Gabe Cole Novoa's Blog, page 69

Vlog: How to Edit: The CP Trade

So your second draft is revised and shiny and you're ready for the next step...which is what? Today I'm talking about one more essential editing step: the critique partner trade.


RELATED LINKS/VLOGS: 

How About We CP5 Places to Find Critique PartnersCritique Partners: They're Not OptionalHow to Choose Critique PartnersWhy Critiquing Others Helps YouHow to Love Editing (vlog)How to Edit: The First Read Through (vlog)How to Edit: The Second Draft (vlog) What tips would you add for writers just starting the CP trade? 
Twitter-sized bite: 

Ready to start trading w/ CPs but don't know where to start? @Ava_Jae vlogs about this essential revision step. (Click to tweet)

How I Became a Morning Person

Photo credit: bobchin1941 on FlickrOnce upon a time, I was a night owl. Sort of. I got up at 8AM and went to bed a midnight (which I'm fully aware isn’t late to many people), and repeated the process the next day. I’d get work done in the morning and be really proud of myself when I finished much of my to-do list before noon.

After a while, however, I noticed a few things about myself:

I worked really well in the morning. Something about starting the day off with a streak of productivity put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. 
As the day went on, I got progressively lazier. Well, maybe lazy isn’t quite the right word, but as my energy levels drained, so did my motivation to do anything. 
If I had to go out for any reason, especially for work or school, I absolutely did not want to do anything when I returned. I just didn’t have the energy to even try. So, basically, if I got up at 8AM and went to school at 9, the rest of the day was shot as far as productivity was concerned. 
So while this 8-midnight schedule worked okay for several years, after taking a year off from school and then later gearing up for a back to full-time school schedule, I realized if I really wanted to continue to get writing work done, I was going to need to get up earlier.

I mean, hypothetically I could try to work after classes, but I already knew from past experience that I wouldn’t want to. And trying to write when you’re exhausted and unmotivated? It sucks.

So despite the fact that the mere thought of getting up before dawn made me cringe, I changed my sleep schedule. I started going to bed between 9-10 and getting up between 5-5:30. After a few days of trying out my new schedule, something weird happened.

I realized I liked it.

Getting up between 5 and 5:30 gives me roughly three hours of free time before I have to leave for classes on my earliest days, and gives me plenty of time to get loads of things done before noon on the weekends. It’s now pretty common for me to check off everything I need to get done in a day before 11AM and have the rest of the day to write or edit or whatever else my heart desires. I’ve kept to this schedule during breaks and weekends and I plan do continue it over the summer because quite frankly? I work so much better in the morning than I ever did at 8 or 9 PM.

That being said, not everyone is like me. I have many writer friends who do their best writing between 10-2AM. I’m not going to say being a morning person is the only way to be a productive writer, but I do think that paying attention to yourself and figuring out when is the most productive time for you is important.

Maybe for you that time will be after midnight, or maybe, like me, it’ll be before the sun rises. But whatever it is, I encourage you to listen to your body and figure out what your zone is, because once you start hitting it consistently, you’ll be surprised just how much you can get done.

Do you know what your most productive writing time is?

Twitter-sized bite: 

Do you know what your most productive writing time is? @Ava_Jae discusses how she discovered hers. (Click to tweet) 

Why Representation is Important (to Me)

