erica and christy

what makes your writing heart go wild?

2012-02-14T05:00:00.002-06:00

happy valentine's day to you all!

my writing heart has been a little weak since finishing FIXING SHELBY.

lately my writing time has consisted of the following:

checking emails for agent responses
checking twitter
checking emails for agent responses
emailing erica
rewriting my query
refreshing inbox...again (do i need to repeat why?)
reading blog posts (not commenting often because frequently i'm one-handed-one arm is full of baby--he's beautiful and sweet and lovable and amazing btw!)
writing the next chapter in TTM (erica and christy's novel)
opening up one WIP after another, rereading what's already been typed, refreshing inbox....(uh huh)
??? staring blankly at the wall
reading CP's manuscript (not critiquing as much as i should be--one-handed again)
critiquing at QT (much less frequently than two months ago)
rewriting my query

so as you can see, other than TTM, not much is getting accomplished. bah.

not
so
very
productive

my writing heart flatlined.

at first i thought it was because i was in revision/critiquer mode and having a hard time getting back into writer mode.

that wasn't it.

then i thought it was rejection anxiety.

nope.

i finally know what is causing the freeze on my fingertips!!!

it's not for lack of ideas. i have plots all set and ready to be written. so--why couldn't i open up my documents and get going? was it because i couldn't decide which project i wanted to do more?

unh unh.

the REAL problem was lack of character understanding.

rewind a year. this is exactly why i had to table SOLSTICE (novel #1). i still think it's a great story idea. the reason it didn't work was because i didn't have a strong connection to my protagonist. i didn't know her well enough.

the reason i wrote FIXING SHELBY rather quickly was because the story was based on her character. i felt her, knew her. the feeling i conjured up when i wrote was her voice, not just excitement for the events in the story.

the two projects i've been going back and forth between could be great, but i just don't know those characters well enough yet.

so tonight, i remembered a project i thought up a long while ago. immediately, i felt that character.
ding ding ding ding. i found a winning project!

what makes your writing heart go pitter patter and skip a beat?

what motivates you more? characters or events?

Blurb. Oh, excuse me.

2012-02-13T05:00:00.001-06:00

I (erica) wrote a broken book. Well, I wrote over half a book, but it had too many characters and too many storylines and was going in the wrong direction...so I rewrote most of it taking out some characters and some storylines...and then it was boring, so I rewrote some of it again and put in a new character and a new storyline and I like it, but it's still missing something. Like I took my characters and made them into something they aren't.

Like I said, it's broken.

christy is trying to convince me to write a "blurb" for it. You know, a few sentences setting up the who, what, where, when, and how of the story. Not exactly a query, more like a quick commercial. To help me envision how this is going to go.

So - do you blurb your book to get direction? What's your process for doing it? When I write a query for a COMPLETE ms, I have trouble boiling it all down. For a broken book (but one I really, really, really want to finish because it will be total awesomeness), I don't know where to start (to, you know, help it end). HELP!!

christy wrote a blurb for our co-writing project in about 5 minutes. I need her brain...other than that, I definitely need your help! Any ideas for pushing along a broken project are welcome here!

oh, and I thought about including a cute picture of a baby animal burping to illustrate my title of the blog, but there weren't many to be found and I can't sit around looking at pictures of cute baby animals all day. So you get this one, which made me laugh and has absolutely nothing else to do with this blog post:

TUMBLE 4 YA BLOGFEST

2012-02-10T11:25:00.000-06:00

Nicki Elson, author of the romantic and humorous novel THREE DAVES (a book that takes place in the 80s!), is hosting a fab blogfest today! Check out all the entries by clicking HERE to go to her blog where you will find all the other participants.

erica and I were on the young side in the 80s, but you're never too young to have a crush, right? here are three guys that came to mind when I thought of crush-worthy movie stars from my youth.

at one point, in elementary school, i think, i watched the monkees and had a crush on this one:
davy jones

laugh all you want....

later in the 80s, like the very last year, i had a crush on these two. (was i supposed to pick just one?)

andrew mccarthy

i loved weekend at bernie's

robert downey jr (who i still love, by the way)

one of my favorite movies (the movie my wedding song came from)
chances are

who was your 80s crush?

trick question and some teasers

2012-02-09T10:42:00.000-06:00

In reference to erica's post from Tuesday, (the one she gave away the secret that we're writing a novel together in) I'm curious what you thought about the lines she shared. Do you think the voice is consistent?

I ask because syncing our voices to make our character consistent would be the most challenging part of cowriting a novel, right?

Who says we're writing the same character, hmmm?

Yes, cowriting is so much fun. Especially when each chapter reveals more about each of our characters...to each other. erica was especially pleased when she learned her character's best friend's name was Goon and that her character liked to stay up late writing comic books. In the last chapter she sent me...she got me back. I learned that my character practiced kissing at a young age--with her mom's make up on and using a mirror.... Funny girl, that erica.

Here are a few more teasers.

Then the phone in my hand dinged. Okay, maybe it beeped, or clicked, or vibrated, or played the entire National Anthem. That's not the important part.

My voice echoed around the library. No crabby librarians here to tell me to shush, that was for sure.

Now I was ticked at two people and I just wanted to stop thinking about them both for a little while.

I had everywhere to go. But all I could do was sit there with my head against the steering wheel.

AND HERE'S WHERE I CONTINUE TO CRY ABOUT MY QUERY WOES

Aside from passing the manuscript back and forth, I'm still struggling, sweating and crying over my query. I've had some luck with two versions of it, but it's still not good enough. The people over at QueryTracker have been so so patient with me.

I've known for a long time that I'm supposed to start my query with a hook, but that H word has never sat well with me. I never fully understood what it meant. I guess I still don't. BUT I think I finally understand how one is supposed to start a query. I said I understand how ONE is SUPPOSED to start A query. NOT that I understand how to start MY query.

One really SHOULD start with a summarizing logline that tells the agent about the character and the conflict. THEN follow with the details about that character and conflict...ending with the stakes.

My problem is knowing my MAIN conflict. CONFLICT. CONFLICT. (so important that it's worth repeating, in shouting print) There is one angel on query tracker who's never read my book and yet was able to HIT ME IN THE HEAD with my main conflict. I KNEW what it was. Really, deep down I KNEW.

My novel is a contemporary one. There aren't any ghosts or flesh-eating zombies or catastrophic fires or world-ending wars or governments trying to kill my characters. Just a girl with some mean friends, a couple of cute guys who tug on her heart strings, a boss with the early onset of dimentia, and a few family issues.

My character starts out almost annoyingly weak--a doormat. So her biggest problem is herself. HERSELF!!!! And that's who she has to deal with throughout the book and overcome in the end. HERSELF!

duh.

And that information may or may not make the next (final?) draft of my query go a little better.

oh, and i liked THIS POST by gabriella lessa. she offers a helpful Query Wednesday post. to learn more about improving your query letter, go read it!

The Truth's Out

2012-02-07T05:00:00.005-06:00

christy has hinted. I'm here to broadcast the truth.

erica and christy are co-writing a book. does it mean erica and christy are co-writing a book that will go on to get an agent, be published, have wonderous reviews, be made into a movie with the next big stars in it, and earn them millions upon millions of dollars?

yes, yes it does.

Okay, fine. I miiiiiightttt exaggerate a bit.Okay, a lot. BUT - we are sending each other chapters and finding it to be a fun way to learn a new voice, a new style of writing, and how to work under a deadline. (trust me, christy seems all nice, but when she wants you to send her the next chapter - WATCH OUT!)

Anyway, want some teasers? You know you do. Here you go (given in totally random order with no explanation other than last week's fun 'cross between The Lake House and Labyrinth clue!) (and no, you don't get to know who wrote what. but yes, guess in the comments!) (also, these are completely unedited, fyi):

She didn’t have a lot of functioning brain cells, but she definitely had nerve.

I could barely simmer down enough to go home.

By then, it's back to normal. New normal.

I also had no idea why he was wearing a miner light.

If I ever got around to writing the comic book of this particular part of my life, I'd never admit I ended up here in a t-shirt and a towel.

I screamed and shouted, “Make it stop!”

I walked toward the next house, hoping for some sketching pencils, shorts that fit, and a jar of peanut butter.

This was no time to dwell on his intentionally messy-looking handsomeness.

"I DON'T NEED TO KNOW THEM! THAT'S WHAT SMART PHONES ARE MADE FOR!"

Thanks for visiting, friends! Happy February!

Here's why.

2012-02-05T21:52:00.000-06:00

Here's why I love reading the following:

Cassandra Clare. I love her description of the setting and the metaphors she uses.

Jandy Nelson. I love her poetic writing. I love it. Did you hear that this may be/will be made into a movie? Did you?

epic fail by Claire LaZebnik. I loved her mc's humor. Great voice.

Maggie Stiefvater. I love her writing, all of it., every time she strings words together into sentences. That's the part I love.

Stephanie Perkins. She can do a love triangle like no other.

Tahereh Mafi. I love her uniqueness. In this book. Also. While following her down the street on twitter. And while reading and rereading her humorous blog posts for the past two years. Hers was the very first blog I ever followed after becoming a writer and discovering blogs.

Here's why this is important.

I need to know what I love about these books, and these authors, because then I can try, try, try to incorporate those phenomenal writerly characteristics into my writing. Metaphors, poetry, beauty, description, settings, humor, flair, uniqueness, voice, personality. If I can bring it all together while telling my characters' stories, then I will love writing, and eventually, I'll find readers who will hang on my words and remember them. Remember them until another one of my books comes out. That's when they'll rush out to get more, more, more. Someday. It will happen.

For now, I'm hanging on words.

But I'll keep scribbling my own and tapping them out on my keyboard. Until I get it right.

WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR? OR WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BOOK? WHY?

When Life Sucks the Life Out of You

2012-02-02T05:00:00.001-06:00

This is how I feel lately. Dried up. Beyond my usefulness. Withered.

I'm a teacher and I'm not here to complain about my job. That wouldn't be either useful or professional. But, well, yeah, I'm withered right now. There's been misinformation and misinterpretation and a whole lot of crud that I've had to work through.

My actual job of teaching makes me happy. My students and learning and blossoming and making me smile and laugh and feel proud every minute of every day I am with them.

Some of the other stuff? If I really took the time to sit down and think about it, I'd never set foot in a school again.

But I'm not taking that time. I refuse to let it destroy my life and my career (which has always been a huge part of my life - I've wanted to be a teacher since kindergarten). I need to shrug it off and know what I'm doing is meaningful and know that I have made a difference. It isn't easy to do. I've been sharing my story with a coworker and she confided in me today that when I tell her the things that are going on (sorry to be so vague, but I have to be), I physically make her tired.

I feel withered.

Writing is my nourishment, my water, my food, my way to find happiness. My job (which, let me remind you, I love WHILE I'M ABLE TO DO IT) makes me tired and dejected, so writing almost seems a chore at times lately. Querying? Don't get me started.

It's those times I need to remember that no matter what, I am worth it. I make a difference every day. My family loves me. Kids look up to me. I have friends I know I can count on that can also count on me. If I keep writing and working and perservering, I can do this thing. I can.

Feeling withered? We're in this together. Writers are some of the most supportive people I've ever met. We share our successes and support our. . . well, dejections.

So, my success for today? A day I really just wanted to be over? A little boy in my class, who doesn't speak much English, touched my face and said "I love you Etika." (I'm pretty sure he meant Erica). *deep sigh* *happy*

What made you happy today?

GO, GO NOW!

2012-01-31T05:00:00.003-06:00

I could have written a blog post for you today.

Instead, I wrote my chapter. (A few days ago we posted that we're dedicating ourselves to one chapter per day, no matter what, regardless of writer's block.)

I thought about writing my chapter in this space and killing two birds with one stone, but decided against it. Since my posts tend to be chapter-length*, I'm saving you time. (You're welcome.)With that time, you should move your mouse up to that little X. See it? In the upper right hand corner of your screen? Yup. That's the one. Close out of the Internet. Use this time I'm giving you to go and write your own chapter.

If you want, when it's written, you can come back and share a teaser from it in our comments. I'd LOVE to have a bunch of teasers to come back to and read. How fun to find what writing you've all been up to!

I'll get you started. Once I'm done with my chapter, I'll come back and post a teaser.

Then it'll be your turn.

~christy

* okay, so that's one of those pesky hypens again. i'm never quite sure when to use them and when not to. in this case? you tell me. please. really. help a girl out!

(whoops. wrote the chapter, fell asleep, and just came back now to post my teaser. here it is!

I stared at him. That was not what I wanted to hear. That would mean my problem was really a problem. )

That's What Friends Are For

2012-01-30T05:00:00.001-06:00

okay, maybe not the greatest sentiment, but still pretty funny

We haven't done a post about erica and christy's random emails back and forth lately. Welcome to the place we like to call...dumdumdumdum...The Inbox of Random.

this is what it would look like if our laptops exploded into actual paper.

erica's inane comments are in blue. christy's inane comments are in purple. Feel free to add stuff from YOUR inbox in our comments. Or, you know, try to guess what the heck we're talking about down there! **

everybody just up and vanished RECENTLY! didn't see that coming...or the no worms factor...so interesting!!!!

He was the second one in the procession and only lost his ball once.

I have no idea what donkey basketball is.

Weight lifters are not known for their brains.

i'd rather clear things up as i go than have a ton in the end!

I have to pee.

it's like a win win win win for everyone involved.

Where do we live?

i'm excited to make bad things happen.

If he decides to mentor Kaleb and they end up in some sort of parallel universe where girls aren't allowed - trust me - NO ONE IS MORE SORRY THAN I AM!!!

wrote titally the first time, changed it for you

Pretty soon I'm going to stand in the doorway and stare at them until they feel uncomfortable and leave.

good night!

**erica and christy reserve the right to use a language known only to them as "emailspeak". Thank you for your understanding.

*** these are taken from only three threads. see why an explosion would be messy?

writer's block? we can help.

2012-01-26T20:52:00.000-06:00

two quick bits of advice on dealing with writer's block, especially when starting a new project:

1. commit to a chapter per day. it'll go faster than you think. then, rather than open your document, stare at it and feel the pressure of 50,000 unwritten words, you'll just have to write a chapter's worth. maybe only 200 words. or 500. maybe your character will put 1,000 words in that chapter. it doesn't matter. that chapter will be done. and in five days, you'll have five chapters done. five more than you would have if you had let the pressure of the unwritten novel freak you out.

2. write really short chapters.

go. write. be merry.

turn your fingers into writer's block

breaking machines!

the next big thing

2012-01-24T05:00:00.001-06:00

erica and christy are working on a secret project.

it'll be the next big thing.

it's a little like:

and a little like:

(minus the goblins. we think. right, erica? right?)

and that's all we're going to say about that.

today.

hehe

Winners and Losers

2012-01-23T05:00:00.001-06:00

In life, there are winners and there are losers. For example, if your name is

ANGELINA HANSEN

you're a winner of the book Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic. If that's not you're name, you're a loser. Okay, maybe not, but, well, you get the idea.

I'm having an angry mommy ~~day~~ ~~week~~ month. My ten-year-old is in basketball and it's not going well. We have coach issues. These issues lead to one angry mommy. Well, to be fair (to myself, apparently), several angry moms and dads. And extremely disappointed 5th grade boys.

Our team has played 12 games and got their butts handed to them in 9 of them. And I don't mean we're losing 25-15. Oh, no. We lost one game 62-7. I didn't even know a 5th grade team could score 62 points. Also, one was 38-2. We made one basket. And why? I'm telling you, coach issues.

