Denise Jaden's Blog, page 38
October 6, 2011
Thankful Thursday
To be hones, I've been a bit of a grump lately. So I thought I might be due to count my blessings. And already it is putting a smile on my face. Besides, Canadian Thanksgiving is right around the corner!
1. As always, I'm so thankful that I have a happy, healthy family who loves me.
2. I'm thankful that my mom sold her house.
3. I'm thankful for the community of writers I know and how generous everyone is with sharing their wisdom and experience.
4. I'm thankful for blogging. Yes, it's true. There's something about blogging that makes me feel happy, and I love to see comments and know there are people listening, and I love hearing from old friends as well as seeing brand new names show up in the comments.
5. I'm thankful that I've had a new gym to workout in lately. Before I went there, my husband told me, "yeah, but it's really warm and spread out in this new place." How little he knows me! If there are two things I LOVE warmth and spaciousness!!
6. I'm thankful that my edits on NEVER ENOUGH are practically done. All I have left is a read-through of first-pass pages, which I'm really looking forward to.
7. I'm thankful that LOSING FAITH is still receiving so many glowing reviews, and awards nominations too!
8. I'm thankful for my son and husband's lightheartedness and sense of humor (remind me of this on April first).
9. I'm thankful for all the new, amazing books I've been blessed with lately.
10. I'm thankful for steadfast faith, even through a difficult year.
How about you? What are you most thankful for?
1. As always, I'm so thankful that I have a happy, healthy family who loves me.
2. I'm thankful that my mom sold her house.
3. I'm thankful for the community of writers I know and how generous everyone is with sharing their wisdom and experience.
4. I'm thankful for blogging. Yes, it's true. There's something about blogging that makes me feel happy, and I love to see comments and know there are people listening, and I love hearing from old friends as well as seeing brand new names show up in the comments.
5. I'm thankful that I've had a new gym to workout in lately. Before I went there, my husband told me, "yeah, but it's really warm and spread out in this new place." How little he knows me! If there are two things I LOVE warmth and spaciousness!!
6. I'm thankful that my edits on NEVER ENOUGH are practically done. All I have left is a read-through of first-pass pages, which I'm really looking forward to.
7. I'm thankful that LOSING FAITH is still receiving so many glowing reviews, and awards nominations too!
8. I'm thankful for my son and husband's lightheartedness and sense of humor (remind me of this on April first).
9. I'm thankful for all the new, amazing books I've been blessed with lately.
10. I'm thankful for steadfast faith, even through a difficult year.
How about you? What are you most thankful for?
October 4, 2011
Contemps Blogging
I'm blogging over at The Contemps site today, spotlighting an awesome book by a friend of mine.
I won't tell you who this author is, but here's a quote I just read from her the other day, which I did not know...
"My editor thought that my (first) book sounded like gay erotic porn because of the first sentences I had. Which my editor made me change."
So if you want to find out who this is and what she's writing now, stop by The Contemps!
I won't tell you who this author is, but here's a quote I just read from her the other day, which I did not know...
"My editor thought that my (first) book sounded like gay erotic porn because of the first sentences I had. Which my editor made me change."
So if you want to find out who this is and what she's writing now, stop by The Contemps!
October 3, 2011
Monday Stuff
Well, it's October 3rd, and so far I'm doing really well with NaBloWriMo - Blogging every day of October. Of course my blog titles are already suffering. Sigh.
Let's see, what do I have to blog about today...
I added a new little widget highlighting some blurbs and review excerpts for LOSING FAITH at the top of my blog. Do you like it, or is it annoying?
Also, very exciting news for me over the weekend...Several months ago LOSING FAITH was nominated for an INSPY award (An award for faith-driven literature). I just found out that my book was short-listed for the award!! The winner will be announced in December, so please cross your fingers and toes (and your eyes) for me :-)
I finished reading MOONGLASS by Jessi Kirby. I really enjoyed it. As you probably know, I don't usually do reviews on this blog, but as a challenge to myself, I thought I'd see if I could convince you to read it in five words or less (because it really is a very good book!) Okay, here it goes...
Hot lifeguards cliff-jumping naked.
Did it work? Are you going to check out this book???
But seriously, it has a lot more going for it than naked lifeguards, I promise. Here's the summary from GoodReads:
I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.
Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.
While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.
That's all the news I have for you today. Catch you back here tomorrow (probably).
Let's see, what do I have to blog about today...
I added a new little widget highlighting some blurbs and review excerpts for LOSING FAITH at the top of my blog. Do you like it, or is it annoying?
Also, very exciting news for me over the weekend...Several months ago LOSING FAITH was nominated for an INSPY award (An award for faith-driven literature). I just found out that my book was short-listed for the award!! The winner will be announced in December, so please cross your fingers and toes (and your eyes) for me :-)
I finished reading MOONGLASS by Jessi Kirby. I really enjoyed it. As you probably know, I don't usually do reviews on this blog, but as a challenge to myself, I thought I'd see if I could convince you to read it in five words or less (because it really is a very good book!) Okay, here it goes...
Hot lifeguards cliff-jumping naked.
Did it work? Are you going to check out this book???
But seriously, it has a lot more going for it than naked lifeguards, I promise. Here's the summary from GoodReads:I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.
Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.
While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.
That's all the news I have for you today. Catch you back here tomorrow (probably).
October 2, 2011
How Awesome is @SaraZarr ? Pretty Freakin Awesome
Yesterday I had it in my thoughts that I might get to the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour - on location in Vancouver. I did have several other things going on, so I didn't know for sure if I'd make it (plus Vancouver is a bit of a drive for me). But I did get there, and I was so glad I did!
More than anything, I wanted to meet Sara Zarr, because, well, she's my hero, and I hoped to get my greedy little hands on her latest book HOW TO SAVE A LIFE, which doesn't actually release until October 18th. I got there late and the place was PACKED, but I did see a copy of Sara's book and snagged it right away. I was directed to get into line or I wouldn't be able to get it signed.
Well...the lineup was about a mile long. No kidding. Granted, it was for five awesome authors (Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Beth Revis, Margaret Stohl, and Sara Zarr). The section of line I was in was all very hyped over Kelly Armstrong. I personally haven't read any of Kelley's books yet, but it was so fun to see groups of teens so excited over books and authors!
We got to talking, and I mentioned I was also an author and passed out a few bookmarks. A couple of the girls in line with me rushed off to get my book so I could sign it for them. :-))))
But in reality, I was there as a total fangirl. It's not all that often that we get great YA authors in Vancouver and Sara Zarr really is one of my favorites. The five authors gave what sounded like a very entertaining Q&A (unfortunately I couldn't hear much of it from my place in line). When they started signing, it seemed like the line didn't move for ages, and at one point I tweeted about being in a very long line with my copy of HOW TO SAVE A LIFE.
The sweet girls who bought copies of my book held my place in line repeatedly while I went roaming the store to check on my seven-year-old. He was doing fine (Chapters has a huge toy section) and by the time I got back, the line had finally moved so we could now actually make visual contact with our idols. Though we were still many rows of people away.
At one point, Sara Zarr stood behind her table on the stage and waved in my direction at the back of this huge crowd of people. As much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, she doesn't know me, so I did what any other person in the crowd would do and looked behind me. There were a few customers, a few Chapters staff members, but none of them were looking back in Sara's direction.
Weird.
So I got to talking with my Kelley-Armstrong-fangirl-friends again, and was lost in conversation, when suddenly who was standing beside me? Yup, Sara Zarr herself.
Apparently she'd seen my tweet and didn't want me to have to wait all day. How freakin' cool is that?! THEN...to make my day even BETTER, when I introduced myself and told her what I wrote, she said she already knew that! So now Sara Zarr AND Elizabeth Scott totally know who I am! (Somebody slap me before I truly embarrass my fangirlish self here.) The day that Laurie Halse Anderson walks up and says, "Hey, aren't you Denise Jaden?" my life will be complete!
So, yeah, I had an awesome time, with an awesome picture of Sara (not so great of me) and an amazing book to show for it. I'm a little sad that I didn't get to say hi to Beth Revis, but I would have had to keep my son in that store for another couple of hours to accomplish that.
Anyway, here's the pic, and the book (which I *may* give away in an upcoming contest after I've had a chance to read it.
More than anything, I wanted to meet Sara Zarr, because, well, she's my hero, and I hoped to get my greedy little hands on her latest book HOW TO SAVE A LIFE, which doesn't actually release until October 18th. I got there late and the place was PACKED, but I did see a copy of Sara's book and snagged it right away. I was directed to get into line or I wouldn't be able to get it signed.
