My Catching Fire RANT/RAVE

*Warning: if you haven't read Catching Fire yet, DO NOT READ THIS POST! It's very spoiler-y, and I don't want to spoil anything for you. But I do want to rant. And this is very rant-y. You've been warned.*

Okay, when I first picked up CF yesterday afternoon in Barnes and Noble, and then dove into it at my favorite coffee shop for half an hour while I waited for the bus, I was beautifully happy. Katniss, my favorite character ever, was back! And President Snow was in her HOUSE, which was big bad news, and Peeta was being icy and Gale was, too. Oh no! I was instantly obsessed.

Then, things got rocky. Everything seemed so MEANDERING. Katniss was going to run away, and then she didn't. Then she was going to rebel, and then she didn't. And then the Quarter Quell? What the heck? More Hunger Games? I did not want more Hunger Games. I wanted rebellion. And Gale. Because actually, although I confessed last week that I was Team Peeta, I'm now hardcore Team Gale. It was those first few chapters of CF -- and the realization that Peeta is cute and sweet, but Gale has been her friend for life, and obviously Katniss loves him, but she just doesn't know how to handle it. Whatever the past, they're meant for each other. MEANT FOR EACH OTHER!

But then Gale got left behind in District 12 and Katniss had to go back to the Hunger Games. ACK! Why?? Why more Hunger Games?? The worst thing is that, even though I was so sad with the way things were heading, I couldn't put the book down. Even though it was so emotionally wrenching to read (Peeta's amazing speeches! Katniss's character development!), I loved every word. And hated every word, too, because WHY did it end with a cliffhanger? District 12 does not exist? Do not stop speaking, Gale! Tell me more!

Can you tell I just finished the book about five seconds ago? I'm still reeling. I can't believe Mockingjay doesn't come out until August; I might not survive that long. But here are my hopes for the final installment (ah!):

• Gale and Katniss become cool rebels together, and fall in love. And actually KISS.
• The Capitol falls (duh). President Snow has a dramatic and very final death scene, preferably orchestrated by Katniss.
• Suzanne Collins makes more truly challenging statements about the evilness of the Capitol and its obsession with entertainment and beauty. I love how these last two books have not only been action-packed, etc., but also thought-provoking. More, please!
• Cinna LIVES. Haymitch LIVES. Prim and Katniss's mother LIVE. That's probably too much to ask... *tears*
• Peeta... hm. I'm conflicted. He needs to make some spectacular sacrifice or speech to bring the Capitol down. And then he should have a heart-wrenching death scene (?) in Katniss's arms. I don't know. I don't want him to die, but I feel like he must die to end the love triangle.
• GALE CANNOT DIE. I think I should write Suzanne Collins a letter. Please please please don't kill him. I might not be able to finish the book if he dies ... my heart would be crushed ...
• No more Hunger Games or arenas. Just rebelling.

What predictions do you guys have?

*And if you're worried about the state of my final exams (aka Mom and Dad) ... just know I'll be fine. I'm a crazy fast reader, both a gift and a curse, and I've still gotten plenty of studying done in the last two days.*

OOPS (or when you make silly mistakes)

Today's post is more like a communal post (at least I hope!). There are 50 of you lovely followers now, so today's your chance to speak up and share a funny story or two, and celebrate the blog's 50-follower-birthday with me. *

The question: What's the silliest mistake you've ever made in your WIP?

Here's mine. In an old draft of THE INBETWEEN, Sophie's talking about her crush, Ian, and his studly football skills, and she says he made "a 200-yard sprint and touchdown to secure our half-time lead."

If you're not currently laughing your head off, you're obviously not a football junkie. I'm not, either. It's not until my dad read the draft (thank you, Dad!) that I found out that football fields are only 100 yards long.

Oops.

But I have this hilarious picture in my head of Ian sprinting the entire length of the football field ... making the touchdown ... and then sprinting another 100 yards out of the stadium.

