Michelle Zink's Blog, page 13

This Wicked Game Blog Tour

I’ve been a big proponent of bloggers since I first sold Prophecy of the Sisters in 2007. The book blogging community supported the series (and me) through several cover changes (and a non-existent rebranding campaign for the final covers), and I know the series wouldn’t have been as successful without them. I’ve gotten to know quite a few of them over the years and have enjoyed talking shop — and life — on Twitter, Facebook and at conferences and festivals.

Which is why I’m really excited to work closely with a handful of carefully chosen bloggers to celebrate the release of This Wicked Game on November 14th. There will be interviews and guest posts and secrets revealed, plus each blogger will give away a This Wicked Game prize pack donated by moi (and as with all of my prize packs, it’s the bomb). So do me a favor and show them so love, now and on their designated tour date. There might be something in it for you!

Except for a few possible late additions, here’s the schedule;

November 6th – Another Novel Read

November 11th – Beauty and the Bookshelf

November 18th – Falling for YA

November 20th – Escaping ONe Book at a Time

November 22nd – Word To Dreams

November 25th – Lost in Ever After

November 27th – Booksellers Without Borders

Less than three weeks until the release! I’m ridiculously excited to share this book with you guys. I had so much fun working with all the elements — voodoo, New Orleans, secrets, revenge… What’s not to love?! I hope you will join me in spreading the word. As always, your support means the world to me.

What Worked This Time

Last week I finished my thirteenth complete novel. The breakdown — for anyone who’s wondering — is five published books (counting THIS WICKED GAME which comes out next month), two complete under-contract books (one will come out in 2014 and one in 2015) and six unpublished books. Four of the unpublished ones were written before I sold Prophecy of the Sisters and two of them were written since then.

Yes, it is still possible for published writers to NOT sell a project. It was a rude awakening.

Anyway, I had to take a minute to pat myself on the back. I’m not good at celebrating my accomplishments. I guess you could say I’m a nose-to-the-grindstone kind of girl. No time for champagne, I have another book to write. But I have begun to recognize the fallacy in that way of thinking. Publishing a book is a book deal. So is writing one. And we aren’t guaranteed an endless number of either.

So I’ve made a promise to celebrate more, and to give myself a little credit. But that’s another blog post.

 

Anyway, I sold this particular book on proposal in July (detailed synopsis and about sixty-five pages). The deadline for the first draft was October 1st, but because I was in the middle of another project, I didn’t actually start working on it again until August 15th. I spent about two weeks planning and re-reading and then started writing again in earnest September 1st. I realized when I was done that I’d written 50,000 words in a month (my sample was about 25,000 words, bringing the total word count of the book near 75,000 words).

And really, that’s no big deal for me. But what IS a big deal is that it felt… leisurely. I enjoyed it. I didn’t feel stressed out or worried about the deadline. I didn’t have to pull any all-nighters. I still had time for Friday night movies on the sofa with the kids and Saturdays spent with my daughter who attends college a half hour away.

More importantly, I am PROUD of those words. I think this draft is the strongest I’ve ever written, and while some of the credit must go to my new editor, whose notes on my sample pages informed the rest of the book in every good way, I realized I’d done a few things differently this time.

Those of you who have been following me for a long time know that I’m big on finding things that work, on being diligent about a writing schedule and actively managing my time. All things that have been vital to being prolific while single-mothering four children and bearing every cent of the financial responsibility for doing so.

But I’m also learning that those rules are fluid. What works at one point in my life might not work at another. Sometimes it’s good to take a step back and ask if there might be a better way. In this case, there was. And since I know writers are always looking for tips, I thought I’d share what worked for me this time.

1. Schedule is still king.

I’ve always had a writing schedule. Before I sold Prophecy I wrote every night from 11pm to 3am because it was the only time the house was quiet and my children (young at the time) didn’t need me. I still had to get up at 6am to get them to school, but I learned to go back to bed and sleep because I wrote best in those late night hours. Some of those days are a blur now, but it worked at the time.

After I sold Prophecy, I became a word count dictator. I forced myself to write a certain number of words in scheduled segments of time (usually 9am to 11am, 3pm to 5pm, and 7pm to 9pm six days a week).

