3, 2, 1--HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ahh, hello again, lovelies. I've taken a long holiday break and now I'm back to kick off the new year.

Goodbye 2010!

HELLO 2011! 

Part of me can't believe 2010 is already gone. It was such an insanely quick year for me. I did a lot, but it still seemed like 2010 just zoomed right passed. Was that just me or did anyone else get that feeling?

Let's take a look back at some of the awesome things that happened in 2010.

Most importantly, I started this blog. That's probably the highlight of the year for me. I mean, if I hadn't started this blog, I wouldn't have met any of my awesome blog-buddies. Speaking of my blog-buddies...

I want to give a special shout out to a few of you especially awesome people:

First and foremost, my virtual BFFL, Stephanie Lennox. You're the first real friend I made through my blog. You're so super sweet and supportive. BTW, I just picked up an e-copy of I DON'T REMEMBER YOU (that's her book for you uninformed people) and I'm loving it so far! :)

Next, Rane Anderson. I love your blog and you're so awesome! Keep making those great posts! (Also, thanks for the gift card! lol)

My final honorable mention goes to Quinn. I'd addicted to your blog. It's so amazing and all your discussions are sooo interesting!

And to all my followers, you guys are just amazing. I love you. If it wasn't for you guys, this blog wouldn't exist. I'd have gotten fed up a long time ago and let it die. Thanks a million for all your support!

Let's see...what else happened this year. Oh! I started two new projects! As most of you know, I've had BROKEN in the works for a couple of years now, so working on something new is a welcomed change of pace. I started OPHELIA around March 9th and VENGEFUL DEEP around November 5th. You know...now that I look back and realize when I started working on these two, I'm actually really proud of my progress. I'm patting myself on the back right now. No joke. It's a huge step up from the molasses-like progress I made while writing BROKEN.

I took part in Jodi's brilliant Query Letter Blogfest and finally have a query for BROKEN that I'm pleased with. (Special thanks to everyone that gave me advice! You guys rock!) I plan to have my edits done by the first of February so I can start sending those letter out.

Finally, I got a new puppy! Squee!! An adorable black lab called Buddy (not fond of that name). I'm still meaning to take some pictures of him. lol

What did you accomplish in 2010?

Was 2010 a good year for you?

Did it rush passed for you like it did for me?

HAPPY NEW YEAR, LOVELIES!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Hello, all! I hope you're enjoying your holidays as much as I'm enjoying mine so far. My family opened our gifts yesterday and I'm happy to report I got everything on my wishlist! lol. After presents, we all went to my grandparents' house for a while. We had an unconventional X-Mas Eve lunch (they all ate sub sandwiches, but I had a Baconator from Wendy's because I'm not fond of subs [but I am, apparently, fond of artery-clogging grease pits.]) and enjoyed each other's company for a while. We're going back today for dinner, which will hopefully be a little more normal.

Here's some pics of my swag:



The little boxes (the last picture) were from my grandma and I just LOVE them. They're so pretty. I also got a lot of new clothes and pajamas and whatnot. Oh! And all these pictures were taken with my NEW CAMERA!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, LOVELIES!

Sorry!

I'm really sorry for the lack of posts lately. Like I mentioned in my last post, the holidays have me in a really frantic state. I'm so busy trying to get everything decked out for Christmas and buying presents, I hardly have time to breathe--much less write posts. I wanna post something, but I don't have one prepared for anything writing-related. So, if you just read my blog for the writing stuff, you can skip this post. I won't hold it against you.

I got a new puppy. So, Quinn, I know exactly how you're feeling right now. lol. He's a black lab and he's absolutely adorable. The only thing I'm not loving is the fact that my brother got to name him...so we're calling him Buddy. I wanted to name him Rasta, but le sigh. I didn't have a say in the matter. If you guys want some pictures, just ask and I'll take a few.

In other news, I finally saw How To Train Your Dragon and Toy Story 3 yesterday. But I still haven't seen the new Harry Potter movie. Why am I always so late to the scene when it comes to movies? Anywho, I finally watched HTTYD and TS3. And they both rocked my socks. Between the two movies, I probably cried a good ten times. (I'm such a wuss.)

I also saw The Last Airbender. Now, I'm no film critic, but jeez...it was so...bleh. There was no character development to speak of. At the end of the movie, I turned to my boyfriend and said, "You know how I'm always complaining about stories that don't develop characters? Now do you get it?" And he just nodded.

It was so bland and forgettable. When the characters failed, I didn't care, and when they succeeded, I didn't feel the need to cheer. And as someone who watched and enjoyed the cartoon, I'm really disappointed. It could've been so much better than it was if they'd just A) developed some damn characters and B) not used every line of dialogue to spew exposition all over the viewers. And from the looks over it, a sequel is in store. In fact, let me Google it and see.

rhy4bbbbytdyfdtdesxsxduthrye

Sorry...I just slammed my head against my keyboard. It's a trilogy. Alright, with that in mind, I now want to make this point. One of my main problems with The Last Airbender was that it felt very, VERY rushed. Nothing was developed or dwelt on for more than a few minutes. Why--if they've got three movies to work with--would they DO THAT?!

They literally crammed three seasons of the cartoon into that one movie, killing any chance of the viewer connecting with the characters or feeling the importance of the story. As a writer, you need to know how to pace your story or you're just going to butcher it. If it's too slow, you're going to bore everyone to death, but if it's too fast, everyone gets lost in the whirlwind of stuff that's happening around them. You've got to find a good balance. Don't rush things, but don't drag them out either.

Hmm...looks like this turned into a writing post after all, huh?

Have you ever read/watched something that felt rushed or drawn out?

What movies have you seen lately?

HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Tipster...Wait, What?