Well...the lineup was about a mile long. No kidding. Granted, it was for five awesome authors (Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Beth Revis, Margaret Stohl, and Sara Zarr). The section of line I was in was all very hyped over Kelly Armstrong. I personally haven't read any of Kelley's books yet, but it was so fun to see groups of teens so excited over books and authors!
We got to talking, and I mentioned I was also an author and passed out a few bookmarks. A couple of the girls in line with me rushed off to get my book so I could sign it for them. :-))))
But in reality, I was there as a total fangirl. It's not all that often that we get great YA authors in Vancouver and Sara Zarr really is one of my favorites. The five authors gave what sounded like a very entertaining Q&A (unfortunately I couldn't hear much of it from my place in line). When they started signing, it seemed like the line didn't move for ages, and at one point I tweeted about being in a very long line with my copy of HOW TO SAVE A LIFE.
The sweet girls who bought copies of my book held my place in line repeatedly while I went roaming the store to check on my seven-year-old. He was doing fine (Chapters has a huge toy section) and by the time I got back, the line had finally moved so we could now actually make visual contact with our idols. Though we were still many rows of people away.
At one point, Sara Zarr stood behind her table on the stage and waved in my direction at the back of this huge crowd of people. As much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, she doesn't know me, so I did what any other person in the crowd would do and looked behind me. There were a few customers, a few Chapters staff members, but none of them were looking back in Sara's direction.
Weird.
So I got to talking with my Kelley-Armstrong-fangirl-friends again, and was lost in conversation, when suddenly who was standing beside me? Yup, Sara Zarr herself.
Apparently she'd seen my tweet and didn't want me to have to wait all day. How freakin' cool is that?! THEN...to make my day even BETTER, when I introduced myself and told her what I wrote, she said she already knew that! So now Sara Zarr AND Elizabeth Scott totally know who I am! (Somebody slap me before I truly embarrass my fangirlish self here.) The day that Laurie Halse Anderson walks up and says, "Hey, aren't you Denise Jaden?" my life will be complete!
So, yeah, I had an awesome time, with an awesome picture of Sara (not so great of me) and an amazing book to show for it. I'm a little sad that I didn't get to say hi to Beth Revis, but I would have had to keep my son in that store for another couple of hours to accomplish that.
Anyway, here's the pic, and the book (which I *may* give away in an upcoming contest after I've had a chance to read it.
October 1, 2011
#NaBloWriMo and my #NaNoWriMo History
So there's this thing I saw floating around Twitter last night called NaBloWriMo. Any guesses as to what it stands for? I was lacking creativity last night, so I just asked. Apparently it's National Blog Writing Month - which they're naming the month of October. The idea is to blog every day - AKA Write Every Day. If you want to get more involved, here's their website.
It's probably a good idea, to warm up for NaNoWriMo and all. Not sure I can commit to really, truly doing it every day, but I thought I'd at least start and keep my fingers busy. I'll try to blog a bit more about my process of getting prepared for NaNoWriMo as I do it, but I've been tying up a few other projects first.
At this point, I'm at the brainstorming stage, so not much to share yet. For today, I thought I'd give you a history of my NaNo experience, what has worked for me and what has not.
2007 - First draft of LOSING FAITH - started with a logline/query blurb. Not a very thorough outline.
2008 - First draft of BELLY UP - thorough outline and SOUNDS LIKE THUNDER - without an outline. The one without an outline was fun, and easy to work on during the days I wasn't feeling super-driven on the other one, but it kind of ended up as a plotless heap of *$#$%&*. I've since learned that I need some sort of an outline. The outlined book is still in revisions, and I hope to publish it one day.
2009 - First draft of PERFECT AIM. During this NaNo, I was also in the midst of heavy edits on LOSING FAITH. I had a 38k outline for this one, but to tell you the truth, I think it was over-outlined. I got lazy because of the outline and the writing became stilted. I still hope to go back to this one, but I know it will require a complete rewrite.
2010 - first draft of FINDING HOPE, a companion novel to LOSING FAITH. I'm still in revisions on that one, so I can't tell you for sure about the success of the outlining/preparation, but I did try to go back to a simpler outline for this one, and even though my revisions have been almost total rewrites, the first draft has helped me worked out a lot of issues.
