Megan Bostic's Blog, page 28

Flame Wars

I don't get it. The internet is such a strange place to communicate to begin with, then we create inflections and attitude in our minds about the way something is being said that perhaps we take it the wrong way and get pissed off.

Don't get me wrong, I've been in a flame war before, of course that person was vile and called people wife beaters, and ugly, and other horrible things.

But why to people have to air their dirty laundry on blogs and Facebook and Twitter? I mean, is public humiliation the only way to go these days? What happened to good old discretion? If you have a gripe with someone, send them a message, get their side of the story. Why do you have to plaster your personal crap where everyone can see it?

Do some people just live for that kind of drama?

Maybe when you get pissed at someone over the internet, you should wait 24 hours before doing anything about it. Don't act on emotion, act on rationality.

What do you think about people calling people out on blogs and other social media outlets? Do you think people deserve it or that these matters should be taken care of privately?

Flame photo credit:   Patrick Hoesly / Foter.com / CC BY
Crazy Kitten? photo credit: Merlijn Hoek / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Who cares?

Is anyone else just sick of media coverage on people and things that don't deserve it? 

Manti Te'o. The guy was duped. Yep. Guess what, people are taken by other people all the time. This guy got some publicity, others have had their entire lives stolen from them. Leave it alone. And really? Let's interview the girl who was in the photo? Why? She's nobody. She's never met Manti Te'o. Who cares if her pictures was stolen and used without her knowledge. It happens all the time.

Lance Armstrong. I'm sick to death of this story. He screwed up. Take his award, his medals and let the story die already. Does a guy like him really deserve all this publicity he's getting? I don't care what his ex-girlfriend has to say about it, even if she is Sheryl Crow. They haven't been together for seven years. 

Beyonce. Why are we even talking about this? My god, so she lip-sank. It's not like she was using someone else's voice or that she screwed up. We know the woman can belt out a tune. Leave her be. I'm sure there's more important things about the inauguration we can talk about.

Who cares about Kate Middleton's portrait? I mean, really?

Wes Welker's wife? She's a poor sport. So what? I see those all the time at my kid's soccer games.

I don't care 'who wears it best', the Kardashians, Lindsey, Honey Boo Boo. I'm so tired of media making celebrities out of nobody's, giving killers more air time than they should, drawing out stories that should just die a quick death or shouldn't be covered at all when there is so much else going on in the world.

Sigh.

I wish I could just hide from it all, but it's everywhere, newspapers, social media, internet, tv. I'd have to get rid of my electricity, my cell phone, and never leave the house again.

Okay, sorry for the rant.

And now back to your regularly scheduled blog...

On the Writing Front

You have five more days to get your entry in to ABNA (Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest). They haven't announced any of the categories closed yet, so if you have a finished novel and want to try to win a publishing contract and a $50k advance, you better get a move on.

On the writing front, I'm torn. I have two fantasy MSs started, both of which are going to be series I'm hoping. One, a fairy tale retelling, the other dystopian. But there are so many more stories in me to write, most of them contemporary realistic, which I know will probably keep me a mid-lister for the rest of my writing days.

I shouldn't have started a project when I already had one going. sigh. I also have two adult books started, and one chick lit I've been wanting to write forever.  And then of course there is always something that needs editing. I wrote a book about a school shooting a couple years ago I'd like to polish up and send out.

Do you ever have more than one project going at a time? How do you balance the two?

Monkey Madness Monday: More to Walk Away With & a Little MLK

Don't you hate when you go away for a weekend for some R&R and you come back feeling like you never left.  I'm at the ocean. It's been a blast, but I don't feel rested. Which is fine. I've done a lot here: shopped, won some money at the casino, went to the beach, watched movies, played games. I didn't get to write though, which is my fault because I used to get up early. Now I sleep in. But now I stress because I have some projects to finish up.

