M.B. Mulhall's Blog, page 15

Thursday Teaser – Errand Girl of the Undead

Thought you guys might like a little taste of what I’m working on at the moment.  Remember though, what I’m posting is very much a rough draft so ignore any typos or grammar issues I may have missed! Ha!   Enjoy.

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A mountain of blood bags fell at my feet making a sloppy sound. Good thing none of them broke. I’d be seriously late for school if I had to stop and clean up that mess.

I suppose I should know better than to throw open the fridge door. It’s hardly the first time it’s happened, but I’m running late, dammit, and unlike others in this house I need to eat real food before starting my day.

Besides, I figured Josiah leaves them on the door, where it’s easy for them to slide, as a reminder. A sick kind of joke so I wouldn’t forget O negative–which just happened to be my blood type–was his favorite. He probably thought it a sweet gesture: “Look Ellie! I love you so much that I will drink this cold dead blood rather than you. Isn’t that nice of me?”

Shaking my head I bent to pick up the mess, tossing the squishy bags into the crisper–Where else would you have me put them? At least they’re kind of out of sight there–and grabbed a bag of apple slices and a peanut butter cup.

“Well that’s a view I’d love to wake up to every morning.”

That sudden annoying voice had me snapping to attention, smacking my head on the handle of the freezer above me. Curses in several languages escaped me.

“Dammit Samson, must you be such a letch so early in the morning? You darn near gave me a concussion.” My head was throbbing and it felt like a horn was going to sprout from my brow. Thank gods for bangs.

Before I could blink he was in front of me, in all his blue-skinned glory, brushing my bangs aside to check out the damage.  It was a surprisingly tender gesture from a demon who wanted to ravage me one day and slay me the next.

“Sadly, you’ll live,” he said, putting on a ridiculous pout. My knee itched to come into contact with the space between his legs–even demons have family jewels folks, and I’m not talking the sparkly kind–but I planted my hands on his chest and gave him a push.

“Quit invading my personal space.” There was a breathe of relief when I was able to step around his formidable form. Keeping my back to him–which probably wasn’t the smartest idea–I rummaged in the drawer for a breakfast bar. Missing dinner last night had made me ravenous this morning. Turning, I addressed him.

“What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn’t you be tucked away in demon slumber land after a night of debauchery or something?”

He smirked and grabbed his tail–yes, I said tail–twirling it around like a Dandy would his cane. “So sassy early in the morning. Perhaps I should stop by at this time more often.”

Irritation levels were rising. A vein throbbed an angry beat on my forehead. Grabbing my bag from the back of a chair, I threw it over my shoulder.

“I don’t have time for this, Samson. I’m going to be late.”  Angry stomping led me out of the kitchen.  There was a faint crackling sound and the scent of sulfur wafted my way. A clearing throat had me looking towards the front door. Where Samson was casual lounging. Blocking my way. Damn demons and their teleportation bullcrap.

He must have sensed I was nearing my breaking point because he stuck an arm out. A thick creamy white card appeared between his gloved fingers.

“A job for you,” he said, standing perfectly still.

My brow furrowed but I couldn’t help but reach for the rich looking paper.  This wasn’t how I typically got my jobs, hand delivered to my home, and certainly not by Samson who had ridiculed and rallied against my profession from day one.

The paper was thick and smooth under the pads of my fingers.  I looked up at Samson, questioning his part in it without words.  He had an expression I couldn’t decipher but before I could ask, there was the telltale cracking and cloud of stink announcing his departure.  Very strange indeed.

Rabble – The Rotten Tomatoes of Book Reviews?

I’ve helped fund a couple of other Kickstarter projects over the past few years and this is one I can get behind. I love the idea of a place for trusted reviews for both traditional and indie published works. Check out their campaign and see if it’s something you’d like to back.

Sadly I can’t seem to post the accompanying videos, so be sure to click on the Rabble link below to see them and find out how you can contribute!