Ooooh, jeez. Guess who lost track of the days and forgot to make her post on Tuesday? Yep. This chick. My bad, guys. The holidays have me all scatterbrained...well, more scatterbrained than usual. So, this week, Tipster Tuesday will be Tipster Thursday. Meh...not as catchy.

Today's Topic:

Subplots

(I just realized today was Thursday, so I didn't have time to come up with a great topic. My boyfriend threw out subplots and I just decided to roll with it. Let's see how this goes over. lol.)

Subplots aren't just there to take up space in your novel. They're important too--at least, they'd better be or you've got the a case of Filleritis. They help you keep the flow of your story in places when your MC can't concentrate on the main problem. In BROKEN, my MC has to train for a while to get the hang of her new powers. A couple of different subplots popped up in that time--both to advance the plot and develop characters.

If I hadn't had those subplots what would I do with all that time she spends training? There's only so long you can read about someone running laps or struggling to control their abilities before it gets boring. And I can't just time skip over it. How lame would that be? Three or four chapters of training, time skip, BADABOOM! Big battle ensues. Bleeeeh. Makes for a shorter book, but I know how much that would annoy me if I read it.

So, what goes into a good subplot?

--"Who broke Mom's lamp?" isn't a subplot

Unless you're writing a weird kid's books, I guess. Anyway, my point is, sub-plots can't just be any random shit. Just because it's not your main plot doesn't mean you can pick any stupid, mundane thing and call it a subplot.

--Hey! Hey! Remember me? Y'know...the actual plot?

Don't go off on a wild tangent and let your subplot take over ten chapters of your book. I know it's fun to see your characters do something else for a change, but you can't forget their main goal. I did that in OPHELIA and ended up having to delete four chapters of nothing but subplot development that didn't go anywhere.

--Ow! Who put this brick wall here?

You know that subplot in OPHELIA I just mentioned? Well, this was what killed it. I ran smack dab into a brick wall. I had two choices: spend a lot of time reworking the story so the subplot would fit, or delete the damn thing and get back to the main plot. I chose the obvious one.

But what if your subplot is really, really, REALLY important? Well, I guess you're out of luck, eh? No, no. I kid. Actually, you've just got to find a way over that wall. Figure out what's not working and fix it. If you can't find anything to fix, you have probably a bigger problem that needs addressing.

--Why is this here again?

I've said this a million times and something tells me I'm gonna say it a million more before I'm done--subplots, like everything else in your book, need to have A POINT. Don't just throw one in to eat up space. Word count for the sake of word count is a no-no. It should do something within the story. Character/plot/world development, foreshadowing, ANYTHING!

For those of you who skipped to the end:

*Just because it's a subplot doesn't mean it can be trivial and usless.

*Don't get distracted from your main plot.

*Watch out for the dreaded brick wall!

What are your thoughts on subplots?

What should a subplot do within the story?

HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

(Sorry this post is both late and sucky!)

Midwinter Blogfest

I mentioned a while ago I signed up for Marieke's awesome Midwinter Blogfest. Well, today's the day! Woot! If you still wanna sign up, I'd run over there NOW. Basically, you show how your MC spends their Midwinter in under 500 words. (My entry is 497! Double woot!)

Annnnyway, I wrote a scene using Skye, the MC from BROKEN. Chronologically, this would fall smack dab in the middle of my book. Skye has just arrived at her new home and it just so happens to be right around Christmas time, so her new friends are showing her how they celebrate.

A VERY BROKEN CHRISTMAS

----

Romulus, Remus, and the others treated me to a special Shriek Show Christmas Spectacular--their title, not mine--just a week after I came to stay with them. The bonfire, normally bright enough to light up our whole camp, burned low, allowing shadows to creep up from the woods. The fast music had been replaced by the flutter of a pan flute.

I sat by the fire with my friends while the dancers twirled on time with the music. A line of people were standing in the shadows, shooting flickering balls of red and green from their fingertips. Then came the singing. A group of robbed women came from the tent, faces hidden behind their hoods. Their voices seemed to blend and merge, becoming one soft, slow hum.

Next thing I knew, the fire was completely out and shadows consumed the camp. Even with my enhanced vision, I couldn’t see passed my nose. The singing continued, growing more powerful and haunting with each passing second.

A huge ball of wispy white light suddenly burst into the center of camp, bathing us all in its unnatural warmth. Normally, even dim lights are enough to blind me, but this one is different somehow.

The ringmaster, Cecil, was standing just below it, shining like a God. “Good evening. And a special hello to our new additions,” he booms, nodding at me. The others clapped quietly and smiled. I just waved and grinned like a moron. Probably one of the warmest welcomes I’ve ever gotten. “Now! Let’s celebrate!”

The singing soared, but kept its unearthly beauty. Romulus appeared beside me and pulled me to my feet. I couldn’t do anything but gawk at him. “What’s going on?”

“Dancing, of course,” he said, spinning me around. I stared around at the sea of swaying bodies, under the music’s complete control. I only had a second of discomfort before the music took me as well. I didn’t know what I was doing or why, but I couldn’t stop. There was something hypnotic in the rhythm.

The green and red orbs flew through the air, popping like fireworks, leaving trails of glitter in the sky. The music spiked, echoing around us. The forest seemed to swallow every sound, casting it back at us until the rest of the world faded away. All I knew at that point was the camp and the amazing sensation of dancing beneath that shimmering orb of white light.

I looked to the orb. It pulsed with the beat.

Suddenly, the light intensified, touching every corner of the camp, nearly blinding me. Then, just like that, it flickered and disappeared. After it was gone, the music died away and the singers lowered their voices. My heart pounded, pumping pure euphoria.

“That was amazing,” I cheered.

Romulus clapped his hand against my back. “It’s a cleansing spell. Clears out all those bad feelings for a little while. It’s Cecil’s gift to us.”

“We do this every year?” I asked, gleaming.

“Sure do.”