Another thing happened too, and this is mostly what this blog is about today. This weekend I found out a writer friend died last July. He wasn't a great friend, I suppose more like an acquaintance, and I only knew him virtually, but still, he has been a pretty constant presence for me for five years. This is the third person in my virtual writing world that has passed in the last few years. It's strange because you suddenly wish you had talked to them more, found out more about them, instead of just joking around poking fun at the writing life and making gentle fun of noobs. So I took some time looking him up. I looked up past posts on a forum we were on together. Found a video on youtube. I know, it probably sounds totally psycho and stalkerish, but I wanted just a little bit more of him to walk away with.

I'd like to say that I'm going to go out and touch everyone's lives today. But it's hard to spread yourself that thin. I already have my personal friends and my family. I have different groups of writing friends, local, worldwide. I often regret that I can't keep up with all of them daily, but it's just not humanly possible. And of course, I meet more people every single day, in life, online...

I guess I'm just contemplative today. Even before this, I've been missing people I've met through my writing that I've just not been able to keep up with. And those I used to be super tight with, we just...have our real life to deal with. Our own writing, families, jobs, illnesses, vacations...it's hard.

And at this point I think I'm babbling. I just wish I had this expansive wingspan in which I could spread out over everyone I know and pull them in tight so I could always know what they're doing.

But alas...

Happy Monday All and a don't forget what today is...we celebrate a man who gave his life battling for equal rights against social injustice. 

 “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

F³A: One Year Anniversary

I realized that yesterday was the anniversary of my debut novel, Never Eighteen. I only realized this because my friend Gae Polisner (who's a terrific writer), pointed it out to me. How could I forget that? Easy. Stress, Drama, Frustration...I could probably go on.

Don't get me wrong, having my novel debut is probably the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me since Thing 1 and Thing 2. But the debut year isn't easy by any stretch of the word. Now, that's not true of everyone, but for me, yes.

It started even before the book came out, setting up a website, continuing to blog and vlog, writing guests posts for bloggers, making a trailer, basically doing all the things I needed to create a buzz before the book came out. I also joined the Class of 2k12, which was awesome. Did it help my book? Yes I definitely think so. I would recommend collaborative marketing for any debut author, and beyond.

Then there was planning the party. I needed a venue, food, and dessert. Luckily the Tacoma Public Library offered to host my debut. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication between me and the library director as to who was supposed to contact him, so I didn't have one. He was nice enough to send a money box though and my mom took the role of book seller.

 January isn't exactly a banner month where the weather is concerned here in the PNW, so things didn't go exactly as planned. Can you say snow? That didn't stop people from coming, but it did stop one box of books from showing up. Luckily I had my own box of books in my car. We still ran out.

It also stopped one of my actors from coming. Two young actors offered to read a section from my book for the party. The boy was a no show so the library director took his place. It was fine, but a little awkward to have this teenage girl and this 50 something library director reading an intimate scene (not sexual intimate, but an intimate conversation).

I hosted two more private parties after that for friends and family. Those went very well also. My friends Gae and Annmarie came from New York to help me celebrate as well, and we had a sleepover with fellow writers and friends, all I met either through ABNA or Facebook.

Then there's after the debut. I did hire a publicist for about six weeks to help me out because I really didn't feel comfortable asking people to host me and crap. She's already got me two radio interviews and a newspaper interview. I had a big spread in our entertainment section. There were also school visits, library visits, bookstore visits.

The first few weeks went pretty well. The books was selling like crazy. They say your book only has a shelf life of about 6 weeks. Mine lasted longer. I know it's because after the publicist was done working with me, I gained the confidence to continue to get myself the school, library and bookstore visits. And I've made some great contacts for the future.

Then there was the writing. I was already struggling with finishing a book, I needed to revise two more that were finished. Once the former was finished, I sent it to my agent. No go. Sent her the 2nd. No go. Sent her the third. At this point she said if I wanted to find another agent to represent my future work, feel free. This means I don't have an agent anymore. That was in June. Which turned out fine, because she was closing her business by the end of last year anyway.

I sent my novel Dissection straight to my editor because I had an option in my contract which states they get right of first refusal on my next YA book. No go. My editor also wanted to read my football book. It needed a complete rewrite. So I started working on that.

While I continued to market Never Eighteen, I began querying agents. Many of them asked to see part of the book, but no takers. Mine you, I really wasn't trying too hard, but I was trying. There was one who liked it enough to read a rewrite, which I haven't done yet.