On top of that, my son goes to every practice and every game. He tries really hard and even though he doesn't score a lot, he can shoot a mean layup and is one of the best defense guys on the team. This past Saturday, they played 4 28-minute games (yes, butts were handed back in the first 3, as usual). That's a total of 112 minutes (yes, I used a calculater).

My son played less than 6 minutes. Total. Never got to take a shot (although he did block a couple). And two other boys played less than he did. One kid was in for 25 seconds before the coach put the starters back in and never got to go in again. 25 seconds?? Really?? With one minute left in the last game of the night (which we actually were winning by 20 points and the starters were STILL IN), I had to go tell the coach that one kid hadn't played at all and deserved to go in. This was the look he gave me:

(I don't know why it's way over there -----> Blogger likes to mess with me) (Just going with it at this point) (pretend I did it on purpose)

So, anyway. Very, very unhappy mommy. 10-year-olds deserve to feel like winners once in awhile, too. So while I can't give you all copies of Never Eighteen (hello, teacher here), I can give you something better than an eye roll. Here, have a cupcake (and a cookie):

isn't he cute? (seriously, why is blogger messing with me? this should be centered)

Happy Monday! And may all your ~~basketball~~ ~~cupcake~~ writing dreams come true! I'm here to say, if you work hard, continue to improve, and ARE FREAKING GIVEN A CHANCE - you'll succeed!! (sorry for shouting)

(I should also mention the coach voluntarily put us in the A league. Which means our team that comes from an entire 5th grade class of 40 kids is competing against A Team Division 1 teams. They're like 6-feet tall, I'm not even kidding.)

WINNER!

2012-01-20T18:34:00.000-06:00

Heather Harshman won a copy of FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater! Congrats, Heather! Thanks for participating everyone. I'll give away more soon and will keep you all in mind...! <3 christy

Scroll down a post to win NEVER EIGHTEEN from erica! She'll announce a winner on Sunday!

New Release - Never Eighteen

2012-01-20T05:00:00.001-06:00

It's tiny. I don't know why.

My friend Megan Bostic's book came out this week. You should buy it. Really, you should. Go here to do so. We'll wait.

What? You want to know what it's about first? Just kidding - I know you do. I was super lucky to not only (virtually) know Megan and get to learn a lot about this book before it released, I also got an early copy as part of her Pass It On promotion. It's a short-ish, quick, emotional read, packed with real situations and characters that make you care. Here's its website (with a really cool book trailer).

Megan also has her own website (admit it, you know you wish you had her hair. and eyes. and, well, book contract, but you can't tell that from the picture...) and blog.

So, go buy it now. Where? Here.

Okay, fine, I'll give you one (maybe). Tell me in the comments - what's one thing you wish you did before you turned 18 (or, if you'd rather, something you're really happy you did before you turned 18)? I'll pick a winner on Sunday!

SPEAKING OF WINNERS....Christy has one to announce...and will do so later today!

So check back. Or, if you are THE winner, she'll contact you to let you know!

christy's 2011 reads...and BOOK GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-16T05:00:00.036-06:00

ah, yes. 2011 had some GREAT books in it. so great, in fact, i wanted to relive them and share them with you.

LITERALLY!

i want to share with you.

so, peruse my list and choose one that you missed out on reading. in the comments, tell me which book you'd love to WIN! also leave your name, email, twitter or blog--some way i can contact you if you win the book of you choosing.

(feel free to pick a book from erica's book list. just scroll down a post.)

'kay?

i'll give you three to five days to enter. so, a winner will be announced fridayish.

oh, and if you tweet or blog or spread the word and help us gain say, 30 followers, i'll give away the book AND a $10 gift certificate to amazon! I'll give away the book AND TWO $10 gift certificates to amazon IF we get up to 425 followers. That's right, there'll be THREE WINNERS. (i can do the point system. 1 pt for following, another for each way you spread the word about the giveaway. so just let me know what you do.)

ahem.

HERE ARE (most of) THE BOOKS I READ IN 2011 (and January 2012)
(in no particular order) (I feel like I'm missing some....)

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Beth Revis

FOREVER Maggie Stiefvater

PARANORMALCY Kiersten White

SHATTER ME Tahereh Mafi

I AM NUMBER FOUR Pittacus Lore

MARKED P.C. and Kristen Cast

A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES Deborah E. Harkness

THE BOYFRIEND THIEF Shana Norris

SASS AND SERENDIPITY Jennifer Ziegler

THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL Heather McCorkle

PERFECT YOU Elizabeth Scott and Lisa Fyfe

SOPHIE AND CARTER Chelsea Fine

GETTING CAUGHT Cyn Balog and Mandy Hubbard

BAD TASTE IN BOYS Carrie Harris

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS Stephanie Perkins

LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR Stephanie Perkins

CITY OF GLASS Cassandra Clare

CITY OF ASHES Cassandra Clare

CITY OF BONES Cassandra Clare
THE HUNGER GAMES Suzanne Collins
MOCKINGJAY Suzanne Collins
CATCHING FIRE Suzanne Collins

THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE Jandy Nelson

Up Next to Read:

EPIC FAIL Claire LaZebnik
THERE YOU'LL FIND ME Thomas Nelson
REAL MERMAIDS DON'T WEAR TOE RINGS helen Boudreau
and so, so, so many more!

SO WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT????

tell me.

Another book list - and GO PACK GO!!

2012-01-13T05:00:00.001-06:00

You know it's coming. A Green Bay Packer post. So, instead, I'm posting the books I (erica) read in 2011. The funny part is my husband kept telling me we had way too many books and I read way too many books and what was with all the books anyway?? So he bought me a Kindle for my birthday. And, well, so did my dad. Yes, it all worked out. :)

And yes, I read more books than I thought. Here are the links, in no particular order. (seriously, I didn't even realize I read them until I started looking at my Kindle archives, my bookshelf, and some random memories I also didn't exacly recall until I concentrated extra-special hard :) (yes, some are adult fiction, some are memoirs, some are YA and some are MG. No, I did not indicate. Click on it, you might like it. :) (and yes, I indicated which ones I won through the blogosphere. because blogs are super cool like that) (and yes, I accidentally bought a pretty smutty romance book that I did, in fact, read. no, I will not tell you which one. well, maybe, if you ask...)

(all links take you to Amazon)

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (won in a blog contest)

The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner (Gae's a friend of mine and I bought my own copy and gave several away, including one on our blog)

Rich Boys by Jenny O'Connell (won in a blog contest)

Marcelo in the Real World by Fransisco X. Stork (won in a blog contest)

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean Auel (got from my hubby for Christmas 'cuz he's cool like that)

Rich and Mad by William Nicholson (won in a blog contest)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (won in a blog contest)

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

(memoir my teaching assistant lent me about the Holocaust - totally can't find the name right now)

Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Writing Fiction For All You're Worth by James Scott Bell

There might be more. There most certainly are more. For all you aspiring authors out there, I am so, so sorry. May no one read your book that is so forgetful as me (unless they pay for it, of course!!).

Oh, wait, I had a point in all this. Let's see if I can find it. Oh, wait, here it is:

Ha, you weren't expecting that, were you? Cuties!

my mistakes

2012-01-12T05:00:00.003-06:00

The other day I posted some of the major no-nos (in this post) I've learned through reading line edits by my (uber super and wonderful and awesome and inspiring and brilliant) CP and through critiquing other people's writing (and my own). I didn't finish. I also thought it'd be nice to show you places in my ms where wordiness clunked up my sentences, slowed down action, and added to the word count in a way that wasn't necessary.

It amazed me how my CP could take my sentences, my paragraphs, my pages--my story and clear it of wordiness to make it say what it was supposed to say. Without the garbage words, the pages became clean, sharp and to the point. She made the voice of my characters, rather than the voice of a newbie writer, shine, stand out, obvious.

(Note--I say newbie. I don't know what that term means to you. For me, it means I've actually passed through the brand new novice writer stage. I'm a real writer now BECAUSE I'm no longer hung up on all the things I used to be hung up on. When I write, I write. I can actually critique writing now, including my own. I know what to look for. When I write, I can write better the first time around. It will still need CPs and betas and revision and editing and WORK, but it's better than the process I went through with my very first ms.)

I can add more to this bullet point from the other day:

Stick to BIG. ACTION. IMMEDIACY. (I DON'T mean shoot-em up, explosions and run from the bad guy kind of action. I mean active writing. Active actions.)

And this one:

You can elimintate words. You can.

Because I did. Here are a few examples from my manuscript. (These are probably not the best examples. I have so many places where I eliminated unnecessary words or needed to make my writing more active. But I hope you get the idea. Learn to recognize wordiness and passive writing in your manuscript and get rid of it!)

ORIGINAL:

“You heard already that he went out with some woman, Kellie.” She waited, but I did little other than hint at a nod, so she continued .

CP REVISION:

“You heard that he went out with Kellie.” I nodded slightly, so she continued.

ORIGINAL:

His lips widened into a full-blown smile and he turned it toward me.
CP REVISION:
His lips widened into a full-blown smile and he turned toward me.

ORIGINAL:

“You don’t know why you said horrid things? Or you don’t know why I’ve been nice?”

            Looking at him confused my thoughts and feelings. [O3] “Um. I don’t know. All of it. Any of it. I guess you’re just a nice guy so I’m sure you’re nice to everyone.” I continued to clutch my backpack, but one hand fretted with the hair on the side of my head.

CP REVISION:
     “You don’t know why you said horrid things? Or you don’t know why I’ve been nice?”
      “Um. I don’t know. All of it. Any of it. I guess you’re just a nice guy so I’m sure you’re nice to everyone.” I continued to clutch my backpack, but one hand fretted with the hair on the side of my head.

[O3]Let her words speak for her here.

ORIGINAL: My chest seemed to heave with each breath I took and my heart was beating so fast I could hardly hear him.

CP REVISON: My chest heaved with each breath I took. My heart beat so hard I could barely hear him.

ORIGINAL:

I wondered what it would feel like had I the chance [O1] to brush them aside with my own hand.

[O1]Skip and get right to the action.

CP REVISION:

I wondered what it would feel like to brush them aside with my own hand.

ORIGINAL:

I knelt in front of my locker and rummaged through the contents of the bottom shelf: a leftover lunch bag, one of the novels from the book store, my running shoes, and a sweatshirt that had fallen off its hook, [O1] all of which [O2] formed an ant hill of sorts within which I hoped tunneled an opening that held my cell phone[O3] .

[O1]Don’t need it.

[O2]delete

[O3]I would simplify this a bit “where I hoped I would find my cellphone.”

CP REVISION:
I knelt in front of my locker and rummaged through the contents of the bottom shelf: a leftover lunch bag, one of the novels from the book store, my running shoes, and a sweatshirt. Somewhere in the mess I hoped to find my cell phone.

What are you waiting for? Go! Write! Critique! Revise!
~christy

ABNA

2012-01-10T05:00:00.001-06:00

ABNA = Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

You have nothing to lose by entering (seriously, nothing. it's free). So get your 300-word pitch (don't worry about the description, it can be the same as your pitch), your 3,000-5,000 word excerpt (which you've already perfected), and your ms ready to submit. Submissions open on January 23rd. Details here.

I didn't finish the novel I wanted to submit. Or the other one I decided to switch over to writing when I didn't finish the other one. So I'm submitting the same as last year. And you know what? I'm giving myself permission. The others will be finished soon and I WILL NOT feel bad about it.

There. I feel better. (any confessions? or contests? or words that don't begin with c? leave them in the, well, comments!)

surprise!

2012-01-09T09:15:00.003-06:00

Well. Hello there.

holy crap. a post from christy. i know. it's hard to believe, but here i am!!!!

I've got to have something in this rusty brain to share with you.

Something bookish.

Or writerly.

Something other than tales of heaping laundry piles, baby throw up, and late-night feeding infomercials. (By the way, there's nothing like channels and channels of beachbody and 60 day buns and 90 day abs and toned bodies to make me want to hit the treadmill.)

(Please, somebody out there tell me you had 3 or more kids and it took longer for your stomach to lose the hard,round baby bump but that you lost all the weight and then some and now look model-like....)

And besides all that.

I haven't written anything new. I totally miss writing. I've been busy revising after my CP sent me amazing notes and suggestions and edits. I'm still contemplating a tiny rearrange of scenes at the end of the manuscript so that the climax scene is a little closer to the final resolution and end of the story. Right now, it's a few chapters too far away and therefore the chapters after are anti-climatic and may lose the reader.

I've also been critiquing some writing. Since revising and critiquing is how I've been spending the majority of my writing time, I'll share some of the major things I've learned through my CP's notes to me about my writing and from critiquing other writer's work:

Leave off sentence starters like -I feel, I see, I hear, I feel, I decided....to keep the writing active. Instead of "I decided to call the snot and tell her off once and for all." Just have the character make the call. "I called the snot to tell her off once and for all." Instead of "I saw her sitting in the front row." Write "She sat in the front row." The reader KNOWS it's what your character saw, felt, was thinking, etc.
You can elimintate words. You can. Offer to critique someone else's chapters. Be a beta-reader for someone. It's so much easier to see wordiness in others writing. Then, when you go back to your own, you'll be amazed at how much easier it is to edit it. In one of my revision sessions, after receiving notes from my cp (line by line edits) I cut over 300 words from ten -fifteen pages. That's a lot considering the words I cut were of the short variety: then, if, it, and, instead, just, really, as, I, etc. Because in our writing, as newbies, we try to be OVERLY descriptive and detailed. But what we really do is repeat reapeat. We are repetetive. We say the same thing over and over again. We share every minute detail of our character's moments. This leads to my next bullet.
Stick to BIG. ACTION. IMMEDIACY. (I DON'T mean shoot-em up, explosions and run from the bad guy kind of action. I mean active writing. Active actions.) erica once mentioned in a post how many times her character breathed. Yes, romantic stories tend to have lots of breathing. Don't do it. I breathed. I sucked in a breath. I sighed. He sighed. We all sighed together. I gasped. I batted my eyes at him. I looked at him through my eyelashes. We stared at each other. I glanced at him. Oh, yes. We look at our love interested a lot too. I walked into a room. I sat down. I picked up a pencil. WHOOP DE DOO! Seriously. How exciting are those last few sentences? First, eye contact and breathlessness CAN add to tension. Once or twice in a story. Overdo it and well, it doesn't. Boring actions are...boring. Don't tell us your character walked in a room. Tell us what he/she was thinking about while walking in. Don't TELL us what he/she SAW. SHOW us what he/she saw or heard or felt.
Only describe the important details. DON'T describe every minute detail of a setting unless it's important. Of course we want to be able to picture the scene. Do it concisely. We DON'T need to know how many knives and forks and spoons and flower petals are on the dining room table. A brief description of the coloring and types of materials and wood are enough to orient us and give us a $en$e of who might live in that house. Make sure the descriptions matter and tell us something important about a character.
Okay, I probably have more...but I've gotten wordy again.

Happy Monday, reading, writing, revising and critiquing to you!

Off to feed a hungry baby and play Star Wars and army guys!

~christy

We've got a winner, folks

2012-01-06T15:00:00.004-06:00

So, it was christy's birthday on Wednesday and erica has to pay for it. haha, kidding. (erica is older than christy, so she pays for it each day. sigh)

(great, now I'm laughing about talking about myself in 3rd person. it's been a tough week back at school, folks.)

Wait, what were we talking about? Ah, yes, winners. I gots me one. The person who gets to choose between uber-exciting $10 gift certificates from either Dairy Queen or Amazon (as chosen by the monkeys who know how to pick a number out of a hat over at random.org) is....

