Day three: a song that makes you happy
For today's challenge (which is a day late, sorry ;), one scene automatically popped into my head.
Ashton is enjoying the morning under the shade of a sycamore tree with Gabe, my male lead. He begins to hum a song, and Ashton smiles, recognizing the melody.
I will say I prefer Frank Sinatra's version, but I couldn't find the right one on YouTube.
I'll Be Seeing You--Billie Holiday
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Day 2: 30 Day Music Challenge
Day two: least favorite song.
This is a tough one for me--especially if I'm trying to relate it my writing--so I'm going to come at this from my MC's POV.
Ashton, my lead female, hates country music despite her being from the South. There's a scene in HAVEN where she hears the drone of a steel guitar and nasally voice and rolls her eyes, knowing the music she was going to suffer through. I personally enjoyed this scene for the simple fact that I "get it."
So as follows is the song I imagine Ashton hearing. A classic in its own right :p
Hank Williams--I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry
This is a tough one for me--especially if I'm trying to relate it my writing--so I'm going to come at this from my MC's POV.
Ashton, my lead female, hates country music despite her being from the South. There's a scene in HAVEN where she hears the drone of a steel guitar and nasally voice and rolls her eyes, knowing the music she was going to suffer through. I personally enjoyed this scene for the simple fact that I "get it."
So as follows is the song I imagine Ashton hearing. A classic in its own right :p
Hank Williams--I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Day 1--30 Day Music Challenge
Day One: Your Favorite Song.
This is going to be the easiest one by far, I imagine. I'm the type of person who goes through life pretty consistently. There isn't a lot that has changed about me over the years. I'm simply taller and have slightly more responsibility than when I was a kid, I like the same shows (even cartoons), the same food, and I have the same interests.
Those interests include music. I'm thrilled to finally have an excuse to discuss my favorite band. The Silversun Pickups!!!! Or SSPU for short.
Though their first album, PIKUL, debuted in 2005, I really didn't get into their music until around 2009, with the release of SWOON. I immediately fell in love and went in search of all things SSPU.
The search yielded in an abundance of music glory, not the least of which, my favorite song: Future Foe Scenarios, from the 2006 album, CARNAVAS.
With clever lyrics and funky tones, SSPU move into 90's-tinged alternative rock (somewhat reminiscent of The Smashing Pumpkins.) Their unique structures are Indie-sounding yet melodic, leaving a lasting impression--and that's the point, right?
For me, this song is related to my MC and how she feels after learning some important truths.
Enjoy!
This is going to be the easiest one by far, I imagine. I'm the type of person who goes through life pretty consistently. There isn't a lot that has changed about me over the years. I'm simply taller and have slightly more responsibility than when I was a kid, I like the same shows (even cartoons), the same food, and I have the same interests.
Those interests include music. I'm thrilled to finally have an excuse to discuss my favorite band. The Silversun Pickups!!!! Or SSPU for short.
Though their first album, PIKUL, debuted in 2005, I really didn't get into their music until around 2009, with the release of SWOON. I immediately fell in love and went in search of all things SSPU.
The search yielded in an abundance of music glory, not the least of which, my favorite song: Future Foe Scenarios, from the 2006 album, CARNAVAS.
With clever lyrics and funky tones, SSPU move into 90's-tinged alternative rock (somewhat reminiscent of The Smashing Pumpkins.) Their unique structures are Indie-sounding yet melodic, leaving a lasting impression--and that's the point, right?
For me, this song is related to my MC and how she feels after learning some important truths.
Enjoy!
A (fun) Challenge
My friend Beth (AKA Chi) tweeted a link to a fellow blogger who is participating in one of those 30 day Facebook meme things. I'll be the first to admit, I have no idea what a meme is, but I like it. Anyway, Chi thought it would be a fun little challenge for our group to take part in, and I agree! I encourage you guys to join in as well and leave a comment!
Like so many others, music is an enormous part of my writing process--my life in general! If I'm awake, and sometimes asleep, there's music going somewhere in my house. Songs reach me on such a deep and personal level. It's more than a good beat--not that good beats aren't nice too ;) A good song is an entire novel summed up into 3 minutes worth of vocals. Songwriters are geniuses, in my opinion!
It goes like this: For 30 days, you post a song on your blog that relates to that day's requirements. I'm going to tweak it a bit and personalize this challenge for me. For each song I list, where possible, I'm going to tie that to my writing. See the guidelines below.
