Connie Anne McEntee's Blog, page 2

Updated Goals

So, as of today I finished the read-through of the first draft of my second novel. I'm ahead of schedule.

I'll probably sit on it for a while, then start the second draft, going through my notes and trying to clean things up. If I'm able to stay on schedule, I should have the second draft done by mid June.

The Next Goal

So, I finished the first draft of my second novel in time to meet the end of January goal. I've begun the next step: the read through of the manuscript.

As I met that first goal a few days before Imbolc and started my second just a few days after, I've decided to try to complete the read through by Eostara. With luck, I can have the second draft done by Litha.

That's right: I'm setting my writing goals according to the Wiccan Sabats.

Testing Fiction

After Waking for Hours was published, I heard of the Bechdel Test, a feminist way to analyze fiction for diversity. There are three criteria that a work of fiction needs to meet in order to pass this test.

1. There must be at least two female characters,
2. they must talk with each other,
3. and they must talk about something other than a male character.

Waking for Hours passes the Bechdel Test, but just barely. But if that story wouldn't pass the Bechdel Test, neither would my high school years. I went to an all-boys private high school and the main character of my book is in a very similar situation. There wasn't any gendered diversity among the students in my high school, just as there wasn't for the student bodies of the two all-girls high schools in San Mateo County. Those three high schools are still, to this day, segregated by gender.

But there are some other tests that can be applied to fiction, and they can be found in this Tumblr post.

The Ellen Willis Test asks if a story would still make sense if the genders of the characters were flipped. I think my book would pass this test.

I'm proud to say that Waking for Hours would fail the Sexy Lamp Test, as the females in my story could not be successfully replaced by inanimate objects.

I don't think that my book passes the Mako Mori Test, as the naratives for the female characters are incomplete. But one has to bear in mind the setting and that the main character is a bisexual boy going to an all-boys school.

I think my book does pass the Tauriel test, thanks to one of the characters who is very good at her job: the pastor Marianne.

Waking for Hours would fail The Deggans Rule as there is only one person of color, an Asian girl (Melody), in the main cast. There is also a Latino/Fillipino boy (Nelson) and another Asian girl (Mandy), but they are minor characters in this book. Likewise, my book fails the Racial Bechdel Test, because while there are two people of color who speak with each other, Nelson and Mandy, they are minor characters who don't appear all that much.

If I were to write a story based on my true perceptions of my high school years, there would have been even less diversity. These days, there is no longer a clear racial majority in San Mateo County in general. But there are still regions in the area where the populations are not as diverse. What is the best approach when trying to portray accurately the population of the setting? What if the story is set in an area that's somewhat homogenous?

Also, diversity must be believable and not stereotypical. The cast should contain characters, not caricatures.

Goal Reached

Earlier today, I reached the goal I'd set. I wanted the first draft of my second novel completed by the end of January and it's done.

According to Microsoft Word, this draft is about 102,000 words.

I'm going to let it sit for a few days, then begin the read-through, taking notes for the second draft.

Writing Goals and Priorities

Hmm, I might have to let the first draft goal slip a little farther. I'm applying to grad school and need to devote my short-term writing energy to completing the application process.

The follow-up novel will have to wait a bit for the time being.

Missed Writing Goals

Well, damn.

Originally, I was hoping to have the first draft of the follow-up to Waking for Hours finished by the end of 2013. I missed that self-imposed deadline. And yeah, I could talk about how I had other things going in my life at the same time but I still missed that goal.

Things are progressing well, though, and so I've set a new goal of the end of January 2014. Considering the work I've done so far, I should have a good chance of making this date.

So, I need to stop working on this blog post and get back to work on the novel!

That Awkward Moment...

That awkward moment when you're reading the second draft of another novel you're working on and you realized that most of what you've written will need to be discarded.

The idea that a second draft will still have problems is nothing new to me. Waking for Hours had seven drafts and probably could've benefited from an eighth. But this one that I've been reviewing little by little over the last few weeks has so many problems that a great deal of it will need to be tossed. True, the first draft was started during NaNoWriMo in 2011. I knew it would result in a very rough first draft. The second draft had taken that very rough copy and polished it.

Well, all the polishing in the world won't make granite look like marble.

This is disappointing not only because there was much work that went into the second draft to build it up from the rough framework that was the first draft, but also because there are plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. That means I wrote crap. I hate discovering that.