#2!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO #2!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wait a minute. This #2 follows our blog? I had no idea! (#can'tstoplaughingatmyownpoopiejoke)

okay, maybe not this one, er, #2

It's this one. And yes, we love her even more than the, um, other one. or two (way more).

Yay Carol!! We'll email you the deets!

Photo Card

2012-01-05T09:49:00.001-06:00

Initially Boy Baby Announcements

Customize your own unique baby announcements with Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

erica's a terrible friend and how you can benefit

2012-01-04T16:18:00.000-06:00

Crappity crap crap. I, erica, forgot christy's birthday. It's today. Here, have some cake:

So, um, yeah, I owe her big time. Which of course means you all get something, too.

Respond to this post by saying "Happy birthday Christy! (and please forgive erica)"* and you're eligible for your choice of a $10 Amazon gift card or a $10 Dairy Queen gift card (hey, at least somebody could get ice cream cake out of this deal). Since I'm guessing Christy has plans tonight (really, she didn't tell me. probably waiting to see if I actually forgot, which, um, yeah, I did), we'll leave this open for 48 hours and announce the randomly chosen winner on Friday.

Oh, and Happy Birthday Christy!!

*you don't really have to say that last part. but feel free if you'd like to help a girl out. :)

announcing_sawyer

2011-12-29T10:07:00.003-06:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

I'm not lost! This is Christy. I'm home. I'm well. I'm beyond blessed!

Besides lots of feedings and cleaning up after Christmas (we had too many toys BEFORE opening up all of the new toys...Goodwill, here we come!), I've been querying and critiquing. Next week, I'm looking forward to getting back into writing. I have a WIP to continue and a companion novel to the one I'm querying I'm excited to plot out!

I realized recently that although we share lots of advice on querying--most of which says to ONLY include what happens in the first 50 pages of your novel in the query--, I haven't actually taken that advice. My queries have included the main characters, the inciting incident, a few key events and then I jump to the climax and the stakes. Since the climax occurs around page 170 of my novel, that's hardly following the advice we've been given and have handed out.

I was also using the climax as my hook. Whoops. Plus, shouldn't the hook be in the first para? Well, I still don't think I have one of those (I have the first para, of course, just not the hook), but last night I scanned the first 50 pages of my novel and wrote a query that truly encompassed them. I don't know how good it is, but at least I'm doing what I'm told. (Something I constantly tell my kids and students to do. ("Follow directions!") Teachers are the worst listeners, I tell you!

Have a happy and blessed week. I'll be back again soon, I'm sure.

Merry Christmas to all of our friends

2011-12-25T09:37:00.001-06:00

Sorry, I'm a little late this morning. We had a wonderful candlelight service at church last night followed by a prime rib dinner at my sister-in-law's house. It was a wonderful Christmas Eve (although my husband had to work - boo). Then an early morning to get the new TV put together after my husband got home. Now the kids are playing their new Wii game (Harry Potter Lego Years 5-7) on the new TV, my hubby's in bed (he didn't get home until 6:15 am because some dumb guy decided it would be fun to drive past Wal-Mart security at 4:30 on Christmas morning and had to be detained by said hubby), the turkey is roasting (yes, I know, turkey's for Thanksgiving, but for some reason this year we flip-flopped and had ham in November and turkey in December), and I'm drinking Snickerdoodle coffee and wishing you and yours a merry, merry.

I have no idea where christy is. Probably entertaining that baby that keeps taking up all her time. ;) Let's hope you're not stuck with me and my random thoughts for the next 8 weeks!

Joy to the World, the Lord is Come! It is a belief that christy and I share and we hope you find faith in your heart on this Christmas day and every day beyond. Merry Christmas, friends.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. - Dr. Seuss

A baby has joined us

2011-12-21T19:30:00.000-06:00

note: this is not our actual baby

Christy did it. Sawyer John made his way into this world on December 21, 2011 at 2:54 pm. He weighed 7 lbs, 2 oz., measured 20.5 inches - and won hearts the moment he appeared. Mom and son are resting and loving and hugging and smiling and introducing and...they're fine. Probably (definitely) more than fine.

Merry Christmas (and if you're christy - get some sleep!)!

Merry Christmas (and every thing else you celebrate this holiday season)!!

2011-12-19T05:00:00.001-06:00

This week we're gearing up for the big holiday break by making crafts with our students, decorating our houses with our kids, and celebrating with our families.

Oh yeah, and Christy's family is about to get a little bigger. Remember that baby bump? It's scheduled to come out on Wednesday. er, he's scheduled to come out on Wednesday. Yay! Yay! Yay!!

Wishing all of you the most blessed and happy season of all. We'll see in you in 2012. (and probably a few times in between) Thank you so much for being our friends!! Here, watch a video:

I love this so much I might not even mind being their neighbors.

a list of recent faves: LINKS FOR YOU

2011-12-15T21:08:00.007-06:00

---as in posts or sites i've recently saved in my favorites. enjoy!

Susan Says: Revision, or Helping Me Help You!

Wild About Words: 40 Reasons I Love S.C.B.W.I.

Miss Snark's First Victim: Baker's Dozen: Reasons for Rejection

Jill Corcoran Books: Activate Your Story

Oasis for YA: Writer's Wednesday: The First 250

Roni Loren-Fiction Groupie: The (Not So) Dreaded Synopsis: 5 Tips To Set You Free

Kathleen Ortiz: Synop-what?

The Creative Penn: Self-Publishing and the Definition of an Indie Author

How I Became a Best Selling Author

happy friday to you all! have a wonderful weekend. i hope you get your shopping and wrapping done (if those things are on your to do list!) otherwise, write, eat and put your feet up!

~christy

Wow, that's bad

2011-12-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

I recently re-read the beginning of my first completed novel-length ms. Not the first draft - oh, no, that thing has long been deleted (although the long hand version still exists somewhere in the depths of my storage room). It was, um, well, yeah - bad.

And I'm almost positive that it's the version that went out to an agent when I got a partial request on my very first query (on an ms that had been revised and beta-read - yes, I'm a rule follower).

I had the dream. A book that would defy the odds and get published at record pace WITH ONLY ONE QUERY!!!!!

yes, I know. I'm experiencing some embarrassed laughter for me, too.

Here it is. Some stats on my very first - um, well, okayillsayit, bad - first page. Revealing more than the first page might give you a stroke and I can't be held responsible for that. (you know this is erica, right?)

Okay, wait. First I have a couple of awards to give out:

Best dialogue tag ever in a YA novel while the mc is having a temper tantrum: "...my mother replied with a tired voice." (because yes, you'd totally notice that)

Best trait to get someone to want to read your YA romance: mc has a temper tantrum on the first page (but dang it, it was a good one. and totally justified.)

Most -ly words ever used in a sentence that has been revised several times to delete all -ly words: Unfortunately, her face was starting to turn a shade of red she usually saved for unruly clients.

Okay, fine, now for some stats.

Number of -ly words that had been previously edited out but somehow stubbornly remained (crap, there's another one. but stubbornly totally needs to be in that sentence) (crap again) (smile): 7

Amount of times a person growls (I mean, people growl, right??): 1

How many times the 17-year-old mc says something that makes someone else think she's acting like a baby (even though the author was very clever in making the adults either roll their eyes at her, grin at her knowingly, or tell her she's acting like a baby to conceal the truth): 3

My personal favorite - how many times I used the word "I": 11

God, I'm glad I'm not an agent/editor/someonewhoreadscrapforalivingwhilelookingforajewel.

Come on, share 'em in the comments. Any cringe-worthy submissions of your own??

a picture is worth a thousand words, but takes so much less time to read

2011-12-14T05:00:00.003-06:00

christy with sawyer john (a.k.a the ball-like figure under her shirt)

*oh, and the candles behind me aren't really crooked. i don't think...

my five-year-old son took the picture for me. (he's not crooked either.)

the camera. it was the camera that was held at a slant.

well, this is your blog post for today.
i had planned something else to chat at you about, but you get this instead. i'm laundried, shopped, graded, planned, revised, queried and packed out. i'm taking a break tonight and am going to lay/lie in my bed. (i had the whole lay/laid/lie thing figured out, but i guess i forgot it again.)

i'm 38 weeks pregnant...and as you can see...huge. i walk s-l-o-w-l-y. i get sympathetic smiles everywhere i go. the people at work beg me to take the elevator--i refuse to do this.

i am was (will be again) a runner.

take a break if you need one. or get your work done. totally up to you.

whatever you choose, have a great time doing it!

How to Never Finish a Book

2011-12-12T05:00:00.001-06:00

1. Become addicted to anything besides writing. The interwebs make this especially easy. So does deciding to catch up on past seasons of ~~Sons of Anarchy~~ any TV series you're behind on that looks remotely interesting and/or has hot guys in it.

2. Start a WIP that's full of voice. Make it mostly dialogue and add in lots of characters and then twist the plot several times to the point where you have no idea who half the people are or what they're doing. But it would make a really good movie, so keep thinking it over and delete parts and copy and paste. There's a chance you can use it later.

3. Delete your 1/2 done WIP and start over. Better yet, do this every time you get over 10,000 words.

4. Sign your kids up for every sport available. Make sure they're not located in the same town. Also, it's best if they're on at least 3 different days of the week.

5. Volunteer to be on committees and teach Sunday School.

6. Take on extra responsibilities at work. I recommend volunteering to teach regular ed. AND special ed. while also functioning as department manager.

7. Buy a 600+ page book to read. Better yet, make it a series of long books. Harry Potter, Twilight, and Clan of the Cave Bear would all be appropriate for this task.

8. It's best if your family and your in-laws live far apart so that you can maximize travel time during the holidays.

9. Work opposite shifts as your spouse so that you're always either at work or home alone with the kids (or entertaining your spouse for the one night a week you see each other).

And so, by following these simple tips, you too can never finish a book. Good luck!

Blog Tour: SPECIAL EDITION!

2011-12-10T05:00:00.052-06:00

We are so excited to be a part of Heather McCorkle's Blog Tour this month! She's an amazing blogger, talented writer, and, above all, a generous person. The proof is in the blog tour she's doing to benefit endangered species. To take part, read the information below and you, too, can help these beautiful creatures.

A special edition of Heather McCorkle’s The Secret Of Spruce Knoll is releasing from Compass Press this month and she’s doing a special tour to go along with it. The special part, a percentage of the proceeds from every special edition sold (in every format) between its release date and 12-12-2012, will go toward Heather’s favorite charity that protects endangered species. Her goal is to make at least $10,000 for the charity.

Of course there are prizes during the tour which goes from December 1^st through the 17^th. Prizes include:

a symbolic endangered species adoption of the winner’s choice (a $50 donation by Heather to the charity for the endangered species of the winner’s choice )
a cute stuffed animal for the winner
signed copies of her novels
great swag

For full details, and to enter, go here. http://heathermccorkle.blogspot.com Check out her recent posts with links to all the other tour stops. There are many animals besides the one we're featuring that need our help!

For the tour Heather has asked each blog host to pick their favorite endangered species. We chose the emerald hummingbird.

Christy: Hummingbirds are magical. This past summer I finally bought a hummingbird feeder and sat watching it faithfully. I only spotted a couple all summer long. Mostly, I fed the thirsty bees in my neighborhood. While the emerald hummingbird does not live near me in Wisconsin, please help us protect this amazingly enchanging bird!

Erica: The hummingbird feeders at my house have attracted a number of ruby-throated hummingbirds, including a couple that have nested in the same tree for the past few years. (and yes, a number of hornets, too - not to mention ants). My kids have always been fascinated by the little creatures and continue to argue about whether or not they can pet one!

Heather: This breathtaking hummingbird lives in the arid thorn-forests and scrub of Honduras. Honestly, I had no idea such a beautiful bird existed before this tour and now to find out that it's critically endangered is so sad.

THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL

Some secrets change your life, others change your world. Discover the secret.

Immerse yourself in the story of Eren Donovan as she uncovers the secrets of her new town, Spruce Knoll. The more she learns about the people of Spruce Knoll, and herself, the more she knows she must try to save the world from its fate: total destruction. Through it all, she faces loss, death and love. Only time will tell if Eren has the power to protect the people she has come to love.

This is a special edition that contains an extra chapter and deleted material not published in the Abbott Press version. But what makes this version special is that a percentage of the proceeds from every copy of the special edition sold~digital and bound book~will go to my favorite charity that specializes in protecting endangered species.

To be a part of the solution for these animals, buy THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL. To purchase it as an eBook just click on a link below!

click right here: to buy from amazon

or here: to buy from barnes and noble

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Together we can make a difference (and enjoy a great book)!

Holy crappoli

2011-12-08T05:00:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm here. Seriously, are you sick of me (erica) posting how busy I am? The answer is: Yes, yes I am. er, we are. Hence the title of today's post. Holy crappoli. Yeah. Well. Here is my post...

There's snow here. Lots of it. It's a freaking Winter Wonderland in West-Central Wisconsin. Do I have pictures? No, of course I don't. My camera's charger isn't working and I have to order another one before Christmas. Yep, holy crappoli. (I know, it's a weird phrase. please stick with me. or at least don't abandon me. I'm hanging on a thread here...)

that's totally what it looks like

Okay, fine. I'll show you why I'm stressed (okay, one reason. which isn't really a reason. but still.)

Yep, this is my driveway. (last year, but whatever. Holy crapoli, it's not easy to make your way down that.)

Okay, fine. I've been reading books and watching movies and living life and working work. So, well, I offer you one last image. That of my youngest son, who truly is a snow angel. (Holi crapoli. don't tell my husband I posted this. thanks.)

Recent Reads-- With Reviews!

2011-12-05T05:00:00.002-06:00

I've been reading one YA Contemporary after another these past two months and what I've found is that it's true: Many contemporary novels for teens deal with friendship issues. And boy issues. So, are those plots overdone? Or are they just what happens to be realistic in the world of Teen?

Without adding any paranormal elements into my own contemporary novel (with friend and boy and parent issues), what I need to do is this: make my MC different. Make her a page-turning MC. Make her the difference. How can I get the reader to care about her when they've already read about a dozen other MCs with the same dilemmas in their lives?

(I so hope you are NOT expecting an answer here. Not today anyways!)

Because those are the questions circling round and round in my brain these days.

So while I contemplate and frustrate and try not to regurgitate (plot lines)...I'll share these three novel reviews with you. I hope you have time to enjoy one or all of them! (Er, not just the reviews, but the actual books!)

GETTING CAUGHT

by Mandy Hubbard and Cyn Balog

This story is about two girls who used to be the best of friends, but due to a misunderstanding, become enemies. Not speaking is beyond these two. They take no longer being friends to a level that is page-turning and funny--at the same time that it's pitiful and saddening. They are horrible to each other, but it's worth it to see how they up the stakes for each prank they pull to make the other miserable.

The book is told from alternating POVs and I loved getting inside each girl's head to find how they really felt about their lives and their ex-friend. There's a wonderful romance blossoming for one of the girls too, and I don't know about you, but it's love that makes the world go round. I mean makes pages turn. This was a fast read and even though it centered around a friendship gone bad, the plot was uniquely done as were each of the characters' voices.

PERFECT YOU
by Elizabeth Scott

The MC of this book has to deal with it all--parent issues, an ex-best friend who can't stop breaking her heart, and trying to figure out if the "hot, everyone wants him boy" is really interested in her or not. Yup. Another YA contemporary novel. See? It can be done in oh so many ways!