Hope that has helped you some. It actually has helped me, so I'm glad I took the time to get it down.
See you tomorrow...Maybe.
It's probably a good idea, to warm up for NaNoWriMo and all. Not sure I can commit to really, truly doing it every day, but I thought I'd at least start and keep my fingers busy. I'll try to blog a bit more about my process of getting prepared for NaNoWriMo as I do it, but I've been tying up a few other projects first.
At this point, I'm at the brainstorming stage, so not much to share yet. For today, I thought I'd give you a history of my NaNo experience, what has worked for me and what has not.
2007 - First draft of LOSING FAITH - started with a logline/query blurb. Not a very thorough outline.
2008 - First draft of BELLY UP - thorough outline and SOUNDS LIKE THUNDER - without an outline. The one without an outline was fun, and easy to work on during the days I wasn't feeling super-driven on the other one, but it kind of ended up as a plotless heap of *$#$%&*. I've since learned that I need some sort of an outline. The outlined book is still in revisions, and I hope to publish it one day.
2009 - First draft of PERFECT AIM. During this NaNo, I was also in the midst of heavy edits on LOSING FAITH. I had a 38k outline for this one, but to tell you the truth, I think it was over-outlined. I got lazy because of the outline and the writing became stilted. I still hope to go back to this one, but I know it will require a complete rewrite.
2010 - first draft of FINDING HOPE, a companion novel to LOSING FAITH. I'm still in revisions on that one, so I can't tell you for sure about the success of the outlining/preparation, but I did try to go back to a simpler outline for this one, and even though my revisions have been almost total rewrites, the first draft has helped me worked out a lot of issues.
Hope that has helped you some. It actually has helped me, so I'm glad I took the time to get it down.
See you tomorrow...Maybe.
September 30, 2011
Friday Four
1. Wow, I blogged FIVE times this week! I can't promise this will be a regular thing, but I do hope so, because it kind of gave me a bit of a feeling of "normal" back. Which I've been looking for for a long time.
2. I learned a few interesting things from yesterday's post (thanks to all who weighed in!) about being a Sprint Writer or a Marathon Writer. First off, in a way, I have been a Sprint Writer for several years, really, because I participate in NaNo. I hadn't thought about that! Also, sprinting doesn't mean I have to take long periods of hiatus. That's the part of it that I've struggled with the most. During long breaks I really lose my mojo. Having ambitious goals really does work for me, though, so I think I'm re-categorizing myself as a marathoner who sprints from time to time.
3. I still can't show you my cover for NEVER ENOUGH (sad face) but I do have a copy of it, sans the tagline, and so I ordered some cool new swag this week. If you're into passing some goodies around for me to help get people excited for my next book, email me your mailing address and I'll pop some into the mail for you when they arrive. Also, with my cover reveal (which truly should be very, very soon!) I will have a special contest and some more deets about how you might get your hands on an early copy. It's coming...
4. Apparently my first pass pages for NEVER ENOUGH will be done by the end of the week (which is, like, today!) Didn't I JUST finish copyedits? This seems really soon, but I'm excited! First pass pages are the first time I get to see the interiors of the book the way they will look in their printed form. It was one of my most exciting times for LOSING FAITH, one of the parts that really made it feel real to me (and also, have you seen the cool little butterflies they added on the chapter heading pages??) This stage also comes with it's share of anxiety of course. This will possibly be the last time I see my book before it's, well, a book. Last chance for changes and all that. I'm not going to talk about it anymore for fear of heart palpitations!
5. I have one more thing to ask before I go (Friday Five again!) I'm thrilled to be part of The Contemps again this year. Our big objective is to spotlight up and coming contemporary YA. Last year, as part of The Tenners and Class of 2k10, I was really up on what would be coming out later in the year. This year I'm feeling out of the loop. So if you have suggestions for me...YA Contemporary that is releasing this fall or next year that you think sounds really awesome...I'd love to hear about it!
Happy weekend, everybody!