But that system had begun to wear on me. I was paying more attention to the counter at the bottom of the page than to the quality of my writing. I was more prolific than ever, but I wasn’t enjoying it like I used to and I couldn’t help wondering if the words I was writing were good ones.

This time, I tried something different. I stuck to my scheduled writing blocks by forcing myself up to my office and  – this is important — activating Freedom (a program that locks you out of the internet for set periods of time) on my computer. But other than the fact that I had to be in my office with Freedom on (because otherwise I’d be social networking and online shopping), there were no rules. Strangely enough, I still managed to write an average of 2,000 words a day. And they were GOOD words. Sometimes I’d lay in my bed (my bedroom is adjacent to my office and both rooms are cut off from the rest of the house) and rest my eyes. Sometimes I’d actually nap. Sometimes I’d clean my bathroom. But I was trapped in my office with no internet for four to six hours a day with my book open on my computer. I’m a writer. Inevitably, I would write.

2. I took time to think.

I know. This seems like a no brainer. But usually, I’d be in such a hurry to get the words down that I’d push myself through even the scenes I wasn’t sure about. Sometimes I’d think, “I can fix it later.” But I’m not sure I always did fix them later. By the time I finished a book, everything seemed to fit the way it was, and it was a lot harder to go back and pull it apart without the help of my editor.

With this book I spent a lot of time staring out the window, eating Newman’s Own Sour Cherry licorice and pondering the next scene, looking at my white board of notes while everything stewed in my brain. And it’s funny, because a lot of the time I’d be staring out the window or laying in my bed in the dark, the last scene I’d written rolling around my head like a handful of pebbles, and something would come to me. Something I hadn’t thought about before. Something small and nuanced that contributed to plot or character development or added another layer of complexity to the story.

3. A sequence of events is helpful

I’ve never been a big outline person. I like to give a story some breathing room to see where it goes, and because of my personality, if I have an outline, I write to it. Usually I start a book with a synopsis and then just feel my way through the rest. I was on a panel once with author Libba Bray in which we discussed our writing processes, and we both agreed that it was kind of like planning a road trip knowing only the beginning, ending, and a few major stops for gas in the middle.

I still didn’t want to outline, but this time, I felt like I needed a little bit… more. The book I was writing had a lot of complexity. A lot of psychology and also a lot of tiny plot elements that would come into play later in the book and in the sequel. So I wrote a quick and dirty list of events; big things that needed to happen for all the plot points and character development to play out. And it helped a lot, so much so that I’m already creating one for my next book. Sometimes I would have to come up with three or four chapters in between big events, but having the sequence in front of me helped me ask the question, “How would this story naturally unfold to get me from point A to point B? How about from point S to point T?” It also helped me avoid unnecessary detail, because the goal became to get from one big event to the next as cleanly and quickly as possible, since those events were what drove the plot forward.

4. Using my white board

Most of the time, my white board is used to remind myself of character traits and physical characteristics in my main characters and as a repository for funny notes from Caroline, my fourteen-year-old. But I really used it this time, writing down notes from my editor, reminders about the tone and feel and atmosphere I was working toward, minor plot elements I was afraid I might drop and themes I wanted to explore. In the past, I’d done that kind of thing on my computer, but it was such a pain to flip back and forth from my draft to the “inspirational” documents that I wouldn’t always do it. A lot of the time, I’d just forget they were there.

Some of you use Scrivener, and maybe it’s kind of the same thing, but seeing everything up close and personal on the white board really kept me on track. Whenever I got stuck, I’d lean back in my chair and look at that board, and it would pull me back to my original vision for the project.

5. What we do isn’t like what other people do.

This is a transformative admission for me. I’ve already told you I’m a nose-to-the-grindstone kind of person. My former boss called me a “driver”, someone who drove growth and change through constant effort and vision. I always thought that was a compliment, and while it might have been in the world of technology consulting, it has not always been an asset in the creative field of writing.

I mean, work ethic… I’ve got that nailed. I am never in any danger of being lazy. I think it was Phillip Pullman who was quoted as saying (I’m paraphrasing) that plumbers don’t get to skip work when they’re not “feeling it” and writers shouldn’t, either. That belief has seen me through my career as a writer. It allowed me to write five books in two-and-a-half years before I was published. It’s allowed me to sell eight books in the last five years. It’s allowed me to write an average of three full novels a year.