Photo credit: scribbletaylor on FlickrSo I’m finally reading OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu thanks to some eager online recommendations and a family member who wisely chose from my long Christmas book wishlist, and the more I read, the more I wish I’d had a book like this when I was a teenager. 
I think I had my first mini panic attack when I was maybe eight or so, but it wasn’t until I was sixteen that anxiety became a constant thing. But as my anxiety manifested so often as (ridiculously unnecessary) guilt, I didn’t recognize it for what it was until four years later, at which point it was totally out of hand and became much harder, if not impossible, to hide.
Now between a no-sugar diet and OTC stuff, I’ve been able to handle the anxiety pretty well on my own, but I can’t help but wonder if I would’ve saved myself four years of internal torment if I’d had a book like OCD Love Story to help me recognize it for what it obviously is—a disorder. 
When I was sixteen, all I knew about OCD was hand washing, counting, and obsessions with neatness. I didn’t know it was also terrifying, intrusive thoughts (or ones considered morally reprehensible, which of course lead to more guilt), or being terrified you’d accidentally poison dinner by not washing utensils enough, or feeling guilty/obsessively worrying over your friends’ actions, or driving twice around a parking lot to make sure you backed into the curb and not a person. I didn’t know OCD was not being able to lie, or having a mini panic attack wondering if what you just said was 100% true (because you didn’t arrive at 3:30, you arrived at 3:27). 
I still hesitate to say I’m definitely OCD because I’ve never been officially diagnosed. But I wonder if reading a book with OCD or some other anxiety disorder representation would have made me realize four years earlier that what I was dealing with wasn’t just me, or just something I had to deal with. Maybe if I’d recognized myself in the pages of a book I would’ve talked to someone about it. Maybe I would’ve asked for help much sooner than I did. 
Representation is important to me because the combination of stereotypes and the lack of true representation made me ignore my symptoms for years. 
Representation is important to me because I can’t begin to explain how gratifying it is to find a protagonist in a book with anxiety issues, to see a character who thinks the same way I did (and sometimes still do), to see that there are others like me who understand exactly what I mean when I say, “I’ve dealt with a lot of anxiety.” 
Representation is powerful. Knowing you’re not alone and your story deserves to be told is essential. 
And that’s just one reason why representation is important to me. 
What do you think? 
Twitter-sized bite:

Writer @Ava_Jae shares one reason why representation in media is important to her. What do you think? (Click to tweet) 

"Representation is powerful. Knowing you're not alone & your story deserves to be told is essential." (Click to tweet)

On Being On Submission

Photo credit: eugenijusr on FlickrI’ve decided the best time for me to talk about being on submission is when I’m not on submission,
so here we go.

I’ve heard a lot of writers say that being on submission is like the Fight Club–the first rule about being on submission is not to talk about being on submission. That’s very true, mostly because you don’t want to accidentally sabotage your agent’s efforts to get interest from amazing editors.

That being said, without going into specifics about my particular submission experience, I’m more than happy to share some general things you can expect while you’re on submission.

Pre-Submission: 

Pre-submission starts when your agent says, “yay! Your MS is ready to go on submission!” and a wave of relief/excitement/anxiety floods your brain and basically doesn’t stop until the submission process is over.

Before (or right at the beginning) of the submission process, your agent will probably talk to you about where they’ll be submitting and give you some sort of list. (Probably. My agent did this and I’ve seen a lot of writers say their agent did this, but everyone is different.)

Eventually, your agent will let you know that the submission process has started. And so begins the next stage…

During submission: 

Being on submission, as it turns out, is a lot like being in the query trenches. Except this time, you have an awesome agent who is championing your work, which, believe me, can be a huge help emotionally.

Chances are likely it’ll be a while before you hear anything at first. While I have heard of books selling within a couple days (or, most recently, an agent mentioned selling a book overnight, um???), that’s definitely not the norm.

I don’t remember, exactly, how long it took for me to get my first response back, but most of the responses came in well after a month (I think it may have even been closer to two months). Again, not unlike querying. But what was different this time, was I got feedback semi-frequently (versus mostly form rejections) and had my fabulous agent encouraging me even when I received rejections, which was super nice.

How long you’re on submission will vary greatly. Some ridiculously lucky writers will only be on submission for a few days or weeks. Others are on submission for over a year before getting a deal. Still more put away unsold manuscripts and move on to a new project. I was on submission for roughly three to four months before I got an offer, which, let me tell you, felt like forever. But many writers are on submission for much longer, so I’m grateful it didn’t take too long for me.