----



Remember to check out the other entries!

Tall, Dark, and Handsome?

Something I've been noticing these last few days is all the dark-haired love interests you find in books these days. Hell, I'm not even immune. I've created all of ONE blond love interest. What's up with that? Why are dark-haired guys so great? I mean there's...

Jenson Ackles and Jared Padalecki

Russell Brand

And Johnny Depp



They've all got dark hair and they're all pretty damn hot. But there are plenty of hot blonds out there too. Just take these guys for instance...

Tom Felton



Jesse McCartney

And James Preston



Oh, and how about a smexy redhead or two while I'm at it?

Rupert Grint

And Charlie McDonnell

Okay...so, Charlie's hair is naturally brown, but he looks better with it red, so meh!

My point here is, there are just as many hot guys out there with blond/red hair, so why all the dark-haired heroes? Is it just we're all subconsciously thinking about that whole "tall, dark, and handsome" thing? Does anyone think they can shed some light on this situation for me?

Why does it seem dark-haired guys are favored over blonds/redheads?

Do you favor them in your writing? (Consciously or unconsciously?)

HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Tipster Tuesday (6)

Today's Topic:

Action Scenes

BOOM! KAPOW! SLAM! KUR-SPLOOSH! Okay...I don't know what that last one was supposed to be, but I'm sure you know what's coming. That's right. My favorite thing in the whole universe--ACTION! Yeah, I know. "The small town, fantasy-writing girl from South Carolina is that into action? No way." Well...yes way. So now that you know I love action, you probably won't believe me when I say I dread writing action scenes. Why? Because they're haaaaard!

But after all the strife, they usually end up being my favorite scenes, so it's worth all the trouble in the end. Action scenes are fast-paced and gritty and just all-around awesome.

So, what goes into an epic action scene?

--Short sentences work better
They make the scene feel faster and give the reader a sense of urgency. Long sentences tend to slow things down, and that doesn't work well for an action sequence. And try to stay away from flowery words--it really breaks the pacing and the mood.

--Don't describe anything but the action and what the MC's feeling/thinking
Don't stop to comment on what the sunset looks like over the ocean, or how there's a soft summer breeze, or anything like that. If the MC was really being chased by a gang of armed assassins, would they really have time to think about things like that? I don't think so. Give us enough to be grounded in the scene and then focus on what's going on right in front of them, not the background.

--Don't go over the top
This isn't a Micheal Bay flick, so hold off on the explosions. You don't need any double back flips or nunchuck battles. Your MC hasn't got to jump out of any helicopters into flaming buildings or rip the jaw clean off his enemy (though that would be pretty cool).

--But don't let your character off easy either
Most, if not all, the fun of reading action is the pressure it puts on the MC, so when the writer gives them any easy out, it sucks all the fun out of the action. Nothing is more annoying than coming to what I suspect will be a big action scene, only to find the character had a Get Out of Jail Free card in their pocket. (Okay...getting there and realizing there isn't one at all is worse.) You can't be afraid to make things hard for your characters. I know, I know. I love my characters too, but you've got to believe me when I say, readers can tell when you're letting them off easy and they don't like it.
(Melissa at Through the Looking Glass did a post on this topic. Check it out: Protected Characters Means Decreased Reader Interest.)

--Keep it realistic
So, your MC storms a heavily guarded military compound to take down a man bent on world domination by himself (because he's a lone wolf like that) and when he comes through it all, the only "wound" he has to show is his slightly singed hair (it happened in one of the four explosions). That totally works, right? Eh, no. No, it does not. That might work in crazy, overblown movies, but don't use that in your book. Your character needs to sustain realistic battle damage. And yes, that includes fall damage.

--SPEAK CLEARLY!
You remember earlier when I said no flowery language. Well, here it is again. I can't stress enough how much this annoys me. When I find an action scene that is worded so mysteriously that I can read it five times and still only have a vague idea of what happened, it makes me want to slam my head through my keyboard. Action is no place for pretty words. Be blunt and get straight to the point.

--Action doesn't necessarily involve a knife fight
So your story doesn't involve any alien invasions or secret agent chase scenes, that doesn't mean you don't have any action! Emotional turmoil and heated conflict between characters/inside the MC's head can be considered action. Heck, let's say your character is going through a lot so they decide to go for a long drive to sort their thoughts. But they start to drive faster and faster, contemplating speeding headfirst into a tree. With the right words and pacing, that scene could be full of action!

For those of you who skipped to the end:

*Short sentences makes things seem more urgent.
*Don't stop to describe the breeze/sunset/forest/whatever.
*Don't go all out and add five explosions, but don't leave us hanging either.
*Your MC can't take down twenty armed men by himself, no matter how awesome he is.
*Leave your pretty words at home.
*Just because your character don't shoot any rocket-powered grenades doesn't mean you don't have any action.


What makes for a good action scene?
What makes for a bad action scene?
Do you like action as much as me?


HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Bad Romance

I love YA books. I gobble them up like there's no tomorrow. But what really annoys me are bad romances. They just...what? No. This post isn't about the Lady Gaga song. Jeez, you don't have to yell. I'm sorry I misled you, but no, I'm not talking about Lady AttentionGrabber. (Don't let that fool you. I listen to Lady Gaga's music all the time.) I'm talking about those romances that leave you going, "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

There are several types of bad romances out there.

Let's take a look at some of them, shall we?

"I've loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you...even if that was only, like, five minutes ago. Let's get married and have a million babies!"

--Romances that blossom overnight irk me. The MC meets their love interest and falls "unconditionally and irrevocably" in love with them after a week or so of hanging out. Love at first sight is only fun if it's one-sided. The other person comes around eventually, but it needs to take time. The relationship needs to have some TENSION before the characters hook up or it's boring. Remember, lovelies, TENSION. It's important.

"I love you more."

"No, I love you more."