But it has also done me a disservice. Because I will work and work and work long past the point when I desperately need a break. I will not allow myself excuses or sick days. And as I’ve said in the past, I feel so damn lucky every day to do something I love for a living that I feel OBLIGATED to work my hardest.

But we are not plumbers. We are not accountants. What we do is different. It requires different processes and allowances to be done well. It requires time and mental space and energy that isn’t always required of people in other occupations. It’s been difficult for me to accept that sometimes I need to take a walk. Sometimes I need to take a nap. Sometimes I need a day (or a few days) away from the story. I have always told myself that other people work eight hours a day, and I have pushed myself to do the same.

But I think I’m finally ready to let myself off the hook. With this last book (I’ll be able to tell you the title as soon as the announcement it made), I probably wrote an average of three hours a day. I sometimes spent additional time blogging or social networking or answering work-related emails, but I probably only wrote about three hours a day. It felt positively luxurious. And sometimes it left me positively guilt ridden. Why should I be so lucky to work at something I love passinately, something I can’t live without, and to only do it for three hours a day when other people are getting up at five am, commuting many miles, sitting at cubicles for eight hours in jobs they despise?

But the truth is, I wrote better. I was happier and more relaxed. I finished the project ahead of deadline and am prouder of this draft than any I’ve ever completed.

And so maybe it’s true; what we do is a mysterious kind of alchemy. A strange mixture of discipline and freedom. Of process and flexibility. It isn’t a mathematical formula, a set of boxes to be checked off at the end of each day, a timecard to punch.

It feels a little embarrassing to admit it, but the proof is in the pudding as they say. And I’m pretty happy with this batch.

 

THIS WICKED GAME ARC Giveaway

Just a heads up that there is currently a giveaway on Goodreads for signed ARCs of THIS WICKED Game. There are five copies available, and ARCs have been in short supply, so get them while they’re hot!

 

Also, I know I’ve been a bit MIA, but it’s for a good cause; I just finished a new book that will be out in 2015 (details to follow) and am digging back into an adult novel I hope to finish by the end of the year.

That said, everyone here is once again safely ensconced in the school routine, which means I’m getting back into my old schedule, too. And I have a bunch of recipes backed up for you guys!

So stay tuned…

 

Kirkus Loves THIS WICKED GAME!

 

Super excited to share the awesome review Kirkus gave This Wicked Game. Kirkus is a notoriously tough customer, so I’m super honored that they loved it.

 

And it will be out in less than six weeks! You can find preorder links at the bottom of the review;

 

With this foray into secret voodoo societies and forbidden spells, Zink delivers an enjoyable, fast-paced ride perfect for lovers of the paranormal thriller. Seventeen-year-old Claire Kincaid doesn’t believe in voodoo. Not that unusual a stance, really, unless you are a direct descendant of Marie Leveau and the only daughter of one of the most powerful couples in an underground New Orleans voodoo guild. But when a mysterious stranger walks into the Kincaid store in search of panther’s blood—an ingredient used only to kill—a series of events begins to unfold that will challenge everything Claire thinks she knows about voodoo, the Guild and her own latent abilities. Exhibiting characteristically teenage frustration with their parents, who reign stolidly over Guild affairs, Claire, her boyfriend, Xander, and some other Guild firstborns take the investigation into their own hands. They find an ally in ex-member Crazy Eddie and together delve into the darker side of voodoo in order to defeat those out to destroy the Guild in retribution for past injuries. The plot is suspenseful, the characters are sympathetic if not fully rounded, and the fictional subculture comes alive through detailed descriptions of the New Orleans setting, particularly the Garden District. Fans of the paranormal, sure to be spellbound by this tale of revenge and teen rebellion, will hope Zink conjures up a sequel. (Paranormal thriller. 12-16)

 

Preorder This WIcked Game from Amazon
Preorder This Wicked Game from Barnes and Noble
Find This Wicked Game on IndieBound

 

 

Recipe of the Week – Smokehouse Veggie Burger

Okay, so it’s not exactly a recipe. But Concoction of the Week just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

 

One of the things I’ve learned to do since we became vegetarian is to replicate our favorite meat-based recipes in ways that are healthy and that honor our vegetarian lifestyle. It’s a fun challenge, and so far, there’s not much I haven’t been able to manage (pulled “pork” is next, which I plan to try with soy curls).