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Rabble will provide aggregated book reviews from trusted, verified sources for both indie and traditionally published titles.

Rabble: a website that will aggregate trusted, verified reviews into consensus, like Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes do for movies. Rabble’s team, made up of zealous and intrepid book-lovers (and many of the same people who brought you IndieReader), will scour the publishing landscape, pull a sentence or two from each review (pre-vetted to insure its credibility, with a link to the complete review source) and come up with a consensus for a final Rabble score—to insure that you, the busy reader, don’t have to.

In addition to being able to see immediately where a book rates on the Rabble scale, the site will also be a brilliant place to explore. There will be lists, via the Rabble Listatron 300, that include the best to worst rated titles, author interviews, and much much, more. And for the first time anywhere, indie titles—those cool books that are being picked up weekly by the Big 5 publishers but are still mostly shunned by mainstream reviewers—will rub shoulders with traditionally published books, just like god intended.

Fact is, the publishing world is changing faster than you can say Random-Penguin-Schuster. Indie bookstores, those bastions of helpfulness which gleefully recommended the best new titles, are scarce. What’s needed, almost more than another season of Homeland (right NOW), is a great place to find out how your faves rate, and discover new authors and titles.

With your help, Rabble will be that resource.

Plotter in Disguise?

I’ve always said I’m a pantser, one who doesn’t outline or write a synopsis before writing. I get an idea, maybe jot a few notes, typically having an ending in mind, but then I’m writing the rest by the seat of my pants. Outlines and the such seemed constricting to me, as if someone would be holding a gun to my head saying “HEY! You outlined it this way. No deviating or making changes!”

Obviously that’s not going to happen (at least I hope not!), but I guess it’s how I’ve felt.

This morning I awoke with an idea for a story. Something prompted me to get up and write a synopsis for it. The story, from start to finish, down on paper or, well ya know, computer screen. I was shocked at myself. I do not work like that! Maybe it’s because I just wrote the synopsis for Heavyweight (although that story is already done) or maybe it’s just because all the parts of the story came to me for a change.  I’m not really sure what happened but I’m kind of glad it did.

I won’t know until I sit down to work on the actually story itself (tentatively dubbed Driven) if the plotting was a good or a bad idea. I won’t know if I’ll feel stifled creatively or not, but I think I can make it work. I’ll have to be able to forgive myself if it goes off on a different course (we know characters can often act out in ways we don’t expect) but I feel like having the synopsis will give me a place to go to if I get stuck. We shall see.

I think the lesson here is to be open to doing things in different ways. If the mood strikes you to do something unusual to your style, give it a try anyway. You could find out that it works better for you. You could find out that it makes your story flow better and has you staring blankly at your screen less. You won’t know if you never try.

Have you made major changes in your process? How has it helped or hurt in the long run?

Guest Post: What’d he say? A key to good dialogue

Today I have a great guest post from  author Bobby Mathews.

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Yesterday, my wife asked me if I wanted to go for a walk.

I didn’t. I never do. She knows that, but she asks anyway. I’ve become accustomed to this marriage thing, though—a lot of the time, what my significant other is saying is what she doesn’t say at all.

What my wife was saying was this: “We’ve both been busy lately, and I’d like some time with you and our son. The sun is out. Let’s get out of the office and house for once and enjoy this first blush of Spring together.”

Why didn’t she just say that?

Well, here’s a hint: People often don’t say what they really mean in real life. They don’t ask the questions they want answered. They hint, they hem and haw. They try conversational gambits. And if someone DOES ask a direct question, they’re often considered rude or uncouth.

You can use that in your fiction! Elmore Leonard does it all the time. (And there is no better American novelist from whom to learn.) Let’s try a quick scene. Instead of having a character ask for help, and the second character agreeing immediately, let’s watch these guys come at each other from oblique angles:

“I just looked at the bank,” Soames said. “One guard. Two cameras. Oughta be an easy job. In and out in five minutes.”

