) and the winners of that round will go on to the next round. And so on and so forth, until we have ONE first place winner for each role!

We’ll be starting with 16 fan cast picks for each role and we’ll be voting and whittling them down until there’s only one left standing.

The ULTIMATE fan cast!

The first games have already been posted! So go see, vote, and have fun!

*NOTE: All of these actors/actresses have been chosen by readers and fans of the Unremembered trilogy. I had no part in the selection of the contestants.

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Published on March 18, 2014 09:37

March 8, 2014

Build the Girls Gone Sci-Fi Road Trip Playlist and Win Books!

It’s almost time! Jessica Khoury, Tamara Ireland Stone, Lauren Miller and I are hitting the road for the Girls Gone Sci-fi Tour on March 24! (Click here to see all of our stops!)

We’re looking forward to spending a week together visiting schools, libraries, and bookstores. But there’s something in between all those wonderful stops that we’re equally excited about…

THE ROAD TRIP.

The four of us agree that, aside from a reliable GPS, there’s one thing that truly makes a great road trip:

GREAT MUSIC.

This is where YOU come in.

We’ve started the official “Girls Gone Sci-Fi Playlist” with a few current favorites and some road trip essentials, but this just isn’t enough music. We have a lot of car time (see exhibit A).

WILL YOU HELP BUILD OUR PLAYLIST?

It’s easy:

If you’re on Spotify, CLICK HERE to add your songs.
If you’re not on Spotify, tell us your favorite songs in the comments below and we’ll add them for you.

If you want to embed the playlist in your own blog, here’s the embed code:

A chance to win every day!

Each day we’re on the road, we’ll do a random shuffle of this playlist. The contributor of the first song that plays will win a signed copy of one of our books.

We might do a “winning song shuffle” more than once a day. We might do it… say, three times in one day. Who knows? We’re “on the road.” We’re unpredictable.

So go! Add your songs. Make us sing. Make us chair dance. Make us say things like, “Whoa, I forgot all about this song!” or “I’ve never heard this before, but it’s certainly catchy!” or “Awww… swoony lyrics…”.

We can’t wait to hear the songs that will be traveling along with us from Point A to Point F!

(EXHIBIT A: THE ROAD TRIP)

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Published on March 08, 2014 18:31

March 5, 2014

Guest Star: Denise Jaden (Awesome Contest Alert!)

Rather than doing a traditional interview-filled blog tour, Denise Jaden is celebrating the release of her new nonfiction writing book, FAST FICTION, by dropping tips about writing quickly at every stop of her blog tour, and offering some awesome prizes for commenting on any of these posts (including this one!)

The more you drop by and comment, the more chances you have to win these great prizes:

Denise’s Fast Fiction Tip: Write about something you care deeply about.

It’s no accident that my first two published novels revolve around two sets of sisters. You see, I’ve never had a sister, and I think I’ve always been secretly jealous of people who understand that relationship first hand. I’ve taken that desire and let it fuel me through several novels. The more I start to understand about having a sister, the more complex the relationship seems. That, to me, has always been exciting, and I’ve spent many hours exploring the deep well of the sisterly relationships in my stories. That drive to know more has driven me to be able to write a lot of daily words and pursue finished novels. The more I care about my characters and their relationships, the more I need to tell their complete stories. Think about what it is you care enough about to carry you through an entire novel.

The Prizes:

Compliments of New World Library: They will be giving away A BOX of copies of FAST FICTION by Denise Jaden and GET IT DONE by Sam Bennett (US and Canada only):

Compliments of Denise Jaden, TWO BOXES of great fiction (US Only). Details on Denise’s blog.

Audiobook copies of NEVER ENOUGH by Denise Jaden!

A critique of your first five pages, compliments of Denise’s agent, Michelle Humphrey from The Martha Kaplan Agency!

All you have to do is enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win (at the bottom of this post, I’ve included links to all of the other blogs where you can comment for more chances to win).

About Fast Fiction:

Writers flock to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) each November because it provides a procrastination-busting deadline. But only a fraction of the participants meet their goal. Denise Jaden was part of that fraction, writing first drafts of her two published young adult novels during NaNoWriMo. In Fast Fiction, she shows other writers how to do what she did, step-by-step, writer to writer. Her process starts with a prep period for thinking through plot, theme, characters, and setting. Then Jaden provides day-by-day coaching for the thirty-day drafting period. Finally, her revision tips help writers turn merely workable drafts into compelling and publishable novels.

A portion of publisher proceeds will be donated to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

Praise for Fast Fiction:

“Fast Fiction is filled with stellar advice, solid-gold tips, and doable, practical exercises for all writers who want to draft a complete novel.”