So now it's your turn. What's the silliest/worst/most embarrassing WIP mistake you've ever made? I'll be posting your comments onto this page throughout the day, so don't be shy -- let the silliness begin! 

*Can you tell I just discovered that blogger has a new font-size feature?


Rebecca L: In the first novel I ever wrote, the cliche-ridden high fantasy, the secondary/love interest character had a breakdown and ranted about how frustrating and terrifying and hopeless their situation was...specifically how afraid he was that the MC's magical powers wouldn't be strong enough to defeat the villain, especially now that she had stolen the MC's magical pendant. In response, the MC comforted him and gave him hope. I realized later that this was BEFORE she had even discovered that she had magical powers, or that her pendant was magical! They went on to reach their destination where she learned the truth and was perfectly shocked about it.

LilyMeade: In my first attempt at writing anything, I had the parents of my characters make an excuse that their daughters had to spend the night together because they all had toddlers and babies that were sick. This story was ENTIRELY focused on the families of these girls and their lives, but after I finished it, I reread it and realized I never mentioned those little siblings again. I still think of those poor lost children whenever I get complimented, thinking 'I'm a horrible writer.'  

Kari: I have to admit, either I haven't been writing long enough to make those kinds of mistakes--or I haven't caught them yet! But I did have this one sentence in a draft I sent to a friend for comments... "As they passes particularly close to one tree whose branches as seemed to have grown in one direction, allowing them to pass right by the trunk, James stretched out a hand, almost dreamily, and pried a piece of bark off the trunk." My friend's comment? "I read that and was like, 'what.'" Evidence that you cannot proofread too much. 

Mandy: My personal fail has to do with the supporting characters. I have a young couple, Kate and Amos, who help out the MC on her journey. At one point Kate and my MC are discussing Kate's relationship, and she says she's only been with Amos for a few months. Then later on in the story, Amos shares a really painful story about his drug addition and says he almost lost Kate--but it was years ago! I'd been so intent on creating some backstory for Amos and Kate, I didn't even catch the continuity error. 

RTW: April's Best Book

And by April, I mean March, because apparently I read no books in April. I'm half embarrassed to admit it, but I have the college excuse: too much homework, too much ... goofing off, and not enough Barnes and Noble gift cards.

Anyway, today's Road Trip Wednesday question is: What's the best book you read in April (March)?

And in March, I read the BEST book I've read in a really long time. It happened like this: on the way home for spring break, I had a three hour layover in San Francisco. Whenever I have three hour layovers in San Fran, which happens to be quite often, I meander around their big bookstore. Usually I read the latest People magazine cover-to-cover, but that day I beelined to the YA section. It was pitifully small, but they did have a copy of ...

So I cracked it open ... and almost instantly realized that I wouldn't be able to put it down until I'd read the whole thing. I plopped down on the floor, even though I knew that the bookstore employees knew that I had no intention of buying it, and that's always an awkward dynamic. (One time, I picked up Twilight in a bookstore with no intention of buying it, but got so sucked in that I sat on the floor reading for at least an hour before the bookstore owner asked, Can I help you with anything? and I got the hint and left).

Anyway, everything about The Hunger Games caught me up and wouldn't let me go. Katniss is crazy smart and independent, but she's still vulnerable and oh-so-likable. She felt so real and 3D, like she was sitting next to me in the bookstore telling me her story. Her dystopian world is a creepy distortion of ours: one ultra-rich metropolis whose citizens are obsessed with make-up and appearances, surrounded by poor and oppressed peasant districts. And the idea of the Hunger Games, which Katniss becomes a contestant in, is sickening and intriguing at the same time.

Also, I can't gush about THG without staking my flag with one of those boy teams. And .... (drumroll, please) .... I'm TEAM PEETA all the way. Gale is awesome, yes, and brave and he loves Katniss I'm sure, but he's also in about one chapter. Peeta is in every chapter. Peeta is also blonde. Enough said.

So there I was, halfway through THG on the bookstore floor in San Fran, and I suddenly realized that I had less than an hour before my plane took off. I still had to eat dinner before boarding. I debated for about two seconds: leave THG behind -- or cough up $17 and leave happy?

