Megan Bostic's Blog, page 36

The trouble with rewrites

Um, what isn't the trouble with rewrites. After sending my novel, An Unbalanced Line, which used to be titled Cheesy, which if it ever gets published will more than likely be named something else, to my editor, I realized I'd made a horrible mistake.

At that moment I began to realize all the things wrong with the book.

Have you ever done that?

When she wrote back and said she'd read about a quarter of it and there were definitely problems with it that she had every faith I could fix, and would I like it back to do that before she read on, um, yeah, I jumped at the chance.

I realized for YA my protagonist started out too young. Her dad wasn't quite the asshole he was supposed to be. I also decided she needed to be from a specific geographical area instead of some nondescript place.

Thus the rewrite begins.

The beginning was fairly easy, because it was like writing a new book. The first 10,000 words were mostly new writing. Of course with the new geographical area, and the fact that my main character drives across three states made for a lot of research.

Then the harder part began--I caught up to the point I had to rewrite.

Do you know how hard it is to change a 13 year old voice to a 16 year old voice? Well, it's not easy. Not to mention every other kid in the book, their clothing, social activities,yadda, yadda, yadda.

I have to totally rewrite the dad and make him a big fat jerk.

I also changed some other aspects of the book in the new beginning, therefore having to change other things throughout.

I' plodded along.

I stopped for awhile and started a new project, then thought to myself. You already have a finished novel here. Just get it done. So I went back to it. I continue to work through it slowly. I'm on page 73 of 171. Word number 24,464 out of 56,721. I'm almost halfway there.

How do you feel about rewrites? Are you always up to the challenge? Do they frustrate you? Invigorate you? Make you crazy? Inspired?

Thinks that make you go hmmm...

Life has been nothing short of chaotic lately. I don't have a magic wand to make time slow down or annoying people to go away or life to be perfect, so I have to deal. I'm just not good at dealing. I'm learning, I really am. When something pisses me off, I take a deep breath and try to let serenity wash over me and let the moment pass. I try not to use the word "hate" although it's much too easy to say.



Some days I feel like the Tasmanian Devil, spinning out of control, leaving nothing but piles of rubble in my wake.

Some days there is so much going on in my head I can't process it all.

Some days I don't want to get out of bed.

Why, why why, you ask.

Hmmm....

People annoy me. Let me be more specific. Ignorance, stupidity, and meanness annoy and anger me.

Politics/religion. Yes, taboo subjects, but I'm going there. I'm tired of people downing a president who is doing the best he can with the eight year mess he was left with. I think it's wrong for the government to tell two people in love that they can't get married. I'm tired of people thinking the environment is fine, there is no such thing as climate change. I think when your clergy is abusing children, maybe it's time to rethink your policies and let them be married, or gay, or women. *cough* I'm done with that. I'm not trying to start any political or religious debates. If you'd like to say something in response to this, please feel free, but keep it civil and I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but these are my opinions and I stand by them.

Day job. I love my day job. I'm good at what I do. But this week it made a very bad start to my weekend. I get tired of people not speaking up when they want to and then not keeping their mouths closed when they should. If you don't like my work, fire me, but I've done a damn good job.

Teenage girls. I'm pretty sure that's all I have to say there.


Writing. I'm not going to be specific here, but I think reviewers should be kind to writers and writers should be kind to reviewers. There is no reason to take personal jabs at either. I've seen a lot of ugliness on the net lately with regards to this, and it is nothing short of bullying on both sides. It needs to stop.

And I'm scared. I don't have an agent. I don't have a second book deal. My foreign rights for Never Eighteen are dangling in the stratosphere without a home. I've started querying, but it's frightening. It's something I never wanted to have to do again, yet here I am.

I have a book finished. This is good. I'm rewriting another. This is hard. I have so many projects I want to write, so many ideas. This is frustrating.  I don't have the time to write all the ideas swimming around in my head.

Sometimes I wish my brain would just quiet down and leave me be. But it doesn't.