2. I learned a few interesting things from yesterday's post (thanks to all who weighed in!) about being a Sprint Writer or a Marathon Writer. First off, in a way, I have been a Sprint Writer for several years, really, because I participate in NaNo. I hadn't thought about that! Also, sprinting doesn't mean I have to take long periods of hiatus. That's the part of it that I've struggled with the most. During long breaks I really lose my mojo. Having ambitious goals really does work for me, though, so I think I'm re-categorizing myself as a marathoner who sprints from time to time.
3. I still can't show you my cover for NEVER ENOUGH (sad face) but I do have a copy of it, sans the tagline, and so I ordered some cool new swag this week. If you're into passing some goodies around for me to help get people excited for my next book, email me your mailing address and I'll pop some into the mail for you when they arrive. Also, with my cover reveal (which truly should be very, very soon!) I will have a special contest and some more deets about how you might get your hands on an early copy. It's coming...
4. Apparently my first pass pages for NEVER ENOUGH will be done by the end of the week (which is, like, today!) Didn't I JUST finish copyedits? This seems really soon, but I'm excited! First pass pages are the first time I get to see the interiors of the book the way they will look in their printed form. It was one of my most exciting times for LOSING FAITH, one of the parts that really made it feel real to me (and also, have you seen the cool little butterflies they added on the chapter heading pages??) This stage also comes with it's share of anxiety of course. This will possibly be the last time I see my book before it's, well, a book. Last chance for changes and all that. I'm not going to talk about it anymore for fear of heart palpitations!
5. I have one more thing to ask before I go (Friday Five again!) I'm thrilled to be part of The Contemps again this year. Our big objective is to spotlight up and coming contemporary YA. Last year, as part of The Tenners and Class of 2k10, I was really up on what would be coming out later in the year. This year I'm feeling out of the loop. So if you have suggestions for me...YA Contemporary that is releasing this fall or next year that you think sounds really awesome...I'd love to hear about it!
Happy weekend, everybody!
September 29, 2011
Sprint Writer vs. Marathon Writer
When it comes to physical training, I'm a big believer in the sprint over the marathon. Sprinting increases muscle mass and is not as hard on your joints. Besides, look at the body of a marathoner vs a sprinter!
But when it comes to writing, I've always been a marathoner. In it for the long haul, taking a little bit at a time, plodding along every day whether I've felt like it or not. I enjoyed the process, and even when I had a less than stellar writing day, I always figured my ideas were just brewing and my writing would be better the next day (which it usually was). I know many sprint writers--writers that take months off at a stretch and then come back with lots of time and energy and zeal for their projects, but that has never been me.
In this last season of life, though, I've transitioned into more of a sprint writer. I could say that I've "had to," but I believe we always have choices. To be honest, I don't like it. I don't like myself as a writer this way. I feel like the people who always make excuses of why they aren't getting to the gym. Always looking to "the next big break in their lives" when they'll have time for it. And besides that, my brain just works better as a marathoner. If I have my story in my head every day, even if I only get a few hundred words down on it, at least it's still brewing. At least my mind has opportunities to find solutions to literary problems. When I come back to another "sprint" of writing, I feel so much pressure to be writing while I have this time I've set aside that I don't feel like I have the space to sit back and ponder. I write through things because I have to, but to me they feel mediocre. And worse, I don't expect more from myself the next day.
Are you a marathon or a sprint writer? I'd be interested to hear if you're a sprint writer, why it works for you.
But when it comes to writing, I've always been a marathoner. In it for the long haul, taking a little bit at a time, plodding along every day whether I've felt like it or not. I enjoyed the process, and even when I had a less than stellar writing day, I always figured my ideas were just brewing and my writing would be better the next day (which it usually was). I know many sprint writers--writers that take months off at a stretch and then come back with lots of time and energy and zeal for their projects, but that has never been me.
In this last season of life, though, I've transitioned into more of a sprint writer. I could say that I've "had to," but I believe we always have choices. To be honest, I don't like it. I don't like myself as a writer this way. I feel like the people who always make excuses of why they aren't getting to the gym. Always looking to "the next big break in their lives" when they'll have time for it. And besides that, my brain just works better as a marathoner. If I have my story in my head every day, even if I only get a few hundred words down on it, at least it's still brewing. At least my mind has opportunities to find solutions to literary problems. When I come back to another "sprint" of writing, I feel so much pressure to be writing while I have this time I've set aside that I don't feel like I have the space to sit back and ponder. I write through things because I have to, but to me they feel mediocre. And worse, I don't expect more from myself the next day.
