AHSOKA TANO IS READING MY BOOK!

I have a new piece on The Good Men Project's All Things Geek today. If you have a fantasy or sci-fi novel in your back pocket, Her Universe Press, the new publishing company by Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars Rebels) has an open call for submissions!

Read more here:

http://goodmenproject.com/all-things-geek/211549-xela/#comment-2284756

To Be A Writer

I've been slow to post lately, though I do have a pretty good reason.  I've been working on a novel, and after years of working on writing the story that comes after, I realized that what I really needed to tell was the story that comes first.  For an early Christmas gift my mother gave me a James Patterson writing class.  It's through a company called Master Class, and for less than $100 I was able to get tips from the author, interact with the class, and get feedback and resources all in one place.  It was interesting, and James Patterson is an engaging speaker. I loved the class, but the section on outlining was where I really learned something.  In my head, outlining involved paragraphs and supporting facts and a beginning and an end.  Mr. Patterson has a completely different method of outlining, and while I didn't end up using his method, it opened my eyes to the idea that there were many different ways of outlining.

I tabled the book I'd been working on and went back to the beginning.  I had written a short story a while ago, and loved it, but re-reading it made me realize that it should be the start of the first novel.  I took the short story and made it into my first draft during National Novel Writing Month, a whirlwind 30 days where you spend every minute of your life completing 50,000 words of your novel. 

Shortly before NaNoWriMo, my editor at The Good Men Project's All Things Geek, Alex Yarde, had shared the news that Her Universe, a female-centric chic geek apparel website founded by Ashley Eckstein, entrepreneur and voice of Star Wars Rebels' Ahsoka Tano, was branching out into publishing.  Her Universe Publishing was looking for female writers--that's me!--who had a fantasy or sci-fi manuscript--again, that's me!--with a preferably female protagonist--wow, that's me, too!

I sent along my information and a five page synopsis of the story, and set about the onerous task of waiting.  In the meantime, I wrote and edited--I've found that writing involves a LOT of editing.  In the back of my head, I was convinced I'd get the dreaded "no thanks", or "good luck placing it elsewhere."  This was my baby, my story, my people.  If they didn't like it, it was telling me I wasn't good enough.

Two months later they asked for my manuscript. 

I panicked.  It wasn't perfect yet!  I couldn't send it yet, could I?  I worked on it for three days straight, avoiding housework, cooking, children, husband, and in some instances, eating or sleeping.  I did what probably would be frowned upon in most cases, and sent them my first draft, explaining that it hadn't had any heavy editing yet.  In this case, the first draft didn't have enough conflict (I felt), so I set about rearranging a few sections to fix that while I await the response yet again.  

I dragooned a few people into beta reading to get feedback, and I did some more editing.  I figured out how to use Scrivener to make an e-book format for my novel, so I (and my betas) could read it on a Kindle. 

It looks so pretty on a Kindle.  All rights belong to this author.

If you write a lot, and you're looking for something better than Word for plugging your thoughts in, take my advice and buy Scrivener.  It comes in both Mac and Windows versions, and it makes rearranging sections, comparing chapters, and keeping up continuity throughout your novel a snap.  It even has a virtual cork board and an outliner if you choose to use them.  You can even try it for free!

So this is where I am, waiting for more feedback from beta readers and waiting for a response from Her Universe Publishing.  I've begun plotting the second book.

Here's the important part.  I began writing about this character in fits and bursts since I was twelve years old.  I know, that makes me sound a little crazy.  But it's true.  This is the first time in 31 years that I've completed this story (or at least one part of it) from start to finish.  I credit three things with my determination to finish:  James Patterson's Master Class, which gave me encouragement and new ways of looking at novel-building; Her Universe Publishing's willingness and desire to reach out to female authors of fantasy and sci-fi; and my eldest daughter's interest in writing.  I've determined as I wait that if HerUniverse says no, I'll try another publishing house, and another, but even if I have to self-publish, I want PunkGirl to see that it's worthwhile to follow that writing path.  To complete the story.  To be a writer.

    

 

I'm Baaaacck!

     I haven't done much posting in the last few months, between the kids being back at school and working on both a short story and a novel.  I just finished up the short story, and am submitting it to Tor.com, so let's all cross our fingers that they'll love it as much as I do!

     The novel has been tougher to work on, simply because of its scope and size, and I'm a much more "hands on with a pen" person when it comes to edits.  Hopefully I can carve out a little time each week to work on it and get it ready for publication.  

     Oddly enough, my best successes have been personal stories about my life and family, but my short story and novel are complete fantasy.  The only similarity is that I've been writing these characters since I was 12, so to me they feel very much like my own personal story.  I am pretty hard on myself, so I've edited a lot, which sometimes means big re-writes throughout different sections.  I'm desperate to have my audience love my characters as much as I do, and sometimes I re-read and realize I've got to explain something that's in my head but not on the page.  

