Erica O'Rourke's Blog, page 8

WIP Friday: Quiet Edition

I meant to have a giveway this week -- I got some beautiful swag and wanted to share it with you -- but things got away from me. I've been deep in preparations for the classes I'm teaching at the Midwest Writers Workshop next week. (It's a great conference, and there are still spots open. I'll be teaching a bunch of classes on YA, as well as work/life balance and critiquing, but there are also workshop tracks for other genres, and some incredible agents, like this lady.)

Then I was going to post the giveaway today, but I woke up this morning, got the kids off to camp, and settled down for my daily blog-reading...and then caught the news about the theatre shooting in Colorado. And now I find that I have very little to say, because it's just so awful. I'm angry and sad and feel like I've been scraped raw in places, which is generally a sign I am unfit for society.

So I'm going to go downstairs and wrestle Powerpoint into submission, and then I'm going to pick Big Marshmallow up from camp and have a tea party, and play board games with the big girls, and let those raw places heal back up.

In the meantime, it is worth your time to read Libba Bray's beautiful post about the need for compassion and kindness in the face of awful insensible things. Have a good, quiet weekend, all.

WIP Friday: Epilogue Edition + Giveaway Winner!

If you've been here for a while, you know that I have a hidden page on my regular website which can be accesssed in one of two ways: typing in the top secret URL, or by scanning the QR code on the back of Torn Trilogy swag. And if you've gone to that secret page, you've read the epilogue to the series, which I cleverly designed so as to give you a glimpse of Mo's future without being spoilery.

I'll be swapping that scene out soon, and thought it was high time to let everyone read it, especially now that the trilogy is concluded. So if you're looking to see what happened once BOUND was over, I present to you...

AFTER

(I've tested it, and I think the link will work even if you're not logged into FB, but if you have problems, let me know. I won't fix it, because I'm clueless about Facebook, but I have PEOPLE, and they will make it all better.)

Now, I am a person who loves spoilers. You can tell me how a book or series ends and it doesn't diminish my enjoyment in the slightest, but many people don't feel that way. So, while I'd love for you to comment or share or discuss or whatever, if you've finished the series and you know which guy is in that scene, please don't give away the ending for others.

In the meantime, I also promised you a giveaway winner: Sarah @ The Book Life!

Sarah's essentials include: Multiple pairs of sunglasses because one always breaks, and good books. Clearly, she is Good People. Congrats, Sarah -- I'll be contacting you via email!

The gorgeous swag I've been waiting for has arrived, so we'll be having another giveaway next week -- but in the meantime, have a great weekend, all!

Why I will always love Sesame Street

By now you guys have probably seen this video, whereupon my beloved Cookie Monster covers "Call Me Maybe." Confession: I had heard the original version of this song precisely once, although I have been told my children are quite fond of it. However, since we discovered the magic of "Share Me Maybe," it has been playing NONSTOP. Because Sesame Street rocks. Also, the drummer looks a lot like my best friend from high school. (Hi, John!)

 

And while Cookie is sweeping the interwebs, it turns out Sesame Street has a lot of other great songs/singers including Feist, Adam Sandler, and household favorite OK GO.

But in my opinion, nothing tops Will.i.am's appearance. It's sweet and catchy and the heart of what Sesame Street has been teaching kids for longer than I've been alive. It's also ridiculously fun, especially if you and your favorite small fry make Popeye arms during the chorus.

 

Currently on a Tuesday

I am...

:: getting ready for a long-overdue dentist appointment. "You're going to love it here!" chirped the receptionist. Somehow I doubt it, but this IS the dentist that sent my husband a bottle of champagne because he's so conscientious about flossing, so I am witholding judgement for now.

Seriously. For FLOSSING. I don't even know, people.

:: listening to this singer nonstop. When I make up the Dissonance Soundtrack, expect to see a lot of her songs.

 

:: loving this blog, because it reminds me how much better life is when I'm not drowning in stuff.

:: wondering how the hell I'm going to get rid of the old couch when I can't even fit it through the doorway.

:: sniffling a teensy bit at this keynote by Myra McEntire. Hint: someone you know is in the video.

:: ignoring the backyard. Don't look at me like that. Nobody gardens in this heat.

:: restocking my own Summer Survival Kit, thanks to your excellent suggestions. If you haven't entered the giveaway yet, there's still time!

Happy Tuesday, all!

WIP Friday: Still Summer Edition

First of all, thank you for all the wonderful comments and shoutouts and excitement over DISSONANCE! I've got plenty of work ahead of me, and I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to share about the story just yet -- but I have heard that you can already add the book on Goodreads.  (Confession: My books are on Goodreads, but I am even more clueless about Goodreads than I am Facebook, if such a thing is possible. Regardless, I think if you click the link above you can...add it? Do things with it? Stare at the placeholder for the cover? I dunno, but I'm told it's a good thing.)

Second, happy news! Kirkus Reviews has named BOUND one of July's Top Twenty-Two Books for Teens! And even better, my dear friend Susan Dennard's upcoming release, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY, made the list as well.

Third, I find this:

UNACCEPTABLE.