Billy Hatchett looked up from his plate, picked up the linen napkin from his lap, and patted his mouth dry.

“Can’t be that easy,” he said. “Or else you’d be standing here with the money.”

“No,” Soames said. “I’d be on the road outta town.”

“So you’re saying you need help.”

“I don’t know about need. I wouldn’t turn it down.”

Hatchett felt the weight of the gun in his waistband. It felt like it was five pounds heavier than when Soames walked in. The front sight dug against his belly, and he shifted around to get more comfortable.

“I could be talked into it,” he said. “If the price is right.”

You get a lot out of a passage there that’s mostly dialogue. First, Soames and Hatchett are thieves. I don’t have to tell you that Soames has sized up a bank—he’s doing it for me. Hatchett is a little different, a little calmer, maybe a little smartass.

He knows Soames is going to ask for his help, and it gives him a little power in the exchange. He can be a little coy.

But Soames is a pro, too—and he can concede that he needs Hatchett, after a fashion. A pro does what he needs to do to get the job done. If that means playing along with Hatchett, then that’s what it takes.

There’s a little exposition after that, Hatchett showing the dread he feels when Soames comes in the restaurant. He knows he’s gonna agree to help him, and that immediately puts a knot in his stomach. It’s important to show the impact of dialogue.

The last part is Hatchett capitulating, giving Soames what he wants: a partner to rob the bank. Will they get away with it? I don’t know. But I know the dialogue is good enough that I’d like to see where these two go.

Try it with some of your characters. They don’t have to capitulate and give one another what they want immediately. They can circle each other, look for weak spots. Real people do it all the time. Why should your characters be any different?

Writing dialogue like this can help infuse your characters with a sense of heightened reality. Remember that each character wants something. He (or she) isn’t just a cardboard cutout put there to do the main character‘s bidding. Characters get in each other’s way all the time, and good dialogue is one way to let them do that.

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Author Bobby Mathews

Bobby Mathews left a career as an award-winning journalist to pursue fiction. He writes crime, thrillers, and horror. You can find him online at http://bobthewriter.com, or follow him on Twitter, @bobbymathews.

Check out some of his work here:

Prodigal: http://www.amazon.com/Prodigal-ebook/dp/B0046LV7LA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362449724&sr=8-1&keywords=bobby+mathews+prodigal

Hidden House: http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-House-ebook/dp/B0070HDYKY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362449801&sr=1-1&keywords=Hidden+House+bobby+mathews

His Lucky Day: http://www.amazon.com/His-Lucky-Day-ebook/dp/B006ZE3BMO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362449881&sr=1-1&keywords=His+Lucky+Day

The Big Gamble: http://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Gamble-ebook/dp/B0070B337O/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362449930&sr=1-5&keywords=Bobby+Mathews

A Clean Getaway: http://www.amazon.com/A-Clean-Getaway-ebook/dp/B0070WZQNW/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362449930&sr=1-4&keywords=Bobby+Mathews

Do You Have a Type?

No I’m not talking about 6’2″, dark hair, green eyes, body of an Adonis. I’m talking about the type of character you typically craft.  Is it the lonely nerdy girl with a surprisingly sarcastic wit? The stoic studly male who just wants someone to love? The all around bad ass? Do you find they always crop up in your writing somewhere, even if they’re not the main character? Do you consciously try to write someone other than your type?

Personally I seem to have a thing for snarky underestimated girls and good looking misunderstood guys. I  try to break out of the box , but the character always seems to sneak in there somewhere, maybe as the best friend or the person in need of rescue. I always feel like there has to be a little comedy relief in there somewhere too and it normally comes from a specific character.

I do think it’s important to make characters distinct and it should be more than a different hair color/style or height.  Obviously people share a lot of similar traits so it may be hard to make your characters the compete opposite of a previous persona, but you should be able to compare the two and see distinctive differences.

Do you know any writers who write the same character into every book? Does it annoy you and turn you off from reading their work?

What’s your typically type of character to pen?