— Melissa Walker, author of Violet on the Runway

“Being a ‘pantser’ I have always resisted outlining, but I have to say that Fast Fiction changed my mind! Denise Jaden takes what I find to be a scary process (outlining) and makes it into an easy and, dare I say, enjoyable one. Fast Fiction is a hands-on book that asks the right questions to get your mind and your story flowing. I know I’ll be using Fast Fiction over and over again. Highly recommended for fiction writers!

— Janet Gurtler, author of RITA Award finalist I’m Not Her

“Fast Fiction is full of strategies and insights that will inspire and motivate writers of every experience level — and best of all, it provides them with a solid plan to quickly complete the first draft of their next novel.”

— Mindi Scott, author of Freefall

“Fast Fiction provides writers with the perfect mix of practical guidance and the kick in the pants they need to finish that draft. This book is a must-have for writers of all levels.”

— Eileen Cook, author of The Almost Truth

“Practical and down-to-earth, Denise Jaden’s Fast Fiction makes a one-month draft seem doable, even for beginners, any month of the year.”

— Jennifer Echols, author of Endless Summer and Playing Dirty

“One of the greatest challenges any writer faces is getting a great idea out of one’s brain and onto the page. Fast Fiction breaks that process down into concrete, manageable steps, each accompanied by Denise Jaden’s sage advice and enthusiastic encouragement. And anything that helps streamline the drafting process is a-okay by me! Fast Fiction is a great addition to any writer’s toolbox — I’ve got it in mine!”

— Catherine Knutsson, author of Shadows Cast by Stars

“Forget the fact that this resource is directed at those wanting to complete a fast draft — if you’re out to get your novel done, period, Jaden’s Fast Fiction will be the kick in the butt that gets you there, from story plan to ‘The End’. . . and beyond.”

— Judith Graves, author of the Skinned series for young adults

Where you can find Fast Fiction:

New World Library | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | GoodReads

Help an author out:

Can’t get a copy of FAST FICTION right now? I wonder if you’d consider helping out in other ways. I’d really appreciate any way that you can help!

Ask your library or bookstore to bring in FAST FICTION
Leave a review on Amazon (the more books are reviewed on Amazon, the more they will show up as suggestions for readers).
Mention FAST FICTION on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or pin a link to Amazon on Pinterest

Blog Tour Stops:

Comment on any of the following blog posts celebrating Fast Fiction’s release to be entered to win prizes galore!

(All Fast Fiction blog posts should be live by March 9th, or sooner. Contest will be open until March 15th. If any links don’t work, stop by http://denisejaden.blogspot.com for updated links.)

GCC Blogs:

http://amandaashby.com/news/

http://www.jessicabrody.com/blog

http://www.eileencook.com/

http://luciennediver.wordpress.com/

http://lindagerber.blogspot.com/

http://www.sarahantz.com/blog/

http://denisejaden.blogspot.com

http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com

http://jessikirby.blogspot.com/

http://stephaniekuehnert.blogspot.com

http://myramcentire.com/

http://gretchenmcneil.blogspot.com/

http://www.jennyoconnell.com/blog.html

http://debbierigaud.com/debbie-rigaud-blog/

http://www.mybignose.blogspot.com/

http://we-have-words.com/

http://jerismithready.tumblr.com/

http://www.kristinaspringer.com

http://www.livejournal.com/users/lstolarz/

http://www.melissacwalker.com/blog/

http://dianarwallach.tumblr.com

Additional Participating Blogs:

http://ellestraussbooks.blogspot.com

http://www.judithgraves.com

http://lstaylor.blogspot.com

http://sharigreen.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/fast-fiction-denise-jaden/

http://www.shana-silver.com

http://www.tonettedelaluna.com

http://careann.wordpress.com

http://www.yascribe.blogspot.com

Remember, all you have to do is leave comments to get lots of extra entries to win some great prizes.

Don’t know what to comment about? Tell us the name of your favorite writing book!

Share this widget here:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/Y2QyYmEwOTMzNTUyNGRiYWY0NWE1YWE4YjBjN2I2OjQ=/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Or, if the Rafflecopter Giveaway doesn’t seem to be coming up on this blog, access it here: http://www.denisejaden.com/FastFictionContest.html

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Published on March 05, 2014 18:54

March 4, 2014

The Condition Which Shall Not Be Named: 5 Tips for Outsmarting whisper Writer’s Block

What do you picture when I say the word, “Writer?”

More often than not I think people picture an unkempt little man sitting at an empty-coffee-mug-littered desk, literally pulling his hair out in giant, unwashed clumps, cursing the absent muses, while a tiny cartoon thought bubble hovers over his head that reads, “GAH! I have writer’s block!!!!”