The unique aspect of this book is in the family situation. Her dad quits his lucrative, reliable job to live his dream--and sell vitamins in a stand at the mall. What's worse, she has to help him every spare chance she gets. All the while, her ex-best friend is living it up with the most popular girls in school and ignoring her.

I liked that this book showed the reality of how everyone has their own struggles, their own agendas and most times it's hard to make it all mesh. Nobody can make the others understand. There won't always be a happily ever after. Although, some parts of her life will work out and leave you saying ahhhh as you close the book for the final time.

This was another fast read and another book that made me say....sugar, maybe the long-time best friend gone bad because they've grown apart and now one is super mean and nasty and the other needs to get a backbone thing is all been there done that..... Sigh.

SOPHIE AND CARTER
by Chelsea Fine

First Lines:

I’m late for English.

This is not uncommon. I have a tendency to doddle at lunch. ‘Doddle’ is a word my mom would use when she wanted to call me lazy. I never use it out loud, but I use it a lot in my head.

LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK!

Each chapter alternates between the POVs of Sophie and Carter. Their lives are NOT typical. Each wears a mask at school, never letting the other kids know what kind of lives they lead at home. Carter supports his mother who has fallen apart after the devastation his abusive father left behind. Sophie is raising her brothers and sister on her own. The two are neighbors and the only happy time either have is the time they spend on her porch swing each night.

The two are best friends who rely on each other and I fell in love with each of them while inside the pages of their stories!

People are strong

2011-12-02T05:00:00.001-06:00

Strange things happen no matter who or where you are. You can use these to your advantage. After everyone has been determined alive, that is.

Take today.

I (erica) teach preschool (special ed and Head Start). This is my 15th year of teaching. But today (well, yesterday, by your standards), this happened:

It was someone's birthday. Not just anyone's, but one of the most vocal, most happiest, most cutest ever (yes, I can say that, I'm a preschool teacher and everyone is the most cutest, but most especially this one) girl's. She brought Caramel Apple suckers. You know them. They're awesome.

AND THEN????? (dum dum dum dum) (that was supposed to be a drum roll, not a declaration) One of the other girls - who has special needs but can eat everything anyone else eats - clamped down on hers. Like this:

well, but cute. and around a caramel apple sucker.

So, no problem, right?? Just open her mouth and get the sucker out.

That's when it gets tricky. And erica gets scared. Because, see, the teeth can not be opened. The sucker can not be dislodged. erica has now seen this child's death a million times in her mind. Trust me, if you imagine it, you can come up with a million ways to die by sucker.

THIS GOES ON FOR 15 MINUTES.

At which time erica and her aide put said child in a car (yes, in a car seat in a school van, don't you worry now - ha) and take her to the nearest dentist BECAUSE SERIOUSLY SOMEONE HAS TO UNSTUCK THIS CHILD'S TEETH BEFORE SHE DIES!!! (and by she, mostly at this point I mean me - erica - because the heart is seriously going haywire at this point)

The dentist tells me it will dissolve. Seriously. After half an hour of clamped jaw, he tells me it will go away on its own.

I'm dying a little bit more each second. Because what will dissolve first - the inside or the outside??

And who can do the heimlich on a little girl whose teeth ARE CLAMPED SHUT TIGHT????

Okay, fine - it all turned out. The sucker dissolved, mostly. Her mouth opened. I saw the sucker (with part of the stick) go down her throat and plucked it out with the tips of my fingers. In her throat. Umm, yeah.

SOOO!!!!!

Don't be worried to make weird things happen in your novels. Weird things happen all the time. And THANK THE LORD we mostly make it out alive.

Oh, did I mention that shortly after my dentist visit with my little cutie patootie, a mad/drunk/drugged man walked down THE SAME STREET waving a gun and threatening to shoot anyone in sight, prompting a big man hunt, complete with agents and assault rifles? Yep. And I live in a town with less than 1,000 people.

Feel free to use that in your next book. I know I can't. No one would believe me. ;)

Look!

2011-11-30T05:00:00.004-06:00

YOU WANT TO READ THIS BLOG POST because

-you want to increase your daily word count
-you want to double your daily word count
-you want a formula for success
-you want to write 10k/day
-you want to write more efficiently
-you want to eliminate crap scenes from your writing
-you love inspirational blog posts

YOU WANT TO READ THIS BLOG POST because

-you love art
-you love to combine images with the ideas and characters of your novel
-you need a new and creative blog post idea
-you love matching actors' faces with your characters' faces
-beautiful images are your muse
-you are creative
-you wish you were creative
-you love the idea of creating a collage that represents your writing

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO BUY THE CHILDREN IN YOUR LIFE FOR CHRISTMAS

-so go to these sites, order and have the gifts sent right to their doorstep so their parents can wrap them for you!

melissa and doug puppet theater (go ahead, spoil them rotten!)

melissa and doug floor puzzles (beginner, intermediate, and a little more challenging)

alex toys (bath toys, art toys, educational toys, etc)

YOU LOVE CHEESE! EVERYONE YOU LOVE LOVES CHEESE!

-okay, so another shameless plug for my father-in-law's cheese store: Springside Cheese--family owned, Wisconsin-made cheese!

(YOU CAN ORDER ONLINE! AND HAVE THE CHEESE SHIPPED! THEY HAVE GIFT BOXES!).

Best cheese EVER. REALLY. I KID YOU NOT! Squeakiest, freshest CHEESE CURDS!

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

and...just for no reason at all. i leave you with this.

Sorry, I got distracted

2011-11-29T05:00:00.003-06:00

The latest Black Friday sale resulted in my husband getting the 3rd season of Sons of Anarchy for really, really cheap. And letting me watch it.

So blame them. Black Friday. Whoever that may be. Or look at this. He's to blame for me not being able to blog. Never mind. Just look at this:

Holy crap. I mean, really.

Kill me now. I'll still be happy.

I just died. Good bye, cruel world.

It's good I'm dead. I won't know what I'm missing.

I was wondering....

2011-11-28T05:00:00.003-06:00

When you are critiquing someone's writing, and you tell them it's well written, what, exactly, are you saying? What facet of that person's writing are you referring to? Or does your "well written" comment vary from writer to writer? Do you sometimes mean its grammatically well written and other times think the voice is right on? Can you tell they did a sound -ly search and omitted all extraneous adverbs and adjectives? Are the sentences clear and concise?

What does well written mean to you?

(And for those of you with hyphen issues, like me, I had to look this up.

This book is well written. (The compound modifier comes after the noun, so no hyphen.)

This is a well-written book. (The compound modifier comes before the noun, so it gets a hyphen.

Hyphenate the elements of a compound modifier only if that modifier precedes the noun.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1131926)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T05:00:00.001-06:00

Taking a little break to enjoy family, go shopping, do some writing, and eat some turkey. Happy Thanksgiving to all our fellow-United-Statesians. (ha) And happy weekend to everyone else!

all turkey phots courtesy of photobucket

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Go Pack Go!!!!

don't forget to get your title critiqued

2011-11-22T05:00:00.010-06:00

I didn't nest at the end of my first two pregnancies. I think I'm making up for it this time around. Yes, I have triple nesting syndrome. And let me tell you trying to scrub and scour, especially those hard to reach places that I haven't cleaned in way too long for me to mention here, is not only exhausting but extremely difficult with this HUGE, and by huge I mean GINOROMOUS stomach. In the past two days the baby must have doubled in size. I'm NOT exaggerating. No kidding.

I am being induced on December 21. Unless he decides to come earlier than that. He'll be 39 weeks that day. I'm not placing any bets that he'll come earlier.

Feel free to.

And there is no way to tie that info to writing. So I'm just going to switch topics now.

We've covered TITLES on this blog before because we were surprised to learn over the summer (@ WOC and I believe through a query contest @ Mother. Write. Repeat with agent Sara LaPolla) that TITLES MATTER. We always figured they'll be changed later so why spend a heck of a lot of time sweating over the title.

BUT if our last post on how titles matter didn't convince you, maybe this post (by agent Suzie Townsend ) will. See it here. (And yes, apparently she requested 37 manuscripts from her last query contest. Mine was not one of them. Remember? YA contemporary is too hard to sell right now. (Especially mine because it does not stand out in a crowd. *sniff*)

Personally, I love choosing my title. Unfortunately, once I choose one (usually before I begin writing or shortly after getting going), and it stays the same. I grow attached.

I figure the best thing to do is choose a fitting title it when the novel is all said and done, but since when do I listen to my own advice?

I've recently started hanging out and posting stuff at Query Tracker (Did you know they had forums there? I didn't. They're nice and very helpful.) Besides just critiquing my query, one person commented on my title and why it didn't work for them. Nobody has ever commented on my title before, so it was a bit of an eye opener for me. It made me realize that people will have an opinion on it and it may determine whether or not they choose to read/crit my stuff.

The same goes for agents.

So, put a little extra thought into how your title represents AND SELLS your manuscript!

Your First Time

2011-11-21T05:00:00.001-06:00

Remember your first?

It doesn't matter what "first" you thought of when you read that question - obviously you remembered it. First contest, first trophy, first crush, first kiss, first - um, we'll stop there.

It's deer hunting season in WI (and if you are totally opposed to hunting, still feel free to read on and comment - and also read my note below). This morning, (it's Sunday and I'm hoping for the best with the darn Blogger scheduling system THAT USED TO WORK AND NOW NEVER DOES) my son took his first shots at a deer (he did shoot a turkey last spring). The adrenalin hit and his arms and legs started twitching and his mouth wouldn't stop smiling and his fingers wouldn't stop pulling the trigger.

Seven shots. Zero hits.

It's okay, girlie. Head on home.

First times are awkward and uncomfortable and absolutely the most exciting moments of your life (so far).

Now, to apply that to writing (you knew I would). Think of your first story. Your first 20,000 word completion. Your first *gulp* draft of a full ms. Your first *double gulp* beta. Full edit.

Query.

Exciting? Hell yes.

Now use that energy and get out there. Again and again and again. Someday, your arms might stop twitching and your smile might fade - but that's when it can happen. Don't lose hope. Sometimes, your next ~~deer~~ big opportunity is hiding just behind what appears to be a closed door.

And don't be afraid to twitch a little. :)

note: I understand the theories behind not being supportive of hunting. I myself do not hunt, although I married into a hunting family and have relatives of my own that do. I also live on a farm and we practice good management. We also eat the meat harvested and if there's extra, donate it to families in need. These are all good things. Trust me.

note #2: my son is 10 years old. To learn more about the WI mentoring system that allows 10-year-olds to hunt, please click here. I was not completely supportive of this at first. But for my family, it's working. As usual with new regulations, your mileage may vary. :)

one of the reasons i suck at writing queries

2011-11-19T05:00:00.004-06:00

Um...and querying. Yup, it's me, Christy with her one-track mind. (Not that kind of one-track mind....get yours out of the gutter. I'm almost nine months pregnant, which means huge and uncomfortable. Jeesh.)

query, query, query. if you're sick of this topic, sorry (BUT, there's a chance i'll switch topics at some point in this post. i may have a one-track mind, but it's also hard to stay focused on any one thing for too, too long these days.)

one of the reasons i suck at querying is...

i still have no confidence when it comes to writing one.

so, i love every single version i create...until it gets a critique or a rewrite.

then, i'm like, oh, yeah, you're so right. ack, it's ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE! i SO see what's wrong with it now!!!! (i was like so blind before!)

(trash it.) (rewrite it.) (send it out to people who may or may not be sick of seeing the 167th version of shelby's query)

another critique comes in. this time a rewrite by a stranger on a forum! (fresh eyes. yes!) ooooh, this version is GREAT! why couldn't i put it like that! (i use the rewrite in its entirety.) was it even in my MC's voice? probably not. who knows, really. i lose shelby's voice sometimes when i'm in the midst of query drafting.

(to be totally honest, i lose a bit of my MIND when query drafting!)

(do you wonder why i punctuate even though i don't capitalize?---see, that's me getting off-track.) shh, don't tell christy I added this - but why does she capitalize WORDS when she doesn't capitalize letters? these are things I want to know. er - erica

(am i even supposed to hyphenate one-track and off-track?)

and that's my signal to sign off for this post.

more ~~query talk~~ ~~writing posts~~ ~~pregnancy updates~~ crazy blabbering to come from me next week

i bet you can't wait!!!

Oh, and anyone else having trouble with Blogger? We schedule our posts and they're not going up on time. Which accounts for us posting on random days and times. >:(

Sophomore Status and a Snippet

2011-11-17T05:00:00.002-06:00

I wrote my first completed ms in about 4 months, most of it longhand, before I got my laptop - while raising two kids and working full time. Sure, it took awhile to edit, but the idea was there, the desire was there, and I did it. Did I mention that I decided to write a book about 2 days before I started? Don't hate me. (I mean really, it isn't published yet. or even agented).

But you know what? Writing that second book is hard. I got half done with one, trashed it, started over, and got about a quarter through again. Then I started another one. And another. And, now, another.

So, well, here's a snippet of my newest. It's about a girl whose entire life changed when her older sister had something tragic happen (how's that for cryptic?). But it does go back to my 17-year-old girl voice, which I absolutely love. (and this is totally first draft. no editing or critquing necessary! God knows in 2 years when I finally decide I'm done, this part will no longer exist. ;) (and to continue the parentheses - wow I love this book) (and, oh, the mc's name is Sydney, aka Syd):

(the mc's sister, Devlyn, is a writer. yes, original, I know *shrugs shoulders* *smiles sheepishly* *wants to tell you Dev's also a really great painter, but feels weird now*):

I sat next to my big sister.

"Can I read it?"

"If you want to. I told Elizabeth I'd send it to her tonight if I could get it finished on time. Can you dye my hair later? This one's all faded."

"Sure, what color did you get?" Devlyn was crazy about her hair. She'd been every color of the rainbow, including this one phase where she made me streak it like a rainbow.

"There's a box in the bathroom. You can pick one if you want."

Mom glanced at the bathroom door and back at me. I shrugged an apology. Five years ago, when Dev lay on the bathroom floor, bloody and pukey and dying, my parents flipped out. Called 9-1-1 and then ran around crying and screaming. When I saw her, I hugged her and told her I loved her and didn't want her to ever leave me.

Now, I did the same thing every Monday.

"I wrote this poem about a girl with cancer. I read about her on the internet. She went through so much pain, yet had the best outlook on life ever. She deserved a poem about her, right?"

"Definitely. Read it to me when I get back," I said, walking out to get the box out of the hall bathroom we shared. Mom followed.

"What'd you do to make her mad this time?"

"She's hiding something, Syd. She was putting something in her closet when I walked in."

"Who cares? She's twenty years old and hardly ever goes anywhere or does anything. All her friends live inside her computer. Maybe she painted a picture of a guy or something. Let her have a little secret."

"Dr. Waverly says -"

"Dr. Waverly is paid to tell us to watch every little thing. That doesn't mean we have to freak out whenever one of them happens. Besides, she said she's sending a new poem to Elizabeth tonight. That's a good sign."

"There's a reading on Saturday that they're getting ready for."

"Even better. Dev's good when she's working. Plus, she wants to dye her hair again, so that's good. The green's been making me nauseous."

(ha, and you wondered why I made it such a weird color)

Any tips on finishing the second? Leave 'em below!!

DID YOU SEE IT YET? (and querying)

2011-11-15T05:00:00.003-06:00

While many are getting ready to see Breaking Dawn (part one), there's another movie you may be psyched to check out this upcoming spring. And now you can see more of it than you ever have before.

The trailer for THE HUNGER GAMES is out. And we have it for you. Right here.