It’s been a recent revelation that you can do a lot with a veggie burger. You can make them the old fashioned way with tomato, lettuce and pickle. You can make a Mexican burger with jalapenos and spicy cheese. You can top them with sauteed mushrooms. You can serve them on rye bread with grilled onions, turning it into a patty melt.

One of my old restaurant favorites is what is commonly called a Smokehouse Burger. It typically comes with loads of barbeque sauce, onions rings (on top of the burger), and all the usual fixings. I’m not going to bother with a “recipe’, per se, because it’s pretty self explanatory. Basically, take your veggie burger of choice, put it on a great wheat bun, top it with loads of barbeque sauce, pickles and a few onion rings (I keep a bag in my freezer now and throw them into the frying pan after the veggie burger is done – takes five minutes!), and voila! You can add jalapenos, tomato, cheese (soy or milk-based) and anything else that strikes your fancy.

Side note; the right veggie burger makes a big difference. Back when we had only tried Boca brand, I wasn’t a fan. The Boca burgers are just too mushy for me (probably owing to a greater concentration of soy to grain). Now we use Amy’s Quarter Pound burgers and they are AH-mazing! They have more grain and less soy, which gives them a substantial consistency, along with a slightly smokey flavor. I’ve tried the other Amy’s veggie burgers, too, and I think they’re all head and shoulders above Boca (although the kids tell me the Boca Chick’n patties are very good). Enjoy!

History of an Email

Like most people, I get a lot of emails every day.

Like… a lot, a lot.

Some of them are spam and some of them are sale notifications and some of them are requests for interviews and advice. Some of them are from my agent or editors.

And the truth is, I’m not as good about answering them as I used to be. When I first sold the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy in 2007, I had a big gap between projects. Prophecy (book one) had some revisions, but the second book in the trilogy wasn’t due for a whole year, and I was prohibited from selling another YA project for the duration of my contract with Little Brown, which meant until 2011. I was still a single parent. Still busy. But I wasn’t up against multiple deadlines, lined up like planes on a tarmac, gunning for their turn.

Times have changed. I’ve worked on seven contracted projects in the past year alone (not all of which have been announced) plus juggled multiple editing projects for my freelance editing business while running a household with four kids alone. It’s required an almost-militant devotion to schedule. And since I do receive emails from many of you — some of which take me a very, very long time to answer — I wanted to explain.

First thing every morning (I get up at 6am on school days) I open up my computer and stare forlornly at my Inbox. I start by deleting obvious Spam, sales I can’t afford to shop, and other miscellany that just isn’t important to me at the moment. Then I look at what’s left. If there are quick and easy questions to answer, I tackle them right away just to feel like I’m making some prgress.

But then I’m left with the other stuff. Offers to attend conferences (which require me to look at a calendar and plot out the next 6-12 months in my head), requests for interviews, favors from writerly friends (most of which require more emails sent to editors or agent, or at the very least, lengthy replies on my part), questions from my editors, updates from my agent.

To be honest, I just can’t get to them all. And I know what you’re probably thinking; it only takes a minute to send an email. I know you’re probably thinking it because that’s what I used to think when someone took a long time to get back to me. But here’s the thing, my writing schedule — the only thing holding my life together right now — is non-negotiable. It has to be. So when I go up to my office promptly at 9am, 3:30pm, or 7pm (the start of my usual writing blocks), I know that I have a finite time to work, usually an hour or two. And if I open one email, the temptation is to keep clearing my Inbox. I’ve already eaten into my writing time anyway, right? Or maybe the reply is more lengthy than I anticipated, and all of a sudden, my one hour writing block is down to half an hour. I’ve lost between 500-1,000  words in that half hour. It might not seem like a lot, but if I lose 1,000 words every day for a month, I lose 30,000 words, which tacks an additional 2-4 weeks onto any project.

And that’s just something I can’t afford at this point in time. Especially when none of this accounts for the “soft” tasks of writing — website upkeep, research, reading, etc.