"No, I love you more."

"No..."

--No one likes to read fifteen pages of the MC and the love interest being cutesy with one another. If you have a "romantic chapter/particularly long scene" that doesn't do anything but show us the MC and their partner staring deeply into one another's eyes while the MC goes on and on and on about how handsome/beautiful/amazing/God-like their partner is, CHANGE IT! Just because it's supposed to be a slow romance scene doesn't mean you have to bore the readers to death. Use those scenes for something--do some character building, slip in some hints of what's to come, anything!

"Without you, my loveliest of love-y loves, I would surely perish, for even the thought of facing a life without your love to warm my heart is be too much to bear and blah, blah, blah..."

--Here's a two-for-one special for you. Wordy Love and Obsessive Love.

Wordy Love bugs me to no end. Whenever the love interest appears in a scene, nine times out of ten a bombardment of pretty words describing how mushy they make the MC feel ensues. I also notice in a lot of YA work that the MC's actual voice flies out the window and is replaced by someone with a very flowery vocabulary from the mid-nineteenth century every time one of these descriptions takes place.

Obsessive Love annoys me even more than Wordy Love. This is when either the MC or the love interest is so "in love" with the other, that they're obsessed to the point of blatant stalking. (I'm looking at you, Edward.) It doesn't always go that far, but I'm sure you've seen it. If the MC isn't with their partner, they're thinking about their partner. And if they're not with their partner or thinking about their partner, they're probably not alive anymore. Even if you're writing a romance novel, their needs to be some sort of pressure on the MC outside of their Obsessive Love--y'know, a little something called a plot. Maybe you've heard of it before.*

*(Exception: The pressure on the MC is Obsessive Love. Perhaps she's trying to get out of a relationship with the overbearing, stalking douche she calls her lover so she can get with the nice guy she met at Starbucks. Or perhaps they're the one with the problem and they're doing the stalking. Actually...I wanna read that. Someone go write that.)

"Even though you're a self-centered ass with no real redeemable qualities, I seem to have inexplicably fallen in love with you! Let's kiss with tongues!"

--Yeah. When I find one of these, there's a good chance I'll put the book down and walk away. When an MC falls for a guy (or girl, though I haven't seen many of these) that treats them like crap, it makes them look weak. I mean, I like a smart-assed bad boy as much as the next girl, but there's a thin line between charmingly sarcastic and complete jackass. Once you cross that line, the reader stops rooting for the relationship.

"I'm a supernatural creature and you're mortal--we can never be together. It's dangerous and no one would accept our relationship."

"But my parents like you, your parents like me, and all our friends are happy for us."

"THE WORLD WON'T ACCEPT IT!"

--Pseudo-dangerous relationships. Yeees, I'm talking about TWILIGHT again. So, sue me. I seem to remember Charlie having a slight problem with Edward, but it wasn't anything that really affected the relationship. There was also the danger of Edward being all into Bella's blood but...that never really affected anything either. When he had to suck the vampire venom from Bella, he didn't end up losing control and turning her into a Bella Smoothie. Sooo...yeah, I didn't buy the "we're in a dangerous relationship" angle with TWILIGHT.

If one of them has the strong urge to kill the other, you can't just tell us about it and expect us to believe it. Show, don't tell, remember? They should lose a tiny bit of control at least once. They don't even have to attack the other person, just scare them a little. Then comes the SUPER EPIC MAKE UP (because normal make ups don't work after you tried to turn the other person into a smoothie) and inner conflict of trying to control those urges/learning to look passed what their instincts could make them and love them for who they really are.

"I'm a good girl, but you're a bad boy. We shouldn't be together."

"I know. Can I see you naked?"

"Well...okay."

--Yeah, I went there. It's the biggest cliche in the book, I'm afraid. Now, I'm not gonna say I don't enjoy a romance involving a goody-goody chick and her badass potential boyfriend, but it's still technically a cliche. (Yeah, I've put on my Cliche Police badge.) It's been done to death. We need some new material on the market.

"You don't have much of a personality, but you're teh hawtness, so I'm in love with you anyway!"

--Shallow Love...ugh. Just ugh. I hate it when the only factor in the relationship is that the love interest is the sexiest thing to walk on two legs. It's not even really romance at that point--it's just one character lusting after another one. There needs to be something else between them besides the fact that one (or both) of them is a sex bomb.

What are some things about romance that annoy you?

What are some elements of romance you enjoy?

Which YA romances irk you the most?

What's your favorite?

HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Inching Ever Closer

I'm getting really close to being done with OPHELIA. I'm at that point right now where I'm so close to ending it, I'm actually slacking off because I don't want the adventure to be over. I think I've probably got between 10 and 15k left to go. Maybe less. Woot woot!

I'm also really close to cutting BROKEN down to my target word count. So I get to start refining a query letter. Which is great because Jodi's Query Letter Blogfest is coming up soon! But it's also terrifying because...well, querying is just an all around terrifying thought for a newbie like me. You're setting yourself up for rejection and you know it right from the start. Eek. But it'll all be worth it when I finally come across the writer's Holy Grail. A request!

And I'm really pleased with the progress I'm making on VENGEFUL DEEP. It's really flowing. I've always worked best in the fantasy genre and Vidette's (the MC) voice was really easy to get the hang of. Plus, I'm loving the dynamics of their little group. Most of them have a problem with one or more of the others, and it's making some very interesting (and funny) situations.

How are things going with your current WIP?

Are you pleased with the progress you're making?

Does the idea of querying terrify you?

HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Tipster Tuesday (5)

Before getting started, I want to do a couple of things.

First, here's a HUGE thank you to those of you who stopped by to give me pointers on my openings. I love you guys! You're all so super special awesome.

Second, I want to congratulate those of you who did NaNo this month. Even if you didn't get to 50k, you should be damn proud of yourself for trying!