Why does it take so long? 

There are a few answers to this. The most important one, really, is you aren’t selling your manuscript to one person.

I don’t know the full nitty gritty details, but my understanding is that on the other side of the desk, the (successful) submission process looks a little like this:

Agent submits manuscript to editor. Editor will have interns/assistants/readers read it and possibly they will read it, too…when they get to it. Remember, you aren’t the only person submitting to that editor. (When or if they read/how much they read depends 100% on that particular editor’s process.) Interns/assistants/readers will tell editor how much they like it and editor will read if they haven’t already. Editor loves the book! Yay! Now they have to make other people love it, too. Depending on the editor/publishing house, editor will either get support from other readers/coworkers (which is called getting second reads) or take it straight to the acquisitions/editorial board. Editor and others who read and love manuscript will try to convince editorial board to buy the book. If they get the thumbs up, editor then has to work out with other people how much to offer/details of the offer, etc. Editor will contact agent with an offer. 
This is a really oversimplified overview and I’m probably missing some steps in there, but you get the idea. There’s a lot that goes into making an offer on a manuscript, which is why generally, it takes quite a bit of time.

The offer! 

Once the editor has contacted your agent with an offer, your agent will contact you. Some agents cold call clients with good news, some send frantic e-mails to their clients, some totally blindside their clients and act all cool and casual and schedule a call without mentioning their excitement, then when their clients are late and are still walking home when the agent calls they’re like, “oh, it’s okay, we’ll call back,” and then when the client is finally back home, the agent is all, "well...WE HAVE AN OFFER" (I’m looking at you, Agent of Awesome).

Ehem. Anyway.

From there, very much like what happens when you get an offer from an agent, your agent will contact other editors who are still considering your manuscript. If another editor (or more than one, for that matter) also expresses interest, then there will be an auction! If not, it doesn’t matter because you have an offer (that hopefully you’re happy with!) and you’re going to be published. :)

Or, the not offer.

Natalie Whipple wrote a really great post about what happens when you don’t sell your book. This wasn’t my experience, so I can’t really say much about it besides that I know it must suck, but it’s also not uncommon. A lot of writers debut with the second or third book they went on submission with, and that’s totally okay.

It doesn’t make you a failure. It doesn’t mean you’ll never be published. It doesn’t mean your agent hates you.

Being a writer is hard and trying to get published is harder. But in the end, everyone’s journey is different, and I absolutely believe that the key to seeing your dreams come true is to keep writing, and improving, and doing everything you can to write the best books possible. The rest is out of our control, but that will always remain within our reach.

Some other really great submission posts:
What It’s Like to Go On Submission to Publishers With Your Novel on Diana Urban's blog. What to Expect When You’re Submitting on Natalie Whipple's blog, Between Fact and Fiction.SHIT series (trust me on this one—I devoured these posts while on submission) on Mindy McGinnis's blog, Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire.
Twitter-sized bite: 

What's it like to be on submission? Writer @Ava_Jae breaks down the process step by step. (Click to tweet)

Vlog: How to Edit: The Second Draft

So you've finished your first read-through and you've got a list of notes to fix. But where do you even begin? Today I'm talking about tackling the second draft.


RELATED LINKS/VLOGS:

How to Love Editing (vlog)How to Edit: The First Read Through (vlog)MyWriteClub.comHow to Edit in PassesEditing Technique: Lists
Twitter-sized bite: 

Ready to edit, but don't know where to start? Writer @Ava_Jae vlogs about two strategies for tackling the 2nd draft. (Click to tweet)

Top 10 Books I’m Looking Forward to in 2015

2015 is an incredible year for books. My TBR list has all but exploded and every post like this one puts new amazing reads on my Goodreads’s shelf. 
There are a ridiculous amount of incredible books coming out this year that I'm looking forward to, but I've narrowed it down to my top ten. It wasn't easy. But here they are with their Goodreads summaries (in chronological order by release date):
Photo credit: Goodreads Trust the Focus  by Megan Erickson (March 17)

“With his college graduation gown expertly pitched into the trash, Justin Akron is ready for the road trip he planned with his best friend Landry— and ready for one last summer of escape from his mother’s controlling grip. Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.