Gearing up for my coming out

I'm talking about my new blog, vlog, website. It's why I haven't exactly been doing any of those things lately. And while I don't exactly have the money yet for my new website, I'm still going to release my blog and vlog soon. hopefully this week. Maybe blog Friday, Vlog Monday? I'll try at least.

Thanks to my winner Kevin Johnson for coming up with my new brand, Creative Chaos. Fits perfectly.

Stay tuned for more chaos.

Spokane Here We Come!!!

So if you're in the Spokane, WA area, I will be at Auntie's Bookstore with two other fantabulous writers and Class of 2k12ers, J Anderson Coats, and Jennifer Shaw Wolf. Here's. We will be reading from our novels, taking questions, and selling and signing books. Here are little blurbs about the books, so you know what to look forward to.
The Wicked and the Just
In thirteenth-century Wales, ten years into English rule, two girls at cross purposes are caught up in ethnic strife, institutionalized corruption and impending rebellion.
1293.  North Wales.  Ten years into English rule.Cecily would give anything to leave Caernarvon and go home.  Gwenhwyfar would give anything to see all the English leave.
Neither one is going to get her wish.Behind the city walls, English burgesses govern with impunity.  Outside the walls, the Welsh are confined by custom and bear the burden of taxation, and the burgesses plan to keep it that way.
Cecily can’t be bothered with boring things like the steep new tax or the military draft that requires Welshmen to serve in the king’s army overseas.  She has her hands full trying to fit in with the town’s privileged elite, and they don’t want company.
Gwenhwyfar can’t avoid these things.  She counts herself lucky to get through one more day, and service in Cecily’s house is just salt in the wound.
But the Welsh are not as conquered as they seem, and the suffering in the countryside is rapidly turning to discontent.  The murmurs of revolt may be Gwenhwyfar’s only hope for survival – and the last thing Cecily ever hears.
Breaking Beautiful
 Does time heal all wounds?
Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a tragic car accident—including her memory of the event. All she has left are the scars and a sneaking suspicion that the crash wasn’t an accident after all.  
When the police reopen the investigation, it quickly turns on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around their small town. 
As the threats begin and the survivor’s guilt sets in, Allie’s memories collide with a dark secret about Trip she’s kept for too long. Caught somewhere between her past and her future, Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free?
Never Eighteen
  Seventeen-year-old Austin Parker wants to help the people he loves live—even though his own future is uncertain.
I had the dream again.  The one where I’m running.  I don’t know what from or where to, but I’m scared, terrified really.
Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. 
But in the short time he has left there’s one thing he can do: He can try to help the people he loves live—even though he never will.It’s probably hopeless.
But he has to try.
So, please if you're in the area, come by and see us. We'd love to meet you!

Branding Winner!

So I have my winner of my branding contest. He's someone that commented on my youtube video about the contest. I don't even know if he reads this blog, but if you do, hey Kevin, you won! So, what's the brand?
Megan Bostic Creative Chaos
I think it's perfect for me. My writing style as well as my life is nothing short of chaotic. I can barely keep track of myself.
So there it is. Soon I'll have a new look for my website, my blog (hopefully if we can figure that out), and I'll be starting a new video series.
Thanks to all who participated. If any of you who entered want a signed bookmark, send me an email with your address at meganbostic at ymail dot com. 
You guys rock. Seriously.
Oh, and since I didn't blog yesterday, here's a monkey.
This is how I've felt the last few weeks.

Branding contest still going on, oh yeah, and a monkey

 Sorry I've not blogged, I've had a deadline at the day job that has pretty much kicked my ass and have been working diligently all week to get it done (still not done, deadline is tomorrow)

I'm giving it until the end of the month. I've received some good entries. So if you want to enter, better do it soon.

What the heck is a branding contest, you ask? Simply, I need a brand, a pithy tagline if you will. I'm retiring the Angsty Writer. I'm revamping all that is me, my website, blog, youtube, video series, all of it.

What will you win? A bunch of Never Eighteen stuff--signed book, tote bag, and a buttload of swag. I'll even throw your name on my website.

Sooo, bring me your ideas, here, facebook, youtube, twitter. Wherever. I'm going to be a new person soon. I'll let you know later when the new  me will be revealed.