Today's Topic:

Naming Your Main Character

What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would be just as sweet and yadda, yadda, yadda.
I'm sure you all read that in high school English, so I won't be going through it again here. What I will say is...I don't agree with it. In its true context, it makes great sense--Montague and Capulet are just names and hold no real power over the two of them. But wouldn't the story have been very different if they had been called something other than Romeo and Juliet?
What if they'd been called Matthew and Elizabeth?
George and Cathrine?
James and Martha?
Brad and Janet? (I had to.)

Basically what I'm saying is, don't listen to Juliet. If a rose were called a bumbadilly, it might smell the same, but I'd still look at it funny. Characters are the same way. Their names don't define who they are, but they definitely reflect on them.

So, what should you consider when choosing a name?

--Be comfortable with it
You'll be typing it a lot, so it shouldn't be one you absolutely hate or associate with a person you dislike. For instance, I had a frenemy called Lindsey. Whenever I hear the name "Lindsey," I immediately think of her. So, naturally, I wouldn't want to call my MC that.

--If you trip over it in your head
Your reader won't be any better off. If you have to look back to see how you're supposed to spell it or constantly forget how to properly pronounce it, that probably means you should change it.

--Don't shy away because you don't like it
You know what name I didn't like for a while? Holden. Weird, since CATCHER IN THE RYE is one of my favorite books, eh? Well, as it happens, that's what changed my opinion on the name Holden. It was just a bleeeeh name until I read that book and had something awesome to associate it with. Also, I don't especially like the name Emmett, but he just so happens to be my favorite character in TWILIGHT. (Yes. Emmett. Don't judge me.)

--But consider what it makes you think of
When you hear the name Bertha, what do you think of? How about Lester? Recently, I heard a song about an old Irish story and one of the "characters" was named Madonna. Naturally, I pictured this. That's probably not what I was supposed to picture, but that's what my mind naturally jumps to when it hears Madonna.

--Symbolism is always a plus
But overt symbolism is annoying. I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but I'll say it again--don't name your dark, brooding goth girl something stupid like Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way. But you could name her something like Keara (meaning 'dark'). Just find one of the thousands of baby naming websites out there, type in words that are significant to your MC somehow, and look until you find a name that makes your character yell, "Oh! Oh! That one! That's me!"

--Don't name your 18th century romance heroine Gidget
I'm not entirely sure if Gidget was being used back then or not, but I wouldn't take that kind of chance if I were you. Try to come up with a name that fits your genre/time period.

--Nicknames are fun too
In my planned sequel to OPHELIA, one of my MCs is called Terry. His actual name is Terrence. You picture two very different guys when faced with "Terry" and "Terrence." His best friend is named Adrianna, but everyone calls her Addie. So, let me ask you...is your MC an Alex or an Alexander? A Cecilia or a Cecy?

--That's got a ring to it
Holden Caulfield. Romeo Montague. Harry Potter. Grubbs Grady. Anita Blake. Scarlett O'Hara. Those names just roll right off the tongue, don't they? They're actually pleasant to say. Try saying your MC's full name out loud to yourself. Does it sound right? Does it have that ring? If not, maybe you want to work on it a little.

--Place holder names are only place holders for so long
I do this a lot--come up with a place holder name until I can find a real, solid name, but end up using it too long and coming to think of the character by that name. If you use a place holder, try to come up with an actual name ASAP.

For those of you who skipped to the end:

*Don't name your MC after your arch nemesis.
*If you can't pronounce it, your readers are SOL.
*Just because you don't like it doesn't mean you can't use it, but make sure it leaves the image you want it to.
*Symbolism is great as long as you don't beat me over the head with it.
*Pick a genre and a time period and stick to them. I don't want to see any chicks from 1809 named Syl'vana.
*Play around with nicknames. They can put an interesting new spin on your character.
*Does it sound awesome when you say it out loud? It had better.
*You'll eventually start thinking of your character by their place holder name if you don't get a new one quickly.


Do you have any guidelines for naming characters?
What goes into a good name?
Which names sound like nails on a chalk board to you?


HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

First Sentences Are Super Important

I went over how to make an awesome first scene in this Tipster Tuesday post and that got me to thinking about the openings in my WIPs. Your first few sentences need to grab your reader's attention. I'd like to give you guys the first few sentences from my WIPs to see if they're doing their jobs.

BROKEN

"Snow makes toddlers go insane--it's a fact--and my brother is certainly no exception to the rule. And since it's my job to watch his crazy ass, I've gotta stand out in the blistering cold for hours while he covers our yard in snow angels. But with all the things I'm responsible for, I guess this is the least of my worries. It could always be worse."

OPHELIA

"My hands dampen as the bus door springs open. The silvery-haired driver smiles at me as I step aboard. He says something, but I'm too out of it to hear him. Stumbling to the back of the Greyhound, I take a seat and stare out the window at the setting sun. I feel sick to my stomach. I'm a little surprised I haven't thrown up yet."

VENGEFUL DEEP

"Today should be a happy day. A day for giving thanks to the sea for the bounty we've received this year. But we have no thanks to give. Not today. Not as we stand, speechless, around the mangled body of Lundy MacLochlan."

If I had to choose, my favorite would probably be VENGEFUL DEEP and my least favorite would be BROKEN. But that's not to say I don't like the opening for BROKEN...I just think the other two leave the reader with more questions and a stronger sense of foreboding. But I'm the one who wrote these, so my opinions are possibly biased and don't really count.

What I want from you guys is a brutally honest opinion. I need to know if you'd read on based just on the openings. Tell me why they're good, why they're bad, why they work, why they don't, what I did well, and what could be better.

Thanks in advance, everyone!

HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Happy Thanksgiving All!

Hey, I just want to wish all my chums here a happy Thanksgiving...or November 25th. Whatevers.