Honestly, you guys. This weather? This is Darklings-murder-your-bff-in-an-alley weather. And we're only halfway done with summer.

While I am dreaming of moving to Newfoundland (average July high temp: mid-60s) it seemed fitting to do a very summery giveaway! The best thing about summer, in my opinion, is sitting around and reading because you don't have school. But I've heard that some people actually like to go out, into nature, where it is hot. And you get sunburns. And bugbites. And dehydration. You need to be prepared.

I, myself, always feel better with a survival kit. And I feel even better when you have one, too. So, I'm giving away some essentials to bridge the gap between now and when Nature decides to straighten up its act. Wanna see what's included?

 

(You can never have too many cute bags.)

(It's important to stay hydrated.)

(This sunbock doesn't make your face all greasy.
And nothing's worse than sunburned lips.)

(Chocolate melts in this weather, and you want fresh breath when you see your summer crush.)

(Because nature is dirty. And out to get you.)

(Scarf/wrap/emergency towel/picnic blanket.)

And of course, no survival kit is complete without something to read!

Just to mix it up, I'm including two books in the giveaway:

Your choice of one book from the Torn Trilogy (TORN, TANGLED, or BOUND) and swag.
A copy of SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY when it comes out (July 24th). Trust me -- it is worth the wait! In the meantime, go check out the SS&D website, which is chock-full of goodies and a gorgeous trailer. Sooz is including a set of SS&D trading cards, which are custom-illustrated, in the giveaway.

 

To enter, leave a comment telling me what your summer essentials are. The giveaway ends Friday, July 13th at noon CST, and as always, it's international. One entry per person, please.

 

Exciting News: Moffat Edition

Sometimes in publishing, you have to keep your mouth shut.

 

Sometimes, people will ask what's new and exciting. They want to know about your new projects. If you've got any news. Then you have to dissemble. Play it cool. Nothing to see here, move along.

(source)

Even though on the inside, you're like this:

 

(source)

And then the news comes out, and you have to act surprised:

 

(source)

All of which is to say, I have some news.

Alexandra Cooper of Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers has bought two books by Erica O'Rourke in a preempt: Dissonance, and a sequel, about a girl who walks between worlds, falling for different versions of the same boy in each place. Dissonance has a projected pub date of fall 2013; O'Rourke is the author of the Torn series, which recently concluded with Bound. Joanna Volpe of New Leaf Literary & Media was the agent.

 

 

I'll come back and explain more later, but for now, know this: I'm terrified and thrilled all at the same time, because this book -- which I love like you cannot believe -- is scary and complicated and full of jiggery-pokery, and I am hoping like hell I've got the chops to pull it off. I'm incredibly fortunate, though, because my editor -- and the entire team at S&S -- are brilliant and amazing. They're helping me shape this book into what it wants to be. So, if you had to sum up my state of mind these days, especially now that I'm able to tell you, it would look a lot like this.

I'm a big proponent of the notion that you should do the very thing that scares you most, which is exactly what I'm doing, and honestly...

 

I can't wait.

 

 

Vite!

I'll be back later today, I hope, with a longer post. But very quickly, the winner of the Pub Day Giveaway is...

VERAY CARTER!

(I'm going to try and respond to comments later as well -- I never like to do it before a contest closes because random.org tends to draw my own name and frankly, winning my own contest seems like cheating.)

It is a billion degrees here today. I hope things are cooler wherever you are, and if you're in Colorado, I hope you are safe and get some rain and relief very soon. I'll have more giveaways and celebrations soon -- so if you didn't win this time, keep checking back or following me on The Twitter, where I'm usually hanging out.

Grateful Girl

YOU GUYS.

So much kindness and love and congratulations came pouring out of my computer screen yesterday, I cannot even keep up. I can't even talk about it without getting a little weepy, and sadly, unlike some people who are adorable when they cry happy tears, I just look like I have really bad hayfever.

But...thank you. Thanks for saying such nice things, and for telling your friends about the series, and for keeping me company -- and relatively sane -- over the craziest two years of my life. If you were here, I'd give you a big squeezly hug. Exactly like this:

BOUND is here! Let's have a contest!

Today's the day! BOUND has been released into the wild!

I wanted to celebrate properly this time. A girl doesn't have a book come out every day, you know, much less one that concludes a trilogy. And frankly, my method of marking TANGLED's publication...left a little to be desired.

This time, I wanted to do something different. Something important. Something involving shopping, because I am most often motivated by rewards. Something like...

 

...a new water heater.

It's not glamorous, I'll give you that. But I spent all weekend without hot water, which meant no showers, no laundry, and no dishwasher. And while my love of shiny electronics is great, the ability to wash my hair whenever I want is even greater.

(Clearly, I would not fare well in a dystopian society. I'd be the girl in the corner pitching a fit about how the world is ending due to a natural disaster/terrorist act/global warming/zombie virus/rise of the machines, and everybody knows that girl gets picked off by the end of chapter 3.)

In all seriousness, it's an exciting day. The culmination of a lot of work by a lot of people -- my family, my friends and critique partners, my amazing agent and her team, the incredible people at KTeen, and you guys, who have read the book and cheered me on and given me something to strive for. I'm so very grateful to all of you. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: luckiest girl in the world. Thank you.