QUERIES
They're all I think about lately. They're all I talk about. All the sites I link you to have to do with QUERYING.

While there's plenty out there telling us how to formulate those important paragraphs sharing our hook, characters, stakes, plot points, etc,.... what do we do with those "other" paragraphs? The ones that go before/after the paragraphs we sweat, bleed and cry over?

The personalization, novel info and bio paras? Hmmmm?

You don't want to make them too long. You don't want to add any irrelevant information. You shouldn't personalize it just for the sake of personalizing it. Meaning: don't just type out meaningless crap that you took only seconds to research. Take it from (click link) Mary Kole, "Just like with citing comparative titles, if you’re not going to do it well, don’t do it at all."

You don't want to comp titles/authors that are too well known. You don't want to use books published too long ago.

You don't want to include information about yourself that doesn't pertain to your novel, yet you want to give the agent a sense of who you are.

Many times there is a lot of conflicting advice floating around on agency websites, in agent interviews and on agent blogs, and in feedback from various agents.

What's a writer to do?

I think for us newbies, the best bet is to keep it short and simple.

DO personalize. BE specific. Tell the agent about a specific conference you attended with them and quote them. Tell them something they said that you connected with or felt was brilliant. Mention a specific blog post they wrote and how it helped you. Mention something they said in a specific interview. How did that comment/information lead you to believe you and the agent would be a perfect fit?

DO share about your education/studies in one sentence. DO share any published work you have, but INCLUDE the publisher, the date, the specific information.

DO state your novel's title, word count, genre, and intended audience.

DO comp your novel to others IF you can be specific. Does your novel match another author's voice? (Make sure it shows if you've included pages.) Does your MC have the same spunk as so and so's MC? Is there a conflict in your novel that matches the conflict in a published novel? Does the romanctic tension in your novel mirror that of a published novel? Does your world-building compare to another author's fantasy world?

HOWEVER. If comparing your novel to others out there, make sure your query shows how it will stand out next to all the novels already out there that have similarities. Otherwise, you know, it's like...yeah, been there, done that. Already published!

What's your advice to me on how to handle the beginning and end of my query? Where do you tend to put the novel information, at the beginning or the end? Why?

Got Football?

2011-11-14T05:00:00.001-06:00

It's been a pretty darn good year for Wisconsin sports. Although I won't lie, the fact that the Cardinals took the World Series ~~is killing me~~ stings a bit. BUT the Packers are right back where they finished last season - winning games and taking names. What are you doing tonight? How about a little football???

There are so many great plays in this, but I LOVE Clay Matthews at about 1:33

But who can watch football without snacks? And since we're watching Wisconsin vs. Minnesota, there HAS to be cheese involved. (I recommend deep fried cheese curds whenever you can get them, but since I've never made them, let's go with this) (then again, yesterday at a salad bar, I topped a piece of french bread with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon bits, so obviously I'm not picky about my snacks) Enjoy!

Super Easy Quesadillas

4 soft-shell tortillas (either spray with cooking spray or brushed with melted butter)

1/2 cup salsa

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or a cheddar/jack mix or for the adventurous, pepper jack

jalapeno slices (optional)

1/2 cup shredded chicken or smoked turkey (optional but highly recommended)

Place 2 tortillas side-by-side on cookie sheet. Top each with remaining ingredients and put another tortilla on top of each. Broil in oven, 5-6 inches from the heat for 3 minutes per side until golden brown and nice and cheesy. (I think you could also bake at 350 for 15 minutes, but haven't tried it) Provide salsa and sour cream for dipping.

OH and I can't forget - if you need Christmas presents for people you love, give cheese. Yes, cheese. Christy's inlaws can totally hook you up. Go here and try not to drool: Springside Cheese

I am Not Normal

2011-11-10T05:00:00.002-06:00

I spent the past five days in Vegas. Okay, 2 days in airports/airplanes and approximately the past 4.12 days in Vegas. Whatever.

I found out there that I am not normal.

Why?

I like to gamble (okay, that's not weird there). High stakes (you know, two dollars at a time). Without my husband. By myself. Alone.

Want to know what one guy said to me at the poker table after several hands that I won? If not, stop reading now. ;) 'Cuz I was kinda' proud.

Him: "Oh, you know how to speak?"
Me: "Why?"
Him: "You walked in here like you owned the place. Nice to know you can talk."

Thank you, writer friends. You helped me win at poker. Because, yeah, I can talk. But sometimes it's better to let the voices tell you things you never knew before...

Now forgive me. I played Texas Hold-Em for many, many hours this week. Including until 4:30 Tuesday morning, which left me with 3 hours of sleep before our flight back.

I'm sure my teaching skills were spot-on today. Yep. I'm sure.

Converse amongst yourselves. I'm taking a nap.

FREEBIES

2011-11-08T21:52:00.001-06:00

You're all always so helpful to us. You give us advice. You visit us. You say nice things. We <3 you completely.

Here are some FREE links to help you with ~~all~~ ~~many~~ some of your writing ~~wants~~ needs. We do what we can to keep you coming around.

Sorry. Did you think we were giving away free books? Maybe soon. Maybe sooooon.

READY TO SUBMIT A MANUSCRIIPT?
Check out this post @ BookEnds, LLC: SUBMISSIONS 101

WANT TO SEE ANOTHER QUERY CRITIQUE?
Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire has done one for you: THE SATURDAY SLASH

NEED SOME ADVICE FROM AN AMAZING AUTHOR?
Cassandra Clare links to some helpful information on writing, creating characters, building fantasy worlds, plot, dialogue, and getting published. GO HERE.

MORE QUERY ADVICE
From a helpful agent/author chat @ Mother. Write. (Repeat). HERE.
Here's a teaser. I found this advice particularly helpful: "That said, once you’re ready, I recommend drafting a concise query that doesn’t summarize the plot in step-by-step fashion but instead moves us through your story’s major movements and gives us a sense for how your characters arc. It’s so important, I think, to highlight in a query an emotional throughline for your story or protagonist--really, I don’t see enough queries that do. It’s the emotional arc (that runs alongside your story arc) that hooks me in a query, and which makes me want to read the book."--Michelle Andelman of Regal Literary

Do you like to give advice?

2011-11-07T05:00:00.003-06:00

Last spring erica and I met at a writing conference in Madison, WI. While we were there, we pitched our completed novels to several agents, each of whom requested pages. So far, none have panned out in offers of rep, although erica recently recieved a full request from one. :0)

One of the agents who was supposed to attend the conference had been unable to due to an illness or family emergency. Later, she was still unable to take our pitches via email, so the writer's institute had another agent take the email pitches in her place.

I'd forgotten all about those submissions until yesterday when the agent emailed me. She said she appreciated my pitch and my patience. She ended the short email message by saying she'd love to take a look at the first 50 pages of my manuscript.

I'm sure she's taking the pages to be polite, so it'll make it easier for me not to send them. (Keep in mind she does not (according to her agency's site) represent YA...which is what all of my manuscripts are. And I was clear about that in my pitch and brief description that I sent her.) However, I need some advice.

The reason I'm not sending the pages is because since pitching that particular novel (You may remember the one--Solstice.), I put it in a drawer--where it belongs. This past summer (after spending a year or so writing, rewriting and rewriting it again), I decided that since it was my very first novel ever, it just wasn't going to be good enough, marketable enough, publishable enough. Plus, after my final rewriting, I left it with about three plot holes, and when I decided to put it in the drawer, I just left those plot holes laying there (lying there?) without filling them in.

However.

I have since decided to make it (Solstice--(no longer the title btw)) a family saga. Only now I've begun my newest manuscript two generations before the "Solstice generation" (with the "backstory" of Solstice). What was Solstice will be a brand new ms (with the same general characters and plot) and will take place 60 some years in the future--the book after the one I'm currently writing. (You know, if all goes well with this one.) Anyways, I'm only 30 pages into my WIP (entitled HIDDEN CHARMS).

Do I tell the agent all of this? (You know, it'd be a shame to put to waste the chance to put 50 pages of my writing in an agent's hands....) (There's always the spin that she may be reading it in case another agent at her agency would like it. There are several who rep YA at her agency.)

I could offer to send 50 pages of my YA Contemporary that I'm about to query now.

Or should I simply tell her I apprecieate her response, but that I I decided to table that novel to work on another one?

I'd love to know what you advise I do.

Also.

While I'm laying all my tales out there for you. Last week, Suzie Towsend held a query contest. She agreed to respond to queries (if sent between 9 and 10 on Tuesday morning) via email with her honest thoughts. I'll admit, I'd hoped for more of a critique of FIXING SHELBY's query than anything else. I hadn't really looked at it like I was submitting it to her as much as I just wanted to get an agent's view of my query. Dumb of me, I know. Obviously I should have considered it a submission. I mean, I personlized it for her and everything, but I wanted to know what she thought of the writing in the query, the hook, the paragraphs, the layout, the information, etc. Instead, I got this:

So the news. I'm going to pass on FIXING SHELBY.

The main reason--contemporary YA is a really tough market right now. There have been a lot of them and books that are paranormal are selling better. Nothing about this one seems to say that it would stand out in an overcrowded genre.

Good luck with your submissions.

So that leaves me wondering if I need to change my query, my novel, or both. And, well, take that confession and do with it whatever you want. I'll think on it for a while. But you should know, I really, really hate query writing!

HAVE A WONDERFUL MONDAY!!!

(I miss erica who's still in Vegas. And now my husband has joined her there. So I miss him too. Well, he hasn't joined her there, but he is also in Vegas, for work. For the whole week. Just me. 8 months pregnant. Me and two little boys. And a dog who takes trips around the neighborhood every time I let him out. (Naughty, naughty boy.) So, what I'm asking for is this: Wish me luck!)

Where will you be tonight?

2011-11-04T05:00:00.002-05:00

Vegas, baby. That's all I have to say. Well, that and a few more things. Because I'm erica and I talk a lot.

Las Vegas. Friday through Tuesday. Poker tournaments (Texas Hold'Em.) I'm good at them, so if you're at Binion's at 11:00 PST on Saturday, I'm the tall brunette who talks a lot.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Except this: WTH Las Vegas? 80 degrees on Tuesday and 55 on Friday? No fair. I could stay in Wisconsin if I wanted 50-degree weather.

But yeah, I won't. Have a great weekend, folks! See ya' next week!

why i should listen when erica speaks

2011-11-03T05:00:00.047-05:00

erica told me that there's something for everyone in baseball.

i should have listened!

and i should have watched the world series!!!! because then i wouldn't have missed one of my faves (See below).

(well, technically, now i didn't miss him because i obviously found the footage online. and not only did i get to watch it, but i'm sharing it with you luckies!)

here he is for you. chris daughtry. (yes, he's his own sentence.)

and if that didn't do it for you...

SOME MORE FAVES, AS PROMISED, FROM CHRISTY

Twitterview with Sarah Darer Littman, author of Want To Go Private? a contemporary novel for young adults that was published this past August. (P.S. There's a giveaway at the end! Win a signed copy of her book!)

Cheryl Reif Writes: How to Write When You Aren't In The Mood (especially for those of you with a daily word count goal!!!)

Nathan Bransford's How to Start Writing a Novel (My fave part of this post are his links to: How to Make Sure You Have a Plot and What Makes a Good Voice)

Did you know? Suzie Townsend moved! Here she is at her new home--Nancy Coffey Lit Agency (oh, and she's accepting queries again!)

Checking out Maureen Johnson's Web site and titles since a new agent mentioned(in an interview) her books when stating she is looking for sweet contemporary ya projects. I can always add more contemp ya to my TBR list!!!!

OH! And here's the above mentioned interview (@motherwriterepeat) and agent: Hannah Bowman with Liza Dawson Associates!

The Sharp Angle: Starting a Trek Up a New Mountain (advice on starting a brand new novel). This blog is worth a look, not only for this post but all before it and after it!)

have a great thursday! (personally, i'm looking fwd to friday. i have parent/teacher conferences again tonight. i'm used to putting in a five hour day, but today is over 12. blech.)

(who am i kidding? i just want it to be saturday. that's writing day, right?)

Some Query Help

2011-11-01T05:00:00.001-05:00

Anybody out there querying? With tons of ~~crazies~~ people busy Nano-ing and agents and publishing houses getting ready for the holiday-season-slow-down, it could be a good time. Maybe. I don't know - just do it when you're ready. ;)

ANYWAY - I (erica) won a contest and got an agent critique on my query letter. I didn't ask permission to post it and ~~can't think of anything else to blog about~~ just got it today, but there are some general pointers I'd like to share.

First - this is my completed ms that I've queried and revised and now sent out a few more queries on. I have lots of different versions and have had fair success on partial requests along with a couple of fulls. You know the whole "query widely" idea that gets lots of talented authors their agents? Yeah, I believe that in theory. In reality, I can do about 3 rejections at a time. Hey, I'm a busy girl. :)

SO - here's what I sent (it wasn't my very latest version, but close). I'll redline some of the (paraphrased) advice I got. Hopefully she doesn't mind if I share her name - the agent who did my critique was Molly Jaffa from Folio Literary and while the following are some of her ideas, the words (even the redlines) are mine. Do with them what you will:

The last thing Kenz Grayson wants to do is switch high schools right before her senior year. Especially if it means going back to the town where she buried her family secrets (along with her father) seven years before. Unfortunately, that's exactly what her mom's making her do. Why oh why is she making her do it? Be more specific, erica! With little hope for the year ahead, she goes, and watches another chapter of her life close behind her. yeah, duh, we already know that. cut this sentence.

Things change when Kenz meets Lincoln James. Even after she's warned that he's a total serial dater, she finds him irresistible. Why? Pretty much every YA romance has an irresistible guy in it. How is mine different? It doesn't take long before they're not only dating, but almost inseparable. Except that's when Kenz starts noticing just how many things are blocking her way to becoming happy again. Then again, with a car accident that almost kills her mom, a sexual abuse allegation against Lincoln, and the truth behind a super-secret surgery in his past--she has a lot to worry about. She didn't like my list. Some of this should maybe go in the beginning as the hook.

Kenz is well known for choosing flight over fight. This isn't evident in the rest of the query, so why bring it up now? I need to explain it better at the beginning before throwing this is there. This time, she's determined to take a stand, even if it's against herself. While I love this line, I'm getting that other people don't know what it means. Be more specific.

A NEW DAY is a YA contemporary romance, complete at 64,000 words. It will appeal to readers who also enjoy books such as The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen and The Book of Luke by Jenny O'Connell. Okay, so this shows where my book would be shelved, but it was pointed out that these books are a few years old and I should bring up some newer ones in my comps. *sigh* *I love these books*

Note: She said that my query could go a long way with some agents simply because it was well-researched. So remember, just like in elementary school - neatness counts. Use paragraphs, vary your sentence lengths, use comparable titles, and personalize it to the agent your sending to. Good luck everyone! And don't get sick from all the candy!!

Where I've Been Lately

2011-10-31T05:00:00.002-05:00

Since I probably haven't been around to your blog for a while, and believe me I really, really do miss you, I have been around a little bit, but only while researching agents, query writing, and scrolling down the twitter feed.

I know I've said it (too many times) before. I'm a busy mom of (almost) three. I'm beyond smothered by papers to grade and behaviors at work this year. And my house is hideous. How am I different from you? I'm not. So how you manage to keep up with all of that and not have eliminated blog hopping is beyond me. (SERIOUSLY! How do you do it all?!?!?!)

You're a SUPERSTAR.
You AMAZE me.

Seriously.