So here we go:
day 01 - your favorite song
day 02 - your least favorite song
day 03 - a song that makes you happy
day 04 - a song that makes you sad
day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
day 09 - a song that you can dance to
day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
day 11 - a song from your favorite band
day 12 - a song from a band you hate
day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure
day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love
day 15 - a song that describes you
day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
day 19 - a song from your favorite album
day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry
day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy
day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad
day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral
day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 - a song from your childhood
day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year
Like so many others, music is an enormous part of my writing process--my life in general! If I'm awake, and sometimes asleep, there's music going somewhere in my house. Songs reach me on such a deep and personal level. It's more than a good beat--not that good beats aren't nice too ;) A good song is an entire novel summed up into 3 minutes worth of vocals. Songwriters are geniuses, in my opinion!
It goes like this: For 30 days, you post a song on your blog that relates to that day's requirements. I'm going to tweak it a bit and personalize this challenge for me. For each song I list, where possible, I'm going to tie that to my writing. See the guidelines below.
So here we go:
day 01 - your favorite song
day 02 - your least favorite song
day 03 - a song that makes you happy
day 04 - a song that makes you sad
day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
day 09 - a song that you can dance to
day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
day 11 - a song from your favorite band
day 12 - a song from a band you hate
day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure
day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love
day 15 - a song that describes you
day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
day 19 - a song from your favorite album
day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry
day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy
day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad
day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral
day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 - a song from your childhood
day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Who has good news???
Well, I've been MIA for a while. I don't really have a good excuse aside from the fact that I've just had a LOT going on. Most of it is good stuff though, so that's a plus!
With that, I want to make the formal announcement: I'm going indie!
It's a choice I came to after MUCH research and time spent considering my different options. I will say, getting into the writerly mindset, I'd decided from the start that I'd pursue traditional publishing. Even now, the traditional route is fine and good for some. I just don't feel like it's the right fit for me right now. Call me controlling, but I favor the idea of calling the shots in what happens in my story. I'm willing to put in the extra time and effort to promote my work, and the traditional world is in a place of upheaval. Most authors don't break into the publishing world with clout and best-seller potential. It does happen, of course! There's always someone there to break the mold, so if that's YOUR dream, don't give up on it!!!
For me, it comes down to: What do I hope to accomplish with my writing? The answer, as simple as it is, proved a challenge for me. I researched the ins and outs of both traditional and indie publishing. I sought the advice and recommendations of others. In the end, it boiled down to me. My desire is to write novels...not query letters, not multiple versions and pages of a synopsis, but novels.
It dawned on me one day after reading a post from Amanda Hocking regarding "Indie vs Traditional" publishing. I highly recommend you check it out. It's informative in a way that doesn't read like a police report. ;) Anyway, it dawned on me after that... I don't want to spend (potentially) years trying to get published. Publishers are picking up less and less new authors for the simple fact they aren't often likely to take a chance on losing money. You can't really blame them when the publishing industry is in a state of change as it is now. That's a whole different post in and of itself though!
I've spent countless hours, days even, researching agents and publishers. I've searched innumerable databases for information on getting ahead and learning every piece of information I could on getting published. And I hated every second of it!!!
Like a magical though painful lighting bolt, inspiration struck me. "Hope, you're wasting so much time."
I don't *need* to be traditionally published. I'm a stay-at-home mom. We're blessed that I don't have work outside the house. Writing is for me in my (little) free time. So following the reasoning of the wunderkind, Amanda Hocking, I decided, "Why shouldn't I have books available while I write instead of waiting and working for something that's really no more than a shot in the dark?" (Please don't assume I haven't worked my butt off on my upcoming book!!! I finished the first draft around December of 2009. Not knowing what I was doing, it took me a while to find the right people to help me with editing and locate some really amazing beta readers and critique partners!)
I found some of the most amazing and knowledgeable folks on earth for support and assistance. HAVEN is coming along splendidly in some hardcore revision and editing (thanks, Chi ;), and we're looking at an early June release!!!
So, I have tons more to say about going indie, and I'll try to get to that ASAP. It really is a little known, though growing!, option for writers. There is a lot of misinformation out there that I fell victim to. I hope you all can research and make the right decisions for yourselves. Don't take anything at face value. Learn to make your own decisions and...
Keep Writing!!!
With that, I want to make the formal announcement: I'm going indie!
It's a choice I came to after MUCH research and time spent considering my different options. I will say, getting into the writerly mindset, I'd decided from the start that I'd pursue traditional publishing. Even now, the traditional route is fine and good for some. I just don't feel like it's the right fit for me right now. Call me controlling, but I favor the idea of calling the shots in what happens in my story. I'm willing to put in the extra time and effort to promote my work, and the traditional world is in a place of upheaval. Most authors don't break into the publishing world with clout and best-seller potential. It does happen, of course! There's always someone there to break the mold, so if that's YOUR dream, don't give up on it!!!