Have a great day!

BRAND ME FOR REALSIES (yes I'm yelling)

Um, seriously people? I need ideas!!

I'm throwing in a Never Eighteen tote bag and will fill it with NE swag and a signed book.

I’m thinking something to do with Chaos.

I’ll also include your name on my new website.

Help me out peeps.

You can let me know here on my blog.

Facebook
Twitter
My website

Monday Monkey Madness: Rebranding Contest

[image error] Yes, I'm going to rebrand myself. I think it's time the Angsty Writer be retired. Yes, of course I'm still angsty, and I embrace that side of me, but that doesn't really define who I am anymore.  I mean, yeah, I write stuff from my heart and soul, and let my emotions guide me, and that, thus far, has become young adult contemporary fiction. But it's not all I write, nor all I want to write. I am more than that. I've written/am going to write:

Fantasy
Dystopian
Chick lit.
Adult contemporary

I don't want to get pigeonholed into being the writer of YA weepies because although, yeah, I'll probably continue to do that, I also want to write things that are funny, and fantastical, and asskicking.

So, this is what I think. I want you to help brand me. Those of you who've been following me for awhile probably know me pretty good by now. Those of you new here, maybe take a look at some old blogs? I need a new name for my blog. A new tagline if you will.  I'm also going to be redoing my website. Everything is getting a facelift.

 If I pick your brand, I'll send you a signed copy of Never Eighteen and a bunch of SWAG.  I'll put your name on my new website if you want.

So, you can answer here, send me a message through my website, facebook, or twitter. You know where to find me. I think I'll just run the contest until I find something I like.

Ready? Go.

NYC Day 4: A Walk (lost) in the Park and crashing on floors

We checked out of the New Yorker, had them stow our luggage, and first stop was the New York Public Library, you know, the one with the lions out front. It was very cool, the architecture magnificent. I didn't spend a lot of time in there because the BF couldn't go in with his Starbucks, which was fine.

We didn't really have a plan. We'd intended to go to Long Island to visit my friend Gae, but she had an opportunity come up she couldn't pass up, to see the screening of Fat Kid Rules the World, a film by Matthew Lillard, based on the book by Gae's friend, K.L. Going. So she wasn't going to be home until around midnight, meaning we had all day in the city, which was kind of nice. We were contemplating going to the screening, but were playing things by ear as we were fairly exhausted after two days of walking and the movie didn't start until 9:00 pm.

We decided to go back to Central Park since we didn't really get to see much of it. But first we stopped at Trump Tower, which is pretty impressive, almost as tall as the Sears Tower. There's a restaurant, bar, Starbucks, and thankfully bathrooms. There's also a "public garden". I put this in quotes because there was about a tree in there, to me, not really equating it to a garden, but maybe to the Donald it is.

Then to Central Park. We rested on the grass for a bit, then did the Literary Walk. Lots of musicians in the park and a guy that wanted a buck to make me laugh. I laughed at him and didn't even have to pay. We walked around the lake, which was beautiful. Then we went searching for the John Lennon memorial in Strawberry Fields and got *cough*a little lost. We found our way once the BF realized I had the map upside down. *cough* We walked about 5 miles through the park and didn't even get halfway through.


Then we met up with a friend of the BFs and took him to McGarry's which we'd become very fond of, the guy who'd been watching people from our table the last time came out and counted money. The Sam Adams guy was there and he gave us not one, but TWO free buckets of beer, which was awesome, because 1) it's good beer and 2) it was a hot day.

BFs friend had to go and we walked back to the New Yorker and decided we were way too tired to wait until midnight to go to Long Island, so we began searching for hotels a little grudgingly, as we really didn't want to pay the money. I found a couple in the Times Square area that were reasonable, our hotel had some kind of health conference going on so it was booked.

Then the BF says, "get a hold of Theresa and see if we can crash there." I was reluctant. I felt bad just barging in on someone, but I did, and she was happy to host us. Her apartment was small, and clean, and cute. She took us to her dive bar (that's what she calls it) down the street and we listened to awesome music and played Yahtzee. Then we went back and crashed on an air mattress on her floor.

