This year's Time Out For Writers Conference was a blast. It was so much fun to see old friends and meet new ones. I packed in a lot of great classes; here's a quick recap:
Chanda, Me and Britney
How to Write and Sell Children's, MG and YA
by Taylor Martindale, literary agent at Full Circle Literary
Taylor talked about the importance of writing characters--our ultimate goal for YA--as well as what voice is and how to strengthen it.
Plotting with the Hero's Journey
by Annette Lyon, author of A Portrait for Toni
So many different stories, one underlying journey pattern. Annette presented a great overview of Volger's work on mythology's influence on stories.
Me and Jenni James
Big Publishers, Small Publishers and Self Publishing
by Jenni James, author of Pride and Popularity
Jenni is hilarious and fun--a very entertaining presenter! In addition to talking about the pros and cons of various publishing routes, Jenni encouraged everyone to be confident, write quality fiction, build a platform and be outgoing.
All you Need is LOVE--Writing Romantically
by Sarah M. Eden, author of Longing for Home
Sarah talked about romance on a deeper level including: 1) an emotional connection, 2) need fulfillment and 3) the couple is something to each other that no one else is (or can be). Great class.
Book Marketing 101
by Jon Lewis, author of Invasion
You are a BRAND, your book is your PRODUCT. Jon talked about knowing your target market as well as various marketing tools including Facebook and Twitter.
Writing for Your Reader: Market Awareness
by Claire Anderson Wheeler, literary agent
Claire discussed genre as well as story crafting techniques such as raising the stakes, building toward a climax and pushing your character to their limits.
Anyone who has been in one of Dr. Blasingame's classes knows that it's no bore! I love his lively presentations and the energy he brings into a lesson. Dr. Blasingame talked about voice in YA fiction, a matter of diction, syntax, word choice and meter & rhyme. Great class.
Writing Secrets
by Jenni James, author of Pride and Popularity
Getting Twitter followers, wattpad.com, book signings, school visits and getting your word count in: Jenni shared all of her thoughts (and secrets) of becoming a successful author.
Me with Rebecca and Britney, good friends!
Sweet Doesn't Mean Syrupy
by Victoria Curran, editor at Harlequin
Conflict, conflict, conflict. And upping the stakes! In addition to these, Victoria talked about how to write sweet (and clean!) romance without being "syrupy."
Hooray for Britney Gulbrandsen's October Madness Write-a-Thon! I need it. I have so many ideas for this new YA contemporary, I can't seem to find enough time to put it all down. I participated in Britney's write-a-thon last year and loved it. It really pushed me to not only write more but to learn new writing skills through completing the challenges Britney comes up with. All around, it's awesome, and ya'll should join in on the fun if you have some writing goals!
Here's a little more about the write-a-thon: The October Madness Write-a-Thon is a six day challenge hosted by Britney Gulbrandsen. It will run from 12:01 AM Monday, October 7th until 11:59 PM Saturday, October 12 in whatever time zone you are in. This write-a-thon is meant to be fun. It's a personal challenge to push yourself to write more than you normally would, no matter how much or how little that is. Any type of writing is allowed: brainstorming, fiction, articles, blogging, book reviews, journaling, editing, etc. Writing sprints, twitter chats, challenges, and giveaways will accompany the write-a-thon, but all are optional. Please visit www.britneygulbrandsen.com for more details.
I was so lucky to be able to spend the weekend with my mom and siblings in New York City (thanks to my husband for being super dad!). The last time we all took a trip together was when I was FOUR, so this was super special. Thought I'd take a minute to reminisce and share a few pictures.
Me at the Belvedeere Castle in Central Park
This quote is so true :)
Happy Birthday to the best mom!
At FAO Schwarz (where we saw--no joke--Angelina Jolie and two of her kids)
Say "cheese"...I mean, "Ahh!"
This one is for my husband who would have loved the history in the Arms and Armour section of the MET.
The whole clan. What a fun trip!
My trip to Savannah, Georgia with my husband a few years ago inspired REWIND TO YOU. Traveling always seems to rejuvenate and inspire me. Has traveling ever inspired a story you've written?
It's time to begin a new novel. Exciting, isn't it? And terrifying. You're sitting in front of a blank word document with so many ideas in your head, you wonder how to put them all down to form a coherent--not to mention captivating--70,000+ word story. Or maybe the ideas aren't there and you're hoping they will come! Either way, your story must begin. At least that's where I am right now, and it has me thinking about beginnings. An effective beginning lures us in, sets the tone, and makes us want more.
So, in preparation to start my novel, I've complied Ten Things to Avoid in the Beginning, stuff I have learned from painful past writing and reading experience that I want to avoid:
Trying Too Hard. Guilty! When I reread my first attempt at any first chapter, I
laugh. Mainly because I was trying too hard. I have learned. Trying too hard includes using flashy
words that inevitably draw away from the story (instead of adding to it as hoped). More description does not equal a more vivid start.