Also, I'm sorry I haven't been posting as much.

The holidays have things kind of hectic...

And my grandpa went missing last night.

But no worries, he's back now.

He was at a motel the whole time.

Apparently, he just wanted to scare us a little.

....

It was a really mean joke.

Ah, well, he's back and safe and I've got something to be veeeeery thankful for this year.

Love you guys!

Tipster Tuesday (4)

First of all, I just want to say I have now officially cried over the death of a literary character. I just finished book sixth of the Demonata series yesterday night. I won't say who I cried over (that would spoil it for those of you who haven't read it), but I did shed a few tears.

Today's Topic:
Plot Twists

Amazing twists are part of the reason I love Darren Shan's Demonata series. I just adore thinking things are going to go down one way, but then they pop a twist on me and things do a complete 360 from what I was expecting. But lots of plot twists just don't work. (Think about M. Night Shyamalan's The Village.) Other twists have been done to death. ("Luke, I am your father!" ruined that twist for everyone else.)

What goes into a great plot twist?

--Drop hints throughout the book
Don't just drop a twist on us out of nowhere. You've got to hint at the twist beforehand, or we probably won't buy it. In the first draft of my WIP, BROKEN, I dropped the twist without any real hints and that didn't work for me when I read over it. I changed all that in the second draft and dropped several hints through the whole book. When my boyfriend read it, he said, "Ooooh! So that's why you mentioned *lawnmower drowns out his voice* so many times!"

--It needs to change things
A plot twist needs to cause some kind of change--even if it's just a minor change. If not, then it's useless...and you know what we do with useless things don't we? We cut them. The twist needs to make things different, or you need to cut it. The twist in BROKEN plays a much bigger role in the two sequels I've got planned, but it does make Skye look at the characters involved differently.

--Tired twists make me want to throw things
"Oh noes! The villian has been the MC's father/mother/brother/second cousin all along?! WHOOOOOA!" No. Sorry, people, but if you want to use that twist, you're gonna have to really work it. Like I said up at the top, Star Wars kind of ruined that twist for everyone. Try coming up with something fresh and original.

--If you don't need a twist, don't use one
You can't use a twist just because you want to. Nope, sorry, that's just not how it works. Twists are meant to enrich the story for the reader, not to entertain you.

--What?
Twists need to make sense. Don't leave me thinking, "Huh? But...how? Why? WHAT?!" If you want to drop a twist on us, it needs to make sense in the story. You can't suddenly reveal your MC's love interest is actually a serial killer unless people have been dying mysteriously throughout the novel. If everything has been perfectly normal and you drop a bomb like that on me, I'll have to kick something. The last time that happened, I broke a toe, so please, don't put me through it again.

--Watch out for that plot hole
If you add a twist, make sure it doesn't open any plot holes. You don't want us to get to the twist and go, "Wait...but what about that thing that happened in chapter four? This doesn't make any sense." You've got to make sure the rest of your book lines up with your twist, or you'll just piss your reader off.


For those of your who skipped to the end:

*Drop hints or we won't buy it.
*Twists need to bring on some sort of change.
*Avoid cliched twists.
*Don't drop a twist for the hell of it.
*Don't give us the most unbelievable twist ever.
*Watch out, or you'll trip in that plot hole and break your leg.


Do you love plot twists like I do?
What makes an awesome twist?
What are a few of your favorite twists?
Do you use twists in your writing?


HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Night Writing

I woke up today at 2:30 pm.

I went to sleep at 8:00 am.

I believe I mentioned in a past post (can't be bothered to go find it) that I have insomnia. Horrible insomnia...that doesn't go away. Ever. I've always been this way, even when I was a baby. My mom has told me countless stories about her sleepless daughter keeping her up late into the night. The only way she could relieve the problem is to prop me in front of the TV and play Dances with Wolves. That usually kept my attention while she got some well-needed sleep.

That's something that's followed me into adulthood. The longest time I've ever gone without sleep is six days. That was just terrible, so I won't go into the full story.

When I was younger, I had to lay in bed with my TV volume on low, hoping Mom didn't wake up and RAWR at me for being awake so late. Even though I wasn't sleeping at night, I rarely fell asleep in class, so it's not like the insomnia ever hindered anything for me. It was just mildly annoying since I didn't have anything to do but watch boring late-night TV.

Now I've got something to fill those empty hours. Writing. And since everyone else is asleep, I haven't got anything to distract me. Night writing lets me spend lots of time with nothing but my writing without making me feel like I'm neglecting my family/boyfriend. I'm up during the day as well, so I spend my days with them and my nights on my computer.

But recently, I've been up late doing unproductive things, like watching the LRMReading channel on YouTube. It's funny to listen to those three read bad fanfiction, but it's not at all helpful. In fact, after listening to hours of BAD writing, it's kind of hard to get into the swing of good writing.

I need to kick myself in the ass and get back to work. As I've told you all, those videos/E-mails/text messages aren't going anywhere. They can wait until after I've filled my daily writing goal. My boyfriend tries to convince me it's okay to slack off and watch funny videos so I can relax a little, but he doesn't really understand how important daily writing is...especially for someone like me who can lose interest in things that sit for too long. I see where he's coming from--everyone needs to relax once in a while--but I still have goals to work toward.

I can relax afterwards.

Do you ever 'night write'?

Does it help or did you find you were just too sleepy to write anything good?

How do you feel about slacking off for a while? Does it help or hurt?

HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Tipster Tuesday (3)

Before kicking off this week's Tipster Tuesday post, I'd just like to say I feel like megacrap. My stomach is killing me. I didn't get any writing done today. I did a lot of reading though--started and nearly finished the sixth Demonata book. Had to do something to take my mind off the nearly-crippling stabbing pain in my guts. Meh...

ON TO BUSINESS!