As an aspiring photographer, Justin can think of no better way to honor his father’s memory than to scatter his father’s ashes at the sites he held sacred. And there’s no one he’d rather share the experience with more than Landry.

But Justin knows he can’t escape forever. Eventually he’ll have to return home and join his mother’s Senate campaign. Nor can he escape the truth of who he is, and fact that he’s in love with his out-and-proud travel companion.

Admitting what he wants could hurt his mother’s conservative political career. But with every click of his shutter and every sprinkle of ash, Justin can’t resist Landry’s pull. And when the truth comes into focus, neither is prepared for the secrets the other is hiding.”

Why I’m excited: Firstly, I love Megan because her voice is just so fun and so NA perfect. Secondly, m/m NA. Do I need to say more? (I don’t need to say more.)


Photo credit: Goodreads


Half Wild (Half Bad Trilogy, #2) by Sally Green (March 24)

“‘You will have a powerful Gift, but it’s how you use it that will show you to be good or bad.’

In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, seventeen-year-old Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most powerful and violent witch. Nathan is hunted from all sides: nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. Now, Nathan has come into his own unique magical Gift, and he's on the run--but the Hunters are close behind, and they will stop at nothing until they have captured Nathan and destroyed his father.”

Why I’m excited: Half Bad , the first in the trilogy, was my favorite read of 2014 and my favorite book about wizards since Harry Potter. I’ve never loved a book as quickly as I did Half Bad and I can’t wait to see what happens in the sequel. Plus there’s a ship I really want to see sail…


Photo credit: Goodreads


Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda  by Becky Albertalli (April 7)

“Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.”

Why I’m excited: I’ve been making a point to read more diverse books, and this one just sounds really excellent. Plus I keep hearing from people who have read it how amazing it is, which is a bonus.


Photo credit: Goodreads


The Death Code  (The Murder Complex, #2) by Lindsay Cummings (April 21)

“With short, fast-paced, alternating point-of-view chapters, The Death Code starts several weeks after The Murder Complex ended. Zephyr keeps the secret about Meadow close—that if she dies, The Murder Complex will be destroyed, too. Meadow, desperate to find her brother, father, and little sister, is determined to fearlessly fight to the end, even if it means sacrificing herself and her friends, new and old. The Death Code introduces a memorable cast of secondary characters and delivers a vivid and scary thrill ride read.”

Why I’m excited: The Murder Complex was a really fast-paced, exciting, bloody read, and the cliffhanger definitely has me looking forward to this sequel.


Photo credit: Goodreads


An Ember in the Ashes  by Sabaa Tahir (April 28)

“LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.”

Why I’m excited: Besides the stunning cover, this fantasy sounds super exciting and I have a sneaking suspicion the worldbuilding is going to be excellent.


Photo credit: Goodreads


Made You Up  by Francesca Zappia (May 19)

“Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.”

Why I’m excited: Basically I’ve wanted to read this since Chessie’s book sold forever ago, and since then I’ve had no less than a million people rave about its amazingness, and I really just need it in my hands right now okay? (Also: mental illness representation! In YA! GIVE IT TO ME.)


Photo credit: Goodreads


More Happy Than Not  by Adam Silvera (June 16)

“Happiness shouldn't be this hard…

The Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-relief procedure seems too good to be true to Aaron Soto -- miracle cure-alls don't tend to pop up in the Bronx projects. But Aaron can't forget how he's grown up poor or how his friends aren't always there for him. Like after his father committed suicide in their one bedroom apartment. Aaron has the support of his patient girlfriend, if not necessarily his distant brother and overworked mother, but it's not enough.