So I’ve developed a hard and fast rule; I do what I can while I’m having my morning tea. But when it’s time to write, it’s time to write. Not tweet. Not post on Facebook. Not even answer emails. It’s hard. It’s meant forgoing the level of social networking that was once routine. It’s meant blogging less. It’s meant an Inbox that constantly hovers around 30 emails (when I’m as on top of it as I can be). It’s sometimes even meant losing touch with people I care about for longer periods than I would like. It is tempting to “take five” minutes and clear my Inbox a bit. But I’ve learned the hard way that it adds up. Which is why I activate Freedom right when I get to my office and get down to business.

All of which makes this one long-ass apology. If I owe you an email, I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t care or that I’m ignoring you. I’m doing my best.

And writing always has to come first.

 

Angels and Revenge Giveaway

So a few months ago the paperback edition of A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS came out. And I’m embarrassed to admit that I hardly noticed. I guess this is what happens after you’ve published a few books; you get busy — writing more books, meeting deadlines, thinking about the next project — and things like a paperback release can slip right by.

So not cool, because my paperback baby deserves at least some of the love of its hardcover predecessor. And you guys — some of you have been with me since Prophecy of the Sisters came out in 2009 — deserve a little something for all the support you give me, too.

 

Which is why I’m going to try and make it up to you both.

With that in mind, I’m offering up a super awesome giveaway reminiscent of my past super awesome giveaways. But this one’s even more special, because I just so happen to have some copies of the newly released SCHOOLED IN REVENGE, the new companion novel to the REVENGE TV show (which I’m totally addicted to). I’ve had the opportunity to read it, and it’s so much fun! Besides, what could be better than angels and revenge?

 

There is a first, second and third prize, plus five — yes, FIVE — additional prizes of both books. You can win entries by commenting, tweeting a link to the contest (up to once a day for the duration of the contest) and adding the TEMPTATION cover to your Pinterest board.

Contest open to US residents (or those with a US mailing address) and runs from today through 9/15 at midnight.

After that, it’ll be time to kickoff a huge round of fun and giveaways leading up to the THIS WICKED GAME release November 14th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

A Tech Free Oasis? Yes, please.

Those of you who follow me regularly know that I have a love/hate relationship with technology. As a writer, I love my laptop and couldn’t work efficiently without it. As the single mother of four kids ages 14 – 21, I literally feel panicky at the idea of not having my cell phone. Two of my kids are in college, and our cell phones are often the only way we can stay in touch (in case you’re wondering, there are no longer pay phones in college dorms).

But it’s often too much for me. The lines between work and home are already blurry for me. I write in my office, often at odd hours, but I also “sneak” time in between to use social networking, blog, research new ideas and stay connected to friends and readers.

Last winter, I experimented with giving myself Sundays completely off. This might not sound ground-breaking — most people DO have at least one day a week off — but for someone who was writing seven days a week (2-3 books a year), it represented a radical shift in thinking. I was finally ready to admit that I NEEDED that time to reboot, not only to feel better and be happier, but because time away from writing and writing-related work actually made me a better writer.

So for a few months, Sunday was a no writing, no social networking zone. I set an Away message on my email every Saturday night and forced myself not to open my computer — not even to online shop or stay in touch with friends. I spent Sundays reading, talking walks, and watching afternoon movies with the kids. And I have to say; it made a difference. I felt more focused and centered. During the week when I was stretched too thin, the idea of my Sunday was like an oasis. I haven’t kept up with it over the summer because (thankfully) I’ve had a bit more time off and have made a point to spend time with Rebekah, who is home from college. We’ve had plenty of tech-free time, most recently by taking regular hikes at a nearby nature preserve (the photo above is from our most recent girl’s hike). Still, as soon as the kids are back in school and I’m on my regular writing schedule again, I plan to deploy my Tech-Free Sundays again.

Today I read an article in the Huffington Post about a Tech Free park in San Francisco. It looks lovely and fun and whimsical, and it made me wonder if we shouldn’t ALL have a tech-free zone. Maybe it’s a place in the house where we absolutely don’t use technology (like the bedroom). Maybe it’s a figurative “zone”, like my Sundays. But I do think we need it. I don’t think human beings are wired for the constant connectivity we experience now. And even though we might not realize it, to be mentally and spiritually healthy, we require the kind of quiet space in our minds that allows for stillness, peace, and random thought.