Are you a marathon or a sprint writer? I'd be interested to hear if you're a sprint writer, why it works for you.
September 28, 2011
Why Writing History Is Cool - A Guest Post by @Elle_Strauss
As I mentioned on Monday, my good friend Elle Strauss is releasing her first novel this week. As part of her blog tour for CLOCKWISE, she has stopped by with a guest post on writing historical fiction. Don't forget to comment on this post to be entered to win one of her fab blog tour prizes!
I suppose it's fair to say that the older I got the more interested in history I became. It's the ultimate study in human nature, how man/womankind responds to stressful, unpleasant or unusual situations and circumstances. I think this is why there is such a huge fascination with WW2. How could human beings behave that way? Some to become monsters with the desire for ethnic cleansing, and others prompted to push science to its limits by splitting the atom.
Recent history and ancient history are both fascinating to me and as a writer, delving into historical aspects for research is more than just fact finding. It's about discovering the heart of our characters in the midst. Because as much as some things change over time, especially in the areas of information and technology, the basic wants and needs of people do not. No matter how far back you search, men and women have looked for meaning and purpose in life. They've struggled with greed and lust, anger, betrayal, the desire to succeed and to be loved.
Writing historical fiction has caused me to be a continuous student. I've studied in depth subjects like ancient Rome, World War 2 and Hitler Youth. Writing time travel allows me to mix contemporary characters with my love of history. For CLOCKWISE I studied up on the civil war and another era I can't say (spoiler alert). I'm working on a companion book that's taking me into the 1950's.
It's all very interesting and exciting stuff.
How about you? Do you enjoy reading historically based fiction?
Thanks for having me guest blog today, Denise!
Elle Strauss writes time travel and merfolk chic-lit, light SF and historical YA fiction. When she's not writing, she's reading, hanging out with friends and family, and sometimes traveling. She has one husband, four kids and two tabby cats. To ward off writer's butt she does a bit of hiking, biking and yoga.
I suppose it's fair to say that the older I got the more interested in history I became. It's the ultimate study in human nature, how man/womankind responds to stressful, unpleasant or unusual situations and circumstances. I think this is why there is such a huge fascination with WW2. How could human beings behave that way? Some to become monsters with the desire for ethnic cleansing, and others prompted to push science to its limits by splitting the atom.
Recent history and ancient history are both fascinating to me and as a writer, delving into historical aspects for research is more than just fact finding. It's about discovering the heart of our characters in the midst. Because as much as some things change over time, especially in the areas of information and technology, the basic wants and needs of people do not. No matter how far back you search, men and women have looked for meaning and purpose in life. They've struggled with greed and lust, anger, betrayal, the desire to succeed and to be loved.
Writing historical fiction has caused me to be a continuous student. I've studied in depth subjects like ancient Rome, World War 2 and Hitler Youth. Writing time travel allows me to mix contemporary characters with my love of history. For CLOCKWISE I studied up on the civil war and another era I can't say (spoiler alert). I'm working on a companion book that's taking me into the 1950's.
It's all very interesting and exciting stuff.
How about you? Do you enjoy reading historically based fiction?
Thanks for having me guest blog today, Denise!
Elle Strauss writes time travel and merfolk chic-lit, light SF and historical YA fiction. When she's not writing, she's reading, hanging out with friends and family, and sometimes traveling. She has one husband, four kids and two tabby cats. To ward off writer's butt she does a bit of hiking, biking and yoga.
September 27, 2011
Gearing up for #NaNo
It's September. Practically the end of September. For me, this is very late to start thinking about NaNoWriMo, but that's just the way things have gone this year.
I thought I'd share a bit of my process of preparation for those of you who may be thinking of getting involved with NaNoWriMo this year.
For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it's a time where hundreds of thousands of writers cheer each other on to write a novel in a month. My first attempt at this was in 2007, and you can now see that book on the bookstore shelves.
I wrote the first draft of Losing Faith in 21 days, but it took me almost another year to revise the book, find and agent, and then sell it to Simon & Schuster. And even that year doesn't fully cover the time I spent on it. I believe I started brainstorming that book during the summer prior to NaNo. By the time NaNo rolled around, I had a pretty good idea of what the book was going to be about.