Then Thomas shows up. He has a sweet movie-watching setup on his roof, and he doesn't mind Aaron's obsession with a popular fantasy series. There are nicknames, inside jokes. Most importantly, Thomas doesn't mind talking about Aaron's past. But Aaron's newfound happiness isn't welcome on his block. Since he's can't stay away from Thomas or suddenly stop being gay, Aaron must turn to Leteo to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he is.

Adam Silvera's extraordinary debut novel offers a unique confrontation of race, class and sexuality during one charged near-future summer in the Bronx.”

Why I’m excited: This is another one I’ve heard a lot of good things about, plus the premise sounds excellent, plus I’m always happy to diversify my bookshelf.



Carry On  by Rainbow Rowell (October 6)

(No cover yet.)

“Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.”

Why I’m excited: Once upon a time I finished reading Fangirl and tweeted that if Rainbow Rowell ever wrote a gay vampire/wizard book, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Less than a month later, Carry On was announced and I nearly died of excitement.



Six of Crows  by Leigh Bardugo (October 8)

(No cover yet.)

“Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.”

Why I’m excited: More Bardugo + more Grisha = INSTAYES. (Also, this sounds pretty darn awesome.)



Prom Bitch  by Ami Allen-Vath (November)

(No cover yet.)

“A high school senior navigating prom season amidst panic attacks, a new boyfriend, & a suicide letter from the class outcast.”

Why I’m excited: With a title like that, how could I not be excited? In all seriousness, this sounds great and I’m particularly curious about the mental illness representation.
Others (because the list was getting too long!):  Heartsick by Caitlin Sinead, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas, None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, What We Left Behind by Robin Talley, and Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout.

What 2015 releases are you looking forward to? 

Twitter-sized bite: 

.@Ava_Jae shares ten books she's looking forward to in 2015. Are these excellent 2015 releases on your TBR list? (Click to tweet) 

New Year, New Resolutions

Photo credit: varun suresh on FlickrSo it’s New Year’s Eve, and I’m writing Friday’s post, and in less than 24 hours it’ll be 2015. 
Well. By the time this is posted, it will be 2015. On one hand, it's kind of hard to believe because it seems like yesterday when Snowpocalypse and the Polar Vortex was happening, and yet we’re in January again. I feel like I’m lapping myself.
On the other hand, I’m actually really excited for this year. For one, I can now officially say that my book will be published next year (eeep!), and maybe I’m just giddy from the really excellent 2014 I had, but I just feel like 2015 is going to be even more exciting. 
Because it’s the new year, I have writerly resolutions, which are really more goals than resolutions, but anyway. Here’s what I’m aiming to do this year: 
Read 50 books. A few years ago, I would have laughed at this goal, but last year I read 44 (published) books, so this seems like a reasonable goal. Also, required reading for school totally counts. 
Revise 2 WIPs. In 2014, I did this thing where I fast-drafting two manuscripts back to back even though I already had a manuscript I needed to revise. Now I have three manuscripts in need of revisions, one of which is in it’s final revision stages (until it goes to my agent, anyway), the other two which I haven’t even started. Those are the ones I’m aiming to revise this year, but if another manuscript takes priority, that’s okay, too. I just want to revise at least two. 
Write a new MS. I’ve written at least one manuscript a year every year since 2006. I have zero idea what new (as in, not yet drafted) WIP I’ll work on this year, but I’m aiming to write at least one new one and keep the momentum going. 
Sell another book. They say not to make goals that are out of your control, and this sort of is, because writing a book and working really hard on it and revising it until my agent loves it is wonderful, but there are still no guarantees it’ll sell. That being said, I’m making it a goal anyway. Because I’m stubborn like that. 
Do something new. This is super vague because I’m not really sure what it’ll be. But I want to do something I’ve never done before, and maybe it’ll be writing related and maybe not, but either way, it’s a goal. 
Now I want to hear from you: what are you resolving (or aiming) to do this year? 
Twitter-sized bite: 

Writer @Ava_Jae shares her writerly 2015 resolutions. What are you aiming to do this year? (Click to tweet)

End of Year Countdown: 5 Top Fives of 2014

Photo credit: Amodiovalerio Verde on FlickrIt’s the last post of 2014, which means, as is tradition here on Writability, it’s time to share Writability’s annual five top fives of the year! Woot!