Very good day. Tomorrow, Long Island.

NYC Day 3: Lost at Macy's, WTC & more 2k12

I have to say, the first the the BF and I did every morning was hit the Starbucks across the streets. And just like here, the birthplace of Starbucks, there is pretty much a store on every corner in NYC.

Next we walked over to Macy's, which boasts being the largest department store in the world, and I believe them. Ten and a half floors (yes, half) tall, and I don't know how wide. Maybe a block? And there was a basement. I'm assuming that is part of the floor count.

On the way there, I ran into this: Okay, there is a large woman in front of us, imagine her speaking in a NY accent.  "She got a lot of fu*@ing nerve. Yeah she got a lot of nerve."
I'm assuming the woman is on a blue tooth since she was alone. We past her, nope, no blue tooth. Just one of the many people we encountered talking to themselves. Beautiful.

I'm wanting to buy a shirt for my book signing that evening, so we leave floor one (watches, perfume, guy stuff) and head upstairs to floor 2, then floor 3, floor 4. I'm pretty sure it took us two hours to get through those few floors. We got lost, turned around, didn't find a shirt, and didn't go any further because we had reservations at the World Trade Center. Macy's, for my tastes, was a bit too overwhelming. I think I'm okay with one floor of women's clothing. I'm not sure I want to take the time to go through three floors (it may have actually been four, I lost count).

We kind of lost track of time, so we had to take a cab to meet our 1:00 pm reservation at the World Trade Center. First time catching a cab in NY. I'd seen other people do it, so I was confident I could. I stood on the corner and put my hand out. Then a guy stood in front of me and put his hand out. Then a woman stood in front of him and put her hand out.  So what did I do? I ran down the street in front of the woman held my hand out and a cab promptly came and the BF and I hopped in while the woman yelled at me, "That's my cab!" I simply said, "Nope." and as we drove away, the BF said,"Have a nice day." Even the cabby laughed.

We get to the WTC, there's a long security line, but it didn't take too much time to get through. It's like the airport, but they yell at you if you take off your shoes. No this did not happen to me.
[image error]
Let me just say, the memorial pools were breathtaking. I was brought to tears as I read the names of the all people who had died so senselessly. And they have the one tree left standing after the tragedy protected by a railing. It was absolutely beautiful.
[image error]
[image error] After that we were starving to death, having not eaten yet and found this whole in the wall pizza place called Majestic Pizza. I must mention, these little restaurants have no bathrooms. Be prepared to pee anyplace you can find a public bathroom, even if you don't have to go because you never know when you may find a bathroom again. The pizza was  YUMMY!!!

[image error] We walk back, three miles, which was fine, but then I start to panic that I'm going to be late for my book signing at Books of Wonder. ACK! I quickly get ready, we start walking, I begin to panic, so about halfway there we catch a cab. We get there a half hour early. I was sticky hot and parched. I dumped my stuff off and BF and I find a place a couple doors down and grab a quick beer.

[image error] Then back to the book store. It was AWESOME!! We had about 50 people show up, including my friend Theresa from the night before. All the 2k12ers from the night before were there except for Kimberly Sabatini, her book doesn't come out until later this year. We got to introduce ourselves and our books, then we had Q&A and sales and signing. I signed a few books, and even a Kindle cover. I had some people come up to me who'd already read the book and tell me how much they liked it. Then we got to sign the rest of our stock (which means they can't send the books back, they have to sell them :) I bid goodbye to my 2k12 friends. So nice to be able to meet them in person and BF and I were starving, so off to dinner.

[image error] My friend Theresa told us about this place called Old Town, and she decided to meet us. It was a little pub off the beaten path and PACKED. Apparently people who live in NYC go out during the week because the tourists go out on the weekend and everything is even more packed.

[image error] Then we walked back to the New Yorker, VERY tired, having walked about 7 miles that day. We hit Times Square on the way because we wanted to see it at night all lit up. Then we literally collapsed.

Tomorrow, the library and getting lost in Central Park.