I'm sorry I've been ignoring you and that one of my compromises to being a mom, teacher and a writer has been to stop blog hopping. It wasn't intentional. It just sort of happened. I'll stop feeding you empty promises that I'll fix it any time soon. Know that I WANT to blog hop again. I just haven't figured out HOW to or WHEN to yet. I know you all have amazing things to tell me. About getting agents and publishing a book and writing a new WIP and taking a new grad class and about all the great writing things you've learned and about your kids and how cute they are or about links you've found that have been uber helpful and wise and about great books you've read and I'm sure many, many other things that I SHOULD know all about.

I'm also at least 14k behind on my 50k in 50 days goal. Yes, I've even lost count. It's that bad.

BUT THE POINT TO THIS POST. ahem.

Here are some of the sites I've added to my favorites lately:

--The reason (I saved them)? I wanted to bookmark them to go back to later. Because heaven forbid I take the time to actually read the whole article/post through at the time I found it.--

And here they are:

YATOPIA IS HOSTING A DARK YA BLOGFEST THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER (WEDNESDAY POSTS)! DON'T MISS OUT!

If you get stuck in the middle of your WIP, check this out!

WHAT THE DONALD MAAS LIT AGENCY IS LOOKING FOR

Getting out of the Slush Pile (Picture books)

ENTANGLED PUBLISHING'S WISH LIST (FOR SUBMISSIONS)

New Social Network for Writers, Editors and Agents

ELANA JOHNSON'S WRITING THE QUERY LETTER

(I actually have several(+) more, but I'll save those for another day, another post.)

I hope you found some/all of them useful because then at least if I'm not polite enough to follow you back to your blog today at least I can be helpful. (I miss you. I hope you are doing well. If you tweet at me, I might see it. Or link to your blog post in my comments and then I'll click on it and say hi. Really. Really. I am naughty and take time out to watch one TV show: CASTLE and he's, I mean it's, on TONIGHT, so I can visit you while I watch. I will, too. You just wait and see if I don't!)

and also, in honor of HALLOWEEN (which is today) i totally wanted to watch THIS movie this year. i promised myself this year i wouldn't forget, that i'd make the time, but alas, here it is HALLOWEEN and i've forgotten again.

i don't do horror. but i do do CLUE.

~christy (because erica is a better neighbor. she sees some of you out and about sometimes)

Need a break?

2011-10-27T05:00:00.001-05:00

Here, have a video. Who said vampires/werewolves/zombies were a new trend?? ;)

Temporarily out of service....

2011-10-25T05:00:00.003-05:00

since it's my (christy's) day to post and i'm feeling a little bit under the weather (mentally speaking), you get this (for an excuse):

Well, that's not exactly true.

oh, how i WISH this was true

yeah, this one is just about right....

(Or, well, the blog will be back up and running when it's erica's turn again on thursday.)

As erica stated in yesterday's post: We have parent/teacher conferences this week (and for the next two weeks), so we're busy grading and entering grades and prepearing conference folders. And while I was going over and over my evening schedules (change in routine=forgetfullness) and dr. appointments (regularly scheduled ones and a three hour glucose test since i failed my one hour one (boo!)), I realized how very, very close I'm getting to having a third child! And that I need to get my sub plans for 6-8 weeks ready and get all of my online grading organized for January report cards! Yikes! Suddenly two months from now seems very, very close!

So, as I was saying:

oh, and while i was searching for these images...this one just happened to be on the same page (for be right back?). i don't understand it, but also don't mind it.

i thought maybe you wouldn't either. :0)

(yeah, you're welcome!)

The Truth About Teachers

2011-10-24T05:00:00.005-05:00

(note: this blog post is all erica's fault. it does not represent the thoughts of any other teacher, including christy and sometimes including erica. okay, carry on.)

It's time for parent-teacher conferences. You know, those meetings where you go into a classroom and sit in child-sized chairs and stare at a teacher you don't know very well, but who you are a little afraid might know your kid better than you do - and OMG did she just say my kid was disrespectful/talkative/etcetcetc.?? NOOOO!!!!!!

Okay, that might just be me. As a parent. Now let me share with you a little bit about sitting in that teacher chair.

I've been recording your child's (um, not YOUR child's, but you know, a collective "your child's") progress every day since the first day of school. Yes, if your kid cried when they got dropped off (reminder: I teach preschool), it was written down. And then typed in. And reflected on.

With each and every skill. Oh, so many notes...

And still, while we sit there in that child-sized chair that we sit in every single day, but this time faced with a parent, we wonder if it was enough. Were all the nights staying at school until supper time, all the weekends spent entering grades/progress, all times we made sure to record two positives for every negative note enough to sit down and talk to these parents? Will this be the one who complains to administration that school is too hard? Or too easy? Or that teachers are too overworked? Or too underworked? Is this the parent who distrusted school their whole lives and I just now have the ability to convince them it's a good thing? Or is this the one who has such wonderful memories of their school experience, I can't possibly live up to them?

So, that's it. It's parent-teacher conference week. Which is probably different for me than for the upper grades. I teach 3-year-olds from low-income and disadvantaged families. I'm sitting across from parents who love and adore their preschoolers like none other. I hope I can do them justice. (but first, I have about 12 hours of note entering to finish today, which is why I'm writing this on Sunday morning. note-writing happens at school. note-typing happens at home.)

What do you have going on this week? Any parent-teacher conference stories to share (from either side of the table)?

Okay, fine, never mind all that. Here's a very scary story my 5-year-old told today:

There was a dark, dark house. And inside it was a dark, dark room with a dark, dark doorknob. If you turn it, you find a dark, dark closet. Inside the closet is a dark, dark box. Inside that is a ...

PUMPKIN!!!!

I mean, really, who can compete with that sense of plot and suspense??

FAVORITE TV SHOWS SINCE BIRTH

2011-10-21T05:00:00.001-05:00

CHRISTY'S FAVORITE TV SHOWS SINCE BIRTH

THE MUPPETS

THE SMURFS

(LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE)
THE DONNA REED SHOW

MY SO CALLED LIFE

(THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW AND THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW)
WINGS

FRIENDS (BLOOPERS FROM SEASONS 8 AND 9)

WILL AND GRACE (BLOOPERS FROM SEASON 4)

ALLY MCBEAL (OPENING CREDITS...ALWAYS LOVED THE SONG)

(ALIAS)

LOST (INTRO LOGO ONLY)

CURRENT FAVE: CASTLE (BLOOPERS FROM SEASON 3)

It's Scary Out There

2011-10-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, October. If you have kids or are around kids - or let's face it, ever were a kid - you know what that means. ~~Dental visits.~~ Halloween is coming up.

I (erica) live about 20 miles from any substantive town and FINALLY took my boys costume shopping. Yes, I'm the proud mama of a Red Dragon Ninja and The Evil Emperor.

I know, I know, I'm very lucky. :)

As for me, I'm a bit past trick-or-treating age (except as a chaperone), not to mention partying age (*sigh*), so no costumes for me. But I do love to get scared. By fiction, anyway. Scary books, scary movies - love, love, love. It takes us right out of the scary world out there and right into a corn field with psychotic men who wear hockey masks. What's better than that?

How about you? Any fun Halloween plans? Any great scary recommendations?

KEEPING IT REAL

2011-10-18T05:00:00.004-05:00

First off, if you're doing NANO (which we're not...but go 50k in 50 Days! (Oct-Nov) then you may be planning your posts ahead. If so, go HERE (chickloveslit). It (she) may help you plan some/all of your posts. AND it keeps with a (random) theme we've started here @erica and christy as contemporary writers. KEEPING IT REAL.

GO CONTEMPORARY! Shout outs for realistic ficiton...coming your way in November. :0)

EXPECTATION:
Mom walks in the door after a long day at work, the kids rush to the door and bring her her slippers and a tall glass of lemondade. They quietly tell her their homework is done and about how they cleaned their room and dusted the living room. One changed a load of laundry. The other fed the dog and made supper. They kiss her, hug her and tell her how much they missed her. Each has a gold star in their backpacks from their teachers.

REALITY:
Mom picks up the kids from the sitter and listens to them scream at each other the whole way home. One wants the windows up,the other wants them down. Once home, they tear off their socks,which go flying in all directions. Mom races to the bathroom to change before all hell breaks loose. She barely has her sweat pants on before they come screaming and crying because one took the other's toy wagon away and the other punched him in the stomach to get it back. She settles them with a snack, each in separate rooms, and heads to the kitchen to let the dog out, feed the dog and start cooking a supper that she knows the whole family will complain about eating.

EXPECTATION:
Husband walks in the door at 6 PM sharp, breaks up a fight between the kids, kisses them, tells them they're wonderful, feeds the dog, raves about how clean the house is and how wonderful dinner smells. He tells his wife to sit down for ten minutes while he makes up the plates for dinner. He tells her he understands how tired she must be and how he envies her for her patience with the children and is amazed by how she maintains such a regimented schedule each and every day.

REALITY:
Wife checks her phone every half hour past 6 PM, waiting for a call or a text that her husband is coming home late. Finally, she dumps his cold plate of food down the garbage disposal at 8 PM and puts two overtired children to bed after breaking up several fights and forcing them to eat a dinner that lasted 30 minutes longer than it should have. Husband walks in at five after nine and complains about his day at work and grunts when his wife tries to get a word in about the horrid day she had at her job. Husband gets a beer and flips on the tv. Wife does two more loads of laundry and prepares clothes and lunches for the next day. She finally flops in bed, where her husband is snoring.

****

Part of my problem with (writing) YA is that I read it as an adult and probably write it for myself as an adult. Maybe I don't have my audience in my mind as much as I need to when I'm writing. You know the quote, If there's a book you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you have to write it yourself. (Okay, that's not exactly it, but you get the idea. )

Well, I'm writing for myself, a 34 year old married mother and teacher. When I'm having a bad day, and I'm frustrated, and driving with white knuckles on the steering wheel, huffing and tensing my shoulders and jaws...it's because I'm thinking that something is out of my control and should be different than it is. Why do I think that? Why do I envision certain stressful situations in a more peaceful, happy alternative scenario?

It's because I'm thinking that everyone else has the perfect life. (I know it isn't true.) But when I'm ticked off at my husband, I picture everyone else's husband as loving and caring and I wonder where I went wrong. I picture everyone else's husband smiling and up early making the kids lunches, helping out with breakfast, raving about a sumptuous dinner, and praising his wife for folding towels and putting all the laundry away. Then he takes out the garbage and cleans up the kitchen. And of course, as soon as he's done trimming the bushes and mowing the grass, he whisks his wife away with kisses to ask about how her day was with listening ears for as long as she wants to babble and/or cry at him.

How is this relevant to my writing? Well....Maybe I need to write more realistic fiction, in the realest sense of the world, so that young adults don't grow up EXPECTING life to turn out differently that it really does. (Not that that's what happened to me because it isn't.) BUT YA gets a lot of flack in the media for being too real, too dark. Well, isn't life sometimes that way? Why shock teens in five years with the reality of life when that's just the way it is? (And some live it now, or have lived in darkness (sadness, violence) for many years already.)

If one expects that life is going to be tough, won't he/she be better equipped to handle it? Won't reading about the ways other teens handle tough situations help them to model their own behavior after someone else who went through it? If all they read about it romantic, handsome men with love in their eyes and selflessness in their hearts, won't that cause them TONS of marital strife when their husband becomes fat and bald and would rather flip through tv channels than cuddle and comfort her after a long day's work? Shouldn't teens know that money stresses cause fights and that not every adult knows how to argue and make up afterward? Shouldn't they know that parenting is hard and not all cute smiles and balloons and kisses?

Now, don't get me wrong, I read to get out of the real world. I don't think all fiction should be dark or edgy or deal with real life problems. I'm all for pretend and fantasy and am a HUGE fan of romance and guys and gals who take every breath for each other. It's my favorite, actually. And I like to write that. BUT real love isn't always like that. I don't think girls/women REALLY know that, even if they think they do. A friend of mine fought with her husband all the time because he didn't spoil her with enough "out of the box" surprises or jewelry or other gifts. She expected the fairy tale on a daily basis and was constantly disappointed. I fight with my husband too, but it's because I want the garbage taken out or I'd like a phone call before midnight if he's staying at work late.

Expectations vs Reality. How can we help with that as writers for teens?

Nothing's ever easy

2011-10-17T05:00:00.001-05:00

This is erica. I'm sick. In a if-this-were-eighty-years-ago-id-be-dying-of-tuberculosis type of sick. Or so I keep thinking. Anyway. Nothing's ever easy, eh??

Right now I'm watching my Brewers tank. Boo. (if they win tonight while I'm asleep, I'll enjoy the taste of crow in the morning, don't you worry).

I have parent-teacher conferences as a parent of my 5th grader this week. And parent-teacher conferences as a parent of my kindergartner and as a teacher of 14 preschooolers the following week. B.U.S.Y. With a capital, um, B.U.S.Y.

I decided to take on an edgy YA that's been nigging at my mind for the past several months. It's sad and dark and makes me cry. But man, this character needs to tell her story. I can only hope to do it well.

Thank goodness, christy helped me think of something easy. She and I have been channelling recipes lately. Seriously, if one of us says we're making something for dinner, the other one is already making the same thing. It's uncanny. Today, she gave me the website for crockpot recipes and said she already had one in. And guess what? So did I!! Without any recipes, since mine was simple pot roast with carrots and potatoes.

It's almost winter. you know you want the link. Here it is. Enjoy something easy in this crazy world: http://getcrocked.com/category/mains/

Weather...and Life

2011-10-14T05:00:00.002-05:00

I couldn't think of anything to blog about, and when that happens, I turn to the weather. It's like in conversation, when you don't know someone well, or have little in common, weather is a safe topic. Well, the weather here in WI has been gloriously sunny and warm--until today. Today the temp dropped into the upper 50s, and on top of that it's rainy. Perfect timing, of course, for my parents to have finally booked a little cottage in Door County for the two day vacation they've been meaning to take for the past few weeks. Oh well, they can still go through little shops and eat out when it's raining.

(And now that I've gotten my fingers and brain warmed up, I have something else to say. Maybe writing about the weather is my quick fix for writer's block. I'll keep that in mind....)

(*I may have gotten a little too warmed up. This turned into a bit of a babble fest. That happens when I'm drunk, or overtired. (Haven't had wine in months...so.) Read on at your own risk. You may be a year older by the time you finish. In that case, Happy Birthday!)

Have you ever noticed that as you get older, your obligations and responsibilities increase? And have you ever looked back and wondered why, ten years prior, you thought you were busy, even though now you've added a dozen or more activities to your daily schedule? Did that even seem possible back then? I remember days when I got home from work and konked out on my bed thoroughly exhausted. Now, I wonder what my problem was. Once work is done now, it's like a whole new day's work begins, at home. There is no time to konk out or to even put my feet up!

I've always, always had a problem with being late. But now that I not only have a job, but also two children (along with a husband and a dog, and let's face it, they require time and maintenance) I have no idea what my problem was when I was child-less and single. So why,why did I have to drive like a mad woman EVERY day to get to work even five minutes late? I mean, seriously (as my five year old would say). All I had to do was get up, shower, eat and go! I didn't write then, nor did I work out regularly. If I did work out, I certainly didn't need to cram it in at 5 am because that was the only "free" time I had in the day. What was my deal?