Never Eighteen continued to sell, but slower and slower. That's okay. A couple months ago, I decided I was done marketing the book. I wanted to move forward and focus on future books, rewriting, writing a new one, etc.

Then there's NaNoWriMo. I started a book, got to 30k, but didn't complete Nano. I felt good about what I did accomplish though.

I'm still doing sporadic events. Events I'd already planned, or ones I think are worthwhile. I also finished my rewrite of my football book. That went to my editor a couple days ago. I've entered Dissection into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest. And now I wait. Well, not exactly wait. I got stuck on my NaNo project, so I set it aside yesterday to work on a dystopian fantasy I'd started a while back. It's actually a major rewrite of the first book I ever wrote, Dena Powers: Superhero? Now it's called, Revelation: Book One of the Divinity Chronicles. I'm excited about it. If you're friends with me on Facebook, you can read a little snippet I put on my personal page.

So that's my debut year in a nutshell. If you have a debut novel coming out, just know it's not that easy, especially for a mid-lister like me. All in all though, it was amazing, even if difficult. I mean, I have a book out by one of the big publishers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Someone liked my book enough to publish it. That in itself is an accomplishment.

I almost forgot it's Friday, here are my Scribbles.

Next Pandora Song:  Skeleton Song by Kate Nash (Fun station)

Book of the Week: Um, IDK. I suppose the Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook. It's all I've read this week. lol (yes, WW again.  7 lbs gone so far)

Netflix of the Week: Lost Season 4. I never finished the series, so now I am. And I've stayed away from hearing how it ends, so please don't comment any spoilers.

Quote of the Week: “Your debut year will put hair on your chest, turn the hair on your head gray, or cause you to lose hair. Either way, your hair will never be the same.”  ~ Corrine Jackson , Fellow 2k12er and author of If I Lie and Touched.

Unitasking

Photo by Stuart MilesI didn't make that up, I read it in a magazine,though for the life of me I can't remember which one. But yea, unitasking. I think this would be a very valuable gift to have.

Imagine, only doing, only thinking about one thing at a time. How much could you get accomplished? But instead, I multi-task, and I suck at it. Like right now I'm writing this blog, while answering emails, drinking coffee, and thinking about other stresses in life. I know, I'm totally talented.

So, I think I'm going to try to stay focused and unitask. I'm going to make a list of what needs to be done (I was supposed to do that weeks ago, but this is me we're talking about), prioritize, and make it happen, one thing at a time.

Are you horrible or awesome at unitasking? How do you stay focused? How do you organize and prioritize your "to do" list? Got any tips or suggestions for me?

I'm Entered

Last night I entered the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) contest. For those of you who've never heard of it, it's a contest that Amazon has put on for the last five years for writer to win a publishing contract. They used to partner up with Penguin, but now, since they've started their own publishing company, are doing it on their own.

The contest is a little different than in the past. They used to give away two awards, one in general fiction, one in YA, I believe both winners got a contract and a $25,000 advance.

This year  one Grand Prize winner will receive a publishing contract with an advance of $50,000, and four First Prize winners will each receive a publishing contract with an advance of $15,000.

They've expanded the categories to include five genres: General Fiction, Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror and Young Adult Fiction. You can view the official contest rules, or read details on how to enter.

Back in 2007, this was my first venture into a writing forum and meeting other writers. I will say, it was one of the best things I ever did. I made so many friends from all over the country, many of them I'm still tight with.

If you have a finished novel between 50-150k, you may want to enter. They take unpublished or self published books as entries. Take a look. What do you have to lose.

Monkey Madness Monday: Balancing Act

"Rhesus Monkey" by James BarkerKeeping my life balanced is one of my New Year's resolutions, and perhaps the hardest one for me to keep. I have all these different aspects of my life that have to fit into the box that constitute my 15-16 daily waking hours.

I need to balance work, writing, marketing, household cleaning and maintenance, kids, boyfriend, friends and family, exercise, and the time in which my life is slowly slipping from me on my way to and from these tasks.

