Mindee Arnett's Blog, page 9

Book Love: The Raven Boys

First off, Happy Thanksgivings to everyone of you who celebrates it. I hope your day is full of lots of good food and good times with loved ones, as mine will be.Now onto the main point. Maggie Stiefvater is giving away signed bookplates of The Raven Boys for anyone in the US and Canada who wants them, and oh boy do I do. (Details here.) I LOVED this book so much. I have compared my experience reading it to something akin to the way I felt watching Goonies as a kid, a sense of complete and utter wonderment and a desperate desire to be a part of this world and to share the adventures with this characters. I cannot wait for book 2.So in order to get my bookplate, I have to present a picture of myself (or a pet) holding my copy of The Raven Boys. I decided to use my pets and quite a few of them volunteered to participate. (And no not all of them are represented.) (This last cutie technically isn't mine, but my sisters. Still, he wanted to pose.)***Originally posted at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there***

teamTEENauthor November Theme: So you Wanna Be a Writer?

First of all, if you wanna be a writer, then yah! Congrats! Best. Decision. Ever. Now all you have to do is read a lot, write a lot, and never give up. The old idea that success is 20% talent and 80% tenacity (or whatever the formula) is true!Beyond that, my only true advice is this: If what you’re doing isn’t working, then try something else.Sounds simple, right? But it’s not.  So many writers—myself included at one time—possess the determination to keep on writing story after story or novel after novel regardless of failures and near misses, but we fail to make changes between each attempt. And like Albert Einstein once said, the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”So what kind of changes am I talking about? Well, that depends on the writer, of course. For me, the change I needed to make was the way I approached writing the first draft.Before The Nightmare Affair, I was a complete pantser. I just hit the page running and didn’t look back. The result, naturally, were stories that required a lot of revisions/rewriting afterward. Unless you are Stephen King (and even he admits in his fabulous book On Writing that he doesn’t get it right the first time either) you’re bound to go off track in places. For me as a pantser, this meant going off track in a lot of places. It also meant a lot of self-doubt and discouragement when I started on the second draft.With the The Nightmare Affair, however, I decided to employ a different tactic. I became a “pantser who stops and asks for directions.” What this means is that I still approached the first draft without an outline or any deliberate plotting, but rather than running along as quickly as I could, I took my time scene-by-scene, chapter-by-chapter, and character motivation by character motivation to think about what was happening, why it was happening, and then what would happen next. Rather than follow my instincts, I questioned those instincts, tested them for viability before putting them down on the paper. Like this:Why is character B behaving this way?What is his motivation?Where am I at in the “story arc?”Is this scene serving multiple purposes? Does it advance the story? Provide character development?The result of this change was exactly what I needed—a first draft in much better shape than any I’d written before. This made revising a heckuva lot easier. I was able to take it through multiple drafts without getting discouraged. And of course, several months later I signed with my agent and then sold the book. It was like magic.So take a look at what you’ve done in the past that hasn’t worked and then try something new this time around. You just might find your magic, too.Good luck and happy writing!And be sure to check in with the rest of the teamTEENauthors:Julie CrossAdam LeonardPip HarryHilary Weisman GrahamJanci PattersonJessica CorraKimberly SabatiniLaura EllenSuzanne LazearTrish DollerE.C. MyersElizabeth AmisuErika O'Rourke***originally posted at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there.*** 

Nightmare Affair Blog Tour Signup

Good news for any interested bloggers out there. The sign up sheet for The Nightmare Affair blog tour just went live. Thanks so much for Shane Morgan at Itching For Books for hosting. Details here: http://itchingforbooks.blogspot.com/2012/11/blog-tour-sign-upthe-nightmare-affair.htmlHappy Friday!***originally posted at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there***

Giveaway Announcement

Okay, the first big giveaway for The Nightmare Affair has arrived! The lovely people at Heroes and Heartbreakers.com are hosting it. You can win an ARC Nightmare as well as a copy of the fantastically awesome Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Find all the details here.Good luck!***Originally posted at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there.***