When I had my first child, I could barely handle the additions to my schedule. I got up (after maybe 2 hours of sleep here, another hour there), nursed, packed up milk and lunch food for him, showered, ate, packed a snack for myself, dressed and changed him, got him in the car and to the sitter's, went to work, taught for 8 hours, picked him up, nursed him, changed him, made dinner, cleaned up dinner, did laundry, gave him a bath, had some play time with him, put him to bed, did school work, went to bed...and then started all over. That seemed like all I could possibly fit in my schedule. Yet, when my kids were little like that, I looked at people with older kids, with whom they were running every night (to dance, swimming, soccer, religious education, sporting events, school events, pto), and my mind reeled. How would I ever manage to do all that?

But time passed, and routines and jam-packed schedules became the norm, and I adjusted. Now, my kids are a little older. We have swimming and soccer and flag football. I am secretary of their school's PTO. (I also went part-time two years ago. I don't envy all the teachers I work with who are full-time. Writing would never have happened for me.)

I think I have it all down. I wish I had time to put my feet up, time when I didn't always feel like I should be doing something else, but I've decided guilt is one big, huge, large, unavoidable "thing" that comes with parenthood. It's like my shadow, only its there whether a light is shining on me or not.

Now, as I tell you all how busy I feel, I look ahead to two months from now when Baby #3 is born. And I don't know how, but I know from past experience that somehow I'll get through the changes and I'll adjust. Hours won't be added to the 24 hour days I'm alotted. But I'll add feedings every 2-3 hours, I'll add workouts back into my schedule, I'll continue to blog and write as often as I can steal minutes away to, the house will occasionally get cleaned and I won't ignore the other living beings in my home.

Somehow we always find a way to adjust as time goes by, as we age, as our lives get fuller. With each opportunity, with each new blessing, with each year that passes, we learn to live our lives the best way we can. Sometimes looking at other people, and how they live their lives, can be inspiring. Sometimes it can make us feel discouraged about how we're faring in our own lives.

Years ago, I had a crush on Elvis (yeah, erica confesses to having crushes on Kirk and Christian, my confession is Elvis...and I'm a year younger than her) and my parents took me to Graceland one summer. I remember hearing one of his favorite expressions (an adaptation of a famous quote): “Don’t criticize what you don’t understand, son. You never walked in that man’s shoes.”

Anyways, it's meant more to keep people from criticizing others, which is why I love it, but we can use it to keep from making assumptions about others also, especially when making those assumptions leads us to criticize ourselves. We can only do our best. With our jobs. With angry, troubled, disruptive students. With our families. With our one, or hundreds, of obligations outside the home. With our housework, shopping, cooking, errands, and family events. We can only do our best. Not someone else's best. Our very own.

This goes for writing too. We can't look at others' successes, or failures, and compare them to our own. We have to write. We have to pave our own path. Our path to success might go quicker than others, or it may take way, way longer. We can't let it get us down, or steal our motivation.

Just keep trucking.
And I will too.

10 Things I Never Want to Do-Over

2011-10-13T05:00:00.003-05:00

Wow, it's almost the holiday season. Time to dress up like something we totally aren't, but always wish we were (or could be). Like me as a teen.

Er, nope.

Ten Things I Never Want to Do-Over, YA edition (in no particular order, but they'll probably get worse before they get better):

1. Getting my locker open on the first day of high school. (um, yeah, I had the wrong locker. Some girl named Jen, whose last name started with the same darn first letter as mine, was not nice to me about it, either.)

2. Riding the bus. 'Nuff said.

3. Once I got my license, I begged my dad to let me borrow his retro truck because I had this thing (no idea what now, years later) thing going on after school. By the time school got done, the truck lost its hood ornament (a Ram) and got keyed. Lost all truck privileges for, well, never got them back, now that I think about it...

4. My first real grown-up (i.e. tongue) kiss. Well, okay, maybe I'd do that over, but I definitely wouldn't have gum in my mouth. Awk-Ward.

5. Homecoming. OMG. What a flipping nightmare. okay *sigh* I'll tell you about it. ~~(you guys know this is christy, right? er, fine, it's erica. but you knew that.)~~ Senior year. Boyfriend. Dress. Makeup. Hair. Suddenly, no boyfriend. Go anyway so your family isn't disappointed. Get to front door. Semi-friend sees you, knows there's no boyfriend, invites you to party. 2 hours of pure depression and embarrassment. Drive home and pretend you got sick and had to come home early. Sister does NOT buy it. gah

6. Awkward early-teen family dinner moment. Grandpa's brother says, in front of no less than 10 people, "It's okay, ~~Christy~~, Erica, most beautiful women in our family started out ugly like you." *sigh again*

7. My entire bedroom. I'm sorry to every interior designer in the world. Also, my parents, who let me do the whole tangerine/lime colorscape. And poor, poor Kirk Cameron, who was taped above my bed (yes, the ceiling. yes, Kirk Cameron. in leather. next to Christian Slater. in greasy hair and little else. Talk Hard. [please someone acknowledge they know what I'm talking about]).

8. The meltdown at work after the first huge breakup. Two words explain it: Melt. Down. My boss had to take me into his office, push me onto a chair, and force my head between my knees while counting my breaths and saying "Dammit, ~~Christy~~ Erica, he's a jerk. Get over it." (that former boyfriend is now one of those born-again-types with a wife who only wears skirts and like 10 kids. he SOOOO wasn't like that then. just sayin'.) (no idea what happened to that boss.)

9. Sneaking out late at night through the basement window. In the snow. (yeah, not as stealth as we thought)

10. Hating my sister. I regret it. We're now 36 and 33 and have a lot of fences to mend. And live thousands of miles away from eachother. :(

How about you?? Any Do-Overs (or #notsomuch)??

#ws4u status update

2011-10-11T05:00:00.002-05:00

Christy started her 50K IN 50 DAYS personal challenge.

Day 1: She wrote just over 1k after debating whether or not to write HIDDEN CHARMS in present tense. (The decision was made after comparing two paras in past to two paras in present. She felt the text in present tense added a sense of danger (or something like that). It made the writing come alive in a way that past tense lacked.) The 1k brought her to the end of chapter 2.

Day2: She ended with just over 2k and at the end of chapter 3. She was worried that Day 3 would be hard to write and decided she needed to address her notes to add more details to know exactly where to take the action and characters next.

Day 3: As of Monday night (when Castle started) she had 0/1k written. UH OH!

She wrote another query (For FIXING SHELBY), one that may be "it", or at least closer (less of a synopsis, more of a teaser).

She's still struggling at her day job.

OH AND IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN IN WITH YOUR OWN 50K IN 50 DAYS!!!! If you decide to take the challenge, let Christy know. She'd love to have others to check in with, report to, and celebrate with!

Erica finshed edits and revisions on her full manuscript (!) and started a brand new project!

She echoes Christy's report that school has yet to improve.

BOTH OF US HOPE YOUR WRITING IS GOING SPLENDIDLY THIS WEEK!

Any good news to report?

FORBIDDEN LOVE and FICTION

2011-10-10T05:00:00.005-05:00

I heard this song on the radio today while I was driving home from the grocery store.

I reminisced about when I first saw Dirty Dancing and how I felt about Baby and Johnny. And how I loved the whole forbidden love thing and the bad boy goes good thing.

Then my mind wandered. (I concentrated on the road, really.) I thought about the most recent forbidden lovers that make my heart ache. CLICK HERE TO SEE WHO I MEAN. And how badly I want to incorporate that emotion (that heartwrenching need for two characters to kiss and realize their undying love--no matter what stands in their way) and that facet of romance into my newest wip.

Cassandre Claire took the whole forbidden love thing to a new level. No spoilers here, but I must say, the obstacle she put in her characters' way threw me for a loop and it took me 6 months before I bought the sequel. But I did and I loved it and just got the third in the series. Still rooting for Jace and Clary. No doubt about that.

I thought, and am still thinking, about what barriers I can throw in my wip to make it THAT hard for my characters to love each other--guilt-free, fear-free.

I tried to come up with more forbidden lovers, or lovers who are too stubborn or scared to admit their feelings, in fiction today. These are the kinds of stories I am drawn to and want to write! (Although, I don't tend to read just straight romance novels. I need the distraction of other plot twists: mystery, intrigue, danger, to make the sprinklings of forbidden romance that much more intense.)

How about these two?

And I can't leave this pair out.

ROMEO AND JULIET

And I'm not talking about a love triangle, although a second love interest may be a factor in why the main lovers aren't getting together.

There have been some great triangles in both recent and distant past novels. But the romance struggles for these characters don't necessarily make the pages turn as much as other facets of the plot.

Please, add to my list. Tell me who your FAVORITE forbidden lovers are. Or even name another love triangle that broke your heart.

What are you doing today?

2011-10-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hello. My name is Erica. (hello, erica) I am a baseball fan. Worse, I am a Brewer fan. It's been a rough 30-some years for me (due to the addiction). Even the ups have been quickly followed by downs.

The Brewers clinched the NL Central division last week. That was an up.

Bernie was HA-PPY!

They won the first two at home. Super up - one to go to the NL Championship game!!

Then they lost the next two in Arizona. Downer.

ha. poor Ryan.

So, anyway. Tomorrow they're back home for game 5. Guess where I'll be? Yep, here:

Doing this:

fyi, this isn't me. just what I'll be doing

Almost definitely drinking one of these:

Miller owns Leinie's. I <3 Honey Weiss (in moderation, of course)

And cheering for my boys to eventually win this:

I'd do this whole "why writing is like baseball" or "how writing also has its ups and downs" analogy, but I'm busy packing. What are you doing today? (say cheering on the Brewers. say cheering on the Brewers. say...)

GO CREW GO!!!!

Whoops. Tuesday's Status Report (on Wednesday)

2011-10-05T05:00:00.007-05:00

Christy's Campaign Challenge Post is still accepting "Likes" over at Rach's Blog. To read it (and find the link to vote for it) GO HERE!

We also missed out on participating in Banned Books Week (it was last week). To learn more about Banned Books Week and censorship (in case you missed it too) click THIS LINK (where you'll find a short list of the most challenged titles of 2010) . To learn even more, click RIGHT HERE.

And our list of forgets doesn't stop there.

Whoops. We forgot about the Tuesday Status Report for #WS4U this week! (Writer's Support 4 You via Facebook).

*Christy's considering starting an OctoNano this Saturday. From Oct 8-Nov 30 there are 50 days. So, 1,000 words per day = a 50k novel.

50K IN 50 DAYS.

She's trying to convince erica this would be a great thing to do.

ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED IN TAKING THE CHALLENGE?

Is there anyone else who thinks NANOWRIMO sounds awesome, but is just not ready to commit to that this year? If so, I'd totally come up with rewards/prizes/something to motivate you.

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!

*Christy's scrapped another 4-6 queries. And then wrote 3 more. And then she (re)read Mary Kole's post "Overthinking the Query". Um. Yeah.

*Christy's having the worst school year in her 12 years of teaching. She has students in her class that she is having a difficult time managing and feels like a failure. She cries and is exhausted.

*She is behind on critiquing a beta's ms and is feeling guilty and, again, like a failure. And she's behind on grading. And figuring out the new online grading system.

(And she didn't mean for this to become a pit party post. Sorry about that.)

*Christy just wants to write. Writing makes her feel better. She has no time to write. Although, on the plane to and from Colorado (her brother-in-law got married over the weekend), she read City of Ashes and enjoyed it. The break from reality was MUCH needed.

*Erica is also having a not-wonderful school year. I don't think she cries about it though.

*Erica is polishing her ms.

*Erica is considering taking notes to create new characters and a new plot for Christy's OctoNano. And she's watching the Brewers. Who rock.

That about sums it up for this week (and, um, last).

Check out these other members of WS4U!

http://www.writersally.blogspot.com
http://jc-martin.com/fighterwriter
http://waibelworld.blogspot.com
http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com
http://susanfieldswriter.blogspot.com
http://skmayhew.blogspot.com
http://margoberendsen.blogspot.com
http://www.susanoloier.blogspot.com--in
http://www.sherryauger.blogspot.com
http://carrieannebrownian.wordpress.com

Get Your Bookshelves Ready!

2011-10-04T05:00:00.002-05:00

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THIS BLOG? FOR THE LOVE OF CONTEMPORARY
find all things contemporary: author shout-outs, book reviews, contests and more!

and of course, there's always THE CONTEMPS!

Up and Coming YA CONTEMPORARY novels you shouldn't miss out on:

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
release date: October 18, 2011

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....(Goodreads)
Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe
relase date: October 13, 2011

When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. (Goodreads)

In Too Deep by (Mandy Hubbard) Amanda Grace
release date: February 12, 2012

Revolves around a dark lie which spirals out of control. (Goodreads)

The Importance of a Strong Foundation

2011-10-03T05:00:00.001-05:00

Before I start, I want to remind you of where erica and christy build their foundations (reading, writing, living, etc.). Go Wisconsin!!

(look at that cute little tiny icon. but if I enlarge it, it's blurry. so I stuck with cute)

Faith is not a topic that we talk a lot about here at erica and christy, but it is important to us. No matter your opinion on that, though, I (erica) think the parable I read to my Sunday School kids today was one that can apply to everyone. It was about the importance of having a strong foundation, entitled The House on the Rock. (note, there is a House on the Rock in Spring Green, WI. It is very bizarre. The following picture is not it.)

this one's in Rhode Island

In the parable, Jesus tells us about the man who built his house on a rock (the word of God) and how it could withstand any storm (problem, etc.). He also tells us of a man who built his house on sand (false ideology), which fell apart as soon as the first storm (sign of trouble) brewed.

So . . . like I said, we're not here to preach faith. But I do think this analogy works for our writing lives - and that of our characters.

First - you and your writing. How solid is your foundation? Do you take care of yourself and your time? Are you able to move forward in your writing life - or are you stuck in analysis/paralysis phase (research, editing, taking the day off, etc. - over and over and over)? Do you feel more like the above picture, or more like this:

(I got this off google images, but couldn't find the original source)

If so, find your foundation, your rock, your belief system. Set small goals. Write a little bit. Then start climbing. You'll find your way - I believe in you.

Now, our characters. There is something I've discovered about my characters during lo, these long months of editing. To prove my character arc, they start out something like this:

is it weird that this picture of Dawson always makes me laugh?

And then - wowwie, zowwie - through the magic of my words, they end the story like this:

la, la, la, la, la, la, laaaa, la, la, la, la

Okay, maybe my writing doesn't EXACTLY go that way. But yeah, I get a little carried away in first draft form. Something that will help me clean up those messes a lot faster is thinking about my character's foundation. What do they live for - even in the beginning - that helps them move forward? What part of them stays strong throughout the journey?

Do you guys ever think about the complete backstory (which, of course, can't actually make it into the book. No matter how hard I keep trying...*whistles*)? Do your characters have strong foundations that they are able to stay true to until the end? Or is your story about starting in sand and then climbing out? How do you show that without seeming too weak at the beginning? Any tips?

GO CONTEMPORARY YA!

2011-09-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

FOR CHRISTY'S CAMPAIGNER CHALLENGE #2, GO HERE. OR SCROLL DOWN A POST! THANKS!

you may have missed erica's "grains of sand" post. to recap, we're on a mission:

LET'S BOOST CONTEMPORARY YA SALES!

INCREASE THE DEMAND!

the past few months i've been racking up my own list of YA reads, especially realistic YA reads. (i'll be honest, many titles are still on my TBR list. i can't wait to devour them though!) i'll share my list with you!

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THESE AUTHORS OR TITLES YET?

*note: if the spacing is all wonky on this post, i tried to fix it at least half a dozen + 2 times.

Meg Cabot — She has many titles you will enjoy, especially The Princess Diaries series.

Sarah Dessen — Read everything she's published. You'll especially love The Truth About Forever, This Lullaby, Keeping the Moon.