My aim is always to start with a logline - or a one-line pitch for the book. For Losing Faith, the original logline was probably something like this: A rebellious teen girl finds out dark secrets about her older perfect religious sister after her death.
Not terribly eloquent, but I started talking to friends about it, and I got the ooh/aahhh response I was looking for. Even more so when I added the word "cult" to the logline.
From there, I worked at developing a fairly thorough outline of where I expected the book to start and where I expected it to go. You see, writing a book in a month is not the hard part. At least not for me. Coming up with the ideas AND writing the book in a month - now that would be hard!
My idea/advice is to not start November 1st with a blank page. At least come up with your idea. And then find out what kind of a reaction you get from it. You'll go into November with more confidence to boot.
Through the next month, I'll be blogging about my own process, plus offering a few tips and tricks to get you ready and excited for NaNo. Are you planning to NaNo this year? Have you done it before? How do YOU plan to prepare?
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I thought I'd share a bit of my process of preparation for those of you who may be thinking of getting involved with NaNoWriMo this year.
For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it's a time where hundreds of thousands of writers cheer each other on to write a novel in a month. My first attempt at this was in 2007, and you can now see that book on the bookstore shelves.
I wrote the first draft of Losing Faith in 21 days, but it took me almost another year to revise the book, find and agent, and then sell it to Simon & Schuster. And even that year doesn't fully cover the time I spent on it. I believe I started brainstorming that book during the summer prior to NaNo. By the time NaNo rolled around, I had a pretty good idea of what the book was going to be about.
My aim is always to start with a logline - or a one-line pitch for the book. For Losing Faith, the original logline was probably something like this: A rebellious teen girl finds out dark secrets about her older perfect religious sister after her death.
Not terribly eloquent, but I started talking to friends about it, and I got the ooh/aahhh response I was looking for. Even more so when I added the word "cult" to the logline.
From there, I worked at developing a fairly thorough outline of where I expected the book to start and where I expected it to go. You see, writing a book in a month is not the hard part. At least not for me. Coming up with the ideas AND writing the book in a month - now that would be hard!
My idea/advice is to not start November 1st with a blank page. At least come up with your idea. And then find out what kind of a reaction you get from it. You'll go into November with more confidence to boot.
Through the next month, I'll be blogging about my own process, plus offering a few tips and tricks to get you ready and excited for NaNo. Are you planning to NaNo this year? Have you done it before? How do YOU plan to prepare?
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September 26, 2011
CLOCKWISE! And a #Contest including LOSING FAITH!
I'm so excited for my friend, Elle Strauss, whose debut novel is out this week!
"A teen time traveler accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward."
CLOCKWISE is launching electronically this week and it's only 2.99 on Amazon , £2.17 on Amazon.co.uk! To celebrate, Elle is giving away five debut books by authors that you can meet on her blog tour which is happening now.
LOSING FAITH by Denise JadenTHE CLEARING by Anne RileyTHE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL by Heather McCorklePERILOUS by Tamara Hart HeinerTHE HATING GAME by Talli Roland
How to win? Sign up for Elle's newsletter to enter. For extra entries just comment on any blog in the tour. The more blogs you visit and comment on the more chances you have to win.
Five books, five days, five winners!
And Elle will be back here this Wednesday as part of her blog tour, so make sure to stop back here for an extra entry! (And let me just say that $2.99 makes it pretty darn easy to support this debut author - click on the link above!)
Congratulations, Elle!
"A teen time traveler accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward."
CLOCKWISE is launching electronically this week and it's only 2.99 on Amazon , £2.17 on Amazon.co.uk! To celebrate, Elle is giving away five debut books by authors that you can meet on her blog tour which is happening now.
LOSING FAITH by Denise JadenTHE CLEARING by Anne RileyTHE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL by Heather McCorklePERILOUS by Tamara Hart HeinerTHE HATING GAME by Talli Roland
How to win? Sign up for Elle's newsletter to enter. For extra entries just comment on any blog in the tour. The more blogs you visit and comment on the more chances you have to win.
Five books, five days, five winners!
And Elle will be back here this Wednesday as part of her blog tour, so make sure to stop back here for an extra entry! (And let me just say that $2.99 makes it pretty darn easy to support this debut author - click on the link above!)
Congratulations, Elle!