For me, it comes down to: What do I hope to accomplish with my writing? The answer, as simple as it is, proved a challenge for me. I researched the ins and outs of both traditional and indie publishing. I sought the advice and recommendations of others. In the end, it boiled down to me. My desire is to write novels...not query letters, not multiple versions and pages of a synopsis, but novels.
It dawned on me one day after reading a post from Amanda Hocking regarding "Indie vs Traditional" publishing. I highly recommend you check it out. It's informative in a way that doesn't read like a police report. ;) Anyway, it dawned on me after that... I don't want to spend (potentially) years trying to get published. Publishers are picking up less and less new authors for the simple fact they aren't often likely to take a chance on losing money. You can't really blame them when the publishing industry is in a state of change as it is now. That's a whole different post in and of itself though!
I've spent countless hours, days even, researching agents and publishers. I've searched innumerable databases for information on getting ahead and learning every piece of information I could on getting published. And I hated every second of it!!!
Like a magical though painful lighting bolt, inspiration struck me. "Hope, you're wasting so much time."
I don't *need* to be traditionally published. I'm a stay-at-home mom. We're blessed that I don't have work outside the house. Writing is for me in my (little) free time. So following the reasoning of the wunderkind, Amanda Hocking, I decided, "Why shouldn't I have books available while I write instead of waiting and working for something that's really no more than a shot in the dark?" (Please don't assume I haven't worked my butt off on my upcoming book!!! I finished the first draft around December of 2009. Not knowing what I was doing, it took me a while to find the right people to help me with editing and locate some really amazing beta readers and critique partners!)
I found some of the most amazing and knowledgeable folks on earth for support and assistance. HAVEN is coming along splendidly in some hardcore revision and editing (thanks, Chi ;), and we're looking at an early June release!!!
So, I have tons more to say about going indie, and I'll try to get to that ASAP. It really is a little known, though growing!, option for writers. There is a lot of misinformation out there that I fell victim to. I hope you all can research and make the right decisions for yourselves. Don't take anything at face value. Learn to make your own decisions and...
Keep Writing!!!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Willows: Haven book trailer!!!
Okay, so my wonderful and talented Twinkie,AKA Dizz, AKA Megan Curd, made me the most incredible book trailer! Enjoy! Thanks, Dizz! Love ya, dude!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Patience is a virtue, albeit an annoying one...
Hey guys! I've decided to start the new year with a positive note since I ended last year's with a rant. I'm three weeks late, but I'm here now. That ought to count for something, right? ;)
So you’ve finished your MS. It’s sparkly clean and free of embarrassing grammatical errors and shunning clichés. Congratulations!
Now what?
There are a hundred options from here regarding the next step: agents vs. no agent, self-publishing vs. traditional, and each of those options can go another hundred ways. BUT before you get into that, I’d like you to think about one thing. Wait to submit.
“Wait?” you ask. “If I wait, then…well, I’ll have to wait. I need to get my awesome, world-changing story to the masses now!”
Umm, not so much, guys. I’m not saying your story isn’t awesome or world-changing, I’m simply suggesting you let the thing steep a while. We all look at our creation like it’s our child: beautiful, perfect, and destined to be loved by all. The literary world is full of little monsters floating around due to the neglect of undisciplined parents. And dang it, you’re not going to be one of them! Right?
“So, you expect me to just sit on my hands and do nothing?” you ask. Of course not! Be productive! If you have a series, work on the sequel. If not, create another world to live in for a while. Read! Reading is an excellent tool for showing you what works and what not to do. Look at more than the basics of the story. Find writing similar to your own and study it. *Please be sure it’s good writing ;) Speaking from experience, good writing isn’t necessarily a story that sells. Stephenie Meyer is an enormous success, and she has a lot of good stuff in her books. She’s an accomplished story-teller, but her writing itself isn’t necessarily the best example of “good” writing. (No offense. I love the Twilight saga in my own way ;)
Consider this as well, if you send out a story that isn’t truly polished and great, you’re missing the opportunity you might’ve had otherwise. I can’t tell you how many agents I’ve missed out on simply because my query letter sucked! I’d like to have those opportunities back. Even now, I look at the version of my MS I sent to agents the first go round and cringe with embarrassment. It was horrible, guys! At the time though, I was certain it was amazing. I didn’t have the experience under my belt that I have now. Even with that whole eighteen months of growth, I don’t know as much as I will in another eighteen…but I’m growing.