Today's Topic:
Awesome First Scenes

Of all the scenes in your book, the first scene is (arguably) the most important. It's what hooks your potential reader and makes them want to read on. When I'm in a book store and see a book that piques my interest, I read the first few paragraphs to see if it grabs my attention. If it does, it goes in my "TOTALLY GONNA BUY THIS" pile (it's a very exclusive pile), but if it doesn't...it's going right back on the shelf where I found it.

Your first scene needs to grab the reader and shake them, demanding they read the rest. It's got to be powerful and compelling, but it's also got to make us care about the MC and their problems. It's got to draw us in, make us care, and compel us forward in the story. Whoo...sounds like a doozy, huh?

What makes your first scene awesome?

--Grab us quickly
It's best to put something interesting in the first few sentences to give the reader an impression of what to expect from the story. Something that catches their attention and makes them ask questions. (If they've got questions, they'll probably want answers.) I grabbed a few books from my room before starting, so let's take a look at their first few sentences.

"Something heavy on my center, smooth against my skin, shifting very slightly within itself, stretched and retracted. Occasionally a tap to the side, always in the same spot. I breathed. Instantly the thing was still." THE GARDEN by Elsie V. Aidinoff.

This works for me. I want to know what this "thing" is and why it's on the MC. Based purely on this, I would read on.

"After looking everywhere in the house, Alayna found Kiera in the barn, talking to the horses. Alayna knew that--given the chance--most children of five years would talk to horses. But Kiera was crying, sobbing, her voice coming out in gasps and hiccups, barely able to get the words out, and what she was saying to the horses was 'No, I'm sorry. I couldn't tell. But something terrible.'" THE BOOK OF MORDRED by Vivian Vande Velde.

What's wrong with the little girl? Why's she crying? What's she talking about? What's terrible? With so many questions that need answering, of course I'd keep reading!

"'I see...' said the vampire thoughtfully, and slowly he walked across the room towards the window. For a long time he stood there against the dim light from Divisadero Street and the passing beams of traffic. The boy could see the furnishings of the room more clearly now, the round oak table, the chairs." INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE by Anne Rice.

Sorry, Anne, but this is a no-go. Had I just picked this up at a book store, I probably would've put it back down. I actually have read it and, while a little flowery and over-written in place, I do really love the book. But these first few sentences don't give me any sense of approaching action/danger/compelling stuff.

"Double history on a Wednesday afternoon--total nightmare! A few minutes ago, I would have said I couldn't imagine anything worse. But when there's a knock at the door, and it opens, and I spot my Mom outside, I realize--life can always get worse." LORD LOSS by Darren Shan.

Oooh! How can life always get worse? What's going to happen? Also, you see how this started with the MC talking about his distaste for double history periods? That's something teenagers (the target audience) can relate to. Way to go! Now I feel connected to the MC!

"My name is Nicolette Dazincourt DeLande, and I have committed murder. How do you synopsize a life, I wonder, cut it back and down, hacking into it like an untamed wisteria, rampant with lavender blooms, tendrils all coiled around and choking. How do you trim and clip the lush foliage of a life, making it docile and compliant, conformed to a foreign shape and structure." BETRAYAL by Gwen Hunter.

Oh yeah! You had me at "and I have committed murder." Great job, Miss Hunter. You've pulled me in right off the bat. And then you come at me with this awesomely pretty language?! I can't read on quick enough!

--Let's see some action
I love fast-paced, action-packed stories. So when the action kicks off on the first page, it makes for a very happy Kristina. I can't stand a book that spends its first few pages doing nothing but giving back story and descriptions. That being said, it's perfectly fine to just hint at the action, but at least let me know it's on its merry little way.

--Make a connection
Give me something to connect with the MC on. Like in LORD LOSS with Grubbs calling his double history period a "nightmare." With his opinion and the way he put it out there, I could tell right away that I would like Grubbs. While I actually enjoyed history in school, I knew how he felt and could sympathize with his double history problem.

--Give me something to sink my teeth into
So don't start out with a dream. Sorry, but that's how I feel. First scenes that turn out to be a dream bug me. I'm still trying to get my bearings in this world of yours and you go and throw me for a loop? No thank you. Also, not that I'm the cliche police or anything...but starting off with a dream sequence is pretty high on that list of writing cliches. (Like I mentioned in my post, Just a Dream, if your whole book is based completely around dreams, go ahead and disregard that.)

--Grab me and don't let go
If the first page is full of super-machine gun battles (which are ten times cooler than normal, boring machine gun battles), ninjas, and Chuck Norris roundhouse kicks, keep that up. Don't have the next few pages be about the MC moving magnets on their refrigerator. It's okay to slow the pace down a little, but don't bring it to a complete stop.

--What now?
Like I said earlier, leave me with a handful of questions that desperately need answers. And not silly questions like, "Hey...did I leave the iron on?" That's like spending a weekend watching my Chia pet grow. Readers are curious little devils. If you leave them with a bunch of serious, potentially life-changing questions, they'll keep flipping pages until they get their answers.


For those who skipped to the end:

*Grab us right away with something interesting.
*Give us some action, even if it's just hinted at.
*Give the reader something to connect with the MC about.
*Start off with something solid (NOT a dream).
*If you've got a fast pace going, don't slow down.
*Leave me with some unanswered questions.


What did you think of the examples?
Which did you find most/least compelling?
What do you think makes a strong first scene?
If the first scene is boring, will you keep reading?


HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Awesome Upcoming Blogfests

Hiya, lovelies!

If you know me, you know I looooove blogfests. Here are a few I've signed up for recently.

The Twisted Christmas Fairy Tale Blogfest

Francine at Romancing the Blog is hosting this awesome fest.

Query Letter Blogfest

Jodi at Turning the Page is behind this amazing idea.

Midwinter Blogfest

Marieke from Marieke's Musings is hosting this fantastic blogfest.