Easiest decision ever. I scarfed down some Chinese food in the food courts, nose still in the book, mind so far away from San Francisco that I almost forgot to go to my gate. Then I curled up in my tiny airplane seat and dove back into Katniss's world ...

When I emerged on the last page, shaky and breathless (no joke) from the last riveting chapters, my plane had just landed at SeaTac. Perfect timing, perfect book. And I can't wait for my next layover to buy Catching Fire.

Teaser Tuesday

This excerpt takes place right after last week's, when Harley paid Birch's bus fare. Now they're off the bus, walking toward Birch's apartment, and Birch is about to do something very brave/foolish/crazy. Too crazy? Opinions welcome.

***

Up ahead, the four-way stoplight blinks to an empty intersection. The video store’s lights print squares on the sidewalk, but all the other businesses are closed. Dark. Harley’s doorway looks half-flooded. We cross the street. A dog barks…

Harley will freeze out here tonight. He’s wet already, wet and lonely and dirty, and I’ll be warm and safe right across the street. Can I live with myself if I let him crawl into the alcove? Can I live with the consequences if I invite him inside?

“Do you —” The question grates in my throat because it’s dumb. “Do you have anywhere to go?”

Harley swallows. And he looks at his hiking boots, wrinkles creasing up his forehead. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine.”

“You don’t have anywhere to go.”

“Birch, forget about it. Forget about me.”

“The doorway is flooded.”

“I’m already wet. Doesn’t matter.”

I close my eyes for a second. Mom will kill me — well, probably him. Everything sane, normal and safe inside me says no. But since I'm none of those tonight, I say, “We have room.”

“Can’t,” he says quietly. We stop on the curb, right in front of the video store. The neon open sign reflects red and blue on half his face. He chews on his lip.

“Because?”

He shrugs. “Dangerous.”

“For?”

“Me,” he says.

“Not me?”

Harley grabs his hair, shuffles his feet. “Birch, you’d be fine.”

“I don’t know if I believe you.”

“You asked me in.”

True. “Please come,” I say. “You can have the couch — it’s warm — and the TV and a shower. And breakfast.”

His hand falls. Fingers clench. Something desperate ripples across his face and he closes his eyes.
Squeezes them shut. And I think I hear his stomach growl.

“Dinner,” I say, hating that aching look on his face, “and breakfast.”

Starving boy — he can’t resist.

***

A Writing Checklist

So you're going for a run. You have some goals: break a sweat, push yourself, keep up the pace. You want to feel good, feel accomplished about what you've run.

Or you're sitting down to write. You have some goals: break 10k (or 11k or whatever), push your prose, keep your fingers moving. You want to feel good, feel accomplished about what you've written.

(Switching up the second person for a sec): I think, in order to succeed, you need a little checklist... And here's mine, courtesy of my overactive brain during my workout last night:

• Pump-up music: You gotta run with music. I don't get people who run in silence -- I need that driving beat. And maybe you don't write with music (either pump-up or mood), but you need some sort of driving beat to keep you going. Inner energy? Excitement? Character love? Something to keep you pumped.
• Warm-up: Stretching, jogging, loosening up those muscles. You don't need to warm up with 10-minute writes or anything (in my opinion) but you need to skip back a few pages and read yourself back into the story. Get back into your characters' voices. Find the flow.
• Workout plan: You're not out for a lazy Sunday walk. You have a plan: maybe speed bursts or endurance. You're not going to stop when it gets hard -- you're going to push yourself to new speeds and distances. Without some sort of goal (whether it be finish a scene or reach a certain word count), you're probably not going to get very far into the WIP.
• A running pal: Running by yourself is fine and good, but you need some sort of running pal, accountability partner. When you run with someone else, you're automatically pushing each other, helping each other. Your pal can help you meet your goals. Writing pals are equally important, maybe more important: the support network is key. You can share snippets, critique work, moan when things are hard, and celebrate when things are good.
• Choose your time of day: And the best time of day for our analogy is night. It's just you and the track (and maybe your running partner), nothing else. No distractions. Running becomes step-by-step, word-by-word. When you write "at night", unable to see the competition or even make it a competition, you write to beat yourself and make yourself better, which is the most important thing you can do.