How do I do it? Well, right now I don't. That's the point. I WANT to, but I've never been good with balance. Multi-tasking? Yes. Complete and utter exhaustion? Sure. But balance? Nope.

Step one: Advice from my boyfriend, say no. Of course I know this, I've told myself I need to stop doing for others until I've got my own shit together. But I can't seem to do it.  Megan, come over early and help me set up for the party? Sure! Megan, could you review my book for me? Great! No problem! Megan, can I get you to read my query letter/synopsis/partofmymanuscrip/etc? You bet!

Don't get me wrong, there are people I will ALWAYS say yes too. My parents, people I'm mentoring, people who have helped me out, but I don't have to say yes to everyone, which I find myself doing more often than not. Sigh.

by David Castillo DominiciStep two: Make a list. I need to list all the things on my to do list. And I mean ALL of them. It will be extensive, but whether it's something I need/want to do tomorrow or next year, I need to keep track of it.

Step three: Prioritize. Okay, maybe buying all new towels for my bathroom isn't as important that getting my manuscript to my editor. And perhaps that manuscript isn't as important as say, feeding my children. Or maybe it is? No matter, I need to figure out what is important and what can be put on the back burner.

Step four: As Yoda says, "Do or do not. There is no try." Uh, yeah. Okay, no try, I have to do. Without the "do", I will have spent all these waking hours on making lists and prioritizing for naught, and believe me, I have no waking hours to waste. It's going to take a schedule. Deadlines. Fortitude. Diligence. Things I try to ignore, but can no longer.

How are you at the balancing act? Do you find yourself swimming in the shallow end trying to ignore those tsunamis heading your way that are bound to drown you?

Yeah, that's me. So here I go. Wish me luck. If you never see my head above water again, it's been nice knowing you. Keep it real.

F³A: ABNA

You've probably heard me talk about this before, but it's that time of year, the ABNA contest is coming up. I didn't enter last year, but am going to this year.

To enter I have to come up with an awesome pitch. I've not written one for Dissection yet, not really. I mean, I've written a query letter, but being that I could get ousted from the contest if my pitch isn't good enough, well, that really sucks.

It's a crap shoot really. My book is dark, Syd's voice is brash, and there's an 'F' bomb in the first paragraph. If I get the wrong judges, I'm, for lack of a better word, fucked.

The last time I entered, I got thrashed by one of the judges. He didn't understand the voice at all, and he thought I was a teen, which I took as a compliment that my voice was spot on. The review wasn't just bad. I can handle a bad review, but it was cruel. I didn't really care anyway, well, maybe a little, but only because the ignorance ousted me from the contest.

So I'm diving back in. Who's entering? What kind of book are you entering?

Okay Friday Scribbles:

Next Pandora Song: A Message by Coldplay

Book of the Week: Hooked by Liz Fichera. A 2013 Young Adult release. Awesome book. Make sure you buy it.

Netflix of the Week: Breaking Bad Season 4. Just finished. Now I have to wait for the final season. >:(

Quote of the Week: "Success is not built on success. It's built on failure. It's built on frustration. Sometimes its built on catastrophe."
Sumner Redstone

Happy Friday Ya'll!!

What comes next...

My debut year is over. Now what? Things haven't exactly worked out like I'd hoped. I'd hoped to have another book deal by now, but instead I find myself querying agents, continuing to revise manuscripts, and struggling to finish the current work in progress.

So, how am I going to make things work? Well, I'm waiting to hear back from one agent. Once I hear from her, I will decide what to do with Dissected. The ABNA contest is coming up in a couple weeks and if she rejects me by then, I think I'll enter that in the contest. If I don't hear from her by then, I'll enter An Unbalanced Line, which I'm currently revising.

Also...I told myself that if I didn't find an agent by the end of the year, I would self publish. I still want to do that, but I may wait until after the Amazon contest -  see how far I get there. I think it is inevitable that I do it though. I think I've said before, I can't imagine waiting another two years for a book to be traditionally published. People who liked Never Eighteen will be saying, "Megan who?" by then.

That's where I'm at.
Wait to hear from agent
Enter ABNA
Finish WIP
Self publish

What do you think?