Over-explanation. Trust your readers. They don’t need to
know every minute detail of why something is happening, why your character is
where they are, etc… Let your readers have brief tastes of the setting, deduct
a character’s personality from their interactions with others, and gather what the
consequences might be should your character fail. Don’t dump it on them! Which
leads me to…
Info or Backstory Dump. It’s all about pacing, isn’t it?
Information overload or a backstory dump certainly won’t help. It may seem hard,
but cut out these sections of backstory and incorporate them later in your book.
Oftentimes, this only makes your story stronger.
Characters we Don’t Relate to. Donald Maass suggests that
we portray one weakness and one strength of our main character right off. Both within the first five pages. Do the
test. Read your first five pages. Have you given us a reason to like your character while also leaving room for said character to improve/change? I’m amazed how many times I neglect to do
this on my first drafts.
Starting with the Mundane. A character wakes up, showers,
pours his morning coffee. To me, this is a sign of neglect to infuse a story’s beginning
with tension. Start in the action. That’s where your story truly begins.
A Lack of Purpose. Send your character into any given scene
with a goal; that is sound writing advice we have all heard. And it seems so
simple, doesn’t it? Yet I still fail at times to incorporate or at least delineate
this on my first drafts. Sending your main character on a mission from page
one, and taking your readers along for the ride, is a necessary ingredient to
a powerful beginning.
Dialogue from Sentence One with NO Context. Alright, maybe there are exceptions to this. But I really
struggle when I open a book to find a conversation in full swing. Who
is speaking here and why should I care? we ask. Being thrown into dialogue can be a bit
annoying with no context. It’s amazing what only a few lines can do to orient a
reader before lunging into a conversation.
Monologue Overhaul. Again, I’m guilty. Internal thoughts
strewn across a manuscript, page after page, can really slow a story down.
Pacing, pacing, pacing. Of course, no thought on the page can be annoying. But a character’s
thoughts can come across in other ways than straight monologue. Dialogue and
even a character’s actions, both large and small, can say a lot about what’s
going on inside.
Character Overload. It's a good idea to start with three or fewer characters on the first page or two. Maybe I’m dense, but too many characters introduced on page one can really turn me off. If too many names pop up, readers can become impatient. Or worse, confused enough that they have to go back and reread (which really kills pacing).
An alarm clock goes off (or any waking-up
sequence in general).
Weather. On
a dark and stormy night… Refrain!
A room or family/friend tour. The character is
sitting in their room, describing every detail through their thoughts as they
look around. The same can be done with siblings, parents or friends.
A phone rings. And, oh no, it's bad news!
Looking in a Mirror. The character looks in the
mirror and describes himself/herself.
Driving to a new destination the character is unexcited
about (which, believe it or not, is exactly how I started the first-ever novel I wrote that will stay under my bed forever).
Do you have any other tips to share? Please comment. And thanks
for reading!
Image courtesy of Againstar from freedigitalphotos.net
My good friend Britney Gulbrandsen is putting on an October Madness Write-a-thon this week. I personally have several writing projects on my writing to-do list these next few months, so I'm glad for the kick-start and the extra push!
My Goals:
- Finish final edit on YA contemporary with reviewer's feedback
- Write new synopsis to said YA contemporary
- Finish lyrics to YA contemporary (I know, random)
- Write short story draft
- Character and plot sketch for new YA historical in preparation for NaNoWriMo (5,000-word goal, but hey, maybe I'll get more!)
Today is day two of October Madness, so head on over to Britney's blog for daily challenges and other fun opportunities to meet fellow writers and stretch your writing abilities. And if you need extra incentive, there's a rockin' giveaway associated! Happy writing, y'all!
Donna, what is one of your most embarrassing moments?
Realizing a guy in one of my classes I'd been talking to all
semester was, indeed, a girl. Yeah, lots of replayed conversations wondering
how many times I'd stuck my foot in my mouth when I thought she was a he.
Oh. My. Goodness! That is embarrassing. I definitely want to hear more about that one later! What are you most passionate
about, other than writing?
Music!
Favorite Quote
“For
it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you
kissed, but my soul.” -Judy Garland
Any reoccurring nightmares? Humor us.
I'm terrified of spiders, and have frequent dreams of spiders--usually humongous
spiders--crawling toward me or on me.
You and Ronald Weasley (add ME to the
list, too!). Five favorite movies. Go.
Somewhere in Time, Sense and Sensibility (actually all
of the Jane Austens), Tangled, While You Were Sleeping, Enchanted
I love it! We have similar tastes in
shows. List five of your favorite novels (I know, rude to ask for only five
since I’m sure there are many!)