Well, at least I know what needs to be done.

41 Transgender-friendly Books for Young Kids

Earlier this year, I'd put a request out on Facebook asking my friends for recommendations of YA trans* books told from the point of view of MTF teens. By that point, I'd already read I Am J and Parrotfish, which are told from the points of view of FTM teens. I'd also reread Luna and Almost Perfect, but those are told from the points of view of persons close the MTFs.

The only recommendation I'd received back then was, "Time to start writing." So, I've got my own YA trans novel in progress, though it'll be a while before it's ready.

In the meantime, I found the following shared on the Lesbians and Feminists Against Transphobia Facebook page:

41 Transgender-friendly Books for Young Kids

So, it looks like I've got a new reading list!

A - Z Book Survey

This one was inspired by Laurustina's blog post.

Author(s) You’ve Read the Most Books Of: (in order by Author's last name)

Tera Lynn Childs
Anne McCaffrey
Stephanie Meyer
Larry Niven
Julie Anne Peters
Carol Plum-Ucci
J.K. Rowling
Alex Sanchez
J.R.R. Tolkien
Ellen Wittlinger



Best Sequel Ever:
Ringworld Throne by Larry Niven


Currently Reading:
Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg


Drink of Choice While Reading:
Mocha or a Vanilla Latte


E-Reader or Physical Book:
Both, though there are some books that I prefer to have physical copies of


Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Dated in High School:
Holland Jaeger from Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters


Glad You Gave This Book a Chance:
A tie between Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and Trans-Sister Radio by Chris Bohjalian. I'm sometimes wary when folks recommend me books because they know I'm trans, but both of these were great and I probably wouldn't heard of them if they weren't recommended to me because friends knew I was trans.


Hidden Gem Books:
Gravel Queen by Tea Bunduhn, as there was just so much that was unexpected about this book. Also the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer, as I really loved her approach that vampires aren't necessarily monsters.


Important Moment in Your Reading Life:
Luna by Julie Anne Peters: This book literally started my exploration of gender identity in general and my gender identity in particular. This book led me to starting my own gender transition.


Just Finished:
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin


Kind of Books You Won't Read:
Horror


Longest Book You've Ever Read:
The Stand by Stephen King. I felt like he owed me money by the time I finished it too. Don't get me wrong; it's a very well written book. I just didn't enjoy the story.


Major Book Hangover Because Of:
I'm guessing a "book hangover" is the unpleasant feeling one experiences after finishing a book that one didn't enjoy. In that case, Radio Free Albemuth by Philip K. Dick.


Number of Bookcases You Own:
Two, at present, not counting the virtual bookcases in my Nook and computer.


One Book You've Read Multiple Times:
Only one? Fine then: Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher


Preferred Place to Read:
In bed, or at my favorite cafe, Back Yard Coffee Company, in Redwood City, CA.


Quote That Inspires You:
"It just seems like life is really hard if you're a person who's alive." From the book Crush by Carrie Mac.


Reading Regret:
That I have to spend time at my job instead of reading.


Series You Started and Need to Finish:
There are probably more Pern books that I should read.


Three of Your All-Time Favorite Books: (not necessarily in order)

Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin
Dare Truth or Promise by Paula Boock
Talk by Kathe Koja



Unapologetic Fangirl For:
Queer and trans young adult fiction.


Very Excited for This Release Over All Others:
Okay, shameless plug time: Waking for Hours by me


Worst Bookish Habit:
Failing to put a hold on the next library book before I'm finished reading the book I'm on. I end up with a day or two without something new to read.


X Marks the Spot - Start at the Top Left of Your Shelf & Pick the 27th Book:
Good Moon Rising by Nancy Garden


Your Latest Book Purchase:
The Witch's Bag of Tricks by Melanie Marquis


Zzzzzzz... The Last Book That Kept You Up Way Too Late:
Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin

Not Writing

I usually try to write a little bit everyday. Some days I'm more productive than others, and some days I have to closely examine what I've written because the further development of the story means that something written earlier isn't going to work after all. I find myself taking notes on my own material.

But I'm about to go away for the weekend with my daughter, and my computer is not invited. I'm going to be taking a break from writing for about two days. And the prospect is actually freaking me out. But seriously, my characters and their dilemmas can surely wait till I get back. They'll survive without me.

And surely I can survive without the computer for a weekend. Right? :\