 

Also, I have a poll going on over at my Facebook page about short story and cost.  Please stop by and put in your two cents!

One Time Through or Repeat Reader?

I’ve met people who tell me they never watch repeats. That if they’ve seen a movie once, they never want to watch it again. Even if they’ve enjoyed it! Doesn’t seem to work that way with music (maybe because most songs are short and you don’t take up a lot of your time?) but sadly (to me anyway) it seems that there are folks out there who read a book once and never want to revisit that world or characters.

I could understand if you didn’t enjoy the story and had to read it for a class, forcing your way through it, but what if you really enjoyed it? What if it was book one in a series and the next book came out a year later? Do these people just have better memories than me and don’t need to re-read the book to remember all the little details that could be important in the next book?  Perhaps.

People sometimes are envious of my speed reading but, in truth, I often miss little details.  It’s one of the reasons I enjoy re-reading, to catch those small things I might have missed the first time around. Not to mention I read well over one hundred books a year so after the fact, stories can get jumbled in my head and I forget exactly what happened in which story. By the time the next book in a series comes over a year or more later, I’m ready to re-read that story so I can jump into the new one remembering all the important bits and pieces of the last one(s).

I certainly can’t deny that I love a good story and if I love something, why wouldn’t I want to revisit it? Even if I know how it ends, I can’t possibly remember all the beautiful turns of phrases an author might have used or the powerful dialog between two characters that literally leaves a pain in my chest.  Sometimes re-reading a book can be even more painful for me if I know who the main character ends up with and I see how the other person in the triangle is putting themselves out there  all for naught.  Knowing the ending can have me going in with a different perspective which will have me focusing on different parts of the story that I may not have found as important the first time around.

Lives are busy and I get that some people rarely have time to get through a book once, let alone multiple times, but should you find yourself itching to read something, don’t be scared to pick up something you’ve already read and enjoyed. I bet you find you enjoy it just as much, if not more, the second time around.

I can only hope that people enjoy my books enough to want to read them a second or third time. To me, that’s an amazing compliment.

What are some of your favorite books to re-read?

Coming in 2013…

I have a love/hate relationship with book series. I love that the story continues on and I learn more about characters I enjoy. I *HATE* that I have to wait a year+ for a new book to come out! I get it, they take time to write, edit, etc. but when you read as much as I do, you end up losing track of things you’re waiting for.  I totally didn’t realize the last book in Holly Black‘s Curse Workers had come out and now I just see that the sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns has come out and I missed that. I’ll have to catch up.

There are a lot of great books due out this year. Here are a couple I’m looking forward to:

Scarlet – Marissa Meyer.  It’s the follow up to Cinder, her awesome take on a very familiar story.

Unravel Me – Tahereh Mafi. I only recently read Shatter Me (which had been on my list for a while) and I loved it. So happy to see the sequel is already out!

Clockwork Princess – Cassandra Clare. Final book in the prequel series. I’m excited to see it end even if I am annoyed it seemed to push back the last book in the Mortal Instruments series to next year.

Requiem – Lauren Oliver. I’m not sure if this is the last book in the series but I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the Wilds!

Divergent #3 (untitled) – Veronica Roth. They only have eight more months to decide on a title! Get on with it people!

The Madness Underneath – Maureen Johnson.  This is the sequel to The Name of the Star. Unlike her other contemporary YA romances, this one has an element of history to it and the awesome topic of Jack the Ripper.

Prodigy – Marie Lu. Ooh ooh! This one is out already! Second book in the Legend series. I have to pick this one up!

Untitled (Nevermore #3) – Kelly Creagh. Oops! I missed the second one (see how that happens?) Now I can pick up book two and book three will be out sometime this year. Yay!

Requiem - Maggie Stiefvater. WOAH. Book of Faerie #3! I enjoy most of Maggie’s work but Ballad and Lament are two of my favorites and I’m super excited to see there will be a third book. They are more like companion novels but maybe this book will bring the first two together more. So.Excited! (oooh ooh. I see this might not be out till NEXT year. *sad panda*)

The Dream Thieves - Maggie Stiefvater. Well at least the Raven Boys sequel will be out this year so I can get my Maggie fix!