     Any fiction/creative writers out there?  What do you find is your biggest challenge?

Birthday--And Why We All Need A Laptop

My birthday was last weekend, and I scored lots of fantastic gifts!  I also got to spend the evening with an amazing group of friends, having dinner and visiting a Drag Queen Theatre in Boston (generally not something I would want for my own birthday due to the lack of movement--I was hoping to take my fancy dress and go out dancing for probably only the second or third time ever--but I actually had a fantastic time and got to have strong drinks, a little friendly embarrassment, and best of all, a lot of laughter with very happy friends!)

I got to glam it up, and see the little typewriter necklace?  Read on!

One of the best things about the night was that Coffeeguy had made it a surprise, and also that he had made a theme.  Before he handed me this silver beauty, he made me close my eyes and said:  "You like to tell everyone you're a stay at home mom.  But you're not. That's not what you are. You.  Are.  A.  Writer, Baby, that's what you are."  And I opened my eyes and saw this:

Well, ok, I saw the box it was in, but it was just as exciting.  Oh, I know what you're thinking, because I thought so too.  Don't we already have a laptop? I mean, how do you write these pithy blog posts?

But I never use the laptop to write, I almost inevitably use my phone.  And now that I have downloaded Scrivener (if you're writing a long novel, or memoir, etc, please, just take my word and go look it up), I need to use a computer, so I have worked less on my novel.  But now, I have my own laptop! I can use it whenever I want!  I am a writer!!  And I shall follow the advice of my next gift:

I have also noticed 3 things about having my own laptop (because the family one is often in use.)

1.  When you write on your phone, you're not busy, and you're "fair game."  Often if I just get into the writing groove, Punkgirl, Happyboy, or Coffeeguy have a story they desperately want to tell.  I want to hear their stories.  But by the time they finish, GONZO.  I forget what I was writing.  If I'm on the computer,  I'm suddenly greeted with "Are you busy?" Or "Remind me when you're done to tell you about so and so."  BONUS.

2.  When you're writing on your iPhone, you're just "playing on your phone."  I can't tell you how many times I have been in the middle of editing my novel when my kids have said "You've been playing on your phone for an hour!" (Which, btw, is never true, because I don't get an hour to myself!). Now that I'm on the laptop, it's a respectful, "Are you done working yet?"

3.  I get things typed faster with all my fingers than with one thumb.  I don't know how that could possibly be, but it's true.

So, if you're an iPhone writer like me, consider buying a laptop, if only for the 25 minutes you might get to write in peace---worth every penny!!

Camp Awesome Begins!

Its officially the first day of summer for us, and we have gotten off to an auspicious start.  We made Summer Bucket Lists last night, which included (on Happyboy's list) "hug Punkgirl every day" and (on Punkgirl's list) "avoid Happyboy's hugs daily"...

Being a former educator, I like to put my ideas into lesson plans.  I can't help myself.  It makes it so much easier to plug fun things into a day.  It's not like we have to follow it to a t, but it's nice to look and see that recipe for clay and making ornaments that I really wanted them to try.  My book looks like this: 

My favorite are the writing prompts.  In the book it says "writing prompts 1-5"...on a separate sheet, I have about 50 writing prompts, some I came up with, some I looked up online, some I asked them for.  I then torture Happyboy (who loves to create a story but hates to actually write) by adding an option to give me a 10 page typewritten (double-spaced, I'm not THAT mean) report, with evidence, that will convince me that he shouldn't have to write at all this summer.  I figure if he puts in that much effort he deserves to skip it.

Now, that might sound like I force the kids to do everything in my little book.  Au contraire.  This is the book I pull out when they say "I'm bored." Ok. You're bored.  Great!!! I have writing prompts today!  They'll either do it because they really are bored, or they'll go find something to do on their own!  Either I get something fun to read, and "free" (this word has such a different meaning for parents) time, or they go find something to do and I don't have to hear "I'm bored!"

This week's writing prompts look like this:

I can't wait to see what they come up with!

The Good Men Project

If you haven't discovered the Good Men Project yet, you should go now.  Read the well-written stories about the men in our lives--as told by men, women, anyone with a great perspective and a talented writing voice.  Here are some of my favorites over at www.thegoodmenproject.com.

http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/baseball-lessons-alyw/

http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/a-teenage-boys-letter-alyw/

http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/a-former-tomboy-mom-on-her-stylish-son-alyw/

http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/shesaidthe-pink-switch/

Go.  Check 'em out!!