What do you think? Do you need a writing plan, or should it be more spontaneous? Should writing be a solitary "at night" kind of practice, or is it good to make it a competition?

Friday Five

1. MY, HOW TIME FLIES. Next week is the last week of classes, then finals, then home. Summer! Job hunting (anyone wanna land me a restaurant job?), more writing, sleeping in, soaking up sun.

2. But before that, I have to: write a few last papers, take a few last tests, go on some hikes, hang at the beach, explore my college's theater festival, throw a bridal shower. That actually sounds do-able. And fun. Sophomore year will go out with a bang.

3. One of those papers, though? 2000 words on COMPUTER SCIENCE. That's seven pages. Is it even possible to write seven pages on computer science? (And just to clarify, I'm not a computer scientist in any way. This class was 2 GE credits -- 2!!). Anyway, if anyone wants to find me a job AND write about computer science, you'll be my best friend for life.

4. On the writing front -- I been taking a break from FELL recently just cause of life, but I'm hoping to get back into it in the coming days/weeks. Summer goal: finish! What about you? Any budding summer writing goals?

5. For your weekend, with hopes of beautiful days, I give you The Classic Crime: Solar Powered Life.

on my first #yalitchat

I don't use Twitter that much, mostly because I feel like it's this huge conversation rolling along just fine with out me -- and I don't really know how to jump in.

But.

Last night, I had about a ten minute break around 6:30, right when #yalitchat (hosted this week by YA Highway) was in full swing. Full, full swing. The topic was buzz: "What it is. Which books get it. How books find it. What exactly makes a book break out?"

It's a vital topic, and apparently the YA World had lots to say about it: wow, the hashtag was buzzing. I'd barely hammer out a new tweet (and barely remember to mark it with a hashtag) before there were thirty or forty new #yalitchat tweets to read. So much information, so much back-and-forth, and so much fun. I jumped in with a random buzz thought: "If you help other people buzz their books, they'll buzz you. An exchange?"

And then, like two seconds later, I discovered that a couple people had already retweeted (RT) my tweet! I was stoked. I had joined the conversation! Then I said: "I'm excited about book blogs - seem hugely influential in starting buzz about YA books"

Apparently that was a buzz-y topic, because I got an overload of @ replies almost instantly. Some people said YES so true, others said no one knows about book blogs except writers. Someone else replied that covers seemed more influential, to which I said: "COVERS are so huge for attracting attention...but other buzz is vital, otherwise no one will ever see the cover!"



Then...I had to go. Sadly. I wish I'd had more time to join the conversation -- and I might just go back through the #yalitchat transcript to soak up all the great information. I love how the YA community encouraged and challenged and gave, even in just ten brief minutes. I'll be there next week for sure.

Teaser Tuesday

I think this might be one of the last FELL teasers ... it's getting too sticky to find pieces of the narrative that make sense on their own. Plus, too much farther and I'll start giving everything away, and like a good magician, I can't do that.

Anyway, here's Harley and Birch on the bus again. They're in the middle of a conversation about why they have such awkward eye contact on their commutes home.

***

Characters: Thumbs up or Thumbs down?

Much thanks to The Dreamer Reader, who inspired this post. She also suggested that I declare this Monday a "Make My Followers Make Me A Shrine Because I'm Awesome" Day, but I humbly resisted and wrote this instead:

Qualities that I don't like in fictional characters (a.k.a. instant turn-offs):

Characters with impossible fantasy names.
Did the author just throw some random letters together, or is that actually supposed to sound like a name? Like the Wheel of Time series. I'm sure "Aes Sedai" sounds pretty in Robert Jordan's head, but did you ever know how to pronounce it?

