E.R. Arroyo's Blog, page 9

Connect with Me!

Hi, friends!  I just wanted to put up some links with other ways for you to connect with me online!

TwitterPinterest -- fun Sovereign visuals and character sketches!FacebookGoodreadsWebsite: ERArroyo.com !                              

Self-Publishing Joy - Sovereign on Kindle

At long last, my book is now available on Kindle!  I will update as more versions become available, but I just couldn't wait, I had to blog it!  I have sent my precious baby out into the world and I hope she grows up big and strong, and that people love her! 

You can check it out on Kindle here.

Also, if anyone wants to connect with me on Goodreads, find me here.

Exciting times!  I'll post more updates when the book becomes available on more platforms.  And I'll be starting a brand new book November 1st for NaNoWriMo.

Special thanks to all my awesome beta readers who helped get Sovereign "there."

Hope everyone is well!   -E

My Cat (Who Only Loves Me Sometimes)

Writing is hard.  Writing is even harder when there's a cat paw on your keyboard.

Yesterday, I posted on Facebook asking if anyone wanted a free cat.  This isn't the first time I've posted something similar, but he was being mean to me, and I got fed up.  Then today, of his own free will, he comes over and cuddles with me. 

I think he knows....
Mommy, please don't sell me!!  See how good I can be?

Permission to Write Crappy (Crappily?)

So, I've begun my second book in the Sovereign series.  The first book was relatively easy to write.  I had ideas for the plot, I worked most of it out in advance.  I'm a very detailed pre-writer.  I use an outline method called "Snowflaking" and I have great results from it. 

However, in that first draft, while it flowed easily, I also took my time to make sure I was getting the story and actual writing just how I wanted it.  I would go back over pages before writing new ones, and if you've read up about other authors and their processes, you know that this isn't how "they" recommend doing it.  And now, struggling with my imperfect first draft of Sovereign 2 (unnamed), I understand why.

Truth is, I discover more about where I'm taking my story (even though I know what my main plot points should be) while I'm writing.  In other words, I discover more in the process of writing than in the process of "brainstorming."  New ideas spring up mid-flow and that means what I'm writing isn't perfect, and to a degree, I'm just going with it. 

As a person, I suppose I can be a little uptight.  I'm a control freak (to a degree--depends on the situation).  So winging it certainly isn't my style.  My style is to do a good job.  That's my goal.  I want to "write good."  haha.  So in my desire to write a good first draft, I limit myself.  I cut off the flow of creativity.  I know that now.

So, from this point forward, I'm officially giving myself permission to write a crappy first draft.  And I'm gonna make typos, mistakes, and stupid erroThere.  I said it.  And I also give myself permission not to let anyone see my first draft, lol.

Hopefully, this new approach will relieve me of the stress and frustration I've been feeling over book 2 for the last however many weeks.  I'll keep you all posted!


(P.s. you're probably wondering why there's a picture of a cat there.  The answer is simply: that's my cat Meiko and he's a handsome fella.)

Batmanology!

Hey Guys! Any Batman fans out there? 

Check out https://www.facebook.com/Batmanology 

A few excerpts from their page...

"A weekly(?) look at the world of the Dark Knight"

"We here at Batmanology have dedicated ourselves to the preservation of the ideals and character of one of the most defining heroes of our time. It's not a hobby, but a belief in the idea that one man can and does make a difference."

"Hello, and welcome to Batmanology!!
We here at the order of the bat are here to discuss, gush and admire the world of the Batman of Gotham."

The Next Big Thing

Thanks Patrice Caldwell for tagging me in this fun post. It gives me the chance to talk about the manuscript I’m working on and share that love with some friends.  I’m tagging Maria Rachel Hooley, Michelle S. Carey, Michael Coady, and Jamie Lee Scott/Livingston.

1. What is the working title of your book? Sovereign
 
2. Where did the idea come from the book?
I believe it came on the tail end of a Dystopia-obsessed reading stretch.  I didn't exactly come up with a premise, I just had a scene play out in my head, and I typed it up.  It was only later that I decided to develop it into a novel after first trying to play it off as a short story.   

3. What genre is your book? Young Adult Dystopia/Sci-Fi

4. Which actors would you choose to play the characters in a movie? 
I can't say who should play the roles, but I can say who the characters look most like in my head.  I have a Pinterest board here: character visuals.  The lead characters are Cori & Dylan.  For Dylan I picked Liam Hemsworth, but I wouldn't honestly want him to play the role.  I would want the wonderful Hollywood casting people to do their job and find somebody that fits the role who looks somewhat like Liam, but preferably with a Native American background.  For Cori I picked Mia Wasikowska, who played in Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp.  I picked her based on looks, so again, I don't know that she'd be right for the "role." 

5. What is a one sentence synopsis of your book? 
In a tyrant’s shadow, one girl will rise to defend Earth’s last colony.
 