You're right--totally hard question, but here are some that
really stick out in my mind:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Illuminations of the Heart by Joyce DiPastena
A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist
There are some on that
list I’ll have to add to my to-read pile. Donna, what hidden talent do you possess
besides writing?
I don't know how talented I am, but I love to sing, dance, and
play the harp.
Donna’s Books:
Tell us about your all-time favorite
character (of your own creation).
Jared from The Guise of a Gentleman was so fun to write. I did
absolutely no characterization on him, he was such a wild card, and so fully developed,
that it felt like I ran around after him and madly typed everything he did. I
even dreamed about him. Vividly.
I just downloaded The Guise of a Gentleman on my Kindle, so this makes me extra excited to read about Jared! How did you come up with
the premise for Queen in Exile?
That was a 20-year project that started when I was in high
school and evolved significantly. I honestly have no idea where the original
story was born but when I heard the song; All I Ask of You from Phantom of the
Opera, I thought that could have been their theme song.
Wow! I love Queen in Exile, so that was a fun
tidbit for me to learn. Character, setting or plot: which one is most important
to you and why?
My books are very character-driven, but setting
and plot are so crucial that I have a hard time separating them because they
are all interwoven. The setting dictates much of who the characters are, and
the plot is basically what they do and why they do it which can create fairly
complicated plots with some adventure or intrigue.
Well said! Last of all,
what project are you working on now, Donna?
I'm doing final edits on a novella and revisions on a
full-length novel which is book 3 of my Regency series. I hope to have good
news about that soon.
I hope so too. I, for
one, will be looking forward to everything Donna Hatch in the future. Thank you for interviewing on my blog, Donna!
You can find out more about Donna on her website, her blog, or her Facebook page. I love comments!AND be sure to check back Monday morning to enter a GIVEAWAY of one of Donna's novels!
I am excited to be taking part in the 3rd Annual LDS Writer Blogfest today. Thank you Kayeleen for inviting me! Each participant (links below) has been asked to highlight a talk from the LDS General Conference that was held March 31 and April 1. Several talks stood out to me, and many had a deep impact. For this reason, I will highlight a few of the talks that deal with a topic that is constantly on my mind.
President Thomas S. Monson, prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints said in his talk The Race of Life, "Everywhere people are in a hurry...In this fast-paced life, do we ever pause for moments of meditation—even thoughts of timeless truths?
Said the Savior: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
I want to focus on the importance of families, a topic heavily emphasized in conference. "In family relationships love is really spelled T.I.M.E." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf.
In his talk That the Lost May be Found Elder M. Russell Ballard of the quorum of the twelve apostles said that “Societies at large are strengthened as families grow stronger. Commitments to family and values are the basic cause. So what can we do to not become lost? First, may I suggest that we prioritize. Put everything you do outside the home in subjection to and in support of what happens inside your home. Remember President Harold B. Lee’s counsel that “the most important … work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes” and President David O. McKay’s timeless “No other success can compensate for failure in the home”
I believe this. My dad did many amazing things. He was successful in athletics and his career. Many people knew him. Awards and recognition followed many of his efforts. Seven years ago he passed away and sadly, people don’t mention him as much as they did when he was alive and soon after he passed. A lot of people have forgotten about him. But I will never forget.
What is a priority? It is so very easy to make to-do lists, write out our goals, or even think about what matters most to us. But are we really prioritizing? A good test I have for myself is to ask the question, “Where am I spending the most of my time?” That can be a scary question to ask because I believe the answer to that question is invariably our first prioity. I believe our priorities are determined by where we choose to place our thoughts, desires and actions. Yikes!
Elder Boyd K. Packer gave a talk titled And a Little Child Shall Lead Them in which he said, “One of the great discoveries of parenthood is that we learn far more about what really matters from our children than we ever did from our parents. We come to recognize the truth in Isaiah’s prophecy that “a little child shall lead them.”
Family time is sacred time and should be protected and respected."
I have learned so much from my children. Being their mom is my greatest blessing and responsibility. Limiting television, Internet, and other distractions can be a challenge, but it’s worth it. Going for a walk, playing at the park or getting down on their level to play My Little Ponies makes all the difference to these little kiddos! This is something I continually need and want to work on: putting my children first!
Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!
-Dr. Seuss
My dad was one of my best friends. He was a teacher at heart and a very effective one at that. He taught me so much, everything from how to read to how to set a goal and work hard until you achieve it. During my senior year of high school, Dad—healthy, marathon-running Dad—was diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor on the left side of his brain. When he came out of surgery he could hardly speak and he had lost the right side of his field of vision. Each day when I arrived home from school I would find Dad in his office waiting for me to help him read his scriptures. He once commented on how ironic it was: now I was teaching him something that he initially taught me.