I've got all sorts of fun book stuff planned for the summer, but today, it seemed fitting to give away the entire series -- all three books and a healthy dose of swag. Of course, giveways involving the last book of a series are tricky, so if you already have a copy of TORN or TANGLED (or both) I'll swap out those books for another title I've read and loved.

All you have to do is leave a comment! Contest is open until noon CST on Thursday, June 28th, and as always, it's international.

And now I'm off to take another shower. Just because I can.

 

Some Thoughts On Second Books

Tomorrow is BOUND’s official pub date. The last book of the trilogy. The end of the series. The end of the story.

It feels very strange to type that.

The story is done. I wrote three books; I lived with these characters in my head for years.  That space has now been overtaken by new characters and new stories, and it’s a little disconcerting. It’s a little exhausting.

We lived in our old house for almost ten years; we moved just after TORN sold, and while it was the very best possible decision – we’d outgrown the old place, which didn’t have enough room to swing a cat, let alone two cats, three girls, and a writer who worked from home – it has taken us some time to grow accustomed to our new home. To find where furniture works best, where the light hits at different times of day, to know which cabinet the spatulas go in and where to store that one pitcher I like to use as a vase.

Writing a new story feels a little bit like that: determining voices, establishing settings, understanding motivations. Deciding which details fit, and which are just sentimental clutter. It’s as if I’m walking around during a power outage – I have the general shape of the rooms, and I’m not likely to fall over the couch, but I keep banging my shoulder against the doorframes and forgetting where I put things. Change, no matter how good, requires a period of adjustment.

Which is to say, I haven’t got a whole lot of advice, yet, on how to gracefully transition between one story universe and another. I’m operating on instinct and one of my deepest convictions: that the only way out is through. (A belief that sustains me in just about anything I find challenging, including but not limited to writing, moving, heatwaves, rush hour traffic, election season and yardwork.)

On the other hand, I plenty of advice about writing the dreaded Book Two.* It’s not that writing Book Three doesn’t inspire terror. It does. But at least with Book Three, you’ve written two books. Writing one book might be a fluke, a random act, a lightning strike. It might never happen again. Writing two books means it HAS happened again, and that bolsters your confidence, even if only a little bit. So while I have thoughts on writing Book Three, it’s Book Two that’s on my mind lately, because that’s what a new project is after you’ve completed a series: It’s Book Two, only on steroids.

(OH HAI NEW PROJEKT. Source.)

Here’s what I tell my friends who are writing Book Two:

First, I send them a link to this post by Libba Bray. Because Libba is wise beyond measure. 

Next, I tell them this:

It’s going to be okay.

It’s going to be better than okay, actually. It doesn’t feel like it: you’re feeling panicked and a little nauseous because you’re mainlining caffeine, and the deadline on your calendar is staring at you with a gimlet eye (Not the good kind of gimlet, either. You could probably stand to have one of those right about now.) Maybe Book One seems like some sort of lovely dream now, filled with puppies and rainbows and unicorns, a magical time and place that you can never return to, like Brigadoon. Maybe Book One was a wrenching, draining, soul-sucking experience, and you cannot believe you agreed to put yourself through that kind of trauma again.  Maybe it felt like both.

(Source and source)

It doesn’t matter.

No matter what it felt like at the time, or what it feels like in retrospect, the fact is when you wrote Book One, you were learning. You were writing a book and feeling your way through the process and revising and taking chances and growing as a writer. ** You started Book One with a set of tools that served you well, and by the time you reached the end, you had expanded your toolbox considerably. You’re a better writer for having gone through it.

“But EEEEEEE,” you say, “If I am a better writer, how come Book Two sucks so powerfully it could double as one of those fancy European vacuum cleaners?”

(This vacuum costs more than a thousand dollars. Source.)

Because it’s not just your skills that have grown. It’s your standards, too. You're improving, and you're also getting more self-critical, and because the growth happens at the same rate, you'll never be all, “Lo, I am writing a heartbreaking work of staggering genius and my prose is luminous in its depth and imagination." *** You might think so later, after you've had a break, but at this point in the process, it's mathematically impossible to be happy.

This is yet another reason math sucks. ****

That’s not to say you won’t ever be happy with your book. But right now, in the thick of it, you have no perspective. You’re besieged by self-doubt and visions of that second Indiana Jones movie. Happiness comes later, after you’ve put in the work, after you’ve gotten some distance and you’re freaking the hell out over the next project, at which point you will look back at Book Two with nostalgia and affection.

In the meantime, remember: the only way out is through. And lay off the caffeine.

 

* To clarify: when I say Book Two, I mean the second book in a series, not a second stand-alone or spinoff or continuity or companion novel. 

** Probably, you were growing as as a person, too.  If publishing is good for anything, it is helping you “grow as a person.”

*** Maybe there are writers who say this mid-book, but I don’t know any. And if I did, I wouldn’t want to have coffee with them.

**** Other reasons: imaginary numbers, matrices, lattice multiplication, word problems, “show your work”