Anna and the Duke. Victoria and the Pirate. Lucille and the Cowboy. 

Okay...I promise I won't rant. I did have a love affair with those cheap-o Harlequin romance novels (NOT the raunchy ones! The clean ones!) when I was in high school. But. These women are ridiculous. They ARE the princess-in-a-tower, oh-please-save-me, I'm-helpless-without-you stereotype of women that bugs the crap out of me. Puh-leez. Think for yourself. 

Moody frown face.
I'm thinking Harry Potter here. I love those books, but Harry is the angsty-est, moodiest character ever. I understand that fighting Voldemort is a very emotional process, but his mood swings do get annoying. I prefer *relative* emotional stability.

 Qualities I do like in fictional characters (a.k.a instant turn-ons):

Bad boys.

Can't resist 'em. I love characters like Heathcliff: towering Byronic heroes with hush-hush pasts who soar high and fall hard. The forbidden romance element always gets me, too.

Underdogs.

Bill Bergson, the hero of Astrid Lindgren's master detective series, is the typical underdog. About 12 years old, he dreams about being a master detective, but he's the laughingstock of the local police. Even his friends laugh at him: there's no criminal action in their sleepy Swedish town. But Bill, the underdog of all underdogs, seems to have a detective brain after all, or at least that's what the local police must concede when he brings down the jewel-thief ring that's been evading the law for months. Go Bill!!!!!

Slow learners.

Edmund in Chronicles of Narnia is my favorite example of this. He starts out pretty bad: he almost sells his siblings to the White Witch, and then Aslan has to die to save his life. But even though Edmund stumbles hard, he learns from his mistakes. Remember the Edmund of Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader? Heart of gold. Pure. gold. He's brave and kind and brilliant, and loves Aslan like nothing else. Gotta love character development like that. 

Hardcore heroes.
This is a delicate balance. I can't stand heroes who not only know everything, but take huge pride in their knowing everything. This usually results in annoying self-reliance, self-centeredness, and individualism: "I don't need you because I am BRILLIANT." Namely the stars of Alistair McLean novels, which I actually do love, but the heroes are sooooooo badass and know-it-all that it gets old. However, I do like hardcore heroes like Katniss from The Hunger Games. She knows everything. She can hunt, cook, fight, survive, think on her feet, and look gorgeous all at the same time. Everyone loves her, too. But she doesn't shove her know-it-all in the reader's face. She's humbly self-reliant. She knows her strengths and limits: and they're tested big-time along her journey.

What qualities do you find attractive in fictional characters? Which ones turn you off? Which ones make you cheer on the character from beginning to end?

I Wish You Love

I'm always searching for the perfect writing music. Do I want something that fits the scene, or something soothing that will let my mind wander?

Well.

If you're like me, search no further. I've found the perfect writing CD. It's soothing and lovely, perfect for a rainy writing day AND perfect for a romantic dinner with your significant other. Or perfect to sing along with in the car.

I Wish You Love
Kylie Castro

Featuring jazz standards like "Good Morning Heartache" (always good for writing romantic angst) and "A Foggy Day in London Town" (always good for writing love-at-first-sight), and new tunes like "Old Folk" (just plain cute).

Best part? That's my best friend, and she's on iTunes. $9.99, people. Best money you'll ever spend :)

RTW: #1 Advice

Today's Road Trip Wednesday topic, sponsored by YA Highway, is possibly too hard ... at least for a busy Wednesday in the third-to-last week before finals. I'd need to devote at least an hour to figure out the best writing advice I've ever been given.

But.

I can give the most recent best advice I've heard about writing. It's pretty simple, but you know when you've heard something a million times, but then you hear it for the first time again, and it has completely new meaning?

A month or so ago, as a nice little prologue to handing back our graded essays, my film studies prof gave us a lecture about writing. I was kind of tuning him out because I'm an English major/novelist and I know how to write essays. Or...not. Because he said:

When you write what you care about, you try harder.