Think of it as required daydreaming for grown-ups.

 

What do you think? Is it time we all take a step back and reconnect to our low-tech roots? Is it something you’d consider doing on a regular basis?

Recipe of the Week – Vegetarian Curry

I tried to post this yesterday and WordPress decided to mess with me by deleting it. Let’s try it again!

When we first decided to move from my hometown in California to our current small rural town in the Hudson River Valley (NY), we got all kinds of funny reactions from our California friends. I heard things like, “Doesn’t it SNOW there?” and “You’ll be back in five years” and “You’re going to hate the winters.” But we’ve been here twelve years now and I can’t imagine calling anyplace else home. I hope to travel widely once the kids are gone, but this will always be home base.

And surprisingly, everyone was wrong; I don’t mind the winters. In fact, I love them as much as I love all the seasons. Seasons are good for a change junkie like me. Just when I’m bored with one set of clothes, one type of food, it’s time to switch gears, and I always look forward to the switch from light summer fare to hearty soups and stews.

But there is one thing I really had trouble with when we moved here; lack of diversity, in people, schools of thought, and yes, food. After living in a place where we could get any kind of food at any time of the day or night, I now live in a town with a diner, three pizzerias, a McDonalds, and (thankfully) one vegetarian restaurant (which serves only asian dishes like lo mein and stir-fried setan). A craving for anything more exotic sends us to New Paltz, a neighboring hippie town a half hour away with tons of amazing little ethnic restaurants.

My favorite is Lemongrass, a Thai place with the BEST pad thai and red curry. I’ve tried lots of curry recipes over the years, but they were either too complicated or they fell short of the flavor mark. This one is different. Fast and easy, it’s a healthy vegan meal packed with nutrition and fiber. It is a little spicy, but if you’re not into spicy all you have to do is decrease the amount of curry paste. We serve it over brown rice. I love it so much, I want to make a batch every week.

Hope you guys enjoy it, too!

Vegetable Red Curry

3 tbsp olive or grapeseed oil

About four cups of assorted chopped vegetables (I used 1 cup green beans, one each red and green pepper, and two carrots, but you can use whatever you have/like). Don’t chop everything too small or it will get soggy!

One medium onion, halved and sliced (rings cut in half)

One small can bamboo shoots (optional)

1 large can chickpeas, drained

1/3 cup red curry paste (found in the asian section of most grocery stores)

1 can coconut milk

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup packed cilantro

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add vegetables and onion. Saute until softened but not browning.

Add bamboo shoots and chickpeas. Saute for two more minutes.

Add curry paste and stir to combine. Heat for another minute or so.

Add coconut milk and water. Stir and let simmer about fifteen minutes until flavors combine and vegetables are desired consistency (I like ours a little firm).

Turn off heat. Add cilantro and combine.

Serve over rice and voila! Bon Apetite!

Becomes the Color

 

Absolutely obsessed with this song and this artist. This song somehow manages to be sensual, thought provoking and slightly disturbing all at the same time. If you haven’t listened and/or checked out Emily Wells, please do so we can gush together.

 

 

I became the color

I become the daughter and the son

When the feast is over

Welcome to another one

Lay my body down down

Down upon the water

Wrapped up in the clothes of my mother and my father

O this is longing

I want to be complete

I was waiting round in a little jump seat

I had a hunger

A mouthful of interludes

You’ll do anything just to get rescued

I had longing

Isn’t that the key

Take take taste taste sweet

They said I’d gone south

I’d gone asunder

They don’t know hunger or what I been under

They were all laughing

Thought i was debris

I was just free

We were ready to behave

But there’s no freedom

Without no cage

Whatever you think you’ve become

Don’t worry bout it dear it’s where you come from.

O no no, save me from my misery

There’s no such, thing as living comfortably

There’s no such, thing as going home

I’m not formed of myself alone

All the other others they’ll just fade to black

When you think you have me’s when i don’t look back

Keep on laughing, callin’ after me

Keep on laughin’, I’m just free

We were ready to behave

But there’s no freedom

Without no cage

Whatever you think you’ve become

Don’t worry bout it dear it’s where you come from.