Those days were heartbreaking, yet I cherish those momentous times I spent side-by-side with Dad as he relearned language by reading his scriptures (Jacob 5!). In reality, Dad was really still teaching me. Here was a man half blind and unable to read. Yet he never gave up. He gave it his all until the very end.
Dad’s experience made me think a lot about the brain and how it works. His egg-sized tumor was in the left side of his brain and thus, his ability to speak and process words was hindered.
I once read (and I wish I had saved the article!) that one of the best ways to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease is to engage in activities that employ both sides of your brain.
“Crossword puzzles!” we all shout out. Yes. But right up with crossword puzzles on the list of brain-stimulating activities is creative writing. (woohoo!)
Disclaimer: I am no neuroscientist, but here's what I found on the web:
The left brain is linear. It is in charge of verbal, logical and analytical thinking. It excels in categorizing, speech, reading, writing and arithmetic. It places things in order.
The right brain, on the other hand, processes ideas rapidly and in a nonlinear pattern. It excels in visual, spatial and intuitive information. It explores possibilities and creates.
Writers take a piece of paper and a bunch of symbols and bring something to life: a story! Creative writing really is a tasking hobby, employing a heavy dose of right-brain free and creative exploring as well as left-brain organization and language skills to put those ideas on paper. Writers take a flat sheet of paper and bring people, places, and even entire worlds to life within a reader’s mind.
In an article on USA Today, neuroscientist Nancy Andreasen speaks about the creative process in our brains:
“Research suggests that creative people often slip into a zone in which ideas and thoughts come up freely in a disorganized way. During that state, a part of the brain known as the association cortex becomes very active. That brain region is known to be able to link up ideas or thoughts in potentially novel ways.” photo credit
Ever heard the writing advice, “write now, edit later”? This is why. When we pull the left side of our brains into the process of exploring an idea and putting it down on paper (grammar and organization), we can lose sight of the creative flow that the right side of our brains is engaging in. (Still, I have a habbit of editing everything to death before moving on!)
Andreasen also says, “Gifted people in the arts or science tend to enjoy adventure, and they often like to explore new places or ideas. They don't like being hemmed in by rules or convention and often look at problems from a different angle. They also tend to have a high tolerance for situations defined by shades of gray. They often have to move doggedly ahead on a project — even when the outside world rejects their art or new ideas.”
I think we need both sides of our brains to create something beautiful, and understanding how the brain works can only help us improve our creative processes.
This video is a little long, and some parts are a bit strange, but it’s worth a watch. Neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor had the rare opportunity of studying her own brain function during a stroke. Here she shares her experience:
Check out these Fun Facts About Our Brains and leave any thoughts you have to share in the comments. Thanks for stopping by!
-While language is controlled by the left side of our brains, the right side of the brain deals with ‘emotionally potent language’ - or in other words, swearing.
-Thinking positive might actually keep the doctor away. Studies show that 50-70% of visits to the doctor for physical ailments can be traced to psychological reasons.
-Eat healthy foods, for your body and your brain. A study of one million New York students showed that those who ate lunches without additives and preservatives performed 14% better on IQ tests. That said, our brains are the fattiest organs in our bodies!
-Memories triggered by scent (like cologne and perfume) have a stronger emotional connection, and therefore appear more intense than other memory triggers.
-Keep exercising your brain, because mental activity stimulates the creation of new neurons throughout your whole life. Click here for information on how to keep your brain sharp. Source
"Trial and error." "Learn from your mistakes." These sayings have a lot to do with honing our craft as writers. Sometimes the only way to learn is to delve in, do our best, screw up, work overtime to correct those errors only to eventually throw the entire project away and start over. Painful! But through it all, we LEARN.
A friend of mine through ANWA shared the following inspirational video, and I believe it applies.
In a talk titled Happiness, Your Heritage ,President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints speaks about how the process of creating something makes us happy: "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before...Don't let fear or failure discourage you. Don't let the voice of critics paralyze you-whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside."
I suppose this is why I love writing so much; I love to create a story that didn't exist before. Bringing ourselves-our experiences, original thoughts and feelings-into our stories is what makes them original afterall. Everyone has a story to tell.
So don't let critics get you down. Don't let yourself get you down. Dig deep, set the creative side of your brain free and create a story that is uniquely your own. And DON'T GIVE UP!
Where do you get your inspiration? You know, when do you do your "thinking," the imaginative first step that shakes an idea to the surface and lets it fly free? Here's mine:
Running, traveling, and that time right before I fall asleep: those tend to be the moments when my creativity is at its best. And since I'm craving a new writing project, I will be doing a lot more of this:
And praying for an unforgettable premise to call my fingers to the keyboard. (Maybe I'll get a little crazy and plan a vacation, too!)