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

I'm sure most of you have heard about this blog hop by now, and it's my turn! I was tagged by the fabulous Liz Coley.Here it goes:1. What is the working title of your current WIP?It's currently untitled, but I refer to it as FE_Prequel. Real creative right?2. Where did the idea come from for the book?This is a prequel to my YA sci-fi novel (currently titled Finding Eden but changing soon) that's upcoming from Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins).  3. What genre does your book fall under?It's a YA sci-fi, the kind with space ships and guns.4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?I haven't come across anyone that fits my MC. But in my mind, I picture Jeth as a teenaged version of Malcolm Reynolds, and if you don't know who this is, I'm afraid we can no longer be friends. (Kidding, well sorta.)5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenaged thieves must pull off a dangerous heist for their crime lord boss while training their newest and youngest member--Jeth's little sister, Lizzie.6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?I'm represented by Suzie Townsend from New Leaf Literary, and this prequel should be coming out as an ebook prior to the release of the novel.7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?Unknown. I'm still working on it.8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?The announcement in PM described the series as Firefly meets White Cat by Holly Black. I'm down with that.9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?I wanted to explore what happened before the events in the first book.10. What else about your book might pique your reader's interest?It's written in 3rd person and from a male point of view. There's lots of action and sci-fi fun.Now, I'm supposed to tag 5 writers to post next, but so many people have already been tagged for this one. Instead, I've decided to list some of my favorite up-and-coming writers. All of these ladies are super talented, and I hope you'll take the time to check out their stuff and put them on your radar. You won't regret it!Lori M. LeeCat YorkKathy BradeyFarrah PennVictoria ScottHappy Writing!***Originally published at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there***

teamTEENauthor DARE DAY and Contest

So not only am I participating in a dare for this month's teamTEENauthor blog, but I've also got a link to a really awesome, really big contest you're going to want to know about. It's also a scavenger hunt. Find out all about it here. Now for the dare. This month, the Perfect 10 teen panel came up with 3 options for the authors to choose from for the October 2012 Dare Day:1. Cover your face with peanut butter and take a picture2. Write your most embarrassing moment from your teen years, Shakespearean style3. Post pictures and other links all about your celebrity teen heartthrob crush from middle school/high school. Your own Justin Beiber so to speak.My choice this month is number 3. And the answer is Tom Hansen from 21 Jump Street as portrayed by the ethereal wonderfulness of Johnny Depp. And here is video proof of why this was a perfectly valid crush to have: link. Not only did I have a crush on this character, but I had a crush on the entire show. The idea of young undercover cops infiltrating local high schools? Yowza. I think I would like to write a couple of books with that premise even now. So yeah, I still might be carrying this crush a little, all the way from middle school.(And before you ask, no I haven't seen the movie. This show was craptastically awesome, and I would prefer to keep it that way in my memory)And check out these dares from the other teamTEENauthors:
Adam LeonardPip HarryHilary Weisman GrahamJanci PattersonJessica CorraKimberly SabatiniLaura EllenSuzanne LazearTrish DollerE.C. MyersElizabeth AmisuErika O'Rourke
 ***Originally posted at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there***

Cover Tweak and Context 25

Yep, you read that title right. The cover for The Nightmare Affair is getting tweaked. Now before anybody panics, the cover is staying mostly the same. The only change will be the girl silhouette aka Dusty. She's getting a makeover to emphasize that the book is a YA and not an MG (if there was any doubt, it is most definitely YA). I've seen the early comps of the change, and they are fabulous. Dusty's getting new clothes, new hairstyle, a brand new and more accurate look. If you liked the cover before, you're going to like it even more when you see the update. I promise!My other big news of the week is that I'm going to be a panelist at this year's Context 25, a sci-fi/fantasy convention with a literature focus that takes place in Columbus, Ohio. You can find the schedule here. I'll be the blond woman trying her best not to look stupid as I attempt to live up to the title of "entertaining guest." Ha, ha aren't they in for a surprise! Kidding. Well, mostly.So if you feel like coming out, cheerleaders, hecklers, and SF enthusiasts are all welcome.***Originally posted at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there***

