Khristina Chess's Blog, page 7
October 23, 2016
Community and Craft
Yesterday I met with the Murphy Writer's Group to talk about my journey as a writer, my experience with indie publishing, and my process.
What a joy to spend time with like-minded people who love talking about point of view and plot!
It's nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month), and one of the writers is going to participate for the first time. I've never done that. In preparing for the talk, I realized that over an 18-year period I've written at least 12 novels. It's hard to identify an exact count because I've rewritten a few so drastically that you might "count" them as new novels. Some of these early books have been terrible and will never see the light of day.
Getting started or staying committed to writing hasn't been a problem for me.
But writing can be a lonely business. Non-writing people don't always understand the compulsion or the passion. Writers can also be a peculiar bunch. We like grammar and the beautiful turn of a phrase. Or at least I do. Going to a writer's group like Murphy reminds me that there are others right here in town who are like me.
I shared a resource list with them of some of my favorite books on craft or that inspire.
WRITING CRAFT BOOKS
Bickham, Jack – “Scene and Structure”, “Setting”, and “Writing Novels That Sell”
Browne, Renni and King, Dave – “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers”
Frey, James – “How to Write a Damn Good Novel”
King, Stephen – “On Writing”
Kress, Nancy – “Beginnings, Middles, and Endings”
Lukeman, Noah – “The First Five Pages,” “The Plot Thickens,” and “A Dash of Style”
Maas, Donald – “Writing the Breakout Novel”
Schmidt, Victoria – “45 Master Characters”
Scott Card, Orson – “Characters and Viewpoint”
Stein, Sol – “How to Grow a Novel”
Wood, Monica – “Description”
WRITING MOTIVATION BOOKS
Cameron, Julia – “The Artist’s Way”
Keys, Ralph – “The Courage to Write” and “The Writer’s Book of Hope”
Lamott, Anne – “Bird by Bird”
“Writers [on Writing]” - Collected Essays from NY Times
Conrad & Schultz – “Snoopy’s Guide to the Writer’s Life”
Snoopy has much to say about the writing life. :)
http://www.khristinachess.com/blog/20...
What a joy to spend time with like-minded people who love talking about point of view and plot!
It's nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month), and one of the writers is going to participate for the first time. I've never done that. In preparing for the talk, I realized that over an 18-year period I've written at least 12 novels. It's hard to identify an exact count because I've rewritten a few so drastically that you might "count" them as new novels. Some of these early books have been terrible and will never see the light of day.
Getting started or staying committed to writing hasn't been a problem for me.
But writing can be a lonely business. Non-writing people don't always understand the compulsion or the passion. Writers can also be a peculiar bunch. We like grammar and the beautiful turn of a phrase. Or at least I do. Going to a writer's group like Murphy reminds me that there are others right here in town who are like me.
I shared a resource list with them of some of my favorite books on craft or that inspire.
WRITING CRAFT BOOKS
Bickham, Jack – “Scene and Structure”, “Setting”, and “Writing Novels That Sell”
Browne, Renni and King, Dave – “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers”
Frey, James – “How to Write a Damn Good Novel”
King, Stephen – “On Writing”
Kress, Nancy – “Beginnings, Middles, and Endings”
Lukeman, Noah – “The First Five Pages,” “The Plot Thickens,” and “A Dash of Style”
Maas, Donald – “Writing the Breakout Novel”
Schmidt, Victoria – “45 Master Characters”
Scott Card, Orson – “Characters and Viewpoint”
Stein, Sol – “How to Grow a Novel”
Wood, Monica – “Description”
WRITING MOTIVATION BOOKS
Cameron, Julia – “The Artist’s Way”
Keys, Ralph – “The Courage to Write” and “The Writer’s Book of Hope”
Lamott, Anne – “Bird by Bird”
“Writers [on Writing]” - Collected Essays from NY Times
Conrad & Schultz – “Snoopy’s Guide to the Writer’s Life”
Snoopy has much to say about the writing life. :)
http://www.khristinachess.com/blog/20...
August 21, 2016
Summertime Means Beach
I love the beach. More specifically, I love the Caribbean. I love the turquoise water and white sand, and I love snorkeling for hours. I especially love the wildlife: turtles, trunkfish, parrotfish, angel fish, stingrays, eels, and on and on. The ocean is astonishingly beautiful. I love its sound and its rolling, rocking motion. Whenever I visit there, the most amazing peace and quiet settles over my soul...
For rest of blog, see:
http://www.khristinachess.com/blog/20...
For rest of blog, see:
http://www.khristinachess.com/blog/20...
August 7, 2016
The Muse and Me
Every morning I get up, go to the refrigerator for Diet Mountain Dew, and start writing. Minnie is right there with me, making sure I never oversleep:
http://www.khristinachess.com/blog/20...
She's excellent at filling those long thinking pauses when the words won't quite come. This morning, the words were flowing fast and furious. I have 40,000 on "Junior Missing" now.
http://www.khristinachess.com/blog/20...
She's excellent at filling those long thinking pauses when the words won't quite come. This morning, the words were flowing fast and furious. I have 40,000 on "Junior Missing" now.
August 1, 2016
Morning Tea
I'm trying to do a better job with blogging. I've updated my web site (www.khristinachess.com) and am adding more blog posts.
Keep visiting!
http://www.khristinachess.com/blog/20...
Keep visiting!
http://www.khristinachess.com/blog/20...
July 25, 2016
#ThatNotLove
So I'm writing my new YA novel, "Junior Missing," and I'm spending a lot of time researching domestic violence in teens. It's pretty dark stuff. There's a really good video under #ThatsNotLove that is particularly moving as a way to illustrate how behaviors can escalate out of control.
The stories I read just break my heart.