I’m not saying don’t submit at all, you grow with feedback. Unfortunately, you don’t get any more feedback from 99% of agents than a “send more” or “no thanks.” This isn’t particularly helpful in my opinion. If you do choose to submit, please do it in spurts. Shoot out ten letters and wait. *Don’t tinker with your MS. You haven’t learned anything more yet. ;)
The thing I’m trying to stress is that I don’t want any of you to get burnt out on a great story because you’re helplessly editing and submitting. I feel that way now about my first story. It’s a series and to be honest, the second book (writing wise) is ten times better. The thing is, I’m tired of working on book one. I’ve gone through it more times than I can count. I’ve been *reworking* it for a year! It’s getting old now ;) I want to move on.
So, I do. I’m continuing with the sequel. The writing is much smoother and easier. I find it needs substantially less editing as I go, because I actually know what to look for and fix. I try and take book one in bites and do a little every day, however, I take breaks to leave it alone. It’s hard to be objective about your own writing. It’s even more difficult when you unthinkingly skim the words because you’ve gone over it a thousand times.
Take breaks, guys! I promise you, it’s more helpful than harmful. In a year’s time, you’ll look back and have more insight and understanding. I know you love your world and the characters in it. I just want them to have the best chance possible. :)
Keep writing. Don’t give up. And grow.
So you’ve finished your MS. It’s sparkly clean and free of embarrassing grammatical errors and shunning clichés. Congratulations!
Now what?
There are a hundred options from here regarding the next step: agents vs. no agent, self-publishing vs. traditional, and each of those options can go another hundred ways. BUT before you get into that, I’d like you to think about one thing. Wait to submit.
“Wait?” you ask. “If I wait, then…well, I’ll have to wait. I need to get my awesome, world-changing story to the masses now!”
Umm, not so much, guys. I’m not saying your story isn’t awesome or world-changing, I’m simply suggesting you let the thing steep a while. We all look at our creation like it’s our child: beautiful, perfect, and destined to be loved by all. The literary world is full of little monsters floating around due to the neglect of undisciplined parents. And dang it, you’re not going to be one of them! Right?
“So, you expect me to just sit on my hands and do nothing?” you ask. Of course not! Be productive! If you have a series, work on the sequel. If not, create another world to live in for a while. Read! Reading is an excellent tool for showing you what works and what not to do. Look at more than the basics of the story. Find writing similar to your own and study it. *Please be sure it’s good writing ;) Speaking from experience, good writing isn’t necessarily a story that sells. Stephenie Meyer is an enormous success, and she has a lot of good stuff in her books. She’s an accomplished story-teller, but her writing itself isn’t necessarily the best example of “good” writing. (No offense. I love the Twilight saga in my own way ;)
Consider this as well, if you send out a story that isn’t truly polished and great, you’re missing the opportunity you might’ve had otherwise. I can’t tell you how many agents I’ve missed out on simply because my query letter sucked! I’d like to have those opportunities back. Even now, I look at the version of my MS I sent to agents the first go round and cringe with embarrassment. It was horrible, guys! At the time though, I was certain it was amazing. I didn’t have the experience under my belt that I have now. Even with that whole eighteen months of growth, I don’t know as much as I will in another eighteen…but I’m growing.
I’m not saying don’t submit at all, you grow with feedback. Unfortunately, you don’t get any more feedback from 99% of agents than a “send more” or “no thanks.” This isn’t particularly helpful in my opinion. If you do choose to submit, please do it in spurts. Shoot out ten letters and wait. *Don’t tinker with your MS. You haven’t learned anything more yet. ;)
The thing I’m trying to stress is that I don’t want any of you to get burnt out on a great story because you’re helplessly editing and submitting. I feel that way now about my first story. It’s a series and to be honest, the second book (writing wise) is ten times better. The thing is, I’m tired of working on book one. I’ve gone through it more times than I can count. I’ve been *reworking* it for a year! It’s getting old now ;) I want to move on.
So, I do. I’m continuing with the sequel. The writing is much smoother and easier. I find it needs substantially less editing as I go, because I actually know what to look for and fix. I try and take book one in bites and do a little every day, however, I take breaks to leave it alone. It’s hard to be objective about your own writing. It’s even more difficult when you unthinkingly skim the words because you’ve gone over it a thousand times.
Take breaks, guys! I promise you, it’s more helpful than harmful. In a year’s time, you’ll look back and have more insight and understanding. I know you love your world and the characters in it. I just want them to have the best chance possible. :)
Keep writing. Don’t give up. And grow.
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