teamTEENauthor September Topic: Harry Potter

Learn more about teamTEENauthor and my teamTEENauthor friends here.Oh Harry Potter, where to begin? My undying love for Harry Potter is a topic I could on about for hours. My debut The Nightmare Affair would not be the kind of book it is without Harry Potter as an influence. But that’s a topic for later, perhaps. Instead I’ve decided to come up with the top five signs you might be a Harry Potter addict (hint: I’m guilty of all of them!) 5. You ritualistically listen to the audio versions of all 7 Harry Potter books. Yes, I do this. Over and over again. I have a long commute to my day job, and audio books are the only things that make it bearable. Now, while I do listen to other books on audio, I always frame those listens around Harry Potter. I can’t help it. I have a compulsive need to hear the story. And every time I listen, I catch something new. Oh, and can I just say how much better Lord Voldemort’s name sounds in the first 4 books when the “t” is silent the way JK Rowling initially intended it to be? Um, yeah, we can blame the films for that awful change. 4. You called in sick to work to finish book 7.Yep, I did this (and don’t worry, the boss knows). When book 7 came out, I was at a horse show, but my husband went out and grabbed the book for me. As soon as I got home, I spent the next two days in my favorite chair tearing through it and avoiding the internet and potential spoilers. I cried and cried in so many places. And burning up an entire day’s worth of PTO, was completely worth it.3. You describe your child’s educational career in Harry Potter terms. Yes, again, guilty. And here’s the proof: Now to be fair, an entire conversation broke out among my twitter friends about the goodness that exists in Slytherin. And I totally agree. Snape is awesome, no doubt. But the first day of preschool my daughter exhibited some of the more negative traits of Slytherin. And really, she belongs in Gryffindor (for the record, I’m a Ravenclaw). Firstly, she’s incredibly fearless, at least when it comes to any kind of social situation. To give you an idea, when she was 2 we took her trick-or-treating, and she walked right into a stranger’s house! Seriously, she just burst through the door and into a dinner party. Everyone thought it was funny. Me, I thought it was a bit scary. Secondly, she’s a bit of a show-off, always wanting to be the center of attention.2. You understand that the reason why the movies pale by comparison is because they left out all the whimsy.Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the movies. But for the longest time I couldn’t figure out why they were so “meh” when compared to the books—I mean beyond the usual “the movie is never as good” thing. I finally figured it out one day while listening to the audio books. The filmmakers cut out all the funny and whimsical/magical moments that really give the books their special flavor. My favorite example of this comes from book 6 when Dumbledore picks up Harry at the Dursleys’. In the book Dumbledore offers the Dursleys something to drink by conjuring glasses out of thin air. But of course, the Dursleys refuse to accept the glasses which then spend the rest of the scene knocking them in the head. It’s hysterical and the kind of thing that would’ve been visually funny. In the movie though, we go straight to the scene with Horace. I understand why the filmmakers did this, but it still makes me sad. This is also why I harbor a deep hope that someday there will be a cartoon version of Harry Potter that includes ALL the whimsy and magic. 1. You bought your house because of the cupboard under the stairs.Well, this one isn’t entirely true, but it definitely didn’t hurt our decision. Rest assured—none of my children have ever been forced to live inside it. Although, more than one cat has spent a couple of hours locked up on accident. I have a feeling they didn’t mind. And no, unfortunately, none of them are named Crookshanks. But I might remedy that someday…So what are your signs of Harry Potter addiction?And check out these other teamTEENauthor members talking about HP!Julie Cross
Janci Patterson
E.C. Myers
Elizabeth Amisu***Originally published at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there***

A Preview and a New Blurb

Hey all! Just wanted to give you a quick update. Firstly, my guest post at Fiction Freak went up yesterday. It contains a small preview of a section of The Nightmare Affair. Check it out here.I'm also blogging today over at the Lucky 13s about signs of a Super Star Agent (here's a hint: Mine is one!)And lastly, but definitely not leastly, I've been given the go ahead to share another blurb for The Nightmare Affair from the fabulous, New York TImes bestselling author Marissa Meyer, author of Cinder! I couldn't be more thrilled with what she had to say.And here it is:“The Nightmare Affair is brimming with wit and charm, along with plenty of mysteries that kept me guessing to the very end. Mindee Arnett has created a brand new school of magic to delight and enthrall us, and I'm sure I won't be the only reader impatiently awaiting the next adventure at Arkwell Academy.”—Marissa Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of CinderHappy writing! ***originally posted at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there***

Winners and News!

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in my giveaway. I'm so happy to announce the winners.First up, the ARC of Renegade by J.A. Sounders and a swag pack of The Nightmare Affair goes to:Hwa Sun Kang of The Shangri La of Books!The two runners up, both receiving swag packs of The Nightmare Affair are:Magan Bagan of A Trail of Books Left BehindandLisseth of Read-A-holicZWinners, please send me your address information so I can get these prizes out to you pronto (mindeearnett@gmail.com)And now for the news. I've had two announcements appear in Publisher's Marketplace. First, the audio rights to The Nightmare Affair went to Audible.com in a 3-book deal. And second, German rights went to Heyne in a 2-book deal at auction!Needless to say, I'm very excited :)Have a great holiday weekend!***Originally posted at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there***