While I instantly understood that my film studies papers could use some hardcore care (which worked -- I got an A+ on the next one), I also understood anew that I needed to care about my fiction. At the time, I was starting to write FELL and I really didn't like it much. I felt no connection to the characters, no sympathy for their situation, no excitement about what was going to happen. Obviously that was a problem, but I needed to hear that piece of advice again to realize that I either needed to start caring -- or write something else.

And secondly, I realized again that when I write what I care about, I actually want to write. At the time, I didn't want to write FELL. It was like pulling out hair. Or fingernails.

After that revelation, both my film studies essays and my fiction improved. I made FELL into something I could care about, actually fell in love with the characters and story. And then I found myself really, really wanting to write.

Notice, too, that my prof didn't say "write what you know," because while I think that has merit sometimes, it's too restricting. Writing is about discovering -- so if you care about something you don't know, learn about it! And write about it!

Just make sure you care.

The Last Song: A Letter

Dear Liam, Miley, and Nicholas,

I admit I had my doubts. Who didn't? The Last Song stars Miley Cyrus, and its movie poster looks exactly like the movie posters for The Notebook and Dear John. But I was wrong. Thank you for making my Friday night awesome.

Liam, no one can go wrong with you. Your golden-boy face and super hot bod made this movie shine. Plus, you had cute chemistry with Miley, especially in the scene where you told her she had a great voice. (I've never laughed so hard.) I didn't quite buy that you fell in love with Miley at first sight, but you still managed to win me over. You are a darling.

Miley, your hair is amazing. I'm officially jealous. And honestly, even though your acting skills are lacking sometimes, and you have about two different expressions throughout the movie, AND you played the moodiest teenager ever, I was impressed. You and Liam had sparks, and your relationship with your father was definitely a tear-jerker. Also, thank you for only singing once.

Nicholas, you did it again. That tragedy twist, right when things were going so well, had the whole theater, myself included, sniffing and sobbing until the credits rolled. How could you be so cruel? I did guess the twist, right down to the moment when it was going to smack us in the face, but it still made me cry.

All in all, this was one of the cheesiest movies I've ever seen. There were too many subplots and the story as a whole was underdeveloped. But I cried like a baby and loved it dearly. Who wouldn't love movie that has cute boys, romance, tears and THE BEACH all tossed into one summery fling?

Two thumbs up.

Your #1 FAN,
Kirsten

The Inbetween, The Movie

I know I'm jumping way ahead of myself here, but I have exciting news: I finally figured out what actors I want to cast in the movie version of THE INBETWEEN! (Not that there's a movie version; I just get asked that question all the time and I finally have an answer).

So.

Ready?

Logan Lerman as Ian.

And Briana Evigan as Sophie.

I know that Briana is possibly ten years older than Logan in real life...and she'll be too old to play a high schooler by the time any potential movie would be a real-life thing. But for now, it's fun to have faces that I know fit Ian and Sophie. In fact, as I was watching Step Up 2 this weekend, I kept calling Briana (who plays the main character) Sophie, because she's just so perfect

But I still haven't found an actor for Noah, who's the third point in TIB's delightful little love triangle. He has strawberry blonde hair, wears plaid shirts, and is the nicest person ever. If you see a movie with an actor like that, let me know!

Communication

When I was a communications minor last year, I learned so many things about messages and meanings. Whether through words or actions, we communicate all the time. But what do we communicate? Sometimes it's not exactly what we mean. Remember that scene in Through The Looking Glass?

March Hare: […] Then you should say what you mean.

Alice: I do; at least -- at least I mean what I say -- that's the same thing, you know.

Hatter: Not the same thing a bit! Why, you might just as well say that, 'I see what I eat' is the same as 'I eat what I see'!

I think that quote's kind of a tangent, but over the last few days I've been thinking about words ... and communicating ... and saying what I mean ... and how hard it is to say what I mean and mean what I say when I communicate on paper or on the screen.

Here's a tally of the written or online mediums I use to communicate every day: the non-face-to-face communications.