These tend to be longish posts, so I’m going to jump right into it. Here is the summary of 2014’s amazingness in terms of writerly awesome.

Top 5 Most Popular Posts (On Writability)

As per usual, these are calculated with blogger’s page view counts. Interestingly, the list is the same as the year before, with a little rearranging.

Why Write Blog Posts Consistently? Do You Listen to Music While Writing?Writers: Start Acting Like ProfessionalsTumblr for WritersPirating Books: It’s Not a Harmless Download
Top 5 Most Active Commenters

As explained every year, I use Disqus’s handy widget on my sidebar to keep track of how many comments every lovely commenter makes. The system isn’t perfect and only keeps track of accounts, so if you comment on multiple accounts, it thinks you’re more than one person, but anyway, these five fabulous readers are the most active commenters of the Writability community—thank you!

Note: Those with asterisks were on the top five list last year, too. And those with two asterisks were on the top five list the year before that! Double and triple thank yous!

Robin Red*RoweMatthew**Daniel Swensen**Jen Donohue*S.E. Dee
Top 5 Favorite Tumblr Blogs of the Year

Over the years, tumblr has become one of my favorite social media sites. I’ve learned a ridiculous amount from the gems posted there, and I’ve also really enjoyed the nerdy randomness that frequently appears on my feed.

These are my top five favorite tumblr blogs, as calculated by tumblr based off which blogs get the most reblogs and likes from me.

YA HighwayJealous of Jetpacks (Beth Revis’s tumblr blog) Corinne DuyvisDisability in KidlitThe Writing Café
Top 5 Favorite Writing Blogs of the Year

I’ll openly admit I haven’t been able to keep up with other blogs lately, mostly because of time constraints. That being said, those that I do try to check in with or browse over are pretty great, and here are some of my favorites of the year (in no particular order):

Note: Those listed together are somewhat similar, which is why they’re listed together.

For really excellent (and honest) posts about the publishing industry/getting published: The Daily Dahlia (Dahlia Adler’s blog).
For wonderful weekly round-ups and writerly posts: YA Highway.
For excellent book reviews and cover reveals: IceyBooks & The Midnight Garden.
For agent and writer interviews as well as awesome writerly posts: chasingthecrazies (Amy Trueblood’s blog).
For great pub opportunities, including contests, giveaways and agent information: Miss Snark’s First Victim & Literary Rambles.
Top 5 Favorite Twitter Accounts

Twitter remains my favorite favorite. And these Twitter peoples are amazing (again, in no particular order):

@LucasMight

Not only is Lucas a ridiculously nice person, but his tweets are sometimes quirky, sometimes insightful, sometimes hilarious, and always interesting. Also, he’s an excellent writer.
@gildedspine & @mariekeyn
I’m listing these ladies together, because they’re both super wonderfully kind people who are also really amazing advocates. They speak their minds, talk about important issues, and I’ve learned so very much from them both.
@_DiversifYA

I’m assuming most people already know about WeNeedDiverseBooks, but DiversifYA is another excellent proponent of diversity. They host semi-frequent Twitter chats discussing various aspects of diversity, and they also have great diverse profiles on their corresponding blog that they share on their Twitter. I definitely recommend them.
@MissDahlELama

Not only is Dahlia yet another uber-nice writerly type, but she’s super insightful as far as publishing things go, and she’s a ridiculously good recommender of books. Seriously, if you ever want a book recommendation, see Dahlia ASAP.
@_Snape_

I always list Snape in these round-ups because it’s one of my favorite hilarious follows.