My friend asks why I can't write happy books. Good question. Why do I write about tough, sad issues? Why do I pour through these articles about teens who suffer one tragedy after another, just so I have enough understanding to write the scene the way it needs to be done?
This is important.
In the US in 2013, girls aged 16-24 had the highest rate of violence from their partner. The statistics for verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and rape were reported as high as one in three adolescents in some cases. Things only get worse for these women once they leave for college.
That's not love.
For the blog article about "Junior Missing," go to my Web site: http://www.khristinachess.com/blog/20...
The stories I read just break my heart.
My friend asks why I can't write happy books. Good question. Why do I write about tough, sad issues? Why do I pour through these articles about teens who suffer one tragedy after another, just so I have enough understanding to write the scene the way it needs to be done?
This is important.
In the US in 2013, girls aged 16-24 had the highest rate of violence from their partner. The statistics for verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and rape were reported as high as one in three adolescents in some cases. Things only get worse for these women once they leave for college.
That's not love.
For the blog article about "Junior Missing," go to my Web site: http://www.khristinachess.com/blog/20...
July 23, 2016
Software Company Manager Leads Second Life
Here's a link to a new feature article in al.com about me:
"Huntsville software company manager leads a second life as award-winning YA novelist"
http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/20...
"Huntsville software company manager leads a second life as award-winning YA novelist"
http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/20...
May 7, 2016
"Drive to June" Places First
"Drive to June" won First Place in the Young Adult category (ages 16 to 18) in the 2015/2016 Reader Views Reviewers Choice Awards.
The book review called it "a heart tugging, coming of age story, laced with mystery, murder, and suspense."
Link to review: http://readerviewskids.com/reviewches...
Link to awards: http://readerviews.com/2015-2016-lite...
The book review called it "a heart tugging, coming of age story, laced with mystery, murder, and suspense."
Link to review: http://readerviewskids.com/reviewches...
Link to awards: http://readerviews.com/2015-2016-lite...
February 14, 2016
Coming Soon... "The Future Unborn"
I know it's been forever since I've posted here or on my Web site. I've been too busy writing on my latest book, which I'm happy to say is done. It's called "The Future Unborn." Here's a blurb to tell you what it's all about:
- - - - - - - - - -
Acceptance into MIT means everything to Kansas Jones, a straight-A student, class president, top female swimmer on the varsity team, and member of the local teen robotics club. Her high school résumé is immaculate. Getting pregnant at eighteen is unthinkable.
Then the unthinkable happens.
Twelve weeks seems like plenty of time to take care of the situation. She knows what to do. It’s just that she has to take SATs first… and study for finals for the grading period… and prepare for her local MIT interview. Her Early Action college application is due. The team is pushing hard to finish their robot in time for the R2-RoboCon competition in December. An abortion requires money and time to plan, and she doesn’t have either.
When a close family member loses a child, Kansas sees how she could fix everything, but it might cost her MIT and all her dreams for the future. Is she willing to carry this unwanted pregnancy to term? Will she be able to give the baby away?
- - - - - - - - - -
I don't have a final cover design yet, so it won't be ready for release until later this spring. Keep watching for an announcement about that.
- - - - - - - - - -
Acceptance into MIT means everything to Kansas Jones, a straight-A student, class president, top female swimmer on the varsity team, and member of the local teen robotics club. Her high school résumé is immaculate. Getting pregnant at eighteen is unthinkable.
Then the unthinkable happens.
Twelve weeks seems like plenty of time to take care of the situation. She knows what to do. It’s just that she has to take SATs first… and study for finals for the grading period… and prepare for her local MIT interview. Her Early Action college application is due. The team is pushing hard to finish their robot in time for the R2-RoboCon competition in December. An abortion requires money and time to plan, and she doesn’t have either.
When a close family member loses a child, Kansas sees how she could fix everything, but it might cost her MIT and all her dreams for the future. Is she willing to carry this unwanted pregnancy to term? Will she be able to give the baby away?
- - - - - - - - - -
I don't have a final cover design yet, so it won't be ready for release until later this spring. Keep watching for an announcement about that.
May 8, 2015
"Hollow Beauty" Named a Finalist
I just found out that "Hollow Beauty" was named a Finalist in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (http://www.indiebookawards.com/index.php) in the Young Adult category. A Finalist certificate and medal will be sent to me as a result. I'm pretty excited! Look for a list of all the 2015 Winners and Finalists to be posted by the end of May, 2015.
Hollow Beauty
Hollow Beauty
April 5, 2015
"Drive to June"
My new book, "Drive to June," will be out in another week. Here is some information and a link to the sample chapter:
"Drive to June"
Adrianna is drowning her grief.
Sixteen months ago, her mother died. With her father traveling so much, and her older sister away at college, no one notices that she’s been slowly draining her mother’s extensive wine collection. She drinks to forget an awful secret. She drinks until she goes numb.
Now, she can’t seem to quit. Since moving to a new school, she has no really close friends or teachers who know her, which means that eighteen-year-old Adrianna has nothing to stop her free-fall. There is no one to help her deal with her pain.
Then she meets Ian.
Link to sample chapter: http://www.khristinachess.com/junesample
"Drive to June"
Adrianna is drowning her grief.
Sixteen months ago, her mother died. With her father traveling so much, and her older sister away at college, no one notices that she’s been slowly draining her mother’s extensive wine collection. She drinks to forget an awful secret. She drinks until she goes numb.
Now, she can’t seem to quit. Since moving to a new school, she has no really close friends or teachers who know her, which means that eighteen-year-old Adrianna has nothing to stop her free-fall. There is no one to help her deal with her pain.
Then she meets Ian.
Link to sample chapter: http://www.khristinachess.com/junesample