Walking Disaster –  JaimeMcGuire. I can’t wait for this since we’ve been waiting for the Beautiful Disaster follow up for a long time now.

 

Gah. So many books! I could keep this up all day. These are just a few I’m excited to pick up this year.

What are you looking forward to reading this year?

 

Beating Your Best

As I’m still working on Heavyweight edits and getting feedback from readers and writers about how much they enjoy it, I’m starting to look at other things I’m working on and thinking “Gah! This is garbage compared to Heavyweight!”  I had a similar experience when I finished Tears of a Clown but then the idea for Heavyweight came to me and I was so excited by it that I didn’t let it get to me.

I am a bit panicked that others things I write won’t stack up.  That’s not to say I don’t like what I’m working on now, but the whole feel of it is different.  It’s a good story but I’m not sure it’ll appeal to people in the same way Heavyweight will. Is that a bad thing? It shouldn’t be because I write for people to enjoy the story, not necessarily take something away from it (that’s an extra added bonus), but I admit, it’s got me concerned.

Did Margaret Mitchell never write another novel because she knew she couldn’t top Gone With the Wind? I’m sure she’s not the only “one hit wonder” with an amazing debut novel and then nothing to really speak of after the fact.

You’d think I would have the mentality of “Hey! I wrote this great book once, I bet I can do it again!” but then the ideas just aren’t flowing and you get sad and panicky and there goes all that confidence you had over the good work.

Creating art of any sort takes talent and heart. Some things will be a hit, others a miss. I think you have to look at each piece separately and try not to compare it to other works (whether they’re yours or someone else’s). To do otherwise will just bring you down and drive you crazy: “I’ll never be as good as whom/whatever”

Perhaps I just need the next idea to hit me, but I’ve got all these other stories that I loved at one point to finish. Maybe I just need to get excited about them again. Maybe I need to remember that they are still rough drafts and the magic comes in the editing. Maybe I just need to smack myself and say “get over it and write!”

How do you deal with confidence issues when it comes to your writing? Do you worry you won’t be able to beat your best?

Querying Agents: Do Your Homework

No flowery romance/Valentine’s day post for me this year. Instead I want to have a little chat with you all about querying agents.  As more rounds of edits are being done on Heavyweight,  I’ve been looking through my 2013 copy of Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market book. In the back  is a section of agents and art reps.  They list the agency’s information, what they do and don’t represent, recent sales, terms and how to contact them.

Being that it’s the 2013 edition, you’d think it would be totally up to date, right? Guess again.  I’m in the process of making a spreadsheet so I know who I send queries to, when I send them, when I get a response, etc. While setting all of this up, I’m taking the time to go to each agency’s site to find the correct agent to query, how they prefer their submissions and what they are currently looking for. I’ve already come to several agents in the book who are no longer representing Young Adult works.  Also, several have changed from snail mail requests to email only. Others have changed specific kinds of YA they are looking for (no more paranormal, strong female characters only, etc.)

If you just pick people out of the book and don’t follow up, you’re going to end up with a lot of unanswered queries which will leave you scratching your head, trying to figure out if they never received your request or wondering what you did wrong. Save yourself the time and worry by doing the homework up front.

In a field where things are constantly changing, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t research ahead of time. In a field where there are thousands of people competing for attention, you best get the submission guidelines right otherwise your work will never been seen, no matter how good it is.

Although you still need to do your own following up, the purchase of the Market book is a good one. It’s got a lot of great info, insight from other authors, resources, etc.  It’s a good starting point and personally I like that I can circle and mark off things as I go.

Any other suggestions on how to research the right agent for your work?

Teaser Tuesday – More Heavyweight

Here’s another sneak peek from my gay contemporary YA romance novel, Heavyweight.