I mean, case and point:

If you're reading this, you've already begun avoiding your family. Merry Christmas.
— Professor Snape (@_Snape_) December 25, 2014

So those are my top fives of 2014—do you have any favorites of the year you’d like to share? 

Also, Happy New Year, everyone! 

Twitter-sized bite: 

Writer @Ava_Jae shares her top fives of 2014—what are some of your favorite writing resources of the year? (Click to tweet)

Vlog: How to Edit: The First Read Through

So you've finished your first draft and let it cool–now you're ready to edit. But where to begin? Today I'm talking about the first read through of your manuscript.


RELATED LINKS/VLOGS:
How to Love Editing (vlog)Discussion: On the First Reading of Your WIPHow to Read Your Writing ObjectivelyWriting Tool: iBooks
Twitter-sized bites: 

Ready to start editing? Writer @Ava_Jae vlogs about how to tackle the 1st read through of your WIP. (Click to tweet)  

How do you tackle the first read through of your WIP? Writer @Ava_Jae vlogs about her process. (Click to tweet) 

2014 Year In Review

Photo credit: dordirk on Flickr2014 has been a really incredible year for me.

In the first week of February, I officially signed with my agent Louise Fury and became part of The Bent Agency family.  It’s a decision that, nearly a year later, I honestly could not be happier with. That same month, I also completely changed my diet, which involved a lot of adjusting, including a world without sugar. While that sounded horrible at the time, the difference it has made to my anxiety levels alone has made it all very worth it, to me.

In March, I unexpectedly nabbed an editorial internship with Entangled Publishing—which was an internship I’d been eying since I first started looking for pub job opportunities in 2013.

May was a pretty huge month.

I finally took the plunge and got the pixie cut I’d been lusting after for several months. I also changed my online avatar for the first time since I’d started my online platform, and switched out the stack of books for my actual face (something that would not have been possible without said adjusted anxiety levels). That same month I was also accepted into a new school, and I started a vlog, and I went to RT14, where I met loads of my lovely writer friends as well as my agent and many other wonderful TBA people. I also gave Beth Revis and Tammara Webber a hug, and met Leigh Bardugo, Sarah Maas, Tamora Pierce, Cora Carmack and many other superstars. I kept a really calm and cool persona (riiiiiight) while completely freaking out on the inside.

In June I started up school again (yes, in the summer) and also went on submission with my now-titled novel Beyond the Red.

In July I finished first drafting a NA novel that I immediately put away and declared no one would look at it ever. Immediately thereafter, I began drafting another novel, which I fell in love with instantly.

In September, I finished first drafting said novel and started a full-time school schedule again (summer classes were not full time), while also interning and writing. I also re-read that NA novel I said I wouldn’t look at again, and decided I loved the characters too much to give up on it.

In October, I accepted an offer from Sky Pony Press to publish my YA Sci-Fi debut, Beyond the Red, in hardcover, Spring 2016. That same month, I was also promoted from intern to Assistant Editor at Entangled, and my family moved out of the state I was born in for the first time.

In November, Writability hit 1,000,000 page views and had its biggest giveaway ever.

Now it’s December, and I’m kind of taking a break, at least, for the moment. I have betas looking at that NA, and once I get their feedback, it’ll be one last round of revisions before it goes to my agent. From there, I have two more MSs that have been drafted and are ready for revisions, and plenty of other work to think about.

But for now? I’m letting my brain relax, binge-watching Game of Thrones, and catching up on my TBR pile (or making a teensie dent, at least). And as I look to 2015, I could not be more grateful for this truly amazing year, nor more excited for all the things to come in the next twelve months.

How did 2014 treat you? 

Twitter-sized bite: 

.@Ava_Jae shares her 2014 year in review. Did you make any big changes in 2014? (Click to tweet)