Maureen Johnson — Read all her titles. Definitely read Suite Scarlett and Girl at Sea.

Don't msis Gingerbread, Shrimp, and Cupcake by Rachel Cohn

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern

Dream Factory and Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler

The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Anna and The French Kiss and Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

Rich Boys by Jenny O'Connel

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

Mandy Hubbard --Ripple and Pride and Prejudice and You Wish

(Mandy Hubbard as) Amanda Grace-- Getting Caught and But I Love Him written with Cyn Balog

Jandy Nelson--The Sky is Everywhere

Sarah Darer Littman's Confessions of a Closet Catholic, Purge, Want to go Private, and Life, After

campaigner challenge number 2: LAYERS OF IMAGO

2011-09-28T05:00:00.002-05:00

The second campaigner challenge starts September 22 and ends October 3.

GO HERE TO FIND THE LINKY OF OTHER ENTRIES AND TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES BY "LIKING" THEM UNDER THEIR ENTRY NUMBER!

Mine is #158: LAYERS OF IMAGO

The Challenge is:

Write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should:

include the word "imago" in the title
include the following 4 random words: "miasma," "lacuna," "oscitate," "synchronicity,"

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional and included in the word count), make reference to a mirror in your post.

For those who want an even greater challenge (optional), make your post 200 words EXACTLY!

The very first Campaigner's blog I visited had this:

Glossary:
Imago: Insect in its sexually mature adult stage after metamorphosis.
Miasma: Noxious atmosphere.
Lacuna: A gap or space.
Oscitate: Gape or Yawn.
Synchronicity: Events that happen together by chance

AND I AM IN LOVE WITH HER FOR IT. PLEASE VISIT AND FOLLOW: ANGELA'S CHEERIOS AND PEARLS NECKLACE STORIES BLOG

Here's Christy's Entry:

BTW, I ACTUALLY FOLLOWED ALL THE RULES!
I INCLUDED ALL THE WORDS.
AND I WROTE IT IN EXACTLY 200 WORDS.
(I'VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE!!!!!)

LAYERS OF IMAGO

The miasma leaves billions of imago dead. The ground looks snow-covered. I’ve seen pictures of the last snowfall, The Blizzard of 2015, so I can say for certain. The one box I have from the Old Life holds a few of those, kept carefully hidden in the lacuna of my hillside home. If any of the Units found out I hadn’t handed the pictures, mirrors and other mementos over to be burned, I’d be thrown into the Lake of the Dead. I figure the day that happens will be the day of the Trials anyway.

I believe wholly in synchronicity. Isn’t that what happened the day the Old Life ended? Newspaper clippings in my box tell all about the volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and fires. Articles tell all about when they obliterated three-fourths of the world, leaving only the Few.

It’s too bad Judgment hadn’t had more common sense on who made up the Few. In my opinion, the majority of us are the most ruthless, barbaric, and greedy of all Livingkind. We adapt to our environment, sure, but what good is that when we kill each other off at a faster rate than the miasma or oscitated earth ever could?

A cute kid story, a thought about princesses, and a status update

2011-09-27T05:00:00.004-05:00

What does the fourth day of fall have to do with music? Absolutely nothing. Neither does this next story, except I think it's funny. And so you get a cute kid story with your music. Do with them as you will. (just don't leave us for long.)

And yes, there's a status update at the end. And no, it's not "we did nothing."

My (erica) son Jacob is five and a total social butterfly. When he turned 2, he could only say 8 words and we had him evaluated for special needs (which is really, really heartwrenching when you're an early childhood special education teacher, let me tell you!). He still doesn't have all his sounds and his memory for words is a little, well, short [i.e. almost nonexistent] - it takes him awhile to learn new vocabulary words, his articulation is a bit muffled, and names don't like to stick. He calls one girl in his class "the naughty girl with polka-dots on her face).

But man, he loves people. And he loves to talk (when he can get his point across). And, um, well, he loves girls most of all. Case in point:

Last Friday, his kindergarten teacher was talking about things that grow up. People, plants, animals - everything gets big eventually. So she asked them individually about what it means to get big. Which invariably led to answers of what they wanted to be when they grew up. Here were their answers (my classroom is across the hall, so I got to see where she wrote them down, so these are roughly correct):

Boy #1: Baseball player
Boy #2: Football player
Girl #1: Princess
Girl #2: God's Princess
Boy #3: Cop
Girl #3: Princess
Boy #4 (aka erica's son): Well, I guess if there are gonna' be this many princesses, I'd better be a prince!

So many to choose from...

So, seriously, what is it with the princesses? Is this what our girls are aspiring to? Because as a preschool teacher, yes, it's what every girl wants to be. No public service message here, necessarily. But why are so many beautiful girls becoming princesses by seemingly chance? Kiss a frog, sure, here's your crown. Take care of short men, sure, here's your crown. Fall asleep for years, sure, here's your crown. Also, your beautiful dresses, mani/pedi, flowers galore, and an adoring nation. Congratulations, you're perfect.

Okay, maybe a tiny public service message. But, um, no preaching. (erica takes a deep breath and moves on) (mostly because she's the one with the son who now wants to be a prince)

What else was I going to say today? Oh, yeah, ~~statuses~~. ~~Stati~~. What we did this week.

erica: I loaded my ms onto my Kindle. Heck, I critique everyone else's books on it, why not my own? And you know what - it totally worked. This rocks. I am having more fun editing now than I had. . . well, ever. And that's saying a lot, because I really like to edit. (and I reserve the right to start most of my blog sentences with the word And. You know, to get it out of my system). I'm on chapter 8 of a 17 chapter ms. yes, it's the same one I've worked on for 2 years, but now I love it again. It even reads like a book. So exciting.

christy: Finished another full edit of her ms and is ready for round 2 of crit partners. Hopes to query soon. (she probably has more to say about this, so I'll let her. for now, let me say, she's really excited. she emailed me late last night to ~~brag~~ let me know!)

How about you? Any cute kid stories? Princess stories and/or bashing? (okay, I can't be the only princess basher out there, can I???) Status updates?

Check out these other members of WS4U!

http://www.writersally.blogspot.com/
http://jc-martin.com/fighterwriter/
http://waibelworld.blogspot.com
http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com
http://susanfieldswriter.blogspot.com
http://skmayhew.blogspot.com/p/tuesday-wip-status.html
http://margoberendsen.blogspot.com
http://www.sherryauger.blogspot.com
http://www.susanoloier.blogspot.com--in/
http://carrieannebrownian.word press.com/

writing vs. running

2011-09-26T05:00:00.001-05:00

Why writing is better than running.

I can listen to music without earphones.
Sometimes they hurt. Or fall out. (I have small ears.)

The mood for writing is perfectly set in overcast, stormy, sunny, or windy weather.
I only enjoy running on still, sunny days.

I can eat and drink while writing without getting a sideache.
I hate carrying a water bottle or wearing one of those water belts while running. I tend to stop at hospitals to use the bubbler (aka water fountain).

I don't have to stretch before or after writing.
Yeah, sometimes I skip that after my runs, too. But it causes stiffness and pain.

I can write AND watch my kids at the same time.
I don't have to sneak out before the crack of dawn to get my run in before the rest of the household is up and needing breakfast and clothing and to be driven somewhere. Or in need of constant supervision. You know, from my couch, with laptop close at hand.
For Christmas, I'm asking for a jogging stroller. So there goes this excuse.

I can write throughout my pregnancy without asking my doctor's permission or worrying about my heart rate.
I bought a heart monitor during my first pregnancy. I couldn't even walk without my heart rate going too high. And I was in pretty good shape in those days. (Today I can't even walk up stairs without losing my breath. So I don't bother trying to do more. Although I did 15 plies in second position while waiting for my toast to pop up this morning.)

And I got a full ms written and edited and revised much more quickly since running disappeared from my life.

I suppose I'd better get another ms done before February when I start training for a half-marathon.

Because even though writing is WAY better than running, I miss putting on my tennis shoes and ear phones and getting out in the cool fall air for miles of exercise.

I also miss wine. Oops. Off-topic.

That's my cue to end this post.

Do you write and run? When's your ideal time/weather for each? Does your running soundtrack differ from your writing soundtrack?

Have a fantastic day, Friends! Thanks for stopping by.

-christy

What We Did on Summer Vacation

2011-09-23T05:00:00.005-05:00

Before you read this, you should know three things: 1. erica is responsible for this post. 2. erica generally writes, blogs, and edits while her kids watch cartoons in the same room. 3. erica has never met a blogfest whose rules she has been able to follow. (sorry, Michael, but you know me. plus, all our pictures had our kids in them and our husbands are NOT okay with us posting them. so you get a goofy song)

Um, this post is way funnier if you watch Phineas and Ferb and know the theme song. If not, watch this video and remember the tune (or open it in another tab and listen while reading our lyrics). Or, you know, pretend this is some really weird poetry. Your choice. :) (is my word count ALREADY over? oops.)

Erica and Christy Almost Forgot To Do It All

There's 104 days of summer vacation

And school comes along just to end it

So the annual problem for all sorts of teachers
Is finding a good way to spend it.

LIKE WE DID!

Raising four boys and
Incubating another
And making lots and lots of food!

Discovering writing that kinda' sucks (HEY!)
While hoping our "voices" are good!

Going camping and
Creating lots of words
While locating internet domains! (they're over here!)

Catching butterflies
Attending Writeoncon
While trying not to go insane! (christy!)

As you can see
There's a whole lot of stuff we did
Before school started this fall (Come on kids)

So stick with us 'cause erica and christy
Are trying to do it all!
So stick with us 'cause erica and christy are
Gonna do it all!

(Bloggers! erica and christy almost forgot to visit you!) (oops!)

(Michael, I tried to work in your visit with christy this summer, but 300 words isn't a lot and I'm already over by like 200%)

teen eyes blogfest

2011-09-21T05:00:00.002-05:00

To learn more about brenda drake's blogfest and/or to participate yourself, go HERE!

If you're visiting today, I've posted the first page of my ms. Feel free to read it and critique it (help it to improve) before it tries to hook a teen!

FIXING SHELBY
YA Contemporary
52,000 words

Here's the first 249 words:

“Seriously, Shelby Honey, you could put on a little more make-up. You look pale.” Mom held the steering wheel with one hand and grabbed her purse with the other. She plopped the large leather bag on my lap. “I know I have several shades of blush in there. Help yourself.”

I glared at the purse for a moment before setting it at my feet. I’d rather be home cleaning the toilet bowl with my toothbrush or ripping out my fingernails than primping in the car on the way to a basketball game. “You didn’t have to drive me, Mom. You’ll be late.”

She glanced at the clock. “It’s only two minutes out of my way. Besides, it was nice of Ashleigh to call and invite you.”

I rolled my eyes. Yes, how nice of Ashleigh to call me at the last minute.

“You should be a little more grateful.”

Whatever. Ashleigh knew I wouldn’t want to go. She should have realized my mom would jump at the chance for me to be social. Of course, that would have required Ash to put more than one thought together at a time. A little too complicated for my “best” friend.

“I don’t know why you gave her such a hard time about going.”

I sighed and tapped my fingers on the door handle. “I don’t know, either, Mom.”

“You’ll have a blast, I’m sure.”

“Yeah.” I counted the houses that passed outside my window. Mom had gushed over Ashleigh for years.

tuesday status update #2 (totally interrupted)

2011-09-20T05:00:00.003-05:00

well, as promised, here's our weekly progress report:

We, erica and christy, interrupt our regularly scheduled post to say we mostly edited and outlined. We also:

Lived life. Celebrated birthdays. Cheered at soccer games. Nursed sick family memebers. Taught children. Took dead cars to the mechanic. Washed laundry. Washed dishes. Washed children. Taught chilren...oops.

Have we used these excuses before?

Yes.

But success is not always measured in word counts. And everything - EVERYTHING - I mentioned will help us reach our goal. Even *shudder* cleaning after sick people (trust us, it motivates you to work!).

Hey - you guys have been here for awhile. Just for fun - who wrote this post? erica or christy?? And what's your progress this week?

Let's Buy Some Books

2011-09-19T05:00:00.001-05:00

First, some non-book business? Aren't they cool? They're grains of sand under a microscope. See more microscopic pictures at: http://sandgrains.com/index.html

Okay, back to book stuff. Recently I've read from authors that they're being rejected because their book isn't currently marketable. I mean, we heard this stuff back during the vampire craze and anyone who wrote realistic fiction received eyerolls and head shaking as if they were trying to sell aspirin to a group of people who only wanted cocaine. (sorry about the analogy. my entire family has been sick and I'm exhausted and it's the only one I could come up with.) But it's still there - the "great book, but I'm not sure it's marketable enough to sell).

SO - my hope is that if we really dedicate ourselves to buying in the genre we write in (or borrowing from the library, but let's put our money into it if we have any - remember, books make great Christmas presents!), maybe the agents and editors and publishers will be forced to see there's a market out there that wants it. I mean, sure, I do enjoy the occasional memoir or adult fiction or YA fantasy. But for awhile, it will contemporary YA for me. And fantasy/paranormal MG for my son.

I know, I know, alone we like - well, grains of sand on an ocean floor. But together, we can be something bigger. What genre do you write? Have you bought any books in that genre lately?

I'll start: Within the last couple of weeks, I bought The Liar Society, Anna and the French Kiss, The Summer of Skinny Dipping, Rich Boys (technically, that one I won), Story of a Girl.

another season slips away

2011-09-16T05:00:00.001-05:00

though the calender reports another week of summer, the coolness of fall has swept into wisconsin. and i must say, i love it. however, i don't want the temperatures to drop any lower. 60s=perfection. (okay, okay, i'm a 70s lover, but the 90s we endured this summer was too hot for me.)

two days ago, i debated turning on the air conditioning. it was 88 and humid in the house. i talked myself out of it knowing it would most likely be the last hot day of this season.

this afternoon i had a fire going.

craziness.

but i love the color-changing leaves and the blooming flowers of the fall. the crisp, cool air does something to my spirit. somehow i'm more awake, even if my nights of sleeplessness continue.

one downfall of the cooler weather is that my showers take a bit longer. in the dark morning hours, it's hard to enjoy the chill in the air and stepping out from under the steamy water takes some coaxing. well, not coaxing exactly. more like knowing the consequences of running late push me toward the towel.

consequences=stress! panic! and one crabby mommy.

speaking of running late, i've been doing that a whole lot lately. getting into a new routine is hard. but not as hard for me as it is for my new kindergartener and preschooler. earlier to bed, earlier to rise. so true. unfortunately, this truth does not speak convincingly enough to two little ones who like to stay up and sleep in. ( well, sleeping in for them is 7, but that's at least 30 minutes too late when being clothed, fed, and buckled in the car by 7 is a necessity!) yeah, i've been late. nearly every. single. day. grrr.

***********on a writing note************************

my manuscripts tend to always take off in the fall. i suppose it's not as odd as it seems. it's a likely setting considering my characters are in high school. then the story can span a school year if it needs to. not that i couldn't carry on a summertime plot, but so far my imagination has only conjured up the problems my girls need to face in a school setting. i guess shelby would be able to too easily avoid those snotty girls in the summer. her school is just not large enough!

***********end of writing note********************

are you sad to see the summer go? (for those of you in a different hemisphere, how is the weather treating you?)

as i talk about the joys weather can bring (and the minor irritations), i haven't forgotten the tragedies that can be a consequence of nature as well. and i hope you are all safe from storms and winds and wildfires. i've kept all of my blog friends in my prayers these past weeks and months since disasters of all kinds have struck around the globe.

~christy