6. Will your book be self-published or repped by an agency?
This is still up in the air, though the likely answer is self-published basically because of the market.  I think publishers/agents are kind of "over" dystopia for now, but I don't think readers who love the genre are over it yet, so I believe self-publishing will reach my target audience.

7. How long did it take you to finish your first draft?
Eh, I'm not really sure because I took a break in the middle, then won an award based on the first 20-something pages, so I hauled butt to finish a draft just in case anyone asked to see it.  I know I finished the second half in less than a month. 

8. What other books would you compare yours to in this genre?
Eh, tough to say.  Do I say "eh" a lot?  I don't know what Sovereign is "like," but I can tell you some books in the same genre that I love: 

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Legend by Marie Lu
The Hunger Games (obviously). 

Did I mention Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi???  Honestly, hopefully, my book isn't much like any of them.  What fun would that be?

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book? 
Hmm.  I never had that moment where I thought "I want to write a book about such and such."  I just had this character in this particular situation and wrote the story around her because I loved spending time with her, telling her story.  The theme kind of blossomed in the process and that theme became my "inspiration" in refining and editing. 

I also never decided to write a dystopia, it just was one.  Now that I'm trying to get an agent, I'm wishing this project wasn't a dystopia, but it is what it is.

10. What else about your book my pique a reader’s interest?  
Let's see... I "accidentally" (**coy smile**) wrote some very lovely boys. Boys, boys, boys.  Also, the hero, Cori, is a kick-butt female.  She's tough, she's complicated, and she's entertaining.  I think the opening scene will grab the reader and make them want to follow her story.


Thanks again, Patrice for tagging me!  This was fun!
-E.R.

In the arms of a Toddler

You may or may not know, in addition to being a writer, I'm a hairstylist.  Today a friend brought her boys in for haircuts, and it's my first time working on them.  They've seen me maybe a handful of times, and frankly the older one (three-year-old, we'll call him Big Brother) doesn't care for me.  I'm not sure why, we just don't have chemistry, I guess.  As soon as I smiled at Little Brother, his face lit up and he was all grins whenever I addressed him.  And of course, it made me exceedingly happy.  Who doesn't get happy when a two-year-old smiles at them?

So I cut Big Brother's hair first, and he's moving around, and he's frustrated.  By the time I get around to his bangs, he's crying and trying to get down despite promises of lollipops.  As soon as I yank the kiddie cape off him, and hand his mom a bag of Dum-Dums to choose from, he starts to calm down.

Then comes Little Brother's turn.  Needless to say, he's not thrilled, but he's taking it like a man.  He wiggles around and is equally difficult to cut, but he doesn't cry.  Almost does, but no tears.  Well, and he kept trying to take off the cape.  So when he's done, I take off the cape and get ready to hand him a sucker.  

Mom is somewhere talking to Big Brother about something in a picture book while Little Brother reaches for me.  I think, "Okay, kid wants to get down, obviously.  No problem."  So I pick him on and set him on his feet.  Then he reaches for me again.  I reach down and pick him up by the armpits, prepared to set him on my hip.  Then he throws his arms around my neck and hugs me. 

HEART
OFFICIALLY
MELTED.............

So I just let him squeeze my neck for probably a minute or two until he pulled back and I set him down again.  It was so precious and I don't know what I did to deserve this kid's affection, but I loved it.  Absolutely loved it.  Funny thing is, I'll never know why Little Brother wanted to hug me.  Maybe by some crazy intuition, he knew how badly I want a little boy of my own.  Or maybe he's just a sweet kid, or maybe he was just so grateful I was finally finished torturing him.  But I'll never know.  Regardless, the little man made my day.

Long Hard Road

The beta-readers have weighed in, and though I'm still tweaking the line edits, I'm growing more and more excited about finishing my baby and sending her out into the world.

I have been overwhelmed and excited to receive such great feedback from my test readers, who have given me so much confidence in Sovereign.  I can't wait to share it with more people in the (hopefully near) future.

I don't know any authors who enjoy the editing phase of writing, but alas, there I am.  I should have a polished draft ready within the week and then the sky's the limit.  I'm grateful for everyone who has helped me get the book to where it is now, and I look forward to sharing good news about the future of Sovereign down the road.

Thanks all!

If Cori were a superhero...

Had some fun over at Marvel.com 's "Create Your Own Superhero"

Though my options were limited (I guess they don't have tall, lanky chick superheros with strawberry blond hair) this is what I came up with for Cori's superhero alter ego.

Click on the link to create your own superhero! How fun :)

A Quote by Pearl Buck About Creative People

I've always loved this quote, just came across it again after several years.  It still resonates with me.

The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanely sensitive. To them... a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death.
Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create -- so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, their very breath is cut off...
They must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating.

--Pearl Buck