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As usual, I’m the first student in the room.  I give Ms. Yang a weak welcome. She looks me over with a keen eye, but says nothing other than hello.  I pull out my sketch of Mei-Li, thinking it’s ready for oils, but find I can’t look at it.  She hasn’t done anything wrong, but after the conversation I just had with Clay, I can’t bear to work on it right now.  I put it aside and get a fresh canvas from the cabinet in the back, deciding to start something new; something dark and abstract.  Maybe I can work through some of my emotions by putting them down on the taunt white fabric.

I squeeze out colors onto my pallet, being sure to add a good amount of black and gray so I can darken some of the brighter colors.  Grabbing a handful of different kinds of brushes, I deposit them all on the table next to my station and stare at the blinding white canvas.  The bright purity of it makes me mad. Clean is the last thing I feel.  I grope for a brush, any brush, and dip it into a blob of paint without looking to see which one.

Angry splashes of color appear in front of me, tarnishing the pure canvas, my emotions spilling out without saying a word. I change brushes and colors. Finding I’ve got a bright glaring red, I stipple it around the canvas, illustrating the hate that currently surrounds me, the hate I have for myself and my selfishness. Swirls of gray are added for my uncertainty, purple for my confusion.

I’m so engrossed in the process, I never notice Jules arrive. I don’t take note of anything or anyone else in the class. My focus is narrow, not allowing another thing through. I would have missed the bell ringing if it wasn’t for Ms. Yang’s gentle touch on my shoulder.

“Ian, class is over.”

I blink several times and snap out of my trance, staring at the creation I’ve made.  It should be a mess of muddy colors and amateurish strokes, but somehow, it’s perfect. It’s chaotic and wild, just like my thoughts and emotions.  There are small patches of white still peeking through. A sign that there’s still some good to me? To my life? I don’t know.

Ms. Yang is still standing at my shoulder, looking at what I’ve created.  I notice her turn to look towards the door, and I follow her gaze.  Jules is standing there, looking sad and uncertain.  She must make some kind of notion to him, because he eventually turns and leaves.  She squeezes my shoulder again.

“This is powerful, Ian.  I’ve never seen you do a piece like this, but it’s amazing.”

I’m surprised by her praise.  Embarrassed by the compliment, I try to shrug, but she shakes her head.

“Don’t shrug this off. It’s obvious you’ve got a lot going on and this painting is a representation of your current state of mind, but it’s honest and beautiful and I would be honored if you’d let me show it to a friend.  The owner of the gallery I was at this weekend is always looking for new talent and I assure you, he’ll be impressed by this.”

I don’t know what to say.  Art has always been a release for me, but I never thought of it as anything more than a class to pass the time and help me relax.  The idea that someone in the industry would be interested in something I made is kind of ludicrous.

“What do you say, Ian? Can I show him this? I’ll respect your wishes if you don’t want me to, but I think you’re much more talented then you give yourself credit for.  If you won’t believe me, how about letting someone who doesn’t know you’re a teenaged athlete give their opinion?”

I open my mouth to refuse. To tell her it’s too painful, too personal to share with others, but I find I don’t have the energy for that. I gesture that it’s all hers.  She smiles and gives me a hug.

“You won’t regret it, Ian. I promise.”

Her words have me staring at my feet. I don’t do compliments well.  Glancing around, I see I’ve made quite the mess while working.

“Do you have another class now?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No, it’s a prep period, why?”

“Can I stay and clean up? Maybe start the oil on the drawing of Mei-Li?”  I feel like I can face it now, especially without Jules standing by my side.

“Don’t you have lunch now?”

“Yeah, but I forgot mine today.  I’d rather do some more work while I’m in the zone, know what I mean?”

She looks uncertain and I’m sure she’s going to shoo me out of the room but allows me to remain. She shoves a small pack of trail mix into my hands, making me promise to finish it before the period is over.  Not a problem if it means I don’t have to face the lunchtime firing squad.