There, I said it. I uttered the reprehensible WB word. But I’ll tell you right now, that’s the last time you’ll hear (read?) that word from me! I do not speak of such things. That kind of foul, illicit language is not permitted under my roof. (And you’ll find out why in just a minute.)

So. Let’s Voldemort this thing right now and simply say that, from this point forward, I will refer to (*FCC Beep Sound*) as “The Condition Which Shall Not Be Named.”

But regardless of what you call it, writers around the world want to know how to deal with it. And I know from being on countless panels with countless authors that if you ask one hundred writers how to deal with The Condition Which Shall Not Be Named, you’ll get one hundred different answers. So take my answers detailed here with a grain of salt.

I’m just sharing the five things (tips? strategies? methods of devious brain manipulation?) that I’ve found to work for me (after much trial and error.) And I hope you’ll find at least one new tip here that will bring you some comfort from the (ahem) aforementioned condition.

1) Don’t use the term “Writer’s Block”

Gah! I said it again! I’ve lost all creditability now, haven’t I? But seriously, it spelled out to fully explain this first tip (which happens to be my favorite tip of them all!)

Here’s the thing. The mind is a powerful instrument. But it also can be easily manipulated. And persuaded. And—I’m sorry to tell you this—brainwashed. That’s why advertising companies make so much money. We all suffer from a little bit of brainwashing. Otherwise, how would we choose a soap, or a breakfast food, or a television show?

But there’s no bigger manipulator of your own brain than you. That’s right you. You’re an evil, brainwashing, manipulative sorcerer. And your brain has this really annoying tendency to listen to what you have to say and believe what you believe. (The nerve!) So when you say (particularly aloud), “Oh rats, I have writer’s block!” you know what your brain’s reaction is?

“What? Oh yeah! Darn it! We have writer’s block! We are soooo blocked. That’s it, I’m going to play Candy Crush on my iPad.”

(Okay, so that last part is maybe just my brain, but still.)

I hardly ever use the term writer’s block. Especially not aloud and especially when dealing with my own book problems. Because if I don’t use the term, if I refuse to believe in it, it doesn’t exist. And it can’t happen to me.

Aha!

Instead I like to say things like, “Wow, this story really isn’t going the way I expected. I wonder which way it’s supposed to go.” Or, “There’s a solution out there to this problem, but clearly I haven’t found it…yet.”

All of these are open-minded statements that keep your brain open to solutions. As opposed to closing it off all together. When I reach a point in my story that I feel isn’t working or that I’m having trouble getting through, yes, I get frustrated like any other author. But after my initial tantrum is over, I give myself little pep talks. (Often aloud!) I say things like, “Don’t worry, Jessica, you’re a smart cookie. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

The Condition Which Shall Not Be Named is really just the story fighting to go one direction and you fighting just as hard to pull it in a different direction. And more often than not, who do you think is going to win?

Unfortunately, Team Story usually wins. (Sorry Team Writer fans.)

The sooner you let go and give into what the story is supposed to be, not what you wanted it to be, the sooner you will become unblocked.

Okay now that we’ve gotten the brainwashing portion of the post out of the way, now let’s talk about some practical tips for dealing with The Condition Which Shall Not Be Named.

2) Walk Away

Sometimes all you need in order to solve a problem (writerly or any other) is time. (I feel like there’s a song title in there somewhere.) Forcing yourself to deal with a problem is often the least efficient way to deal with it. Sometimes you just have to get up and walk away.

Like when you have a fight with your spouse or sibling or parent, you often just need to give each other some space. And since The Condition Which Shall Not Be Named is nothing more than a disagreement with your story, do yourself a favor and give you and that pesky, disagreeable story some time apart.

So get up, close the document, leave the room, and get yourself moving. Walking away doesn’t mean sitting in the same chair staring at Twitter. It literally means walking away. Take a walk. Or a bike ride. Or do some laundry. Just do something else. Let your mind wander.

Remember when I said your mind is a powerful thing that is easily manipulated? It’s also really good at solving problems when left to its own devices. I solve so many dang plot problems when I’m not trying to solve them. Driving, showering, eating, walking, these are often my most productive moments.

The biggest plot problem in Unforgotten, the second book in myUnremembered trilogy, was resolved while waiting in the drive-thru line of an In’n’Out. Yup. By the time the cashier handed me my delicious Grilled Cheese Animal Style, I was like, “THAT’S IT!” And he was like, “Um, yes it is?”

My point is, stop trying. Not because you’re lazy but because you trustthat your brain is magnificent and it will come up with the solution. If you let it.