• I send anywhere from 5-15 emails a day
• I write about 4 blog posts a week
• I comment on anywhere from 0-10 blogs a day
• I tweet maybe once a day, and have random twitter conversations maybe once a week
• I used to talk to people on Facebook until I deactivated my account
• I send at least 20 texts a day, sometimes more
• I used to post on AW fairly frequently ... but now I don't
  

I'm not sure how "average" that is, but I do communicate with plenty of people without ever seeing their faces. And that's hard. There's an art to written communication: you can't talk to people on a screen like you can face-to-face.

1. It's impossible to read emotions. Emoticons aside, there's only so much emotion you can force into block text.
2. It's so easy to misread -- or read the wrong emotions into -- text. Like, if someone sends you a short-ish email that sounds kind of abrupt, but maybe not really, you have no idea if they're busy, angry, or ... who knows.
   
3. It's easy to say the wrong thing, convey the wrong message, tell the wrong joke. I used to see that all the time on AW: someone would throw something out that might be funny in real life, but just causes problems on the threads.
   

These are the risks of our daily communication endeavors. We try so hard to say what we mean, but no matter what, the listener's interpretation of our message matters more than what we intend to say. That's COM 101 right there.

When we talk face-to-face, we use all sorts of cues to draw a meaning out of the messages we receive: tone of voice, volume, speed, posture, body language, eye contact, physical contact. We interact in context with each other: same day, place, time.

But when we communicate through [insert online medium here], all those helpers disappear. We only have words. That can be ... dangerous.

So. What do you think? What are guidelines for the delicate exchange of online communication? Does it even matter, or am I just a rambling ex-COM minor? How can we overcome the barriers of plain text to communicate well? And how do we avoid sending that unintentionally messy email that goes over like a lead balloon?

PS: Anna, my agent sister, is hosting a super cool contest (aka prizes are either LINGER or MOCKINGJAY), so you should go enter.

RTW: No Whining!

This week's Road Trip Wednesday, sponsored by YA Highway, is so cool. It's -- guess what! -- no whining day about the publishing industry. So here's something positive (in fact, something I love) about the publishing industry.

Passion.

The publishing industry runs on the passion of people who love books. It's like one huge reading party -- remember those from elementary school? I mean, if you think about it, we could read books from now to 2080 and still have thousands of books left to explore, and the publishing industry thrives on that. The industry is one big chain of love.

Writers are passionate about books. Obviously. But think about it: we adore our characters, cherish our plots. We want to share this love with our readers!

The industry is our link. It's made up of hundreds of people who are passionate about books, too, so passionate that they care about finding beautiful, exciting, well-written, challenging novels to share with readers. That takes love. Editors love books so much that they care about pushing them from manuscript to galley to hardcover book. Not just any hardcover book, but a perfect and irresistible hardcover book.

Then marketing teams and publicists love books so much that they care enough to promote them.

Then booksellers love books so much that they care enough to sell them.

Then readers love books so much that they eat them up like ice cream. Yum.

So while sales fall and prices rise, hardcovers disappear, and iPads and Kindles battle for the e-book world (go iPad!!), remember that the industry loves books. No matter what. Gotta love that!

Impatience vs. The Now

I'm an impatient person.

I have this bad habit of always looking forward, always thinking about what to do next, never settling into the moment.

But my dad sent me this Ralph Waldo Emerson quote the other day, and I think it's a perfect quote for those of us who feel like we're stuck where we don't want to be, or those of us who haven't quite achieved our goals, or those of us who are in the in-between stage of high school or college, or those of us who are battling a rough draft or revisions.

Emerson says:

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.

BAM. There it is. It reminds me of what Obama said the other day: "the fierce urgency of now." Sometimes we feel like we're trapped in the "now", stuck between where we've been and where we want to go -- but now is a good time. We're not trapped here: we've been given here.

So this is a reminder for myself (and perhaps for you, too): Be in the present. It's a good time - if you know how to use it.