If you love blogfests like I do, you should totally check these out and sign up if you're interested!

HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

Banned--I Already See It Coming

I had a friend of mine read over BROKEN and a few chapters of OPHELIA. I expected her to mark a few typos, but otherwise give me the usual friend critique ("OMG, so grrrrrreat!"). Instead, she asked me, "Do you realize how fast these books are going to be banned?"

Needless to say, I hadn't been expecting that reaction. I'm aware of the cussing, violence, sexual themes, and drug use in my writing, but I hadn't really considered my books might get banned because of it. Maybe it's because I've never had a problem with any of that "naughty" stuff in YA books. Or maybe I just had my rose-tinted glasses on.

But does that bother me enough to change it?

Honestly, it doesn't bother me at all. That stuff is all a part of my story. I'm writing the story I want to write, not the story the Prude Brigade wants. If some school/library/book store in Kansas (or Oregon or North Dakota or any other state) wants to stick me on a banned books list, that's cool with me. If the people in that town still want to read my books, they can always get them somewhere else.

While a big part of my writing dream is to entertain people with my stories, I'm still writing for myself. If I change my story to fit someone else's standards, I'm denying myself the pleasure of weaving the story I actually wanted. And that's soul-crushing. I'd rather write what's in my heart and be banned for it than write something I'm not passionate about to keep everyone happy.

AND! If I stripped my characters of their "naughty" behavior, I'd be changing who my characters really are. Skye is short-tempered and quick to jump into a fight. If I took away her violent tendencies, I'd ruin her. She wouldn't be Skye anymore without it. 

Ophelia is a gang member. She sells drugs, uses a few herself, and eventually gets sucked into a violent gang war where a lot of people die. If I took all that away to make sure everyone was happy, the story wouldn't even exist. If I worried about being banned, I couldn't write Ophelia's story at all.

I'm not going to tiptoe around just to keep everyone smiling. I'll write the story I want and if, for some reason, you're so uncomfortable with its content you want it banned, so be it. I won't apologize. I won't take it back. I won't change it.

If your book was banned, how would you feel?

Upset? Angry? Indifferent?

How do you feel about "naughty" elements in YA?

HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!

(If you enjoyed this post, Quinn did a few very similar that you should check out. What Are You Doing? and The Right to Write.)

Tipster Tuesday (2)

Today's Topic:

LIKABLE MAIN CHARACTERS

I can't tell you the number of books I've stopped reading because of unlikable MCs. I read a book called STAKE THAT not long ago and, honestly, I really, REALLY disliked the MC. I finished the book, but it was an incredible chore. The MC came off as shallow--constantly mentioning the love interest's looks, while more or less ignoring his actual personality. (Or lack there of...but that's a topic for another day.) I felt that way about TWILIGHT'S Bella as well. I found her shallow and immature and...honestly, she was kind of a doormat at times. All in all, not someone I'd like to be friends with.

If your reader doesn't like your MC, s/he'll be less inclined to finish the book. It's like being trapped in an elevator with that really annoying guy from 3B that likes to talk about his recent battle with toe fungus. You know the one...

So, how do you make your characters likable?

--Avoid the damsel in distress

This was part of my problem with Bella. She always needed Edward and Jacob to save her. I think the bravest thing she did in the whole series was jumping off that cliff and that was out of stupidity, not bravery. (Sorry, but I think jumping off a cliff to hear your boyfriend's disembodied voice is stupid...and a little cuckoo, honestly.) If you can correct me and give me an actual act of bravery on Bella's part, go right ahead. Annnnyway, when your MC is a chick that always needs saving it makes her look weak. And no one wants to read that.

--Let them be heroic

And by heroic, I don't mean "victimized." Just because your MC survived being ship-wrecked, doesn't make them a hero. If he went back in, braving a ship quickly filling with ice-cold sea water, to save others, then he's a hero.

I do hate to keep bringing the TWILIGHT saga into this, but it just keeps popping into my head. You remember that scene in NEW MOON when the Volturi let Edward and Bella go and as they're leaving, they see some tourists being brought in and later hear them being slaughtered? Did they go to help those people? No. I would have seen as was very heroic of Edward to at least TRY to help...but he didn't. It bothered Bella, but she didn't try either...and she's definitely not getting any hero points from me for just being bothered.

--Perfection is the enemy

The term for this type of character is 'Mary Sue.' They're beautiful, guys love them, they can do no wrong, and if by some cosmically-unlikely chance they do, no one gets mad at them. Because they're a special snowflake, y'know? Well, that's boring and uninteresting and no one in their right mind wants to read about them. You remember the later books in the ANITA BLAKE series? Yeah...by the end of that, Anita was nothing but a huge Mary Sue.

--A good sense of humor is always a plus

I like a character that can make me laugh. If I'm reading your book and it makes me laugh, you've done something very right and I love you for it. Injecting your MC with a dose of funny is always a great way to win your reader over. But don't go too overboard or they'll start expecting a corny sticom laughtrack to play.

--Whiners don't make friends

People that constantly whine annoy me in real life, so opening a book and finding a whiny MC makes me want to throw something. Instead of having your MC complain about the things happening to them, have them try to change it.

--Quit being such a baby

This ties in with being a damsel in distress and whining. I don't like MCs that break down at the drop of a hat. I want to see some strong MCs. Grubbs from Darren Shan's DEMONATA series is a good example of a strong character. He's scared out of his mind about fighting demons, but he still does it.

For those of you who skipped to the end, here you go:

*Strong characters are more likable than whiny doormats in distress.

*Avoid the dreaded Mary Sue.

*I'll like you more if you can make me laugh.

*If you want us to like them, don't let them sit by while people are dying.

What makes you like a character?

What makes you dislike them?

Can you read a book even though you don't like the MC?

HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!