3) Watch a Movie That’s Similar in Tone or Genre

I know you’re brilliant. I’ve already told you, you’re brilliant. But here’s the thing. I will bet you that every plot problem you’ve ever had or will ever have has been conquered before. Maybe not to your exact specifications, and maybe not in the same way as you’ll solve yours, but I often find that watching a movie in the same genre or with the same tone as my book clears my head and helps me look at my own story problems in a new light. It’sinspiring.

Now, um, side note: There’s a big difference between inspiration and plagiarism, I just want to get that out of the way. I’m not telling you to go out there and copy someone else’s plot. In fact, I highly discourage that. But seeing how someone else dealt with similar plots can really open your mind to new possibilities.

Sometimes we get so stuck in the world we’ve created for our story, we have a hard time seeing outside the walls of that world. Watching someone else’s brilliance can often help us break out of our own limitations and inspire brilliance of our own.

BourneUltimatumPoster[2]

When writing Unforgotten, (which trust me, was pocked with plot problems during the writing of the first draft) I watched other thrillers and sci-fi flicks. I was particularly inspired when I watched The Bourne Ultimatum (the second Bourne Identity movie). Unforgotten and The Bourne Ultimatum are actually nothing alike, apart from the memory loss element, but the first book,Unremembered was inspired by The Bourne Identity (the first movie). And it was helpful to see how the writers of the movie set up the second installment of their series, and dealt with typical second installment problems. It ended up inspiring me a lot when I needed it the most (i.e. during my dark night of the writer’s soul.)

4) Skip It!

This is a fairly newer technique for me but I’ve come to love it.

In writing the books of the Unremembered trilogy, I’ve had very tight deadlines. I know I needed to write a certain number of words per day in order to meet my deadline (usually 1500-2000) and I don’t have the luxury of letting the story percolate for days as I wait for my brain to solve certain problems. I have to keep going.

So in the last two books, I’ve actually started skipping entire scenes as I write my rough drafts. I put placeholders in the manuscript so I knew what I think should go there and I move on. The first drafts of my books have started to look like really detailed outlines in some places. Some scenes are fleshed out and inspired and feel like they belong in a real book, and some scenes are mere bullet points of rough ideas.

The point of skipping over scenes is to keep your momentum going. If you stop writing because you believe you’re stuck, it’s too easy to lose the writing flow. To fall out of your writing routine.

I think it’s über important to set up a writing routine and to stick to it no matter what. If you skip over a problematic scene and leave it for later (when the story starts to make more sense to you) you can keep your momentum going. The key is to keep writing. Even if you’re writing stuff that won’t even make it into the final draft (Click here to read my post about writing crappy first drafts.)

If you know of a certain scene you’ve been dying to write, write that one instead. If you don’t know where the story is going, take a break and write from another character’s point of view for a day. Or explore a short story within your same world. Just keep writing.

Note: I originally got a variation of this tip from Leigh Bardugo, author of Shadow and Boneand Siege and Storm. Leigh is the champion of “momentum” and she’s turned me into a champion of it as well!

5) Write Five Words

This tip was given to me by the lovely and talented Mary Pearson, author of The Jenna Fox Chronicles. I love this tip and have used it many times with much success.

When I toured with Mary back in 2011, we were often asked the question about The Condition Which Shall Not Be Named. And her answer was always this:

“Sit down and tell yourself you only have to write five words.”

“Just five?!” you ask.

Yup. JUST FIVE.

As Mary says, anyone can write five words. Chances are you’ll write more (much more!) once you get started, but the key is you give yourself permission to write only five words and step away guilt free.

Take note of the underlined words…

GUILT FREE.

If you only write five words, you can congratulate yourself and go on with your day. If you write more than five, awesome! I knew you had it in you! The point is to get your butt in the chair and your fingers on the keyboard.

I like Mary’s advice because it lets you off the hook. It gives your overactive guilt-ridden mind the break it deserves (and probably needs!) And most of all, it keeps the momentum alive. You did it. You sat down. You wrote words. That’s what keeps a routine from falling apart. That’s what gets a book written.

Writing words. Every day. It’s as simple as that.

So there you have it. My five, count ‘em, five tips for outsmarting the irksome Condition Which Shall Not Be Named. Like I said before, not all of them will work for you. But try them out, make them your own, and adapt as needed.

But never stop writing. Never quit. That’s when Voldemort wins. And Voldemort can’t win.

Well, I’m off to work on my own problem-riddled manuscript. I just know there’s a solution to all those annoying little plot problems. Maybe today will be the day I find it.

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Published on March 04, 2014 11:42

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