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!