Stiletto Heels and Writing Ponies with Rachel Marie

Rachel Marie is in training to become what she likes to call a professional liar, or, in other terms, an author. She enjoys photography, occasional drawing, writing and cooking. She also won a guest post on the blog through the grand opening contest. You can find her personal blog here.

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Imagine if you will, this tranquil setting: You, the writer, are at your desk. Your eyes are bloodshot and you’re struggling to meet your daily word count. About ten cups half full of cold coffee are scattered around your desk and the Dashing Hero is about to press his lips against your Heroine’s while placed against a backdrop of the New York skyline when suddenly the sky explodes and a torrent of angels and demons and whatnot rain down upon your beautiful literary couple.

“What?!” you exclaim. “This is not my story! Where on earth did that come from?” You shake your head furiously, guzzle down half of the eleventh cup of lukewarm coffee, and get back to work.

Or you try to, at least.

You can’t help but be intrigued by the idea of the sky splitting open and raining down horrendous creatures. Why are they there? Better yet, who’s going to stop them? It certainly can’t be your present literary couple who know absolutely nothing of killing the scourge of the underworld. But, if you created someone else….

This is a Shiny New Idea.

They’re nasty little buggers, aren’t they? They like to choose the most inopportune moments to sneak up behind you and whisper in your ear, “Look at meeeee. Aren’t I pretty? Wouldn’t you rather work on me instead?”

And you, the poor writer frazzled from near overdosing on caffeine and chocolate and wondering why your characters in your current project won’t do what you want them to do, you’ll look at this Shiny New Idea, and go, “Ohhhhhh.”

Well. At least that’s what I do.

At best I’m a finicky writer. Not in terms of “Why is there no entry in the thesaurus for orange?!” but finicky in the sense that I’ll write something for five minutes, look at it, and then think, ”Bored now.” At worst, I delete entire paragraphs because they aren’t interesting to me.
I suffer from Writer’s ADD.

Even while writing this guest blog, I’ve had a reoccurring thought: Is this boring? This is boring. I shouldn’t write about this. No one will like it. I should write about something else, like ponies.
But this post has to be about writing, so I can’t write about ponies. Maybe next time. (Though maybe I could write about ponies that write? Ooo, that’s a good idea.)

Shiny New Ideas, or, alternatively, SNIs are the absolute bane of my existence. Particularly when I’m at this stage:

“Dear God, Novel, I don’t care if we’re only halfway through. If you don’t shape up and behave right now, I am going to cut you.”
I never said I was nice.

Maybe it’s my subconscious’s way of trying to get away from my novel induced insanity, I’m really not quite sure. All I know is that I’ll be working on the monstrosity, when BAM! Shiny New Idea struts in wearing black Stilettos and accompanied by a love interest who’s got a leather jacket and a motorcycle.

This is where the second guessing and doubt plays in. I know that the thing you’re supposed to do with SNI’s is write them down and forget about them pronto. But is it really that easy? Your current project is boring. It’s not exciting anymore. This new idea is so fresh! And clean. It probably smells like freshly baked cookies. The characters are brilliant and have delicious dialogue!

Mmmm. Delicious Dialogue.

I know that I can’t be the only writer who suffers from this problem. This is where discipline comes in. I need the discipline to make Miss Stiletto stay in a hotel with Motorcycle Man so that I will have the strength and peace of mind to make it through this novel without ripping it to shreds.

But what if it won’t leave you alone? What if Miss Stiletto insists on dragging you out to lunch and buying you pretty clothes, and all you have to do in return is just write one measly little scene? Okay, maybe two, but pleeeeease?

It all depends on what you can handle.

I know for a fact that there are some writers who can juggle two or three writing projects at once, and others who can barely focus on one. There’s no hard and fast rule, which is true for all writers. It all boils down to what each writer knows they can and can’t handle. Unless it’s a short story, I have a hard time splitting my attention between two projects. Which is where I take a deep breath, thank Miss Stiletto for the lovely silk halter dress and spiked boots, and send her back to her hotel.

For now.